Epaper_23-04-6 LHR

Schedule revISed: ecP notIfIeS May 14 aS new date for Punjab PollS

g LAST DATE FOR APPEALS AGAInST ROS DECISIOnS IS APRIL 10, TRIBunAL TO DECIDE APPEALS By APR 17

ISLAMABAD

Staff rePort

Inline with the Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued the revised schedule for the elections to the Punjab Assembly, notifying that the elections be held on May 14 instead of the previously notified date of October 8.

The ECP issued the notification of the revised schedule for the general elections in Punjab, citing the Supreme Court’s verdict issued on Tuesday on a petition filed by the PTI against the ECP’s decision to delay the Punjab Assembly elections from the originally decided date of April 30 to October 8.

According to ECP, under the revised schedule, the last date for filing of appeals against the decisions of the returning officer rejecting or accepting the candidates’ nomination papers has been set as April 10. The appellate tribunal can decide these appeals by April 17 and a revised list of candidates will be issued by April 18.

The last date for the withdrawal of candidature and the publication of final list of candidates has been set as April 19, following which electoral symbols will be allotted to candidates on April 20.

The elections, in line with the SC’s directives, are to be held on May 14.

It is to be noted that elections to the Punjab Assembly have been due since January this year when the Assembly was dissolved. In

early March, the ECP had proposed that the elections be held between April 30 and May 7 and subsequently, President Arif Alvi accepted the commission’s recommendations by setting April 30 as the date for the polls.

The date was officially notified by the electoral watchdog on March 8, but it was later deferred to October 8 in another notification issued by the ECP on March 22.

In the latest notification issued today, the commission said it was recalling its March 22 notification and partially modifying the March 8 notification.

Fate of nation being decided with ‘strange decisions’, says PMShehbaz

iSlaMabad: In the midst multi-faceted crisis and ongoing face-off between the government and Supreme Court over its verdict on Punjab polls delay case, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday held meetings with his legal team and leaders of all coalition parties to laying focus on how to deal with the apex court verdict about holding elections in Punjab. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the government will table another resolution in the national Assembly following the apex court’s verdict on Punjab elections on Thursday (today). According to sources, Shehbaz Sharif and government legal experts held detailed consultations, analyzing constitutional and legal options against the apex court decision. Federal Law Minister Azam nazeem Tarar, Attaullah Tarar, Akram Sheikh and Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor usman Awan attended the huddle. The sources further revealed they also pondered over the [possible situation] if the court’s decision was not implemented {….}. The participants of the meeting also discussed the possible future strategy of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). On the other hand, addressing a meeting of the leaders of all coalition parties on Wednesday, the prime minister referred to the decision by the Supreme Court’s three-judge bench, saying a mockery was being made with the Constitution and law and that the fate of the nation was being decided with strange decisions. He said that the three-member bench had not only rejected the appeal for constitution of a full bench to hear the case but also dismissed pleas by other political parties.

“How a decision of another bench was neglected while members of the three-judge bench who had earlier recused themselves and again joined it?” he questioned.

He said that a circular was issued over Justice Isa’s directive, followed by formation of a six-member bench that took up the issue and decided it. Staff rePort

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SC hints at forming judicial commission to probe arshad Sharif’s murder

ISLAMABAD Staff rePort

The Federal and provincial governments have developed a consensus on the harmonisation of the General Sales tax (GST) regime. This was disclosed in the 6th meeting of the national Tax Council (nTC) chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

The meeting considered and approved the recommendations put forth by the Executive Committee of the nTC on the 28th of March. These recommendations entailed the Draft Place of Provision of Service Rules, which is a major milestone towards GST harmonization across the country. The approval will help achieve the prior actions for the World Bank funded RISE programme.

The nTC decided with the consensus that the Place of Provision of Service Rules will take effect from 1st May, 2023 after approval by the respective provincial cabinets. However, electric power transmission will be excluded from the list of goods by FBR. For which the Sales Tax Act is required to be amended through the Finance Bill, will take effect from 1st July, 2023. In conclusion,

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Exclusive:

ISLAMABAD

ahmad ahmadani

The development of a 660MW unit at the Jamshoro Coal Power Limited (JCPL) is facing serious technical, legal, and commercial challenges as the federal government tries to iron out a deal with K-Electric for use of the unit.

In a recent meeting of a technical committee constituted by the power division of the energy ministry, the government told K-Electric point blank that it would help them arrange meetings from financers to put money into the projects, but it could not provide any guarantees.

JPCL was incorporated in August

ECC defers decision on import of banned used auto oil lube

g HDIP, PCSIR unABLE TO DETERMInE IF OIL SAMPLE HAzARDOuS

ISLAMABAD Shahzad Paracha

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a written order for the March 17 hearing indicating the formation of a judicial commission due the lack of progress in the investigation of journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder case.

In the written order, the court stated that if the court was not satisfied with the investigation, a judicial commission would be constituted.

On the previous hearing of the case, former Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the lawyer of Arshad Sharif’s family, raised objections to the court proceedings and had stated that the Supreme Court could not supervise the JIT’s investigation as the Supreme Court could monitor and investigate matters related to fundamental rights.

In its order, the Supreme Court had stated that Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman informed about mutual legal co-

operation and assistance from Kenya and uAE. According to the additional attorney general, the Kenyan authorities did not respond to mutual legal assistance.

The special JIT constituted on court order had been given another three weeks for investigation from foreign countries and it had been stated that since it was an important matter of fundamental rights, the court could form a judicial commission for investigation.

The Supreme Court in its written order had further stated that Arshad Sharif’s murder was a matter of fundamental rights apart from the murder of a senior journalist.

More than five thousand letters were sent to the Supreme Court to investigate the murder of Arshad Sharif.

According to the order, the Supreme Court wanted a free and fair investigation into Arshad Sharif’s murder. Further hearing of the case would be held in April this month.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet deferred the decision on import of banned used auto oil lube. Finance minister Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting of the ECC. Sources said that as defined under Basel Convention the used auto oil contain hazardous wastes which are banned for trade worldwide. The government on the recommendation of climate change ministry imposed a ban in IPO 2013. Subsequently, on the petition of Amir Oil Pvt Ltd, Lahore High Court directed the commerce ministry to treat the representation from the petitioner and decide the matter in accordance with law within 30 days. The Ministry of Commerce consulted climate change ministry to give justification on the ban of used auto lube oil and determine the nature of the oil imported by Aamir Oil Pvt Ltd as hazardous or otherwise. The oil sample was sent to Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) but none of them could determine its hazardous nature either due to non-availability of requisite technical expertise or the non-existence of the parameter to declare oil as hazardous. However, the point was raised that Basel Convention secretariat Geneva did not address the issue of auto lube oil and instead conveyed general policy provision which stated that water oils are considered by parties as hazardous wastes if they are unfit for their originally intended use. The importer claimed that the Basel Convention restricts the trade of those used oil which are not suitable after their intended use, but used auto oil lube remains as good for use in auto industry and there are no hazardous impurities. Sources said that the ministry of commerce verified import/export data and revealed that the same is being traded worldwide. The reclamation process, in essence, is a recycling process and ministry of climate change used auto oil for recycling purposes. According to finance ministry, the ECC after discussion deferred a summary of Ministry of Commerce regarding Amendment in IPO-2022 pertaining to used auto lube oil.

Other discussions

In another summary, the Ministry of Commerce submitted a summary on amendments in the Import Policy Order-2022 with regards to import of live animals and animal products in line with the revised conditions/guidelines by the World Organization of Animal Health (WOAH) on the trade of cattle.

The ECC after discussion approved the proposed amendments in the relevant clauses of IPO-2022. The ECC approved Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs. 300 million in favour of the Ministry of Housing and Works for repair and maintenance of public buildings.

The ECC also approved a supplementary grant of Rs 87 million in favour of Intelligence Bureau for payment of taxes and duties.

K-Electric in talks for development of

CHALLEnGES

1998 under companies Ordinance 1984 and has been a WAPDA owned entity since 1999. A while back, KE had expressed interest in developing a second unit of the project to bolster its provision of electricity in Karachi. The government had asked the power company to go to Jamshoro for a site visit and prepare a proposal accordingly.

In a meeting of the earlier mentioned technical committee on the 15th of March, which was attended by all major stakeholders, KE’s proposal and site visit report was discussed in detail. A big issue was over financing and where it would come from, since development requires a large sum of money, while KE

also shared other roadblocks that they were facing in the development.

Documents available with Profit reveal that some headway was made as the committee decided that JPCL will immediately initiate the process for transfer of title of land from WAPDA to JPCL. Similarly, the meeting will be arranged for finalisation of the transaction structure of the proposed transaction between a smaller more focused group, with representation of PPIB and KE and nTDC to prepare an initial study on the demand supply analysis, in the case KE opts to offtake power from both units (2x660MW) of Jamshoro Coal Power Project.

Despite this, there still seems to be some doubt over financing. It was decided that the power division would facilitate KE’s team in arranging meetings with potential lenders such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). However, the power division made it clear during the course of this meeting that the government will not provide any guarantees or engage directly with SFD and KFAED to arrange finances/funds for KE, for the development of unit-II.

It is worth noting that the government is already worried about tough

ongoing negotiations with the IMF. A lot depends on reaching a staff level agreement since that will release other funds from lenders to pakistan. Technical challenges

As per documents, a major challenge KE faces is separating common facilities for development of the unit on 100 percent Thar coal. During the meeting of the committee, the chair remarked that the original design of unit-II was based on the 80:20 blend of imported and local coal. However, the government has recently decided that only local coal is to be used for power generation.

g FInAL LIST TO BE PuBLISHED On APR 19 AnD ELECTORAL SyMBOLS TO BE ALLOTTED On APR 20

Centre, provincial govts agree on harmonisation of GST

g MOvE WILL HELP ACHIEvE PRIOR ACTIOnS FOR WB FunDED RISE PROGRAMME

IqbAl PRAISeS STRATeGIC PARTneRSHIP In meeTInG wITH CHIneSe mInISTeR

BeIJIng StAff RePoRt

PAKISTANand China have decided to give impetus to their bilateral cooperation under ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor project. The understanding was reached at a meeting between Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Minister of International Department of Communist Party of China Liu Jianchao in Beijing today.

Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that Pakistan’s friendship and strategic partnership with China enjoy a broad political support in Pakistan.

He paid tribute to the vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping for launching initiatives like Belt and Road, Global Development, Security and Civilization Initiatives which are contributing in creating a peaceful and harmonious world.

On the occasion, Liu Jianchao said iron brother relationship with Pakistan is unparalleled.

Extending warm felicitations on the successful conclusion of the annual Two Sessions, the minister paid tribute to the vision of President Xi for launching initiatives like Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) which were contributing in creating a peaceful and harmonious world.

Hailing CPEC as the shining example of BRI cooperation, Minister IDCPC

appreciated the Planning Minister’s role in nurturing and developing CPEC in his current and earlier tenures.

Both reaffirmed CPEC’s importance as the flagship project of BRI and decided to add further impetus to CPEC cooperation along with marking the completion of one decade as an important milestone.

Recalling the successful visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing in November 2022, the two sides agreed to work out modalities of IDCPC

Exclusive: Govt, K-Electric in talks for development of 660MW Unit-II of Jamshoro Coal

ContInueD forM pAge 01

This means that KE will have to initiate design changes in both the storage and handling of the coal.

The cooling water intake and retention systems, ash handling system, demineralization system, air compression system, and unit dedicated auxiliaries all have to be appropriately changed. Apart from modification/upgrades in aforementioned systems, redesigning of boiler and flue gas treatment system will also be required. As a result of this, the chair asked KE to conduct a feasibility study. The committee also discussed the option for development of Unit-II on blending with a ratio of 60:40 or 70:30 in the feasibility study.

The chair stated that as per the directive of GoP, we are exploring possibilities to develop Unit-II on 100% Thar coal, hence this should be considered as a first option. Regarding power evacuation of Unit-II from either 220kV or 500kV grid, it was decided that KE will conduct load flow studies, short circuit, and stability study, to evaluate all the probable options, said available documents.

Commercial and Regulatory

Challenges

KE also informed the committee meeting that due to the current embargo

on coal financing by Western and Chinese lenders, it is vital for the government to retain Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). Furthermore, consent of existing lenders will also be required for development of projects in private mode.

However, the Power Division’s Additional Secretary made it clear that GoP will not provide any guarantees or engage directly with SFD and KFAED to arrange finances/funds for KE, for the development of Unit-II.

In response, KE said that they are not looking for guarantees from the government and will arrange financing themselves. However, a meeting with SFD and KFAED needs to be arranged for which the government has agreed to facilitate KE. KE representatives also pointed out that the title of the land for the project still resides with WAPDA; therefore, the change in land title will be required to facilitate this transaction.

Upon this the Chair (MD PPIB) requested the CEO of GHCL to confirm the status of land and initiate the process for transfer of title of land from WAPDA to JPC, said documents.

Legal and Transaction Structuring

According to available documents, KE further informed that the possible options available under the constituted framework of Pakistan are Public Private

IHC rejects FIA’s plea challenging Imran’s bail in prohibited funding case

ISLAMABAD

StAff RePoRt

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday rejected the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea to cancel the bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in the prohibited funding case, ruling the allegations made in the first information report (FIR) had nothing to do with Imran or Tariq Shafi. A division bench of IHC, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, issued the detailed verdict, rejecting the FIA petition challenging the bail granted to Imran Khan by the high court. The court raised questions regarding the evidence in the case and said that there was “no proof” that the money sent by Arif Naqvi was linked with criminal activity. It added that the former premier had not signed any bank documents.

According to the IHC, the banking court had rightly said that all the evidence in the case was documentary and an arrest was not necessary.

The court maintained that the authority regarding the bank officials belonged to the State Bank of Pakistan, which neither made any inquiry nor declared any transaction received by PTI as illegal. It continued that the investigating officer also did not record any statement of the SBP officials. One of the charges against Imran was to convert the PTI account to Naya Pakistan account which was deemed “not a crime”.

The IHC stated that the Federal Investigation Agency could not substantially answer why the bail should be cancelled.

Partnership (PPP) under P3A Act 2017, Privatization under Privatisation Ordinance 2000, to transaction under the inter-governmental commercial transaction Act 2022. KE stated that development and off-take of Unit-II in private mode, separate ownership structure will be required for both units of JPCL. If that is the case then the common utilities, which were developed to provide redundancy for both units of JPCL, may require to be carved out into a separate entity. The ownership of this entity will be shared between JPCL, and the private owner(s) selected for the development of Unit-II, according to their respective equity investment. This new entity will then be extending services to both the units. Therefore, it was highlighted that the implementation of such structuring for carving out one unit only will require extensive legal and regulatory manoeuvring, however, it is broadly workable, as also highlighted by PPIB’s DG (Law) and KE’s legal counsel. Regarding the G2G option, KE‘s legal counsel informed that the federal government on behalf of KE will engage with foreign governments or its entities to process this transaction. KE along with the federal government shall explore various entities who are willing to finance the project.

The chair stated that for the G2G option if KE is putting back the onus on GoP to find and engage the foreign investors, then this may not be a feasible option. Additional Secretary, Power Division added that G2G act only permits transactions with those entities who are nominated by foreign governments having direct shareholding or owned by respective foreign governments; whereas, KE is not a designated entity of any foreign government. The chair also stated that GoP may not be willing to extend any kind of concession for the project such as providing its guarantees, or even reaching out to any foreign states for inviting the investors to invest in the project on G2G basis. However, if KE is able to secure any foreign state interest in the project on its own, then the GoP will be willing to look into this option. In addition, DG (Law), PPIB was of the view that if PPP option is to be adopted for transaction, then PPP mode of Power Policy 2015 will be applicable instead of P3A act, however, rules are not formulated for PPP mode in Power Policy. The chair desired law team of PPIB and Legal Counsel, KE may hold a meeting to discuss different options to attain clarity on the best available route for structuring of the transaction.

Provinces, district govts playing major role in ensuring complete census coverage

ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

The provincial and district governments have the critical responsibility to conduct the census field operation to ensure 100% quality and credible coverage, making sure no one is left behind.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has provided the design, and strategic approach, and equipped the provincial and district governments with the technology and tools for complete transparency and real-time progress monitoring of census activities, along with daily oversight and feedback to further improve the data collection exercise in real-time.

The digital census is a huge success and a moment of pride for the nation. So far 40 million households have been counted and geotagged and 92% of the census work has been successfully completed (95% KP, 95% Punjab, 92% Sindh, 6% Baluchistan).

The smooth workflow and technology innovations, data of almost 10 million people is daily synched without any issues or technical glitches. This is a huge win for Pakistan and a commendable initiative as it increases transparency,

accountability, and efficiency.

The real-time data progress monitoring dashboards, developed in partnership with NADRA and provided by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics from the provincial to the district governments, help provincial governments in identifying any abnormalities, any areas missed and any other emerging anomalies on a daily basis.

The data received is analysed on a daily basis by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics headquarters and immediately communicated to the provinces for their resolution to ensure timely response and universal and complete coverage. The current 7th housing and population census and the first digital census is a historic milestone and the first digital census of its kind in South Asia. This successful execution of the census has been made possible through the commendable of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and relentless efforts of the Provincial and District Governments to ensure complete and credible census field operations with the support of the technology support provided by NADRA.

The move towards digitization has allowed provincial and district governments, who are responsible for the field operations for the

100% universal and inclusive census coverage, to immediately identify the missed areas using the geotagged houses and the quality of data entered for them by the enumerators in real-time. Therefore, immediately addressing any issues or gaps.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics provides the design, strategic approach, oversight and support to all activities of the census.

Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has further supported the provincial and district governments by setting up a helpline 080057574 and SMS gateway 9727 where people can call for queries or report anyone or any area missed. Recently, on the directions of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the 495 Census Support Centers are now also working as points of referral for all missed areas. The success of the current census is also attributed to the rigorous, universally standardized training provided by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to 121000 field enumerators that were identified and selected by the provinces, along with 126000 tablets to digitize the data collection process, hence increasing accuracy and efficiency while significantly reducing the time taken in entering, reconciling and analysing the data.

support for capacity-building through special training of Pakistani young political leaders and professionals, and experience sharing on CPC governance model for rural development, youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, economic growth, use of technology, enhancement of exports and industrialization.

Ahsan Iqbal also extended an invitation to Minister IDCPC to visit Pakistan to continue the discussions and cooperation for deepening bilateral ties.

Pakistan reiterates concern about well-being of detained Kashmiri leaders, HR defenders

ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

Foreign Office Spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, has reiterated Pakistan’s concern about well-being of Kashmiri leaders and human rights defenders incarcerated in India and illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The Spokesperson at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad, today, impressed upon India to end suppression of Kashmiri journalists and human rights defenders. She expressed deep concern over alarming rise in violence against Muslims in India, after latest such acts in eight states of the country. She called upon India to take demonstrable steps for protection of Muslims enabling them to practice their faith and hold accountable those responsible for such hateful acts. The Spokesperson also welcomed OIC’s statement in this regard and said that terrifying rise in Islamophobia in India was consequence of majoritarian Hindutva agenda and anti-Muslim rife in the Indian politics.

Alvi calls for creation of jobs for differently-abled individuals

ISLAMABAD APP

President Dr Arif Alvi has urged for the creation of specific job opportunities for differently-abled people (DAPs) to help them become financially independent. During a meeting with Dr Anis-urRehman, Vice Chairman of Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness (PFFB), the president emphasized the importance of providing training and equipping DAPs with the necessary skill sets to help them become productive members of society. The president also stressed that it is the collective responsibility of both the public and private sectors to support persons with disabilities and not neglect them. Dr Anis-ur-Rehman informed the president about the steps taken by PFFB to support visuallyimpaired persons in Pakistan, including transforming the lives of more than 50,000 visually-impaired students and persons through educational services, capacity-building trainings, awareness campaigns, career counselling, and Assistive Technology. The meeting also highlighted the lack of hostel facilities for visually-impaired girls in Islamabad, GilgitBaltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Balochistan, as well as the non-availability of writers, to help them during examinations. Alvi stressed the importance of addressing these issues and raising awareness about the rights and issues of persons with disabilities in order to bring about positive behavioural change towards them.

Centre, provincial govts agree on harmonisation of GST

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Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar appreciated the stakeholders for building consensus and for settlement of the harmonization of GST in the country. Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr. Aisha Ghous Pasha, Engr. Zamrak Khan Achakzai, Finance Minister Balochistan, S.M Ahsen Tanveer, Minister for Industries Punjab, Mr. Himayatullah Khan, Adviser to the CM KP on Finance, SAPM on Revenue Mr. Tariq Mahmood Pasha, Special Secretary Finance, Chairman FBR, Provincial Finance Secretaries and other senior officials from Finance Division and FBR also attended the meeting.

Fate of nation being decided with ‘strange decisions’: PM

ContInueD forM pAge -01

The premier also noted the directive of the three-member bench on holding elections in Punjab province and observations on the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa election.

The prime minister elaborated that last week, a detailed meeting was held with leaders of the ruling coalition’s parties, followed by two cabinet meetings and parliamentary meetings over the evolving situation.

The prime minister said that purpose behind holding of the meeting of coalition parties was to mull over the situation and evolve a solid response.

He said that the ongoing session of the lower house of the Parliament had debated the issue and a resolution had already been passed earlier, adding that another resolution would be tabled in the house tomorrow (Thursday).

Meanwhile, Federal Climate Change Minister and senior PPP leader Senator Sherry Rehman has expressed reservations

on the verdict of the three-judge Supreme Court bench.

In a series of tweets uploaded on her official handle, Sherry Rehman said “It is the right of political parties to protest against the controversial decision of the three-member bench. When justice, legal and moral requirements are not fulfilled, questions will definitely arise on the decisions. We have not one but several reservations about the decision of the threejudge bench. The composition and division of the bench made the process itself controversial.”

The minister said “On March 1, four judges gave a decision against the automatic notice, why was a three-member bench formed when the majority of the judges had already given the decision? The four-judge verdict could have been overruled not by a three-judge bench but by a larger bench or a full-court bench. While the request to form a full court was repeatedly rejected, political parties continued to request to take sides, the position of the political parties

participating in the elections was not considered necessary. May 14th becomes 120 days not 90. In Article (2) 224, if elections are to be held within 90 days, what is the purpose behind the date of May 14 in the decision?”

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had fixed May 14 as polling day for the elections in Punjab, setting aside government’s request for forming a full bench on the issue.

Resultantly, the federal cabinet had rejected the Supreme Court’s decision regarding holding elections in Punjab province on May 14. According to sources, the federal cabinet declared the SC’s verdict a minority decision and said that the implementation of a rejected case and minority decision could not be implemented.

Referring to the “judicial murder” of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto while speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that ZAB’s murder had taken place on April 4, 1979, and on the same date, the

unfortunate incident was repeated by the apex court.

The prime minister termed Supreme Court’s decision regarding the polls in Punjab as another murder of justice.

Equating the two decisions, the premier said justice was murdered and it was highly regrettable.

Reacting over the Supreme Court bench decision, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif had suggested to the government that a reference against the three apex court judges should be filed in the Supreme Judicial Council.

Addressing a news conference in London on Tuesday, Nawaz Sharif said the doctrine of necessity has even been invented for dictators and now efforts were being made to bring one person (Imran Khan) back to power.

‘Audit of Supreme Court, other institutions’

Meanwhile, taking notice of Public Account Committee’s proposal, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday issued the

order for audit of Supreme Court, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and all other institutions.

According to TLTP, quoting PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan, the committee had written a letter to the prime minister regarding non-audit of ministries and related organizations.

Now, the prime minister ordered the Auditor General of Pakistan to carry out audit of all institutions and submit a report in a month.

The PAC also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to recover Rs44 billion from Biaco Company which instead of paying back got its name changed in SECP. Noor Alam asked how come the SECP changed the company’s name sans ensuring repayments. The PAC chairman directed the FIA to work with the Petroleum Ministry for the recovery of the hefty amount.

DeADly CHAoS AS PooR SCRAmble FoR SCARCe DonATIonS

KArACHI ReuteRS

SEVEN-yEAR-OLDSaad

Umer joined a crowd in a poor neighbourhood in Karachi rushing to get a handout of flour and a little cash from a charity trying to help the most vulnerable cope with runaway prices.

But in the surge, a melee broke out and some people fell.

Saad and 10 others, all women and children, were killed in the latest in a series of deadly scrambles for food as Pakistan struggles with its most serious economic crisis in years.

“He was a beautiful kid. I’ll never get over his death as long as I live,” his father, Umer Zada, told Reuters.

Zada said the distribution of aid should have been better organised, with police supervision of the hungry and desperate seeking help.

“There were no rules or regulations as my son got trampled.”

Last week, in another incident, police fired tear gas in a bid to control a frenzied crowd trying to get their hands on food supplies at a site in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In all, 16 people have been killed in chaos at charity distributions, shocking Pakistan, especially during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, a time for giving and spiritual reflection.

But this year, economic malaise seems to be eroding society’s ability to cope. Global factors have compounded consumer inflation as the country tries to finalise a bail-out agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Prices have been pushed higher by a weakening currency, energy tariff increases and a usual Ramadan spike.

Pakistan’s inflation soared to a record 35 percent last month. Food inflation in March was at 47.1 percent and 50.2 percent for urban and rural areas respectively.

The turmoil as charities try to help the poorest lays bare the desperation that is likely to get worse as the impact of inflation is compounded by smaller donations of the traditional zakat alms for the poor, according to five aid groups that Reuters spoke to.

“People that would donate small amounts are now showing up asking for help while people that used to donate large amounts are saying they’re struggling and scaling back,” Ansar

Burney, head of the Ansar Burney Trust told Reuters.

“There has been a 50 percent reduction in donations this year, while there has been a 50 percent increase in people seeking help.”

‘DONOR FATIGUE’ With prices rising, the funds that donors are giving are not stretching as far as they did.

“Charities are struggling to deal with rising inflation and costs the same way households are. There has also been a rise in the number of people heading our way for help,” said Ramzan Chhipa, founder of the Chhipa welfare association.

Higher fuel prices make providing an ambulance service ever more difficult, says Faisal Edhi, a philanthropist and chief of Pakistan’s largest charity operation the Edhi Foundation. The group’s ambulances took away the injured and the bodies of Saad and the others killed in the Karachi crush.

“Our services are becoming costly and we aren’t always able to reach the people […] We’ve already spent a substantial amount from our reserves,” Edhi said. Edhi said there had also been an increasing number of men committing suicide because they could not support

Robbers derprive man of Rs59m in bahadurabad

KArACHI StAff RePoRt

their families, including one man who was a friend of his.

The Saylani Welfare Trust runs soup kitchens in Karachi’s poorest neighbourhoods where surging numbers of people are hoping for a meal but donations to fund the service are falling.

Trustee Arif Lakhani said where in the past up to 500 people would turn up, now it is up to 1,000 while donations have fallen by about half.

“In fact, I’d say donations are 40 percent of what they were,” he said.

Sikander Bizenjo, co-founder of the Balochistan youth Action Committee, which helps out in the remotest villages, said after a year in which floods devastated huge areas, it was not surprising people felt they could not help as much as before. “There is some form of donor fatigue,” he said.

Like everyone, Zada is struggling with inflation but he also has to contend with grief and questions that torment him.

“I’m totally devastated. There are other people like me whose children were killed, martyred,” he said. “The women who had nothing to eat went there. Can’t the government see that people are dying of hunger?”

Ahsan Iqbal seeks NDRC support in early completion of ML-I, KRC projects

ISLAMABAD

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Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday sought strong support from China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and other relevant institutions to advance implementation of the Main Line-1 (ML-I), Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and key energy projects in line with consensus reached between the leadership of the two countries.

The minister, who is currently on a visit to China, asked for early completion of the projects during a meeting with Vice Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Li Chunlin, said a message received here from Beijing.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance Tariq Bajwa, Ambassador Moin ul Haque and senior Pakistan Embassy officials accompanied the minister during the meeting.

he Planning Minister paid rich tribute to the leadership of the two countries for providing strategic guidance to the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Don’t think of emergency or martial law, Sh Rashid advises rulers

rAWALpInDI

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Chief of Awami Muslim League and former interior minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday said the Supreme Court had given a better judgment in a difficult time, rejecting and burying the “doctrine of necessity” forever. While reacting to the Supreme Court decision in the Punjab election postponement case, Sh Rashid wrote on micro-blogging website Twitter that no one inside the Supreme Court talked of boycott of proceeding. Everyone wanted to argue the case. The 85-member cabinet cannot reject the Supreme Court decision. He dared the Shehbazgovernment to get ready for either disqualification or anarchy in the country. The former minister said that they [the PDM] have to accept the verdict of Supreme Court come what may. The Supreme Court also follows the Constitution. Masses are the real ruler. If the decision of the judiciary is not obeyed, there will be a rebellion. Shehbaz Sharif must rethink whether to accept the decision of the judiciary or to be disqualified for contempt of court and go to Raiwind. Sh Rashid said that the Supreme Court had said that there was no need for a combat force. Rangers, FC and ex-servicemen can provide security [for elections]. He called former minister Nawaz Sharif a fugitive, running form judiciary, and termed his press conference disappointing. The former interior minister advised the rulers to stop “dreaming” about filing a reference against three judges, imposing emergency or martial law.

Ahsan Iqbal highlighted that CPEC had not only been central to Pakistan’s economic growth, but it also contributed to regional connectivity and development. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to smooth and high-quality development of the next phase of CPEC with a greater focus on the development of industrial parks and Special Economic Zones.

Vice Chairman Li noted that during the recent visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China, the leadership of the two countries reached an important consensus to advance CPEC development and the NDRC was working hard to implement the leadership’s direction.

Ahsan Iqbal said 2023 marked the Decade of CPEC and the strong partnership between the Planning Division and NDRC. Recalling the signing of the CPEC Framework Agreement in Beijing on July 5, 2013, in the presence of the leadership of the two countries, the minister said that the Government of Pakistan was planning to hold special events to mark the milestone and invited Chinese leadership to attend the events.

In that respect, he also extended an invitation to the NDRC chairman to visit Pakistan and as well as hold a special session of the CPEC Joint Coordination Committee on the occasion.

During the meeting, the two sides expressed

satisfaction with the completion of some key projects at the Gwadar Port and agreed to continue the momentum for making it a hub of international trade and regional connectivity.

The minister remarked that Pakistan greatly valued the contributions of the Chinese IPPs (Independent Power Producers) in helping Pakistan achieve energy security and informed the vice chairman about the steps taken by the Government of Pakistan to facilitate their projects.

Vice Chairman Li Chunlin appreciated the contributions of the minister to the advancement of CPEC and his support to NDRC over the years and assured him of NDRC’s long-term commitment to the common objective of high-quality CPEC development.

Noting that the 11th JCC meeting had paved the way for fast-track implementation of CPEC projects, the two sides agreed to start preparing for the 12th JCC and hold technical Joint Working Group meetings on a regular basis every two months to ensure closer coordination.

On the minister’s proposal, the two sides reached a consensus to set up expert groups on enhancing Pakistan’s export potential and development of Special Economic Zones and industrial parks based on the Chinese experience.

Objectionable material to be removed from O level syllabus: Senate

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Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain on Tuesday informed the house that a notice was being issued to Cambridge to remove the content, otherwise these books would not be allowed in Pakistan.

The Senate was assured on Tuesday that steps were underway to get objectionable material removed from the O level syllabus.

He was responding to a calling attention notice moved by senators Mohsin Aziz and Faisal Saleem Rehman, who raised alarm over the content relating to ‘same SRC family’, being contrary to Islamic and cultural teachings and values of Pakistani society.

“The government will also write to the provinces to take necessary measures in this connection,” the minister said, endorsing the views, earlier expressed by the movers of the notice, and asserting that the content had nothing do with

Pakistan and its values and culture.

About the national curriculum, he explained that unlike during the previous government, when barring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the other three provinces had reservations over the PTI government’s curriculum, the incumbent government had evolved consensus and now all the provinces were signatory to the new national curriculum.

He claimed that the then federal minister for education had also not agreed to the curriculum, adding that three to four countries, who previously were associated with Cambridge, had now opted for Pakistan’s federal exam system following reforms in it. Senator Mohsin Aziz said in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a chapter on ‘same sex family’ could not even be discussed in the family system, adding that what kind of education was being imparted to a child, hardly 14, 15 and 16 years of age. He also read out some portion of the content. He called for writing

Police reported that on Wednesday, two dacoits allegedly robbed a man of Rs59.4 million in the Bahadurabad neighbourhood of Karachi. The robbers intercepted the vehicle of one Muhammad Raheel at Shaheed-e-Millat Road and fled the scene after taking the cash. An FIR has been lodged at Bahadurabad police station regarding the incident, and the complainant reported that he was carrying the money in boxes in his vehicle when he was intercepted and robbed. In a separate incident last month, two armed robbers looted a jewellery shop in Karachi’s Clifton area for Rs5 million in cash and gold. According to the shop owner, the robbers entered the shop and held up the staff at gunpoint before making off with the loot.

PTI moves lHC against posting of police officers in Punjab

LAHore StAff RePoRt

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the posting of 22 police officers in Punjab. PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry Wednesday filed a petition in the high court. The petition has made Election Commission of Pakistan, Punjab Chief Secretary and others respondents in the case. The petition expressed severe reservations over the posting of 22 police officers in Punjab before the election. It pleaded with the court to hold back the administration from posting these 22 police officers as these officers might influence the election results. The petition beseeched the court to issue an order in this regard to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

KmC to transfer ailing elephant noor Jehan from Zoo to Safari Park

KArACHI StAff RePoRt

to the British Council and other foras so that such content was not part of the syllabus. Senator Faisal Saleem feared that such content was tantamount to eroding respect of parents and teachers in students and strongly advocated immediate action against it.

He also called for proper scrutiny of institutions, where such content was being taught and sought cancellation of their licences.

The minister assured the lawmakers that a report on the progress made and action taken would be shared with the house.

A special report by a Senate panel on bills proposing amendments to the Transgenders’ Act also landed in the house.

Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights Chairman Walid Iqbal presented the report of the committee consolidating six bills, proposing amendments to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018.

Targeted killings of minority members, hate speech in NA unacceptable: Bishop Marshall

LAHore StAff RePoRt

The president bishop of the Anglican Church of Pakistan has condemned the recent spate of targeted killings of members of minority communities, and called on the government to take immediate action to protect their citizens.

In a press statement, Bishop Dr Azad Marshall expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of violence against minority groups, including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the targeting of innocent civilians because of their religious beliefs or ethnicity,” Bishop Marshall said. “It is unacceptable and goes against the fundamental principles of humanity.”

The statement comes on the heels of attacks on a Christian and Sikh in Peshawar and a Hindu doctor in Karachi last week.

“The targeted killings of Kashif Masih and Diyal Singh in Peshawar and of Dr Birbal Genani in Karachi within a span of two days in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have instilled shock and fear in all three communities. The government must get its act together and ensure safety and security of our people,” he said.

Bishop Marshall also condemned the recent hate speech made by a lawmaker in parliament, which he said had hurt the religious sentiments of the Christians.

“We call on the government to take strong action against Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaate-Islami and all others who use hate speech and incite violence against innocent people,” he said.

Chitrali has drawn the ire of the Christian community for calling the Bible, Torah and Psalms “cancelled scriptures”, while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly last week against the policy of giving additional marks to medical students who can memorize Quran or Bible.

“The gospel, Torah and the psalms are canceled (scriptures). We believe in all of them and don’t reject them but Quran is permanent and will remain till the judgement day,” he said on March 28.

“We have also noted with concern how the Speaker of the National Assembly ignored Chitrali’s remarks and didn’t allow a Christian lawmaker to counter it. The floor of the House is not meant to demean any religion and we expect the Speaker will take cognizance of this fact and not allow any person to spew hatred against other faiths,” he said.

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) agreed to arrange any necessary logistics for medical procedures and prepare to relocate ailing elephant Noor Jehan and another elephant – Madhubala – to the sprawling Safari Park within a month, as recommended by experts. Karachi Administrator Dr Saif-ur-Rehman expressed his appreciation for Four Paws –global animal welfare organisation – which has carried out numerous animal welfare and rescue missions across the globe. Dr Rehman acknowledged that Noor Jehan had been suffering from neurological deficiencies for the past few months, which had severely impacted her hind legs. Unfortunately, the required treatment is not currently available in Pakistan, so the international group was approached for their expert opinion. The Four Paws team had recommended more than a year ago that zoo elephants should be relocated to the Safari Park, which is equipped to house four elephants and is ideal for the species, given its reduced noise pollution and ability to support a herd. Experts had also stressed that elephants should be allowed to live in conditions that closely mimic their natural environment. On behalf of the government, the administrator has extended complete support to the Four Paws team for Noor Jehan’s medical assessment and treatment. The team has been welcomed with open arms, and all necessary measures will be taken to ensure that the ailing elephant is well taken care of. The relocation of the elephants to Safari Park has been considered as a crucial step in the animals’ well-being and is expected to improve their living conditions significantly.

Interest rate hiked

But will it tame inflation?

THE State Bank of Pakistan’s Monetary Policy Committee on Wednesday increased the benchmark interest rate 100 basis points, to 21 percent, in an attempt to control inflation. While the need to control inflation is indisputable, doing it by revising the interest rate does not seem to be working. At the beginning of the financial year, in June 2023, the benchmark rate was 13.75 percent. So far, it has been raised 7.25 percent by the MPC, without inflation slowing down. If anything, as the March figures indicate, it is speeding up. Part of the problem is that inflation is an intractable beast. Once it has crossed a certain level, it is almost impossible to stop. However, while some might argue that present levels of inflation are hyperinflationary or at least pre-hyperinflationary, where price rises are both rapid and huge, that stage has probably not yet been reached. It is only by taming the beast of inflation that it can be avoided.

Apart from failing to tame inflation, the rupee’s value has not been defended. It has now slipped to Rs 290 per dollar, with the psychological limit of 300 not that far ahead. Once that is breached, it is hard to predict where it will stop. A falling rupee is not what Pakistan would have liked to take into the storm that will hit after the OPEC+ members decided to cut production, and thus drive up oil prices. The belief will be strengthened that Pakistan’s inflation is imported, and not to be tackled by monetary policy alone. All the present increase will achieve is to push more enterprises towards default, as the gap between the interest rate they assumed, and the actual rate, becomes too large for them to sustain.

If not monetary, what other tools does the government or the SBP have? The MPC was clearly hedging its bets, as it said that the monetary tightening would bring about the achieving inflation targets, though that assessment was threatened by domestic political uncertainty and global financial conditions. So can anything be done? And if so, what? The Minimum Reserve Ratio can be increased, to mop up liquidity, something last done in November 2021. The subsidy for petrol targeted the poor, but a subsidy scheme for essentials, paid to producers, and aimed at eliminating inventories, is also a possibility. However, another anti-inflation tool, reduction of government expenditure is already being tried. The almost ritual cut in development expenditure has already been made. An inflow of a few billion dollars would help, but the IMF programme’s resumption is still doubtful.

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

Fifty years of Cheating the Constitution

employee on forced retirement.

The Secretary came to his rescue again by using another Martial Law Ordinance (Civil Servants Reforms Act 2000) which was not even applicable to autonomous organizations like the PSF. My term ended in August 2005 and I returned home with many unanswered questions about the conduct of our bureaucrats and how they have managed to cheat the Constitution.

In the year 2017 a Right to Information Act (RTI) was enacted by the Parliament which has now replaced the 1923 Official Secrets Act yet the government departments are unwilling to provide the required information. Mystery is always mischief yet departments are very reluctant to reveal information to the public. The Information Commission is very active in Punjab with several milestone decisions.

Aconstitution is an agreement between the rulers and the ruled which should not be cheated on by either. On 14 August 1973, after enactment of the unanimously agreed document unwavering compliance was expected yet the cheating has continued unabated.

On March 29, Mr Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court declared unconstitutional the 1860 Colonial Era Law of Sedition, Article 124 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Finally, it has been struck down. The big question being raised is why it has taken us 75 years to get rid of such Draconian legislation. The late Arshad Sharif was being tried under the same law that carries death penalty, punishment and fine. Then there is the Official Secrets Act of 1923 and the Government of India Act 1935. In 1960 the dictator issued the MPO Order (Maintenance of Public Order) which still holds ground.

My student, Barrister Hassan Niazi, the energetic activist, was arrested in Islamabad then taken to Quetta, from where he arrived in Karachi but before he could reach back home after getting bail, was required to go to Nowshera. In his own words; “ Sair Karayen tum Ko Pakistan Ki “. Finally he came back home yesterday after getting bail from the LHC.

During my tenure at Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), I ordered a departmental inquiry against the misconduct of the Admin Officer. To avoid accountability, he used his ‘mafia networks’ to get himself transferred to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat without permission of his parent department.

I wrote to the Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to accommodate the employee of PSF in the PM Secretariat on permanent basis instead of on forced unlawful deputation from an autonomous organization.

In reply I received copy of an interesting Ordinance. During the Civil War in East Pakistan, government officers were reluctant to go to the Eastern Wing. In the year 1971 the government issued an ordinance under which it could place any government employee wherever it desired. Despite the passage of the Constitution in 1973, the Secretary had the audacity to send this document to me in 2004. It was the biggest joke ever which indicated the colonial mindset of the powerful but evil bureaucracy. On the recommendation of the inquiry committee, I sent the

As my focus has been on Administrative Reforms leading to good governance, I lost sight of the many Human Rights Ordinances that were stealthily carried over despite the passage of the 1973 document. Now that the LHC has highlighted the ongoing foul play it is time to revisit all the Colonial-era laws together with the Martial Law Ordinances that continue to pollute the constitution of the republic.

The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will celebrate its Golden Jubilee of enactment on August 14, but with several leakages that need to be plugged. In order to introduce administrative accountability. The elected government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto included Clause 216 in the interim constitution of 1972, a toned-down version was made a part of the 1973 permanent document under Clause 212. Administrative Accountability courts were to be established.In 1979 the clause was removed, and instead the Mohtasib or Ombudsman office was created for this purpose which is ineffective, as they are headed by the peers of the same bureaucrats against whose complaint has been lodged.

Constitution that cover human rights, not one of them has ever been followed or debated in Parliament

The rulers have succeeded in cheating the agreement that was declared the law of the land on 14 August 1973 some 49 years and 8 months ago. It is time to stand up for the Constitution by removing the irritants that come in the way.

This forced watan ki sair (tour of the country) of Hassan must not be allowed to continue. There are several political workers arrested under these colonialera draconian laws who need to be bailed out. The recent raid on the Zaman Park residence of the former PM speaks volume about the dismal state of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Hopefully some lessons must have been learnt by now. The area is named after the maternal grandfather of Imran Khan. It’s an enclave of the Pathans of Jalandhar who were mostly in the service of the state. IK’s father Ikramullah Niazi hailed from Mianwali. He built his house here on the land inherited by his wife. IK grew up in the safety of Zaman Park where the ‘ Burki Clan ‘ would gather even at a moment’s notice to ward off evil or external threats, but not anymore.

The journey of the Zaman’s continues. Looking for freedom they migrated to Lahore. Their son of the soil rose to be the PM yet they were subjected to colonial-era indignities after 75 years of so-called freedom.

Prothom Alo’s purposeful negative reports on commodity prices are being criticized all over the country. Not only in the country, but also outside the country. In particular, the US Embassy has stepped up to defend Prothom Alo’s position. Although the country talks about press freedom in Bangladesh and other related issues, what is their picture in reality? How do journalists fare in their own country? 12 members of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), which consists of 12 Western countries including the USA, have expressed concern over the recent incidents of violence and intimidation against journalists of some media outlets in Bangladesh, including Prothom Alo MFC says they are concerned about the attacks on journalists during the recently held Supreme Court Bar Council election press gathering, the attack on the brother of a journalist from Qatar-based media Al Jazeera, the attack on a photographer journalist of the Dhaka Tribune and the recent detention of a Prothom Alo journalist. The Media Freedom Coalition has requested the relevant authorities to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into each incident.

The signatories to this declaration as members of the MFC are: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the USA. But while the USA moves so much on the rights of journalists in Bangladesh, will it move as much on journalists in its own country? Is it dedicated to protecting the rights of journalists in its own country?

In the eyes of whites, the USA is considered safe for journalists, but this is not the case. The reality is that the situation of journalists in the USA is very fragile. This becomes clear when looking at the statistics provided by the US organization Press Freedom Tracker. In the first three months of 2023, 14 journalists have been subjected to various forms of discrimination, oppression and threats in the country. Out of these 14, five were physically assaulted. Two have been charged or arrested. A person has been threatened. Both have refused to give informa-

tion. Both have been suspended from work.

Looking further back, 15 journalists were arrested or prosecuted in the USA in 2022. At least 40 were directly attacked, 10 were prevented from working. 30 had to face the court.

2020 saw the highest number of arrests or prosecutions of journalists in the USA. A total of 145 were arrested or prosecuted that year. 631 were attacked that year. In 2021, 59 faced cases or arrests. Of them, 56 were arrested.

Taking into account the first three months of 2017 to 2023, 283 have been sued or arrested in the last six years. About 1,964 were directly attacked. 76 journalists have refused to give information.

Due to the attack, 203 lost their journalistic equipment. 167 have faced court notice. 83 were searched and equipment was confiscated.

Statistics show that the condition of journalists in the USA is not as good as it is perceived from the outside. In this situation, international analysts have questioned whether the USA can come to teach ethics generally, and he ethics of journalism particularly, in the case of a country like Bangladesh.

About the arrest of journalists in the USA in 2021, Joe Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said, “There is no good reason to arrest and detain journalists in the hands of the police in the United States.”

Still, 56 such incidents were recorded in 2021. This shows that the problem has become huge. According to analysts, it may not be unreasonable to question whether a country that itself has arrested journalists has the moral right to directly accuse another country. Journalistic standards and human rights standards should be equal in all countries. If so, then the US Embassy questions the rights of journalists in Bangladesh, keeping the situation of their own country so fragile.

Another thing needs to be clarified here. Anyone has the right to be offended by the news that Prothom Alo has published. He also has the right to file a case regarding this. However, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that the state or government is not involved in this. He said, “The law moves at its own pace.

If someone is aggrieved and wants justice or is aggrieved and files a case at the police station,

Barrister Hassan has been a civil rights lawyer. He has boldly contested several important cases despite life threats. Now that he has been seriously harmed by the very system in which he works, it is time for a massive operation clean-up of the 1973 Constitution to restore it to its original form.

The document itself and the connected Penal Codes have to be purged of the colonial-era Acts and the Martial Law Ordinances that were quietly made a part of our legal system by the skillful manoeuvring of the bureaucrats. There are about 20 Clauses in the

The rulers have succeeded in cheating the agreement that was declared the law of the land on 14 August 1973 some 49 years and 8 months ago. It is time to stand up for the Constitution by removing the irritants that come in the way. IK is right; if elections are not held within the stipulated 90 days after the dissolution of the assemblies, bugles for the ‘Battle of the Constitution’ should blow loud and clear. This cheating of the constitution must be brought to an end enabling the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to rise.

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

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Peace is the only path to progress

the police can take action accordingly.”

The Home Minister also said, ‘”On Independence Day, after we have progressed so far, if someone gives such fake news, then anyone can be offended, including you.”

However, the USA is basically maintaining a two-faced attitude towards Bangladesh. It is inappropriate to comment on other countries when the conditions are not favourable for journalists in their own country. Further evidence of the double-edged policy of the USA can be found when considering the country’s stance on the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, an American citizen of Palestinian descent and AlJazeera journalist.

Shireen Abu Akleh died on 11 May 2022, in Jenin Camp, Jenin, Palestine, in an unprovoked shooting by Israeli forces. After 10 months passed, the USA did not hold Israel accountable. Even though Shirin hsad become a US citizen, there was no such initiative on the part of the country. Only the country’s State Department claimed responsibility in a statement. Far from being loud, there was no sound in sight. But in the case of Bangladesh, the USA is elevated along with its other allies. But why? Sukhranjan Dasgupta, in an article published in the Indian magazine India today highlighting the US human rights report, wrote, “This strong US support for the Jamaat in the State Department report proves a significant continuation of the US policy of supporting pro-Pakistani forces in Bangladesh.”

Even after half a century of independence, when the USA does not take a neutral position on an issue and supports the anti-independence forces of Bangladesh in human rights reporting, it is biased in dealing with the freedom of the press; The question then arises as to what the USA really wants. the writer is a freelance colunmnist

IN the wake of recent diplomatic breakthroughs, it has become clear that countries are quickly realising that the only realistic path towards sustained economic and political development as well as for the progress and prosperity of nations is through mutual reconciliation. Long-time foes Iran and Saudi Arabia have taken that route, and Turkey has reached out to Egypt and Syria with whom it was in a tangle of tension since the Arab Spring. A time comes in the life of every nation when people realise that it does not pay to harp upon regressive, fossilised and anachronistic viewpoints on territorial disputes. Such an attitude only causes instability and misery to the masses. Countries eventually fall victim to their own whims and delusions as they refuse to face the ground practicalities. The attitude is twice as illogical and harmful in the fast-changing, technological and economic environment of today. Considering our hapless country’s grim situation, which is undergoing massive political and economic upheaval for nearly a decade now with no respite in sight, I am afraid a bitter harvest will have to be reaped if some outof-the-box initiative towards reconciliation with our neighbours is not kicked off on a most urgent basis. The United Nations (UN), the United States, the European Union (EU), China and Russia would do well to intervene and hammer out the differences between Pakistan and India in the larger interest of the world. The two nuclear-armed neighbours need to start living in peace and harmony, much to the benefit of coming generations across the globe. Realistically speaking, territorial disputes have been existing between countries for centuries, and they do exist currently, say, between China and India, China and Japan, Russia and Japan, Spain and Morocco, etc. However, in no such instance, a country’s political and economic progress is held hostage to the lingering disputes. Nothing should be allowed to come in the way of a nation’s economic progress. The multi-talented millions of Pakistan and India can only learn and benefit from each other’s prowess. They have gigantic trade and media potential, among other fields. As a first step at least, low-hanging fruits can be availed of, like normalisation of trade and tourism, followed by exchange of actors and sportsmen and related goodwill, positive measures. The recent speech of India’s deputy high commissioner in front of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) can be a good start in this direction from where relevant quarters can take it forward. It is needless to say that a real, lasting peace in the subcontinent should be the cherished goal of the global community.

UMAR M MAKHDUMI KARACHI

Seeking mercy

THE family and friends of Abdul Jabbar Memon recently (March 29) observed the first anniversary of the death of the former consul-general of Pakistan at Los Angeles in the United States. The man had passed away after battling a rare cancer for which treatment was only available in the US, and that, too, on a trial basis. It was this medical trial that had kept him alive for four years. During what turned out to be the last year of his life, the former government refused to grant him extension at Los Angeles, which caused him tremendous stress as his trial drugs were available only at that very station. In order to save his life, he sought a stay order against his transfer from the Sindh High Court. Since then, the foreign ministry seems to have maintained a grudge against him. He is no more around, but we, the heirs, have to face the brunt of the ministry’s grudge. During the last year, we have made several attempts without success to get our pension and benefits released under the Prime Minister’s Assistance Package for the families of government employees who die in service. His former colleagues at the ministry have heartlessly ignored our plight for subsistence in these times of inflation. The family has given up hope in the ministry officials. Only an intervention from somewhere else can save the day for us. Can the foreign minister or the prime minister find some time to see what is happening in the case? Can the Supreme Court look into the matter?

DR FaRiD a malik

USA’s interfering in Bangladesh despite the dire situation of its own journalism

TiloTTama Rani ChaRulaTa

Apart from celebrations, implementation is needed

Even after half a century of independence, when the USA does not take a neutral position on an issue and supports the anti-independence forces of Bangladesh in human rights reporting, it is biased in dealing with the freedom of the press; The question then arises as to what the USA really wants.

Why Machiavelli is still relevant today

Why a 15th-century Italian is relevant today worldwide

What was Machiavelli’s intent in writing the Prince? Some say he wanted to empower tyrants; others say he listed their crimes in order to expose them. But over the years all kinds of people according to their professions and bearings found some kind of support or advice in their respective pursuits. The book follows its declared purpose fearlessly and without hesitation, and this is its primary achievement. His book shows the rulers how to survive in the world as it is and not as it should be, so that they may lead their lives realistically and not whimsically. Some have also described the book as a political satire, which appears to be less likely.

These attributes are certainly very negative, but Machiavelli always used them for politicians of his days which excluded ordinary men and women. But the qualities expressed by these adjectives suited the chaotic governance of Italy’s rulers (Princes) of his time. the Prince is significant to the history of political thought because it advocates a purposeful approach to problems. Since he believed that the world could not be changed by the then leadership, he proposed a system of governance based around what was available.

NICCOLò MACHIAvELLI was an Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian who was born in Italy in 1469 during the Renaissance, and is best known for his political treatise the Prince, which was written around 1513 but not published until 1532, about five years after his death. He has often been called as the father of modern political philosophy.

In Machiavelli’s time, various provinces of Italy were under siege of foreign invaders and there was chaos and lawlessness in the country. He himself, being a member of the aristocracy, wanted to please his employers; he recorded his ideas in his book the Prince

In this epoch-making book, he for the first time propounded unconventional ideas, which were new and shocking for the Renaissance people where religion and morality had reigned for centuries. Among his precepts he espoused that the leaders should always mask their true intentions, avoid inconsistency, and frequently “act against mercy, faith, humanity, and religion, in order to preserve the state.” He strongly advocated that “the end justifies means”. All these vices recounted by Machiavelli are by and large present in all societies of the world as well as in Pakistan’s ruling and businesses classes in particular. However, Machiavelli, by justifying all means to attain ends, has been dismissed as an amoral cynic. Despite having this image, the book still survived for over 500 years. If instead of the Prince, he had written a conventional manual of instructions, then there would have been no trace of Machiavelli to the subsequent generations. Hence I feel that his work is vicious as well as remarkable at the same time.

Machiavelli knowingly or unknowingly shifted the sense of “virtue” from moral worth to effectiveness. To retain possession over their territories, his ‘virtuous’ princes were exhorted to resort to the grossest violations. In conveying this he employed his language and diction so skillfully that it became a riddle for centuries to truly resolve his intentions. It is more puzzling than the Sphinx of Greek mythology. If, on the other hand, it had been a straight manual of instructions, that would have become obscure and nobody would have ever known about Machiavelli’s existence.

Machiavelli has a very pessimistic view of human nature which is central to his moral philosophy. Machiavelli recommends the following three characteristics and behaviour for princes: He writes that It is better to be stingy than generous. It is also better to be cruel than merciful and last of all, It is better to break promises if keeping them would be against one’s interests. These are indeed disgusting messages for a sensible modern reader, because of which Machiavelli became a symbol of hatred and lawlessness.

According to the dictionary, Machiavellian is someone “who is sneaky, cunning and lacking a moral code.”

Banking as an American Muslim? It’s a horror

Closed accounts, denied transactions and investigations – Muslims face banking bias like no other faith group in the US

amount of time and effort to build a new payment system with multiple partners and multiple points of redundancy simply to survive. It could have used this time and resources to improve its product, expand partnerships, and execute its mission. The company estimates these issues with payment platforms have cost over $100m in donations, and, for LaunchGood, over $5m in revenue.

These are far from isolated incidents. According to a new report – the first of its kind – published last month by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, in partnership with Islamic Relief USA and LaunchGood, Muslims are by far the most likely faith group in the United States to face challenges while banking.

Due importance has been given to Machiavelli because his research focuses on metaphysics, ethics, philosophy and biology. Niccolò Machiavelli was one of the most influential political theorists of Western philosophy. The historians report that “His most-read treatise, the Prince, turned Aristotle’s theory of virtues upside down, shaking the European conception of government at its foundations.” Machiavelli believed instilling fear was an effective way for a ruler to control his subjects. In the Prince, he says that punishing individuals for their actions is justifiable if it benefits the community as a whole

Since the publication of the Prince, the term “Machiavellian” has been used to describe corrupt politicians who use fear and cunningness to keep their political power. In this book, Machiavelli describes specifically how a leader can stay in control without losing support from their followers. Machiavelli believed that in order to keep in power, a leader could not always be a “good” person. The rulers did not live in ways that they were not supposed to live, which brought their fall. In order for a ruler to remain in power, he could take action which would have otherwise been considered as brutal or immoral. The action of the rulers is justifiable if it benefits the community as a whole.

The ruler must ensure that he should not push things too far to the point where he is hated by his community. Machiavelli believed instilling fear was an effective way for a ruler to control his subjects. In the Prince, he says that punishing an individual for his actions is justifiable if it benefits the community as a whole. Effectively, these punishments would serve as a lesson to the rest of the community. Machiavelli’s main point is that as long as their subjects see the outcome of a leader’s actions as positive, it does not matter how the outcome came to be. Ultimately, the ends justify the means, regardless of morality. The only thing a leader would need to worry about is not pushing things too far to the point that they are hated by the community. Machiavelli also states that good leaders must convince their subjects that they possess certain positive qualities in order to keep them in check. The specific words he uses in chapter 15 are: “One is reputed generous, one rapacious; one cruel, one compassionate; one faithless, another faithful; one effeminate and cowardly, another bold and brave; one affable, another haughty; one lascivious, another chaste; one sincere, another cunning; one hard, another easy; one grave, another frivolous; one religious, another unbelieving, and the like. And I know that everyone will confess that it would be most praiseworthy in a prince to exhibit all the above qualities that are considered good.”

the writer is a former member of the provincial civil service and can be contacted at zafar.aziz.ch@gmail.com.

MILLIONS of Americans are observing Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, prayer and devotional giving. As survivors of recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria recover from the cataclysmic tremors – the equivalent of 33 nuclear bombs each – American Muslim charities are working around the clock to respond to this and countless other areas of need by preparing for their busiest season of donations. But then accounts are mysteriously suspended, transactions are stalled, and desperately needed aid is held back.

Welcome to banking while Muslim, an experience that involves dealing with systemic, deep-rooted institutional discrimination.

LaunchGood, a crowdfunding platform similar to GoFundMe for the global Muslim community, has raised over $300m for critical causes across the world – most recently raising $10m for earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria. But LaunchGood has nearly been killed by “banking while Muslim” three times.

It first started in 2019 when, suddenly and without warning, LaunchGood’s payment processor from day one, kicked them off. LaunchGood had just met with the processor three weeks prior, in person, and were assured the Muslim-led crowdsourcing platform was in good standing. There was no indication there was an issue, nor clarity provided on what the problem was, nor the chance to challenge it or rectify their standing. It was sudden and final. When LaunchGood asked their account manager why she didn’t warn them, she made it clear she had no warning herself and that this was a decision from their banking partner.

LaunchGood moved to another payment platform. That summer this platform was acquired by a large US Bank. Sure enough, problems emerged almost immediately.

As the payment platform switched to the large bank’s compliance software, 50 percent of LaunchGood’s donors in the United Kingdom were rejected. When they prodded further, they found that they had “too many Muslim and Arabic names” that were throwing off their software. Sadly, yet predictably, six months later, they received an email from their account manager at the platform saying their parent bank had made the decision to offboard LaunchGood. Similarly, to the previous payment platform, there was no justification, warning, nor opportunity to challenge the decision.

So LaunchGood moved on to their third processor in a year. The crowdsourcing platform executives built a personal relationship with the payment firm’s CEO, even working with his daughter to help raise money for a school in Indonesia. Their chief compliance officer was amazed at how thorough and cautious the LaunchGood team was: Their incredibly low chargeback rate (a measure of fraud) made them an excellent customer.

Yet a few months later, a board member of the payment platform happened upon the LaunchGood website and, based on nothing, but emotion (and prejudice), demanded that it be off-boarded as a customer. Once again, without warning, without a chance to challenge the decision, or take steps to placate fears, LaunchGood was kicked off this payment processor.

LaunchGood has been forced to invest an absurd

Challenges may include – but are not limited to – not being allowed to open an account, having an account suspended or closed, or having payments placed under investigation. At 27 percent, Muslims are twice as likely to report challenges at financial institutions than the general public (12 percent) and Jews (14 percent) and on par with Black Americans (23 percent). Muslims (29 percent) are more than twice as likely as the general public (14 percent) to have had a personal bank account placed under investigation for sending payments to others. The study is based on a 2022 nationally representative survey of American faith and non-faith groups.

But where Muslims really are singled out is when it comes to business and nonprofit accounts, which impact not just one person’s financial situation, but potentially a whole community’s. Of those who report challenges, Muslims (64 percent) are more than twice as likely as the general public (26 percent) to have difficulties with business accounts.

Common challenges include: 22 percent who had a business bank account placed under investigation for sending payments to others; 21 percent who were not allowed to send or receive money from business accounts on payment platforms; and 19 percent who couldn’t send payments to others from a business account or had a business credit card closed.

Nonprofits, like the ones Muslims give to during Ramadan, fare no better. Of those individuals who report challenges, Muslims (62 percent) are nearly four times as likely as the general public (17 percent) to face challenges with nonprofit accounts. These include having a credit card closed for a nonprofit account (21 percent) and not being allowed to open a nonprofit bank account (20 percent) to begin with. So what is the justification given for these difficulties by financial institutions?

Some were understandable reasons like a low credit score or an over-drafted account – concerns that the banking sector would have with any customer. But other justifications reeked of discriminatory profiling, and were disproportionately more likely to be given to Muslims.

For example, 29 percent of Muslims were told that “international transactions were restricted” or that they were “sending or receiving money from an unfamiliar person” – both more likely than the general public (2 percent and 13 percent, respectively). One-quarter of Muslims (24 percent) who faced banking challenges were told a keyword in their transaction was a red flag, compared with 4 percent of the general public. These aren’t local problems. In recent years, Muslim individuals, businesses, and nonprofits have reported facing potentially discriminatory practices at some of the nation’s largest banks. These experiences of disparate treatment while opening or maintaining a bank account can be found in different regions across the country. A growing sense that such incidents are not isolated has pushed a group of lawmakers to urge financial institutions to “modernize” policies that implicitly discriminate based on ethnic and religious background.

Policy makers must continue to pursue solutions to this issue that not only infringes on a community’s financial rights, but their religious freedom as well.

Dalia mogahed is research Director at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in the US.

Chris Blauvelt is CEo of LaunchGood.

Mail and Guardian BRenDa kali

Ispent some time over the holidays delving into the traits of both highly conscious and the most diabolic of leaders through the centuries. The qualities of an exemplary leader are the litmus test for the performance of a country or company.

Outstanding epochs in the history of an organisation or nation were made legendary by conscious leaders who had understood the powerful propensities of their actions and worked with purpose and resolve as well as prioritising humanity.

My research took me to the heights and depths of the spectacle of leadership behaviour. From the stoic Marcus Aurelius to Genghis Khan, one of the most brutal military conquerors of all time, from strong-willed, fearless and often cruel but also just Akbar the Great to Alexander the Great, whose narcissistic leadership style served his own passions despite being one of the most successful commanders in history. From Hitler to Jacob Zuma, Mandela to Booker T Washington, and business leaders such as Bernie Madoff, Elon Musk, Tim Cook and John Mackay, there are traits that differentiate the conscious leader from the self-interested rogues.

No one human being is perfect, but the glaring differences — where the humanity of one is at the polar opposite to the glib villain — is why we have a global leadership crisis. This is an era of malevolence in which the good has little chance to triumph. Millions would rather follow an expressive psychopathic leader, whose contentious clamour ultimately leads to destruction, than an inspired, gentle and humane one.

In 1934, Time magazine named Hitler “Man of the Year”. In 2016, Americans elected Donald Trump as their president. Hitler held the world stage and slashed at his countryman. So did Idi Amin and Muammar Gaddafi.

The deeper lessons of history are echoed here in modern day business, when leaders driven by a façade of grandiosity, consider personal profit and material gain as all-important considerations.

Morally mature, conscious, ethical leaders, whose actions manifest greater good for all are not born remarkable or extraordinary, neither are they perfect. They have learnt the skills to manage their own existence, fully cognisant of who they are. It is evident that when men and women capable of great leadership appear on the scene, they come to possess an influence commensurate with their greatness.

To recognise a great leader, we need look no further than Nelson Mandela. Though not perfect, history is peppered with great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King and George Washington. A leader who was unparalleled in the 16th century as a man for all seasons was Sir Thomas More, who refused to compromise his morals, ethics and principles for anything, even death. He chose to die rather than compromise who he was. We live in extraordinary times plagued with un-

certainty and pressure. But there is an opportunity to change the course of a nation or business by changing the shape, character and consciousness of its leadership. This leads us to the Conscious leadership and Ethics Summit on 11 May, where the spotlight on business leaders, both ethical and not so ethical, is the context of this crossroad in our corporate evolution.

The cyclical character of business demands that we do things differently, hence the quest for conscious leadership amid the complex maze of corporate activity, compliance, pressure, performance, productivity and the economic necessities of flowcharts, the bottom line and delivery. It is easy in the chaos of this corporate machinery for an organisation to lose sight of its meaning and purpose beyond profiteering.

Consider the social context facing most leaders and employees in the world of work where power struggles, self-interest and fear are the motivating forces behind some of the unconscious actions that scream at us from media headlines. In a society where need, not achievement, is a source of rights and entitlement, it provides fertile ground for moochers, looters and cheaters.

Conscious leaders shine by example whereas insecure and incompetent leaders hide behind sycophantic followers. In business, Apple chief executive Tim Cook is a far cry from Tom Hayward, the former head of BP. I knew a chief executive who, in less than a year, destroyed the shareholder value of the company she was entrusted to lead by an estimated 75%. This did not deter her. Her egocentric leadership style was a toxic challenge for her executives. She continues to sit on several boards.

The culture of excessive materialism, dishonest dealings and blind disregard for corporate governance aside, we still look to leaders to display courage and vision. When corporate culture takes its cue from its leadership, it plays out in its reputation, performance, profit and the perception of its corporate brand. The tone, manner, attitude and character of an ethical leader cannot be separated from the company they represent. Found in the hidden strata of their beings, is a morally untainted view of “doing the right thing” and building the firmest possible foundation upon which the organisation rests.

In expanding one’s consciousness and ethical behaviour, the conscious leader guides the company to prosper while placing a premium on people, community, culture and the environment beyond the bottom line. It is the essential understanding of values and ethics, reason and justice, meaning and purpose and a reason for being that sets the organisation apart.

It is a conscious leader who, refusing to compromise on morals and principles, instils an enduring culture of help and service to others in harmony and cooperation. This gives a breadth and depth to the company’s idea of itself more than anything the bottom line can achieve. It is deeply fulfilling for people to be part of a conscious company with an ethical, value-based leadership. Customers and stakeholders feel valued and served and employees feel safe and have a sense of belonging beyond the pay cheque.

In the absence of this consciousness, the leadership of a company or a country that is socially irresponsible and environmentally destructive, breeds an unpleasant chaos, where insecurity permeates the very soul of a nation or the culture of a company. We have a choice. Operating in consciousness is a choice for leaders and given the ethical and moral agitations of our age and the country, it is a critical time to choose.

Brenda Kali is the Founder of Conscious Companies and the chief executive of the Conscious Leadership and Ethics Institute. the mail & Guardian is the partner of the Conscious Leadership and Ethics Summit on

the Venue

ZaFaR aZiZ ChauDhRy

Machiavelli believed instilling fear was an effective way for a ruler to control his subjects. In The Prince, he says that punishing an individual for his actions is justifiable if it benefits the community as a whole. Effectively, these punishments would serve as a lesson to the rest of the community.

al Jazeera Dalia mogaheD anD ChRis BlauvelT

The good, the bad and the ugly: Leaders have a choice

Millions would rather follow an expressive psychopathic leader, whose contentious clamour ultimately leads to destruction, than an inspired, gentle and humane one

DonalD Trump hiTs back, pleaDs ‘noT guilTy’ before a crowD of supporTers in new york

PaLM BeaCH Agencies

DONALDTrump offered a fullthroated defence of his conduct Tuesday in his first speech since being arrested over hush money payments to an adult film actor, blasting the criminal prosecution as “an insult to our country.”

Hours earlier the 76-year-old former US president pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts in a dramatic hearing in New York that transfixed the nation — and began the countdown to the first-ever criminal trial of an American president.

“I never thought anything like this could happen in America — never thought it could happen,” Trump told an audience of several

hundred donors, political allies and other supporters after returning to Mar-a-Lago, his beachfront mansion in southern Florida.

“The only crime that I’ve committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it… It’s an insult to our country.”

Trump — the frontrunner in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination — said from a stage festooned with American flags in an opulent gold-and-cream ballroom that “radical left” prosecutors were out to get him “at any cost.”

The bizarrely celebratory mood in the room seemed at odds with the gravity of the day’s events in Manhattan, with Trump reprising the applause lines that his supporters hear regularly at his rallies — and being rewarded with the same boisterous cheers

china to deepen new cooperation pattern with indonesia: wang yi

BeiJing Agencies

China is ready to work with Indonesia to strengthen allround strategic coordination, further deepen the new cooperation pattern covering politics, economy, culture and maritime affairs, and jointly promote the development of the two countries and the prosperity of the region, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said on Tuesday in Beijing. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when he cohosted the Third Meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism with Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia’s Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investment. Noting this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said China is willing to work with Indonesia to advance cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative in the next stage. Wang called on both sides to strengthen cooperation in development financing, green economy and grain security, deepen maritime cooperation, and promote bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation. China and Indonesia should also strengthen defense and law enforcement cooperation, increase personnel exchanges and deepen strategic mutual trust and people-topeople friendship, Wang added.

iran names envoy to uae after nearly eight-year absence

DUBai

AFP

Iran has named an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) nearly eight years after his predecessor left, as a thaw in relations with the Gulf Arab states picks up pace. “After some eight years, the foreign ministry has named Reza Ameri as the Islamic Republic of Iran’s new ambassador to the United Arab Emirates,” Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported late Tuesday. The move comes after Iran welcomed an Emirati ambassador last September ending a six-year absence. The UAE had cut the level of its diplomatic representation after neighbouring Saudi Arabia severed ties in 2016 following the ransacking of its diplomatic missions in Iran by protesters angered by its execution of a leading Shiite cleric.

and clapping.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is prosecuting Trump for cooking his company’s books to hide payments he arranged for adult film actress Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election, to cover up an alleged sexual encounter a decade earlier.

Trump’s former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg is serving a five-month jail term for the same charge of falsifying business records.

Adult-film actor Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, poses for pictures at the end of her striptease show in Gossip Gentleman Club in Long Island, New York, U.S., February 23, 2018. Reuters/File

Adult-film actor Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, poses for pictures

at the end of her striptease show in Gossip Gentleman Club in Long Island, New York, U.S., February 23, 2018. Reuters/File ‘darkest hours’ Manhattan prosecutors say Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”

A “statement of facts” released alongside the indictment included details of hush money payments to Daniels, Playboy model Karen McDougal and a former Trump Tower doorman claiming to have a story about a child Trump had out of wedlock.

Daniels was paid $130,000 by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, while McDougal and the doorman got $150,000 and $30,000 respectively from AMI, the publish-

Easing the burden of Cancer

Cancer is one of the oldest diseases in human history, a burden that we have been trying to manage for many generations. The earliest evidence of cancer can be found in Egypt, dating back to 3000 BC but it was not until 1900s that the field of oncology started developing and people began to raise a voice to unite against cancer. Over time, high-income countries have had their share of failures and successes against cancer and they have come a long way in shaping the history of cancer treatment. On the other hand, in addition to the problems faced by the high-income countries, cancer in the low- and middle income countries face a different array of problems—making an already complex disease even more challenging. disease PrevalenCe: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the toll of cancer is greater in low- and middle-income countries, where people develop chronic diseases “at younger ages, suffer longer – often with preventable complications – and die sooner than those in high-income countries.” According to an estimate, by 2040, the global burden is expected to grow to 27.5 million new cancer cases and 16.3 million cancer deaths. In Pakistan, it is estimated that there are around 180,000 new cases in a year and over 117,000 deaths from cancer. The magnitude of the problem demands that we make a focused and dedicated effort to fight cancer in LMICs.

Challenges in low- and Middle-inCoMe CoUntries: One of the major barriers for cancer patients in poverty stricken regions is the problem of “access” —they do not have enough funds to see a doctor because either reaching a hospital requires travel expenses or they cannot afford the costs of diagnostic tests and doctors fee; leading to late diagnosis of the disease, causing avoidable loss of life. Due to a lack of awareness and stigma, they are more likely to ignore cer-

tain signs and symptoms until it is too late. Moreover, cancer patients from underserved areas often do not have access to nutritious food leading to malnourishment, which makes cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, difficult to tolerate. Having your chances limited due to your economic background adds to the tragedy of suffering from cancer. Lastly, a crucial aspect of battling any disease, especially cancer, is the patient’s fighting spirit and mental well-being. The burden of poverty adds to the burden of disease and weighs down on the patient and their family psychologically. skMCh&rC easing the BUrden of CanCer: In Pakistan, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC), Lahore, opened in 1994 as the nation’s first specialist cancer hospital. The Hospital’s mission statement reflects remarkable foresight—it sums up how it hopes to address the above discussed issues: “To act as a model institution to alleviate the suffering of patients with cancer through the application of modern methods of curative and palliative therapy irrespective of their ability to pay, the education of health care professionals and the public and perform research into

the causes and treatment of cancer”. Over the past twenty-eight years, SKMCH&RC has continued to provide quality treatment to underprivileged cancer patients—over 75% of whom receive financially supported treatment each year. The Shaukat Khanum healthcare system admits patients for treatment based on clinical guidelines, irrespective of their socio-economic background. It has established walk-in clinics providing cancer-screening facilities in Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi to allow easy access to cancer patients and to fasttrack cancer diagnosis. If patients are unable to cover the cost of treatment, and majority of cancer patients in our country form this group, they are assessed for financial support and are provided the care they deserve, free of charge.

Prevention and early detection are important tools as part of any strategy to effectively fight cancer. SKMCH&RC conducts cancer awareness campaigns for various types of cancers, focusing on commonest cancers that are preventable or have a high cure rate if detected early, namely tobacco-use related cancers and breast cancer. The Hospital organises awareness sessions in colleges and poster competitions in schools to raise cancer awareness amongst youth at an early age.

Israeli police storm Al-Aqsa mosque during holy month, yet again

JerUSaLeM Agencies

Israeli police attacked and arrested Muslim worshippers from Palestine in a violent raid inside Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque Wednesday, in flaring violence as the Jewish Passover overlaps with the holy month of Ramadan.

Armed police in riot gear stormed the mosque’s prayer hall before dawn, with the goal of dislodging “law-breaking youths and masked agitators” who had barricaded themselves inside following evening prayers.

At least 400 Palestinians were arrested on Wednesday and remain in Israeli custody, according to Palestinian officials, which drew threats from Palestinian groups and wide condemnation from Muslim countries.

Israel’s radical National Security

Minister Itamar Ben Gvir later offered

his “complete backing” to police and their “swift and determined” actions.

Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, called on West Bank Palestinians “to go en masse to the AlAqsa mosque to defend it”. After the violence at Al-Aqsa, several rockets were fired from northern Gaza towards Israel, to Al Jazeera reported. The Israeli army said five rockets were intercepted by the aerial defence system around the city of Sderot in southern Israel and that four others had fallen in uninhabited areas.

Israeli planes attacked multiple sites in Gaza, striking targets at a “military site” west of the city and a site in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the centre of the strip, according to Al Jazeera’s Maram Humaid in Gaza. The mosque in Israeliannexed east Jerusalem is Islam’s third holiest site. It is built on top of what Jews call the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest

ers of supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer. Bragg alleges that Trump and his allies “also took steps that mischaracterized, for tax purposes, the true nature of the payments.” Trump and his lawyers have accused Bragg of over-reaching in his characterization of the alleged misconduct.

The one-time reality TV star had sent a fundraising email even before flying back to Florida, saying that since the news of his indictment broke, his campaign had raised over $10 million.

“While we are living through the darkest hours of American history, I can say that at least for this moment right now, I am in great spirits,” Trump said.

The twice-impeached Republican is the first sitting or former American president to be criminally indicted.

Providing Equitable Access to Holistic Care

Cancer management requires a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach. Equity demands that we make efforts to provide not only similar treatment to all patients but also provide them what they need to achieve similar outcomes of treatment. For example, the problem of malnourishment is massive and can affect cancer treatment outcomes. The Hospital works to help such patients who have been admitted to the Hospital by providing them meals as advised by nutritionists, irrespective of the patients’ paying power. For patients who are eligible for hundred percent financial support, their food expenses are fully covered during hospital admission. Lastly, SKMCH&RC has ancillary health care section that is dedicated to help the psychological wellbeing of patients. The Hospital not only provides counselling for patients but also for the families of these patients. Catering to the needs of young patients, the Hospital provides a child-friendly environment. It has a play-room with a dedicated play-therapist to help distract paediatric patients from the pain of their situation. The Hospital’s Schooling Programme aims to promote education and gives hope to young children for a life beyond cancer. It benefits children who are already going to school and it especially benefits those children who have never stepped inside a school. The Hospital teaches them a basic curriculum while they are under-treatment and encourages the parents to continue their child’s education after the completion of treatment.

The Hospital remains committed to holistic care by incorporating palliative care as an integral part of cancer treatment regimen. Nearly 500 patients are seen on palliative care each year, an approach that is focused on improving quality of life of patients and families by addressing physical, psychological, and spiritual issues during the course of cancer treatment.

roCks and fireworks: Israeli police said the Palestinians had barricaded themselves inside the mosque from Tuesday evening, and ahead of Passover which starts Wednesday evening.

site. It has been a frequent flashpoint, particularly during Ramadan, and clashes there in May 2021 set off the latest Gaza war that raged for 11 days. On Gaza’s streets overnight, protesters burnt tyres and chanted: “We swear to defend and protect the Al-Aqsa mosque.” Calm had returned to the AlAqsa compound by late morning, when Israeli police escorted a small group of Jewish visitors through the site. An officer told an AFP journalist police were only allowing those aged 60 and over to access the compound.

Responding to the event, former prime minister Imran Khan called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to inform United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the international community “that such barbaric acts cause immense hurt to Muslims across the world.”

Israeli police moved in to apprehend the “agitators” who had fortified the site “to disrupt public order and desecrate the mosque”, they said.

“After many and prolonged attempts to get them out by talking to no avail, police forces were forced to enter the compound in order to get them out with the intentions to allow the Fajr (dawn) prayer and to prevent a violent disturbance,” the police statement added.

Police “detained the rioters”, who had “caused damage to the mosque and desecrated it”.

Within hours, at least nine rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, the army said, adding that five were intercepted by air defences, and four struck uninhabited areas.

“In response” Israeli fighter jets struck two suspected Hamas weapons manufacturing sites in the Gaza Strip, the army said.

France, EU leaders visit Beijing with China-France, China-EU ties in focus

Ukraine Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, embarking on a three-day visit of “restarting exchanges and advancing cooperation,” officials and experts said.

Macron landed in China shortly ahead of EU chief Ursula von der Leyen as the two European leaders eye balancing economic ties with China and aiming to find some common ground for the yearlong Ukraine crisis that has dragged the EU into an unprecedented security dilemma not seen ever since WWII.

While France sees China as a possible “game changer” in the Ukraine crisis, some experts believe the visit – Macron’s first since 2019 – will not only accelerate exchanges between China and France in fields ranging from business to culture, but also set an example for other European countries. Compared to the USled bloc confrontation that only hurts the interests of the EU and leads the continent into a dangerous path of a new cold war, China plays a significant role in global governance and it always stands on the side of peace. Whether to choose the dangerous path or peaceful de-

velopment, it is time for the EU to rethink, some experts said. Ahead of his trip to China, Macron discussed the trip and the Ukraine crisis with US President Joe Biden in a phone call, media reported. Some French officials were quoted as saying that China is now considered as the only country that is able to communicate with all parties in the conflict. Some Western media described the visit of the two European officials as a “rare arrangement” that seeks to present a united European face, but they have different plans. Some suggested that Macron and von der Leyen may play “good cop, bad cop” on a China visit, considering that von der Leyen struck a firm tone on China over the Ukraine crisis, which raised questions about whether European leaders can manage a balance between trade and geopolitics.

“The visit will first help restart exchanges and advance cooperation, especially after the three-year pandemic that largely reduced such exchanges, as the two sides have seen more misunderstandings about each other after being estranged. Now, it’s time to sit down and talk about issues at bilateral and global levels,” Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Also, both China-EU relations and China-France relations have strategic significance on global affairs, and interaction among China, the EU and France will send a strong signal to the world that stable China-EU ties will contribute to a multipolar world, which is also a vivid rejection to bloc confrontation, Cui said. UniqUe role of China: In his first speech after arriving in Beijing, Macron said at a meeting with French nationals in the Chinese capital that “China could play a major role in finding a path to peace in Ukraine,” the AFP reported.

He also said in his speech at the French Embassy in Beijing that Europe must not “separate” from China economically, claiming that France would “commit proactively to continue to have a commercial relationship with China,” the media report said.

As top Chinese diplomats such as Wang Yi and Qin Gang have talked with both Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks, in addition to the recent trip of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia, China is already playing a communicating role, Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

not-by- ProFit

US dollar faceS challengeS to global dominance

CHINA'S YUAN BECOMES MOST TRADED CURRENCY IN RUSSIA, REPLACING US DOLLAR

isLAmAbAd news desk

WRITINGfor The News International, author Khalid Mustafa explains that the world's largest economies are currently debating whether the US dollar will continue to maintain its dominance in international trade, or if it will be replaced by other currencies such as China's Yuan.

The use of the Yuan in global trade has been increasing at a slow and steady pace over the past decade, but it is still far from being a major player in international transactions.

Despite this, some experts argue that the US dollar is over-represented relative to its economic strength. The dollar accounts for 41.1% of global payments, 88% of global forex transactions, and 41.73% of the Special

Drawing Rights (SDR) currency basket, even though the US economy accounts for a smaller percentage of global GDP. China's currency, on the other hand, accounts for just 2.19% of global payments, 3.5% of global forex transactions, and 2.76% of central bank reserves, and 12.28% of the SDR basket.

Although the Yuan's reach is still relatively low compared to China's roughly 18% share of global GDP, the country has been taking steps to increase its use in international trade.

One such step was the launch of yuan-denominated trade settlements a decade ago, which helped increase the currency's overseas use.

Some reports in well-read newspapers like the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Al Jazeera suggest that a rebellion against the King Dollar is brewing. However, the dollar's unique status in the global financial

system makes it difficult for other currencies to replace it. Recent developments, such as the trade war between the US and China, and the sanctions imposed on Russia, have led to the adoption of other currencies in trade transactions. China's currency has been increasingly used in trade transactions with Russia, and the renminbi surpassed the dollar in monthly trading volume on the Moscow Exchange for the first time in February 2023.

The Russian Finance Ministry has also converted its market operations to the renminbi instead of the dollar and developed a new structure for the national wealth fund to hold 60% of its assets in renminbi.

Saudi Arabia has also flirted with the idea of pricing its oil in Yuan, while India is settling most of its oil purchases from Russia in non-dollar currencies. India's commerce secre-

tary Sunil Barthwal recently announced that it would offer its currency as an alternative for trade to countries facing a shortage of dollars in the wake of the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy tightening. Despite these developments, no other currency is currently close to replacing the dollar, and its stranglehold on the global financial system could weaken only if more countries start trading in other currencies and reduce their exposure to the dollar. If the unique status of the dollar wanes, America could face a reckoning like none before, as its politicians have gotten used to spending without concerns about deficits, and the Federal Reserve has solved a series of financial crashes by massively expanding its balance sheet.

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

Former central bank chief warns debt restructuring for Pakistan will be ‘very difficult’

PAKISTAN OWES $73B IN LOAN REPAYMENTS AMID DEPLETING FOREX RESERVES

isLAmAbAd news desk

According to an article in Dawn, former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Dr Reza Baqir, has warned that debt restructuring for Pakistan will be a difficult process due to the nature of the country's debt.

In a podcast, he stated that most of Pakistan's

IESCO power suspension schedule for April 6 and 7th

islamabad: According to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO)’s spokesman, System

Maintenance/Development Work is in process. Therefore power supply of below mentioned

feeders/areas will be temporary suspended as per

given schedule:

On 6th April 2023, From 07:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Islamabad Circle, Tufail Shaheed, Karpa, Frash Town, Sohdran Road Feeders, Rawalpindi City Circle, Zeeshan Colony, Nust Road, Kurry Road Feeders, Chakwal Circle, Miani, Manara, CS Shah, Danduot Feeders, Jhelum Circle, Domeli, Bhagwal Feeders, On 07th April 2023, From 06:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, Cant Circle Rawalpindi, Islamabad Feed Mill, Jhata Hatial, Pind Jatla, Lab-II, Lab-I, Reliance Weaving Mill, Bhal, Jarar Camp feeders and surrounding areas will remain closed. IESCO management apologizes to its esteemed customers for the power outage. If the work is completed ahead of time, the power supply can be restored even before the scheduled time. PR

mAHmOOd

In 2023, Pakistan is marking 50 years of the 1973 Constitution that has experienced many mutilations at the hands of both civil and military rulers. Having remained in abeyance a couple of times the constitution has survived all the vagaries in the past half century. Here we discuss some of the Amendments that have had an impact on the Constitutional and judicial history of Pakistan. It is interesting to note that the first seven amendments that Prime Minister Z A Bhutto introduced from 1974 to 1977 paved the way for further mutilations of the constitutions in the years to come. Just to cite one example, the ban on the National Awami Party (NAP) in 1975 the Bhutto government had planned much earlier by introducing certain Constitutional amendments to pave the way for the dissolution of NAP. The First and the Second Amendments to the 1973 Constitution came about in 1974.

The First Amendment recognized Bangladesh, and the Second declared Ahmadies as non-Muslims. By amending Article 1 of the Constitution in April 1974, the

debt constitutes "official debt," which is owed to multilateral official partners like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, or bilateral creditors like governments and their institutions.

He added that neither multilateral nor bilateral creditors are likely to offer debt reductions, with the Paris Club being "loath" to do so even in the face of a country's insolvency.

Dr Baqir praised China for its help during his

Emirates, United activate codeshare partnership to enhance connectivity to US

tenure as SBP governor but said that meaningful debt reduction was unlikely if any domestic debt was included in the restructuring. Pakistan's external borrowings doubled from $65bn in 2014-15 (24% of GDP) to $130bn (40% of GDP) in 2021-22. It faces dollar-denominated loan repayments of $73bn in the next three years as its foreign exchange reserves dwindle.

To read the full article visit www.dawn.com

CPEC: 10 years essay contest to help strengthen CPEC narrative: Zhao Shiren

LAHORE

staff RePoRt

Chinese Consul General in Lahore, Zhao Shiren has said that to keep CPEC narrative right and well, holding of essay competitions and similar such programs plays a decisive role in nurturing positive mind-making. He vowed to continue such activity in future.

Chinese CG Zhao Shiren expressed the views at the concluding ceremony of 30-day nationwide essay competition held in connection with completion of CPEC 10 years and its grassroot impacts in collaboration with Chinese Consulate Lahore and Institute of International Relations and Media Research (IIRMR).

At the ceremony held at IIRMR office Lahore, Jury announced top five winners and awarded cash prizes to them. Among winners –Tehniyat Mobeenul Haq secured first position, Rabia Zahoor bagged second position, Faiza Naz obtained third position, Haris Masood clinched fourth position and Kamran took fifth position in Eassy Competition.

On the occasion, the Chinese Consul General said: “my congratulations go to the five winners in recognition of their meritorious written dexterity and mettle, as well as other 275 participants who are from different varsities across the country. Your engagement and thoughtful ideas make the contest meaningful.”

“On behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Lahore, he said he would like to congratulate Institute of International Relations and Media Research for holding the successful CPEC-related Essay Competition.

“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launching of CPEC. The CPEC projects have made positive strides and the key areas such as Gwadar Port, energy, transportation infrastructure and industrial cooperation have continued to ad-

vance and delivered tangible benefits to the general public, paving the way for Pakistan’s socioeconomic development. The beauty of the CPEC lies not only in each specific project, but more in the fact that people of our two countries become closer through exchanges and mutual learning. Through high-quality development of the CPEC, China is working relentlessly with Pakistan to promote the building of a closer community of shared future in the new era. This is the second time for the Consulate General to sponsor and collaborate with IIRMR for the essay competition, concluded Zhao Shiren.

On the occasion IIRMR Chairman Muhammad Mehdi and President Yasir Habib Khan said that CPEC’ 10 years completion despite headwinds radiates categoric message that CPEC will continue to forge ahead as its basic essence is to set a tone of progress and prosperity in the life of common man. They heaped praise for written expressions of students saying essays are manifestation of the fact that educated youth are not oblivious of CPEC, its dynamics and results.

Karachi: Emirates and United have activated their codeshare partnership, allowing Emirates customers to enjoy easier access to an expanded choice of U.S. destinations. Starting today, Emirates customers will be able to fly to three of the nation's biggest business hubsChicago, Houston or San Francisco - and connect easily to an expansive network of domestic U.S. points on flights operated by United.Tickets are available to purchase from today on emirates.com as well as through trade channels including travel agencies. PR

Ambassador of Belgium visits Safe City Islamabad office

islamabad: The Ambassador of Belgium in Pakistan Mr. Charles Delogne along with officials from ministry of foreign affairs, Belgium visited the Safe City Islamabad, where he met with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, a police public relations officer said. He said that, IGP Islamabad alongwith senior officers welcomed the delegation, briefed the delegation about various sections of Safe City. Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan further told the delegation that the coverage of the Safe City Islamabad was 30 percent in the city. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Shehbaz Shareef and Federal Minister of Interior Rana Sana Ullah Khan took special interest and directed to extend it to 100 percent in the city upon which its coverage has been enhanced to different areas of the city. PR

QAU Syndicate approves establishment of new directorates, centers

islamabad: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Syndicate has approved the establishment of several new directorates and centers to enhance the university's administrative structure and services. The decision was made during the 184th meeting of the Syndicate, chaired by the Vice Chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University, Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar (SI).The meeting discussed 49 agenda items, including administrative matters, and approved the recommendations of the 144th Selection/Promotion Board meeting. The newly approved directorates and centers include the Directorate of External Linkages, Directorate of Alumni Association, University Data Center, University Digitalization Centre, Regional Integration Centre, Human Resource Development Centre, Social Entrepreneurship Centre, Communication Network Centre, Job Placement/Career Counseling Centre, Business Incubation Centre, Chairperson and Centre for Entrepreneurship. PR

the journey of the Constitution

parliament of the rump Pakistan deleted any mention to the erstwhile eastern wing of the country -- East Pakistan. February 1975 was an eventful month; the National Assembly passed a bill for terrorism trials by special courts. The situation became clear on February 8 when senior PPP leader Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao – who was also a former governor of the NWFP (now KP) --lost his life in an attack in Peshawar and within a week the government banned NAP and declared it as an illegal party.

The Bhutto government introduced the Third Amendment to the Constitution curtailing the right of the detainees, and extending the powers of the detaining authorities.

The new chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was Justice Yaqoob Ali who took his oath of office on 1 Nov 1975, and the same month the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution curtailed the jurisdiction of courts. This amendment also limited the writ jurisdiction of the High Courts under Article 199 in cases of preventive detentions. Now the courts could not grant bail to a person, or prohibit such detention. In September 1976, the Bhutto govern-

ment passed the Fifth Constitutional Amendment widening the scope of restrictions on courts. The period of separation of judiciary from the executive increased from three to five years. Maximum tenure of the chief justices of the Supreme Court and high courts also became fixed as five and four years respectively. Now high courts could not issue any order subject to the article 175 (2) and 199 of the constitution. The government could transfer the judges of the high courts without their consent to another high court, and that too without giving any reason.

The Bhutto government introduced its penultimate amendment in Dec 1976: the Sixth Amendment – during the last session before the general elections. The main content of the amendment was about extension in the tenure of chief justices of the Supreme Court and High Courts beyond the retirement age of 65 and 62 respectively. This amendment specifically gave a chance to Chief Justice Yaqoob Ali to continue after his superannuation in mid-1977, as he had not completed his term in office for five years. Now through the sixth amendment, chief justices of the Supreme Court and high

court could complete five and four years of tenure even if they got past the superannuation age of 65 and 62 respectively.

Z A Bhutto introduced the Seventh Amendment in May 1977. It had a provision for a referendum because Bhutto did not want any reelection after the opposition rejected the results of March 1977 general elections. He wanted to hold a referendum so that people could once again demonstrate confidence in him. He could neither hold a referendum nor a reelection as the army chief General Zia toppled him in a bloodless coup on July 5, 1977 and suspended the Constitution. In March 1985, General Zia issued Presidential Order (PO 14 of 1985) as the Revival of the Constitution Order (RCO 1985) with which he made a large number of amendments in the Constitution. This would later provide the backbone to the Eight Constitutional Amendment. The dictator appointed M K Junejo as the prime minister of Pakistan who received a vote of confidence in the last week of March 1985.

Gen Zia reportedly threatened that if the bill were not to go through, he would consider the possibility of dissolving the National As-

sembly and send everything packing once again. The MNAs did not want to face that eventuality at the hand of the general. By October, the Eight Amendment was ready for approval in the Constitution which incorporated it in November 1985.

The Ninth Amendment Bill got stuck with a Select Committee of the National Assembly and it could not progress to change the constitution. The National Assembly passed the 10th Constitutional Amendment in March 1987 to reduce the duration of the interval between sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate from 160 days to 130 days. In the third year of his premiership, M K Junejo became increasingly assertive, much to the chagrin of General Zia who dismissed him in May 1988. Three month later Gen Zia died in a plane crash in August 1988. By the end of 1988, Benazir Bhutto aged 35 had become the youngest prime minister in the country’s history and the first leader in the Muslim world. The opposition members in the Senate of Pakistan presented the 11th Constitutional Amendment in 1989 to restore the seats of women in the National Assembly to 20.

dR NAAziR

Punjab Governor Baligur Rehman, Ms. Uzma Yousaf, Country Director, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Pakistan and other esteemed guests pose for a group photo during a ceremony hosted to celebrate prestigious Tamgha e Imtiaz award recipient, Prof Kamal Munir. PR

Karachi: On the occasion of Naya Nazimabad Bankers Cup

Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran, H.E. Mr. Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, calls on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force at Air Headquarters, Islamabad. PR

SuzukI, HonDa, anD YamaHa PrIce HIke Put everYDaY veHIcleS out oF reacH For manY

ALTO CLOSES IN ON RS3M MARK WHILE CD-70 NARROWS NOW CLOCKS IN AT RS149,000

LAHORE

DAniyAl AhmAD

tHEeveryday man’s aspirational vehicles have now come under fire with Suzuki, Atlas Honda and Yamaha all increasing their prices in April within the span of a week. To their credit, the upward price revisions by these manufacturers have lagged in terms of urgency relative to their peers. However, despite this, there is

Gold price hits new all-time high

PROfIT islAmABAD

Gold prices reached an all-time high in Pakistan, surging past Rs215,000 per tola due to the country’s declining currency value and economic tensions amid an International Monetary Fund (IMF) review of external financing commitments from friendly countries. The All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) reported that the price of gold (24 carats) increased by Rs2,500 per tola and Rs2,142 per 10 grams to settle at Rs217,000 and Rs186,042.

Investors turned to gold as a hedge against inflation, which hit 35.4% in March, as consumer prices rose at some of the fastest rates in years.

The precious commodity gained Rs8,700 per tola during the week as traders followed its international price in setting rates. Meanwhile, silver prices remained stable at Rs2,450 per tola and Rs2,100.48 per 10 grams in the domestic market.

TOTAL PROVINCIAL DEBT UP BY 26PC IN 6MFY23

PESHAWAR

Aziz Buneri

Because of a constant depreciation of rupee against US dollar, the volume of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) foreign loans has increased to Rs 454.35 billion. During the last six months of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP, the province took a “record” debt of Rs 95 billion. As of June 2022, the total debt of the province stood at Rs 359.33 billion, which increased by 26% till December 2022. According to the sources inside the provincial finance department, the main reason for the increase in the debt is the increase in the value of the dollar. Until June 2022, the value of the dollar was 186 rupees, which increased to Rs 224 in December 2022. According to the finance department’s report on loans, from July 2022 to December 2022, the Asian Development Bank ADB) and the International Development Association (IDB) provided a loan of Rs 35.46 billion in three installments, of which Rs 22.40bn were provided by the Asian Development Bank to the health department on August 22.

Similarly, a loan of 800.60mn was received from the International Development Association for KP’s Water Resource Development Project, while a loan of Rs 12bn has been received from the ADB for rehabilitation of flood hit areas.

The finance department sources said that the volume of loans has increased due to the increase in the dollar rate. But on the other hand, funds received for various projects under the agreements made at low rates of dollar will also benefit the province.

Fire at Dasu Dam camp ruins warehouse complex

PESHAWAR stAff report

into effect on February 1, February 15, and March 3. Yamaha’s prices The new prices across Yamaha’s portfolio are as follows:

These prices came into effect from April 1. This marks the third price increase by Yamaha across its portfolio in 2023. The previous increases came into effect on January 4, and February 21.

The previous increases came

US CongreSSman

Sharif administration must adhere to election ruling

WASHINGTON/LAHORE stAff report

A United States lawmaker spoke with former prime minister Imran Khan and said the government of Shehbaz Sharif must adhere to the rule of law and the ruling of the Supreme Court in the Punjab election delay case.

Taking to Twitter, Brad Sherman, a representative from California’s 32nd congressional district, said: “Just spoke to former prime minister [Imran Khan]. Surprised that he’s working in the wee hours of the morning. He also spoke to my friend [Dr. Asif Mahmood, a Democratic candidate for US Congress].”

“[We] spoke about [the] Supreme Court decision. For democracies to function, the parties must adhere to the rule of law and rulings of the Supreme Court,” he added.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Supreme Court declared that polls must be held for the assembly in Pakistan’s most populous province next month, voiding a bid to delay voting in Punjab and handing a political victory to Khan.

Pakistan has been in political turmoil for a year since Khan was ousted as prime minister last April through a no-confidence vote and replaced by a coalition he has harried with parliamentary manoeu-

vring and popular rallies calling for snap elections.

In January, Khan dissolved the assemblies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab where his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party held majorities — a move designed to pile more pressure on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Under the constitution, elections should have been scheduled within 90 days — a deadline just days away.

However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) pushed back polling day to October, when a general election is also due, blaming a lack of funds and security threats.

The Supreme Court — which took up the case on its own initiative — on Tuesday declared the delay “unconstitutional, without lawful authority or jurisdiction”.

“Neither the constitution nor the law empowers the commission to extend the date of elections beyond 90 days,” read the decision.

Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said the decision was a “huge victory” for Imran Khan, who was shot last year in an assassination attempt he blamed on Sharif.

Last month, the face-off between Khan and the government reached boiling point when police attempted to arrest him over a corruption case, leading to 48 hours of clashes with supporters in Lahore.

“I can only express sorrows and regret over the decision,” law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told reporters in Islamabad.

“Due to this, the ongoing political and constitutional crisis in the country will deepen,” he said.

A huge fire broke out in a camp of a Chinese company working on Dasu hydropower project in Kohistan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, officials said. Both the police and Rescue 1122 said that though the camp houses Chinese engineers, surveyors and mechanics, none were injured or killed in the fire incident. Police said the pre-dawn blaze ruined a warehouse complex for the Dasu hydropower project in the Kohistan district. “It was a huge fire,” a Rescue 1122 official at the site told AFP. “Initially, the flames were very high and we had to call for fire brigade vehicles from two other districts.” “It was quite a big storehouse, and apart from oil drums, stationery and machinery were also stockpiled there. That’s all been destroyed in the fire,” he added. One police official said an electrical fault was the suspected cause of the fire.

In 2017, the water ministry awarded the construction contract for the Dasu dam to the China Gezhouba Group Company. Since 2015, Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan under an investment scheme known as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In July 2021, 12 people — including nine Chinese workers — were killed aboard a bus carrying staff to the Dasu site, with Beijing insisting it was a bomb attack.

Senate body seeks report on capacity payments to IPPs

ISLAMABAD stAff report

The Senate Standing Committee on Power Wednesday directed the Power Division to provide details of capacity payments made so far to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the next meeting. The committee, which met with Saifullah Abro in the chair, also took stern action with regard to recent increase in electricity cost. Officials of Power Division informed the committee that per unit price stood at Rs30.55 during March. The officials said that capacity payments to different IPPs was major reason behind the increase in per unit cost. Senator Saifullah Abro remarked that the government should freeze capacity payments to IPPs by keeping in view the current inflation in the country.

The Senate Committee took up the matter of construction of 765kV, double transmission line from Dasu Hydro Power Station to Islamabad. The Project was financed by World Bank at a cost of $ 700 Million. Rana Abdul Jabbar Khan, MD NTDC, apprised that project was advertised on December 30, 2016 and 20 firms had submitted the applications and out of which six firms were shortlisted. Senator Saifullah Abro remarked that the evidence submitted by NTDC, clearly showed that irregularities had been committed, while awarding the contract. The Chairman directed NTDC to submit all the necessary documents in the next meeting. Additionally, the committee examined the bidding process of K-Electric. Officials of Privatisation Commission apprised the committee that the process was initiated in 2002 and four private entities submitted Expression of Interest (EOI), but only two entities qualified for bidding process which included Kanooz Al Watan and Hasan Associates with offering bid of Rs1.65 per share (Rs15.86 Billion) and Rs1.01 per share (Rs.9.71 Billion) respectively.

‘Petrified’ ruling mafia won’t hold polls despite SC’s verdict: Imran

ISLAMABAD

stAff report

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday made it clear that ruling mafia would not hold elections despite the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) election delay case because they are petrified of losing.

In a statement on Wednesday, PTI Chairman that the apex court’s verdict was a huge step towards Haqeeqi Azadi.

Imran Khan announced to celebrate ‘Youm-i-Tashakur’ in more than 75 cities across all four provinces after the SC’s verdict in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa election delay case.

He said that in his address to the nation, he will warn the nation of the real threats. Imran Khan said that the nation should be ready to come on the streets for peaceful protest in support and protection of SC, which was upholding Constitution.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s address to Thanksgiving Day would be live telecast in major cities across the country.

According to the detail, Imran

Khan’s address would be live telecast at nine o’clock across Punjab including at Liberty Chowk in Lahore, Chand Da Qila in Gujranwala and Cricket Stadium in Sheikhupura. Moreover, PTI district office in Rawalpindi, PTI District Office in Sargodha, Kachehari Road, at Clock Tower in Faisalabad, Kachhari Chowk in Jhang and Satellite Town in Chiniot. Besides, the address would be

showed at PTI Central Office in Sahiwal, Stadium Road, MA Jinnah Road in Okara would also be screened live at Sanam Cinema.

Press Club in Pakpattan, Changi No. 9 in Multan, Saraiki Chowk in Bahawalpur will show Imran Khan’s address on screen.

Moreover, the address of PTI Chairman would be live telecast at these places at nine o’clock in the night across

Sindh including Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Sajawal, Tando Al Hayar, Dadu, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan; Jamshoro, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, Umarkot, Tharparkar, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Sukkur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Qamber, and Kandhkot.

In addition, Imran Khan would be live telecast at various places across Balochistan such as Press Club in Quetta, Press Club in Zhob, Mazdoor Chowk in Dikki, Ziarat, Insaf House, Sanjawi Bazar, Qila Abdullah, Harnai, Mazdoor Chowk in Jafarabad and Allahwala Chowk in Naseerabad.

Besides, the address would be shown live at Press Club in Ustad Muhammad, DC Chowk, Tehsil Road, Subhatpur, Mondra Chowk Hub in Lasbela, Bachakhan Chowk in Loralai, Zhob Road, Chamrok Chowk in Khuddar, Press Club at Jhal Magsi, PTI Office Girls College Road at Barkhan, PTI Office Khaksar Chowk at Pashin, PTI District Office, Qureshi Chowk and Musa Khel, Shirani.

Moreover, screens were set up for the address in Qila Saifullah at Tehsil Chowk, Muslim Bagh Bazar as well.

‘Prideful’ maryam defends imprisonment for ‘political ideology’

ISLAMABAD stAff report Maryam Nawaz, senior vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), criticised Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday for his comments during a hearing of the Punjab election delay case.

Speaking at a lawyers’ convention in Rawalpindi, Nawaz accused the CJP of taunting lawmakers when they discussed law and the Constitution. She said: “Do you know how prideful it is to go to jail for an ideology?” The top court had heard the petition against the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to postpone elections to the Punjab Assembly and quashed the order.

At one point in the hearing, the chief justice had said: “Today, when you go to parliament, you find [the same] people who were till yesterday in captivity, imprisoned, and declared traitors addressing the parliament. They are now talking over there, and being respected because they are representa-

tives of the people.” His comments came a day after the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, aimed at clipping the powers of the chief justice and giving the right to appeal in all suo motu cases with retrospective effect, was passed in the Senate.

Responding to the judge, Nawaz criticised the country’s judiciary and chief justice for alleged unfair treatment towards elected prime ministers and politicians.

She highlighted that in Pakistan’s 75year history, nearly 40 years were spent under military rule, with not a single elected prime minister completing their term. She claimed that while four dictators had completed 10 years each, no court had dared to take action against them.

Nawaz also criticised the chief justice for allegedly showing emotion during a recent hearing, while no emotion was shown when former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted on the basis of an expired Iqama, and an election won by Nawaz was handed

over to Imran Khan.

Nawaz also alleged that Khan was facilitated by former director general of InterServices Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed who allegedly controlled the judicial system and forced judiciary members to provide desired verdicts through videos.

She accused Khan of being at fault for the unfair treatment of politicians, citing the trend of getting bail in multiple cases simultaneously, which was not afforded to PML-N leaders such as Rana Sanaullah. She argued that going to jail for an ideology should be a matter of pride and that those who went to jail were imprisoned due to fake cases.

Nawaz criticised the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Punjab polls case, likening it to the alleged facilitation provided by justices Saqib Nisar, Asif Saeed Khosa, and Hameed in 2017. She called into question the decision and accused Bandial of disregarding judges who had raised legal concerns, instead, selecting those who supported him. She also accused the chief justice of

rewriting the Constitution and facilitating Khan’s ascent to power. Nawaz further called on the judge to investigate recent audio leaks, including one that purportedly features Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.

Nawaz also suggested that the CJP should first address the lack of consensus among the Supreme Court judges before commenting on talks between the government and opposition parties.

volume of kP foreign loans rises as rupee falls against uS dollar