Epaper_23-03-21 LHR

Tuesday, 21 March, 2023 I 28 Shaban, 1444

Imran accuses govt of ‘viciously provoking’ army against PTI

Profit

Centcom boss expresses confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear security protocols

Default watch: Is the government giving up?

PM taKes PtI to tasK FoR 'launchIng sMeaR dRIve' agaInst aRMy chIeF

g urges overseas pakistanis to desist from campaign, defend integrity of army chief

ISLAMABAD Staff rePort

theprime minister monday denounced a “vile campaign” that he claimed was initiated by the pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) party to target the pakistan army and its chief, Gen. syed asim munir, in foreign countries.

in a statement by the prime minister’s office (pmo), shehbaz sharif urged overseas pakistanis to speak out against this campaign and defend the honour and integrity of their country’s military.

“the campaign against the army chief is intolerable and a continuation of the conspiracy against the institutions,” he declared. sharif, who has emerged significantly weakened from the political crisis, also claimed that “toxic politics” was being spread through the diaspora.

he has also issued a call to “patriotic” citizens living abroad to reject and speak out against what he has called a “foreign-funded campaign” aimed at destabilising the country.

the prime minister also expressed concern over the involvement of Khan in what he described as attempts to drag state institutions and their leaders into politics, which he said is in violation of the constitution.

he has directed the interior minister, rana sanaullah Khan, to take strong action against those involved in anti-institution campaigns within

IHC suspends appointment of Director General PSQCA

another audio-tape of former cJP saqib nisar surfaces

g

claims 'toxic politics' being spread through the diaspora

the country. he has called for decisive action to be taken against such individuals to preserve the integrity and stability of the nation. his statement came after supporters of former prime minister imran Khan took their protest to the streets of london, after staging a demonstration outside the house of pakistan muslim leaguenawaz (pml-n) supreme leader nawaz sharif. the protesters, numbering in the hundreds, gathered outside the residence of shehbaz sharif on edgware road where pro-Khan slogans were chanted during the protest.

PTI did not run any campaign against army chief: Fawad Chaudhry

LAHORE

Staff rePort

pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) vice president fawad chaudhry said on monday that his political party did not run any campaign against the army chief.

fawad chaudhry, while talking to the journalists today, said that pti respects the army chief and it did not run any campaign against him. he said that the country cannot bear the consequences of ethnic riots. he asked the caretaker punjab chief minister mohsin naqvi to give his statements carefully instead of

PKR interbank rate weakens by Rs2 due to uncertainty surrounding IMF program

g rules out imposition of financial emerGency as debts pile up

ISLAMABAD

Profit rePort on monday, the pakistani rupee faced a decline due to uncertainty around the revival of the imf program and a lack of confidence in the government. at 11:57am, the rupee was valued at rs283.7 per dollar, representing a depreciation of rs1.99 or 0.71% from the previous friday. the delay in the signing of the imf staff-level agreement and the absence of reassurances from friendly countries to fund a balance of payment gap have contributed to the lack of confidence in the government. the rupee is expected to appreciate once the imf loan program is revived, and higher inflows are expected during ramadan. the smuggling of dollars from afghanistan has also led to a shortage of dollars in the market. the delay in the imf agreement has raised concerns about pakistan’s ability to avoid default, as the imf has asked pakistan to arrange $7bn for debt servicing during the current fiscal year before releasing the $1.1bn tranche.

playing with the fire. he said that naqvi should give balanced statements and refrain

from supporting the violence. chaudhry added that the chief minister should stop spreading hatred against a specific community. reacting to prime minister shehba sharif’s statement, he said that the premier’s statement is an attempt to create distance between the army and the nation. “pti has neither run any campaign against the army chief nor is planning to do it. pti respects the army chief.” the pti vice president said that imran Khan thinks if the military becomes weak then it will also make the country weaker.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

ISLAMABAD Staff rePort

a purported audio tape featuring a conversation between two voices believed to be that of former chief justice of pakistan saqib nisar and pti chief imran Khan’s lawyer Khawaja tariq raheem surfaced on monday. both former cJp nisar and lawyer raheem are talking about pml-n senior vice president maryam nawaz in the purported audio tape. while talking about maryam, raheem voice says: “the way she talks, she should be given a befitting reply. she must be sorted outside. this woman talks too much.” on this, former chief justice nisar replies: “do you know what i think. i remember what elder tarar sahib used to say. he would say if someone barks, stay away from him.” raheem: “that’s right. you have already given your reply on ary.” nisar: “alhamdulillah, i have got courage and i can bear this. i don’t want to get confused or depressed. if it’s necessary, i will let you know to explode something. then you should explode.” raheem: “Just let me know. i will do whatever you say.” nisar: “i will let you know.” raheem: “anytime you like.”

‘Rift’ with KP governor: ‘powerless’ caretaker cM mulling to resign

PESHAWAR aziz Buneri

Naqvi warns

of stern action against future PTI ‘attacks’ on police

g interim Government constitutes Jit to probe violent clashes between police and supporters of imran Khan

LAHORE

Staff rePort

the caretaker government of mohsin naqvi in punjab has formed a joint investigation team (Jit) to investigate the alleged torture of police personnel at the hands of pakistan tehreek-i-insaf (pti) supporters in lahore over the past week.

announcing the decision in a press conference on monday, the interim chief minister also warned the opposition party of former prime minister imran Khan that any “future mistreatment” of law enforcement officials would be met with an “equivalent response.”

intermittent clashes between Khan’s supporters and punjab police and paramilitary rangers personnel have erupted over the past few weeks.

the clashes began when islamabad police attempted to arrest Khan at his Zaman park residence in lahore in connection with the toshakhana case. pti supporters resisted the arrest, resulting in several injuries among the police personnel.

another clash erupted on saturday when law enforcement agencies raided Khan’s house in his absence. pti workers reportedly clashed with police while trying to stop them from entering the house.

naqvi expressed concern over the “mistreatment” of law enforcement officials and warned that the police will now respond to any mistreatment similarly. he also noted that the police had been unable to implement court orders due to their inability to enter the house.

naqvi also criticised Khan’s “behaviour” and threatened to withdraw the security the government provided if he continues to verbally abuse police personnel. he declared that the police could not protect someone who mistreated them and expected the same force to safeguard them. he further said he had given full powers to the provincial police chief, usman anwar, to do what he deemed appropriate, and that no political party had reacted as aggressively as pti during its protest.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

stark differences have cropped up between the caretaker chief minister of Khyber pakhtunkhwa (Kp) mohammad azam Khan and Kp’s Governor haji Ghulam ali and rumours were rife on monday that cm azam Khan was planning to resign from office due to governor’s overarching role and interference in his domain by governor and chief secretary Kp. though the Kp cm house spokesperson termed the reports regarding azam’s resignation as unfounded, he confirmed cm’s differences with Governor Ghulam ali. “the governor is biased. it is not possible to conduct a free and fair election with governor in the office,” the spokesperson said quoting caretaker cm azam. the reports of resignation of the cm were circulating on social media, quoting the chief minister saying: “when the governor has all the power, what is the need for me to get all the blame”. the spokesperson said that there was no truth in the reports about the resignation of the caretaker chief minister, “it is just a rumour”. further, reports of differences between the caretaker cm and the chief secretary were also being circulated on social media. a source close to the cm told this scribe that chief secretary Kp was also not implementing the orders of the cm and rather he was fully connected with the prime minister’s office, bypassing the chief minister. the source said that cm was planning to resign being powerless. pti moves sc against K-p governor, ecp pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) leader mushtaq ahmad Ghani on monday filed a contempt petition against the K-p governor and the election commission of pakistan (ecp) for not announcing the date of elections in the province, saying it is a violation the supreme court (sc) order.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

Why the govt’s petrol cross-subsidisation scheme is a logistical nightmare

g Govt to introduce dual petrol rates; affluent customers set to be charGed rs 100 more whilst low-income Groups to be Given rs 100 discount

LAHORE

Daniyal ahmaD

on monday, minister of state for petroleum, musadik masood malik, announced that the government plans to increase petrol prices by rs100 for the wealthy and reduce them for low-income individuals in order to provide them with relief from fuel tariffs. during a press conference, he stated that the extra cost incurred by the affluent would be used to subsidise petrol for those in the low-income segment. this statement was made a day after prime minister shehbaz sharif declared a relief package for the poor, which includes a subsidy of rs50 for every litre of petrol. the subsidy will only be provided to

low-income consumers who own motorcycles, rickshaws, 800cc cars or other small cars. malik further elaborated on the subsidy today, revealing that the pm had ordered an increase in the subsidy to rs100, and stating that “the rich will be charged rs100 more and the poor will be charged rs100 less”. the petroleum subsidy programme is expected to be implemented within the next six weeks without any provision of subsidies.

What is cross subsidisation?

a cross-subsidy refers to a scenario where a particular group of customers or clients is charged a higher price for a product or service to offset a lower price provided to another group. Why is there a hesitance to call it a subsidy?

malik has steered clear of using the word ‘subsidy’ particularly to disassociate the current scheme from the petrol subsidy provided by the previous government last year. the subsidy was additionally carried by the incumbent government, until it eventually came to an end in June. the subsidy was a bone of contention between the previous Government, and the imf. as the current government looks to negotiate a staff level agreement with the imf, their reluctance to use the world subsidy is understandable. whether the imf seeks to scrap this ‘cross-subsidisation’ or not will be made evident in the days to come. Will this work? profit sought to examine whether any situation existed where the government’s scheme would work. the answer we found was that, yes it would. however, it would do so only under the most specific of terms, and that too primarily due to the lack of data available surrounding the entire endeavour.

the oil companies advisory council (ocac) reported that the transport

sector consumed 654,110 metric tons or 654,110,000 litres of motor spirit (ms). at a weighted average price of rs 218 for the month of January, a total of rs 142.7 billion was generated in sales. the ocac does not provide a breakdown of sales within the transport sector based on the type of vehicles. however, profit was able to confirm with a senior source in the industry that total industry-wide consumption has a 35:65 between two and three wheelers, and four-wheelers respectively.

a rs 100 fuel difference price would boil down to rs 172 and rs 372 at today’s petrol price based on the cross subsidy. assuming any given month with these prices sees the exact same demand as January, then the cross subsidy would generate rs 197.54 billion in total proceeds. this would be against the rs 177 billion that would be generated with January demand levels, if the cross subsidy would not be in place. the cross-subsidy would in this case pay for itself. however, this is just one aspect of the story.

from July 1 to december 31 2022, total consumption in the transport sector fell to 3.83 billion litres against the 4.52 billion litres over the same period in the previous year. the difference is a result of the average weighted price of ms from July 1 to december 31 being rs 229.14/litre against the rs 129.37/litre seen across the same period, the year prior. the 77.13% led to a 15.12% reduction in sales. similarly, utilising the 35:65 split, the weighted average price of petrol based on the cross subsidy would work out to be rs 302/litre. a 9.93% increase in the price of ms would then theoretically lead to 1.95% dip in the sales of ms. factoring in the dip in sales, the cross subsidy would then generate rs 197.5 billion. it would thus, still pay for itself. it is only under these circumstances that profit found the subsidy to work, and if the government has utilised similar statistics then they are in for a rude awakening.

Dar ClaIms Was quoTeD ouT oF ConTexT on PakIsTan’s nuClear Program

iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

FINANCE Minister Ishaq Dar

Monday claimed that his statement on Pakistan’s Nuclear Program was quoted out of context.

A statement issued by Finance minister Ishaq Dar stated that Mr Ishaq Dar’s statement on the floor of the Senate of Pakistan on 16th March, 2023, in response to a query regarding reasons for delay in the IMF Program, was being quoted out of context.

“My comments with regards to Pakistan’s Nuclear Program was in response to a colleague Senator’s specific question, wherein, I emphasized that Pakistan has sovereign right to develop its nuclear program, as it best suits our national interests, without any external dictation, which, by no means should in any way whatsoever be linked with the ongoing negotiations with

Why the govt’s petrol cross-subsidisation scheme is a logistical nightmare

Continued from page 01

The error of assuming consTanT preferences

the IMF,” the statement quoted Mr Dar.

“It is clarified that neither IMF nor any other country has attached any conditionality or made any demand from Pakistan with regard to our nuclear capability and the delay in IMF staff level agreement is purely due to technical reasons, for which

we are continuously engaged with the IMF in order to conclude it at the earliest,” the statement added.

The IMF Resident Representative in Pakistan, Esther Pérez Ruiz on Sunday refuted Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s statement about “pressurizing” Pakistan

Japan provides additional $5.38m to strengthen weather forecasting

on its nuclear program, stating that there is absolutely no truth to this or any insinuated link between the past or current IMF supported programs and decisions by any Pakistani government over its nuclear program.

“Regarding recent speculation that program discussion with the authorities for the ninth review under IMF supported program may have covered Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, I want to be categorical that there is absolutely no truth to this or any insinuated link between the past or current IMF supported programs and decisions by any Pakistani government over its nuclear program,” the IMF official Esther Pérez Ruiz said.

“Our discussions have exclusively focused on economic policies to solve Pakistan’s economic and balance of payments problems in line with the IMF mandate for promoting macroeconomic and financial stability,” she added.

Tribal elders ask KP govt to address flaws in flour

peSHawar aziz BuneRi

First, and foremost, Profit had utilised a split based on the assumptions of our source. Our source, though an expert on the matter, leaves room for error in the calculations because they state how an exercise such as this has simply never been done.

Furthermore, our source also highlights that the consumption for two and three wheelers is likely to increase relative to their four wheel counterparts once the subsidy does kick in. Profit has assumed constant consumption patterns, a sizable shift in the ratio would most likely lead to the entire subsidy falling apart.

Furthermore, Profit has not factored in 800cc four wheelers and light four wheel commercial vehicles which are also beneficiaries of the subsidy. The 35:65 split does not account for the additional two categories because as much as the original exercise has never been conducted, this additional one has never crossed anyone’s mind. Until now that is.

more, and more cans of

worms

Now Profit made all these calculations within the span of one hour. However, it was evident to us as well that we had made very fixed assumptions where we saw the subsidy being plausible. If the government has conducted a similar tertiary exercise then it is in for a rude awakening.

An effective execution of the subsidy requires an efficient delivery system baked with financial muscle to pull everything off. Does the government, and the energy sector have all of this in place? Read next week’s edition of Profit Magazine on March 27 to find out.

PTI did not run any campaign against army chief: Fawad Chaudhry

Continued from page 01

He expressed hopes to bring politics to normalcy. Condemning the arrest of Imran Khan’s focal person, Fawad Chaudhry said that Hassaan Niazi was taken into custody along with his lawyer. He criticised that lawyers are illegally being taken into custody which is a condemnable act. He demanded the authorities immediately release Hassaan Niazi and other PTI workers.

Fawad Chaudhry said that they are deliberating on taking legal action against the operations and crackdowns which are tantamount to contempt of court. He added that they will lodge a robbery case against Mohsin Naqvi and Inspector General (IG) Punjab.

He also announced to approach the court for the judicial inquiry into Zille Shah’s murder.

He said that all eyes are focused on the Supreme Court (SC) and they hope that the top court will protect the Constitution and the fundamental rights of the nationals.

distribution process

A delegation of tribal elite of Khyber district on Monday informed the ministers of their concerns in flour distribution process and asked to take immediate action to address the situation immediately.

The concerns were shared at a meeting held here at Civil Secretariat Peshawar with caretaker Minister for Labour Manzoor Afridi and Minister for Food Fazal Elahi. Director Food and other officials of the KP Food Department were also present on the occasion.

The tribal delegation was led by Tehsil Chairman Mufti Muhammad Kafeel and attended by others. The issues shared by tribal chiefs included non-availability of Benazir Income Support cards with tribals in the merged districts, delay in the clearance of beneficiaries due to lack of internet facilities, women not leaving homes due to tribal tradition and the possibility of mismanagement. Both the provincial ministers explained that there is no need for women to leave their homes, but they can send any of their male heirs for receiving the free flour. Similarly, distribution of flour will be completely transparent under Benazir Income Program, they added.

The ministers said the government has made special arrangements for the free flour distribution scheme in Khyber and other merged districts as else in other parts of the province.

“Henceforth, in the next couple of days, distribution of free flour would be started to one lakh 68 thousand poor families in the three tehsils of Khyber, Bara, Jamrud and Landi Kotal under Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). It would be given at the rate of three bags per poor family under the supervision of the district and tehsil administration,” the meeting was informed.

The ministers further said that despite the lack of resources, the provincial government is spending Rs 19 billion on this package in just one

month. Regarding the poor deserving outside the Benazir Income Support Program, they explained that in this regard, the district administration has also been instructed to register more beneficiaries as well so that more poor tribal families could benefit from the incentives of this BISP scheme later too.

Minister Excise Haji Manzoor Afridi further assured that the tribals could inform him of any of their problems in this regard and he would continue to serve them round the clock during Ramadanul Mubarak.

On this occasion, collective prayers were also offered for the progress and prosperity of the nation and country as well as the success of this poor friendly scheme.

Default watch: Is the government giving up?

Continued from BaCk page

All of this comes at a time when Pakistan’s creditors are knocking at the door for repayments and short term inflation has climbed over 45%. As things stand, Pakistan will need $5 billion external financing to close its financing gap this fiscal year, which ends in June, to avoid default.

The rocky road ThaT led us here

When Ishaq Dar took over the finance ministry in September 2022 Pakistan’s economy had veered away from default and secured a tranche of the IMF bailout under the stewardship of former finance minister Miftah Ismail. While there was still a lot of work to be done, the country was at least out of the red. The disbursement had been achieved by ending a massive fuel subsidy introduced by former prime minister Imran Khan and by agreeing to other terms of the IMF. The state bank at the time had more than $8 billion in foreign reserves. The nearly six months since have seen the economy go from bad to worse and then worse than before.

Dar, who during a television interview said “he knew how to deal with the IMF” since he had been doing it for decades, decided to artificially keep the price of the rupee high. However, this strategy failed within

a few months and by January 2023 Pakistan was staring down the possibility of default. The country began facing a shortage of forex reserves that has led to a curb of imports and skyrocketing inflation. Since then Dar has been trying to keep his chin-up and convince the nation that we are out of the water, negotiations with the IMF have not been so simple. The IMF team left Pakistan on the 9th of February without signing a staff level agreement, since when the government has been scrambling to meet the fund’s demands and get the vital $1.1 billion released. On February 11th, the government bulldozed a mini-budget through the national assembly to placate the IMF and agreed to impose Rs 170 billion in additional taxes to meet the fund’s conditions.

In the meantime the government has been trying to receive loans from friendly countries to try and shore up forex reserves and avoid default. Pakistan has previously received a $700m loan from China to help in this regard. The unhelpful signal from Riyadh, however, may be the final nail in the coffin.

connecTing The doTs

So just how bad are things? On the surface, the declaration of a petrol subsidy for bikes and rickshaws may just be a blank fire. The PM has only directed the relevant authorities to “finalise a scheme at the earliest” —

which means implementation could be anywhere between now and never.

But the prime minister’s statement comes at a very strange time.

With his popularity in the doldrums and the political fortunes of his main rival Imran Khan rising high, there is a clear desperation to try and gain some traction before an upcoming election. The government’s inability to arrest Khan or fix the economy means they are far from prepared for an election— something made evident by the PTI sweeping all by-elections since losing power at the centre.

On top of this, the programme to provide cheaper petrol to low-income households will be a nightmare to implement. The government has given itself six weeks to do this. The problem is, there are incredible logistical and mathematical issues with this. So if the plan is not going to go into action, what good will such an announcement do?

It can only do harm considering that the IMF is already cagey about signing a staff level agreement with Pakistan.

One of Pakistan’s last hopes in these trying times was that friendly countries would come to our aid. Hopes of that are slowly being dashed. Matters should become clearer over the next few weeks, but it goes without saying that the incumbent administration has made a mess of them. The least they can do now is display a little honesty even if the ship is going down.

islamaBad: The Government of Japan decided to increase the amount of a grant aid for “the Project for Installation of Weather Surveillance Radar in Multan” from 2.042 billion Japanese Yen (equivalent to around 14.99 million USD) to 2.8 billion Japanese Yen (equivalent to around 20.57 million USD).

The original Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged between two governments on 31 August 2018. Responding to the request from the Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, this time, the Government of Japan decided to provide additional amount of 760 million Japanese Yen (equivalent to around 5.58 million USD) for this project.

The Notes to this effect for provision of additional amount were signed and exchanged between Mr. ITO Takeshi, Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of Japan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Dr. Kazim Niaz, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs Pakistan is prone to natural disasters such as floods and landslides caused by heavy torrential rains, tropical cyclones and earthquakes. This results in heavy damages, particularly, due to floods triggered by monsoon rains. The Japanese government has been assisting Pakistan proactively, in the enhancement of weather surveillance capacity since the 1980s, in order to mitigate the damage by flood.

Including the additional amount pledged today, the total amount of?Japanese assistance for weather surveillance radars in Pakistan has reached about 11.3 billion Japanese Yen (equivalent to around 82.9 million USD). So far Japan has supported the installation of 6 weather radars in the cities of Islamabad, Karachi, Dera Ismail Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan (ongoing) and Sukkur (ongoing) and will cover 80% of the country and benefit 90% of the whole population. The weather radar network will surely contribute to further strengthening the weather forecasting capability in Pakistan and help Pakistan become more resilient to future natural disasters. In the signing ceremony, Mr. Ito stated, “This project will enhance PMD’s capabilities, it will be able to disseminate information and deliver more accurate weather forecast, it will be able to send out warnings to protect life and properties of the people in Pakistan.” Staff RepoRt

naqvi warns of stern response to future PTI ‘attacks’ on police

Continued from page 01

Naqvi also assured the police that legal action would be taken wherever necessary and warned that anyone resorting to violence would face a stern response. He announced that the caretaker government would write a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the matter. Additionally, Naqvi announced compensation for injured police personnel, with Rs100,000 for minor injuries and Rs500,000 for major injuries.

‘rift’ with kP governor: ‘powerless’ caretaker Cm mulling to resign

Continued from page 01

The petition maintained that the governor “willfully chose to ignore the exalted status of his high constitutional office”, adding that he is “already in breach of his constitutional responsibilities and that he must appoint the date for holding the general election to the KP Assembly”.

The PTI leader requested the court to initiate judicial proceedings against the governor and “punish him accordingly”. Ghani also requested the apex court to get its order –announcing the election date – implemented.

“Respondent 1 [KP governor] is not willing or ready to appoint such date, this Honorable Court may either direct that President or any other suitable functionary to appoint such date for poll or fix the date itself, as has been done in a previous election,” the petition concluded. Sixty-two days have passed since the K-P Assembly was dissolved, but the date of the election has not yet been announced. The apex court had also ordered the governor to give the date for polls in the province.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court announced its verdict after two-day-long proceedings in the case regarding the delay in the announcement of the date for provincial elections in Punjab and KP.

The apex court ordered that elections in both assemblies should be held in the next 90 days, with the chief justice saying: “Democracy cannot exist without assemblies.”

BRI bearing fruit as women in Gwadar start getting jobs

gwadar

Staff RepoRt

As an important development in social sector, women in Gwadar get jobs in local Garment Factory for having a respectable life in the society. Gwadar

Women Factory also known as Gwadar

Women’s Development Employment Center is in operation since 2020 in collaboration with Chinese Consulate Karachi and managed by of Gwadar

Women Development Organization of China Overseas Port Holding Company. According to Gwadar Pro, “It came into being under deep insightfulness of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to instill a significant impact on the gender equality and women empowerment in re-

ceiving countries. “Such initiative like Gwadar Garment Factory for women is in line with China’s obligations to promote women mainstreaming and women empowerment within the BRI framework under international law,” Chinese official at Gwadar port said. Equipped with relevant sewing apparatus, airy and lighted ambience, management room and store, Gwadar Women Garment Factory has become a talk of town as it is not only a new window of opportunity to train unskilled women but also letting semi-skilled female tailers to hone their stitching acumen as per modern demands.

“If I had not been earning money reasonably and respectfully in Gwadar Garment Factory located in Gwadar Port,

neither I would have managed to send my kids in schools nor I would have contributed in home budget to overcome mounting challenges of daily price hike,” said Balqis Iqbal, a senior worker in Gwadar Garment Factory. “Such awesome financial autonomy has boosted my family status as now I am not billed as a burden, rather a self-supporting producer who can share the burden of family expenses. The honor I feel in the eyes of my husband and my family members is a cause of unending pleasure to me and let me say that all credit goes to Gwadar Women Garment Factory that is first of its kind in Gwadar,” she told Gwadar Pro. Gwadar Garment Factory is also being supervised by local woman Zaitoon Abdullah, who is also a social

worker in Gwadar. In exclusive interview to Gwadar Pro, she said that Gwadar Garment Factory is a true success story for creating spiral ripples in women empowerment. All women working here are given pick and drop services free of cost and that is why their families are quite satisfied for their commutation.

“As we have complete confidence in Chinese and Gwadar Port Operator, so sense always prevails that our women are safe in their workplace,” Rahim Baloch, a social worker in Gwadar said. Gwadar Garment Factory Assistant Manager Zaitoon Abdullah noted that Gwadar Manufacturing jobs like tailoring is a rewarding career choice for creative women professionals in Gwadar who like working with fabrics.

govT PrIorITIzIng sTePs To FaCIlITaTe InvesTors, InDusTrIalIsTs: Pm

iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

PRIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said the government was taking steps on priority basis to provide all possible facilities to the investors and industrialists.

He said there were immense opportunities for investment in information and technology, industry, energy, communication and

Imran’s nephew forcefully taken by police despite being granted bail

islamaBad: Hassaan Niazi, Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) focal person on legal affairs and nephew of its chairman Imran Khan, was “picked up” from outside an Islamabad court on Monday afternoon, according to his lawyer. Niazi was among several PTI supporters booked for “causing chaos” outside the Judicial Complex in the capital on Saturday as Khan appeared before a judge to face charges he sold state gifts while in office and hid his assets. Naeem Haider Panjhota, Niazi’s lawyer, said he had been granted bail but was forcefully picked up by the police and taken to the Ramna police station. Qasim Khan Suri, former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, shared a video on Twitter showing the police van in which Niazi was taken. Meanwhile, the Islamabad police have arrested 198 supporters and workers of the opposition party for allegedly attacking law enforcement personnel and vandalising state property on March 18. The police said that cases had been registered against the protesters, and the identification of all accused was underway with the help of cameras. The police claimed that 58 officers were injured in the clashes, and numerous vehicles and motorcycles were set on fire. They vowed to bring all miscreants involved in the violent acts to justice. Staff RepoRt

PTI leaders granted interim bail in judicial complex vandalism

islamaBad: An Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) has granted interim bail to six Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders in connection with the vandalism at the judicial complex during former prime minister Imran Khan’s court appearance. The six leaders who were granted bail are Asad Umar, Raja Khurram, Ali Nawaz, Murad Saeed, Zulfi Bukhari, and Shehzad Waseem. The politicians appeared before ATC Judge Raja Jawad, along with their legal team. Cases were registered against the PTI leaders in the CTD police station, while Bukhari was booked in the Golra police station case. The judge remarked that the interim bail of two weeks has been granted to PTI leaders so that they can fast in Ramadan with ease. The PTI counsel, Babar Awan, told the court he is filing new bail pleas in the court, but the judge said that once the court hears the old pleas, then the new bail pleas will be filed.

Earlier, the Islamabad police registered a case against PTI chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders for attacking, vandalising, and damaging the judicial complex during the former premier’s appearance. According to the FIR, the leaders of a “political party” were leading the mob, adding that they provoked the people, which led to vandalism. An attempt was made to attack the Federal Judicial Complex and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) under a plan. Staff RepoRt

198 PTI workers held in Islamabad for attacking police, vandalism

islamaBad: Islamabad police have arrested as many as 198 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for attacking police and vandalising public property on Monday. Raids for further arrests are underway. The suspects are being ascertained with the help of CCTV cameras. Islamabad police had registered cases at Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Golra police stations over violent incidents by the PTI workers. At least 58 police officials were injured due to stone pelting and vandalism by the PTI workers during protests. Four vehicles and 25 motorcycles of police were burnt while nine police vehicles were vandalised. “All the miscreants involved in the violent acts will be brought to justice,” the police vowed. Arrested PTI workers produced in Lahore ATC. As many as 102 PTI workers arrested during the Zaman Park police operation have been produced in an antiterrorism court (ATC) in Lahore. The duty judge had granted one-day physical remand of these workers. Police will request further physical remand of the accused. Strict security arrangements were ensured during the production of the accused. Shibli Faraz appears in Islamabad ATC on wheelchair PTI leader Shibli Faraz Monday appeared in an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on a wheelchair. Staff RepoRt

infrastructure sectors of the country. The prime minister was talking to Dawlance Chairman Fatih Kemal Ebiclioglu, who along with a delegation called on him, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. During the meeting, Minister for Board of Investment Chaudhry Salik Hussain, PM’s Special Assistant Jahanzaib Khan, relevant officials and Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan Mehmet Pacaci also attended the meeting.

The prime minister observed that the de-

struction caused by the earthquake in Turkiye during February had no precedent in the recent past, adding that they were grieved over such scale of devastation.

He said Pakistan immediately sent rescue, relief and medical teams to Turkiye and the relief goods were still being sent to the quake-hit country. The prime minister reiterated that the people of Pakistan would fully support their Turkish brothers and sisters in the difficult time as Turkiye had always stood by them in hard times.

The delegation apprised the prime minister that huge investment was being made on the Dawlance unit already functioning in Pakistan, so that energy-efficient products could be produced with the use of the latest technology. Moreover, a strategy was being mulled to transform the Dawlance production plant in Pakistan into a regional export hub. After Karachi, Dawlance had also established a research and development center in the National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad that would serve as a liaison between academia and industry.

Court summons Imran in Toshakhana case on March 30

iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Monday summoned Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on March 30 in the Toshakhana case.

Judge Zafar Iqbal issued the order stating that the court will hear arguments on the maintainability of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) complaint against the former prime minister. Moreover, the controversy regarding the missing file was resolved by the judge himself, stating that the missing page of the order sheet is saved in a computer of the court.

On March 18, Judge Iqbalcancelledthe arrest warrants issued against the former premier in the case and allowed him to leave Islamabad’s Judicial Complex after marking his attendance without being indicted because of clashes between police and party activists outside the premises.

The hearing was adjourned till March 30 (Thursday) as the judge observed that the situation was not conducive for holding the hearing and appearance amid the turbulence and chaos outside the complex because of the intense fighting between the two sides. Intense clashes broke out between the police and PTI activists as Imran’s convoy reached the judicial complex ahead of his appearance before the district and sessions court in the Toshakhana case.

The PTI chairman’s vehicle was stopped merely 100 metres from the gate of the judicial complex as the po-

lice blamed party activists for blocking the route, while the PTI claimed the law enforcers were restricting Imran’s movement. Despite the end of court hours, the PTI chief could not appear in front of the judge.

Judge Iqbal advised all those present outside the complex to disperse peacefully, without resorting to any form of violence including shelling or pelting stones after the marking of Imran’s attendance.

naB summons Imran kHan, BusHra BIBI In TosHakHana Case

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to appear before its investigation team on Tuesday (March 21) in connection with Toshakhana case. This was the second call-up notice to the former prime minister who opted to ignore the first one. Imran Khan has been asked to appear before the investigation team in the NAB Rawalpindi office. A NAB team visited Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park of Lahore on Monday to serve the call-up notice on Bushra Bibi. The former first lady has been summoned by the NAB to appear before it on March 21 in connection with Toshakhana case. Another NAB team led by Head Constable Muhammad Shafi visited Zaman Park to deliver court summons in connection with foreign funding case. The NAB team earlier contacted PTI leadership for delivery of notice for hearing of the case in the accountability court on March 21. The NAB kept waiting for some time but no PTI leader came to receive the notice which was later accepted by the house servants. Staff RepoRt

Protesters rally outside White House, calling for an end to action against Imran

monitoring report

In a freezing and windy Sunday gathering outside the White House in Washington, hundreds of Pakistani Americans demanded an immediate end to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government’s action against former prime minister Imran Khan.

The protestors sought to raise awareness of the declining human rights situation and the threat to democracy in Pakistan under Shehbaz Sharif, according to Dawn. According to Junaid Bashir, a senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader in the southeastern US state of Virginia, they were there to urge the government to cease intimidating Khan.

Akbar Chaudhary, who has worked with Khan since the 1990s, believed that the incumbent rulers in Islamabad posed a threat to Pakistan and, therefore, must be removed.

Kamran Rizvi, whose Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a part of the government, expressed his concern, calling the recent clashes between Khan’s supporters and the police backed by paramilitary units an attack on democracy and democratic values that needed to be condemned.

The protest was not restricted to men; a large number of women also took part. Khalid Tanvir, another PTI leader, argued that “the establishment must realize the mistake it is making,” and Mazhar Lillah urged the military establishment to accept civil-

LaHore Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Monday called on party chairman Imran Khan and condemned the police operation at former prime minister’s residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park.

During the meeting, the two political leaders discussed country’s political situation and judicial matters and condemned the ‘brutal police operation’ at PTI Chairman’s residence.

Speaking on the occasion, Pervaiz Elahi castigated police for ‘breaking the gate of Imran Khan’s house’, saying that use of rubber bullets and tear gases were an ‘unfortunate act’. “The police violated the sanctity of veils and walls by forcibly entering the house,” he said, terming the operation ‘illegal’.

Meanwhile, the PTI chief lambasted the government for ‘illegal actions’, saying that the incumbent rulers were afraid of elections.

A day earlier, the Punjab police raided Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman

ian supremacy. A statement was also distributed calling on the global community to take action against the “installed regime” in Pakistan. The statement demanded that the government immediately cease human rights violations and custodial torture, hold free and fair elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stop victimising political opponents through arrests and false charges, withdraw politically motivated cases, stop curtailing press freedom, end police brutality against peaceful protestors, release political workers held on false charges, provide adequate security to Imran Khan, and hold those responsible for atrocities accountable under the law, according to the report.

and former prime minister Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence.

As per details, the police have arrested more than 13 PTI workers in the anti-encroachment operation at Zaman Park Lahore and one police constable was also injured in retaliation from the PTI workers. Heavy infantry of anti-encroachment squad and police took part in the operation. The police closed the road leading to Imran Khan’s residence from Sundar Das Road for traffic and uprooted the tents from the road.

In a statement, the police officials said that PTI chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence was raided after Anti-terrorism Court administrative judge issued a search warrant.

Police claimed they arrived at Zaman Park with a search warrant. Despite the search, warrant police were not allowed to search that’s why the police personnel had to enter Zaman Park. They further added that a lady officer was leading when the police personnel were entering PTI chief Imran Khan’s residence.

The center would also help in capacity building, besides providing technical assistance to the engineers.

The delegation further apprised that Arcelik, a Turkish household industry, had been providing internships to Pakistani students in Turkiye for the last two years which was not only preparing them for the requirements of the industry besides, a number of students were employed in that company. The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to resolve all the operational issues of Dawlance and expressed good wishes for the delegation.

govt accuses Imran of harming the country with his ‘politics of hatred’

karachi: The incumbent government on Monday took a jibe at former Prime Minister Imran Khan Minister for harming the country with his ‘politics of hatred’. Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday said that Imran Khan’s politics of hatred is harming the country. Addressing a ceremony in Sindh said Pakistan is going through a political, economic and security crisis. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the part Imran Khan played in the destruction of Pakistan is a part of history now. He said the previous government of PTI had cheated on the budget of Punjab while in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab fraud was going on in the name of Health Card. PPP Chairman Bilawal said at a young age, he created the world’s largest network for the treatment of heart diseases while PTI’s previous government did not establish a hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PPP chairman said free treatment is being provided to the poor and the rich people in Sindh and patients from other provinces of the country also come to Sindh for treatment.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz has also come down hard on former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan for inciting people after the law came into action on his acts of terrorism. She taunted him for delivering a lecture on peace after launching an attack on state. In her tweet posted on Monday, Maryam wrote: “Now this terrorist has realized that the law will come into action on his terrorism, so he has started to incite (people). After launching an attack on the state, injuring the heads of dozens of policemen, torching police vehicles, setting off petrol bombs and after the recovery of trained terrorists from the Zaman Park, now he has remembered to deliver a lecture on peace!” Staff RepoRt

leopard found dead at Islamabad’s margalla Hills

islamaBad: A leopard was found dead at Margalla hills in Islamabad, Wildlife officials said on Monday. As per details, the bulletriddled body of a leopard was found in the Shahdira valley of Margalla hills National Park. Wildlife officials are investigating the matter from various aspects including from the man who was filming the dead leopard.

According to the initial report, the leopard was hit with 11 bullets. Last year, a rare-breed leopard was mysteriously found dead in Islamabad’s Margalla hills. The dead leopard found in a ravine in Sinyari adjacent to Kalinjer behind the Navel Defence Complex was believed to be 10 years old. It is being said that the leopard was killed by unidentified men, but no confirmation has been made so far in this context. In a video clip, the staff of wildlife is seen at the spot shifting the body of the leopard to the centre. Staff RepoRt

Pervaiz Elahi meets Imran, condemns police operation at Zaman Park

A league of extraordinary gentlemen

This is more than cricket

it was a cracker of a match, the PsL final, played down to the wire. suffice to say, those who paid for the ticket did get their money’s worth. it was the same two teams that faced off against each other in last year’s final and, again, the Lahore Qalandars carried the day. the Pakistan super League is a success. From its early days, with the tournament being played in the UaE, easing into some, and then more, matches being played in Pakistan, to being played completely in Pakistan. a long tough slog, from the unfortunate attack on the sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

Right from its inception, in its humble everything-inUaE days, the PsL has produced local talent like nothing before. For a team thought to be facing a dark future, with the simultaneous retirement of shahid afridi and Younis khan, talent discovered in the PsL brought home the Champions trophy in 2017, a tournament our team had barely qualified to play in the first place. and now, not only does it produce stellar talent for the national cricket team, it also provides this service for other international teams as well, with players from australia and England having secured a slot in their respective teams after being discovered in the PsL. all of this didn’t happen overnight. it required a complete ownership of the League by the PCB, regardless of who was helming it. it required government cooperation, specially regarding security details. it required commitments by both the sponsors and the team, the latter having paid hefty licensing fees. and, of course, it required the loyal viewing public to do what it does best: follow the game passionately.

the draft system makes the teams evenly matched up, making all the games interesting, a point increasingly being remarked from across the border.

Yes, the League has generated a lot of economic activity and the government revenue associated with it, but its effect on the economy isn’t just the numbers. it is also the warm fuzzy feeling. it inspires confidence in Pakistan, not just within the country but also from abroad. at a time when there has been a spot of anti-Pashtun sentiment in Lahore, two Pashtun captains squared off against each other and gave one spectacle of a match.

Pashtun activists usually say that anti-afghan sentiment is actually sublimated anti-Pashtun sentiment, but one would be hard pressed to find a constituency in Lahore where the Qalandars’ craftsman of a spinner, Rashid khan, won’t win were he to be granted the right to contest an election. Cricket unites. Let’s play more of it.

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

Life after the PhD

How the doctorate changes you for the better

plation of the fact that by successfully completing their doctorate, they have made their way into a club that will take some beating when it comes to exclusivity: that is, a group of less than 2% of world population that has earned the highest academic award. temporary material benefits are no match for permanent honour, of course!

As life-transforming events go, a doctorate is second only to a man getting tied to his soul-mate in the bonds of holy matrimony.

it is not for no reason that philosophiae doctors (that is PhDs) categorize all events in their lives into the pre-PhD era and the post-PhD era. the typical casual observer may not appreciate this scheme of classification but what can a mere nonPhD know about such matters!

For the man who actually experiences it however, a PhD is very much like a necktie, which is a notorious pain in the neck all the while one wears it, but whose redeeming feature is the immense relief felt when one takes it off. similar is the case with the doctorate, which is a prolonged, agonising test of a man’s resolve and perseverance through all the months and years he tries to earn it; but which affords one the greatest feeling in the world upon its successful completion. For a couple of months, at any rate. this elation dies down sooner rather than later because most PhDs find out to their dismay that their hard-earned degree does not quite translate into tangible, material benefits. Fortunately, the initial euphoria gives way to a much more enduring, albeit less intense, pleasure. the source of this satisfaction is the contem-

Whatever other traits a doctorate may (or may not) inculcate in you, it makes anything else that fate chooses to throw your way in the future seem trivial, almost childish in comparison. so it is that with the notable exception of marital bliss, you are quite unflappable in the face of any and all subsequent hardships and tribulations – ‘What does not kill you makes you stronger’, and all that sort of thing. For regardless of your subject area, by virtue of successfully braving out your PhD you cannot help becoming an accomplished philosopher along the way, one who is not subject to swaying and wavering in the face of mere vagaries of life. any wonder that after your PhD everybody (except your better half, of course) recognizes the futility of any effort to get under your skin?

Few non-PhDs realize that by simply getting a doctorate one earns the right to hold a strong opinion on every matter pertaining to anything under the sun. Even the PhD candidate himself has no inkling of this perk beforehand; and is pleasantly surprised to find out after getting his PhD that his degree saves him from having to utter those three ignominious words ever again: ‘i don’t know.’ it need not necessarily be anything even remotely related to his specialty, or even to his broader subject area. He could hold a PhD

in catalysis (say) but he would be perfectly entitled to consider himself qualified to speak authoritatively on the influence of evil eye upon the dwindling milk produce of domestic buffalo (for example). a PhD worth his salt always manages to find definitive answers to any and all questions, even if those answers are quite silly. another significant perk of getting a doctorate is the undeniable elevation in status from a ‘Mr.’ (or no title at all) to a ‘Dr.’ What is more, you get to be called ‘doctor’, without friends and relatives repeating for the seventy-seventh odd time exciting stories about how they sprained their ankles, broke their legs or worse; and without their pestering you for your (free) medical opinion at every party or family gathering. Last but not the least, with your PhD you get the perfect excuse to be forgetful, reserved, socially awkward, politically incorrect, even asocial to your heart’s content. the kind of behaviour that would make an ordinary (non-PhD) mortal to immediately become a social outcast (or worse) would, in your case, merely elicit a comment like ‘Oh, that is pretty much par for the course. He is a PhD, you know.’ With this license in your possession, having to suffer fools, having to indulge in small talk and having to be unnecessarily nice to everybody soon become faint memories from a bygone (prePhD) era. to the thoughtful non-PhD reader, especially the introvert type: if this does not make you drop whatever you are currently doing and immediately get yourself enrolled in the nearest PhD program, nothing will. The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

Security failure in Pakistan

Pakistan, a country that has long struggled with terrorism is once again reeling from the brutal grip of militancy and radicalism, a grave challenge that requires urgent attention and action from all. the recent mosque bombing in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan has yet again brought to light the menace of terrorism in the country. this incident, which claimed the lives of numerous innocents, is a tragic reminder of the persistent threat of violence that continues to plague Pakistan. it is obvious that the battle against extremism is far from over, and that the nation needs to brace itself for more difficult times ahead. the question is, how did we get here, and what can we do to put an end to this scourge once and for all? this comes at a time when the economy is in serious trouble. to mention, this terrorist attack that took place in the city of Peshawar in the northwestern province of khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan on 30 January 2023 resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people and left over 200 others injured. the attack targeted a mosque situated in the highly secure zone of the city, where police and other security agencies are stationed. this is one of the most deadly incidents to have occurred in the city in several years. the responsibility for the attack was initially claimed by the Mohmand chapter of the banned tehreek-i-taliban Pakistan (ttP), but the ttP Central later denied any involvement. the majority of the victims were police officers. in recent years, Pakistan has made significant strides in its efforts to combat terrorism. the country has launched numerous military operations, tightened security measures, and implemented tougher laws to crack down on extremist groups. these efforts have yielded some success, with the number of terrorist attacks declining significantly over the past few years. However, the recent mosque bombing in Peshawar is a stark cue that the threat of terrorism remains very real. While Pakistan has made progress in its fight against extremism, the country cannot afford to let its guard down. the neoteric onslaught is a clear indication that more needs to be done to address the root causes of terrorism and extremism in the country. not only does this attack point to an utter failure in security and intelligence, but it reaffirms the

ttP’s message: “we can kill you anywhere, anytime, including in mosques, and the army and government cannot protect you”. Following the taliban’s takeover of afghanistan in august 2021, there has been an 84 percent increase in ttP attacks. this can be attributed to the close ideological, tribal, and operational ties between the taliban and the ttP, with the ttP having rear bases in afghanistan to launch attacks into Pakistan. Despite the taliban condemning the attacks, it is widely believed that their words are insincere. Pakistan has been pressuring the taliban to shut down ttP camps in afghanistan, where an estimated 6,000 fighters are located, since the taliban takeover. However, the taliban have refused to comply, and it is unlikely that they will do so in the foreseeable future. this confirms that Pakistan’s support for the taliban’s return to power in kabul was a flawed decision and is posing a security nightmare for Pakistan. a day after the Peshawar attack, a police station in Mianwali, Punjab, came under a gun attack by heavily armed ttP fighters. it was the first terror attack of its kind in Punjab province.

While the attack was repulsed, it illustrates the extent of the ttP’s present reach along areas of the afghan-Pakistan border. in november 2022, the ttP announced a unilateral ceasefire with the Pakistani government, but it was short-lived. the insurgent group has frequently attacked police check posts and stations in khyber Pakhtunkhwa and areas bordering afghanistan since ending their unilateral ceasefire with the Pakistani government in november 2022. One of the major challenges in addressing terrorism in Pakistan is the complex nature of the problem. Extremist groups are often deeply entrenched in local communities, making it difficult to root them out. Furthermore, poverty, illiteracy, and political instability have created an environment in which extremism can thrive. to

effectively combat terrorism in Pakistan, a multi-faceted approach is needed. this includes addressing the root causes of extremism by investing in education, creating job opportunities, and addressing political grievances. it also means strengthening the country’s law enforcement agencies and improving intelligence-gathering capabilities to better identify and neutralize terrorist threats. in addition to these efforts, it is also essential for Pakistan to work closely with its regional and international partners to address terrorism. the recent attack in Peshawar is a reminder that terrorism is a global problem that requires a coordinated response from the international community. thus far, all attempts at negotiating with local terrorist organizations have failed. With groups like the ttP growing increasingly confident and carrying out more complex attacks, there has been an increasing demand for a “military solution” to the problem. the military would need to implement a comprehensive strategy to effectively deal with the growing threat posed by terrorist groups like the ttP. at any rate, the military will need to be seen doing something. this means it will need to ruthlessly go after the ttP not only inside Pakistan but in afghanistan as well. the Pakistan army will be very reluctant to do this, but they have no choice if they want to see an end to terrorist acts throughout the country. Given that bilateral relations with kabul are already at an all-time low, so that should not be a critical factor in the army’s counter-terrorism calculations. at last, the military could work towards improving community engagement and strengthening local law enforcement agencies to help prevent the radicalization of individuals and disrupt terrorist recruitment efforts.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Editor’s mail

to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively

US hegemony and currency wars

CHina and Russia have been planning to crush the american dollar as part of their economic war against the United states with the aim of bringing the curtain down on the latter’s global hegemony. the Us dollar has been the most powerful currency in the world for the last over 80 years and it has been enjoying its monopoly without a challenge as the currency in which almost all international trade takes place. this reserve currency status gives unprecedented power to the Us over the world economy to the extent that it can even cripple a country’s economy within a fortnight. this is the focal point of the stance adopted by both Russia and China which have been working out strategies to overcome the dollar hegemony. Russia, being the cornered one, especially on the pretext of being the one which attacked Ukraine, has compelled the European countries to buy the Russian oil in rouble so that those countries have to keep their money in the Russian central bank. it will be the key factor in supporting Russian economy despite the sanctions from the West, and will affect dollar by breaking the original society for Worldwide interbank Financial telecommunication (sWiFt) system.

Russia also has leverage in this regard as it is the second largest producer of natural gas in the world and it can use this to force the countries to buy gas in their own currency rather than Us dollar. China is also going hand in hand with Russia’s strategy as it has recently sealed off a deal with saudi arabia under which it will purchase oil from them in yuan. China can also use the loan factor to its advantage. there are 165 countries that owe $385 billion to China, which may now devise a plan to offer, say, one per cent discount to these countries if they pay back the loans in yuan, and not in dollar terms. this will be a huge relief for all those 165 countries. Moreover, for the big guns, like the United kingdom, singapore and many more, China has used the Bilateral Currency swap agreement under which China and these countries will make deals using their own currencies rather than the Us dollar.

But all of these strategies may not work to eliminate dollar as the major inter- national trade currency as both China and Russia have an image problem across the world for various reasons. China is being accused of taiwan invasion and its dead trap diplomacy, while Russia has been cut off from the West after being forced to initiate military intervention in Ukraine as it felt threatened by possible nato expansion and support from the West, especially the Us. Likewise, it has been seen that China is manipulating its yuan frequently which makes it not a trustworthy currency. this is where the Us dollar takes advantage as countries use it because of the trust factor in trade.

MUHAMMAD SAAD MOHSIN LAHORE

Hostel facilities

WE are living in a rapidly changing world where access to information and technology is essential. the ability to study in a peaceful environment as well as access to the internet are critical for one’s academic success and personal development.

Unfortunately, the boys’ hostel of the University of sindh, Jamshoro, lacks these facilities. a dedicated study hall will help students concentrate on their academics, and access to Wi-Fi will allow them to conduct research, communicate with teachers and classmates, and access educational resources online. this will significantly enhance their learning experience and keep them updated with the latest advancements in their respective fields of study. i understand that the provision of these facilities may require some investment, but i believe that it is a necessary step towards ensuring that the hostel is offering a modern and well-equipped living environment to students. With the provision of these facilities, students will be able to catch up with the world and engage in innovative thinking, which is crucial for their success.

Few non-PhDs realize that by simply getting a doctorate one earns the right to hold a strong opinion on every matter pertaining to anything under the sun.

Eman mudassar Tarar

One of the major challenges in addressing terrorism in Pakistan is the complex nature of the problem. Extremist groups are often deeply entrenched in local communities, making it difficult to root them out.

International day for happiness

Giving priority to happiness

“EVERY moment is golden to him who has the vision to recognize it.” Henry Miller. the only moment in which we can truly be happy and control over it, is the present moment. Happiness is the ultimate goal of life and it is an attainable process. For all of us, happiness is determined more by our minds than circumstances. all the factors that lead to increased happiness (such as helpful thinking and good habits) can be learned and practiced. Mastery can be achieved by practicing it. the first secret of being happy is to prioritize happiness in your life. if happiness is not at the top of your list of daily tasks, other things will take priority. Priorities other than happiness can interfere in your efforts to feel happy. Make a formal plan for this as well. those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Just as a plan is prepared for success in any other area of life, planning is also essential for the successful attainment of happiness in life. if happiness is not the main priority in your goals, objectives and priorities in life, you will feel sad and lonely no matter what. setting happy goals is one of the secrets to being happy. When you plan to be happy, set happy goals to achieve it. Make sure your goals are sMaRt (specific, Measurable, attainable, Relevant and time-bound). Make it your routine to do all the things that bring you joy. although it seems obvious, many people forget to do things that bring them joy. and do them as often as possible. Engage yourself in activities that bring you satisfaction, peace, comfort and happiness. along with pleasure and enjoyment, satisfaction is

also an important part of happiness. so make sure that when you are planning your tasks and activities, you include things that may not be fun, but doing those gives you a sense of accomplishment. Do not take life’s ups and downs as permanent, nor take them too seriously. although we all have responsibilities, there is no reason or rational argument that we should spend most of our lives devoid of liveliness. One of the steps is to become self-aware. Get to know yourself and find out where your strength lies. try to find out where your strengths and weaknesses lie to avoid problems. knowing your strengths and weaknesses is essential to achieving true happiness and success in life. keep on tracking your strengths with dedication to overcome your weaknesses. While we can all strive to improve in the areas in which we are weak, focusing on making the most of your strengths (including all of your positive qualities and attributes) can only achieve so much. Happiness and curiosity are interconnected. keep looking for new ways to be happy because there is no specific state of happiness. Your happiness preferences change over time. the sources and goals of happiness vary. at a young age, even an ice cream or a chocolate bar becomes a source of unlimited happiness for a limited period of time. Watch for new and innovative ways to have fun and achieve a happy life. One of the secrets to being happy is to be grateful and appreciate what you have. More than half of our problems are of our own creations. We are used to looking above ourselves in life. this process triggers our hopes, wishes and desires and happiness goes away from us. We all have many choices in life, one of which is to focus on all the things we don’t have (which may be many) or to focus on all the things we do have. Undoubtedly, gratitude and appreciation significantly increase your chances of experiencing happiness. Learn to like and ideally love yourself. as loving others is a key to happiness self-love is also part of happiness. invest time and energy in your important relationships. Happy people spend more time working on and in their relationships. Happy people are more supportive, generous and altruistic in their lives. Make things easier for others, don’t strain your hand intentionally and keep your faith strong. Communicate with others as much as possible, treating others with importance, dignity and respect. negative emotions take people away from happiness. Happy people have more and better relationships. so work on improving the quality of your relationship as well.it is also useful to work on improv-

ing your relationship scores. study comedians, watch comedy shows and movies. Eliminate unhelpful thoughts. the Dalai Lama said, “the key to a happy life is to train your mind in a daily practice that weakens negative attitudes and strengthens positive ones.” Learn to recognize and begin to challenge negative thoughts. Happiness cannot arise within you unless you win the battle against negative impulses within you. Focus on more happy and optimistic thoughts. Prioritize the positive aspects in different problems and issues in life because there are two parts to develop helpful and optimistic thinking. the first is to eliminate unhelpful negative thoughts and the second is to plant more positive, optimistic thoughts. the pursuit of happiness is fundamentally a skill, and like any other skill

Do not take life’s ups and downs as permanent, nor take them too seriously.

Although we all have responsibilities, there is no reason or rational argument that we should spend most of our lives devoid of liveliness

becomes easier and more effective with practice. Make a good diet and exercise your routine. although it is very difficult in some situations, it is not impossible. Health and happiness are inseparable. if you are constantly sick, it is difficult to be happy. in order to achieve happiness, it is also important that you ensure adequate physical sleep and rest. Continuous work without a break causes fatigue and it is difficult to be happy after struggling to get energy throughout the day. to help with this, it is important to regularly practice relaxation and meditation strategies. Manage your time and priorities in an organized manner. Happy people believe they have more control over their lives. Doing so makes it more likely to take a proactive approach to problem solving. if something is not right in your life, do something positive. Make sure what you are doing is important and put happiness at the top of your priorities. Don’t let the elements you can control and get used to accepting all the things you can’t control.

The Writer is Author and Prof. in English

Why negotiation with US not a solution to Iran problems?

AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI SAID THAT THE US DOES NOT NEGOTIATE. INSTEAD, IT OFTEN SEEKS TO DICTATE ITS DEMANDS

ransoms and concessions during negotiations, not just once, but all the time. that’s may be the reason why ayatollah khamenei said time and again that negotiation won’t solve iran’s problems with the U.s.

THE Chinese-brokered deal between iran and saudi arabia once again drew the attention to a vivid description by the Leader of the islamic Revolution of U.s. negotiating principles. after seven years of tensions, iran and saudi arabia signed a joint statement with Chinese help to re-establish their diplomatic ties within two months. the deal took the world by surprise as it was made without any Western involvement. Experts said the reason why China succeeded in clinching this deal is because China pay attention to the interests of all parties involved. in compassion, the U.s. would have only sought to dictate its demands on certain parties. this american modus operandi was behind the failure of diplomacy with iran. But instead of blaming america, some in the West pointed the finger of the blame at iran, claiming that the Leader of the islamic Revolution, ayatollah seyed ali khamenei, is opposing negotiation and diplomacy with the U.s. the reality, however, is different. a few years ago when the concept of negotiation between iran and the U.s. was in the news, ayatollah khamenei said that the U.s. does not negotiate. instead, it often seeks to dictate its demands under the guise of negotiations. “When america says let’s negotiate, it doesn’t mean that let’s find a fair solution. no, it means that let’s sit at the negotiating table and we [the americans] say something and you accept it. that’s what they mean with negotiation,” ayatollah khamenei said. the Leader further said the americans often demand

Fareed Zakaria, the famed Cnn anchor, has addressed the american diplomatic inflexibility in an opinion piece for the Washinton Post. Commenting on the iran-saudi deal, he wrote, “the reestablishment of relations between iran and saudi arabia is not in itself a seismic event; they broke off relations only seven years ago. But last week’s revelation exposes a deep-seated flaw in american foreign policy, one that has gotten worse in recent years.” according to Zakaria, Washington has lost the flexibility and suppleness that would inform a diplomacy built around fostering relations with all parties. He added, “Our foreign policy today usually consists of grand moral declarations that divide the world into black and white, friends and foes. those statements quickly get locked in place with sanctions and legislation, making policies even more rigid. the political atmosphere becomes so charged that merely talking with a ‘foe’ becomes risky.” the american journalist concluded, “there is now a whole slew of countries with which the United states has either no relations or only limited, hostile contact — Russia, China, iran, Cuba, Venezuela, syria, Myanmar, north korea. You can make the case for opposing any one of these countries individually; collectively, though, the effect is to create a rigid foreign policy — one in which we’re unwilling to talk to everyone in the room and unable to show flexibility, presumably based on the idea that it’s best to simply hope for the overthrow of these regimes.”

What China’s policy commitments mean for the world

PeoPle’s

Daily online/ China.org.Cn

ErsHad sHikdar

CHina is now more connected to the rest of the world than ever before, meaning that the fate of many nations is interconnected with that of China. the country has reached such a level of influence regarding global prosperity and stability that it is now the major trading partner of more than 140 countries. China is also the world’s largest exporter, with the value of its total exports representing 14.7% of overall global exports. after importing approximately $2.72 trillion worth of goods in 2022, China became the second-largest importer of the world. as a result of its reform and opening up, China’s foreign trade accounted for 37% of its GDP in 2022, according to the World Bank.

Experts are of the view that deeper integration of China into the global economy offers important opportunities for promoting global growth across trade, investment, and international cooperation. What we can see is that the relationship between China and the world is ever-deepening. China’s technology value chains are highly integrated globally, and its rapidly expanding consumption offers significant opportunities to many countries.

as a result, policies and measures made in Beijing regarding domestic trade and the economy deeply influence the global economy. as such, the decisions made at the first session of the 14th national People’s Congress (nPC) have brought about some new prospects for global growth. to be more specific, during the session of its top legislature, China reiterated its commitment to further expanding market access, improving services for foreign-funded companies, and facilitating the launch of landmark foreignfunded projects. this, i believe, will help many countries to enter the world’s second-largest consumer market in China more easily, facilitating diversification of their export items to the Chinese market. On the other hand, China will also provide strategic guidance and policy support for Chinese multinational corporations to grow their footprint in many

additional countries. in this way, China will continue to serve as a major growth engine for the world.

Moreover, according to the report submitted to the first session of the 14th nPC, China will take active steps to join the Comprehensive and Progressive agreement for transPacific Partnership (CPtPP) and other high-standard economic and trade agreements. the CPtPP is a trading bloc representing 500 million consumers and 13.5% of the global GDP, one of the world’s largest free-trade areas by GDP. With more than 18% of the global GDP, China is expected to boost the economy of the block.

Many think that as members of the block, australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, new Zealand, Peru, singapore, and Vietnam are major economies, and their cooperation with China will facilitate global growth according to their proportion to world GDP.

as China is open to inking high-standard economic and trade deals, many countries can benefit by signing Free trade agreements with it. For example, Bangladesh can tap the prospects of China’s huge domestic market. Experts believe that if Bangladesh can achieve even a 1% share of the Chinese market, its export earnings from China alone could be in the range of $20-$25 billion, compared to the $1 billion that it currently earns. in line with its commitment to facilitating global development reaffirmed during its nPC session, China will bolster the building of its Belt and Road initiative (BRi). as a result, many more developing countries can receive more Chinese investments and reap other economic dividends under the BRi framework and its win-win cooperation initiatives.

China has set its growth target at 5% for 2023. the country will also focus on environmental issues, quality innovation, and technologies. these will also help to deepen win-win cooperation with developing nations, creating mutual benefits for all. as China’s growth has long fueled the prosperity of many countries through trade, investment, and financial and policy support, the decisions and policies made in its most important political meetings are similarly significant for the world.

Ershad Shikdar is a Bangladeshi journalist.

It goes beyond hypocrisy. it’s an assault on memory. Gordon Brown, calling for a special tribunal to punish the Russian government, correctly states that an act of aggression – invading another nation – was identified by the nuremberg tribunal as “the supreme international crime”. it is, he wrote in the Guardian, not just Vladimir Putin who should be prosecuted, but also his “henchmen”. these include members of the Russian and perhaps Belarusian national security councils, and a range of political and military leaders. all should be held to account for this “manifestly illegal war”, he wrote on his website. Condoleezza Rice, who was George W Bush’s national security adviser, was asked of Russia’s aggression on Fox news, “when you invade a sovereign nation, that is a war crime?” she replied: “it is certainly against every principle of international law and international order.” Brown and Rice are right about Russia. its government, in invading Ukraine, has clearly committed the crime of aggression, a crime in which, as Brown points out, its senior officials are complicit. the same applies to the Us and Uk governments, which invaded iraq 20 years ago today. among the most senior perpetrators were Rice and Brown. the seventh of the nuremberg Principles, which Brown cites in calling for Russian prosecutions, points out that “complicity” in a war of aggression “is a crime under international law”. Both officials would clearly qualify as complicit. Rice was one of the architects of the war. Brown, as a cabinet member, was party to the decision. as chancellor of the exchequer, he financed the war. no one can credibly deny that the invasion of iraq met the nuremberg definition. the Chilcot inquiry, whose terms were set by Brown when he was prime minister, was forbidden to pronounce on the legality of the war. But it concluded that “the Uk chose to join the invasion of iraq before the peaceful options for disarmament had been exhausted. Military action at that time was not a last resort.” in other words, it failed to meet the Un charter’s criteria for legal warfare. the former law lord, Lord steyn, came to the same conclusion: “in the absence of a second Un resolution authorising invasion, it was illegal”. the former lord chief justice, Lord Bingham, called the iraq war “a serious violation of international law”. a Dutch inquiry, led by a former supreme court judge, found that the invasion had “no sound mandate in international law”. the attackers went out of their way to eliminate peaceful alternatives. saddam Hussein desperately sought to negotiate, eventually offering everything the Us and Uk governments said they wanted, but they slapped his hand away, then lied to us about it. When the Un sought diplomatic solutions, Us officials went into what they called “thwart mode”, sabotaging negotiations. When the head of the Organisation for the Pro-

hibition of Chemical Weapons, José Bustani, offered to resolve the impasse over weapons inspections in iraq, the Us government illegally ousted him. the first government to support his sacking was the United kingdom’s. the government in which Brown was chancellor was repeatedly warned that its planned invasion would be illegal. a year before the war, the then foreign secretary, Jack straw, explained that for a war to be legal, “i) there must be an armed attack upon a state or such an attack must be imminent; ii) the use of force must be necessary and other means to reverse/avert the attack must be unavailable; iii) the acts in self-defence must be proportionate and strictly confined to the object of stopping the attack”. none of these conditions applied. the Foreign Office, according to its deputy legal adviser, Elizabeth Wilmshurst, consistently counselled that an invasion would be unlawful without a new Un resolution. she explained that “an unlawful use of force on such a scale amounts to the crime of aggression”. a Cabinet Office memo warned: “a legal justification for invasion would be needed. subject to Law Officers’ advice, none currently exists.” as for “law officers’ advice”, the then attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, warned that there were only three ways in which an invasion could be legally justified. they were “self-defence, humanitarian intervention, or UnsC [Un security council] authorisation. the first and second could not be the base in this case.” the government failed to obtain Un security council authorisation. at the Chilcot inquiry, Lord Goldsmith testified that, after he gave advice tony Blair didn’t want to hear, the prime minister stopped asking. Just before the war, though the facts had not changed, Goldsmith changed his mind. there is another way of saying “crime of aggression”: an act of mass murder. the invasion of iraq killed hundreds of thousands of people. We cannot be more precise than that, as the invading forces refused to measure the carnage. But it is almost certainly the greatest crime against humanity so far this century. Blair, Brown, Bush and Rice are as guilty of a “manifestly illegal war” as Putin and his close advisers. But who gets prosecuted is a matter of victors’ justice. For example, until it issued a warrant last week on another charge for the arrest of Putin and one of his officials, there had been 31 cases brought before the international criminal court. Every one of the defendants in these cases is african. is this because africa is the only continent where crimes against humanity had occurred? no. it’s because africans accused of such crimes do not enjoy the political protections afforded to the western leaders who perpetrate even greater atrocities. instead of facing justice, the killers walk among us, respected, revered, treated as the elder statesmen to whom media and governments turn for counsel. Brown can pose as an august humanitarian. alastair Campbell, who oversaw the compilation of the “dodgy dossier”, which provided a false case for war, and is therefore as complicit as any of Putin’s “henchmen”, has been thoroughly screenwashed: in other words, rehabilitated, like other grim political figures, by television. He is now treated as a kind of national agony uncle. there has been no reckoning and nor will there be. this greatest of crimes has been so thoroughly airbrushed that its perpetrators can anoint themselves the avenging angels of other people’s atrocities. to quote king Lear: “Plate sin with gold, and the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks: arm it in rags, a pigmy’s straw does pierce it.”

Monbiot is a Guardian columnist.

George

guarDian GEorGE monBioT

How many of those calling for Putin’s arrest were complicit in the illegal invasion of Iraq?

Tehran Times Faramarz kuHPayEH

Xi’s RussiA visit Rekindles hope of peAce foR ukRAine cRisis

MOSCOW Mian abRaR

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, here in Moscow and discussed key matters concerning the regional and global issues. The two countries share many similar development objectives and can work together via cooperation in this regard so as to push for the realization of those objectives, Xi said when met with the Russian leader. he comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries has safeguarded the international fairness and justice on the one hand, and promoted common prosperity and development of the two countries on the other, he said. Xi also thanked Putin for his constant appreciation and support for China’s development.

Earlier in the day, Xi Jinping arrived here on Monday to kick off his three-day

state visit, with the warm hospitality of the Russian side expressed through the highstandard welcoming ceremony arranged for the Chinese president upon his arrival. Experts from both China and Russia said the visit will be symbolic and have global significance, as it will not only greatly promote the development of bilateral ties, but also bring hope and confidence for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis. Hope foR peAc: The Ukraine crisis is a key hot issue that not only concerns China and Russia, but is also a topic that matters to the whole world. Xi said in his article that his trip to Russia “will be a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace.” Experts said this is a clear signal to the world that Xi’s trip is not only eyeing bilateral ties, but will also try to bring hope for a peaceful solution of the complicated ongoing crisis. Since China released its position on the

political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, the US has openly and repeatedly opposed a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which China and many members of the international community are trying to mediate.

Upon his arrival, Xi said in a written statement at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, “It gives me great pleasure to once again set foot on the soil of Russia, our friendly neighbor, and pay a state visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.”

The growth of China-Russia relations has not only brought tangible benefits to the people of our two countries, but also made important contributions to the development and progress of the world, Xi said.

The comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries has safeguarded the international fairness and justice on the one hand, and promoted common prosperity and development of the two countries on the other, Xi said when he

the signed articles of Xi and Putin, with analysts saying that this is very unusual and shows that the top leaders of the two countries attach great importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, and the two sides share highlevel mutual trust, common ground and shared concerns.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, a signed article by President Xi titled “Forging Ahead to Open a New Chapter of ChinaRussia Friendship, Cooperation and Common Development” was published Monday in Russian newspaper Russian Gazette and the website of RIA Novosti news agency ahead of his state visit to Russia.

On the same day, Putin’s article titled “Russia and China: A Future-Bound Partnership” was also published in the People’s Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China.

met Putin. In interviews conducted on the streets of Moscow a day before Xi’s arrival, the Global Times reporter learned from many Russian people that they consider China to be Russia’s “good friend and good neighbor,” and are paying great attention to the Chinese president’s visit, and will watch related news to see what new agreements will be reached by the two sides.

speciAl stRAtegic pARtneRsHip

Before Xi’s arrival on the same day, the major media of the two countries published

Iranian FM says to meet Saudi counterpart soon

TEHRAN agencies

Iranian foreign minister said on Sunday that he will meet his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in the near future.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks to Iranian and foreign reporters at a press conference in Tehran, adding Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to arrange visits by technical teams to prepare the ground for sending diplomatic missions and reopening embassies. He also noted that Iran’s relations with Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates were upgraded to the level of ambassadors, and the bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia returned to normalcy after five rounds of fence-mending talks in Baghdad and other negotiations hosted by Beijing.

On the likeliness of improvements

in Iran’s relations with Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain following the rapprochement with Saudi Arabia, Amir-Abdollahian said that Tehran recently sent its delegation to Manama to visit the Iranian embassy as well as other diplomatic

places there.

Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran welcomes the normalization of relations with neighboring and regional states, expressing hope that the existing obstacles to normalizing ties with Bahrain would

be removed.

Iran maintains that Egypt is an important country and welcomes any improvement in bilateral relations, he noted. The minister said that he held brief talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Jordan last December, after which negotiations were held with Egyptian officials on improving bilateral political relations.

Amir-Abdollahian said during the same conference, he also held friendly and cordial talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan, in which the latter expressed willingness to visit Iran in the near future.

China, Saudi Arabia and Iran on March 10 announced that the latter two had reached a deal that included the agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months.

Donor conference seeks to rally quake aid for Turkey, Syria

BRUSSELS afp

The EU on Monday will host a conference in Brussels aimed at ramping up funds from international donors to help the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

Last month’s catastrophic 7.8-magnitude quake flattened entire cities, killing more than 50,000 people across southeastern Turkey and parts of wartorn Syria. Millions were displaced and a preliminary estimate from the United Nations says the damage in Turkey alone could amount to over $100 billion.

Flash floods in the region last week only added to the misery, killing 14 people living in temporary shelters.

The United Nations Development Programme complained earlier this month about the poor level of response to a call made in mid-February for urgent funding.

Aid organisation International Rescue Committee (IRC) urged donors to at least ensure the UN’s emergency appeal for $1 billion for Turkey and $397 million for Syria are fully funded.

The UN says the appeal for Turkey has so far only been 16 percent fulfilled, while the figure for Syria stands at 72 percent.

“Over a month since the earthquake, the situation in affected regions remains desperate,” said Tanya Evans, IRC Syria Country Director.

“With many homes damaged or destroyed, many people are left with no

choice but to sleep in overcrowded and under-resourced collective shelters.”

The EU — which is hosting the conference in coordination with Turkey’s government — has said it plans to make a “significant pledge” for further relief, recovery, and reconstruction. It has called on the rest of the international community to commit funds “in line with the scale and magnitude of the damage”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has admitted shortcomings in the government’s initial response as he bids for re-election in May, will call in via video link.

Turkey is a key partner for the EU, even if ties are often strained, and the bloc already gives billions in aid to help its eastern neighbour house refugees

from Syria’s 12-year war.

AssAd, RussiA excluded:

But the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, sanctioned by the West since the brutal crackdown that sparked the ongoing civil war, will not be involved. While international rescue teams and aid flowed quickly to Turkey, humanitarian organisations faced major hurdles reaching stricken areas in northern Syria.

UN investigators say the area became the “epicentre of neglect” as the warring factions and hesitancy by the international community have held up desperately needed aid.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the disaster had only “further exacerbated the suffering caused by the existing conflict across Syria”.

Egypt hosts Israeli-Palestinian talks in push for pre-Ramazan calm

CAIRO staff RepoRt

Egypt hosted Israeli and Palestinian officials on Sunday in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh in a US and Jordanian-backed effort to calm a surge of violence in the West Bank ahead of the holy month of Ramazan. The five-way meeting follows a Feb 26 US-brokered summit in Jordan, the first of its kind in years that secured Israeli and Palestinian pledges to deescalate but was challenged by factions on both sides and failed to halt violence on the ground.

The meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh “aims to support dialogue between the Palestinian and Israeli sides to work to stop unilateral actions and escalation, and break the existing cycle of vio-

lence and achieve calm”, a statement from Egypt’s foreign ministry said. This could “facilitate the creation of a climate suitable for the resumption of the peace process”, it added. The Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital — territories Israel captured in a 1967 war. But peace talks have been stalled since 2014 and Palestinians say Jewish settlement expansion has undermined the chances of a viable state being established. In previous years, clashes have erupted between Israeli police and Palestinians around Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque at the height of Ramazan, which coincides this year with Judaism’s Passover and Christian Easter.

Australian soldier arrested for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan

SYDNEY ReuteRs

The 41-year-old, who was deployed in Afghanistan, is accused of having killed a civilian. A four-year investigation revealed that Australian special forces killed 39 unarmed civilians and prisoners in the country. Australian authorities said on Monday they had arrested a former soldier for allegedly killing an Afghanistan civilian while deployed with the country’s defence force there. The 41-year-old man is expected to be charged in an Australian court with one count of war crime murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in jail, the Australian Federal Police said in a statement. A four-year investigation in 2020 found that Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan, with senior commandos reportedly forcing junior soldiers to kill defenceless captives in order to “blood” them for combat. Following the recommendations of the report, 19 current and former members of Australia’s military were then referred to a special investigator to determine if there was sufficient evidence to prosecute.

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that “normally, only the visiting leader will publish the signed article in a major media outlet of the country that he or she is going to visit, but this time, with Russia as the country receiving the state visit by the Chinese leader, the Russian president also published a signed article in a major Chinese media outlet.

CORPORATE CORNER the international convention of Accountants

BHURBAN

staff RepoRt (ICOA) was organized by ICMA on 18th & 19th March, 2023 in Bhurban. The International Convention of Accountants brought together the global accounting community in order to foster international cooperation among accountants. The theme of this year convention was Environmental, Social, and Governance (ECG) Sustainability. Ms. Asma Resmouki, President International Federation of Accountants IFAC especially came from Morocco to attend the event. Prominent among others were Mr. CA. Nihar N. Jambusaria, President SAFA, Prof. Lakshman R. Watawala President CMA, Srilanka, Mr. CS Nanda Central Council Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, Mr. Ashfaq Yousuf Tola, Minister of State Chairman PRMC, Mr. Maqbool Ahmad Gondal, Controller General of Accounts,Mr. Nadeem ul Haq Vice Chairman PIDE, Mr. Shahzad A.Malik President ICMA, National Council members of ICMA, Branch Council Members of all regions of ICMA, Senior Management of leading banks, corporate sector representatives were present, event was well attended by over 300 delegates. The event was supported by large number of sponsors. ICMA has played a leading role in uniting the global accounting community from around the world, conference has sent a positive message to the world that accounts & finance professionals of Pakistan are playing a pivotal role in addressing the global economic & business challenges.

polio drive at ZtBl daycare center

ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

As a part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited took a great leap and established a Daycare facility on 18th April, 2022 since then various initiatives have been taken from time to time to facilitate the employees of ZTBL in terms of child care and development. Recently, a Polio Team had been invited at Day Care Center to conduct a Polio Drive wherein 19 children have been vaccinated under supervision of EVP, Human Resource Division Mr. Mehboob ur Rehman and SVP, Staff Relations & Welfare Department Mr. Aitizaz Ahmed Piracha. The event was attended by all the mothers who appreciated the efforts of the Management for being mindful about conducting such a necessary endeavor in the premises of the Bank.

iesco operations circles incharge will conduct e-kachery via facebook

ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt

To provide suitable and proper forum to valuable IESCO Customers regarding redressal of their electricity issues, online E-Kacharies are being held in IESCO region regularly and same are creating friendly relationship among IESCO and Customers. By following same practice facebook E-Kacharies will held on 22ND March, 2023 (Wednesday) From 09:30 AM to 11:30 AM in all 06 Operational Circles of IESCO. Operational Circles Incharge will attend customers complaints through facebook live and telephone calls. Islamabad Circle customers can participates in facebook live E-Kachary by using face book ID SE IESCO Islamabad E-Kachery Phone No. 0519260194, For Rawalpindi City Circle, SE IESCO Rawalpindi-City E-Kachery Phone No. 0519292675, For Rawalpindi Cantt Circle, SE IESCO Rawalpindi-Cantt E-Kachery Phone No. 0519293048,

CORPORATE CORNER

Pakistan Navy ship NASR reaches Turkiye after completing relief mission in Syria

ISlAmAbAD

Staff report

Pakistan Navy Ship NASR, deployed on international Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission reached Mersin, Turkiye after completing relief mission in Syria. The ship will provide relief goods weighing approx. 200 tons to Turkish Officials for distribution amongst victims of earthquake. Second shipment of relief goods is scheduled to reach Mersin

onboard Pakistan Navy Ship MOAWIN on 23 Mar.

Upon arrival at port Mersin Turkiye, PN ship was received by Governor of Mersin, Turkiye government representatives, Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkiye and Turkish Naval officials. During meetings with officials onboard PNS NASR, Mission Commander expressed condolences on behalf of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi and people of Pakistan and extended all out support in the time of need.

First-ever ‘Bankers Cup Cricket Tournament’ to begin at Naya Nazimabad in Ramadan

KARACHI

Staff report

For the first time in the cricket history of Pakistan, major commercial banks will be participating in a cricket tournament that will be held this Ramadan at Naya Nazimabad. The tournament is being organized by the management of Naya Nazimabad as the ninth version of the renowned ‘Ramadan Cricket Tournament’ with the title, “Naya Nazimabad Bankers Cup 2023”. The event, completely endorsed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will commence from March 21, 2023 and will continue till April 02, 2023. This year, a total of 12 teams will take part in the contest and 25 matches will be played. 25th match will be the final match that will be held on Sunday, April 02, 2023.

Arcelik, parent company of Dawlance, invests in Pakistan

KARACHI Staff report

The parent company of Dawlance, Arçelik has established its second R&D center in Pakistan at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).

Arçelik is the 2nd largest manufacturer in Europe, operates in 53 countries with 83 subsidiaries has 30 R&D centers around the World. Arçelik produces leading sustainable and innovative home appliances products at its, cutting-edge technologies in nine countries. For fostering innovations in Pakistan, Arçelik established an R&D center in Karachi in 2017 just after the acquisition of Dawlance and now is making a new investment to establish an Arcelik Global Research & Development (R&D) Center, at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), in Islamabad to accelerate its effort to grow in Pakistani market. The new R&D center was inaugurated with a ceremony attended by the Pro-Rector of NUST RIC - Air vice Marshal (Retired) Dr. Rizwan Riaz, the President of Koç Holding Consumer Durables Group Dr Fatih Kemal Ebiçlioğlu, Arçelik Chief Commercial Officer of Turkey and South Asia Can Dinçer, Arçelik Chief Production and Technology Officer Nihat Bayız, CEO of Dawlance Umer Ahsan Khan and Pakistani officials.

Stay Connected with Your Friends and Family during Ramadan with Zong 4G's Saudi Arabia Roaming Offer

Zong 4G, Pakistan's leading telecommunications network, is excited to announce its Saudi Arabia Roaming Offer, allowing customers to stay connected with their loved ones throughout Ramadan. The offer provides 70 minutes and 1 GB of data with a validity of 90 days at an unbeatable price of 1499+tax. The Saudi Arabia Roaming Offer is designed to facilitate customers during Umrah, enabling them to stay connected with their families and friends back home. With this offer, customers can now make voice calls and use the internet without any hassle, ensuring they are always connected. "Zong 4G is committed to providing innovative solutions that cater to the evolving needs of our customers," said the company’s official spokesperson. "Our Saudi Arabia Roaming Offer is an excellent opportunity for customers to stay connected with their loved ones and make the most out of their Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan." This offer is available for all Zong 4G prepaid customers. Customers can dial *4255# to activate the offer, and they are good to go. Zong 4G is proud to offer exceptional connectivity solutions that enable customers to stay connected with their friends and family, no matter where they are. With the Saudi Arabia Roaming Offer, customers can enjoy seamless connectivity and make their Umrah a memorable experience.

BUYING BACK BONDS

NOT-BY- PROFIT AN iNNOvATivE SOluTiON FOR PAkiSTAN'S FiNANCiAl wOES

COUNTRIESthat have successfully bought back their debts include Argentina, El Salvador, Indonesia, and Ecuador.

Writing for The Express Tribune, author AAH Soomro suggests that efficient management of companies and countries requires constant effort to maximize profits and minimize expenses.

The author points out that global executives are always looking for opportunities to increase profits by using financial strategies such as buying back debt and bonds issued by their companies or countries.

The author argues that Pakistan

could benefit from similar strategies to create wealth. One such option is buying back the global debt and bonds issued by Pakistan. The author explains that when Pakistan raised US dollars via a loan in the international market, it floated a few billion-dollar worth of instruments at a defined sovereign-backed profit rate. These instruments trade in a "secondary" market, where investors can sell or buy them to provide liquidity. However, due to political instability, delays over the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) resuming its program, and tight global conditions, Pakistan's dollar bonds issued at $100 are trading at a much lower rate of $35-$45 in the sec-

ondary market. This presents an opportunity for Pakistan to buy back its debt and bonds at a lower price. The author cites examples of other countries that have successfully bought back their debts and bonds, such as Argentina, El Salvador, Indonesia, and Ecuador. The author proposes two ways for Pakistan to finance these bonds. The first is to launch a short-term, timebound, and amount bond scheme to attract dollars from overseas Pakistanis in Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPC) at 1012% until the targeted $3-5 billion bonds are raised. The second is to offer a similar window to US dollar account holders in Pakistan at 9-11% to reduce

hoarding under the carpet, bring dollars back into the banking system, and enhance foreign exchange reserves.

The author acknowledges that some may criticize offering such high-profit rates on US dollar-denominated debts, but borrowing at 9-11% to buy instruments at 20-30% annual returns is a profitable trade. The author emphasizes that messaging is critical in this exercise, and policy makers should make firm commitments to utilize savings for nation building.

The author concludes that Pakistan should explore innovative and unchartered territories to improve its credit worthiness and win back the trust of its people. The author encourages policy makers to take risks and not be afraid of investigations or no rewards, as there is a strong possibility of giving a sharp Uturn signal to the market and improving Pakistan's credit worthiness.

To read the full article visit www.tribune.com.pk

Can Pakistan buy back its Eurobonds?

BORROWING AT 9-11% TO BUY INSTRUMENTS AT 20-30% RETURNS IS GOOD PROFITABLE TRADE

a0aH Soomro

Efficient management of companies – as well as countries – demands eyeing every opportunity to make every single day and penny count. It is no wonder then, that global executives are constantly on the look-out to deploy assets, where financial jiggery-pottery is used, to structure ways to increase profits.

Perhaps, Pakistan’s policy makers should also comprise of similar wizards who can find innovative ways of creating wealth. One such option is possibly buying back the global debt and bonds issued.

To explain the concept: Pakistan raised US dollars (via a loan) in the international market. This was done by floating a few billion-dollar worth of instruments at a defined sovereign backed profit rate. Once the government raises the dollars, these instruments trade in a “secondary” market to provide ability to sell or buy (liquidity), to current and potential investors. If the bond was issued at notional (face value) say $100, it may get priced higher at times when a country is doing well and demand is greater – conversely, it may be priced lower if the country is doing poorly.

As a direct result of political instability since regime change, delays over the International Monetary Funds (IMF) resuming its programme and tight global conditions, Pakistan’s dollar bonds is-

sued at $100 are trading at a $35-$45 rate in the secondary markets. In other words, anyone buying at today’s rate would be getting an $8-9/per year profit on a purchase price of $35-$45, thereby getting 20-30% profits.

The fall in price is also a function of falling credit worthiness – seen as global credit watchdogs downgraded Pakistan’s ability to repay loans, increasing default profitability amid falling foreign exchange (FX) reserves. This presents an opportunity. Even in the domestic bourse, Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), there are several examples of countries with financially sharp management buying back their shares (as they see long-term value) for example, Lucky Cement, Engro Corporation, Kohinoor Textile, JDW Sugar etc.

The reason why these corporates are activ ely engaging in such activities is an alignment of interest. Owners (seths) make money the right way while senior managers get rewarded with hefty bonuses. If only policy makers were to operate with such a fierce attitude towards finding timely windfall opportunities.

There also are a myriad example of countries buying back their debts; this year, Argentina – a country with a poorer economic record than Pakistan’s – sent across shockwaves as it announced the $1 billion bond buyback program despite being closely handheld by the IMF.

In 2022, El Salvador bought bonds

worth $565M. In 2021, Indonesia announced a bond sale of $1.84 billion to buy back global bonds worth $1.16 billion. Ecuador successfully bought back bonds in 2009 and issued another $1.125 billion in 2019 to buy back bonds. Even war-mired Russia announced a pre-emptive buyback of $2 billion last year to allay market concerns of financial distress.

Naturally, the next big question is: how do you finance these bonds? Well, instead of going into the global markets to issue new debt to buy old ones, Pakistan can try raising this capital using US dollars being kept by Pakistanis themselves in two ways:

1) A short term, time bound and amount bond scheme should be launched to attract dollars from overseas Pakistanis in Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPC) at 10-12% until the targeted $35 billion bonds are raised.

2) A similar window should be offered to US dollar account holders in Pakistan – individuals and corporates –at 9-11% to reduce hoarding under the carpet, bring dollars back in the banking system and enhance FX buggers.

While naysayers will find faults in offering such exorbitant profit rates on US dollar denominated debts, borrowing at 9-11% to buy instruments at 2030% annual returns is a darn good profitable trade.

Messaging, however, is critical in this exercise. Policy makers should

Sindh Bank crowned champions

tournament in pools of 4 comprising of 4 teams in each pool. Sindh Bank played and won all the 3 league matches and qualified for the quarter finals and won from HBL by 7 wickets. Sindh Bank then won by 5 wickets from Bank Al Habib in the semi- finals and then qualified for the finals.

make firm commitments that savings of $0.5-2 billion – depending upon the risk appetite, courage and market conditions – will be categorically utilised for nation building, such as, country wide Information Technology (IT) training institutes, world class hospitals or even to finance Pakistan’s dilapidated Main Line (ML) Pakistan Railways. It is key to win the trust of the people back. In Pakistan, we generally look at other countries or precedent instead of trying innovative or unchartered territories.

Perhaps, the fear of uncalled for investigations or no reward do not push brains to explore new ideas but, with plenty of successful examples cited earlier, there is a strong possibility of giving a sharp U-turn signal to the market worrying about Pakistan’s default and even nuclear program safety – and improve its credit worthiness.

When there is a will there’s a way. There is a silver (gold) lining amid murkier clouds as well. Don’t squander this opportunity the way we lost the opportunity to lock oil/LNG prices at lower rates post Covid-19.

The writer is an independent economic analyst Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2023.

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FFC Hands Over 67 Reconstructed Houses to Affected Populace as Flood Relief Efforts in Sindh

SINDH Staff report

The finals of the 19th Governor Cup 2023 Inter Bank Regional Cricket Tournament of Karachi Region was held at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Sports Complex on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

The final was played between Sindh Bank and SBP, and Sindh Bank was crowned champions by winning from SBP by 5 wickets and scoring 165 runs in a keenly contested game.

The 19th Governor Cup 2023 Inter Bank Regional Cricket Tournament of Karachi Region was organized by SBP where 16 teams played in the

A prize distribution ceremony was held at the SBP Sports Complex, on March 19, 2023, where the Chief Guest of the ceremony Syed Samar Husnain - Executive Director - SBP, Development Finance Group presented the winning team with the trophy. The ceremony was attended by the Sindh Bank President & CEO Mr. Imran Samad and the Head of HR Mr. Baqir Hussain. Mr. Samad thanked SBP for organizing the cricket tournament and praised all the teams who played in the tournament. Test cricketer Mr. Sarfaraz Ahmed was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony among the other executives of SBP and CEO’s of commercial banks and senior management of SBP including Mr. Muhammad Ashraf Khan- Managing Director- Banking Services Corporation, Mr. Qasim Nawaz - Executive Director HR and Mr. Sajid Ali Shah- Chief Manager, Banking Services Corporation, Karachi.

Global Forum’s assessment team visits FBR headquarters

ISlAmAbAD Staff report

The Directorate General of International Taxes, Federal Board of Revenue, received Global Forum’s (OECD) Assessment Team at FBR Headquarters in Islamabad. The Assessment Team had conducted the on-site visit of Pakistan under Second Round of Peer Review on Exchange of Information scheduled from March 13th to March 16th, 2023. During the on-site visit, the Assessment Team held meetings with different stakeholders of the review including Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan, Financial Monitoring Unit, Trust authorities under Trust Act, 2020, etc. The Peer Reviews of Exchange of Information of member jurisdictions are conducted by OECD’s Global Forum on Transparency & Exchange of Information for tax purposes. As member of Global Forum, Pakistan is also committed to undergo these Reviews. During the said visit, the Assessment Team appreciated the efforts and hard work put in by Pakistan to streamline the legal and administrative framework of Pakistan in line with the standards of Exchange of Information set by OECD’s Global Forum under Terms of Reference (2016). Final Report of the review will be issued after approval from Peer Review Group of Global Forum.

karachi: Torrential rains and flash flooding had inundated a third of Pakistan last year with huge losses to life and property of the victims. Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC) has a long history of standing with underprivileged community in testing times. As part of recent flood rehabilitation activities, FFC strived to construct houses for flood affectees in the vicinity of Ghotki. Till date, 67 houses have been handed over to the residents of Ghotki, which includes six widows. Efforts are in hand to complete construction and handing over of additional 22 houses before the onset of Ramadan Kareem so that the residents can joyfully celebrate Eid ul Fitr. FFC's Rehabilitation Project has garnered immense appreciation from locals for provision of solace and humanitarian support to underprivileged community. Staff report

KARACHI preSS releaSe

Nearly 150 beginner, intermediate, established, and aspiring content creators gathered at the Centre for Excellence in Journalism’s (CEJ-IBA) ‘Click! The Digital News Ideathon’ to learn how to monetise their content and diversify their revenue streams to sustain their platforms.

The event was organized by the CEJIBA in collaboration with Deutsche Welle Akademie (DW).

Multimedia Journalist- Sabah Bano Malik kicked off the event with a warm welcome to the audience and spoke about the constant evolution of the digital landscape. CEJ Director, Amber Rahim Shamsi opened the event with a call to action:

“We need to reinvent journalism, how we gather news, where we distribute it and how we engage with audiences.”

In his opening address, Ambassador Alfred Grannas highlighted the partnership

between the CEJ-IBA and DW, and encouraged participants to learn how to monetise, with a caveat: “Make money- become millionaires! Just do not forget your duties as a journalist” In his opening address to the audience, acknowledged the draw of making money through social media platforms and highlighted the partnership between the CEJ and DW. The first panel discussion for the day, ‘Journalist or Influencer’ invited panelists- including Sahar Habib Ghazi, Shehzad Ghias, Syed Muzammil and Azaz Syed- to reflect on the Pakistani news audience’s desire for serious content, and the blurred lines between journalist, influencer, citizen journalist and vlogger.

Moderated by Amber Rahim Shamsi, they also addressed how to deal with negativity on social media platforms.

Broadcast Journalist Syed Muzammil spoke about the various models, platforms, and strategies available for content monetization, and gave several tips on how to get the most out of the digital space.

CEJ-IBA's ‘Click! Legacy news media revenue opportunities

ImrAN urges CJP To order Probe INTo ‘AssAssINATIoN PloT’ AgAINsT hIm

LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

FORMERprime min-

ister Imran Khan on Monday accused the ruling coalition of trying its best to provoke military against his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI), by launching a campaign on social media and added that no one could control public reaction on social media.

The statement comes just hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged overseas Pakistanis not to support the “vicious” conspiracy against the Pak-

istan Army and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.

Shehbaz called a “smear campaign” against the army chief had been launched by the PTI under the “continuation” of a conspiracy against the military, which he said was “unacceptable.”

Sharif also accused Imran Khan of “damaging the country and undermining our armed forces and their leadership.” He stressed the need to reject his political rival’s “agenda.” The PTI has repeatedly denied any involvement in the alleged campaign against the army, with party officials calling the accusa-

Centcom boss expresses confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear security protocols

WASHINGTON

Staff RepoRt

During his appearance before the Senate Arms Services Committee of the United States, Gen. Michael Kurilla, the commander of Central Command (Centcom), expressed confidence in Pakistan’s nuclear programme’s command-and-control structure. The committee monitors the nuclear capabilities of other countries to ensure regional and global security.

Kurilla’s comment reassured the committee members, who were concerned about the potential risk posed by the political instability in Pakistan.

When asked about his assessment of Pakistan’s nuclear programme amidst these issues, Kurilla replied: “I am confident in their nuclear security procedures.” “I deal with the military relationship there and I have a great relationship with the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. [Asim] Munir,”

Kurilla said, adding: “I think the concerns right now in Pakistan are their budget, their financial situation, the current political situation and the counterterrorism situation.” His statement came at a time when Pakistan is facing political turmoil and concerns of an economic crisis. Kurilla had visited Pakistan in December to reaffirm security ties after the new chief of army staff, Gen. Munir, was sworn in in November.

IhC suspends appointment of director general PsQCA

ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbaS

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday suspended the appointment of Director General (DG) of Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), an attached department of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), till the next date of hearing of the case. A single bench of the IHC comprising Justice Babar Sattar heard the petition filed by Dr. Shehzad Afzal. Justice Sattar noted: “The office order issued by the Minister of Science of Technology dated 28.02.2023 pursuant to which Mr. Mir Ghulam Farooq has been appointed as Director General, PSQCA on acting [charge] basis shall remain suspended till the next date of hearing.” The court directed to relist the matter on May 25, 2023. The court order said: “Let the respondents file a proper report explaining the exigencies and the procedure adopted for purposes of appointing an individual on deputation to the permanent post of Director General, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA)”. It added, “In view of the fact that there was a conflict of opinion between the Establishment Division and the Ministry of Science and Technology whereby the Establishment Division has taken a position that the post of Director General, PSQCA is not a post to be filled through deputation but is to be filled on a permanent basis and subsequently an O.M dated 07.11.2022 was also issued stating that Mr. Mir Ghulam Farooq ought to be appointed as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology but not as Director General, PSQCA.” It may be added here that MoST had earlier given look-after charge of DG of its attached department PSQCA to Ghulam Farooq, who is serving in the ministry on deputation from Balochistan. According to a notification issued on February 28, 2023, federal minister for MoST Agha Hassan Baloch had assigned look-after charge of the post of DG PSQCA to Mir Ghulam Farooq, joint secretary (Admin) MoST, for a period of three months or till appointment of regular incumbent in MP-1 scale, whichever is earlier.

tions baseless and unfounded.

Addressing the media from his Zaman Park residence here, Imran claimed that the ruling coalition was “orchestrating” a campaign to incite a confrontation between the PTI and the army in an attempt to eliminate his party, which he said, the ruling parties cannot defeat in the elections.

“Efforts are being made to make PTI and the army come face to face. PDM is trying hard to incite quarrel between PTI and the army as these people [PDM] cannot win the elections so they want to eliminate PTI,” he said.

PTI committed to hold ‘mega power show’ with or without permission at Minar-e-Pakistan

LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

The central leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has made it clear that they would definitely hold ‘mega power show’ with or without permission at Minar-e-Pakistan on Wednesday.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman

Imran Khan had earlier announced on Sunday a “mega power show” at Minare-Pakistan in Lahore on Wednesday, the eve of the Pakistan Day celebrations.

PTI recently tried to take out a rally

in Lahore but was stopped by the caretaker government twice, however, this time around, the party is determined to proceed with its massive public gathering at the Greater Iqbal Park without or without the authorities’ permission.

Former Punjab governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema, while talking to a local newspaper stated that the party had applied for permission in compliance with the court’s orders, however, instead of giving them the permission, the authorities prepared a list of hundreds of workers to arrest.

He said that mass arrests were aimed at instilling fear in the hearts of the public to dent the party’s popularity. He added that they were not aware of any other official communication between their party and the district administration.

usarrat Jamshed Cheema, another senior party leader, said that they had applied to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office only and would press on with their programme even if permission is denied.

The former ruling party tried to take out a rally twice in recent days, but on

Default watch: Is the government giving up?

THE GOVERNMENT MAY HAVE JUST GIVEN UP ON A DEAL WITH THE IMF. THE LEAST THEY CAN DO NOW IS TO BE HONEST

ISLAMABAD abdullah Niazi

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is giving the nation mixed signals.

Less than a week ago in a meeting with newspaper editors he said that his government was hesitating to announce a petrol subsidy scheme for low-income households in case it rubbed the IMF the wrong way.

On Sunday, the prime minister announced a subsidy that would slash Rs50 off the price of petrol per litre for motorcyclists, rickshaw drivers, and those with cars under 800cc. Yesterday, petroleum minister Musadiq Malik, carefully avoiding the word subsidy, said that the government plans to increase petrol prices by Rs100 for the wealthy and reduce

them for low-income individuals in order to provide them with relief from fuel tariffs.

So what is the government doing? The most obvious answer is that they are trying to provide relief to the public in the wake of elections that are due anytime this year. Already backed into a corner by Imran Khan who is riding a populist wave and unable to fix the ailing economy, the Sharif administration’s moves are reeking of desperation with every passing day.

Perhaps most indicative of Mr Sharif grasping at straws was when he also pandered to the military establishment yesterday. In a strongly worded tweet, he strongly condemned the “vile campaign” against the Pakistan Army and Chief of Army Staff

(COAS) General Asim Munir abroad and called on overseas Pakistanis to raise their voices against it.

But in the midst of this there is one very important question: has the government given up on a deal with the IMF and gone into election mode? Put the PM’s announcement into context. It came the same day that the Middle East Eye reported that Saudi Arabia’s decision to refuse to provide any further bailouts or interest-free loans to Pakistan has left the government in Islamabad in shock. With the IMF already demanding that Pakistan provide written assurances from lender countries to achieve a staff level accord, hopes of a deal seem bleak.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

both occasions, Section 144 was enforced, placing a blanket ban on any kind of public gathering.

Later, this matter was sent to the Lahore High Court (LHC), which instructed the party to inform the district administration before holding a rally.

Advocate Azhar Siddiqui said that the permission of the district administration is not required in this instance. He said that this is a public rally and could proceed with or without permission. He added that seeking permission was a mere formality.

PTI Tehsil Nazim among seven killed in Abbottabad car shooting

ABBOTTABAD

Staff RepoRt

At least seven persons, including Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Tehsil Nazim Atif Munsif Khan, were killed after unidentified assailants opened fire at their vehicle here in Abbottabad on Monday. Overall eight persons were present in the car which caught fire after heavy firing by the assailants. Subsequently, the bodies present in the vehicle were completely burnt. District Police Officer (DPO) Umar Tufail told the media that the attack was apparently carried out by unidentified men due to some personal enmity. DPO Umar Tufail said that the firing incident took place near Havelian and people are confirming the presence of the tehsil nazim in the vehicle. He added that the vehicle caught fire due to heavy firing resorted to by the attackers. Earlier in the month, two security guards of Mir Sardar Khan, son of PTI member of Balochistan Assembly Yar Muhammad Rind, were killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack targeting the former’s convoy in Nosham area of the province. In a statement, Fahad Shah – Assistant Commissioner of Dhadar area – said that unidentified miscreants planted an improvised explosive device (IED) at Nosham road which exploded when Mir Sardar Khan’s convoy was passing through the area.