Epaper_23-05-16 KHI

PDM TARGETS CJP FOR ‘WEAKENING DEMOCRACY, FACILITATING’ IMRAN KHAN

law and Constitution, but this building, the Supreme Court, was giving verdicts which were causing the country’s destruction

She pointed out that the top court should have given justice to the oppressed and strengthened Parliament but instead it disqualified a prime minister Nawaz Sharif who was elected by the people

She accused it of murdering justice and said that it gave its certification to all the martial laws that were imposed in Pakistan

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the ruling

PDM wanted to restore the honour and dignity of the top court

He said the historic gathering outside the Supreme Court reflected that the country s decisions should be made by the people

He also vowed to protect the Supreme Court building, saying no one can dare to cause harm to the top court in the presence of the PDM’s protesters

We believe in respecting the judiciary We have held a people s court in Islamabad he remarked

Dar announces Rs 12 cut in POL prices

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

AT a protest sit-in outside Supreme Court of Pakistan here on Monday the top leadership of govt alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) targeted superior judiciary for what it called the weakening of democratic order in the country

In a passionate address, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz accused judges of playing a significant role in the destruction of Pakistan

She expressed her concerns regarding the state of the country and emphasised the importance of strengthening democracy within the framework of the Constitution

Speaking to a massive crowd gathered to protest against behaviour of judges of superior judiciary especially Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umra Ata Bandial Maryam called attention to what she referred to as the talk of the facilitators of Imran Khan

She arrived at the venue of the protest demonstration alongside Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman

She asserted that legislation should remain the responsibility of the Parliament, stating, “It is not your [judges] responsibility to stop it ” By emphasising the role of the elected representatives the PML-N leader highlighted the need for a robust democratic process

Showing her respect for the Supreme Court and the Constitution, she criticised the tarnished image of the revered institution, attributing the blame to what she termed as “Imrandari” “This building was tarnished not by ‘Imandari but by Imrandari’ she stated emphasising her disappointment with the current state of affairs

Maryam also expressed her reluctance to protest at the Supreme Court advocating for democracy to be strengthened through the proper functioning of the institution She emphasised the importance of preserving the integrity of the building and called for the restoration of democratic values

Marayma stated that her party respects Pakistan s

Fazl also blamed the PTI chief Imran Khan s decision to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies for the prevailing crisis in the country

T-I

N: After dawn to dusk “peaceful dharna” the ruling PDM called off the sit-in staged outside the Supreme Court to protest against the judiciary for facilitating Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan The announcement was made by PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)

The multi-party protesters including workers and supporters of the JUI-F from different areas of the country converged on Islamabad with many making an entrance into the Red Zone, despite Section 144 still in effect the capital city Maulana Fazl

EXCLUSIVE: G7 LEADERS TO TARGET RUSSIAN ENERGY, TRADE IN NEW SANCTIONS STEPS

PR

R

LE A D E R S of the Group of Seven (G7) nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week with steps aimed at energy and exports aiding Moscow s war effort said officials with direct knowledge of the discussions

New measures announced by the leaders during the May 19-21 meetings will target sanctions evasion involving third countries and seek to undermine Russia s future energy production and curb trade that supports Russia s military, the people said Separately, U S officials also expect G7 members will agree to adjust their approach to sanctions so that, at least for certain categories of goods all exports are automatically banned unless they are on a list of approved items

The Biden administration has previously pushed G7 allies to reverse the group’s sanctions approach, which today allows all goods to be sold to Russia unless they are explicitly blacklisted

That change could make it harder for Moscow to find gaps in the sanctions regime

While the allies have not agreed to apply the more-restrictive approach broadly, U S officials expect that in the most sensitive areas for Russia’s military G7 members will adopt a presumption that

BHC bars SSGCL from collecting extra charges from consumers

QUETTA t Lt p

The Balochistan High Court Monday restrained Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) from collecting extra charges from gas consumers in the province

A division bench of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) comprising Justices Muhammad Kamran Khan Mulakhail and Sardar Ahmed Haleemi issued the directives expressing dissatisfaction over non-appearance of secretary energy chairman and director general (Gas) Ogra and 25 top brass of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL)

Earlier the bench has asked them to appear before the court in response to a pending plea seeking directives over uninterrupted gas supply manhandling the applicants and failure to establish consumers grievance redressal mechanism since a long During the hearing of the case, the court was informed that the secretary petroleum, DG gas and other relevant authorities were not present in the court despite being summoned The court expressed its displeasure over their nonappearance and summoned them for the next hearing Earlier, the BHC has issued contempt of court notices to secretary energy, chairman and director general (Gas) Ogra and 25 top brass of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) for willful defiance of court directives over uninterrupted gas supply manhandling the applicants and failure to establish consumers grievance redressal mechanism since a long The petitioner has urged the court’s directives to National Highways Authority (NHA) Cantonment Board Quetta (CBQ) and Metropolitan Corporation Quetta (MCQ) to ensure immediate filling up patches and trenches followed by blacktopping soon after handing over the site by the SSGC s contractor Issuing notice in the matter the bench said in its order (Copy available with TLTP) “We are dismay to painfully observe which is unfortunate at least to say that time and again the orders were passed but no heed was paid which left us with no other option, but to issue contempt of court notices to all concerned officers of the SSGC, Ministry of Petroleum, Oil & Gas Development Authority with clear understanding that why a contempt of court proceeding shall not be initiated against them for willful defiance of the court s orders

Expressing grave dismay over referral of domestic consumer bills correction to Karachi office during the last hearing of the case, the bench issued directives to people at the helm of affairs to ensure that such issues should be decided in SSGCL Quetta On Monday the court stopped the SSGCL from collecting extra charges from consumers and adjourned the hearing of the case till June 19, 2023

exports are banned unless they are on a designated list

The exact areas where these new rules would apply are still being discussed

You should expect to see in a handful of spaces particularly relating to Russia s defense industrial base that change in presumption happen, said a U S official who declined to be named

The precise language of the G7 leaders’ joint declarations is still subject to negotiation and adjustment before it is released during the summit The G7 comprises the United States Japan Canada France Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom

The G7 leaders’ action on Russia comes as Ukraine’s Western allies hunt for new ways to tighten already restrictive

sanctions on Russia, from export controls to visa restrictions and an oil price cap, which have put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin but not halted the fullscale invasion that started over a year ago

Some U S allies have resisted the idea of banning trade broadly and then issuing category-by-category exemptions

The European Union, for instance, has its own approach and is also currently negotiating its 11th package of sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine with the bulk focused on people and countries circumventing existing trade restrictions

The sometimes-discussed approach of ‘we ban everything first and allow exceptions’ will not work in our view,” said one top German government official “We

want to be very very precise and we want to avoid unintended side effects ”

Meanwhile any change in language including language specifying that certain trade is banned unless specifically exempted, by the G7 leaders may not necessarily lead to more bans immediately or indeed any change in Russia’s posture

At least on day one that change in presumption doesn t change the substance of what s allowed but it matters for the long-term trajectory of where we re going and the restrictiveness of the overall regime,” the U S official said Ukraine backed by Western arms and cash is expected to launch major counteroffensive operations in the coming weeks to try to recapture tracts of its east and south from Russian forces Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been in Europe this week for meetings with Pope Francis as well as with leaders from France Italy and Germany

He is expected to address G7 leaders either virtually or in-person, during their summit in Hiroshima, the officials said Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last month a G7 move to ban exports to the country would cause Moscow to terminate a Black Sea grain deal that enables vital exports of grain from Ukraine Food security in the aftermath of the war is also expected to be a major topic at the G7

SHC issues notices over petition against arrest of PTI’s Ali Zaidi

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to Sindh Home Department I G Sindh and other concerned authorities against the arrest of Ali Zaidi the president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Province Sindh Chapter According to media details, the SHC taking action over a plea submitted by the wife of Ali Zaidi summoned reply from the respondents within two weeks

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the current Army

Chief General Asim Munir is not willing to sit with Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in a room and interfere in the democratic processes of the country

The minister made these remarks in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera English on Sunday and maintained that elections will take place after the incumbent government completes its constitutional tenure “There is a Constitution there is a law that will of course take its own course and the elections will happen after we complete the constitutional tenure that is there in the law of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and election law 2017,” she added Talking about former premier Imran Khan s arrest on May 9 she said that there was no objective to be achieved by arresting him Mr Imran Khan was not arrested by the government It was the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), according to the law, where he is being investigated for a case of corruption ” she said When asked if the internet and social media blackout in the country sounds like martial law Marriyum said What do you expect when a party leader is inciting violence on [the] streets”

“There were different installations where he had placed people the entire

party leadership was monitoring how many people have reached Jinnah House [the residence of Lahore Corps Commander] , she added The minister said what can one expect from a government that has to save the people She maintained that the ruling coalition tackled the entire situation that unfolded following the PTI chief s arrest prudently and maturely Marriyum stated there was no miscalculation on the government or the security agencies’ behalf, adding that there was force present but “we chose not to use it and dealt with the situation very maturely She said that the PTI

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lashed out the imported government for its ongoing drive of detaining PTI leadership, women and workers in large scale with the plan to ban the largest and only federal party in Pakistan urging the nation to be ready for a massive but peaceful protest

In a strong reaction over the arrest of PTI leadership and its supporters on Monday, PTI Chairman said that without any investigation into who was responsible for arson on government building or dozens of deaths of unarmed protesters by bullet wounds around 7000 PTI workers leadership and our women have been jailed with plans to ban the largest and only fed-

eral party in Pakistan

chairman is not attending to his corruption cases and informed that the prominent cases against him are that of foreign funding, Al-Qadir Trust, Toshakhana and Tyrian White case Responding to a question about the economic situation, the information minister said Pakistan is in “safe hands”

Talking about the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) protest outside the Supreme Court today, she said that Our workers will lodge our protest but will not set the building on fire,” adding that the protest will be peaceful against the constitutional violations taking place in the country

Meanwhile, he said that these goons were being facilitated by our security agencies to take over the Supreme Court (SC) and subvert the constitution Imran Khan urged that all citizens must be ready for peaceful protests as once constitution and SC destroyed, it is the end of the Pakistan dream

F U N E R A L P R AY E R S WA S O F -

F E R E D: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

Chairman Imran Khan announced that funeral prayers in absentia would be offered for the martyrs of May 9 peaceful protests at Zaman Park, Lahore after Maghrib prayers today

In a special video message PTI Chairman appealed that the people should gather at Zaman Park Lahore to offer funeral

Petitioner Yasmeen Zaidi Ali Zaidi s wife pleaded to the high court to order the provincial government and the Sindh Police to release Ali Zaidi According to the petition “Ali Zaidi was illegally detained on May 09” and it further claims that “The constitution of Pakistan allows right to peaceful protest to each citizen of the country , Sindh Home Department, I G Sindh Police and others were made party in the petition Police arrested several PTI leaders including PTI Sindh president Ali Zaidi who were protesting against arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan at Shahrah-eFaisal Karachi Protests erupted in several cities of the country after Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case PTI announced protests across the country following the arrest of its chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan

Five killed, 14 wounded in firing between neighbors

QUETTA S ta f f R e p o R t

Crossfire between two neighbors took lives of five persons including four real brothers and injured 14 others over a construction dispute in Quetta According to police, two groups of Lehrri tribe exchanged harsh words over the construction of a building nearby in Gahi Khan Chowk at the Sariyab Road area

The clash of words later on entered in exchange of fire which resulted in the death of four real brothers while eight others including the victim s mother, father and grandfather were also injured One young man from the other group was also killed, and six others got bullets injuries The Kechi Beg SHO said the clash started between two neighbors over the construction of a little extension in front of a house The bodies and the injured were taken to the Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical Hospital According to Police Surgeon Dr Ayesha Faiz, those who died were hit by bullets in their upper torsos causing instant death The injured were taken to the trauma centre

prayers for the martyrs of May 9 peaceful protests across the country Imran Khan said that these people came out of their homes to stage peaceful protests only for their rights but they were directly shot at PTI Chairman expressed his shock that many people sustained serious injuries and were in hospitalized in critical condition

He said that it was a pity that the peaceful protestors were directly hit with bullets but no one was ready for investigation into it Imran Khan stated that direct firing on their own people like they sprayed the peaceful protestors with bullets were not allowed anywhere in the world

He said that such brutal treatment meted out with slaves and this was done by General Dyer who opened fire on peaceful protesters PTI Chairman reminded that

protesters in France lobbed petrol bombs at the police but no shots were fired because it was a free country Imran Khan urged that everyone should reach Zaman Park after Maghrib today to offer funeral prayers in absentia for these martyrs who led their lives to hold peaceful protests for reclaiming their constitutional and fundamental rights

O il falls as economic concerns offset prospec t of tighter supplies

their lowest since June 2022, while gas rigs plunged by 16 to 141

Meanwhile leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations could announce new measures at their May 19-21 meetings that target sanctions evasion involving third countries, said officials with direct knowledge of the discussions

The tightening of sanctions will also seek to undermine Russia’s future energy production and curb trade that supports the Russian military the people said India and China, the world s No 3 and No 1 crude importers, respectively, have been the key buyers of Russian crude since the European Union embargo started in December

COAS ‘not willing’ to sit with Imran, inter fere in democrac y: M arriyum

I m r a n l a m b a s t s g ov t fo r d e t a i n i n g

P T I l e a d e r s, wo m e n a n d wo r ke r s

J O I N T S I T T I N G O F PA R L I A M E N T PA S S E S E I G H T B I L L S

ISLAMABAD, S tA F F R e P o R t

THE Joint Sitting of the Parliament on Monday passed eight bills

These include The National Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2023 , The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment)

Bill, 2021”, “The Trained Paramedical Staff

Facility Bill 2019” “The Day Care Centres

Bill 2019” “The Maternity and Paternity

Leave Bill 2020 The Criminal Laws

PDM targets CJP for ‘weakening democracy, facilitating’ Imran Khan

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(Amendment) Bill 2022 The Limitation

(Amendment) Bill 2022 and The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2022

The joint sitting of parliament on Monday passed the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2023 after President Dr Arif Alvi refused to give his assent as the government seeks to empower the NAB s chairman

Both houses- the National Assembly and the Senate- passed the bill in April, but the president- in the same month- returned the bill to the parliament and advised the

Despite the federal government’s request to change the venue of the sit-in amid security concerns the PDM a multi-party ruling alliance chief had refused to budge on his decision and organised protest demonstration of thousands of workers outside the top court Police stand idle as JUI-F militia penetrates Red Zone for Supreme Court protest Hordes of stick-wielding members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) component parties breached the entrance of the Red Zone neighbourhood in Islamabad home to many Western embassies the Supreme Court and government ministries to stage a peaceful sitin outside the apex judicial forum while the policemen become mute spectators Last week, after the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Imran Khan’s arrest was unlawful the ruling coalition announced a peaceful sit-in outside the court on Monday (today) to protest Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial s facilitation and VIP protocol for former prime minister Addressing a news conference where he was flanked by leaders of all component parties, Fazl ur-Rahman, who heads the coalition accused the Supreme Court of risking the Constitution law and all else for the sake of the chairman of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party Footage broadcast on TV and shared on the internet showed uniformed members of Ansar ul-Islam, the militant wing of the radical Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, breaching the gate of the Red Zone as police watched on As soon as the gates opened thousands of armed protesters rushed inside the media reported Supporters and workers of JUI-F who form the majority of the protesters arrived in the capital early Sunday Despite the continued enforcement of Section 144 in the capital, they managed to enter the Red Zone unchallenged, gaining access to the restricted neighbourhood The protest is scheduled between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm when a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court will be hearing a petition by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to review its previous order regarding the scheduling of elections for the Punjab Assembly Meanwhile, the Islamabad police tweeted that although protesters entered the Red Zone the “situation is peaceful” It further asked the public to remain peaceful and cooperate with the police In another tweet the police warned members of the public that there are risks of terrorism and asked them to stay away from places where crowds have gathered

SCBA president declares Punjab government ‘illegal and unconstitutional’

ISLAMABAD: Abid Zuberi, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) made a statement on Monday asserting that the caretaker government of Punjab became illegal and unconstitutional after May 14 Speaking to the media he criticised the government of Mohsin Naqvi for failing to comply with the Supreme Court s orders regarding the conduct of elections, suggesting that they could face disqualification as a consequence Zuberi highlighted that the Constitution does not provide any provision for extending the election date further emphasising the importance of adhering to constitutional principles Addressing concerns about potential pressure on the Supreme Court due to ongoing sit-ins, Zuberi reassured the judges of the Supreme Court would not succumb to any form of pressure from politicians or external forces S tA F F R e P o R t

Imran Khan will definitely be arrested: Rana Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday announced to arrest former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan Not Bushra Bibi but Imran Khan will definitely be arrested Rana Sanaullah said in his statement while reacting to the rumors of arresting Bushra Bibi, wife of Imran Khan

The minister said PDM Chief Fazlur Rehman has not shared details of sin-in in Islamabad We have requested Fazlur Rehman to keep the protest s duration short Commenting on relief to Imran Khan from the judiciary, Rana Sanaullah said when a top court is saying ‘good luck’ to an accused, there is no reason for the lower judiciary to deny ‘relief ’ to him It may be noted that the workers of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) entered Islamabad s red zone despite the imposition of Section 144 in the federal capital S tA F F R e P o R t

lawmakers to reconsider the amendments

The president sent the bill back to the parliament under Article 75(1)(b) of the Constitution, saying that earlier amendments to the accountability laws were already pending before the Supreme Court - after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan challenged earlier amendments This aspect has not been addressed in the bill and the prime minister s advice, the president had noted Now, as the joint sitting has passed the bill even if the head of the state does not

approve it within 10 days the Constitution states that it will be deemed that the president has given his assent

Presenting the motion for seeking approval of the bill, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the laws that were made during a dictator s rule were now being used for political engineering

He mentioned that despite Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf s (PTI) claim that the bill was an "NRO-II", time would show the party that it is really an "NRO-II" for the PTI

"NAB under former chairman Javed Iqbal

IHC orders Fawad C haudhr y to be presented in cour t today

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the IG Islamabad police on Monday to present Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry before the court today (Tuesday)

Fawad was apprehended by the police last week as he emerged from the Supreme Court (SC) building where he had sought refuge for over 12 hours in an attempt to evade his impending arrest

He had arrived at the court earlier that day to file a petition challenging the Islamabad High Court s (IHC) order giving legal cover to party chief Imran Khan’s arrest Shortly after, law enforcement authorities reached the court and waited to detain him

Despite having remained inside the apex court throughout the day he was eventually taken into custody late in the evening

In the application, it was argued that there had been a genuine risk of Fawad being taken into custody as well

In a bid to strengthen his case, the PTI leader had also filed a civil miscellaneous petition along with Imran Khan’s appeal stating that he had obtained protective bail from the IHC until May 12

During the course of Fawad s stay in the SC building, police officials had maintained a presence outside, patiently awaiting his departure Upon finally exiting the premises at approximately 11:30 pm, Chaudhry was promptly arrested by the waiting officers

IHC Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb presided over today s proceedings as Fawad s brother and legal counsel Faisal Chaudhry presented his arguments

H e s t r e s s e d b e f o r e t h e j u d g e t h a t F a w a d h a d been arrested in spite of having secured bail from the high court

“The police had been informed [of the interim bail]

but they did not obey court orders argued the lawyer

A copy of IHC CJ Aamer Farooq s earlier orders was also presented before the court

“IG Islamabad was present in the courtroom when this order was issued,” he added The court went on to issue notices to IG Islamabad and the district magistrate

The latter has been directed to present the court record

The IHC heard petitions challenging the detention of PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema and Maleeka Bokhari among others Barrister Faiza Asad represented the PTI leaders in court today arguing that several of them suffered from medical issues

The court ordered the jail administration to allow the legal teams and family members of the arrested PTI leaders to meet them

Top militar y brass vows to tr y ‘spoilers’ behind attack on militar y installations ‘under Army Ac t ’

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“The forum emphasised the need for national consensus amongst all stakeholders to address ongoing political instability as a priority so as to restore public confidence reinvigorate economic activity and strengthen the democratic process The forum also resolved to support all such efforts to reach this muchneeded consensus “Forum resolved that Pakistan Army with the full support of people of Pakistan will defeat all nefarious designs of the enemies of Pakistan ” the military’s media wing added The ISPR statement comes as the country recovers

from the chaos that ensued after PTI chief Imran Khan s arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court on May 9 The former prime minister was arrested by the National Accountability Burea with the help of the paramilitary Rangers a development that sparked countrywide protests amid incidents of vandalism and violence

While the protests were underway social media was flooded with footage of a mob clashing with police in Karachi attacking and entering the army s head office General Headquarters, in Rawalpindi and vandalising the official residence of a high-ranking military officer in Lahore The ISPR referred to the day of the violence as a “black chapter”

Celebrated play wright, ac tor S hoaib Hashmi breathes his last

LAHORE S tA F F R e P o R t

Veteran playwright actor and professor Shoaib Hashmi breathed his last on Monday

Shoaib Hashmi who had been bedridden for the last 14 years breathed his last on Monday The news was shared on Twitter by Adil Najam that the well-known Pakistani actor is no more Shoaib Hashmi’s health condition was not stable as he had suffered a stroke 14 years ago after which he had been on bed unable to speak or walk by himself Shoaib Hashmi had written and acted in popular dramas of the 1970s Shoaib Hashmi s famous dramas included Akkar Bakkar , Sach Gup , Taal Matol and Balila

I n 1 9 9 0 , S h o a i b H a s h m i u s e d t o w r i t e a c o l u m n i n a n e w s p a p e r u n d e r t h e t i t l e o f Ta a l M a t o l S h o a i b H a s h m i h a d r e c e i v e d t h e b e s t p e r f o r m a n c e a w a r d i n

1 9 9 5 a n d w a s a l s o h o n o u r e d w i t h Ta m g h a - i - I m t i a z H e co mp leted M as ter s o f A r ts in Eco n o mics at G o v e r n m e n t C o l l e g e ( n o w G o v e r n m e n t C o l l e g e U n i v e r s i t y ) , L a h o r e H e r e c e i v e d h i s M S c d e g r e e f r o m L o n d o n S c h o o l o f E c o n o m i c s ( L S E ) a n d s t u d i e d t h e a t r e a t t h e R o y a l A c a d e m y o f D r a m a t i c

Arts London He married Salima Hashmi the daughter of noted

Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz The couple had two

children from the wedlock Hashmi was known for his comedy shows of 1970s He had taught economics at GCU, Lahore and Lahore School for Economics

In acknowledgement of his services, he had been conferred Pride of Performance and Medal of Excellence PM, INFROAMTION MINISTER GRIEVED OVER SAD DEMISE

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed grief over the demise of prominent playwright, comedian, teacher and poet Shoaib Hashmi

T h e p r i m e m i n i s t e r s y m p a t h i s e d w i t h M u n i z a H a s h m i S a l e e m a H a s h m i a n d o t h e r m e m b e r s o f t h e b e r e a v e d f a m i l y o f S h o a i b H a s h m i w h o w a s a l s o t h e s o n - i n - l a w o f r e n o w n e d p o e t F a i z

A h m e d F a i z

The prime minister said that late Shoaib Hashmi had made a remarkable contribution to the golden era of Pakistan Television and also introduced new dynamics in the comic programs

He said late Shoaib Hashmi also wrote historic and unforgettable plays which highlighted great values traditions and ideologies Prime Minister Shehbaz said the writers and intellectuals like Shoaib Hashmi had taught manners and ethics to the society His death is a huge loss the society, art and literature, he added

He prayed to Allah Almighty for peace of the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude

was used for political engineering the Law Minister said

Referring to the Supreme Court hearing on the NAB bill, the law minister said no institution has the right to interfere in the parliament's matters "We have not interfered in any other institution s jurisdiction so far [and we expect the same from the judiciary] the Law Minister said After the minister s motion, Jamaat-eIslami's Senator Mushtaq Ahmed called for making some amendments to the law, but the house rejected those suggestions

Imran due back in cour t after week of unrest

LAHORE

A F P

Former prime minister Imran Khan was due back in Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday after his arrest and brief detention last week sparked days of deadly civil unrest Khan was arrested on graft charges on Tuesday prompting supporters to rampage through cities across Pakistan before the Supreme Court declared his detention illegal three days later In Islamabad hundreds of supporters of the ruling alliance of coalition parties also began to gather on Monday for a protest against the Supreme Court s decision to release Khan The former international cricket star was due to return to the high court in his home town on Monday to face fresh charges alleging he planned the violence that followed his arrest one of his lawyers said Khan will be appearing in court today for cases registered against him related to the incidents of 9 May to 12 May, lawyer Intazar Hussain Panjutha told AFP The court, however, fixed his petition for Tuesday At least nine people were killed, hundreds of police officers injured and more than 7 000 people detained in last week’s unrest before Khan was released on bail on Friday authorities said Khan will again seek bail in the new cases which include a charge relating to the death of a supporter of his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party in March He already has protective bail for 10 days in the rest of the known cases against him,” Panjutha said An embargo issued by the Islamabad High Court preventing Khan’s arrest on any known cases was also due to expire on Monday Khan 70 said on Twitter he expected to be arrested again Using (the) pretext of violence while I was inside the jail, they have assumed the role of judge, jury and executioner, he wrote of the current government Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, who has vowed Khan will be rearrested told reporters on Sunday the “terrorism and mobbing was all preplanned and this was done by Khan

NAB issues questionnaire to developer of PU Town III in ongoing investigation

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It is also pertinent to mention here that the AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE) had previously uncovered instances of embezzlement and illegal activities related to the purchase and sale of land and plots within the housing society established by the faculty NAB s investigation focuses on accusations of obtaining monetary advantages without proper consideration, misappropriation, and the criminal breach of trust Now in a recent development, NAB has issued a questionnaire to the developer of the project in which the complete record of the project has been sought In the questionnaire it is said that the details of the size of the plots in the society the details of the total number of plots and the details of the amounts to be received were provided Similarly, NAB officials have also called for the details of the allocation procedure of the plots and the master plan of the project

South Korea defers Pakistan’s loan wor th $19.91m

The Republic of Korea has differed Pakistan s loan worth $19 911 million, under the G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) framework on Monday

This amount, initially had to be repaid between July and December 2021 will now be repaid over a period of six years (including one-year grace period) in semi-annual installments said a press release issued by the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Due to the support extended by the development partners of Pakistan, the G-20 DSSI has provided the fiscal space which was necessary to deal with urgent health and economic needs of the country The total amount of debt that is to be suspended under the DSSI framework covering the period of repayment from May 2020 to December 2021 stands at $3 686 million Pakistan has already concluded and signed 104 agreements with 21 bilateral creditors for the deferment

National Assembly adopts motion seeking judicial reference against C JP B andial

t h e n i t s h o u l d f i r s t c o n d e m n t h e a r s o n a t t a c k s a n d v i o l e n c e p e r p e t r a t e d d u r i n g w i d e s p r e a d p r o t e s t s following the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan and apologise If it does not apologise then we will not negotiate with a militant party , whether on the instructions of the chief justice or anyone else, he asserted The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman’s comments come days after PTI supporters enraged by the arrest of their chief in the Al-Qadir Trust case attacked military installations and damaged both public and private properties in violence that lasted for days

M o n d a y, h e s a i d t h a t i f t h e P T I i s a p o l i t i c a l p a r t y,

PTI protesters had attacked the Lahore Corps Commanders House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi besides damaging other properties including Radio Pakistan s Peshawar office

The situation stabilised after the Supreme Court declared Khan s arrest by Rangers personnel on the warrant of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) “illegal” and ordered his immediate release

Subsequently, the PTI chief was granted protective bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) The verdicts have been strongly criticised by the ruling coalition which has said the courts favoured Khan

Referring to the violent incidents in his address today Bilawal said that they had “proved PTI was a militant party”

Earlier today the lower house of parliament also adopted a motion condemning the PTI s violent protests and demanded action against Khan and the protesters under the Army Act Lawmakers said such elements took the entire country hostage by creating anarchy and commotion and damaging public and private properties Such anti-state elements do not deserve any leniency and they should be taken to task they added

IT is a theatre of the absurd playing out in the country Amidst the imposition of Section 144 that prevents the assembly of more than four individuals while it is enforced, a procession of activists of the JUI(F) descended upon the capital Estimates about crowd size may be contested, as they often are in Pakistan, but even the most conservative of estimates puts their number much higher than four

After that, they proceeded to forcibly breach the gates of the Red Zone in Islamabad and protest inside against what they call the Chief Justice’s partisan attitude towards the PTI and its Chairman

This is all in stark contrast to the treatment being meted out to the PTI whose activists are being picked up left, right and centre and, if the party’s allegations are true, being kept in some rather deplorable conditions

This stark contrast isn’t the only problematic aspect of the protest Across the world it is usually considered a little awkward for sitting governments to stage rallies and protests Many political observers would go on to cite it as one of the signs of fascist regimes Yes, the government might say that this is its right as a political player and that it feels the judiciary isn’t being impartial but these qualifiers still don’t take away from their awkward position

It is way overdue for both sides to start talking to each other in earnest and show some flexibility Yes, the PTI has got a valid argument regarding what the constitution says about elections and that should be respected But about all else it would do the party a whole lot of good if it starts listening, for a change

Similarly, other institutions of the state should also know their place as envisioned in the constitution and stay within their domain The judiciary, for instance, knows better that justice should not only be done but also seen to be done

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M A Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

He is lurking ever y where

IN T E R N E T debates offer many merits compared to the face-to-face format To list some of them: One need not meet anybody (a boon to introverts) one can be pyjama-clad while debating issues of cosmic significance (my favourite), the debate is recorded for quick reference and for the benefit of posterity, one can contribute at one’s convenience since both parties need not be present simultaneously fact checking is much easier and one has the opportunity to express one’s thoughts precisely there being no time limit on rephrasing and choosing one s words However, where there are many merits, there is a major demerit as well For internet has opened up the flood-gates of the scourge of wholesale copypasting With the internet, those who had the ability to think clearly and who were well-versed in the fundamentals of reasoning became more coherent; but at the same time the bores became even more unintelligible and unbearable People from my generation would recall a similar two-way progression in an earlier era when the advent of the word processor had made good writers better and bad writers atrocious That was because writing had suddenly become so effortless that resisting verbosity proved to be beyond the capacity of most B e c a u s e c o p y - p a s t i n g d o e s n o t c o s t a n y t h i n g

b y w a y o f i n v e s t m e n t o f t i m e o r e ff o r t ( n o t t o

m e n t i o n t h e f a c t t h a t o n e n e e d n o t u s e o n e s brain), way too many youngsters fall into the trap o f t h i n k i n g o f t h e m s e l v e s a s a c c o m p l i s h e d d ebaters w hen all they are engaged in is a repetition o f C t r l - C a n d C t r l - P o p e r a t i o n s

Having observed internet debates at close quarters since the late nineties, I think I know what I am talking about To put it into perspective, I was part of such debates before today’s twenty-five-years old keyboard warrior was even born! I am referring to the mIRC and the bulletin boards era Then came Myspace and later Facebook but the plague of

wholesale copy-pasting continued to spread, becoming a regular pandemic somewhere along the way Today practitioners of the art are a dime a dozen on the internet

The exponent of copy-pasting hardly ever reads anything with a view to address it Not trained in the art of considering and processing a point of view different from his own his mind is irreversibly made up on every issue He has the whole of internet at his disposal to copy what he thinks are arguments supporting his preferred position Such is the volume that he posts that it is questionable whether he even reads what he posts himself His reading what the other person writes can safely be ruled out Merely scanning some key words in the opponent s argument, he immediately knows which large chunk to paste next The two parties might as well be in different universes Another hallmark of a copy-paste artiste is that he gives multiple responses to one post When Einstein was told that a hundred books had been written against his theory of relativity, he is reported to have said: ‘Why a hundred? If I were wrong one should have been enough! The same is the copy-paster s problem One response, if it is sound and relevant to the discussion at hand should suffice; but since he subconsciously knows that it is neither he feels he needs more substance (as in volume) He does not mind because, not involving the use of his brain, it comes cheap Deep down he also hopes to overwhelm his opponent by the sheer volume of his responses He hopes that his opponent will lack the appetite for reading the long, unreadable passages that he posts all of which are copy-pasted Often that turns out to be the case allowing the copy-paste expert to celebrate victory On his part he is apt to go to any length to avoid giving a concrete reply to any question He makes sure that his argument is not known except in a vague sort of way Wordiness helps him achieve that goal For good measure, he also makes it a point to hide behind the so-called experts and authorities (experts and authorities being those who agree with him)

merchant He is everywhere on the social media Do not let him make you work where no work exists Never go on a wild goose chase at his behest

The exponent of copy-pasting hardly ever reads anything with a view to address it. Not trained in the ar t of considering and processing a point of view different from his own, his mind is irreversibly made up on ever y issue He has the whole of internet at his disposal to copy what he thinks are arguments suppor ting his preferred position

Tell him in no uncertain terms that wordiness is no substitute for substance and will not be accepted as such

Never proceed until he stops copy-pasting and starts using his own brain If this ends the debate prematurely so be it It was bound to be fruitless anyway

Finally a few words of autobiography: I remember a time when such intellectuals’ frustrated me no end What used to happen was that I tried to respond meticulously and painstakingly to every point raised only for the copy-paste man to post another long-winded response (more copy-paste) Then I realized what was happening: I was reading endless passages pouncing on every half-truth every error every attempted deception, whether it was relevant to the discussion or not I realized that that was quite counter-productive Soon I learned to focus (and force my opponent to focus) on the issue at hand and to insist on his quitting copypasting and building up his own argument that is concise and relevant With this, I no longer allow the discussion to go off on a tangent If, as a result, my opponent chooses to quit, that is the end of that But if he does not I note that it makes for a much more fruitful discussion

The author is a connoisseur of music literature and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed

A word of advice: Beware of the copy-paste

Turkish voters must not forget Erdogan’s evil deeds

Whether or not Erdogan wins the May 14 presidential elec tion, his legac y will be marred by his authoritarianism, corruption, and ruthlessness

AS the Turkish people go to the polling stations on May 14 to cast their vote for Parliament and the President millions are still haunted by what President Erdogan has done to their country and the way he treated his fellow countrymen No one doubts that Erdogan will use every lever of power he possesses and every possible sinister scheme in an effort to secure another victory Nevertheless he may still lose the election as according to the latest polls a majority of the eligible voters cannot forget his evil deeds, especially over the last decade

He subjected his people to draconian rules and decrees, coupled with pervasive corruption and arbitrary incarceration of thousands of innocent people and scores of journalists He has and continues to terrorize his Kurdish community denying them their basic cultural and human rights while detaining members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), the third-largest party in the Turkish parliament

Meanwhile, the economy is in free fall, inflation is standing at a staggering 50 percent the value of the Turkish Lira continues to plummet against the dollar and the euro and unemployment is hovering around 10 percent Not to mention Erdogan s ineptitude in dealing with the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of 50,000 while shattering the livelihoods of millions

Given this gloomy picture one would think that Erdogan will handedly lose the election

However knowing his voracious lust for power and his fatal desire to preside over the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic in June 2023, Erdogan will leave no stone unturned to maintain his hold on power, especially if the margin of his loss stands at one to two percent of the popular vote

One can count on Erdogan to contest the result of the election He may well send his stooges to tamper with the election procedures claim that the election was stolen if he loses (sound familiar?), demand a recount of the votes, and still refuse a peaceful transfer of power In any case the final result of the elections will have historic implications due to several factors

To begin with removing Erdogan from power will usher in a new era in Turkey During the last two decades, Erdogan has systematically usurped ever more power and he became a de facto dictator The AKP-controlled parliament became nothing but a rubber stamp while he continued to wield his cruel authoritarianism especially against his perceived enemies anyone who is suspected of being affiliated with the Gülen movement the Kurds and the press all while severely eroding Turkey s democracy

To be sure, as Ahmet S Yayla, a 20-year veteran of the counterterrorism and operations department in the Turkish National Police puts it

In May 14 the people of Turkey will vote for a regime change and decide whether Turkey will

continue as an authoritarian regime or get back on track to pursue a true democracy This why the final result of the election will have a major impact on just about every Turkish citizen

Second, for the past several years, Erdogan managed to alienate both the US as well as most of the EU states He did this in part through his purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia in defiance of NATO military doctrine his relentless attack on the Syrian Kurds who are allies of the US in the fight against ISIS, his never-ending conflict with Greece, his refusal to admit Sweden to NATO, and his continuing cozying up to Russia’s President Putin the West s foremost enemy To be sure Erdogan has been and remains a destructive force in NATO

The upcoming elections offer the final recourse to which the Turkish people can resort to unseat him Should he otherwise win, he will feel vindicated and further emboldened to defy Western concerns about both his domestic and foreign policy mishaps This is particularly important at this juncture not only due to the raging war in Ukraine but also for the continuing unity of NATO, which is central to the final outcome of the war and NATO s standing once the war is over Third Erdogan’s victory will buttress the growing authoritarian trend in just about every continent Within the EU itself there are Viktor Orbán and Andrzej Duda in Hungary and Poland respectively Narendra Modi in India Netanyahu in Israel Putin in Russia and Trump right here in the US

This worrisome trend does not only undermine democracy but would dramatically affect the world order as it emerged following World War II Especially now when the world is reeling from authoritarianism, defeating these individuals including Erdogan through free and fair elections would send a clear message to other wannabe dictators

main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu the leader of the Republican People s Party (CHP) and presidential nominee for the six-party Nation Alliance bloc is ahead, the race between him and Erdogan is tight However, several factors are in play that can deny Erdogan another victory

First there are more than one million Turks who have been struck by the earthquake and are not likely to vote Second unlike previous elections where 65 percent of the 3 4 million eligible Turkish voters in the diaspora (which make roughly 5 3 percent of all eligible voters) voted for Erdogan, that percentage will shrink because many have become completely disillusioned with Erdogan s draconian rule and the continuing suffering of their families in Turkey In addition Germany largely refused to expand the number of polling stations, which could affect the 1 5 million Turkish voters in the country

Third, unlike in previous elections, a majority of the Turkish people have now reached a point of no return It appears that the voter turnout will exceed any prior elections To prevent Erdogan from challenging the results of the election or refusing to transfer power peacefully, the margin of victory for the opposition will have to hover at a minimum between four to five percentage points

To begin with, removing Erdogan from power will usher in a new era in Turkey During the last two decades, Erdogan has systematically usurped ever more power and he became a de facto dictator

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor Pakistan Today 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah Lahore Pakistan E-mail: letters@pakistantoday com pk Letters should

Inflated billing for gas not supplied

W H I L E natural gas consumers in Karachi have already been facing continued misery owing to gas loadshedding, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has been adding to their woes by sending them inflated bills This is despite the fact that they do not have regular gas supply at their homes The SSGC is clearly giving new meaning to the phrase burning the candles at both ends

In March, we hardly had gas supply from the SSGC for the whole month This compelled us to arrange for a gas cylinder and had to get it refilled twice Yet, we received a bill of Rs7,140 and the unit consumption was 190 On the other hand in February the gas bill was worth Rs2 890 with 173-unit consumption We have a total of 27 people residing in one building There are a total of four families of which two are tenants We divide our bills amongst the four families

In February, the per-person cost was Rs107, while in March, it went up to Rs264; a spike of almost 2 5 times We went to the SSGC office at Kala Board, Malir, with the complaint, but nothing came out of it

We were almost without gas for the whole month, and yet the bill was so excessive The SSGC officials stated that we had no option except paying the bill The only consolation offered by them was an instalment plan to facilitate the payment

There was a difference of only 17 units between 173 and 190 How could there be a difference of Rs4,250 in the two bills? Be it a gas or electricity bill, there must be an image of the meter, showing the consumption of the utility There is a meter image on February’s bill, while the image is missing on the bill for March

But since Erdogan will not do so voluntarily, it is now in the hands of the Turkish people to deny him another victory and usurp from him the honor of presiding over the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic

In February gas charges were Rs2 424 meter rent Rs40 general sales tax (GST) Rs426 and the total charges were Rs2 890

In March there were fuel charges worth Rs4 138 meter rent Rs500 GST Rs835, and adjustment charges Rs1,674, making it a total of Rs7,140

And, by the way, when did the meter rent go up from Rs40 to Rs500? Also, we have been paying all our bills on time, so what is the logic behind the imposition of the so-called ‘adjustment charges’? How come there is such a big difference in GST in a matter of a single month?

The SSGC officials had no answer to any of these questions All they could do was to facilitate the payment through an instalment plan

Thus as they go to the polling stations the Turkish people should know that they are not only fighting to rebuild their democratic institutions and protect their human rights, but the rights of other people in foreign lands who are living under similar regimes that have been viciously and continuously violating their peoples’ human rights with impunity Whether these current or aspiring dictators believe that they are really acting for the good of their countries or exercising raw and absolute power for personal gains and gratifications, they will end up leaving the political scene in humiliation and disgrace The Turkish people can ensure such an outcome now that they have the opportunity to do just that Although the most recent polls show that the

Turkey has the potential of becoming a great regional and global power but first Erdogan must get out of the way As Kemal Kilicdaroglu the leader of the Republican People s Party stated, I will put the state on its feet again and heal the wounds, and I will give back the joy of life to the people ” The Turkish people have every reason to give Kemal Kilicdaroglu the mandate to do just that if they only will it Dr Alon Ben-Meir is

From our experience, it seems there is nobody to hold SSGC accountable for its actions, and it is owing to this immunity that the utility service seems to be charging exorbitant amounts from its customers without any fear at all MUSKAN ALI RANA KARACHI

Website and glitches

A N advertisement regarding Prime Minister s Youth Development Initiative was published in several newspapers about a month ago The advertisement promised paid internships for 60,000 young graduates Excited about the opportunity, I went to the website immediately to file my application However, my excitement soon turned into disappointment as the website was full of glitches and did not function at all

It appeared to be a fake website at the time but when I checked it again after a few days it was working slightly better I filled my credentials and submitted all the required information correctly To check the status of my application, I logged into the website again and was disappointed to see that my particulars were incorrect; hence, I was asked to update my profile

T h e w e b s i t e h a s a l o t o f p r o b l e m s t h a t n e e d t o b e f i x e d a t t h e e a rl i e s t T h e a u t h o r i t i e s s h o u l d m a k e t h e w e b s i t e f u n c t i o n a l t o f a c i l i t a t e t h e a p p l i c a n t s

Dr Alon Ben-Meir AnD ArBAnA XhArrA

Brain Waves COMMENT 05

Understanding Human B enefits and Challenges

ders c Development of New Brain-Computer Interfaces: Brain waves may also be used to develop new brain-computer interfaces that allow individuals to control computers or other devices using their thoughts d Advancements in Neuroscience: The study of brain waves is a rapidly advancing field, and further research could lead to new discoveries that advance our understanding of neuroscience and the human brain By exploring the complex relationships between brain waves and various aspects of human behaviour and cognition we can gain valuable insights that can be used to improve our overall well-being

BR A I N waves are a natural and universal aspect of human brain function They are present in all healthy individuals and can be measured using techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) Further researches on brain waves are ongoing a globally, with many scientists and researchers investigating the relationship between brain waves and various aspects of human behaviour emotion and cognition They are conducted in academic and clinical settings around the world and have contributed to our understanding of the brain and how it functions There is also growing interest in the use of brain waves for therapeutic purposes, such as for treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD Techniques such as neurofeedback and brainwave entrainment are being developed and tested to help regulate brain waves and promote positive mental and emotional states Overall the global status of brain wave research is active and dynamic, with ongoing advancements in technology and understanding of brain function leading to new insights and applications for brain wave research Further study on brain waves has the potential to reveal new insights into the workings of the human brain and its impact on our mental and physical well-being There are many positive uses of brain waves which include: a Improved Understanding of Brain Function: By studying brain waves we can gain a better understanding of how different parts of the brain communicate and work together b Personalized Therapeutic Interventions: With a better understanding of brain waves and their impact on mental and physical health we may be able to develop personalized therapeutic interventions that target specific brain wave patterns associated with particular conditions or disor-

O R I G I N A N D K I N D S: Brain waves originate from the synchronized activity of large populations of neurons in the brain Neurons communicate with each other using electrical signals which are generated by the movement of charged ions across the cell membrane When many neurons fire together in a coordinated manner their electrical activity combines to produce a detectable electrical signal that can be recorded on an EEG However, the exact origin of brain waves depends on the type of wave For example delta waves are thought to originate from deep brain structures such as the thalamus and the basal ganglia which are involved in regulating sleep and consciousness Theta waves are thought to originate from the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and spatial navigation, as well as other cortical regions of the brain Alpha waves are thought to originate from the oc-

mental and physical health, we may be able to develop personaliz ed therapeutic inter ventions that targ et specific brain wave patterns associated with par ticular conditions or disorders.

cipital lobe which is involved in visual processing and the parietal lobe which is involved in sensory integration Beta waves are thought to originate from the frontal and parietal lobes, which are involved in higher-level cognitive functions such as attention and decision-making Gamma waves are thought to originate from a network of cortical regions, including the visual cortex and prefrontal cortex which are involved in complex cognitive processes such as perception attention and memory While the exact origin of each brain wave type is not fully confirmed research has provided some insight into the specific brain regions and networks that are involved in generating these electrical signals

K I N D S O F B R A I N WAV E S: There are several types of brain waves that are associated with different states of consciousness and mental activity in which main are as follows: a Delta Waves: These are the slowest brain waves, with a frequency of 0 5 to 4 Hz They are typically associated with deep sleep and unconsciousness b Theta Waves: These brain waves have a frequency of 4 to 8 Hz and are often present during light sleep and daydreaming They are also associated with meditation creativity and deep relaxation c Alpha Waves: These brain waves have a frequency of 8 to 13 Hz and are typically present when we are awake but relaxed, such as during meditation or when we are taking a break from mental activity d Beta Waves: These are the fastest brain waves, with a frequency of 13 to 30 Hz They are typically present when we are engaged in mental activity such as problem-solving decision-making or focus e Gamma Waves: These are the fastest brain waves with a frequency of 30 to 100 Hz They are typically associated with higher-level cognitive processing, such as perception, attention, and memory These different types of brain waves can be influenced by various factors, such as mental and emotional states physical activity and even the environment Researchers have found that certain brain wave patterns are associated with specific

mental states such as relaxation focus and creativity

By understanding the different brain wave patterns and how they relate to mental activity scientists hope to develop new therapies for a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions

Brain waves are valuable source of information about an individual’s mental and emotional states as well as their cognitive abilities and overall brain function In the context there are several indications of brain waves that can reveal secrets of individual behaviour and other habits which largely affect their social conditions By measuring and analysing brain waves, researchers and clinicians can gain a better understanding of the brain and how it works which can lead to improved diagnosis treatment and management of various conditions and disorders The ongoing studies on the issue can improve our understanding of brain waves in future more informative as well as comfortable which include-improved understanding of brain function and personalized therapeutic interventions With a better understanding of brain waves and their impact on mental and physical health we may be able to develop personalized therapeutic interventions that target specific brain wave patterns associated with particular conditions or disorders In future brain waves can also be used to develop new brain-computer interfaces that allow individuals to control computers or other devices using their thoughts The study of brain waves is a rapidly advancing field and further research could lead to new discoveries that advance our understanding of neuroscience and the human brain

Dr Rajkumar Singh 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

T h e p e o p l e h a v e s p o k e n

It is now more impor tant than ever before to obtain credible insights to the views and sentiments of the average Palestinians, since their voices are rarely heard

putational methods for harnessing these equations (and translating some of my findings into algorithms that appeared in Avatar and Iron Man 3, winning me an Academy Award), I ve seen this beauty and complexity emerge repeatedly It’s far removed from the workings of today’s AI

ON E of the boldest most breathless claims being made about artificial intelligence tools is that they have emergent properties” impressive abilities gained by these programs that they were supposedly never trained to possess “60 Minutes ” for example reported credulously that a Google program taught itself to speak Bengali while the New York Times misleadingly defined emergent behavior in AI as language models gaining unexpected or unintended abilities” such as writing computer code

This misappropriation of the term “emergent” by AI researchers and boosters deploys language from biology and physics to imply that these programs are uncovering new scientific principles adjacent to basic questions about consciousness that AIs are showing signs of life However, as computational linguistics expert Emily Bender has pointed out, we’ve been giving AI too much credit since at least the 1960s A new study from Stanford researchers suggests that sparks of intelligence in supposedly emergent systems are in fact mirages

If anything these far-fetched claims look like a marketing maneuver one at odds with the definition of emergence used in science for decades The term captures one of the most thrilling phenomena in nature: complex unpredictable behaviors emerging from simple natural laws Far removed from this classic definition current AIs display behaviors more appropriately characterized as knowledge sausage : complex, vaguely acceptable computer outputs that predictably arise from even more complex, industrial-scale inputs

The language model training process used for AI takes gigantic troves of data scraped indiscriminately from the internet pushes that data repeatedly through artificial neural networks some containing 175 billion individual parameters and adjusts the networks settings to more closely fit the data The process involves what the chief executive of OpenAI has called an “eye-watering” amount of computations In the end this immense enterprise arrives not at an unexplained spark of consciousness but a compressed kielbasa of information It is the industrial production of a knowledge sausage which crams together so much data that its ability to spit out a million possible outputs becomes relatively quotidian

Contrast this with examples of actual emergence such as fluid flow which has been described for two centuries by an elegant expression known as the Navier-Stokes equations Shorter than a haiku, these equations somehow characterize a stupendous range of natural phenomena, from steam rising from a coffee mug to the turbulent vortices of weather systems hundreds of miles wide None of this is obvious from inspecting the equations Yet they spontaneously give rise to beautiful interlocking systems of complex whorls In my more than two decades researching com-

Additional examples of emergent behavior in physics and biology include four-line descriptions of water and ice that suddenly give rise to intricate snowflake patterns (the subject of my PhD dissertation) Another is the reaction-diffusion systems discovered by Alan Turing, the same British scientist who developed the infamous “Turing test” to gauge whether AIs are indistinguishable from h u m a n s H e f o u n d s i m p l e s y s t e m s o f e q u a t i o n s d e s c r i b i n g c h e m i c a l i n t e r a c t i o n s t h a t s p o n t an e o u s l y o rg a n i z e i n t o t h e s p o t s o f a l e o p a r d o r stripes of a zebra

When recognizable biological structures spring forth from primordial chemical baths, it points toward a better understanding of one of humanity’s most basic questions: How did life begin? Scientists have been enchanted for centuries whenever such simple mechanisms produce such complex phenomena, understandably treating them with near-religious awe When magic emerges from a haiku-like equation or primordial ooze, we get to witness something rise up from practically nothing With OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard we’re seeing an industrial product rising up from a factory complex Just as with real-life sausage, the components t h a t m a k e u p C h a t G P T a r e o b s c u r e d o v e r t h e c o u r s e o f i t s p r o d u c t i o n B u t t h a t d o e s n ’t m e a n they defy explanation, especially by manufacture r s A f t e r t h e “ 6 0 M i n u t e s ” b r o a d c a s t M a rg a r e t Mitchell an AI ethics researcher Google fired two years ago pointed out that Google s program could s p e a k B e n g a l i b e c a u s e i t w a s a l m o s t c e r t a i n l y shown Bengali while being trained and used pieces o f a p r e v i o u s m o d e l t h a t a l r e a d y k n e w t h e l a n -

guage The suggestion that it acquired this skill ex nihilo strains credulity

The emergent claims of AI writing computer code have equally mundane explanations: There are massive amounts of code on the internet When shown the contents of the internet over and over, the AI learns both written and programmed languages Downplaying such mundane provenances feeds the notion that AIs must somehow be magical As digital humanities scholar Lauren Klein explained in a recent talk this narrative that code is magic and its creators akin to wizards stretches back to the 1950s Programmers considered themselves members of a priesthood guarding skills and mysteries far too complex for ordinary mortals ” Today, with coding skills being taught on college campuses around the world this illusion has become harder to maintain AI is being spun into the fabric that clothes the new priesthood Claiming that complex outputs arising from even more complex inputs is emergent behavior is like finding a severed finger in a hot dog and claiming the hot dog factory has learned to create fingers Modern AI chatbots are not magical artifacts without precedent in human history They are not producing something out of nothing They do not reveal insights into the laws that govern human consciousness and our physical universe They are industrial-scale knowledge sausages

TO mark the 75th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, which occurred on this day in 1948, the Arab News Research and Studies Unit decided to commission leading global polling firm, YouGov, to conduct our latest landmark study: Prospects Peace and Politics Where do Palestinians stand?

The poll which included 953 respondents of both genders with ages ranging from 18 to 45 within the Palestinian Territories, comes at a time where there is little optimism of achieving peace or justice for them This is due to facts on the bitter reality on the ground which includes divisions among Palestinians themselves an ultraright-wing government in Israel and a current lack of a serious global effort to move the status quo forward

Still it is now more important than ever before to obtain credible data and insight relating to the views and sentiments of the average Palestinians, since their voices are

rarely heard despite that it is their cause that is often being debated worldwide on their behalf After 75 years and with so much grief, failed peace attempts, and a continued illegal occupation, it comes as no surprise that the pulse on the Palestinian street sees itself further from peace or a form of respectable resolution than ever before Indeed it reveals a painful reality that the average Palestinian has no confidence in his/her own government with 75 percent stating that their current leadership was incapable of negotiating peace The same applied to the current Israeli government, for which 86 percent felt was not serious about signing a peace treaty

Unsurprisingly as well, the majority of Palestinians (66 percent) did not trust any Israeli government – neither leftwing nor right-wing – to successfully reach a peace agreement with their government Interestingly too most respondents surveyed (63 percent) found themselves relating neither with Fatah nor Hamas

The study showed that while the two-state solution was still the preferred option for the majority, a significant number of Palestinians said they would not mind a federal option (21 percent) merging into one state and getting Israeli citizenship (13 percent) or going back to live under full occupation (11 percent)

Unsurprisingly the US although a majority of Palestinians admit has the most influence over Israel was the least trusted as a fair mediator, while a whooping 80 percent welcomed the recent Chinese offer to mediate a solution Given the so far successful Chinese effort between Saudi Arabia and Iran this is not a surprise We hope this Arab News/YouGov study sheds important light on what is in the hearts and minds of Palestinian people and aids decision makers in finding a solution for their plight

Faisal J Abbas is the Editor-in-Chief of Arab News

C r ypto asset disclosure

KOREA HERALD

RE P K I M Nam-kuk of the Democratic Party of Korea is now at the center of an intensifying political conflict over his cryptocurrency transactions

The focus is on whether his holdings and disposal of crypto assets violated laws or regulations

With the investigation still underway, there is no way at this point to conclude that any illegal acts were committed by Kim Regardless of the result of the probe however the implications of the case are likely to be far-reaching especially in connection with the disclosure rules of public officials According to reports by local media Kim held around 800,000 Wemix coins crypto assets operated by online game firm Wemade valued at up to 6 billion won ($4 5 million) in early 2022 Kim transferred Wemix coins to his crypto account between January and February 2022 and all his holdings were suddenly withdrawn from late February through early March of the same year Kim s holdings and transactions alone may sound benign After all, lawmakers are free to engage in financial investments, including the purchase and sales of crypto assets But Kim’s past activities and the timing of his crypto transactions are now raising serious questions

First under the current disclosure rule for public officials Kim reported that his total assets amounted to 1 18 billion won in 2020 1 26 billion won in 2021 and 1 53 billion won in 2022 Kim claimed he did not report the crypto assets as it was not required in the disclosure rule Lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party as well as Kim s critics, however, question how he secured the money to buy a large number of Wemix coins despite his reported assets Another doubt being raised is that the massive withdrawal of Wemix coins by Kim was made right before the so-called Travel Rule a real-name transaction rule for crypto assets came into effect on March 25, 2022

Along with the suspicious timing of his disposal of coins, Kim faces criticism that he was one of the lawmakers who had proposed a revision to the income law aimed at delaying the taxation of crypto assets for one year to January 2023 Taxation experts say that a lawmaker engaged in largescale coin transactions should be criticized for conflict of interest if he joins a revision proposal to put off taxation on crypto holdings The ruling party is now ratcheting up its attacks of Kim over the coin transactions as well as his questionable involvement in the revision bill to delay taxation of crypto holdings The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office is currently investigating Kim’s case to see if there were any illegal acts committed The prosecution received Kim s transaction records from the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit an agency under the Financial Services Commission The prosecution sought a court order to track Kim s financial accounts, but it was rejected by the court Nonetheless, the prosecution has persisted in his probe of Kim

Denying any wrongdoing, Kim slammed the prosecution and the ruling party arguing that all his transactions were lawful and that the extended probe has been going overboard without clear evidence Despite his claim that all transactions were legal Kim has not provided details about how he managed to amass the funds to purchase the coins and how he came to own them

There are plenty of questions about Kim’s coin holdings, but it is the prosecution that should reveal what really happened and discover any wrongdoing What matters now is that as Kim s case demonstrates public officials must be required to disclose their crypto assets There are over 6 million crypto investors in South Korea with the value of the daily coin trade estimated at around 3 trillion won The National Assembly and the government should conduct a fact-finding survey and fix the loophole in the disclosure rule by making it mandatory for public officials to reveal their crypto holdings in their asset reports

C a n t o d a y ’ s A I t r u l y l e a r n o n i t s o w n ? N o t l i k e l y

With a better understanding of brain waves and their impact on

TURKIYE ag e n c e s

TURKISH President Tayyip Erdogan was on the lead Monday as the results of the presidential election show however, he has been able to secure less than the votes required to be the president 50%

The presidential vote will now enter into its second round also called a run-off which is to take place on May 28

A run-off vote occurs when no presidential candidates secure more than half of the votes

Erdogan’s competitor Kemal Kilicdarolgu is expected to speed up his election campaign in the next two weeks as the incumbent president is endeavouring to secure another term in office

The 69-year-old president secured support from the regions hit by the deadly earthquake killing more than 50,000 people

President Erdogan’s opponent encountered a harsh reality check despite a rigorous campaign Monday that they could not beat Erdogan

Don t despair Kilicdaroglu told his supporters We will stand up and take this election together

Kemal Kilicdaroglu (C) the 74-year-old

leader of the center-left, pro-secular Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, arrives for a press conference in Ankara on May 15,

2023

AFP

Kemal Kilicdaroglu (C) the 74-year-old leader of the center-left pro-secular Republican People s Party or CHP arrives for a press conference in Ankara on May 15,

2023

AFP

As per an AFP report, Erdogan secured

49 5% of the vote and Kilicdaroglu 44 9 %

Another presidential candidate from the nationalist camp Sinan Ogan had 5 2%

The voter turnout hit a record high at

88 9%

The long-time Turkish president s AK Party with his allied partners appear to secure a majority in the new parliament with

321 of the 600 seats enhancing his chances to win in the run-off

Erdogan said in a speech to cheering supporters at the AKP headquarters in the capital Ankara overnight: The winner has undoubtedly been our country

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (R) addresses supporters with his wife Ermine Erdogan (L) at the AK Party headquarters after polls closed in Turkey AFP

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (R) addresses supporters with his wife Ermine

Erdogan (L) at the AK Party headquarters after polls closed in Turkey AFP

The nationalist Ogan backed by 2 8 m i l l i o n v o t e r s w i l l e m e rg e a s a d e a lm a k e r f o r E r d o g a n s m a j o r c o m p e t i t o r K i l i c d a r o g l u i f t h e l a t t e r i s t o d e f e a t t h e former Leader of the six-party-alliance Kilicdaroglu vowed to prevail in the runoff and alleged Erdogan s AK party of election interference and results STRONG LEADER Contrary to the Kilicdaroglu supporters

who were less energetic Erdogan supporters were jubilant as the results filtered out with cyber security engineer Feyyaz Balcu 23 confident that Erdogan could fix Turkey s economic problems which caused inflation to sky-rocket and eroded the purchasing power of the people S u p p o r t e r s o f t h e Tu r k i s h P r e s i d e n t l i g h t f l a r e s a s t h e y c e l e b r a t e i n f r o n t o f t h e J u s t i c e a n d D e v e l o p m e n t P a r t y h e a d q u a r t e r s a f t e r p o l l s c l o s e d i n Tu r k e y A F P

C hina slams U.S. inter ference in HKSAR ’s law, judicial independence

CHINA s ta f f c o r r e s p o n d e n t

China strongly condemns the United States acts of wantonly smearing the national security law and judicial independence in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and clamoring for sanctions against the judges of the HKSAR the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Sunday

A spokesperson for the office made the remarks in response to a so-called report released by the U S Congress and the U S Congressional-Executive Commission on China Stressing that the judicial independence in the HKSAR will never allow U S politicians to interfere the spokesperson said the central government firmly supports and fully guarantees that the judicial organs and personnel of the HKSAR perform their duties independently and impartially in accordance with the law

Virus-free water filtration containers provided to 60 families

PESHAWAR s ta f f r e p o r t

President Imran Ghaznavi along Members of RC Islamabad (Metropolitan) distributing water filtration cube at Charssada KPK to 60 families settled along the river bank Islamabad: Rotary Club of Islamabad (Metropolitan), through the leadership of President

Imran Ghaznavi and Rtn Tazeem Chaudhri took the initiative to help in provision of 99 9% clean drinking water which is virus free and absolutely protect from hepatitis B&C in the flood hit areas of KPK where underground water was polluted after the recent floods Rotary is focusing on delivering LIFESAVER water filtration cubes to areas affected with unclean drinking water to ensure clean and potable water in these localities throughout Pakistan This was made possible through a unique water filtration system developed by LIFESAVER an international company specialist in water filtration products

LIFESAVER cubes were imported to Pakistan from UK through the Rotary platform With the arrival of LIFESAVER cubes in the first phase Rotary Club of Islamabad (Metropolitan) was able to start implementing effective ways to circulate these in the most needful communities A team comprised of President Imran Ghaznavi Rtn Mian Shaukat Masud Rtn Dr Azra Yasmin, Rtn Waqas Ali, Rtn

J u d i c i a l i n d e p e n d e n c e i s a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y r e co g n i z e d p r i n c i p l e o f t h e r u l e o f l a w, t h e s p o k e s p e rs o n n o t e d

Since Hong Kong s return to the motherland the judges of the HKSAR exercise their judicial power over criminal cases suspected of endangering national security in accordance with laws such as the Basic Law of the HKSAR and the national security law, which is completely justified, said the spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office

Those American politicians who keep touting the rule of law and judicial independence actually imposed sanctions against the dedicated judges of the HKSAR which further confirms that the U S is the biggest destroyer of the rule of law and judicial independence in the HKSAR, the spokesperson said

Since the implementation of the national security law in the HKSAR the region’s business environment has continued to improve and the rights and freedoms

of Hong Kong residents have been better protected, the spokesperson said

However the interference in relevant law enforcement prosecution and trial work in the HKSAR by some U S politicians clearly obstructs the effective implementation of the national security law allowing those who endanger national security and the HKSAR s stability to get away with crime, said the spokesperson

After the release of the so-called report, the HKSAR government judicial organs lawyers and people from all walks of life strongly condemned the acts of the U S politicians and firmly expressed the determination to maintain the rule of law and judicial independence in the HKSAR, the spokesperson said

The spokesperson added the central government fully supports the judicial organs and personnel of the HKSAR in performing their duties to safeguard national security and the authority of the rule of law in the HKSAR and protects their legitimate rights

C hina jails US citizen for life on spying charge

WASHINGTON t h e a s s o c at e d p r e s s

China sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison Monday on spying charges

John Shing-Wan Leung who holds permanent residency in Hong Kong, was detained on April 15, 2021, by the counterintelligence agency in the southeastern city of Suzhou

The city s intermediate court announced Leung s sentence in a brief statement on its social media site but gave no details of the charges Such investigations and trials are held behind closed doors and little or no information is made public Relations between Washington and Beijing have hit a historical low amid disputes over trade technology, human rights and China s increasingly aggressive approach toward its territorial claims

The sentencing comes as US President Joe Biden is traveling to Hiroshima Japan for the Group of

Seven major industrial nations summit followed by a visit to Papua New Guinea a Pacific island nation in a region where China has sought to increase its economic, military and diplomatic influence

While the Suzhou court offered no indication of a tie to overall China-US relations spying charges are highly selective and evidence backing them up is not released

That is a standard practice among most countries who wish to secure their personal connections networks and access to information

However, China s authoritarian political system and the ruling Communist Party’s absolute control over legal matters civil society and freedom of information forestalls demands for further information as well as court appeals

G7 communiqué, omitting mention of C hina,

exposes more rif ts among members

As a communiqué issued after the three-day Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting that concluded on Saturday made no mention of China at all experts said that G7 member states are facing more obvious differences which cast doubts on whether the group will be able to reach a joint statement at the summit on measures to counter China s so-called economic coercion Western media outlets are already hyping the so-called China’s “economic coercion” narrative in the joint statement to be issued Given the US declining global strength and rising uncertainty over its financial and economic systems, as well as the increasingly pragmatic and mutually beneficial China-EU cooperation, the experts said, reaching agreement on that will be difficult, adding that the G7 could be more divided than united in the future

According to a Reuters report on Friday during the summit to be held in Japan between May 19 and 21, G7 leaders will discuss concerns about so-called China s economic coercion in its dealings abroad as part of their larger joint statement

seven developed economies will work together to counter “economic coercion” from any country while a separate statement will also be made on tools used to counter coercive efforts

The possible act of smearing China in the G7 statement would be driven by the new Cold War mindset It is an act of misinforming the world, an effort to shirk responsibilities and a demonstration of self-righteous bigotry ” Li Yong deputy chairman of the Expert Committee of the China Association of International Trade told the Global Times on Sunday Discrediting China in the joint statement would be a sign of irresponsibility and inability of the G7 to address the burning issues that plague the world today many of which are coming from within the group Li said referring to issues such as the US looming debt default and the technological coercions that distort and disrupt global supply chains

The mention of China at a series of G7 meetings, under the presidency of Japan, is an attempt to scapegoat China for the problems created by a certain country Li said

Zhou Yongsheng deputy director of the Japanese Studies Center at the China Foreign Affairs University, blasted that G7 nations adopt double standards when accusing China of so-called “economic coercion,” as the US and some of its allies have launched rounds of sweeping crackdowns on Chinese tech

firms and have imposed export controls

“If any country should be criticized for economic coercion it should be the US The US has been overstretching the concept of national security abusing export controls and taking discriminatory and unfair measures against foreign companies This seriously violates the principles of the market economy and fair competition,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing on Friday

According to media reports US government sanctions designations soared by 933 percent between 2000 and 2021 More than 9,400 sanctions designations had come into effect in the US by fiscal year 2021 Wang urged G7 countries to stop engaging in exclusive “small circles” and refrain from becoming accomplices to economic coercion

DIFFERENCES WITHIN G7:

Early in April Japanese media began to push so-called economic coercion agenda Japanese media Nikkei reported then that G7 trade ministers agreed to deal with “economic coercion” with measures like importexport restrictions and tariff hikes so as to restrict China s role in global trade

However a communiqué issued after the three-day finance ministerial meeting of G7 nations that concluded on Saturday made no mention of China at all Clouded by growing concerns about the US’ debt ceiling stalemate which was

Supporters of the Turkish President light flares as they celebrate in front of the Justice and Development Party headquarters after polls closed in Turkey AFP

He said: It is very important for all Turkish people that Erdogan wins the elections He is a world leader and all the Turks and Muslims want Erdogan as president Teneo co-president Wolfango Piccoli said: “Erdogan has now a clear psychological lead against the opposition ”

“Erdogan will likely double down on his national security-focused narratives over the next two weeks The elections in NATO country are being closely observed in Europe, the US, and Russia, among other states where Tayyip Erdogan has asserted Turkish power while bolstering relations with Moscow putting stress on Ankara’s traditional alliance with the United States Erdogan is one of President Vladimir Putin s main allies and his strong showing is likely to encourage the Kremlin but unnerve the Joe Biden administration, as well a s m a n y E u r o p e a n a n d M i d d l e E a s t e r n l e a d e r s w h o h a d t r o u b l e d r e l a t i o n s w i t h E r d o g a n T h e K r e m l i n s a i d M o n d a y i t e x p e c t e d R u s s i a s c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h Tu r k e y t o c o n t i n u e a n d d e e p e n w h o e v e r w i n s t h e e l e c t i o n

Russia says two militar y commanders killed in east Ukraine

KYIV

ag e n c i e s

Russia said Sunday that two of its military commanders had been killed in combat near the frontline hotspot of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine In a rare announcement of its losses on the battlefield the Russian defence ministry said the commander of the 4th motorised rifle brigade, Vyacheslav Makarov, and the deputy commander of the Army Corps for military-political work Yevgeny Brovko had been killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine The announcement came as battles raged for control of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk Colonel Makarov was killed as his brigade repelled attacks by Ukrainian troops south of the settlement of Krasne, the defence ministry said in a statement “Two attacks of the enemy have been repelled ” the statement said “As a third attack was being repelled the brigade commander was seriously wounded and died during the evacuation from the battlefield Brovko was killed as Russian troops repelled attacks elsewhere, the ministry said, saying he died heroically, having received multiple shrapnel wounds” Referring to the mercenary group Wagner, Moscow said that “assault detachments” have continued to fight for control of western parts of Bakhmut with the support of airborne forces Over the past day the enemy has made massive attempts to break through the defence of our troops to the north and south of Artemovsk, the ministry said, referring to Bakhmut by its Russian name “All attacks of the Ukrainian armed forces have been repelled,” it said Russia has kept a tight lid on its losses in Ukraine Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said last year that 5,937 Russian troops had been killed in the pro-Western country even though military analysts say Moscow has sought to hide the scale of its losses in Ukraine

also not mentioned in the communiqué, G7 finance ministers and central bank governors said they “need to remain vigilant and stay agile and flexible in our macroeconomic policy amid heightened uncertainty about the global economic outlook

In addition to weighing on the global economy, a US debt default risks damaging the US leadership within the G7 and beyond “It would also risk undermining US global economic leadership and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests US Treasury Secretary

Janet Yellen said on Thursday, while attending the G7 finance leaders meeting in Japan, CNN reported “While the US and Japan strongly push for plans to counter China it’s hard for G7 countries to reach consensus on specific joint measures such as tariff hikes Zhou told the Global Times on Sunday G7 members such as Germany, France and Italy still attach importance to benefiting their own economies and hope to strengthen economic relations with China to bolster their economies Meanwhile their foreign policies are different from the comparatively extreme policies of the US and Japan he said China and the EU are taking active interactions Both Vice President Han Zheng and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited Europe last week It is worth noting that the G7 is increas-

ingly becoming an ideological and political camp instead of responsible stakeholders, Li said He warned that the act of denouncing China will only reduce the credibility of the G7 U n d e r t h e i n s t i g a t i o n o f t h e U S a n d J a p a n t h e g r o u p o f s e v e r a l d e v e l o p e d countries overly interferes in other count r i e s i n t e r n a l a ff a i r s f o r e x a m p l e t h e South China Sea and Taiwan-related questions, and sows discord on issues related to China, Zhou said

In the future Tokyo will keep using the US Indo-Pacific strategy to maximize its own interests and seek normalization of Japan as the conservative regime is becoming more and more radical to pursue military strength and abandon pacifism Compared to major EU economies like Germany, France and Italy who want to maintain strategic autonomy Japan will stand much closer with the US and be more hostile against China experts said

On issues like dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, Tokyo is also facing great pressure from the international community but is seemingly being given a pass by Washington Adding in the US troop deployments in Japan it makes Japan more loyal to US hegemony and this portends a complicated future for the G7, said Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University

In the future G7 members will be more divided than united when they have the US and Japan and maybe some other Five Eyes Alliance members that unconditionally obey Washington will keep pushing self-damaging and new Cold-War style policies to “tie economy with security ”

Ufone 4G and Pakistan Polio Programme join hands for Polio eradic ation in Pakistan

I s l a m a b a d: Ufone 4G a Pakistani Telecommunication company has embarked on a shared initiative with the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) in Pakistan to raise awareness amongst the citizens regarding the importance of polio eradication through vaccination

In pursuit of this mission Ufone 4G has launched an extensive SMS broadcast across the districts of Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), South KPK, Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad, ensuring that the message reaches far across Pakistan Ufone 4G is employing a well-executed strategy to engage its subscriber base through this SMS broadcast campaign thereby exemplifying a firm dedication to promoting transformative change in society The vaccination drive by the Polio Programme is scheduled to commence on May 15, 2023 This initiative reflects Ufone 4G s commitment to go above and beyond not just as a telecom service provider but also by promoting social welfare and making a positive impact by tailoring its initiatives to meet community needs P R

HBL Microfinance Bank par tners with SCO to establish first- ever Software Technology Park in Skardu

LOST CHANCE FOR PROSPERIT Y: GOVT’S INACTION

HAMPERS PAKISTAN'S OIL REFINING SECTOR

I N G for The Express Tribune author Sarfaraz Khan portrays the potential advantages that could have been realized through the development of the oil refining industry in Pakistan

The author emphasizes the creation of job opportunities increased foreign investment and the potential for exporting refined petroleum products All these factors had the potential to stimulate economic activity and contribute to the strengthening of Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves

The establishment of a new $10 bil-

lion oil refinery as expressed by Saudi Arabia s Energy Minister Khalid alFalih during his visit to Gwadar in 2019, coupled with agreements worth $20 billion signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, showcased the interest and willingness of Saudi Arabia to invest in Pakistan

In addition to the new refinery the existing five oil refineries in Pakistan had plans to modernize and expand their facilities, with a focus on increasing the production of

high-value petrol and diesel while phasing out low-quality furnace oil

The scale of investment reaching tens of billions of US dollars had the potential to create substantial job opportunities and attract foreign direct investment not only from Saudi Arabia but also from other nations such as China Furthermore the expansion and modernization of existing refineries combined with the installation of the new Saudi facility, could have significantly increased Pakistan s output of refined petroleum products, enabling the country to export excess production and transform the refining industry into an export-oriented sector

Apart from the economic benefits the development of the oil refining industry in Pakistan could have led to the growth of the petrochemical sector Petrochemicals play a vital role in modern civilization and are used in various consumer goods Developing a petrochemical industry in Pakistan would have not only opened up new avenues for exports but also strengthened other industries that rely on petrochemicals as raw materials

To realize these ambitious goals the government needed to implement

business-friendly policies and create a favorable climate for the oil refineries

The existing and new participants in the oil sector explicitly sought a new oil refinery policy, which would provide long-term incentives such as tax breaks and tariff protection Such measures would have instilled confidence in investors and given them a clear understanding of their potential return on investment facilitating substantial investments without concerns of abrupt changes in the business climate

Unfortunately, the introduction of a new oil refinery policy has been delayed Political instability including changes in key government positions and a shift in power has contributed to the lack of progress Furthermore, there seems to be a disinterested attitude and a missing sense of urgency from the government, evident in their repeated requests for refineries to submit audited financial data and details on upgrade projects seemingly stalling the introduction of the refining policy

Consequently, the delay in implementing reforms and the lack of political will have had adverse effects on investment in the oil refining industry and the overall Pakistani economy The

CDA Board Members assure to star t development works in markets

Islamabad: HBL Microfinance Bank (HBL MfB) has announced its partnership with Special Communications Organisation (SCO) to establish and operate the first-ever Software Technology Park (STP) in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan HBL Microfinance Bank has extended its support of Rs 15 million to this cause The STP Skardu has shown promising results in its pilot launch phase generating revenue of Rs 2 million from IT companies operating from the STP and providing employment to 60 individuals Both organisations are excited for the next phase to tap into its maximum potential P R

T wo-day training on documentaries opens

LAHORE

A P P

A two-day training workshop on 'Short documentaries and new trends in reels opened here at a local hotel on Monday The workshop is being arranged by the Pakistan Information Centre (PIC) under the banner of the Press Information Department (PID) Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Members of Lahore Press Club journalists associated with various TV channels and newspapers and media studies students participated in the training workshop, who were imparted training on documentary making

At the workshop senior journalists and specialists in documentary-making delivered lectures to the participants about stages of documentary production and tools for making short documentaries

International filmmaker Umar Saeed taught the participants about modern tools and techniques for making documentaries and short trending videos He discussed creative, traditional and social contents, and asked the participants to focus on impactful films with great command of communications Director General Press Information Department

Lahore Shafqat Abbas Deputy Director Admin Uzma

Saleem, Coordinator PIC Awais Anwar also attended the workshop Under this project of the Ministry of Information, the Pakistan Information Centre has so far provided training to more than 10 000 journalists students and social media influencers across the country This year the centre will provide training to another 2 000 journalists and students of mass communication departments

In addition, the Pakistan Information Centre provides training to journalists in all major cities of country including Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzafarabad

Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry leading a delegation held a meeting with CDA Board Members and discussed with them the matters of starting development work in markets in Islamabad CDA

Member Planning & Design

Waseem Hayat Bajwa presided over the meeting CDA Member Finance Syed Mazhar Hussain Shah Member Engineering Syed Munawar Shah Member Environment Captain (Retd) Anwaar Haq Deputy Director General Enforcement Shah Jahan, Director Municipal Administration Yasir Farhad and Head Finance Mian Tariq Latif were present in the meeting Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari

KARACHI

Committed to increasing reliance on indigenous sources of energy production

expected benefits including foreign exchange savings job creation enhanced energy security increased domestic fuel production and growth in both domestic and foreign investment, have failed to materialize Instead, the economic slowdown has exacerbated problems within the refining industry such as decreased demand high fuel prices limited credit facilities and increased smuggling of diesel from Iran These challenges have prompted some refineries to consider temporary shutdowns or significant reductions in production Pakistan's refinery utilization rates which were already low compared to other countries may decline further if refineries scale back operations

In conclusion, the potential growth and prosperity that the oil refining industry could have brought to Pakistan have been hindered by the government's failure to support the sector and implement necessary reforms The delay in introducing a new oil refinery policy along with various challenges faced by the industry, has had a detrimental impact on investment, job creation, and the overall economy

To read the full article visit www tribune com pk

President ICCI lauded Noorul Amin Mengal Chairman CDA for focusing on the development works in markets under the instructions of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif He said that markets need many development works including construction of parking lots carpeting of roads replacement of old sewage & drainage systems repair of footpaths filtration plants and construction of public toilets and hoped that the

PSW ex tends coverage to dr y por ts in Pakistan

CDA in consultation with ICCI and the concerned market associations will address these issues He said that in the first phase the development works should be started in F-6 Markaz, F-7 Markaz, G-9 Makaz, Abpara Market Melody Market Blue Area F-10 Markaz and I-8 Markaz and this process should be gradually extended to other markets He assured that ICCI and Market Associations will cooperate with CDA in this regard KARACHI

T Pakistan Single Window (PSW) has extended the scope of its operations to all dry ports (except Quetta) with effect from May 3 2023, a move that will further facilitate the country s cross-border trade operations

With the new development goods and commodities clearance of commercial consignments classified under Chapters 1 to 50 of the Pakistan Customs Tariff has been completely switched to PSW, allowing clearance of imported consignments via submission of a Single Declaration (SD) The Single Declaration is a core feature of the PSW system which enables parties involved in international trade to lodge standardized information and documents at a singleentry point to meet the regulatory requirements of multiple government agencies simultaneously Currently PSW facilitates the clearance of imported items regu-

lated by the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), Animal Quarantine Department (AQD), Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSD&RD) and Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) through the electronic issuance of import permits, release orders, and export certificates

As the leading public sector entity responsible for the digital transformation of cross-border trade and the notified operator of the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) system, this development is a significant milestone in improving the ease of doing business through the streamlining and digitalization of clearance processes

The CEO of Pakistan Single Window Syed Aftab Haider commented on the initiative saying The extension of PSW s digitalization initiative to up-country dry ports is the latest in our steady effort to enable an increasingly seamless clearance process and improve trade facilitation in the

Suspect along with facilitator held for alleged rape of a girl at Okara railway station

country As partners of the traders community, we believe that availing this new hassle-free, cost-effective, and harmonized system will expedite trade processes significantly He assured traders that the services of PSW at dry ports are easy to leverage and encourage reaching out to PSW via designated channels for information and ready assistance

To stay effective stakeholders must embrace digital platforms and services that make it easier for stakeholders to work together to promote the efficiency of the overall ecosystem PSW views the dry ports as intricate partner networks that include terminal operators trucking and logistics companies clearing agents freight forwarders etc and fully supports the modernization of the customs and regulatory processes implemented at the dry ports It intends to develop and implement a dry port community system to fully integrate all public and private sector

share of renewable energy to 30% of the overall mix The inclusion of such generation capacity also aligns with KE’s future projections for the city which envisages a customer base of 5 million using 5 000 MW of electricity by

The Railways Police arrested the accused Haseeb and the facilitator Abid who raped a minor girl at Okara railway station A few days ago, on May 9, the victim girl had reached Okara station to travel from Okara to Karachi, where she met railway employees named Haseeb and Abid Accused Haseeb enticed the victim to the Parcel Section room of the station in the morning of May 10 and raped her In order to avoid his wrongdoing from being noticed after the rape the accused had arranged a ticket to Karachi for the victim and made her board the train On reaching Karachi, the girl was in a state of sadness and anxiety, and when the railway police officials inquired for her help, the girl told the railway police about the incident of rape after which the railway police Karachi came into action Legal action was initiated by them and Railways Police Lahore was informed about the incident Meanwhile IG Railways Police Dr Rao Sardar Ali Khan, taking notice of this unfortunate incident, issued instructions to the DIG North to immediately arrest the accused, upon which DIG North Dr Muhammad Waqar Abbasi constituted the team under the supervision of SP railways Lahore Rana Iftikhar Ahmad to arrest the culprits and Sub-Inspector Malik Irfan Ashraf and SHO Raiwind Muhammad Siddique were made part of the team Due to the tireless work of the team the accused Haseeb and Abid were arrested within a few hours

In this regard, IG Railways Police Dr Rao Sardar Ali Khan said that the people involved in such a heinous crime do not deserve any laxity and they will be brought to justice

Pak, China universities sign agreement on sharing educational experiences

ISLAMABAD

University of Sargodha and South China Agriculture University, China signed an agreement to share experiences in educational Gwadar Pro reported on Monday The agreement was signed by Sargodha University Vice Chancellor Professor Qaiser Abbas and South China Agriculture University President Li Yang

framework for the partnering parties setting the stage for the establishment of this ambitious power plant For KE this move aligns with the company s forward-looking plan of enhancing its generation through addition of low-cost, indigenous fuel based power The company has shared its vision of adding a total of 2 200 MW to its generation capacity by 2030 and increase its

According to the agreement, the two universities will promote mutual cooperation in education, research, teaching, training, capacity building and other fields

There will be mutual exchange of faculty students researchers experts and other technical staff

The agreement further said that fellowships will also be issued for young researchers and post-doctoral students of both universities

Apart from this, the two universities would take steps to establish a joint agricultural research institute, the Sargodha University announced

KE signs multi-par ty MoU to add indigenous resource-based power generation

TOP MILITARY BRASS VOWS TO TRY ‘SPOILERS’ BEHIND ATTACK ON MILITARY INSTALL ATIONS ‘UNDER ARMY ACT’

incidents against military installations and public/private properties

The commanders also communicated the anguish and sentiments of the rank and file of the army on these unfortunate and unacceptable incidents Based on the irrefutable evidence collected so far, the armed forces are well aware of the planners instigators abettors and perpetrators of these attacks and attempts to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile the ISPR said

The forum expressed the resolve that those involved in the heinous crimes against military installations will be brought to justice through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan including the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act ”

Bandial maintains hope for talks to break elections deadlock

ISLAMABAD

The chief justice of Pakistan expressed optimism regarding the possibility of resolving the impasse over holding elections in the country through negotiations between the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)

The comment by Umar Ata Bandial came as a threejudge bench of the Supreme Court took up on Monday a petition by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to review its previous order regarding the scheduling of polls for the parliament of Punjab

The commission seeks a revision of the April 4 order which had mandated the elections to be held on May 14

The bench responsible for the case is headed by Justice Bandial and consists of justices Ijaz ul-Ahsan and Munib Akhtar It is worth noting that this same bench had initially issued the order to conduct elections in Punjab on May 14

TH E army’s top brass on Monday vowed to bring to justice the spoilers involved in the recent attacks on military installations through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act

According to a statement issued from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir presided over the Special Corps Commanders Conference (CCC) held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi today

During the huddle, the participants paid rich tribute to the martyrs, who laid their lives in defence of the motherland while fighting the “menace of terrorism”

“The forum acknowledged the successful Counter

Center approves army deployment in Balochistan, Rangers in Punjab

QUETTA STAFF REPORT

Taking measures in wake of the prevailing law and order situation in Balochistan on Monday the federal government has approved deployment of the army to the region According to reports, the federal cabinet approved the deployment of troops under Article 245

The Balochistan government had previously requested assistance from the army due to escalating security concerns in the province Sources claimed the summary of the army s deployment was circulated among government officials, and an official notification will be issued by the interior ministry in the near future The army will be deployed to assist the civil administration in maintaining peace and order in Balochistan The region has been plagued by violence and insecurity for many years with separatist groups carrying out attacks on security forces and civilians The deployment of the army is expected to provide much-needed support to the civil administration in restoring peace and stability in Balochistan The federal cabinet also approved the deployment of Rangers across Punjab The Punjab government had sought the help of Rangers to maintain law and order the cabinet approved the deployment of Rangers in the province under the anti-terrorism act

Pakistan’s population tops 240m, reveals PBS data

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has informed the provinces that no further extension will be granted to the field operations for the 7th Population and Housing Census ending today (Monday)

During the 13th meeting of Census Monitoring Committee, it was decided that the census field operations, of the country s first-ever digital census, will not be extended beyond this date due to its link with delimitation for upcoming general elections

The PBS conveyed all provincial census commissioners and chief commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) through a letter As per the available data till May 12 Pakistan s Population excluding AJK and GB was 240,602,348 As many as 121,215,805 individuals have been counted in Punjab so far, 56,566,804 in Sindh, 39,651,697 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20,865,742 in Balochistan and 2 302 307 in ICT The letter written by Chief Census Commissioner Dr Naeemuz Zafar on April 30 stated that it was decided that the census for the field operations for the 7th Population and Housing Census had been extended for two weeks till May 15 for verification and coverage of the leftover structures/ houses only in the selected districts

Terrorism and Intelligence Based Operations in the country by security forces, especially the valiant response given by the troops in the Muslim Bagh attack, and paid rich tribute to the supreme sacrifices made by the brave sons of the soil ” the military’s media wing said It stated that the military brass was briefed in detail about the prevailing internal and external security environment

The forum took comprehensive stock of the law and order situation in the past few days that was created to achieve vested political interests

The ISPR said that the forum was briefed about a “well-coordinated arson plan involving the desecration of Shuhada pictures and monuments burning down of historical buildings and vandalism of military installations was executed to malign the institution and provoke it towards giving an impulsive reaction

The statement highlighted that the forum strongly condemned the “politically motivated and instigated

The huddle also resolved that “restraint will no longer be exercised against perpetrators spoilers and violators who attack military installations and setups under any circumstances

The ISPR said that concern was shown over externally sponsored and internally facilitated and orchestrated propaganda warfare” unleashed against the army leadership which it stated was meant to “create fissures” between the armed forces the people of Pakistan and within the ranks and files of the armed forces

The vicious propaganda of such inimical forces will be defeated with the support of the people of Pakistan, who have always stood with the armed forces during all odds ”

The army huddle, the statement continued, stressed the need for strict implementation of relevant laws to penalise the violators of social media rules and regulations

NAB issues questionnaire to developer of PU Town III in ongoing investigation

LAHORE

S H A H A B O M E R

On Monday, it was reported that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has expanded its investigation into financial irregularities concerning PU Town III (Jamia Town) As part of this, the bureau has issued a questionnaire to the developer as revealed by reliable sources

Background Information on the Project:

The project known as PU Town III (Jamia Town) was initiated in 2016 by the Punjab University Academic Staff Association (PUASA) The association claimed that the project would be completed within a five-year timeframe Their stated objective for starting this project was to address the residential needs of the university community and provide land at concessional rates It should be noted that Mustafa Town Punjab University Employees Housing Society Town I & II were also undertaken by the same association However, these projects were independent of government funding and relied on the selfhelp efforts of the association’s members

The PUASA has asserted that the required land for the project was fully acquired in compliance with their membership s needs and that the project was duly submitted to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Furthermore, they obtained No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from various entities including

the Irrigation Department Private Housing Societies (PHS) LDA Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and the Land Revenue (District Officer Revenue) for land mutation in Jamia Town

According to the PUASA, due to personal disputes among the partners of the previous firm contracted for the development of Jamia Town the project management committee terminated the old contract Subsequently a new contract was awarded to a different company One of the former partners (from the dissolved partnership) has been submitting applications to various offices such as NAB, LDA, and others

Contrarily, the Punjab University has stated that it has no involvement or responsibility in the matters concerning the housing project According to a university spokesperson all PU employees were officially informed through a letter dated March 8 2021 that any requests or documents pertaining to those towns would not be considered or addressed by the Vice-Chancellor Cases: However, in April 2023, NAB initiated an inquiry into alleged financial misconduct within the Punjab University Town III (Jamia Town) housing project and issued a summons to the developer Mian Javed This was done in response to numerous complaints received regarding the alleged mishandling of funds totaling RS 2,700 million, collected from both the general public and university employees

National Assembly adopts motion seeking judicial reference against C JP B andial

The rift between the lawmakers and the top judiciary appeared to grow larger as a session of the National Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a motion seeking a judicial reference against Chief Justice (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial with defence minister calling for a parliamentary probe into the judiciary s biased conduct

The House unanimously adopted the motion seeking formation of a special committee to file a reference against the CJP in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for his misconduct and deviating from oath

The motion which was moved by PPP s Dr Shazia Sobia was adopted by the House The members who supported the motion included Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, Khursheed Junejo, Shehnaz Baloch, and Salahuddin Ayubi

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif demanded the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate the judiciary s undue support to a specific person former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan as well as sending a reference to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) under Article 209 of the Constitution on the matter

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the defence minister said that the time has come for

Parliament to play its constitutional role in this situation “In the 75-year history of the country’s judiciary, there had been incidents that have had a profound impact on the country but recently a group in the judiciary started supporting a political group he said

Asif said that political support could be seen from the current decisions of the judiciary adding that the decision of 4-3 has no constitutional value, because the only purpose of judiciary is to give relief to Imran Khan

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif addressing the Joint Session of the Parliament in National Assembly said that one faction of the judiciary was involved in politics and backing the attackers of May 9 Corps Commander House

A joint sitting is being underway under the chair of NA Speaker Raja Parvaiz Ashraf Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also reached the Lower House of the Parliament Asif asked the NA Speaker to suspend the question and answer session and hold discussion on national politics He said time has come that Parliament should exercise its constitutional and parliamentary rights Judges are not serving justice they are doing politics, he made these remarks on the floor of the Lower House of the Parliament He lamented PTI workers attack on General Headquarters (GHQ) where only Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked before

During the proceedings the chief justice noted the election commission had previously raised concerns about funds and security But today the ECP has raised a question regarding the court s jurisdiction itself he observed We will listen to all parties involved in the case, he assured Syed Ali Zafar, the lawyer representing the opposition party, argued before the court that the scope of a review petition was limited “New points cannot be raised in a review petition ” he emphasised urging the government to issue directives for the implementation of the court s order Justice Bandial then expressed the court s intention to hear the ECP s arguments on the admissibility of the petition He mentioned that notices would also be issued to the caretaker governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to hear their respective positions and those of other political parties

The court s issued order is final he declared

Additionally he emphasised that the court had no interest in politics but rather in the implementation of fundamental rights We are here to protect the rights of the people If their rights are safeguarded, the people will be content,” he observed Justice Bandial also expressed his concern about the deserted motorways and the stagnating economy He also advised the PTI lawyer to convey to the party s leadership how elections could be conducted in a polarised manner

After Khalilzad, Cur tis raises concerns over political instabilit y following Imran’s arrest

Lisa Curtis an American policy expert and former government official shed light on the political instability in Pakistan raising concerns over its potential ramifications in the aftermath of former prime minister

Imran Khan s arrest

Curtis is the second former senior US official after US former Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad who shared concerns on political instability in Pakistan Curtis served in the White House National Security Council under President Trump as the senior director for South and Central Asia from 2017 to 2021 Prior to that she worked at The Heritage Foundation a conservative think tank, where she focused on America s foreign policy in Asia

Curtis highlighted the country’s economic difficulties, ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout plan and recent terrorist attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during an interview with VOA Deewa Radio

Her area of expertise includes US national security policy, counterterrorism strategies, and the political and security issues in South Asia She has worked in various roles in the US government, including as a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a senior advisor at the State Department and a CIA analyst

Speaking about the delicate situation Curtis underlined the significance of Pakistan as a nuclear-armed nation sandwiched between India and Afghanistan The combination of political instability, economic woes, and security threats poses a considerable challenge for Pakistan Curtis noted that while political instability is not new to the country the current situation differs due to tensions between former prime minister Imran Khan and the army Curtis emphasised that the arrest of Khan following his accusations against a senior military official had further strained the relationship between the government and the military The arrest fueled public anger, which, instead of being directed solely at the Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) chief became directed at the army itself a development that the military leadership would undoubtedly seek to address due to its reputation s importance among the Pakistani people

Addressing concerns from a US perspective, Curtis outlined that while the United States aims to remain cautious about getting involved in Pakistan’s internal politics, certain issues need attention The United States would seek assurances regarding the safety and control of Pakistan s nuclear weapons Additionally it would be wary of any potential diversionary tactics or conflicts with India that could distract attention from internal instability

State installations vandalized under ‘planned conspirac y ’: Imran Khan

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said state installations were vandalized through planned conspiracy alleging that operators of intelligence agencies had been involved in arson and shooting in some areas during the May 9 violent protests, which were triggered following his arrest in the AlQadir Trust case His statement comes shortly after the military’s top brass vowed to try protesters and their abettors under relevant laws including the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act after PTI workers and supporters stormed military installations on May 9, which the army dubbed as Black Day

In a tweet from his official handle on Monday, the former premier said his party has “ample amount of evidence” to prove that agencies’ men carried out arson and shootings during the protests to blame it on PTI

Following the arrest of Khan who has criticised the military since his ouster in April last year the PTI workers stormed the military installations and ransacked the Lahore s Corps Commander house, originally known as Jinnah House, among other public properties Without referring to the military’s statement the PTI chief wrote: We have ample amount of evidence to present to any independent inquiry that the arson and in some places shootings were done by agencies men who wanted to cause mayhem and blame it on PTI so the current crackdown would be justified ”

In a video statement, Khan said the government buildings and the Lahore Corps Commander s House were ransacked under the organised conspiracy He said miscreants were infiltrated into the PTI protesters and instigated his workers, video evidence of which he said available with the party

“I want an independent inquiry [into the vandalism] ” he said adding that this was all being done under the “London plan” to ban

his party and put all the leaders behind bars

Earlier in another tweet he also shared videos stating that PTI Punjab chapter President Dr Yasmin Rashid and her sisters clearly telling the protesters not to harm Jinnah house”

“Clearly this was all stage managed by those who wanted to use this as a pretext to further crackdown on PTI jail our workers and senior leadership along with me so that the assurances given to NS [Nawaz Sharif] in the London plan could be honoured, he alleged

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan has claimed that there are ongoing efforts to imprison him for 10 years under the sedition law Khan expressed his views through a series of tweets where he alleged that the supposed London plan has been revealed with the intention of humiliating him by incarcerating his wife, Bushra Maneka Khan further said that once he is imprisoned a crackdown on PTI leaders and workers would follow culminating in the ban of

the largest and only federal party in Pakistan

In addition he said that not only PTI members but also civilians were being deliberately subjected to torture Meanwhile, as we speak, houses are being broken in and shamelessly police is manhandling the women

of the houses he said Never has the sanctity of chadar and chaar dewaari been violated the way it is being done by these criminals he lamented, alleging that the aim was to instil so much fear in people that they would not come out to protest if he were re-arrested

PM urges Imran to leave baseless allegations, join investigation of corruption case

I S L A M A B A D: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday asked former prime minister Imran Khan to cooperate for investigation into his corruption instead of levelling baseless allegations

Responding to a tweet of Imran Khan, the prime minister said wrote on his Twitter handle, “Leave the baseless allegations, join the investigation and be held accountable for your corruption And that’s all ”

Sharing the pictures of the 6th Road Metro Bus Station of Rawalpindi which was completely burnt and destroyed by the PTI protestors PM Shehbaz said in another tweet that how the multi-years development journey (initiated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif) was turned into a scene of destruction on May 9

g COMMANDERS EXPRESS ANGUISH, SENTIMENTS OF ARMY ’S RANK, FILE ON UNACCEPTABLE INCIDENTS

g HUDDLE RESOLVED THAT RESTRAINT WILL NO LONGER BE EXERCISED AGAINST PERPETRATORS, SPOILERS