Epaper_23-05-11 LHR

PM SHEHBAZ WARNS ‘MISCREANTS’ TO ABIDE BY LAW OR BE DEALT WITH IRON FIST

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

PRIMEMinister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Pakistan

Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan legally and on the basis of corruption and corrupt practice in the AlQadir Trust case, involving a whopping amount of Rs 60 billion (£ 190 million).

The prime minister, in a televised address to the nation, referred to the violent spree unleashed by the PTI leadership and their supporters across the country inflicting severe damages, sternly warning the miscreants that they would be dealt with an iron hand.

“These terrorist and anti-state elements are being warned to desist from taking laws into their hands, otherwise, they will be dealt in with iron hands. Safeguarding the motherland and its ideology is more precious than their lives. We will not let their nefarious designs succeed,” he maintained.

The prime minister said the rule of law meant facing all the cases legally. Inflicting damages to public and private properties amounted to terrorist acts.

“All are equal before the laws; these are the Islamic teachings and the beauty of democracy,” he said while advising the PTI chairman to face the NAB cases legally. The prime minister said that Islamabad High Court had also termed Imran Niazi’s arrest as legal and observed that the NAB acted in accordance with law.

The prime minister further said that the past political history of the country was very unpleasant based upon vendetta which never yielded good results. The political parties learned from those experiences and reached to ‘Charter of Democracy’ by vowing to work under the constitution.

Under the same passion, on April 11 last year, they took over the responsibilities of the government and did not adopt the vengeance-based approach as mani-

fested by PTI’s government led by Imran Niazi against their political opponents.

“Cases were decided on the basis of faces,” he said, adding the PTI’s former

ministers even days ahead used to announce that a specific political leader would be arrested on a particular day, while Imran Niazi also kept on announcing that a wicket from the opposition side would fall soon.

The prime minister elaborated that almost all the leaders, now sitting in the first two rows of the National Assembly, were sent to jails on false charges and there was no one to take notice during the previous regime of PTI.

Rana Sanaullah was arrested on concocted charges of carrying 15 kgs heroin which was a black day in the history of Pakistan, he added. The prime minister said their sisters, daughters, sons and even relatives were not spared ‘in the pursuance of blind vengeance’ which also badly hampered the national development.

Due to countrywide demands, concerns and the serious apprehensions of the bureaucracy and the business community, they brought amendments to the Nab laws, he added.

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Govt cracks down on protesters demanding Imran’s release

ISLAMABAD: The police have arrested hundreds of supporters of ousted prime minister Imran Khan on charges of violence after his arrest on corruption charges, authorities said on Wednesday, deepening a political crisis in the country. Tuesday’s arrest of Pakistan’s most popular politician according to opinion polls came at a precarious time for the country that is facing a shortage of foreign exchange and a months-long delay of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. Mobile data services were shut for a second day while Twitter, YouTube and Facebook were disrupted, as security forces tried to restore order after violence killed one person late on Tuesday. The government claimed supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party had attacked important state buildings and damaged private and public vehicles. Police said 945 of his supporters had been arrested in Punjab after 25 police vehicles and more than 14 government buildings were set on fire. “This can’t be tolerated, the law will take its course,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told a news conference. “These violent attacks were not the outcome of any public outpouring, they were planned by the PTI rank and file.”

Authorities in three of Pakistan’s four provinces have imposed an emergency order banning all gatherings after Khan’s supporters clashed with police. Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by the military. Police said a court hearing would take place at a guest house where he was being held in the Islamabad police lines area. REUTERS

Four die, dozens injured as protests turn violent

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

As violent protests erupted in the aftermath of arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan continued for the second consecutive day on Wednesday and at least four persons dead and dozens injured in different incidents of arson and vandalism.

As per details, protests in Peshawar turned violent and at least four persons dead in different incidents. However, it could not be confirmed whether the deceased persons were PTI workers or common citizens.

“Four bullet-riddled bodies were received by the emergency room doctors,” informed a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LHR), saying as many as 27 others were under treatment for traumatic injuries related to agitation.

RADIO PAKISTAN BUILDING SET ON FIRE:

Hundreds of violent protesters Wednesday attacked the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.

Director General of Radio Pakistan, Tahir Hussian, confirmed that the building of the state media in Peshawar was attacked by violent protesters.

He said that the protesters wreaked havoc in the newsroom and various other sections of the radio station.

“The miscreants entered the newsroom and radio audio room and set fire to the furniture inside,” he said, adding that mob also attacked the staff at the office. Vehicles parked in the building of Radio Pakistan were also set on fire, while the miscreants damaged and looted government property, including cameras, microphones and other office equipment.

The violent protesters had attacked the Radio Pakistan building on Tuesday also.

Following the violent protests, at least 30 people were arrested in Peshawar, police confirmed, adding that cases had been registered against the alleged miscreants. According to the police, the cases are registered on charges of damaging public and private property, vehicles, metro buses and government ambulances. Provisions of arson, stone pelting, vandalism and attacks on the police have also been registered. Identification of rioters and arsonists from CCTV footage and other sources is underway, the police said.

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Courts remand PTI chief in Al-Qadir Trust case, indict in Toshakhana case

An accountability court in Islamabad sent former prime minister Imran Khan on eight-day physical remand in a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation even as he told the judge he feared a Maqsood chaprasi-style death.

Whereas a District and Session Court indicted Imran Khan in a separate reference involving the sale of state gifts known as Toshakhana case.

Malik Maqsood Ahmad, known as Maqsood chaprasi, was a key figure in the billion-rupee money laundering case against Shehbaz Sharif and his family, who died under mysterious circumstances weeks after Sharif’s assumption of office last year.

Critics have alleged that Sharif and his sons laundered billions of rupees through Ahmad’s bank account.

Members of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party have repeatedly claimed Ahmad, a clerk in Sharif’s family business, was poisoned to save the prime minister.

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May 9 a ‘dark day’ in national history: ISPR

RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday termed May 9 a dark day in national history in the wake of violent incidents that took place against the Pakistan Army after the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman who was taken into legal custody on Tuesday (from the Islamabad High Court by Rangers).

According to an ISPR news release, immediately after the PTI chief’s arrest, there were organized attacks on army installations and anti-army slogans were raised.

In the strongly-worded statement, the military’s media wing emphasised that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands. The arrest of Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court was justified by the ISPR, citing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) statement and the law.

It said that evil elements (PTI workers mobs) vigorously stirred up public sentiments to fulfill their limited and selfish goals, and on the other, they did not get tired of highlighting the importance of the army for the country while throwing dust in the eyes of the people which was an example of their dual standards.

The ISPR statement criticised the protesters, describing their actions as an attempt to manipulate the nation’s sentiments for their own limited and selfish objectives. The military media wing further accused them of deceiving the people by simultaneously highlighting

the importance of the army.

“This is an example of hypocrisy,” the ISPR stated, denouncing the contradicting stance taken by those involved in the protests. It emphasised the significance of maintaining law and order, highlighting the need to respect the institutions of the country.

“One group wearing a political cloak, driven by its lust for power, has accomplished what the eternal enemies of the country could not do in 75 years,” the ISPR said.

The ISPR said the army showed extreme patience, tolerance and restraint and without caring about its own reputation acted with extreme patience and tolerance in the wider interest of the country.

“Army should have given its immediate response which could have been used for its (PTI) nefarious political purposes – Army’s mature response thwarted this con-

spiracy – We are well aware that behind this are the orders, and directives of some evil leadership of the party. There was and is complete pre-planning,” it said.

The facilitators, planners and political activists involved in those operations had been identified and strict action would be taken against them as per the law and all these evil elements would now be responsible for the consequences, the military’s media wing said.

The ISPR warned that any further attack on the army, including all law enforcement agencies, military and state installations and properties would be severely retaliated against by the very group that wanted to push Pakistan into a civil war and had repeatedly attacked them.

“It has also been expressed,” it said. “No one can be allowed to incite people and take the law into their hands.”

A day after the top anti-graft watchdog apprehended Imran Khan with legal support of paramilitary Rangers officials from Islamabad High Court’s biometric branch, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials produced Imran Khan before Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir. The officials filed an application for 14-days physical custody of Imran Khan. However, the court granted 8days physical remand of Imran Khan for investigation in the matter.

In the reference, Imran Khan and his wife are accused of receiving a total of 458 kanals of land as a reward of deal on government level during Khan’s regime through the Al-Qadir charitable trust, which runs a university adjacent to GT Road at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa in district Jhelum, devoted to spirituality and Islamic teachings. During the hearing, as Khan appeared in the court at the headquarters of Islamabad police to answer “graft charges”, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sought two-week maximum detention of the former prime minister. However, his lawyer, Khawaja Haris Ahmad, opposed the request and argued that the case did not fall under the jurisdiction of the agency.

He also pointed out that NAB, which is headed by a former general considered close to the government, had not shared the inquiry report with the former prime minister. Ahmad further emphasised the need for a fair trial and called for an open court hearing. He explained that a building had been constructed on the land belonging to Al-Qadir Trust, where people receive free education. He also said that a legal person, who is not a public office holder, should be in charge of the trust, and Khan is no longer a public office holder.

The prosecutor for NAB countered his arguments, saying that the arrest warrant was shown to Khan at the time of his arrest. He assured Ahmad that the necessary documentation would be provided.

The prosecutor also claimed that this was a corruption case that the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom had investigated. He alleged the money received was meant to be transferred to the government but was instead transferred to Bahria Town (Pvt.) Ltd. In response, Khan contradicted NAB’s version and told the court that he was shown the arrest warrant when he was taken to the bureau’s office, not at the time of his arrest.

He also expressed concern about his well-being, saying he had not gone to the washroom in 24 hours and requested his physician, Dr. Faisal Sultan, to be called in. He also referred to the case of Maqsood chaprasi, alleging that he was injected and died slowly. Last night, the government designated the New Police Guest House, Police Lines in Islamabad as a “special court” due to security concerns, to “facilitate” Khan’s appearance in cases against him. Originally, the hearings were to take place at the F-8 court complex and the Judicial Complex in G-11. However, citing unspecified security concerns, the government granted a “one-time status” of a special court to the Police Lines for the proceedings.

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Military sanctioned to restore order in Punjab, KP & federal capital

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

After the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan deepened political turmoil and sparked violent demonstrations across the country, the interim governments in Punjab, Federal Capital and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have called in the military to “restore law and order.”

According to an order released by the ministry, the details of the deployment will be decided by the province, and the troops will discharge their duties as per the Constitution.

“The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among stakeholders,” the order sanctioning the deployment in Punjab said.

The communiqué said the “army would be working alongside district administration

to restore law, order and peace.”

“Pursuant to the request made by the Home Department […] of Punjab […] dated May 9, 2023, the federal government […] is pleased to authorise the deployment of Pakistan Army troops [and] assets for maintaining law and order situations across Punjab in aid of civil power,” it read.

Following the deployment in Punjab, the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also called for troops to quell intensifying protests.

In a notification, the interim administration said that “in view of prevailing law and order circumstances”, it was calling on the armed forces “in aid of civil power” as “per the Constitution.”

The development came as supporters of Khan marched to Islamabad where the former prime minister is in custody, raising fears of more clashes with security forces. Interestingly, barely a month earlier, the

military had informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that it will be unavailable for election-related duties due to the prevalent security situation within the country and on the borders.

“If the army is available to act in aid of civil power to maintain law and order in Punjab; why isn’t it available to maintain law and order to conduct elections in Punjab,” questioned Abdul Moiz Jafferii, a lawyer.

“They [defence secretary and additional secretary] said the army attaches importance to its basic duties, in which the security of the borders and the country is its first priority. They said that the army is not available for election duty at this time due to the present situation in the country,” the commission informed the Supreme Court.

The officials said the current economic situation of the country was also affecting the military.

ECC APPROVES RS153M FOR PAYMENT OF COURT FEE FOR DISPUTE SETTLEMENT WITH INDIA

ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha

THE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved Rs 153 million in a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG), in favour of the Ministry of Water Resources. This amount will be used for the payment of court case fee for the settlement of dispute with India over the Indus Waters Treaty.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of the ECC of the Cabinet on Wednesday.

The Indus Waters Treaty 1960 provides a mechanism for sharing of waters of the Indus System of rivers between India and Pakistan. The Treaty gives India rights over the waters of the three Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Chenab and Beas) and to Pakistan rights over the western rivers (Indus, Jehlum, and Chenab). It also allows India to use the waters of the western rivers for irrigation of a specified area and also for non-consumptive uses like navigation, drinking and power generation but such uses are subject to limitations on design, construction and operation.

Pakistan and India disagree on the interpretation of certain provisions of the Treaty, governing the design of running river hydroelectric plants. In this regard there exists an ongoing dispute pertaining to two indian hydroelectric plants namely Kishenganga and Ratle in Jhelum and Chenab basins, respectively.

Both plants violate various design parameters provided in annexure D of the treaty. These parameters relate to pondage, intake,

Zaman Park attacked, where Khan’s wife alone with domestic staff: Mazari

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Dr. Shireen Mazari blasted the fascist government and said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s residence Zaman Park was attacked with heavy shelling going, where Khan’s wife was alone with a couple of domestic staff. In a statement on Wednesday, PTI Senior Vice President said that another attack on Zaman Park with heavy shelling going on right now when only Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi was alone with just a couple of domestic staff. She asked that what purpose does such an attack serve beyond pure harassment and terrorisation of Khan’s wife who is alone with a couple of domestic staff, which is despicable as how far vengeance can go.

Ahsan Iqbal brushes aside vendetta against Imran Khan

LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

Federal Planning and Development Minister

Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday dispelled the impression the government had any vendetta against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, saying the former premier is not being victimised politically.

“Imran was arrested in a case pertaining to corruption and this is part of accountability,” he told foreign media journalists. The PML-N leader’s comments come in response to Imran’s arrest on Tuesday in the Al-Qadir Trust case and subsequent unrest in the country. He said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Imram Khan in a legal manner but PTI workers and supporters resorted to violence and anarchy in the country. “Taking a country hostage is fascism,” he said. Iqbal stressed that there were many democratic ways to protest but “this is not the way”. The actions of PTI followers are against the interest of Pakistan, the planning minister said, highlighting that schools have been closed while national institutions are being targeted. “The miscreants will be handled by NAB because it made the arrest,” he said.

“Imran also arrested political opposition during his term as prime minister but we never resorted to such violence. This shows that Imran is on path to create chaos in society.” Iqbal said Imran wanted accountability in the country, and his arrest was also a part of that.

Violent protests by PTI after Khan’s arrest condemnable, says Zardari

g COMMITTEE ALSO APPROVES EXECUTION OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH HOTEL UNION AND NEW YORK CITY GOVT IN ROOSEVELT HOTEL CASE

sediment outlets, spillway and freeboard. As per provisions of the treaty for settlement of dispute, formal proceedings of the court of Arbitration (CoA) parallel to the neutral expert under the above stated marter have commenced and the first hearing of the CoA and the NE were held on January 27-28 and February 27, 2023 respectively. Both were held at the peace palace in the Hague, in Netherlands.

The expenditure to be incurred in respect of the case inter-alia includes payment of fee of the CoA, fee of the NE proceedings and fee of Pakistan’s external legal team for the case. This expenditure is being met heartily as it is deemed as “currently invisible” against the available budget of Rs 810 million available with the office of Pakistan Commissioner for

Indus Waters (PCIW).

Out of the total budget of Rs821 million under the said head of amount, an amount of Rs 653 million has been utilized, leaving a balance of Rs 167 million.

Against the available balance, the external legal team has raised invoices of $1.079 million and GBP 6386 which are pending with the office of PCIW, since April 6, 2023 due to non-availability of funds. As per the letter of engagement signed with the legal team, the invoices are to be paid within 60 days of their generation. Based on prevailing exchange rates, the PKR equivalent of the required amount becomes around Rs 320 million. An amount of Rs 153 million is therefore additionally required to make payments to the external legal team.

The significance of safeguarding Pakistan’s water rights enshrined in the treaty cannot be overemphasized. The outcome of this matter shall impact the future of water security of Pakistan and any delay in releasing payments may adversely affect the working of the legal team and Pakistan’s position before the neutral expert and the court of arbitration.

ROOSEVELT HOTEL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT:

In the ECC session, the Ministry of Aviation submitted a summary on Challenges and re-opening of Roosevelt Hotel, New York and briefed the meeting on the outcome of negotiations held by the Committee with the New York City Government and the Hotel Union on reaching an suitable agreement for utilization of the Roosevelt Hotel (1,025 rooms) over a period of three years for Immigrant Housing Business by the New York City Government.

The ECC after detailed discussion approved the execution of a settlement agreement with the Hotel Union and the New York City Government.

The ECC further gave node for withdrawal of pending lawsuits by the Roosevelt Hotel with the Hotel Union and City of New York pursuant to the terms of settlement agreement with the Union.

The ECC further directed the PIAL to engage and share its business plan with the NBP regarding rollover of loan.

ECC also approved Rs. 4 billion (Equivalent to US$ 20 million) as Rupee cover in favour of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training for the World Bank Programme “Actions to Strengthen performance for inclusive and responsive education”.

Qureshi refutes reports of arrest

g VOWS MISINFORMATION, CHAOS, TERROR CAN’T BREAK SPIRIT OF PTI SUPPORTERS

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi refuted the reports about his arrest and said that various strategies were being adopted to spread misinformation, create chaos and terror to break the spirit of PTI workers and supporters.

In a statement on Wednesday, PTI Vice Chairman said that he had not been detained hitherto and all such reports were false and concocted.

Qureshi revealed that all kinds of tactics and strategies were in the working to spread misinformation, create chaos and terror in order to break the

spirit of the party’s supporters. He warned that it was a big mistake and Pakistani people would not sit in their houses anymore, as they had no fear.

PTI DISTANCES ITSELF FROM

VIOLENT PROTESTS: Former speaker national assembly Asad Qaiser has distanced PTI from the violent protest after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

As per details, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said in a tweet that they condemn the attack on Edhi ambulance in Peshawar. He maintained that they do not encourage such attacks. PTI workers will peacefully protest across the country till the release of party chairman Imran Khan.

Furthermore, Asad Qaiser claimed that there are some serious threats to Imran Khan’s life that’s why PTI protestors are enraged.

Tenure of Chairman Lahore Gymkhana reduced to one year

LAHORE Shahab omeR

A three-member committee of Lahore Gymkhana Club (LGC) has reduced the term of LGC chairman to one year from stipulated three years besides proposing to hold the annual election of the Club in December this year.

It is pertinent to mention here that before 2014, the tenure of LGC chairman was only one year, which was extended to three years by the body elected in 2014.

Informed sources have confided in daily Pakistan Today that an extraordinary General Meeting (EOGM) was held on April 29, 2023, at the Lahore Gymkhana to discuss the proposed resolution to amend Clause 7.1 of Article of the Association of Lahore Gymkhana regarding tenure of Committee of Management (COM).

The EOGM, the sources said, formed a committee comprising of Khawaja Khalid Farooq, Naveed Afraz and Malik Tariq Ali to seek views of the members on the future tenure of the chairman. After the vote, the committee held its meetings on April 30 and May 01 to count and compile the results for both options.

According to results, a total of 729 members voted in favor of one year

tenure while 584 voted in the favor of two-year tenure. After results were declared, the Chairman LG Salman Siddique announced that as per the members’ wishes, elections would be held after one year and the next elections will be held in December 2023.

A member of the LGC Talat Khan informed this scribe that the important thing was that it was the third time that a majority of members have voted in favor of a one-year term for the COM.

“The two earlier voting sessions were held in March 2018 and January 2021 when Taimur Azmat was the honorary Secretary and sent a letter to the Registrar confirming it. This leaves not the slightest doubt what the Club members want and their views have not changed even after five years. The number of votes cast this time in favor of one year is one and a half times the votes cast five years ago,” he concluded.

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Co-chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the violent protests, anarchy and destroying government property during violent protests of activists and supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) after arrest of party chief in Al-Qadir Trust case. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Asif Zardari said that he remained in jail for 14 years but has never allowed any PPP activist to take law in hand. He clarified that destroying government property and spread anarchy in country will not be tolerated at all and those involved found involved would have to face the consequences. The former president said that Imran Khan has been detained in corruption case and he should face the courts instead of making lame excuses and fleeing. Asif Zardari said that the PPP leaders spent a major portion of their lives in jails but never took law in hands.

Gold shines bright with biggest single-day increase

MONITORING DESK

Gold prices in Pakistan surged to record highs on Wednesday as a result of political instability and economic uncertainty. The All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) reported a jump in the price of gold (24 carats) by Rs9,900 per tola and Rs8,487 per 10 grams to reach Rs240,000 and Rs205,761, respectively.

The rise in gold prices has been significant, with the price reaching a new high almost every day. During the first two sessions of the current week, the price of gold witnessed an increase of Rs4,600 per tola, rising by Rs1,400 per tola on Monday and Rs3,200 per tola on Tuesday. The previous week saw an aggregate increase in the price of gold by Rs6,000 per tola, with the exception of Friday when the price declined by Rs300 per tola. The rise in gold prices can be attributed to the recent political turmoil in the country following the arrest of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, which has led to violent protests and the deployment of the army in three provinces. Besides inflation, the delay in receiving a crucial loan tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also negatively impacts the currency market, which drives up the demand for gold. Meanwhile, the price of silver has also hit a new high, increasing by Rs100 per tola and Rs85.75 per 10 grams to settle at Rs3,100 and Rs2,657.7, respectively.

Western nations issue security alert for travelers to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

The arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan has prompted several countries to issue a travel advisory for their citizens in Pakistan. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union have advised their citizens to avoid unnecessary travel in Azad Kashmir, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the threat of civil unrest and kidnapping. The Canadian High Commission has also issued a travel advisory for its citizens in Pakistan. The advisory recommends that Canadians exercise extreme caution due to the unpredictable security situation in the country. It specifically warns against travel within 10 kilometres of the borders of China, India and Iran, as well as travel on certain sections of the Karakoram Highway. The advisory also advises against unnecessary travel to Azad Kashmir, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and non-essential travel to Karachi. The Canadian government may not be able to provide consular assistance to citizens in areas of serious security concern, and protests are expected across Pakistan due to the recent arrest of Khan. The security situation in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi is said to be changing and unpredictable, and citizens are advised to follow instructions from local authorities. Foreign nationals are also advised to be careful while in Westernstyle restaurants and shopping centers due to the threat of violence and terrorism.

Legalising more bilateral trade: Pakistan and Iran to open Pishin border

ISLAMABAD G hulam abbaS

In a move to increase more legal trade between the two neighboring countries, Pakistan and Iran are going to open Pishin Border for trade on May 18, 2023. The inauguration of the new border is scheduled to be attended by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the President of Iran.

Pishin is a border region located towards the Northwestern part of the 904 km long Pak-Iran border. Last year, 9 border markets were approved to be opened in the Pishin Border region on the Pakistan side. It may be mentioned here that The Mand-Pishin crossing is located in the Balochistan province of Pakistan and the Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran.

Earlier Pakistan had also requested the fa-

g PAK-IRAN ALSO DISCUSS AVIATION, TRADE, AND IP GAS PROJECT

cilitation of legal channels to increase bilateral trade between the two nations and discourage the flooding of illicit goods from Iran.

According to officials, the move is aimed at boosting bilateral trade between the two neighboring countries and discouraging the flow of illicit goods from Iran. The opening of the border is expected to facilitate smoother movement of goods and people, further enhancing economic cooperation.

During a meeting held between Vahid Jalalzadeh, Chairman of the Commission of National Security and Foreign Policy of the

Majlis of Iran, and Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Commerce, the two sides discussed the formalities and arrangements regarding the opening of the border.

The opening of the Pishin Border for legal trade holds immense significance in promoting trade and connectivity between the two countries. The move is expected to create a positive impact on the economy of both countries, generate employment opportunities, and contribute to regional stability.

This border crossing is mainly used for trade in fresh fruits and vegetables. There are several informal crossings along the porous Pakistan-Iran border. These informal crossings are primarily used by smugglers to transport goods such as oil, food items etc. The opening of the Pishin border for legal trade is expected to reduce the flow of illicit goods and promote legal trade be-

tween the two countries.

As per details, the meeting on Wednesday also focused on exploring new avenues of collaboration in the fields of aviation and trade. Chairman Jalalzadeh proposed the initiation of direct flights between Iran and Pakistan to enhance travel and business opportunities. Minister Qamar acknowledged the significance of this proposal and expressed his support for establishing direct flights as a means to facilitate trade and promote people-to-people exchanges.

The discussions also touched upon the long-standing issue of the Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline. Minister Qamar stressed the importance of expediting the project, as it holds immense potential for energy cooperation between the two countries. He pledged his commitment to resolve any obstacles and move forward with the pipeline, which would

bring substantial benefits to both nations. Recognizing the current trade volume of approximately $2 billion as insufficient, Chairman Jalalzadeh urged the need to take solid steps to increase it to a multi-billiondollar level. The Federal Minister for Commerce echoed this sentiment and emphasized the importance of opening new border markets and implementing a barter trade system to facilitate greater commercial exchange. These measures, he believed, would contribute to a significant surge in trade volume between Iran and Pakistan. As a sign of further bilateral cooperation, Chairman Jalalzadeh extended an invitation to the Commerce Minister to visit Iran. The discussions between the two sides showcased the shared commitment of Iran and Pakistan to foster closer ties in the realms of aviation and trade.

AHSAN IQBAL HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES CONFRONTED BY PAKISTAN

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

MINISTERfor Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said Pakistan was facing multiple challenges on various fronts including economic, social and security.

“And the incumbent government is making all-out efforts to tackle the confronted challenges effectively,” the minister said while addressing the opening ceremony of the ‘Islamabad Security Dialogue-2023,’ organized by the National Security Division and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

As a result of the government’s prudent policy, the minister said for the first time in the history of Pakistan, there was a bumper production of 27.5 million tons of wheat, which would have a positive impact on strengthening the national economy.

Commenting on security-related matters, Ahsan Iqbal said during 2013- 2018, the then-government of

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML) took several measures to eliminate terrorism from the country.

But unfortunately, he said there was a resurgence of terrorism-related incidents due to the discontinuity of PML-N policies; and the incompetency of the previous PTI government. The minister said the incumbent government was fully determined to uproot the menace of terrorism from the country, expressing firm resolve that no subversive activity would be tolerated at any cost.

He said the country’s Armed Forces rendered unmatched sacrifices while eliminating terrorist elements from the country, which never be allowed to go waste.

He said Pakistan was ready to share its terrorismtackling experiences with the rest of the world for achieving peace.

He said Pakistan was playing its due role in achieving durable peace in the region including Afghanistan, adding a stable and prosperous Afghanistan was inevitable for peace and stability in the country.

The minister said Pakistan believed in promoting bilateral ties with all its neighbouring countries including

India. Ahsan Iqbal informed the Security Dialogue participants that the coalition government had launched a strategy to implement short-term and long-term projects for economic stability.

To steer the country of the financial crisis and turn around Pakistan to a stable platform, he said the incumbent government was making concerted efforts to develop a framework based on five Es (Exports, EPakistan, Equity, Energy and Environment) which needed to be pursued vigorously.

The minister said Pakistan, which is one of the sufferers of negative impacts of the global weatherchanging patterns, had effectively taken up its case at the United Nations Climate Change Conference-2022, known as COP27, apprising the forum about Pakistan’s concerns in this regard.

The minister said the incumbent government would make all-out efforts to ensure implementation of the recommendations, which would be given by the participants of the ‘Islamabad Security Dialogue,’ in letter and spirit.

PM Shehbaz warns ‘miscreants’ to abide by law or be dealt with iron fist

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

In the past, the prime minister said, when they were in the opposition and referred to the necessary amendments in the NAB laws, their genuine demands were spurned by the PTI’s leadership accusing them of seeking NROs. But the fact was that in the opposition, they adopted a national approach with responsibility.

The prime minister explained that in the previous NAB laws, an accused was arrested on 90 days remand but after the amendment, this period was reduced to 15 days only which was in accordance with the fairness of the contemporary laws and under courts’ observations, adding the first beneficiary of this amendment was now Imran Niazi. The prime minister said that they were still facing NAB cases though none of them had been proved yet which was a great blessing of Allah Almighty.

In the UK, he said, the PTI

government, prompted an investigation against him but the National Crime Agency of the UK gave them a clean chit which was not an honour for them, but for the 220 million population of Pakistan.

“We faced all cases and never bugged from facing courts despite our strong apprehensions and objections. Thrice elected prime minister Nawaz Sharif, along with his daughter, had appeared more than a hundred times in Nab cases and even went to jail while holding the hands of his daughter after the death of his spouse,” the prime minister maintained.

Recollecting the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, the prime minister said it was the most unfortunate and tragic incident, but the PPP leadership and workers faced the tragedy with patience and with utter display of exemplary patriotism which would be remembered for long.

Particularly, former president Asif

Ali Zardari who raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappay’ which frustrated the enemies’ designs and took the country on the path of democracy and progress, he added.

About Imran Khan’s Al Qadir Trust corruption case, the prime minister said it was strange that how could a federal cabinet approved a huge amount related to the national kitty without opening an envelope. The cabinet members were kept in the dark, he opined. The prime minister further questioned whether such an attitude was permitted by the religious teachings, existing laws and the democratic system that an accused should refuse to face the court of law. He said that such a situation was an unpleasant moment in one’s life but from such trials, the real character of the leadership emerged which should advise their followers not to cross the laws and protect public and private properties. The prime minister said that

Court gives clean chit to three more police officers in Model Town massacre case

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

it was the most somber and sad moment in the country’s history that PTI’s supporters inflicted severe damages to the public and private properties. Such a spectacle had never been witnessed in the last 75 years. The public were made hostages in their vehicles, patients were taken out of the ambulances and later, those vehicles were torched. Swat motorway was damaged and the government officials were tortured. Few elements were instigated against the armed forces and they showed disrespect for the shuhada of the armed forces, he added.

“The vicious campaign is still continuing. The harm the enemy could not cause in the last 75 years, these terrorists and enemies of the land are inflicting now,” he regretted.

The prime minister also lauded the law enforcement agencies for their role in safeguarding the lives and properties of the public and the general public who refused to beguiled with PTI’s violent tactics.

Four die, dozens injured as protests turn violent

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Mobile data services were shut for a second day while Twitter, YouTube and Facebook were disrupted, as security forces tried to restore order after violence killed one person late on Tuesday.

The government said PTI workers had attacked important state buildings and damaged private and public vehicles. “This can’t be tolerated, the law will take its course,” Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told a news conference. “These violent attacks were not the outcome of any public outpouring, they were planned by the PTI rank and file.”

INTERIOR MINISTRY APPROVES

MILITARY ASSISTANCE

The Ministry of Interior has approved the Punjab government’s request for assistance by sanctioning ten companies of troops, saying: “The army would be working alongside district administration to restore law, order and peace”.

The order issued by the Federal Ministry of Interior stated: “Pursuant

to the request made by the Home Department Government of Punjab, vide their letter No.SO(IS-II)315/2023 (Security) (1) Dated 9 May 2023, the federal government in excise of powers conferred under article 245 of the constitution and Section 4 (3) (ii) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, (to discharge such functions as specified in the said act), is pleased to authorise the deployment of Pakistan Army troops/assets for maintaining law and order situations across the Punjab province in aid of civil power.”

The exact number of troops/assets, date and area of deployment will be worked out by the provincial government in consultation with the MO Dte, GHQ, it added. “The date of the de-requisition of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation between both stakeholders,” the notification said.

945 ARRESTED FOR HOOLIGANISM IN PUNJAB

In a separate statement, Punjab police said action had been taken against those attacking government

property, police force and law enforcement agencies in the province.

“Miscreants involved in violent acts, vandalism, damage to public and private property throughout the province have been arrested,” the notification said, adding that they had “seriously injured” more than 130 police officers and law enforcement personnel during the violent operations. The spokesperson then shared: “Police teams have arrested 945 law breakers and miscreants from across the province.”

The Punjab police spokesperson said: “More than 25 vehicles of the police and government agencies were destroyed and burnt.” Protesters had attacked more than 14 gvernment buildings, looting and causing serious damage to government property, he shared. Furthermore, Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar shared that strict legal action is being taken against those who challenge the writ of the state and the law. He reaffirmed that those who injure citizens, police officers and

personnel and damage property “will be brought to justice”.

PTI SLAMS PUNJAB CARETAKER

GOVT FOR CALLING IN ARMY

Reacting to the news, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi slammed the federal government and questioned: How did the army become available for deployment in Punjab, when earlier it was said it was “too busy” [to perform election duty]?

“We have serious concerns about threats to the life of chairman Imran Khan. Our leader is in the custody of those who threatened him. Secondly, till yesterday, the army was very busy and was not available for the elections, but what has happened that the army has been deployed in Punjab and KP today? The nation is not stupid,” Qureshi tweeted.

ISLAMABAD’S RAMNA POLICE STATION, ONE APC SET ON FIRE: POLICE Islamabad police say the capital’s “Ramna police station is being set on fire” while an armoured personnel carrier has already been burned.

Courts remand PTI chief in Al-Qadir Trust case, indict in Toshakhana case

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

“[The] Provincial Government, as a one-time dispensation, is pleased to declare New Police Guest House, Police Lines Headquarters H 11/1, Islamabad, the venue for hearing of case titled ‘District Election Commissioner Vs Imran Khan Niazi’ and for the appearance of Mr. Imran Khan Niazi before Honorable Judge Accountability Court-I, Islamabad on 10th May 2023, instead of F-8 Court Complex, Islamabad and Judicial Complex G 11/4, Islamabad,” read a notification issued by the government.

TOSHAKHANA CASE HEARING

Separately, Imran Khan was indicted on Wednesday in the Toshakhana case even though the PTI chief and his legal team boycotted the proceedings. Additional District and Sessions Judge Islamabad Humayun Dilawar has decided last week to frame charges against Imran Khan in Toshakhana case on May 10 in District Court F-8 Markaz. But a hearing for the Toshakhana case was also held at the New Police Line Guest House after the hearing for the Al-Qadir Trust case on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media after the hearing of the case, one of the counsels for Imran Khan Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat informed the former prime minister and lawyers boycotted the indictment proceedings. He maintained that the court indicted the PTI chief despite his lack of confidence in the judge, hearing the case.

Khan’s detention follows months of political crisis and came hours after the powerful military rebuked the former international cricketer for alleging that a senior officer

had been involved in a plot to kill him.

Some protesters took out their wrath on the military, torching the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and laying siege at the entrance to the General Headquarters (GHQ) in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Tempers appeared to have cooled on Wednesday morning but there was a huge security presence across the capital, particularly outside the so-called police lines where the special court will convene.

Authorities also ordered schools closed acros the country and continued restricting access to social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

“At a time we are already struggling to feed our children, further uncertainty has been created,” Farooq Bhatti, a van driver, told AFP in Rawalpindi Wednesday morning.

“The violence will not serve anyone… everyone will be affected… but I doubt the decision makers care.”

Shah Mehmood Qureshi, deputy chairman of the PTI, urged supporters to keep protesting in a “lawful and peaceful manner”, adding party lawyers would file multiple appeals and petitions against Khan’s arrest.

Khan’s lawyers were told on Wednesday to wait outside the police HQ compound from where they would be escorted to the makeshift court.

“No PTI senior leader or lawyer knows about Khan’s conditions. We are denied access to him,” lawyer Faisal Hussain Chaudhry told AFP. “Will there be any justice under the shadow of guns?”

The case that led to Khan’s arrest on Tuesday was brought by NAB which claimed he had ignored repeated summons

to appear in court.

Khan has faced dozens of charges since being ousted in April, a tactic analysts say successive governments have used to silence their opponents. He could be barred from holding public office if convicted, which would exclude him from elections scheduled for later this year. Khan’s arrest came a day after the military warned him against making “baseless allegations” after he again accused a senior officer of plotting to kill him.

REACTION FROM ABROAD

WAS SWIFT.

The US wants to “make sure that whatever happens in Pakistan is consistent with the rule of law, with the constitution,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday during a news conference with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Washington.

“We want to see peaceful democracy in that country,” Cleverly added.

Pakistan is deeply mired in an economic and political crisis, with Khan pressuring the struggling coalition government for early elections.

Khan has been increasingly outspoken against the establishment, relying on nearfanatical support from the huge crowds that accompany his public appearances to protect him from arrest. But authorities pounced during what was supposed to be a routine court appearance Tuesday. Khan, who has had a pronounced limp since being shot during an assassination attempt last year, was manhandled by dozens of paramilitary rangers into an armoured car inside the Islamabad High Court premises.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Wednesday acquitted three police officers in the Model Town massacre case. Former IGP Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera, former DIG Operations Rana Abdul Jabbar and for SP Tariq Aziz were acquitted in the case. The court also let go TMO Ali Abbas while adjourned the hearing to May 10 to take up the acquittal pleas of other police officers. ATC Judge Ijaz Buttar pronounced the verdict in the Model Town tragedy case. It may be mentioned here that in April 2022 the ATC had also acquitted former Lahore Division District Coordination Officer (DCO) Capt (retd) Usman in the Model Town massacre case. Fourteen people, including men and women, were killed and more than 100 injured during the anti-encroachment operation outside the Model Town residence of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on June 17, 2014. During the proceedings, the court observed that the plaintiff, PAT, could not establish allegation against Capt (retd) Usman.

Govt cracks down on protesters demanding Imran’s release

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

PTI has called for supporters to gather in the capital and for a “shutdown” across the country. His arrest came a day after the military rebuked him for repeatedly accusing a senior military officer of trying to engineer his assassination and the former army chief of being behind his removal from power last year. The rupee fell 1.3 percent to a record-low of 288.5 against the US dollar on Wednesday, while the 100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange dropped 0.7 percent in early trading before recouping its losses. An IMF bailout package for Pakistan has been delayed for months even though its foreign exchange reserves are barely enough to cover a month’s imports.

SUPREME COURT CHALLENGE

PTI deputy chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the party’s senior leadership was in Islamabad to meet Khan and would approach the Supreme Court to challenge an IHC order that deemed Khan’s arrest legal. “We continue to call PTI family workers, supporters and the people of Pakistan onto the streets for a peaceful protest against this unconstitutional behaviour,” Qureshi wrote on Twitter. The protests have disrupted business in several cities. In Peshawar, chicken seller Malagul Khan said his shop and others were destroyed in the clashes. Raja Imran, 25, also a Peshawar resident, said: “There is total chaos across the country … There are exams going on and school children will suffer.” Khan was ousted as prime minister in April of last year in a contentious no-confidence vote. He has not slowed his campaign against the ouster even though he was wounded in a November attack on his convoy as he led a protest march to Islamabad calling for snap general elections. The corruption case is one of more than 100 registered against Khan since his ouster after four years in power.

Targeted mayhem

The armed forces respond to apparently targeted attacks

THOSE attacked have reacted. There has been a response to the protests which have swept the country after the violent reaction to PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest on Tuesday led to the trashing of Lahore’s Crops Commander’s residence and other Army buildings. While Wednesday’s protests seem to have seen a widening of the scope of protests, with the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar being torched, the protests remain focused on the cantonments of various cities. The ISPR has issued a press release declaring that the armed forces will react to further attacks on its installations. The press release also said that the facilitators, planners and political rioters would not be tolerated. It made clear that it had evidence that these attacks were being deliberately targeted, that what had not ben achieved by hostile foreign powers in 75 years had been achieved by one group. Apart from the damage done to government buildings, for which taxpayers’ money will be used to repair, there has been an irreparable loss of life, with four reported dead in the protests so far.

The release said, and rightly so, that action against all miscreants would be taken according to law. It also accused certain political forces, clearly Mr Khan’s supporters, of organising the protests to achieve particular political ends. The crisis is by no means over, though the relative calm prevailing in major cities may be an indication that the worst may be past. There will be a plethora of follow-up activity, such as arrests, court cases and perhaps even terrorism charges. However, it might well be time for the armed forces themselves to take a long hard look at what has happened, and to what extent the targeting of the military is because of its having helped create the monster that is now bothering it so much.

However, that is perhaps an activity for a calmer time. To handle the immediate crisis, perhaps it is necessary for the PTI leadership, some of whom have already been arrested, to issue a call for calm. While party workers, like all citizens, have a right to protest, that can only be done legally and peacefully, no matter how deeply their feelings have been hurt. The law must be applied in such a manner that peace is brought about in the country as soon as possible, and the law is allowed to take its course.

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

When the judge sits with the accused

The principle of recusal applies

Dr FariD a

ON April 10, the current truncated and depleted Parliament decided to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the 1973 unanimously agreed Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. There was a cross section of guests. The entire bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was invited to grace the ceremony. Only one sitting judge ventured to attend. As he is next in line to take on the mantle of Chief Justice of Pakistan he was made to sit next to the principal co-accused members of the parliament.

He patiently listened to the speeches of Asif Ali Zardari sitting on his right and Shahbaz Sharif sitting to his left. In utter embarrassment the very next day Mr Justice Faiz Qazi Isa had to issue a statement that he had no idea that political speeches were planned for the session. In other words, he felt trapped by the master manipulators. No human being can be forced into submission; it is the cardinal principle of freedom and justice which a judge should understand and practice. All he had to do, was get up, excuse himself and walk out.

As student leaders we did exactly that to stop exploitation/misuse due to our presence and participation. One must have the courage to dissent when trapped by the unscrupulous. Amongst the do’s and don’ts of my late father Nazir Ahmed Malik, a worker of the Pakistan Movement, one item says; “ No compromises, do not fear confrontation “

His leader, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was known for his dissent both inside and outside the courtroom. Under the principle of ‘Recusal’ Justice Isa now stands disqualified to sit on any bench in which cases against Sharifs and Zardar’s are being litigated.

Historically speaking, the Quaid took oath of office as the first Governor General of Pakistan on 15 August 1947 at Karachi. The oath was administered by Sir Abdul Rashid, Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC). The Quaid then went to the Constituent Assembly and administered oath to the first Prime Minster and his six-member cabinet.

The journey of Pakistan started on sound footings under the leadership of the Quaid. After his death, Khawaja Nazimuddin, a stalwart of the Independence Movement, was sworn in as the second GovernorGeneral. Trouble started with the assassination of Liqauat Ali Khan in 1951. Baboo Ghulam Muhammad (Gamma) managed to capture the coveted posi-

tion of governor-general, pushing Khawaja Sahib down as PM. This crossing of constitutionally laid boundaries has been devastating for the republic ever since. Recovery from this encroachment has been difficult despite tremendous efforts and despite the enactment of the 1973 unanimously agreed constitutional framework.

Since Independence no sitting judge of the superior judiciary has ever sat with the legislators/accused.

The President when invited, sits with the Speaker as a guest before his address to the elected representatives of the people. If Mr Justice Isa was invited as a guest he should have sat with the speaker which are the norms of the House.

Moreover, under Government rules of business, permission of the head of the institution is required for any outside formal participation by any member. By his participation in a political event, several red lines have been crossed which calls for appropriate legal action including a complaint to the Supreme Judicial Council, the constitutional body created for accountability of the higher judiciary.

Appeasement never works. Neutrality is the most important requirement of the conduct of a judge. Mr Justice Isa barely survived the last reference against him, that too after his appeal to his fellow judges on the bench. The SJC is the sole legitimate body for accountability of the higher judiciary which should be allowed to function as per law. Although very few judges have been removed by the SJC, several have chosen to resign or retire instead. The entire Lawyer’s Movement could have been averted if the case against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had been forwarded to the Council to be dealt with under the law.

Forcing him to resign without due process was a poor decision. Charges against the CJP were of serious nature which should have been pursued. His restoration proved deadly for the nation and rule of law. Then there was a campaign to extend his tenure for the period of his suspension. The idea was so disturbing that

Creating an industrial hub in Northeast India and Bangladesh

Samara aShrat

BANGLADESH, India and Japan held an event on connectivity initiatives in Tripura, India, last month, to harness the region’s commercial potential. A recently conducted study suggested that Northeast India and Bangladesh need to scale up their multimodal connectivity, which would not only help the region to raise its competitiveness but also narrow the development gaps in the region.

The study also suggested the creation of industrial value chains to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders in India and Bangladesh and Japanese companies in the region. That’s why Japan has proposed developing an industrial hub in Bangladesh with supply chains to the landlocked northeastern states of India. Bangladesh and India have already started to work together to bring synergy in trade facilitation and build express corridors for the transhipment and transit of goods from the Northeast Region to the Chattogram Port of Bangladesh. Tripura is set to become the ‘Gateway of the North East’ with access to Chittagong port of Bangladesh, just 70 km from Sabroom in the northeastern state.

Along with the gateway, Tripura can become the key to creating an industrial hub in northeast India and its supply chain in Bangladesh. There are so many ongoing connectivity projects between Tripura and Bangladesh. The industrial value chain would be created on the completion of these projects.

The Agartala-Akhaura international railway connectivity project is one of India and Bangladesh’s most prominent connectivity projects. Akhaura used to be the railway link for Agartala before Independence. In 2013, India and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to revive the railway link. Over 88 percent of the work on the Agartala-Akhaura international railway connectivity project is complete, and the remaining work is expected to be finished in the next five to six months. The 15-km-long railway line would link Bangladesh’s Akhaura through an international immigration station at Nischintapur along the India-Bangladesh border. With the completion of the project, the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka would reduce from 31 hours to 10. When finished, it will run for 10.6 km from Gangasagar, Bangladesh, to Nischintapur, India, and for 5.46 km from Nischintapur to India’s Agartala railway station. The opening of the AgartalaAkhaura railway line would expand the range of economic contacts.

Moreover, India intends to build an integrated checkpoint and freight processing fa-

cility at Nischintapur, which serves as the Tripura junction for the Agartala-Akhaura train route. By using Dhaka as its hub instead of Guwahati, this train connection would cut the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata in half. As it would only cover 550 km instead of 1,600, the 31-hour journey from Agartala to Kolkata will take just 10 hours. Four operational train connections between West Bengal and Western Bangladesh presently exist: Petrapole-Benapole, Gede-Darshana, Radhikapur-Biral, and Singhabad-Rohanpur. The utilization of Nepali transit traffic is also informed by the final two. Those from Mizoram, which is 150 km away, and those from Agartala will benefit from the current line.

In addition to the Agartala-Akhaura railway line, Tripura has a few more international connectivity projects linking it with Bangladesh, such as the Indo-Bangla Maitri Bridge in South Tripura and the inland waterways transport project in the Sepahijala district. A second Integrated Check Post (ICP) with Bangladesh is being set up at Sabroom in Tripura. After all the projects are commissioned, Tripura is expected

None of the industries would work in Tripura if it didnÊt create its supply chain in Bangladesh. And for creating supply chains, all those connectivity projects between Bangladesh and Tripura must get completed soon as Tripura is one of the main gateways to the northeastern region to India through Bangladesh.

to gain access to Bangladesh’s Chattogram and Mongla ports, opening up new avenues for trade and commerce.

There are several ongoing infrastructure projects connecting Bangladesh and Tripura. One of the historic initiatives connecting Tripura and Bangladesh was the opening of Maitri Setu across the Feni River. After Ramgarh in Bangladesh and Sabroom in India are bound by the Maitri Bridge, Tripura would become the entry point to Southeast Asia. Just 74 kilometres separate this bridge from Chittagong Port.

The Feni bridge linking Sabroom, Tripura, with Chattogram, Bangladesh, and the AgartalaAkhaura train line are two connectivity projects that, when finished, would transform Tripura from a “landlocked” state into one that is wellconnected. Tripura will improve its relationships and connections by building roads linking it to Thailand, Myanmar, and India.

With the completion of its new terminal this year, Tripura’s Maharaja Bir Bikram airport will become the third international airport in the landlocked northeastern area. Once this airport is finished, flights will be between Agartala and Dhaka and other places like Chittagong and Sylhet. Pranay Verma, the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, has lately shown interest in investing in new airports in Bangladesh to improve connectivity between the northeastern regions. Aviation travel will improve connections not just between Bangladesh, the Indian subcontinent, and Tripura, but also between India and ASEAN nations.

Moreover, the power department of India is planning to set up Northeast India’s first solar power storage facility in Tripura. In addition to meeting the needs of the state, plans are also being made to export pollution-free, environmentally friendly electricity from this storage as per the needs of Bangladesh. Ratan Lal Nath, Minister for Power, Government of Tripura, said this in a press conference on the evening of April 1, 2023. Initially, the state government selected the Sabrum area of the South District. Because a special economic zone is being built here, it will be possible to export surplus electricity to Bangladesh by meeting the region’s needs.

None of the industries would work in Tripura if it didn’t create its supply chain in Bangladesh. And for creating supply chains, all those connectivity projects between Bangladesh and Tripura must get completed soon as Tripura is one of the main gateways to the northeastern region to India through Bangladesh. The dreams of people from Tripura to start business relations with Bangladesh will be bolstered after the completion of these projects. Tripura will reach a significant position in trade and commerce, and job opportunities will be created for unemployed youths and a new route for public and goods transport.

The writer is a freelance columnist

the Civil Society was forced to serve the threat of street protests in case of any extension. There was a sigh of relief when the senior most judge and scholar Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani took charge of the Supreme Court, thus ending the most deadly term of Mr Justice Chaudhry. However the poor decisions of the outgoing chief continue to haunt the people till today.

Justice Isa is next in line to take over as CJP in September on the retirement of Justice Umar Atta Bandial. Perhaps he will be the most controversial Judge to head the SC. Credibility and neutrality are essential traits of a judge which cannot be compromised under any circumstances. There was a time when the principle of recusal was strictly followed. It reminds me of a story of two judges, father and son, who both rose to be judges of the superior judiciary. Justice Malik Muhammad Akram before accepting the position sought a firm commitment from his family not to approach him for any favours. His son Justice Malik Qayyum, a great legal mind had to resign after his telephone conversations influencing under-trial cases were made public. As a gentleman and judge it is hoped that Justice Isa will adhere to the principal of ‘ Recusal ‘ and keep away from the cases of the political bench mates who are accused of serious crimes against the nation who surrounded him in the legislature on that fateful day of April 10. At best he should have kept away like his brother judges and at worst he should have exercised the sense of walking out when trapped amongst the under-trial crafty political players directly responsible for the decline of the nation in the last three decades. No one can run with the hares and hunt with the hounds’ at the same time. Mr Justice Isa has to come clean before he takes on the mantle of CJP.

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

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A sad reality

AT least 12 people lost their lives and five were injured in a tragic stampede in the SITE area during the distribution of Zakat among the families of employees at a private company. The incident highlighted the gravity of the financial crunch in the country where people are struggling to make ends meet and are risking their lives for getting basic necessities.

The fact that such a huge crowd of people thronged to collect Zakat shows the desperation of the people who are barely surviving in a country plagued by poverty and unemployment. It is saddening to see that people are dying just to get hold of free wheat or a few rupees in Zakat. This is the height of human misery The negligence of the company staff and the lack of arrangements for making a queue for the distribution of Zakat are unacceptable. The company management should have informed the police and district administration about the event to ensure the safety of the people and the maintenance of law and order. It is commendable that some employees have been detained on charges of negligence, and the factory owners have been booked for their irresponsible behaviour.

Moreover, the government must also take full responsibility and provide basic necessities, such as food and shelter, to the people so that they do not have to risk their lives for these basic needs.

FEROZ SADRUDDIN KARACHI

A man like no other

CALLING him merely a musicologist is not enough, as Sultan Arshad was an encyclopaedia of Indian and Pakistani film music. He died on April 13, bringing to an end the wonderful evenings at a music club in Karachi’s DHA area which specialised in entertaining the audience with film songs from the golden era of music in the subcontinent.

The most popular music club in Karachi, Amateur Melodies, was formed by Sultan Sahib, as we used to call him, and a few others in April 1999. Its monthly gatherings were held regularly at the residence of volunteering members who had the physical and financial space to accommodate around a hundred guests.

Since 2011, programmes had been held regularly at the Creek Club till the Covid pandemic brought an abrupt end to it in February 2020. As Sultan Sahib would organise the event with great zeal and passion, he was quite demoralised with sudden discontinuation of the programme. Even after the restoration of normal life, he could not muster the same spirit and held few programmes at different locations, but with lack of pre-Covid enthusiasm.

During his stay in Mumbai as a manager at the offices of the national airlines, from 1987 to 1996, Sultan Sahib had developed close rapport with several composers, especially maestros O.P. Nayyar and Anil Biswas.

This association with two of the legends in the field acted as a catalyst, and he developed a taste for the intricacies of making unforgettable melodies. The famous broadcaster of Radio Ceylon, the legendary Ameen Sayani, had visited Karachi in 2008. The Amateur Melodies club organised a programme in his honour at the Karachi Arts Council. Sayani was quite fascinated by the quality of songs rendered by amateur singers and the accompanying orchestra. Besides a few books on film music, Sultan Sahib gave a parting gift to the music lovers in the shape of 101 Melody Makers of India and Pakistan and Their Representative Work which was launched at the Karachi Arts Council in late 2021. The speakers on the occasion, including the likes of Javed Jabbar and Bushra Ansari, paid tribute to the stupendous effort of the author. The finely printed and error-free book is an encyclopaedia of Indian and Pakistani film music. Comprising 656 pages and 177 pictures, it describes in detail the work of 101 music composers, 228 lyricists and 223 singers. Besides, he has also written about a few famous instrumentalists who are usually ignored by the authors of books on music. Sultan Sahib was a unique person who devoted his entire life to entertaining music aficionados. It will be really hard to find another one like him in this sphere.

PARVEZ RAHIM KARACHI

As a gentleman and judge it is hoped that Justice Isa will adhere to the principal of  Recusal  and keep away from the cases of the political bench mates who are accused of serious crimes against the nation who surrounded him in the legislature on that fateful day of April 10.

malik

Why Japan is interested

Childhood: A phase of exceeding expectations

The child is the father of the man

Dr raJkUmar SiNgh

CHILDHOOD is the period of life between infancy and adolescence, typically ranging from birth to 12 years old. It is a critical phase in a person’s life that shapes their physical, emotional, and social development. During childhood, children undergo significant cognitive, emotional, and physical changes that impact their overall development. It is a time of rapid growth and development in all areas of a person’s life. During childhood, children go through various stages of development, each characterized by unique milestones and challenges. These stages include infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Childhood is a critical period for laying the foundation for a person’s future growth and development, and it is shaped by a wide range of factors, including genetics, environment, experience, and culture.

Overall, childhood is a complex and multifaceted period of life that plays a critical role in shaping a person’s identity, values, and abilities. It is a time of exploration, learning, and growth, and it is marked by a wide range of experiences, emotions, and challenges. In addition, it is a critical period for mental development, and is important for parents, caregivers, and educators to provide children with a supportive and stimulating environment that promotes healthy cognitive and emotional development. It is the best time for providing opportunities for learning, exploration, and social interaction, as well as providing emotional support and guidance.

Childhood is typically divided into three stages: early childhood, middle childhood, and late childhood. In the first phase, there are the physical developments that occur

during each stage: a. Early Childhood (Ages 0-5): During this stage, children experience rapid physical growth and development. They gain weight and height, and their motor skills improve dramatically. In early childhood, children develop the ability to walk, run, jump, and climb. They also develop fine motor skills, such as the ability to hold a pencil, use scissors, and tie their shoes. b. Middle Childhood (Ages 6-11): In this stage, children continue to grow and develop physically, but at a slower rate than in early childhood. They become more coordinated and develop better control over their movements. Their physical abilities become more refined, and they develop better balance, strength, and endurance. In middle childhood, children also develop their permanent teeth.

c. Late Childhood (Ages 12-18): During this stage, children experience the final stages of physical development before reaching adulthood. They experience a growth spurt, which leads to increased height and weight. Their muscles become stronger, and their coordination and endurance improve further. In late childhood, children also experience puberty, which leads to the development of secondary sex characteristics, such as the growth of pubic hair, breast development, and voice changes in males.

Childhood is a complex and dynamic period of life that is characterized by a range of unique features which include:

a.RAPID GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:

Childhood is a time of rapid growth and development in all areas of a person’s life, including their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development.

b.EXPLORATION AND LEARNING: Childhood is a period of exploration and learning, as children begin to develop new skills, knowledge, and understanding of the world around them.

c.PLAYFULNESS: Childhood is marked by a natural curiosity and playfulness, as children engage in a wide range of imaginative and creative activities.

d.VULNERABILITY: Children are vulnerable and dependent on others for their basic needs, such as food, shelter, and safety.

e.DEPENDENCE: Children rely on adults for guidance, support, and protection, as they are still developing their abilities to make decisions and care for themselves.

f.INNOCENCE: Childhood is often characterized by a sense of innocence, as children have not yet been exposed to many of the negative aspects of the world.

g.EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: Childhood is marked by a range of intense emotions, as children experience both positive and negative emotions more intensely than adults. The features of childhood help

The US-Saudi relationship: What’s love got to do with it?

Who in their right mind would want to damage relations with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and thereby upset 2 billion Muslims? And who in their right mind would risk disrupting energy markets in a dispute with the world’s leading oil exporter?

ington remain ironclad and the US is a priority.

So what went wrong? That would require a series of columns to answer in full. But in summary, there has been mistrust on the Saudi side, and miscalculation on the US side.

The Saudi mistrust is well placed; this is an administration hostile to our leadership from the get-go. It placed Saudi civilian lives at risk when it revoked the designation of the Houthis as terrorists, and withdrew Patriot missile batteries from the Kingdom when the Iran-backed militia were deliberately targeting Saudi cities.

to shape a person’s identity, values, and abilities, and play a critical role in shaping their future growth and development. Developmental Psychology, a significant branch of the subject, focuses on the study of human growth and development throughout the lifespan, with a particular emphasis on childhood. Developmental psychologists study the ways in which children learn, grow, and develop, and they explore the factors that influence this development, such as genetics, environment, and experience. In the context, child psychology is a branch of psychology that specifically focuses on the study of children and their development.

Child psychologists study a wide range of topics related to childhood, such as cognitive development, socialization, emotional development, and the effects of early experiences on later outcomes. In psychology, educational psychology is a field of psychology that focuses on the study of teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on childhood education. It studies the ways in which children learn, the effectiveness of different teaching methods, and the factors that influence academic achievement. For the mental wellbeing of the child clinical child psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in children.

Clinical child psychologists work with children who are experiencing a range of mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, behavioural problems, and learning disorders. By studying the various factors that influence childhood development and mental health, psychologists can help parents, caregivers, and educators provide children with the support and resources they

need to reach their full potential.

Childhood can play a significant role in shaping a person’s career path and future success. Some of the ways that can impact a person’s career include:

Their childhood experiences and interests can often provide clues to a person’s natural talents and inclinations. For example, a child who loves building and creating with blocks may be more inclined towards a career in architecture or engineering.

EDUCATION AND LEARNING: Childhood education and learning experiences can lay the foundation for future academic and career success. Children who have access to high-quality education and enrichment opportunities are more likely to succeed academically and professionally.

SOCIALIZATION AND RELATIONSHIPS: Childhood socialization and relationships can also impact a person’s career. Children who grow up in supportive and nurturing environments are more likely to develop strong social skills and positive relationships, which can be important in many types of careers.

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING: Emotional wellbeing is critical for success in any career. Children who grow up in stable and supportive environments are more likely to develop strong emotional health, which can lead to greater resilience and success in the face of challenges.

The writer is a Youth Motivator, presently Professor of Political Science and Dean, Student’s Welfare (DSW), at B.N. Mandal University, Madhepura (Bihar), India. His 23 books published in addition to 900 articles in national and international journals and daily newspapers from 25 foreign countries.

Smartphones and social media

IN an interview with Arab News last Sunday, American financier and former White House official Anthony Scaramucci described the 78-year-old US-Saudi relationship as a “Catholic marriage.” Urging leaders in both countries to think long term, he said: “Our economies, our governments, our intelligence communities, our defense departments are very much intertwined.”

Scaramucci was speaking in Abu Dhabi, which was hosting SALT — his thought-leadership summit — for the second time. He revealed plans to bring a version of SALT to Saudi Arabia, which he applauded for its ongoing reforms with its best years ahead of it.

Not far from the UAE capital, another thought-leadership forum was taking place in the historic Saudi city of AlUla. Its focus was a candid discussion of the status of Saudi-US relations. It was sponsored by THINK — an affiliate of SRMG, which publishes this newspaper — at the Maraya hall, where the AlUla Declaration was signed two years ago.

As with the US-Saudi relationship, the AlUla signatories (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Qatar) demonstrated that they share unbreakable bonds. The declaration ended a 43-month boycott and one of the most dramatic periods in recent Gulf history.

Now, had I not known that our interview with Scaramucci was recorded before the AlUla forum, I would have said he was either psychic or had been eavesdropping on its discussions. The marriage metaphor was so repeatedly — and humorously — used that the forum began to sound like a couples therapy session (that those attending were sitting in a large circle might have contributed to that).

Scaramucci has hit the nail on the head: the US-Saudi relationship is indeed like a Catholic marriage. Anyone who argues otherwise is either misinformed or delusional. Readers may need reminding that, whatever the armchair Middle East experts in DC say, even at the lowest points of Saudi ties with the current US administration, President Joe Biden’s team was determined not to “rupture the relationship.”

After all, who in their right mind would want to damage relations with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and thereby upset 2 billion Muslims? And who in their right mind would risk disrupting energy markets in a dispute with the world’s leading oil exporter? Equally, Saudi officials have repeatedly said that ties to Wash-

The US miscalculation took many forms. The Biden administration underestimated the popularity of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, hailed by a vast majority of Saudis as a liberator. It also was slow in understanding that it is dealing with a new, progressive and different Saudi leadership. The Saudi view is simple: Treat us as true partners, not lackeys.

It also is evident that Washington has miscalculated its own interests with its constant characterization of Riyadh’s relationships with China and Russia as a betrayal.

American retailers in the early 20th century created the concept that “the customer is always right.” How, then, does the US think Saudi Arabia should deal with China, its biggest oil customer, purchaser of 1.75 million barrels per day in 2022?

China is also a leading global economy and manufacturing hub that is happy to sell its premium and much-needed products without any drama. If the US cannot offer an alternative, what should the Kingdom do? Not upgrade its communications networks, or risk the lives of its citizens?

Indeed America itself is so reliant on China that not doing business with it hurts its own interests. China holds $867 billion in US debt, second only to Japan. It also tops the list of US trading partners, with American exports to China supporting a million jobs in 2021.

As for Russia, Riyadh’s relationship with Moscow is the subject of constant US misrepresentation. The Kingdom condemned the Russian invasion at the UN last year; Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky thanked Saudi Arabia for its support; November’s OPEC+ production cut led to reduced oil prices, the US aim all along — but despite all that, Washington labeled the Kingdom pro-Russian! The US ignores the benefits of the trust Riyadh has built with Moscow over the years, which materialized in last year’s prisoner swap with Ukraine and the release of US citizens. It is now emerging that this same trust might, just might, result in a serious discussion to end the war — a war for which, apart from the ghastly loss of life, the world and the US economy are paying a hefty price.

The bottom line? As the AlUla declaration demonstrated, mutual benefits are all that matters; and there are many from which both Riyadh and Washington can benefit, beyond the outdated “oil for security” trope which is no longer valid. As Winston Churchill put it: “We have no lasting friends, no lasting enemies, only lasting interests.” Or if the US would prefer something more American, as Tina Turner sang: “What’s love got to do with it?” Faisal

are

destroying children’s mental health

FINANCIAL TIMES JohN BUrN-mUrDoCh

SOMETHING is going very wrong for teenagers. Between 1994 and 2010, the share of British teens who do not consider themselves likeable fell slightly from 6 per cent to 4 per cent; since 2010 it has more than doubled. The share who think of themselves as a failure, who worry a lot and who are dissatisfied with their lives also kicked up sharply.

The same trends are visible across the Atlantic. The number of US high school students who say their life often feels meaningless has rocketed in the past 12 years. And it’s not just the anglosphere. In France, rates of depression among 15- to 24-year-olds have quadrupled in the past decade. Wherever you look, youth mental health is collapsing, and the inflection point is ominously consistent: 2010 give or take a year or two — when smartphones went from luxury to ubiquity.

The theory that having social media and other digital delights within arm’s reach 24/7 may be having a harmful effect on mental health is not new. Its leading advocate is Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of dozens of pioneering studies on the topic.

But it is still far from universally accepted. The work of Twenge and her regular co-author Jonathan Haidt has at times been criticised for simply surfing the wave of popular opposition to big tech. Yet as evidence for their arguments mounts, many are now wondering why it has taken us so long to accept what was right in front of us. The signs are everywhere. First, digital socialising has displaced in-person gatherings. The share of US teens who meet up in-person with friends less than once a month stood at 3 per cent between 1990 and 2010, but reached 10 per cent by 2019, meanwhile the share who say they are “constantly online” has now reached 46 per cent.

How much money buys happiness?

Money can buy some happiness, but only up to a point

Ilove the idea of convergence — those rare times when multiple stories about very different issues seem to all land on the same “Grand Truth,” albeit from very different perspectives. Yesterday brought just such a convergence into focus. It’s about money and happiness, which is very much the intersection of where I spend much of my time: Capital Markets, and Behavioral Finance. Consider the issue: Does money make you happier, and if so, why? More specifically, does each additional dollar you acquire add to your joy, and by how much? Where is the ceiling? Does everyone experience this the same way?

Some counter that it can’t just be that apps are crowding out real life — after all, the people who are busiest on Instagram are often the busiest in the real world, too. But that misses a key dynamic: these trends operate at the generational level, not the individual. As screen-time has surged, everyone hangs out less. But the individual-level dynamics are striking, too. Studies show that the more time teens spend on social media, the worse their mental health is. The gradient is steepest for girls, who also spend much more time on social media than boys, explaining the sharper deterioration among girls’ mental health than boys’.

It’s a similar story with the higher rates of depression among liberal teens than conservatives. If you suspect liberal kids are more depressed due to growing up in a culture that valorises concern for injustice, I would advise caution. First, Twenge’s research points to a likelier explanation: liberal youths simply spend more time online than conservatives. Second, we see the same rising trend among conservatives — it’s just lagging. Some suggest that modern society is more open about discussing mental health, so what we’re seeing is just a rise in reporting, not prevalence. But British teens who spend five or more hours a day on social media are at two to three times greater risk of self-harm than their less-online peers. It’s a similar story in the US with suicidal ideation. Grimmest of all, the now-familiar hockey stick trend is also clear in rates of suicide deaths among British and American teens.

Others point out that correlation is not causation. Indeed. But we now have a growing body of research showing that reducing time on social media improves mental health.

So, what can we do? The most common response is “educate kids and parents”. But as the cases of obesity and smoking show, public information campaigns are notoriously ineffective in the face of addiction.

Another option would be to build on the evidence that when people are encouraged to take an extended break from social media, some disconnect for good. And then there’s regulation — why not increase the age limit for social apps and punish companies that don’t enforce them? Ultimately, though, I’m not optimistic. Combating obesity has been so hard because you can’t stop people eating food. And fighting social media addiction is hard because you can’t stop people using smartphones and apps. Until someone invents the equivalent of a weight-loss drug for Instagram, the future looks ominous.

the wrong thing. Like so much else in the finance world, it requires context and a little nuance. Obviously, if you were hungry, lacking security, health care, a roof over your head, and other basic needs, you would not be especially happy. At least, not in society as we know it today.

Perhaps a better question is framed as “What is the value of money beyond its basic utility for survival? Where do the laws of diminishing returns kick in? Where is the line where each additional $X dollars creates little or no increase in happiness or life satisfaction?”

Bloomberg reports on research that found “Contentedness does increase steadily in line with incomes and even accelerates as pay rises beyond $100,000 a year — as long as the person enjoys a certain baseline level of happiness to begin with.”

That is only part of the twist revealed by the latest research: “There is a plateau, but only among the unhappiest 20% of people, and only then when they start earning over $100,000.” (emphasis added) This suggests that your outlook and personality are perhaps more determinative of your individual happiness levels than we may have previously believed. The research (which Danny Kahneman collaborated with) contradicts a 2010 paper by Danny Kahneman and economist Angus Deaton, which found happiness “plateaus” between $60,000 and $90,000 a year. So money can buy some happiness, but only up to a point around $500k, unless you are one of those unlucky unhappy people that peak around $100k. All of which suggests it’s nowhere near as clean or simple as we previously imagined.

Evidence of the catastrophic effects of increased screen-time is now overwhelming

CHINESE COMPANY EARNINGS REVEAL LOPSIDED ECONOMIC RECOVERY

PROFIT reuters

People in China splashed out on dining, travel and luxury goods after emerging from three years of pandemic restrictions but are still not spending freely on routine consumer items, if first quarter corporate results are an indication.

There was a broad bounce in earnings after China ended its zero-COVID policy involving city-wide lockdowns and extensive quarantine in December, but consumer caution over global growth and job prospects have dented confidence and overall demand.

China A-shares (.SSEC) posted 3.2% growth in earnings in the first three months from a year earlier, rebounding from a 5.7% drop in the fourth quarter of 2022, BofA Securities estimates. The benefits to companies, however, varied widely even though the economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter.

Restaurants and tourism businesses recovered, with travel-re-

lated consumer services sector earnings surging 155%, data from China International Capital Corp (CICC) showed. Food-and-beverage sector earnings jumped 18% and automobiles were up a smaller 8%.

In contrast, both home furnishings and apparel firms’ earnings declined 9%.

Sub-sector results further highlight the divergence in consumer behavior. Major jewelry brands Lao Feng Xiang (600612.SS) and Chow Tai Seng (002867.SZ) saw double-digit growth in earnings, while leading cosmetics firm Bloomage Biotechnology (688363.SS) posted a 17% decline in its net profit due to lukewarm online sales.

Norman Villamin, group chief strategist at UBP, said consumer confidence will be restored gradually and over time.

“When you’re a little bit nervous, you may spend a little bit for ‘a one-off transaction’. Maybe nobody gets on the 4-hour plane ride, but they’ll ride the train for an hour. You eat out, but maybe you won’t watch the

movie. You start slowly, but then as you get more comfortable throughout the year, you start to do a little bit more,” he said. Several analysts believe the first quarter will be the low point for 2023 and full-year earnings will reach double digits.

Refinitiv data forecasts fullyear earnings growth of 26% for companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. “Investors may look past the first-quarter results and focus on the momentum of earnings revision for the second quarter,” said Redmond Wong, Greater China market strategist at Saxo Markets.

REUTERS GRAPHICS

The benchmark Shanghai Composite (.SSEC) has risen 8% so far in 2023, although stocks retreated somewhat in April as corporates delivered a mixed bag of results. The materials sector posted

Miscreants to be dealt with strictly according to the law: Sharjeel Memon

KARACHI staf report

Minister of Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sindh, Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Imran Khan was arrested because of his corruption, and he is not being targeted for political revenge.

Requesting the citizens information minister said that citizens are requested to open shops and businesses; the government will protect the people. Those who take the law into their hands will be dealt with strictly according to the law. Instead of spreading violence and unrest, you should clean up your act and not play with people's lives.

The accused involved in burning the buses worth crores of rupees yesterday

will be arrested.

He said that yesterday everyone witnessed the opposition leader of PTI in the Sindh Assembly walking on the road, with a cloth covering his face and carrying a baton in his hand. Peaceful protest is everyone's right, and the government will provide fields and facilities for peaceful protest, but strict action will be taken against those who block roads and commit arson. He said that if someone takes the law into their hands, the government will take strict action according to the law. Yesterday, PTI burned water board vehicles, burnt the buses of the People's Bus Service, and destroyed the travel facility of thousands of citizens. Remember that these buses belong to the citizens of Karachi; they are not the property of Al-Qadir Trust.

the worst results, with earnings in steel and building materials tumbling more than 60%, respectively. Real estate, healthcare, apparels were notable underperformers, while financials, consumer services and utilities outperformed with positive growth, (CICC) data showed.

Analysts believe earnings have reached a trough and could improve in the coming quarters, after the April Politburo meeting suggested policymakers will dole out forceful fiscal and monetary measures to support the economic recovery. Yet the stratification in consumption seems to have continued at least into the second quarter.

Labour Day holiday data this month showed households dined out and took short domestic trips, but were not ready to spend on discretionary goods and products, said David Chao, global market strategist, Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) at Invesco.

Musk says Twitter to soon allow calls, encrypted messaging

REUTERS staff report

Last year, Musk flagged plans for “Twitter 2.0 The Everything App”, which he said would have features such as encrypted direct messages (DMs), longform tweets and payments. “Coming soon will be voice and video chat from your handle to anyone on this platform, so you can talk to people anywhere in the world without giving them your phone number,” Musk said in a tweet on Tuesday The call feature on Twitter will bring the micro-blogging platform into line with the likes of Meta’s (META.O) social media applications, Facebook and Instagram, which have similar features Musk said a version of encrypted direct messages will be available on Twitter starting Wednesday, but did not say if calls will be encrypted. Twitter this week said it will start a cleansing process by removing and archiving accounts that have been inactive for several years.

CORPORATE CORNER

NUST, HEC ink DoU to undertake Prime Minister’s National innovation Award

iSLaMaBaD: The National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan have signed a Document of Understanding (DoU) to undertake the Prime Minister’s National Innovation Award, an initiative under the Prime Minister’s Youth Program. Executive Director of HEC Dr Shaista Sohail and NUST Pro-Rector Research, Innovation & Commercialisation, Dr Rizwan Riaz signed the partnership agreement at the main campus of NUST. Chairman HEC Dr Mukhtar Ahmed and Rector NUST Lt Gen (Retd) Engr Javed Mahmood Bukhari attended the event. The Prime Minister's National Innovation Award is a pioneering initiative launched by the PM Youth Affairs to support early-stage startups in emerging fields in Pakistan. It is the country's first public-funded, equity-free seed grant programme, aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth. The project aims to identify and nurture 100 brilliant ideas through financial support, mentorship, and a focused, hands-on startup bootcamp. Experienced professionals will help refine the ideas; and promising startups will have access to various incubation centres across Pakistan for further development. PR

End to electricity theft necessary to keep economy running smoothly: CEoiESCo

iSLaMaBaD: In compliance with the directives of the Government of Pakistan and the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), IESCO is providing awareness to consumers about electricity conservation and its benefits. At the same time, a series of actions against electricity thieves who cause irrepairable damage to the country, general Public and institutions are also being carried out in a fullfledged manner. In the month of April 2023, during the operation of all formulations of IESCO, 2725 meters were identified, which were being used for illegal use of electricity in various ways. Based on faulty meters and electricity theft, relevant consumers have been charged more than 32.57 millions fines against 1.19 millions units, and requests have also been submitted in relevant police stations for legal action. Dr. Muhammad Amjad Khan, CEO of IESCO said by controlling of electricity theft will not only lead towards power load managements elimination but will also assurity towards the prosperity of Pakistan. Consumers can report electricity theft on complaint numbers of the relevant SDO offices, IESCO Help line number 118, or on CEO complaint and monitoring cell IESCO Islamabad at 051-9252933-34 and fulfill their national responsibility. PR

QAU, Fo Guang Shan Education Centre, Malaysia agree to setup ‘Humanistic Buddhism Research Centre’

MISCREANTS WHO DAMAGED PROPERTIES HAVE ‘LINKS WITH INDIAN RSS’: TARAR

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPOR T

SPECIALAssistant to the Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday alleged that a handful of miscreants, who damaged military installations and government properties, were in touch with the Indian ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

“They entered the residence of Crops Commander. Their mischievous acts were celebrated by the BJP and the RSS by distributing sweets,” Atta Tarar, who was flanked by Pakistan Muslime League-Nawaz leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha , told a news conference.

“It was not difficult for the state to crush these elements but it showed restraint [on Tuesday]." He said people did not come out in

large numbers in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after he was arrested in the AlQadir Trust case. “There were only a few small groups of around 50 people (each), who gave an impression that they are launching a campaign against the national security institutions, inside as well as outside the country.

“These individuals have been identified. They will be spared and will face [courts] in terrorism-related cases. They will also not get any job or visa. They will also be not issued character certificates,” he added.

Atta Tarar said the handful of insurgents were indeed a minority wing of the RSS, operating in Pakistan which through its mischievous activities was trying to defame the country internationally.

He said there was nothing illegal in Imran Khan's arrest as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had served

several call-up notices to him to submit his reply in the Al Qadir Trust case but he never did that and so had to be arrested.

“It is clear now that Imran Niazi is totally a corrupt man. Today, he has confessed before the court that he has looted billions of the nation’s money through the Al Qadir Trust. He has also confessed that he has signed the trust deed of [Al Qadir] University. He has lied before the court that education is being imparted at the University."

As per the case, Imran Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted 190 million pounds at that time, sent by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the PTI government as part of an agreement with a property tycoon. The then-prime minister Imran Khan got approval of the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet in December, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

Forman's enduring commitment to financial aid and scholarships

Historically, higher education has long played a vital role in building tolerance, promoting innovation, and transforming communities, both in Pakistan and beyond. This in turn helps support stronger economies, healthier nations, and a better world.

Despite the formidable economic challenges recently faced by much of the world including Pakistan, higher education remains as important as ever. In particular, those fortunate enough to receive it appreciate the empowerment, independence, and new horizons which typically accompanies a quality university education. Put another way, "Education is the key to unlocking the world, providing a passport to opportunity, success, and freedom".

For nearly 160 years, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) has pursued these ideals with the added objective of

making higher education available to as many people as possible, regardless of their social, economic or religious background. Against this backdrop, Forman's financial aid programs play a key role, providing financial assistance to deserving students in ways that also help build and maintain one of the most vibrant and diverse campus communities in Pakistan.

For many students, this financial assistance opens a door to higher education that would otherwise remain shut. Moreover, the benefits to this new world that they can now enter include not only the opportunity to attend classes and earn a degree; it also sets the stage for later success through their active participation in internships, research, and dozens of student societies, providing hands-on experiences in ways that both build skills and shape personalities to last a lifetime.

In recent years Pakistan has faced a series of big challenges including Covid-19, massive flooding, political uncertainty and economic upheaval. In some cases, immediate relief was provided, based in part on targeted fund-raising efforts designed to assist students and their families directly affected by floods or the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, Forman has also worked hard to increase the funding pool available to deserving students via our general scholarship fund. These efforts have borne fruit. For example, during the 2021-2022 academic year, Forman provided scholarships valued at PKR 241 million to nearly 2,000 students. Similarly, during the current academic year (2022-2023), Forman is making PKR 329 million available in scholarship funding at all levels -- Intermediate, Undergraduate and Post-Graduate.

Sherry

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday called the global community to activate the global loss and damage fund (GL&DF) to enhance climate resilience of the vulnerable countries facing direct impacts of global warming and environmental degradation.

Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and Fo Guang Shan Education Centre, Malaysia have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to establish a joint Humanistic Buddhism Research Centre at QAU. The MoA was signed by esteemed representatives, including Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmed Akhtar (SI) and Director, Prof. Dr. Ghani-ur-Rahman from the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations, QAU. Meanwhile, the Fo Guang Shan Education Centre was represented by the Head of the President's Office Chang Yin Liang (Ven. You Deng), and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Malaya, Prof. Dr. Danny Wong Tze Ken.The agreement will promote and facilitate academic and research collaboration between the two institutions, focusing on the humanities, culture, and history, as well as research on the teachings of Buddha and Humanistic Buddhism. While addressing the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor said that Gandhara civilization thrived in the region and profoundly influenced the art, culture, and religion of the area and beyond. PR

Addressing the third breakout session titled “A multilateral framework for global responsibility and climate justice. A case study of 2022 floods in Pakistan” held in connection with the international parliamentary convention to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan here, the minister said the vulnerable communities across the globe were facing twopronged risks due to adverse impacts of climate change as one being trapped in the debts extended by the foreign nations and institutions and the other was exacerbating climate crisis repeatedly hitting them hard with unprecedented calamities.

The session was convened by Convener, National Taskforce on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) MNA Romina Khurshid Alam who made opening remarks while kicking of the session.

Senator Rehman urged the diplomatic delegations of the brotherly nations to raise their voices on the global financial architecture intended to enhance climate resilience and adaptation of the vulnerable countries.

She added that there was a dollar needed to be invested in normal development but it required $4 to be invested to ensure climate resilient development, due to which vulnerable nations were facing more burden of the climate catastrophes. The minister underlined that the entire world would have to move towards a low carbon and climate resilient future.

“We believe that what happens in one country will not stay in that country but rather will grip other states as well,” she added.

The minister termed climate change as an existential threat that had transcended the levels of climate crisis and emergency due to its rising scale and catastrophic impacts. “Pakistan has been the ground zero of climate change in 2022 as it embraces the century’s biggest floods due to monster monsoon rainfall that left 33 million population and one third of the country submerged under rainwater,” the Senator said.

The country witnessed unprecedented climate events from raging heat waves, resulting forest fires and abnormal monsoon rainfalls that left the country badly impacted and its vulnerable communities exposed to food and nutritional crisis, she added.

She regretted that the multilateral response to climate crisis was slow whereas the climate change was raging with every passing year to a record level.

British Member of the Parliament, Imran Hussain said Pakistan was facing a number of climate risks as it faced the devastating 2022 floods whereas the response of the international community was relaxed and lacked response inconformity with the damages inflicted by climate events. Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Naz Baloch said the environmental rights of the masses like clean air, environment as fundamental rights of the citizens.

Atta Tarar said it should be thoroughly investigated as to why and how Khan had got the approval from his cabinet without disclosing the details of the agreement.

Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha on the occasion said the PTI had defamed the whole country with its vandalism and even did not spare the military installations.

He said it was a matter of grave concern how workers of a political party turned into violent mobs.

He said the Islamabad District and Sessions Court had framed charges against Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, in which the deposed premier was accused of taking gifts in an illegal manner “His lawyers say that they have boycotted the court’s proceedings today. But the reality is that Imran Khan was on the run from the indictment in this case for the past eight months and today the charge sheet has been filed against him,” he added.

PPL offers financial support to Akhuwat College Kasur for under-privileged students

Lahore: Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), a National E&P Company and one of the largest corporate donors has recently funded a science laboratory at Akhuwat College in Kasur to facilitate hands-on science-based teaching and learning and for free-of-cost quality education to deserving youth. PR

MediaTek pushes flagship smartphone performance further with Dimensity 9200+

Karachi: MediaTek has expanded its Dimensity portfolio with its new Dimensity 9200+ chipset for flagship 5G smartphones. This new offering builds on the success of its predecessor with a performance upgrade while maintaining power efficiency for longer battery life and better gaming experiences. Supporting higher clock speeds than its predecessor, the Dimensity 9200 chipset, the Dimensity 9200+ combines one ultra-core Arm Cortex-X3 operating at up to 3.35GHz, three Arm Cortex-A715 super-cores running up to 3.0GHz, and four Arm Cortex-A510 efficiency cores at 2.0GHz. To give the Dimensity 9200+ an additional boost for gaming and other compute-intensive applications, MediaTek boosted the chipset’s Arm Immortalis-G715 GPU by 17%.

“We continue to raise the bar for flagship performance and power efficiency with the Dimensity 9200+, ensuring device makers have access to the most powerful mobile gaming features available today,” said Dr. Yenchi Lee, Deputy General Manager of MediaTek’s Wireless Communications Business Unit. PR

ISLAMABAD STAFF CORRESPONDENT

At an impressive ceremony held at Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard Shanghai, China; two newly built Type 054 A/P Frigates namely Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) TIPPU SULTAN and PNS SHAHJAHAN were commissioned in Pakistan Navy on Wednesday.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced the ceremony as chief

guest and handed over the traditional Command Scrolls to the Commanding Officers of Pakistan Navy Ships.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff highlighted that the commissioning of PNS TIPPU SULTAN and PNS SHAHJAHAN ushers a new chapter in Pak–China friendship that has matured and rests firmly on the pillars of trust, respect and mutual support.

Activation of GL&DF critical for climate resilience of vulnerable countries:

Navy commissions two more China-made advanced frigates

PAKISTAN’S DEEPENING POLITICAL CRISIS DOUSES HOPES FOR IMF RELIEF

PROFIT

REUTERS

THEpolitical crisis engulfing Pakistan is eroding hopes that the South Asian country can get its much needed programme with the International Monetary Fund back on track soon and escape a full-blown debt crunch, analysts said.

Violent clashes between supporters of Imran Khan and police broke out across the country after Pakistan’s anticorruption agency arrested the former prime minister on Tuesday.

The latest rupture in Pakistan’s febrile politics comes as the 230-million-population nation prepares to hold tightly fought elections in the autumn while facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with dwindling reserves and

a stalled $6.5 billion IMF programme that is expiring in June and scarce other financing sources in sight.

“With protesters on the streets, the IMF will be even more wary about restarting the loan deal,” said Gareth Leather, senior economist for Emerging Asia at Capital Economics.

The turmoil since Khan was ousted just over a year ago has scarred the country’s economy and markets.

Pakistan’s rupee has lost nearly 50% over the past 12 months. The main stock index (.KSE) has suffered a double-digit decline over the same period.

On Wednesday, the rupee tumbled to a fresh record low of 289.5 to the dollar. The country’s international bonds, already in deeply distressed territory of as little as 32 cents, dropped more than 1 cent in the dollar on the day.

JPMorgan analyst Milo Gunasinghe

‘Majority verdict’ over Tyrian White case deleted from IHC website

ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

A drama was witnessed at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday over the Tyrian White case against former prime minister Imran Khan as a majority judgment inked by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Arbab Tahir dismissing the petition was deleted from the court’s website minutes after it was uploaded. The majority judgment, authored by Justice Kayani and assented to by Justice Tahir stated that the writ petition was “not maintainable from the very inception”.

It also deprecated the petitioner’s conduct in filing the petition, noting that “the petitioner should have been mindful of the fact that the court is not a tool to be used by surrogates motivated for extraneous consideration.” A three-judge larger bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir had reserved its verdict on April 30 on the petition seeking Imran’s disqualification for concealing his alleged daughter Tyrian White in his nomination forms submitted to contest the 2018 general election. In the judgment uploaded to the court’s website, Justice Kayani had appended two “office notes”. The first note, dated May 2, said that “a draft judgment” was received by Justice Kayani from Chief Justice Farooq, to which the former did not assent. Consequently, Justice Kayani said, a separate verdict was authored by him which was concurred to by Justice Tahir and was submitted for announcement by May 3.

In the second note, dated May 9, Justice Kayani said that the majority judgment was “transmitted” to the chief justice along with a note to list the case for announcement on May 3. Despite that, Justice Kayani noted, the case has not been listed to date, adding that “speculations were widely shared on social media regarding [the] judgment”. He directed the registrar to “release the judgment of two members bench today i.e. 09.05.2023 by all means and submit a compliance report forthwith,” saying that any further delay in releasing the judgment “could cause aspersion on the outcome of the case and impugn the confidentiality and integrity of the court process and public from the independence of the court”.

Internet shutdown for ‘indefinite’ period: telco regulator

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) announced on Wednesday that internet services will remain suspended across the country for an “indefinite” period, responding to a directive by the interior ministry to block mobile broadband services.

The move comes after violent protests erupted following the arrest on Tuesday of Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in a case that involves a property tycoon tied to the military.

The arrest came hours after he released a video message reiterating his allegation that the powerful military had tried to assassinate him twice.

Mobile internet services were cut across the country, according to the telecommunication authority, and access to social media platforms — Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, where videos of the protests were being widely shared — was restricted.

Internet users in Pakistan said they are unable to access major platforms since the services were shut down on Tuesday. Videos of violent protests were widely circulated on the platforms, prompting the blocking of mobile broadband services.

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the people to continue their peaceful protests, as their captain was fine and more determined than ever despite detention and torture.

In a video message, PTI Vice Chairman shared details about PTI Chairman’s wellbeing and his health conditions and said the morale of the captain was very high despite the arrest and torture. Qureshi said that Imran Khan had a clear message for the workers that his morale was high and they should not lose heart. He said that an important meeting of all regional and district heads was convened at 6

said little relief from political uncertainty was in sight while the IMF programme remained stalled.

“The latest developments likely dampen any prospect of a political breakthrough across both sides,” Milo said.

The bank recently lowered its 2023 growth forecast for the country from 1.3% to 0.1% and warned of “stagflation shock” due to delays in the IMF talks, while the central bank hiked its key interest rate to a record 21% to fight double-digit inflation.

The nuclear-armed nation faces the risk of a default unless it receives massive support. The gross public debt-toGDP ratio stands at 73.5%, according to government data as of December. Foreign exchange reserves at $4.457 billion cover barely a month’s worth of imports.

“The IMF has the capacity and the flexibility to help member counties in a

PKR hits record low against US dollar amid ongoing political instability

variety of political circumstances,” said Reza Baqir, former central bank governor of Pakistan and global head of sovereign advisory services at Alvarez and Marsal.

“It is usually up to the country to present a credible plan of policies and financing that, in the face of political uncertainty, will credibly address the members’ balance of payment problems.”

The armed forces remain Pakistan’s most powerful institution, having ruled directly for close to half the country’s 75-year history through three coups.

Hasnain Malik, head of equity research at London-based Tellimer, added that unless martial law was imposed, there was no reason for the IMF to suspend discussions.

“However, instances of violence likely justify a postponement in the election and make credibly committing to painful fiscal cuts even harder,” he said.

Another day, another bank wants transition to Islamic Banking

g ZTBL PLANS TO CONVERT TO ISLAMIC BANKING

KARACHI MARIAM UMAR FAROOQ

Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), a Pakistani agricultural lender providing financing services to farmers, plans to convert its banking system from conventional to Islamic banking. After the Federal Government’s directive last year to end the Ribabased banking and financial system within the next five years, the conversation has been rife in the banking sector. Faysal Bank has successfully transitioned to Islamic banking while other banks like Summit Bank and Bank of Punjab have also expressed their intent to transition to Islamic banking.

ZTBL’s Senior Executive Vice President Zahid Hussain told The News that the bank is already in the process of conversion of branches from conventional to Islamic. Branches will be converted every year to transform the bank into an Islamic one over the years. By the end of this year, 25 branches would be converted from conventional to Islamic. Currently, ZTBL has a network of 501 branches, 9 of which are Islamic. Federal government’s support for Islamic Banking

Last year in April, the Shariah Court made a historic verdict that declared the prevailing interestbased banking system as against the principles of Shariah, directing the government to facilitate all loans under an interest-free system. The court further instructed the government to enact and amend laws to implement Islamic banking within the country and issued directives that the banking system of the country should be free of interest by December 2027.

This decision came after years of petitions against Riba (interest), with the Supreme Court referring the case back to the court in 2002 following appeals against the decision of the Federal Shariat Court (FSC).

In February of this year, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar reiterated the government’s commitment to implementing the Islamic financial system in Pakistan. He also revealed that a high-level threemember committee comprising key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and Shariah scholars and chaired by the Governor State Bank, has been formed to plan the financial system of Pakistan to operate on an Islamic basis. This committee would be directly monitored by him.

As part of its strategy to increase the share of Islamic banking from 20% to 35% in the next two

years, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that it will facilitate banks that have plans to convert their business into a Shariah-compliant mode. Growing demand for Shariah-compliant banking

The growing demand for Shariah-compliant financing and its remarkable growth across the country further highlights the attractiveness of Islamic banking. Islamic banking in Pakistan has experienced remarkable growth, with assets totalling over Rs 6 trillion and deposits reaching Rs 5 trillion in 2022.

As evidenced by the State Bank of Pakistan’s survey, which polled 10,000 households, a staggering 74% expressed willingness to switch to Islamic banking, indicating not just receptiveness but also support for the Riba-free banking system. This overwhelming demand for Islamic banking in the country is evident from the survey results, reinforcing the promising prospects of the industry.

Apart from the growing demand, banks are aware of how Islamic banking has the capacity to increase market share significantly while also providing high returns due to its low deposit costs. And ZTBL is no different. In its pursuit to expand its branch network, ZTBL in 2022 approved a policy to open Islamic Banking Windows, allowing for a more comprehensive outreach to customers. It also established a mechanism to connect its conventional windows with Islamic windows. It introduced Islamic products which include Shariah-compliant investment product and Islamic tractor financing.

About Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL)

ZTBL provides farmers, particularly small ones in rural areas, sustainable financial services, including the implementation of new schemes and the development of innovative products. According to the bank’s annual report for the 2022 fiscal year, the bank’s asset base increased 93% last year to reach Rs 491 billion. Total deposits of the bank increased by 9% to Rs 47.3 billion in 2022. The bank reported a profit after tax of Rs 5.1 billion last year, compared with a loss of Rs1.7 billion in the preceding year. ZTBL diversified its investment portfolio in 2022. It increased its investment in government securities by around 4 times which resulted in an increased markup income of Rs. 23,608 million, compared to Rs. 6,965 million the previous year. The bank’s asset quality indicators showed improvement as the gross infection ratio decreased to 31% in 2022 from 35% in 2021. The non-performing loans fell to Rs 33.68 billion from Rs 40.74 billion a year earlier.

g UNCERTAINTY OVER IMF PROGRAM ADDS TO RUPEE'S DEPRECIATION

PROFIT ISLAMABAD

The ongoing political instability in Pakistan has had a negative impact on market sentiment, as the Pakistani rupee reached a record low of 290 against the US dollar.

The currency depreciated nearly 1.8% in the interbank market during Wednesday’s trading. This is due to uncertainty surrounding the resumption of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program, which has been exacerbated by the political tension in the country.

According to the Finance Ministry it has made arrangements to repay or roll over this fiscal year’s $3.7 billion debt, so there should be no cause for concern. The US dollar has weakened broadly due to the debt ceiling crisis, but currency moves remain marginal ahead of US inflation data. Oil prices also dipped on Wednesday due to an unexpected rise in US oil inventories and concerns about demand.

PTI to continue peaceful protests across country

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

An important emergency meeting of the senior leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday decided to continue peaceful protests across the country until the release of Imran Khan. The central PTI leaders and emergency committee members had attended the meeting. The meeting also decided to challenge the decision of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Supreme Court. It was also decided that all the PTI leaders and workers will reach Judicial Complex, Islamabad today.

PTI BLOCKS KARAKORAM HIGHWAY: In Cilas, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers on Wednesday blocked the Karakoram highway to register their protest against the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Al Qadir Trust case.

Enraged PTI protestors reached Karakoram highway in Upper Kohistan, Chilas and observed a sit-in, suspending the traffic.

The protestors chanted slogans against the federal government and vowed to continue their sit-in until the release of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) termed the arrest of former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan ‘legal.’

The court also issued contempt court notices to Interior Secretary and IG Islamabad for ‘vandalism’ on the premises of the court.

The plea challenging Imran Khan’s arrest was taken up by Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Aamer Farooq in which the director general (DG) National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the prosecutor general appeared.

Lahore, Rawalpindi lawyers boycott court to protest Imran’s arrest

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

PTI

leadership ‘encouraged’ workers for vandalism: Marriyum

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership ‘encouraged’ their workers to stage protests, rallies and vandalism. According to details, the federal minister said that the PTI chief was arrested Al-Qadir Trust case, adding that at least 15 notices were sent to PTI chief regarding this case as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sought him for investigation.

She further said that the PTI chairman Imran Khan was supposed to submit a response in the corruption case, but he had not appeared before the NAB. Aurangzeb said that the party’s leaders ‘encouraged’ their workers for vandalism, adding that “the reaction doesn’t seems like the public reaction but a part of a wider strategy.” It is pertinent to mention here that PTI leadership has denied the involvement of the PTI workers in the vandalism following the arrest of PTI chief. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced protests

across the country following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. The appeal was made from the official Twitter handle of the PTI. Hundreds of PTI workers took to the streets in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Multan and other cities to record their protest against the arrest of former premier.

Police have arrested several PTI workers in Islamabad who have blocked the Kashmir highway. In Karachi, both lanes of the Sharea Faisal were blocked after PTI MNAs and MPAs blocked the roads.

to Pakistani nation

pm today to convey his message, which would be held with Qureshi in the chair.

PTI Vice Chairman said that Imran Khan was produced in court today and was handed to NAB on physical remand for eight days and now he would be presented in court again on May 17. He said that Imran Khan was fine and more determined than ever but was extremely saddened when he was informed about the martyrdom of the party workers in firings.

Qureshi urged that PTI has always been peaceful, as our struggle has always been within the framework of the constitution and law and we have to maintain this policy.

He said that they would be consulted and he would also get information about the situation in their respective areas so that it

could be conveyed to Imran Khan.

Qureshi went on to say that consultation

Lawyers of the Lahore and Rawalpindi Bar Associations observed a complete boycott of courts on Wednesday in protest against the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from outside the Islamabad High Court’s premises.

The black coats neither appeared in any court in connection with their cases, nor prisoners were brought to courts from any prison in Lahore and Rawalpindi. Sessions courts adjourned all cases till next date of hearing.

Both the bar associations convened general house meetings where their leaders condemned arrest of PTI chairman and demanded his immediate release. The lawyers questioned the “logic behind the decision of Imran Khan’s arrest” and regretted that all the corrupt politicians who looted public exchequer mercilessly were enjoying powers while a public leader was arrested, tortured and manhandled on trumped-up charges merely to please “someone.”

The Lahore and Rawalpindi Bar Associations officebearers also expressed resentment over torture by security personnel on court employees and lawyers during arrest of Imran Khan.

While strongly condemning the incident, they demanded the authorities to take strict action against the police and Rangers personnel involved in torture.

with lawyers was going on, as a petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the decision of the High Court against Imran Khan’s arrest. He said that the political leadership and lawyers would be taken into confidence so as to devise a next action plan. Qureshi ap-

pealed that the workers should continue their protests but remained peaceful and should not take the law into their hands. However, PTI Vice Chairman said that the PTI supports and workers should not be discouraged because their leader was highly motivated.

PTI challenges Imran’s arrest in SC

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday challenged the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan in Supreme Court. The PTI submitted its petition in the apex court, praying the court to declare former prime minister’s arrest as illegal and order his release. The party also urged the Supreme Court to annul the Islamabad High Court’s ruling declaring Imran Khan’s arrest as per law. It may be mentioned here that the IHC on Tuesday night had declared the arrest of Imran Khan ‘legal’. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the reserved verdict by accepting the point of view of the NAB. The Supreme Court Registrar, however, returned the PTI petition after raising objections to it. The first objection was about not attaching the copies of the original court decision. Secondly, the applicant did not move to the relevant forum first. The PTI has also challenged the relocation of accountability and district courts to the Police Lines in Islamabad High Court to hear cases against Imran Khan. Challenging to the notification for shifting of the two courts, Imran Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry submitted the application in the IHC on Wednesday. The PTI chief’s lawyer prayed to the court declare the notification of relocating the two courts as illegal. He also urged the court to grant permission to Imran Khan’s legal team to meet him. STAFF REPORT

‘Don’t lose heart’, Khan’s message