Epaper_23-05-8 KHI

Profit

COAS REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO PAK CHINA STRATEGIC TIES, STABLE AFGHANISTAN

g PLEDGES FULL SUPPORT FOR CPEC DURING MEETING WITH CHINESE STATE COUNCILLOR

CHIEFof Army Staff General

Syed Asim Munir has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to China-Pakistan Strategic relationship while pledging full support for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to the ISPR statement on Sunday.

According to the ISPR, media wing of the military, Army Chief General Asim Munir met Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister H.E. Qin Gang at his office on Saturday.

Matters of mutual interests including regional security and defence cooperation came under discussion.

During the meeting, the COAS reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to ChinaPakistan Strategic relation.

The Army Chief appreciated China’s unwavering support for Pakistan on regional and international issues.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang underscored the importance of the longstanding strategic relationship between the brotherly nations and expressed his satisfaction over the progress made on the CPEC while reiterating China’s commitment to its timely completion. He also appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in maintaining regional peace and stability, es-

g DISCUSSES

REGIONAL SECURITY, BILATERAL SECURITY MECHANISMS WITH AFGHAN FOREIGN MINISTER

pecially the support of Pakistan Armed Forces for provision of security to Chinese Nationals and projects in Pakistan.

The two leaders also discussed the evolving security situation in the region.

Gen Asim Munir acknowledged China’s role in promoting peace and stability in the region, and both sides agreed to enhance their existing cooperation in defence and security domains to effectively counter common security challenges.

The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both sides reiterating their resolve to further strengthen the timetested, all-weather friendship between Pakistan and China.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Pak-Afghan FMs agree to enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Sunday reaffirmed their desire to pursue continuous and practical engagement and emphasized the need for enhanced coordination to counter terrorism and deepen bilateral cooperation. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hosted Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press release.

The FO statement said the two sides held a “candid and in-depth exchange” on key issues of mutual concern, including peace and security, as well as trade and connectivity. “The foreign ministers reaffirmed their desire to pursue continuous and practical engagement,” the FO said, adding that they also stressed the importance of removing impediments to trade in order to advance the goal of enhanced regional economic integration and connectivity. Pictures shared by the foreign minister’s account also showed State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar present during the meetings. STAFF REPORT

FO denounces ‘insinuation’ of threat in Bilawal’s G20 comment

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The spokesperson of the Foreign Office Sunday responded to a video clip insinuating that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had threatened India over the conduct of a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Zardari’s comments during his attendance at the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the coastal Indian state of Goa were reported by local media as a “veiled threat” to New Delhi.

According to OpIndia, he was questioned about India’s plan to hold the summit in occupied Kashmir, to which he responded: “Waqt aanay per aisa jawaab dein gey jou yaad rahay gaa (we will give such a response at an appropriate time that it will be remembered).”

He accused India of attempting to perpetuate through the summit its illegal occupation of the Himalayan region, which he noted is an internationally recognised dispute that has remained on the agenda of the United Nations for over seven decades. India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States, among other nations, are members of the group. India currently holds the rotating year-long presidency of the G20 and is set to host a leaders’ summit in New Delhi in early September. Last month, it released a full calendar of events leading up to the summit, which included G20 and Youth 20 meetings in the cities of Leh and Srinagar in April and May. Pakistan has condemned the choice of venues in disputed territory. Islamabad had also slammed the scheduling of two other meetings of Y20, a consultative forum on youth affairs, in the two cities, terming it equally disconcerting. Responding to the claim, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that any such insinuation was not only mischievous but also highly irresponsible, and an attempt to shift the focus from the foreign minister’s key message of conflict resolution through dialogue and in accordance with international law and UN Security Council resolutions. Baloch reiterated Zardari had emphasized the critical importance of relevant Security Council resolutions for a peaceful settlement of the dispute, and based his case on international law.

The spokesperson further stressed that journalistic norms must be respected while reporting on sensitive inter-state matters.

IN TODAY’S ISSUE

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Imran set to lead public rallies as PTI unveils schedule

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday announced scheduled for public rallies starting from May 10 to 14 to steer the country out of the prevailing political and economic turmoil. In a video message on Sunday, the PTI chief said an “emergency plan” has been prepared to rescue the country from the prevailing political turmoil. “Besides elections, there is no other solution to steer the country out of the crisis. If elections are held, political stability will be ensured and the country will come out of the economic crisis,” said Imran Khan while underscoring immediate elections.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

PM

dubs Imran ‘cunning, liar from head to toe’

LONDON/ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday called former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan a “liar and cunning person from head to toe,” stating that his lies are now being exposed in front of the nation.

Speaking to the media in London, Sharif said that the narrative made against him by the PTI government was entirely based on lies.

Shehbaz said the people of Pakistan emerged successful when the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom gave him a clean chit after two years of investigation in different countries including Dubai and Switzerland in a false case instigated by Imran Niazi.

“An attempt was made to gather evidence against me in UK and other countries, but they failed to prove anything. My victory in the case is the victory of all of Pakistan,” he added.

Imran Niazi wasted Pakistan’s money, time and energy and used all tactics to malign Pakistan by initiating false cases against his opponents, he said, adding lies of Imran were being exposed as he was a liar and cheat.

The prime minister said Imran Khan used every tactic against him, but he failed.

Meanwhile In a tweet on social media platform twitter, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday said Imran Niazi’s act of routinely maligning and threatening Pakistan Army and Intelligence Agency for the sake of petty political gains was highly condemnable. He said, “Imran’s leveling of allegations without any proof against

Gen Faisal Naseer and officers of our Intelligence Agency cannot be allowed and will not be tolerated.”

Earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif also talked about his meeting with Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf, which he said went very well, and added that a soon-to-beheld investment conference will focus on cooperation in various sectors, including education, technical education, and trade.

Scotland’s leader Humza Yousaf had called on the Pakistani prime minister in London earlier on Sunday.

Felicitating the First Minister on his election to this important position, Shehbaz Sharif said that Yousaf’s election underscored the important and positive contribution of the British-Pakistani community to the progress and development of Scotland and the UK.

He wished him success in the discharge of his responsibilities.

The two leaders agreed to further strengthen historic ties between Pakistan and Scotland, including in the domains of trade, investment, education, water man-

agement, wind & solar technology and people-to-people links.

The two sides agreed to work collaboratively to promote joint ventures in education, skills development and renewables. They also explored ways to leverage Scottish-Pakistani entrepreneurs to promote investment in Pakistan.

They also agreed to work collaboratively to address the challenge of climate change.

In this regard, Pakistan suggested holding an Investment Conference in Scotland and separately arranging a road show to showcase Pakistan’s renewable energy potential in Scotland.

The premier further thanked the Scottish government for its generous contribution to flood relief last year. He extended a cordial invitation to Yousaf to visit Pakistan, which he happily accepted.

Yousaf leads the Scottish National Party, and was elected in March by the Scottish Parliament to head the Scottish government. He is the first British national of Pakistani heritage to hold the coveted position.

Referring to the Constitution, he said, “Elections should be held within 90 days. The chief justice of the country is standing with the Constitution, while the Pakistan Democratic Movement is openly attacking the Supreme Court.” Imran cautioned that Pakistan’s economic situation had worsened beyond that of Sri Lanka, empathising that only free and fair elections could solve the country’s economic and political instability. He referred to a recent report from Bloomberg, which highlighted that Pakistan’s economic situation was worse than that of Sri Lanka, with inflation rates higher in Pakistan. He underscored that a strong government with public support could lead the country out of its economic chaos. The former prime minister also criticised the country’s former army chief, Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, stating that “Mir Sadiq” would be a small title for him as he had harmed Pakistan more than any enemy. Imran alleged that Gen (retd) Bajwa had imposed corrupt individuals on Pakistan who had no stake in the country, and over 60% of the current federal cabinet was on bail in corruption cases when they were given government positions. He stated that these imported rulers had done nothing for the country and its people and had only removed their names from the Exit Control List (ECL) as their wealth and assets were in foreign lands.

Imran thanked the people of Pakistan for showing solidarity with Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and standing up for the supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law in the country.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

PML-N prepares to go solo in upcoming election, says report

ISLAMABAD MONITORING REPORT

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided it will not enter into an electoral alliance and will instead contest the next general elections independently, in accordance with the Constitution, according to a report.

Starting May 28, the party will launch its election campaign across the country. The day, known as Youm-i-Takbeer, is significant as it marks the anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear tests at Chagai in 1998, which were conducted during the tenure of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who now leads the party.

The decision was made after a meeting between Nawaz and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in London attending the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III, reported The News.

During the meeting, the elder Sharif emphasised the importance of upholding the Parliament’s supremacy and insisted that no compromise should be made on this count. He also called for the elections to be conducted under caretaker governments on the same day across the country. To kick off the party’s campaign, Nawaz will deliver a “historic message” that will be broadcast nationwide.

No option but to act on Constitution’s 90-day election demand: CJP

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Sunday declared that holding elections within 90 days of an assembly’s dissolution was a constitutional demand and there is no other option but to act upon “what the Constitution demands.”

“If the constitution states elections will be held within 90 days, we have to implement it; we have no other way and it is our duty to say that,” he said.

The CJP’s remarks came at a time when discussions among political parties are ongoing on the issue of simultaneous elections across the country following an order by the apex court to hold the elections on May 14.

However, the government has repeatedly shown its inability to hold the general election and instead has been urging to hold them later in the year.

Speaking at a conference on minority rights in Lahore on Sunday, Justice Bandial said that political parties are currently nego-

tiating the matter of holding elections in the country at the same time. “We have nothing to do with it. There is an understanding among them (political parties) that they have to uphold the Constitution,” he said. The Chief Justice of Pakistan stated that while the judiciary is there to support political parties, if they fail to reach a conclusion, the court’s decision will be final.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial stated that the decision of the parties must align with the spirit of the Constitution, emphasising that there is no other option but to act upon what the Constitution demands. He further said that the courts cannot pass executive orders. “Every citizen of Pakistan has fundamental rights, and the protection of the Constitution is included in our fundamental duties.”

Justice Bandial said, “We are here to support the political parties for the protection of the Constitution; otherwise, our decision is available in other cases.”

He emphasised, “Decisions should be in

accordance with the Constitution and the law, and this is where moral authority lies.”

“Constitutionally, we have no other way but to hold elections within 90 days,” Justice Bandial stated. “It is not a matter of personal choice but the Constitution.”

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court distanced itself from the negotiations between the government and PTI over holding the elections for the national and all provincial assemblies on one date, observing that they were entirely their own effort without any direction or order by it.

However, a three-judge bench of the top court, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, while hearing a constitutional petition filed by a citizen Sardar Kashif Khan, who sought elections for all assemblies on one date, appreciated the initiative taken by the political parties.

“The court appreciates the efforts of all parties to try to end the current political impasse and in particular their voluntary agreement to enter into negotiations to choose a

single date for holding general elections to the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies,” the SC order issued on April 27 read.

The court also made it clear in the order that its April 4 verdict — that the elections in Punjab would be held on May 14 – would remain unchanged.

DON’T SACRIFICE SHEHBAZ BEFORE EIDUL AZHA: QURESHI

MULTAN Staff RepoRt

PAKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi wondered that if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to “sacrifice” Shahbaz Sharif, what they can do about it. “Respect the decision of the court and conduct the election and do not sacrifice before Eidul Azha,” he said.

While talking to media persons, he said that after Allah, the Constitution is supreme, but lamented that it is being mocked and not being implemented. “If the constitution is implemented, no crisis can arise; Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) neither looks at the Constitution nor traditions for their purposes,” he claimed.

He added that PDM is not coming to any conclusion, as they want to “run away” from the election. “Maulana Fazlur Rahman was against the negotiations from the first day and despite Bilawal’s efforts, he was not willing to negotiate,” he pointed out.

“Similarly, there is a clear division in the PML-N regarding negotiations; Ishaq Dar has the clear confidence of Nawaz Sharif while the behavior of Khawaja Asif and other ministers is in front of the nation.”

The PTI leader said that in the negotiations with PDM, PTI had agreed on elections in the country through a single-day caretaker setup. “But when Nawaz Sharif said we do not accept the decision of 3-2; if the four will accept the decision of the three, then we have separated from the negotiations,” he added.

He also said that when negotiating with someone, the environment is made con-

ducive. Before the second sit-in, 33 PTI workers were arrested, he added.

He further said that he spoke to finance and interior ministers in this regard. He strongly condemned Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s statement after the departure

Freedom to paint: Guantanamo prisoner finds release in art

KARACHI

afp

When Ahmed Rabbani ran out of paint to satisfy his artistic yearnings during 20 years of incarceration at Guantanamo Bay, he turned to whatever came to hand — dirt, coffee grinds and even spices such as turmeric from the prison canteen.

“Through painting, I would feel myself outside Guantanamo,” the 53-year-old said this week at an exhibition of his work in Karachi. “Painting was everything for me there.” Rabbani was detained by the government of Pervez Musharraf in September 2002 and handed over to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for a bounty of $5,000.

He was “sold” on the basis that he was a notorious militant known as Hassan Ghul, but Rabbani always insisted it was a case of mistaken identity. He was also accused of recruiting his older brother Muhammed into extremist circles.

Both were never charged or faced trial during two decades in detention, and they were only released in February this year.

“The US had paid good money and did not want to have been taken for a ride,” Rabbani’s lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, wrote in the exhibition catalogue.

“Something neither he nor I knew until the US Senate published its Rendition Report in 2014 was that Ghul was captured

Actor-director Shabbir Rana passes away at 69

ISLAMABAD

MoNitoRiNg RepoRt

Shabbir Rana, a well-known television actor, passed away on Sunday in Karachi after a long battle with an illness.

Rana, 69, had been receiving treatment at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Karachi for his heart disease for the past several days, according to APP.

The news of his death has come as a shock to his fans and colleagues, who are now mourning his loss. According to the members of his family, the funeral will be held at Jamia Masjid Rehmania in Karachi on Sunday.

Rana was a towering figure in the advertising industry for many years, having directed countless TV commercials before making a name for himself as an actor in the drama industry. He had been working in television dramas for over four decades and was highly respected in the industry.

and brought to the same prison — only to be released back to Pakistan for ‘cooperating’. “While Ghul went back to his terrorist ways and was killed in a drone strike in 2012, Ahmed got a one-way trip to Guantanamo Bay.”

Drawing from coffee, turmeric

Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where his parents worked, Rabbani moved back to Karachi as a teen and was a taxi driver at the time of his detention. Fluent in Arabic, he specialised in guiding visitors from the Middle East — a factor which contributed to him being misidentified.

While imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, painting became an obsession for Rabbani,

although years spent on hunger strike meant he was often too frail to even hold a brush. If he ran out of materials, he would improvise. “I would find and turn a piece of discarded or torn clothes into canvas,” he said. “Sometimes I drew from coffee, sometimes from turmeric.”

In “The Unforgotten Moon: Liberating Art from Guantanamo Bay”, around two dozen pieces Rabbani was allowed to take from prison are on display — alongside works by local artists who have “re-imagined” paintings that were confiscated. “He is someone who has lost so much of his life, so to produce the images of this quality is a miracle […] it’s remarkable,”

of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stating that it was against diplomatic etiquette to ridicule the Pakistani foreign minister.

“Although I disagree with Bilawal, I am talking about the foreign minister of Pakistan,” he said while speaking to the media in Multan. “Bilawal Bhutto went there on the invitation of the Indian foreign minister and Pakistan is a member of this forum; Bilawal was his guest, but he ridiculed the Pakistani foreign minister.” His behaviour was against diplomatic etiquette as he linked Pakistan with terrorism, Qureshi said. “What justification did you have to link Pakistan with terrorism and call yourself a victim?” he asked.

“There was no justification for it; this may be his own thinking, but it is not; not only Pakistan but also Kashmiris condemned the statement of the Indian foreign minister,”

said Natasha Malik, curator and organiser of the exhibition. “Displayed alongside Ahmed’s uncensored artwork, the artists amplify his protest and creative expression, by recreating the work that the public was never meant to see.”

Sporting a salt-and-pepper beard and wearing a traditional shalwar kameez and waistcoat, Rabbani was the centre of attention at the exhibition opening. With a smile and twinkle in his eye, he outlined grand plans for the years ahead.

First up is the publication of a cookery book — he rekindled a passion for the kitchen while at Guantanamo. “It will have his memoirs in it — but in the setting of a cookbook,” Stafford Smith told AFP.

Then he wants to open a restaurant based on recipes he learnt while in prison — hopefully using funds raised from sales of his art. Depicting his hopes and despair, his artwork is astonishingly accomplished for someone who did just a smattering of art at school.

Some pieces are obvious expressions of yearnings for freedom — nature seen through narrow openings, birds flying and endless oceans. Another shows a cage containing bright orange fish — the colour of overalls Guantanamo prisoners were forced to wear. “I spent many years in orange,” he said. “I never accepted their laws. I would always break their laws.”

Reshuffle in education boards may hit schedule of SSC exams

KARACHI

Staff RepoRt

The secondary school certificate (SSC) examinations in Sindh might be affected due to the transfer of the officers of various boards by the Department of Boards and Universities just three days before the schedule.

The department, through a notification, returned the chairmen, secretaries, and moderators in various education boards of Sindh to their parent departments. According to the notification, Abdul Jabar, Deputy Controller of Examinations, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Shaheed Be-

nazirabad, has been sent back to the Department of Colleges.

Jan Muhammad Malik, Acting Secretary, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Shaheed Benazirabad, has been returned to the Education Department. Ashfaq Ahmed Shaikh, Assistant Secretary, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Shaheed Benazirabad, has been directed to report to the Larkana board.

Similarly, Shaukat Khanzada, Secretary, Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Hyderabad has been removed and sent back to the Department of Colleges. Ehsan Ilahi Bhutto, Audit Officer, Matriculation Board Sha-

heed Benazirabad, has been sent back to the Local Governments Department.

Engineer Anwar Aleem Khanzada, who was posted in the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi, has been ordered to report at Mirpurkhas board.

Mazhar Mirjat, Data Processing Shaheed Benazirabad, has been sent back to the Education Department in Larkana. Iftikhar Abro, Assistant Programmer Board of Secondary Education Karachi, has been sent back to the Agriculture Department. Sikandar Ali Mirjat, Acting Controller, Sukkur Board, has also been removed from his post and sent back to the Education Department Larkana.

CM approves e-facilitation centers in all districts of Balochistan

QUETTA

Staff RepoRt

Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has approved the establishment of e-facilitation centers in all districts of the province, a handout issued here on Sunday said.

The Chief Minister accorded the approval on the summary sent by the Science and Information Technology department, government of Balochistan.

“The work of various departments will be streamlined through the e-facilitation centers. Besides, the facility will provide services to the citizens under a one-window operation. The first E-Service Center will be setup at provincial capital Quetta while on the next phase, such centers will be established in other districts of the province,” the handout

further read. In order to expand the e-facilitation center facility across the province, the department of science and information technology has been assigned the task of identifying suitable abandoned/underutilized buildings through the deputy commissioners.

Urban Facilitation/e-Service Centers will be established on the basis of population and geography to provide multiple services under one roof in all districts, where different departments will provide different services at the same facility.

Citizen Facilitation/e-Service Center in each district will cost Rs.10.00 million and 350.00 million will be required for all 35 district headquarters except Quetta.

For smooth implementation of Facilitation/e-Service Centers, district IT officers of science and IT department will provide technical support.

Botham’s mother-in-law and Banga’s bank

ABOUT 40 years ago, English

cricketer Ian Botham told the press that Pakistan was “the kind of place to send your mother-in-law for a month, all expenses-paid.”

As a comment on Pakistan as well as on Pakistan, it was uncomplimentary.

Now, it seems, the mother-in-law of the Chief Justice of Pakistan has struck back. Yes, her conversation with the wife of Tariq Rahim was taped and made public by mysterious persons, but one of the points that has not received enough attention is that she was praying for him.

She didn’t mention it, but she must have been also praying for her son Amjad Ali, who is being prosecuted for an improper appointment while Solid Waste Management Company Chairman of one Azhar Hayat as

Director Procurement, and with whom he allegedly caused a loss to the exchequer of Rs 631 million. How much of the money Azhar actually made, and how much was given to Noon, we don’t know, but we do know that the Anti-Corruption Establishment’s appeal against the LHC granting bail has been taken before the Chief Justice.

No wonder he has managed that very difficult feat, earning the approval of one’s mother-in-law. You would not normally think chief justices had mothers-in-law, but they do. And they have saala saabs.

Well, we know what Botham thought of his mother-in-law, but we don’t know what Mr Justice Bandial thinks of his. He might find the sentiments of the great Australian pacer Dennis Lillee more to his feeling. After Pakistan made 382 for two, with keeperopener Taslim Arif getting a double hundred.

In reply to That was heck of wicket. Not only was that Taslim’s only Test hundred, but6 when play closed with Pakistan on 382 for 2, it had still not saved the follow-on, for Aus-

tralia had made 607. Australia had batted till the fifth day, taking its time, as rain had washed out the first two days.

Australia’s 607 all out. Lillee took none for 93, off 19 overs. Heart overflowing, he had expressed the wish to be buried under the Faisalabad wicket. The learned Chief Justice might like to be buried somewhere in the Punjab. As it is his native province, he will probably get this wish.

Meanwhile, the raids going on for Ch Pervaiz Elahi must also make him wish he had a mother-in-law praying for him. He was also a little disappointed that PTI workers didn’t rush from Zaman Park to his Zahoor Elahi Road residence (not all that far-off, though one would have to cross at least one busy road.

Perhaps the absence of the PTI people was because while ‘Imran is their red line’, s they say, Ch Pervaiz is not anybody’s line, nor is that line any colour. That line resembles one in non-Euclidean geometry: it doesn’t exist. And because Imran has never

he remarked. “Bilawal went there because of SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), Iran also participated for the first time,” he pointed out. “Before Bilawal goes to India, there is a debate about whether he should go there or not; there is Hindutva thinking there, so it is useless to go there, while the second thought was that we are members and should go there for better relations; we went there.”

“Our experienced diplomats should have given Bilawal advice on what should his reaction be if they would raise bilateral issues on the platform of SCO,” he added. “Mr Jaishankar, you are hiding your eyes from the facts,” he slammed the Indian FM, adding that as a result of terrorism, Pakistan has lost more than 80,000 people and billions of dollars. “Before pointing fingers at Pakistan, you have to look within yourself; you have to look at your neck,” he added.

No grounds for contempt of court against govt : Tarar

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said that there were no grounds for contempt of court against the government as all decisions have been made by the parliament. Parliament holds supreme authority since it framed the constitution, he added. Talking to a private news channel, he said that the government is determined to conduct elections in the country this year, but if the current deadline persists, it will be a challenge to complete the process. SAPM further said that there was still hope for a constructive resolution as the government and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) have reached a significant milestone by agreeing to hold simultaneous elections in the country. “However, it is now impossible to proceed with the Punjab elections scheduled for May 14, while the government is resolute and will not back down from its stance, even under challenging circumstances”, he asserted. To a query regarding the protest of PTI, he said that it was crucial for the PTI workers to uphold the law and must demonstrate respect for it.

Govt endangered entire nation for power: Sh Rashid

LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed claimed on Sunday that in a tweet that the political climate of the nation has suddenly turned dismal and complicated as the government had endangered the entire nation to maintain power. Rashid alluded to the state’s dire economic situation and added that it is becoming worse because neither the IMF nor the surrounding nations have supplied assistance. He predicted that the nation’s political issues will be amplified by its current troubles. Rashid expressed great optimism about the prospect of elections. He predicted that the Supreme Court would prevail and that the administration would be forced to call elections. He claimed that rallies staged in support of the judiciary yesterday [Saturday] in response to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s demand were a great success.

Additionally, Rashid slammed Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his recent trip to India. A wave of anger is growing against Bilawal Bhutto in Occupied Kashmir after the visit, he added.

studied non-Euclidean geometry (in fact, the Euclidean kind gives him a headache), PTI supporters don’t know or care what is happening to their party President.

Meanwhile, pay attention to Russia, where Valdimir Putin has claimed that Ukrainer sent a drone into the Kremlin to kill him. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proved his previous job was TV comedian by dignifying this claim with a denial.

We should take this claim seriously.

Imran must already be kicking himself for not having thought of it. He’s already claimed to have had two attempts made on his life, the first at Wazirabad, the second at the Judicial Complex Islamabad, when he appeared before the sessions judge there.

Now, it seems, we are entering Bondmovie territory. There is the injection with polonium, then there is the poison which leaves no trace, but only a dead victim who seems to have suffered a heart attack. Oh, and not to forget the rare Asiatic poison favoured by 19th century thriller writers.

But some good news for all countries borrowing from the World Bank. They will probably get more innovative loans, now that the ex-head of Mastercard, Ajay Banga, takes over as World Bank chief. The IMF has already got an Indian Chief Economist. But I don’t think she is the reason for Pakistan not getting the IMF tranche. We’d have to sell China down the river to get US approval, without which the IMF won’t give approval. In fact, the IMF negotiations (conducted by Ishaq Dar) should have told us that the PTI-government (led by Dar) talks were going to go nowhere.

SHARIF TAKES GWADAR UPLIFT TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

ISLAMABAD app

AFTER assuming office in April last year, Shehbaz Sharif has taken a keen interest in the development of Gwadar. During his visit to the port city in June of last year, he ordered the completion of ongoing development projects of water, electricity, and infrastructure in Gwadar within the stipulated time.

He warned of zero tolerance for any further interruption in these projects and ordered an inquiry to identify those responsible for delaying them.

The prime minister also directed the relevant authorities to begin dredging at the Gwadar port and take practical steps for the breakwater. He further directed that the construction of Gwadar Hospital be completed in September instead of December.

He also ordered the inclusion of all 16,523 poor families of Gwadar in the Be-

CM Naqvi says will not allow anyone to threaten ‘institutions’

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

nazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

As a result of the prime minister’s special directives, remarkable progress has been made on several projects in Gwadar. According to official sources, some 20 new projects are on track for completion in 2023 and onward years as per their scheduled timeframes. The 1.2 million gallon water per day desalination plant, which is in the final stage, would be operational in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, the progress of the Gwadar International Airport is on track and is likely to be completed in 2023.

Other ongoing projects in Gwadar include the Gwadar Free Zone North (Phase II), the Gwadar Safe City Project, three electricity projects, the Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan, Gwadar Tourism Project, Pak-China Friendship Hospital, fisher community projects, Gwadar Port dredging project, Export-oriented projects, Fishing industry, Warehouse industry, and Gwadar Huafa Exhibition and Trading Center.

In addition, Prime Minister Sharif in-

augurated a component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the sixlane Eastbay Expressway connecting the Gwadar Port with the Makran Coastal Highway, also providing a link to Karachi. The Eastbay Expressway is a major infrastructure project in the city of Gwadar. This construction of the 19-kilometre high-

ADB advises Pakistan to provide targeted subsidies, enhance tax-to-GDP ratio

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

way runs parallel to the coastline, and has four interchanges, two bridges, and a toll plaza. The expressway is designed to handle heavy traffic and is expected to significantly reduce transportation costs and time for goods moving to and from the Gwadar port.

The completion of the Eastbay Expressway is a major milestone in the development of Gwadar as a major port city. The Gwadar Port, which is the centrepiece of the CPEC, is strategically located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf and has the potential to become a major hub for trade and commerce in the region. The projects completed so far in the city under the multi-billion dollar CPEC include Gwadar Port, Gwadar Free Zone South (Phase I), Eastbay Expressway, Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute (PCT & VI), China-Pakistan Gwadar Faqeer Middle School, Fiber Optic, E-Custom system (WeBOC), Plant Tissue Culture Lab & Green House, livestock, women-led garment factory, Gwadar University, and GDA-Indus Hospital.

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin

Naqvi on Sunday asserted that the interim government will not allow anyone to humiliate or threaten ‘institutions and Intelligence agencies’ in the province.

Taking to Twitter, the Punjab CM said: “We will not allow anyone to humiliate or threaten our institutions and Intelligence agencies in Punjab”.

“It is our foremost responsibility as responsible Pakistani citizens to condemn these elements who are actually benefiting enemies of Pakistan,” he said.

Mohsin Naqvi assured that the government will implement the law and the culprits will be held accountable as per law.

A day earlier, the caretaker Punjab government announced to conduct a ‘transparent and impartial’ audit of the free flour scheme following the allegations levelled by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Taking to Twitter, Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi said that it has been decided to conduct a transparent and impartial audit of the free flour scheme in Punjab to investigate the baseless allegations.

The Chief Minister said that in order to ensure financial discipline, the free flour scheme will be audited by the Auditor General of Pakistan’s (AGP) Office and a private audit firm of international repute. He further said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman has also been requested to examine the scheme so that the facts can be brought out and the perpetrators of corruption can be brought to justice.

COAS reaffirms commitment to Pak China strategic ties, stable Afghanistan

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MEETING WITH AFGHAN FM: Army

Chief General Asim Munir also met Acting Afghan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, at his office.

The COAS and Afghan Acting FM discussed issues of mutual interest including aspects related to regional security, border management, and formalisation of bilateral security mechanisms for improvement in the current security environment.

Gen Asim Munir stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the two brotherly neighbours to effectively tackle the common challenges of terrorism and extremism. He reiterated the need for full support and commitment from the Afghan interim government in matters of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Muttaqi appreciated Pakistan’s traditional support for the people of Afghanistan and acknowledged the important role that Pakistan continues to play in facilitating peace and development in Afghanistan. He also expressed his desire to work closely with Pakistan to promote regional stability and prosperity.

Both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining regular contacts to strengthen bilateral ties and address issues of common concern. The COAS reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan, the ISPR concluded.

Pakistan has reiterated its stand that negotiations with India are not possible till reversal of 5 August 2019 unilateral actions by the Modi-led fascist Indian regime.

According to a report released by Kashmir Media Service, today, Pakistan has been strongly and unequivocally supporting the Kashmiris’ just cause and has remained the strongest voice in the world for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.

It said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing a news conference after addressing the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers in Goa, India, has ruled out any change in Pakistan’s position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

It said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had said that there would be no dialogue with the Modi regime till review of 5 August 2019 illegal unilateral actions, 5 August 2019 illegal actions have not only violated international laws and United Nations resolutions but also bilateral agreements.

The report said that the All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders had also welcomed the recent statements of the

Pakistani leadership, saying Pakistan is the real advocate and voice of the oppressed Kashmiris.

It said Indian secret agencies are trying to mislead the Kashmiris through false propaganda that Pakistan has bartered away Kashmir. The entire Pakistan is fully standing by the Kashmiri people in their pursuit for freedom, it added. The report maintained that Pakistani leaders had time and again reiterated that their all-out support to the Kashmir cause will continue unabated and Pakistan would never leave Kashmiri people alone or at the mercy of circumstances.

It said Kashmiris’ love and attach-

ment with Pakistan is the main driving force behind their freedom struggle, adding Pakistanis and Kashmiri are connected with each other through strong natural, historical and cultural bonds

The Jammu and Kashmir, it said is an internationally recognized dispute and India cannot change its status though unilateral actions The report revealed that India and Pakistan cannot have normal relations until Kashmir dispute is resolved as per the Kashmiris’ aspirations, urging the world to put pressure on India to rescind its 5 Aug 2019 moves and start a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue with Pakistan to resolve the lingering Kashmir dispute.

Pak-Afghan FMs agree to enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation

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FM Bilawal said he was “pleased” to host his Afghan counterpart and held a comprehensive discussion on all areas of mutual importance.

“Pakistan is committed to enhance bilateral relations in a spirit of cooperation, trust and respect,” he said.

Bilawal said he also underscored the importance of “frequent leadershiplevel exchanges to provide further stimulus” to bilateral relations.

The acting Afghan foreign minister and the acting Afghan minister for commerce and industry are on visit to Pakistan from 05-08 May accompanied with high-level delegations.

Besides holding bilateral meetings, the acting Afghan foreign minister also participated in the 5th China-PakistanAfghanistan Trilateral Foreign Minis-

ters’ Dialogue on Saturday, with the participation of the Chinese foreign minister, where the three sides agreed to advance political engagement, counterterrorism cooperation and enhance trade, investments and connectivity under the trilateral framework.

Earlier on Sunday, FM Bilawal said it was an honour to host the foreign ministers of China and Afghanistan at the 5th China-Pak-Afghan Trilateral FMs Dialogue. “We held productive discussions on political engagement, counter-terrorism, trade, and connectivity,” he said. “I look forward to constructive engagement under a trilateral process between our three countries.” Since its launch in 2017, the trilateral dialogue mechanism has become an important platform for the three countries to enhance understanding and deepen mutual trust and cooperation.

The dialogue this time took place at a time when cross-border attacks from Afghanistan are on the rise.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said the trilateral dialogue underscored the “unwavering consensus of Pakistan and China to work for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan in the interest of Afghan people”.

At the “productive” trilateral talks on Saturday, Pakistan and China had assured Afghanistan of their cooperation so that the conflict-torn country begins its journey towards stability.

FM Bilawal and his Chinese and Afghan counterparts had held productive discussions on matters of mutual interest, including political engagement, counter-terrorism, trade and connectivity. The trilateral dialogue was followed by the 4th round of Sino-Pak strategic dialogue.

Replying to another question, ADB Country Director Pakistan Resident Mission Yong Ye said there was a mechanism to materialize the Geneva pledges made with Pakistan after it faced devastating floods last year.

He said the second meeting of the conference was scheduled to be held by the end of the current month wherein the countries would report progress about their made pledges, adding the core group including World Bank, ADB, European Union and United Nations could help Pakistan monitor commitments made in July 2022.

Pakistan fails to secure $200m ADB loan for Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Project

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

In March 2022, the Executive Committee of the National Council (ECNEC), approved the project. It recommended establishing a rigorous river flow measurement monitoring mechanism on the River Indus; establish an immediate manual flow measurement reporting system including third party monitoring at key locations on the River Indus prior to commencing the construction works on the GTC Irrigation project; and develop a computer model to measure water balance at specific sections of the River Indus.

The document states that the Ministry of Water Resources led multiple federal, interprovincial and provincial consultations to reach a consensus on ECNEC’s recommendations but failed to develop consensus within 12 months after the ADB loan approval date. On December 2, 2022, the Ministry of Economic Affairs requested an extension of the loan signing period by 6 months due to delays in discussions with federal and provincial governments as officials were diverted to flood recovery activities. In a letter dated December 6, 2022, ADB responded to the Ministry of Economic Affairs stating that the process to reach a consensus on the implementation of the project would likely require a longer duration than 6 months. This was because it would entail further consultations and continued dialogue with provincial authorities. The response also considered the 6-month extension of the loan signing period as ineffective given the need to respond to the flood crisis as priority. However, according to the document, since the agreement was not signed within 12 months from the date of the approval, its validity lapsed in December 2022 whereas the government has been informed about this lapse on January 12, 2023.

May snowfall in Kalam breaks 30 years’ record

SWAT Staff RepoRt

Kalam on Sunday received snowfall in the month of May, breaking 30 years old record, according to locals. The winter has returned back in Swat after rainfall and hailstorm in Mingora and other areas of the region. Kalam received 17mm rainfall while snowfall reported in upper areas of the region, which has been a weather record. Snowfall in May has happened after 30 years. The wet spell has brought back cold weather in the area. According to the weather report dry weather will prevail in most of the plains in the country. However, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Potohar region, Islamabad, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan will receive rain with gusty winds with thunderstorm, while hailstorm is also expected at some places. In last 24 hours maximum rainfall (27mm) was reported in Kashmir’s Rawlakot, Kalam 17mm, Malam Jabba 22mm, Hafizabad 19mm, Joharabad 15mm, Chakwal and Mangla 12mm. Yesterday maximum temperature was recorded 42 degree Celsius at Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Mohenjo Daro and Padidan.

Imran set to lead public rallies as PTI unveils schedule

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

He criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on visits to the UK and India, respectively, causing humiliation for the nation.

Imran commented on the ruling coalition’s proposal to hold elections in October, stating that the government was seeking more time to make cases and arrest more PTI members.

He alleged that the “corrupt” Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had illegally imposed the governments od Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman governments

in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the guise of caretaker setups. He also accused Islamabad IG Police of corruption and working as a personal “servant” of the prime minister. Earlier in the day, Imran Khan met with the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister and cabinet members to discuss the current political situation.

IMRAN DISCUSSES OVERALL POLITICAL WITH CANADIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Earlier, Canadian opposition party leader Patrick Brown Sunday called on the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

The meeting discussed the overall political and eco-

nomic condition of Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan also highlighted the government’s attitude towards the elections.

The former prime minister observed that early elections are the only solution to problems in Pakistan. Imran Khan added that the government is afraid to hold elections, as they know they will lose against PTI.

The government is opting for the path of subverting the constitution to block the route to fresh elections. During the meeting, Canadian opposition party leader Patrick told Khan he has a massive following in Brampton and Canada. After the meeting, he also tweeted about his meeting with Imran Khan.

Peshawar: Preservation of Mughal era gardens imperative to promote eco-tourism

PESHAWAR app

Once known as the city of flowers and gardens, Peshawar is fast losing its three Mughal era gardens to encroachment and changing weather patterns and the situation warrants preservation and proper upkeep of these gardens to revive its past glory.

The famous gardens of Peshawar including Wazir Bagh, Shalimar Gardens and Jinnah Park (old Canningum park) where flowers were blossom these days in the past, were now marred by encroachment, dirt and plastics scattered all around underming its natural beauty. Gone were the days when joy of small kids was

boundless while seeing colourful butterflies hovering over flowers of spring and dense pipal trees in the Mughal era Wazir Bagh garden where greenery has started dying due to improper upkeeping and increased urbanization. Chasing butterflies and hide and seek of small children among the thickly grown pipal trees used to be a great fun and laughter but all these charms wore off as the time passed by and today this historic garden was giving barely a deserted look.

Pipal trees were so thick that one would get the impression of night even during broad daylight in the summer season. Wazirbagh gardens is located at Yakatooth area in South of Peshawar City on vast land and was a source of recreation for Peshawarties over centuries.

The oldest garden used to be comfortable place for senior citizens while sitting under the cold shade of pipal trees in soothing environment coupled with chirping of birds and exchanged views of their life experiences and day to day happenings with their children plays around in its lush green lawns. Wazir Bagh was used for morning exercises by Peshawarites due to its awesome walking tracks and lush green lawns and became a unique source of recreation and picnic spot.

Today, it is disappointing to see missing chirping birds, colourful butterflies and ladybirds due to vanishing of the canopy pipal trees at Wazir Bagh due to lackluster approach of the local communities, past government, deforestation and improper up keeping.

“Since my childhood, I used to visit this historic park for exercise on its beautiful tracks snaking through its thickly grown tall pipal trees with people sitting around in sprawled lawns,” Qaisar Khan, a retired employee of PESCO told APP at Wazir Bagh.

Recalling his past memories, he said, tourists were highly impressed by its sprawled lawns, fountains, pods, apricots, peaches, pomegranates and colourful flowers. Shinwaris, Afridis, Mohmands, Bajauris and Khattaks besides domestic and foreign tourists used to come here in droves to spend some time in a relaxed environment under its shady trees. It was also a great source of study for students of nearby Government Superior Science College due to its conducive environment and for sports athletes.

Pakistan strongly, unequivocally supporting Kashmiris’ just cause

Mardan killing

PTI critics will say that the preceding rally stoked the mob that brutally killed Maulana Nigar Alam, for allegedly having committed blasphemy, that the party encourages people to take justice into their own hands. Whether or not, this incident is because of the PTI, it cannot be denied that such incidents are on the rise, that mobs are well able to take justice into their own hands. The killing took place in Mardan, not far from where Mashal Khan, a student at the nearby Bacha Khan University, was killed by a mob over allegedly blasphemous Facebook posts. That incident, almost seven years ago, after a police investigation showed that there had been no blasphemy committed, led to many accused being sentence, including to death, but no punishment has taken place. The takeaway is that it is easy to accuse someone of blasphemy, knowing that a mob will support the accuser, and there will be no consequences of the false accusation.

When a blasphemy accusation is made, even the apparently non-devout seem to become impassioned. The prevailing sentiment seems to be that it is better to be safe than sorry in punishing the blasphemer. One reason seems to be the inability of the justice system of the state to handle this. Courts do not like to handle such cases, and a high court judge has been murdered for giving bail to a blasphemy accused, and a lawyer murdered merely for representing an accused. The weakness of the state is not just in its ability to get a conviction. Many blasphemy accusers have other grudges which would not attract a mob, let alone inflame it to killing. The justice system has failed to charge anyone with making a false accusation. Reforming the blasphemy law is also problematic, for political parties prefer to duck the issue, and prefer to climb on the popular pro-lynching bandwagon.

It is unlikely that PTI opponents will adopt this issue, except perhaps tangentially. There is a problem with the justice system as a whole, not just in blasphemy cases. Mobs have gathered to administer beatings to suspected thieves, instead of handing them over to the police for investigation and then trial by the courts. If citizens feel certain that any blasphemy accused, handed over to the police, will be investigated and punished by a court, and that anyone making a false accusation will be punished, crowds will stop gathering. But until then, people will dies.

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Need for a non-austerity, counter cyclical macroeconomic policy

developmental) expenditure efficiency or belt-tightening, which should indeed be adopted– in terms of both fiscal and monetary austerity policies, have resulted in the nose-diving of economic growth as projected by IMF, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank (ADB) all putting the number at less than one percent for the current fiscal year. At the same time, CPI inflation has galloped to 36.4 percent, while the policy rate has also seen a significant increase to 21 percent.

SINCE about mid-2021, around the time the impact of global supply shock– including the rise in oil prices globally starting in the 2020s also feeding into inflationary pressures, after a deep dip in the initial months of the pandemic in early 2020– started to be significantly felt on inflation in Pakistan, like many other developing- and developed countries, while in the case of the latter, rising inflation also reflected a strong determination of significant level of stimulus provided during the pandemic.

In response, ‘Chicago boys’ styled policymakers, and given Pakistan was under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, it having strong neoliberal, and procyclical inclinations– where the procyclical programme conditionalities were only somewhat relaxed during the heyday of the pandemic– overall meant that on one hand, policy rate started to be raised quite regularly since then, and on the other hand, lack of meaningful tax base enhancement reforms, and little progressive taxation, along with few taxation measures taken to tax the very rich, not to mention lack of any meaningful external debt relief/moratorium provided by creditors, while the IMF also provided little special drawing rights (SDRs) allocation, all meant development expenditures were cut quite regularly and deeply, given both diminishing fiscal space due to both rising domestic debt needs, and primary surplus-related IMF programme conditionalities.

In addition, lack of governance in terms of checking otherwise highly likely over-profiteering, and on the contrary inflation continued to increase even as interest rates were being raised– not to mention the cost-push channel enhancing impact of interest rates in the first place– meant that economic growth also severely slowed down during the last one year or so.

Hence, in April 2022 policy rate was at 12.25 percent, while CPI inflation was at 12.75 percent, and the provisional growth number released around that time showed that for the second consecutive fiscal year, five percent-plus growth rate was taking place.

In one year since April 2022, even a lot more severe austerity policies – different from current (non-

Hence, procyclical, and austerity, policies have driven the country into serious stagflation, that is growth has been stagnating, and inflation has also not come down, in fact, increased. While the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) government takes pride, and rightly so, in indicating that its policies led to growth above five percent during the last two years of its government, yet the growth could have been even more, and without causing any extra burden on the current account, if counter-cyclical policies had continued even beyond mid-2021, and if there had been both a better import compression policy, and less reliance placed on using monetary policy to lure otherwise highly volatile foreign portfolio investment (FPI) or ‘hot money’.

Absence of any meaningful non-neoliberal economic institutional, organizational, and market reforms, at the same time by the PTI government, also meant the growth rate could not have been sustained for a longer period of time, as the situation of twin deficits would have resurfaced, and in unsustainable manifestation. Having said that, both the current gov-

Better management of the energy sector could lead to decrease in energy tariffs, and lesser circular debt, and lower losses by SOEs, could lead to both greater fiscal space, and in terms of reducing impact on inflation. Moreover, greater provision of SDRs by the IMF, and more meaningful debt relief/moratorium will indeed go a long way in allowing the government to move away from

procyclical, and austerity policies

The overturning of the liberal international order

Challenges to the UN conflict prevention approach

ment projects, China aims to establish relationships with all states and counter the influence of the USA in various regions, thereby gaining influence and sway in world politics.

SINCE the end of World War II, the most dominant state, the USA, has held a hegemonic position over the International liberal order. It is appropriate to assert that the USA has been responsible for establishing this order by promoting interdependence, economic liberation through trade and commerce, democratic principles and values, recognition of human rights, and prioritizing international cooperation through inter-state organizations.

The emergence of China as a global economic powerhouse has elevated its status to that of a significant stakeholder on the world stage. This has led to a shift in the Liberal Order’s power balance in favour of China. Moreover, under the leadership of Donald Trump, the USA promoted nationalist policies, deviating from its role as a leader of the world order. This created a void/space in the global leadership that was eventually filled by China, a rising power that not only challenged the US-led world order but also gradually secured its position and influence in various international organizations, including the United Nations, WTO, IMF, and others.

The United Nations was established in 1945 to replace the League of Nations, with the objective of preventing future conflicts and uniting all nations under a single platform to facilitate cooperation and conflict resolution. However, China views the United Nations as a tool to shape the current world order to serve its interests. Consequently, the growing influence of China poses a challenge to the UN’s conflict prevention approach.

The existence of permanent members in the Security Council has impeded the prevention of conflicts, as the permanent members, namely the USA, China, Russia, Britain, and France, possess veto powers that they may exercise to prevent the passing of any resolution that contradicts their interests or the interests of their allies.

China, unlike the other powers of the liberal order, is a communist state and has shaped the current world order according to its own communist tendencies. China has benefited from the current order and aims to establish a new world order with communist traits. In the current global order, China plays an active role under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, holding a significant position in world affairs. China desires to reform the governance of the world to align with its current interests and future aspirations.

China, through its Belt and Road Initiative, has endeavored to establish global connectivity and is actively participating in investment projects across various regions such as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. By investing in develop-

The Chinese government perceives the United Nations as a universal organization of all governments established to address various threats and challenges. In this multipolar world order, both the USA and China are competing with each other for global hegemony. This competition is evident in the UN dispute settlement mechanisms, where both countries attempt to influence the organization and pursue their interests.

From a realist perspective, the UN has become a tool for powerful states such as China and the USA to pursue their interests. The fundamental problem lies in the veto power of the Security Council, which allows any state to block any resolution that runs contrary to its will and interest.

Consequently, the UN appears to operate as a puppet in the hands of these major powers.

The UN has established a mechanism to prevent conflicts and maintain a peaceful and stable global environment. The UN’s efforts include mediation and resolution of disputes between conflicting parties, as well as deployment of peacekeeping forces in areas where conflict may arise. The primary responsibility for ensuring global peace and stability rests with the UN Security Council (UNSC), which is composed of five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members.

The UN has a primary goal of preventing conflicts, and the decline of the liberal world order has presented numerous challenges to this approach. China’s rise and its pursuit of global hegemony also occur within the context of the

UN, with the current Chinese leadership viewing China as a responsible player in global politics with a responsibility to establish a world order that supports China’s long-term goals. China has actively participated in the UN, contributing more troops and peacekeeping forces than any other permanent member. Moreover, China has become the second-largest contributor to the UN budget and holds significant positions within the organization. China’s economic and military power is being used to assert its dominance in various regions, and the UN is not exempt from China’s assertive policies.

China has articulated its aim to reform the existing world order by constructing parallel institutions to wield greater influence in the global arena. With the intention to counter the existing liberal institutions, China has taken assertive steps to establish its own institutions. For instance, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has enabled China to penetrate key regions of the world. Furthermore, China has set up the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as an alternative to the World Bank, and has been actively engaging in the Middle East to further its economic interests and address the void caused by the USA’s retreat from the region.

China’s past experiences of the Century of Humiliation suggest that it is more focused on economic and military buildup, and national interests take precedence over conflict prevention and human rights concerns.

The writer is a Researcher at the Center For International Strategic Studies, AJK, and can be reached at tayaba.khan127@gmail.com

ernment, and IMF did not learn from this experience of why procyclical, austerity policies were not working both nationally, and also overall on the global scale, and even went harder in this direction of these wrong policies, as the highly unsustainable macroeconomic situation, especially in terms of inflation, low foreign exchange reserves, and high debt distress. There is clearly, therefore, a need for reversal of these policies– the policy rate should be reduced drastically, and quickly, given also that the inbuilt timetaking monetary transmission mechanism will likely keep retarding economic growth for the next one to two years, while a progressive taxation policy is introduced, along with tighter controls/checks placed on current expenditure, and subsidy targeting done more efficiently, to have much greater fiscal space for enhancing development expenditures, and in also providing meaningful energy subsidy, since it has a strong bearing on cost-push inflationary channel of overall inflation.

The upcoming Budget should reflect this change, while the government should also come up with a meaningful non-neoliberal reform strategy especially for energy, and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) sectors, at the earliest possible, to stem huge fiscal losses on each account. Here, for instance, better management of the energy sector could lead to decrease in energy tariffs, and lesser circular debt, and lower losses by SOEs, could lead to both greater fiscal space, and in terms of reducing impact on inflation. Moreover, greater provision of SDRs by the IMF, and more meaningful debt relief/moratorium will indeed go a long way in allowing the government to move away from procyclical, and austerity policies.

The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund.Prior to this, he did MSc. in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom), and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan), among other places. He is author of Springer published book (2016) ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality, macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth’.He tweets @omerjaved7

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Dying languages

PAKISTAN is a multi-ethnic country having multiple ethnicities speaking more or less 78 languages across its length and breadth. Ethnologue is a web-based research organisation which conducts research on the world’s 7,000 languages, puts the number of spoken languages in Pakistan at 78.

Of these, the web reveals, 69 languages are indigenous, nine are nonindigenous, four are institutional, 24 are developing, 30 are vigorous, 16 are in trouble, and four are dying.

With the number of languages at a whirling downturn, the term ‘vanishing voices’ comes into play, referring to the phenomenon of endangered or dying languages around the world. The data shared by Ethnologue apart, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), about 40 per cent of the 7,000 languages spoken across the world are or close to disappearing, with one language disappearing every two weeks.

Moving forward, ranging from socio- economic factors to a complex web of issues, the reasons contributing to the phenomenon of disappearing languages are aplenty. To quote a few, globalisation and urbanisation appear to be the dominated ones that are leading powerful languages to outsmart and outlast the others. Moreover, policies of assimilation, cultural suppression by governments, migration and lack of interest in literature by young and energetic youth are contributing to the marginalisation of languages, especially those spoken by the minority communities.

To save languages from vanishing, documentation — involving recording of language in any format, such as audios, videos and text — is an essential tool to preserve the endangered languages. Along with adopting this measure, developing language learning programmes and teaching resources is integral to helping individuals use such languages.

In this regard, working with the local community is crucial which will ensure that the language is being preserved and promoted. This can involve supporting cultural activities, events and festivals, and encouraging language use among the community. Consequently, all the endangered languages can be turned away from falling off the cliff of extinction by adopting simple yet effective measures.

Encouraging research

RESEARCH is the bedrock of tertiary education, and is the imperative objective of higher education. It is a common perception that our universities do not produce quality research that may meet international standards.

There are various reasons regarding lack of academic research. One of the major issues is that supervisors do not consider research at the undergraduate level actual research in the real sense. They presume that students would submit theses that are done on the basis of copying material from somewhere, which is plagiarism, or from a cluster of sources, which is organised plagiarism. Research at bachelor’s level is considered an activity in which students only learn how to do research. The research produced is not given weightage even if some students perform relatively well.

There is no system to publish research done by undergraduate students, and though universities have many journals, no space is provided to students in those journals. There is no guidance regarding research publication, so the manuscript goes to some storeroom and is buried there for good. Ostensibly, students know that their research will not contribute anything to academia, and that it will never get published and, therefore, is of no use.

As a result, the research produced is nothing but a means to get a degree on time rather than a tool to contribute to the academic field. Education ministries, academia and university administrations should work on launching journals specifically for undergraduate students so that they may be encouraged to produce genuine research. This will surely increase students’ inquisitiveness which will reflect in their research work. ANAS TARIQ

The lynching of an alleged blasphemer in Mardan shows popular distrust in the justice system

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Tayyaba Khurshid

ChinaÊs past experiences of the Century of Humiliation suggest that it is more focused on economic and military buildup, and national interests take precedence over conflict prevention and human rights concerns

dr arpiTa hazariKa

JAPANESE Pm Fumio Kishida has reiterated his country’s support for Bangladesh’s efforts to repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar. He said Bangladesh and Japan have upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership.

Bangladesh spends $3.6 billion yearly, to help the Rohingya. This puts pressure on its economy. Despite its diplomatic, UN General Assembly sanctions and resolutions, the USA’s Burma Law, and the adoption of ASEAN’s fivepoint consensus in April 2021, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar has not yet been resolved. Bangladesh’s three close allies, China, Russia and India, have been asked to help. They have promised, but have not, either because they are unwilling, or due to their own agendas.

Japan, a close ally of both Bangladesh and Myanmar, should take a lead in the issue. Japan has always stood by Bangladesh in resolving the crisis and believes It can only be achieved through a swift, safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation. It is essential for Myanmar to create favourable conditions for this. Japan urges the Myanmar government to take stronger measures and will continue to communicate this until a resolution. In 2019, Japan offered to mediate and said dialogue would continue.

Bangladesh and Japan have already decided to work together. Bangladesh’s Matarbari deep sea port has become a strategic issue for Japan and India for several reasons, and because the Quad partners aim to counter Chinese influence. The geopolitical importance of Matarbari was evident during Kishid’s visit to India in March.

Japan International Cooperation Agency also agreed to give a new loan of 165 billion yen ($1.2 billion) to Bangladesh for infrastructure. In New Delhi, Kishida said Tokyo wanted the development of states in South Asia from the Bay of Bengal to Northeast India in cooperation with both Bangladesh and India. Due to this, a discussion meeting was held in Agartala recently.

Matarbari would not only be the most convenient

The Myanmar military is key to the Rohingya crisis

port but also the most prudent choice for Indo-Japan, as Dhaka has much more cordial relations than New Delhi’s other neighbours. Bangladesh-India-Myanmar-Japan will benefit from this opportunity. In this case Japan can work together with Myanmar and Bangladesh. But first, Japan must help improve relations between Myanmar and Bangladesh by solving the Rohingya issue.

Bangladesh is now close to adopting the Indo-Pacific strategy. If Japan plays its role before China does, Japan’s acceptance in the region will increase. Therefore, Japan has a strategic advantage in developing MyanmarBangladesh relations.

Japanese ambassadors have visited Rohingya camps often. The people of Japan, various organizations and the Japanese government continue to support the Rohingya camps mterially. The Japanese government is continuing to communicate with the Myanmar government, ASEAN and G-7 to resolve Rohingya’s citizenship, repatriation and environmental issues diplomatically.

Several human rights groups have so far condemned Japan’s position. A 2019 Human Rights Watch report questioned the Japanese government’s response.

The Rohingya crisis has received little attention from Japan, the leader of Asia’s liberal democracies and a long-time strategic, economic and humanitarian supporter of Bangladesh. It has not voted on any UN resolution on Myanmar. Myanmar has long been a reliable friend of Japan and now Japan wants to do good business there. Both JICA and the Japan External Trade Organization have projects in Myanmar.

Myanmar has become important in Japan’s geopolitical game. Japan is increasing its financial commitment to the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt, which includes the Special Economic Zones, energy sector and communications sector. A significant amount was invested in the Thilwa SEZand Hydropower Plant Rehabilitation Project. Myanmar and Japan organized the Rakhine State Investment Fair in 2019 to boost investment.

Beyond military-to-military cooperation, Japan plays a very important role in Myanmar politics. It has given more than $20 million in aid to Myanmar.

Bangladesh will have to put pressure on Myanmar to repatriate the Rohingya. Japan, while an economic powerhouse in Asia and a strategic friend of Myanmar, can also show itself a friend of Bangladesh by encouraging the repatriation. The protracted Rohingya crisis is a threat to Japan. Japan must abandon its cold-blooded policy and stand for human rights in all multilateral forums related to the Rohingya tragedy.

There had always been tension along the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Along the 271-km

COMMENT

border, two have a history of conflict. But the current issue really began in 2017 with the exodus of Rohingyas from Myanmar. More than a million Rohingya refugees sought safety in Bangladesh. These refugees have been hosted by Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. To maintain regional stability, the situation must be solved.

Bangladesh is under great pressure, snd has had to face, and continues to face, new diplomatic realities. It suddenly discovered that some long-time friends were no longer with it. It has largely failed to achieve the expected results by applying traditional diplomatic methods. Therefore, there is a need for new thinking in. Such as economic, military and cultural diplomacy. Military diplomacy is a special strategy to protect acountry’s interests and strengthen its diplomatic position in the international arena, and is increasingly used.

First, Bangladesh found a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the tension on its border with Myanmar. There had never be any notion of using force.

In an effort to deliver protest notes to the Myanmar ambassador, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has so far used diplomatic channels. The Bangladesh government has taken a step forward in using military diplomatic activities. Just like political diplomacy, military diplomacy has had positive discussions with Myanmar’s military leadership to resolve the Rohingya crisis, and in terms of defence cooperation, the relationship between the two countries will improve.

The Bangladesh army and border guard have seen success in military diplomacy before. In May 2014, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) naik was killed in firing by Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP). The then DG BGB iIn June led an eight-member Bangladesh delegation to a meeting of the BGB and Myanmar Police Force (MPF) chiefs. This was considered as a milestone in the development of the border forces of the two countries. This brings relief to Bangladesh’s 261-km border with Myanmar. Myanmar then expressed good neighbourly behaviour with Bangladesh.

A Myanmar military commander visited Bangladeshi Army chief Gel Shafiuddin in Dhaka on 27 October. Myanmar’s special operation commander, Lt Gen Phone Myat, explained the situation in Myanmar and how the junta was trying to maintain law and order while working with friendly countries.The statement said General Shafi discussed improving military relations, discussions between commanders and training exchanges. He called for Myanmar to work with Bangladesh to ensure regional security and the rapid repatriation of the Rohingya. The Myanmar delegation

How BJP is distorting Indian history to serve its majoritarian agenda

Hindutva history is ridden with inconsistency and factual errors

pecially Europe and America) in philosophy, language, literature, statecraft, medicine, astronomy and so on. This presumed pre-eminence in the distant past is in part an attempt to bolster cultural pride; in part a justification for the claim that India shall soon be leading the rest of the world again;

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ramaChandra guha

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The quickest to respond to the home minister’s appeal was the Indian Council of Historical Research, a body funded and directed by the Central government. A report that appeared in The Print in late February tells us that in “a record three weeks’ time,” the ICHR put together an exhibition in New Delhi titled “Glory of Medieval India: Manifestation of The Unexplored Indian Dynasties, 8th-18th centuries”. The dynasties showcased in the exhibition included the Cholas, the Kakatiyas, the Marathas, and the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire. Unsurprisingly, no ruler or dynasty with a Muslim name was featured.

As a sarkari body, the ICHR has always reflected the political priorities of the State and the ruling party. When the Congress was in power, it was run by a cabal of Left-nationalists who upheld a Marxist-inflected version of history. This past tendency has been used by supporters of the regime to justify the present biases of the organisation.

The criticism is not without merit – though there was a certain analytical rigour that the best Marxist historians brought to their task as well as a deep immersion in primary sources, both largely lacking in the current wave of history-writing (or rewriting) from the Hindu Right. However, the more important thing to remember is that our finest historians rarely sought cover under the umbrella of the ICHR. They worked in the university system, where they mentored doctoral students and wrote their own books and essays. These ranged over a wide range of subjects, utilised a wide range of primary sources, and rarely served a partypolitical agenda. The writers of these histories were scholars, not hacks. A few of them were Marxists, but most were not.

I shall return later to this flowering of historical research in the decades following Indian Independence. For the moment, let me stay with the rewriting of history so eagerly promoted by the rulers of today. What do Bharatiya Janata Party ideologues and their supporters expect from those who study or write about the past?

Based on what is said by them in print, in public, and on social media, it seems that what we may term “Hindutva history” has three central tenets as explained below: When it comes to the ancient period, Hindutva asks historians to portray India as being ahead of the world (and es-

When it comes to the medieval period, Hindutva asks historians to portray warriors and rulers with Muslim names as evil and perfidious, but warriors and rulers with Hindu names as noble and virtuous. When it comes to the modern period, Hindutva asks historians to diminish the role of the Indian National Congress in the freedom struggle by valorising trends that acted wholly or partially outside the fold of the Congress. In terms of individuals, this tenet demands that Gandhi and Nehru, in particular, be presented as weak and vacillating but Savarkar and Bose as heroic and unyielding.

AST November, in a speech in New Delhi, the Union home minister, Amit Shah, asked scholars to make sure “to present history properly and in a glorious manner.” He called for “research on 30 dynasties who ruled over 150 years anywhere in [the] country and 300 eminent personalities who struggled for freedom.”RIDDEN WITH ERRORS: Hindutva history is ridden with inconsistency and factual errors. One cannot claim India to be the “mother of democracy” and, at the same time, glorify medieval or ancient states that upheld the divine right of kings. One cannot celebrate dynasties that “ruled for over 150 years anywhere in the country” and, at the same time, attack the Congress for practising dynastic politics today. Likewise, to portray Bose and Gandhi as implacable rivals is to deny that, for long periods, they worked together and that even after they parted ways politically, Bose continued to enormously admire Gandhi, hailing him as the “Father of the Nation” and leading an army with brigades named after his Congress comrades –Gandhi, Nehru, and Maulana Azad.

Finally, presenting Hindus as intrinsically virtuous and subject to discrimination by foreigners or invaders obscures the fact that, via the operations of patriarchy and the caste system, far more cruelty and injustice have been meted out to Hindus by other Hindus than by Muslims or Christians.

A more substantive criticism of Hindutva history is its deeply impoverished understanding of the craft of history itself. Hindutva historians focus largely on the deeds of famous, powerful, and influential men, presenting them as either good or evil, without attention to nuance or context. We learn little about the human relationships these men engaged in, the social or cultural influences on them, the psychological motivations behind their actions, the compromises they may have made and the complicated (and rarely black-and-white) legacies they leave behind.

In any case, history is about much more than just the lives and deeds of famous or powerful men. In recent decades, historians in India – and elsewhere – have excavated the past in its many sidedness by dealing with people other than the elite, and with events other than wars lost or won. Hence the flourishing of what is called “history from below”, the study of the lives and struggles of peasants, workers, artisans, tribals and other subaltern groups. Hence the growth of women’s history, which brings to centrestage the story of the (often discriminated) half of humankind that traditional, male-dominated perspectives have rendered invisible. Or consider the dynamic field of environmental history, the study of how humans are shaped and reshaped by nature and natural constraints. Or the field of cultural history, which explores the

dimensions of human creativity down the ages in literature, music, art, science, and architecture. Or the history of recreation and entertainment, of (for example) the cultural roots and the social consequences of the obsession of modern Indians with film and cricket.

This list of exciting fields of historical study is illustrative, not exhaustive. Yet it should give the reader some sense of the vast domains of human life and experience that Hindutva historians ignore, but which educated Indians with a genuine curiosity about the past might wish to learn about. Fortunately, professional historians with no ideological axe to grind have written insightfully about these subjects. Much of their work has been published in the Indian Economic and Social History Review, a journal which owes its reputation and standing to the late Professor Dharma Kumar, who edited it for almost three decades.

Professor Kumar was a principled liberal who abhorred ideologues of Left and Right (the Marxists hated her), who was deeply interested in broadening the scope of historical enquiry, who had a keen interest in social and cultural as well as economic and political history, and who had a particular talent for encouraging younger scholars. Apart from research papers in journals such as IESHR, the best Indian historians have also published books aimed at both a specialist as well as non-specialist audience, many of which are still in print.

AN ARGUMENT WITHOUT END: Historians study all dimensions of the human experience: what materials the homes of past generations were made of, what crops they grew and what food they ate, what clothes they wore and what songs they sang, what the major axes of social hierarchy and social conflict were, which new technologies were adopted and what old ones discarded, what political systems came into being and what legal and administrative frameworks supported them, what role forests, water, climate and landscape play in economic and cultural life. There is a vast and growing library of works by Indian and foreign scholars on these subjects, from prehistory to the present.

These historical themes, endlessly fascinating to others, are of little interest to the practitioner or consumer of Hindutva history who wishes only to have his ideological biases confirmed by the exaltation of Hindu “heroes” and Hindu “civilisation” and the corresponding characterisation of Muslims (and, occasionally, Christians) as villains.

expressed interest in cooperating.

General Shafi stated in September that Bangladesh’s armed forces were prepared to act if Myanmar’s troops continued to fire across the border while pursuing the Arakan Army. He complained strongly to his counterpart in Myanmar about the shelling.

The Tatmadaw has been engaged in combat with the AA in northern Rakhine State, close to the Bangladeshi border. Since August, Bangladesh has complained to the international community about fighter and drone flights over its territory as well as mortar and machine gun fire overthe border. Mohammad Ikbal, a 17-year-old Rohingya, was killed by three mortar rounds launched into Bangladesh on September 16. A recent battalion-level flag meeting between BGB and BSP decided to improve bilateral relations, while the Myanmar side regretted the recent shelling along the border.The meeting stressed boosting communication, confidence, and trus.

Although with a long history, military diplomacy is currently being addressed in several nations. The Rohingya issue and the most recent border dispute negatively affect the region. Regional peace will be threatened by the repatriation’s delay. Military diplomacy may be decisive in ending the crisis. Additionally, as Myanmar is currently underr a military government, the military will be able to strengthen bilateral ties. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry can therefore develop plans and measures to end the Rohingya issue with this in mind. The solution to the border conflict is in multilateral diplomacy. Strengthening military diplomacy is necessary in this regard. Although Bangladesh and Myanmar share a border of 271 kilometers, the Rohingya refugee crisis has been a long-standing bilateral issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh. But to assist in resolving this crisis, both must participate in meaningful dialogue.

Basically, there should be regular exchanges of visits, training sessions, and joint exercises. These will lessen mistrust while boosting comprehension. Additionally, this may assist in resolving the Rohingya problem. Bangladesh and Myanmar must forge military-diplomatic ties to successfully handle repatriation. Military diplomatic communication is an effective strategy in strengthening relations with neighbours. Bangladesh has tried all kinds of bilateral and multilateral efforts to deal with the Rohingya crisis, without result. The influence of the military on state power in Myanmar is immense. The current Rohingya crisis falls within the ambit of the army. Thus, any move to deal with the crisis without involving the country’s army is bound to fail. A close professional relationship between the Bangladesh and Myanmar armies could have been put to good use in deescalating the current crisis.

The writer is a freelance columnist

The updated edition of Ramachandra Guha’s India After Gandhi is now in stores.

Will

Google’s new tech be the death of passwords? If so, sign me up

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I’m talking MSN. I’m talking Myspace. I’m talking the Dragon Ball Z fan wiki. All the tools a 14-year-old needed to dip their toe into the world of online communication, but not so much that we’d completely destroy our reputations forever. That’s the sweet spot.

We didn’t stress too much about online security back then, because a) we were naïve as to the dangers of cybercrime and b) there weren’t many valuable secrets to be gleaned from hacking into my Myspace page. What are you going to do, change my homepage song from Limp Bizkit’s “My Way” to something even more embarrassing? We both know that isn’t possible. We kept our passwords simple, because our needs were simple. The name of that week’s crush. Our favourite member of Hear’Say. W33D_MASTER_6969. The classics. Nowadays it’s too complicated. Now you have to choose something that’s 20 characters long, contains at least six unique special characters, can’t be a proper noun, can’t be in English, must read the same backwards as it does forwards, and summons one of the Great Old Ones when said under the light of a blood moon.

It looks like even those days will be coming to an end soon though, as Google has begun rolling out its new passkey technology. The technology will replace traditional passwords, instead allowing authentication with fingerprint ID, facial ID, or PIN.

Instead of trying to remember 18 different variations of the same password across all your devices (“was weedmaster spelled with an ‘@’ symbol, or was that just for my Facebook account?”), users will instead be able to create a unique passkey that can be used across all their devices.

Like most people, I stay logged into pretty much every website and online service I use 24/7 because I have no regard for my personal data, and because nothing I do online feels real to me. Even though I’ve been using online banking for well over a decade, my account still feels like an abstract series of numbers that have no relation to the real world. Oh, you hacked into my bank account? Have fun stealing my negative-£200, loser. I also do it because there’s nothing I hate more than having to solve a complex series of riddles and memory tasks every time I want to log into a website. No, I don’t remember the password for the email address I created when I was 14; I just create a new account every time I buy a new laptop and hope nobody important tries to contact me on the old ones.

was born in the early 1990s, which means that the internet came around just in time to make my high school experience more dramatic than it would have been otherwise, but not early enough to completely ruin my life.If I ever get logged out of my Netflix account I’m unsubscribing from the service. because I’m pretty sure the last time I signed in was in 2011 when I first signed up. When I was doing my PhD I had to change the password for my account every six weeks, and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t play a small part in my decision to quit academia altogether. They wouldn’t let you repeat old passwords, even if the last time you’d used them was years earlier! Sure, it was 10 years of my life down the drain, but it was worth it not to have to think of yet another variation on BTS_army_420.

Here’s a scary thing I found out while writing this article: did you know it can take hacking software an average of around eight hours to crack a password that’s eight characters long and uses numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and special characters? For a seven-character password, that number drops to around six minutes.

You don’t want to know how quickly it takes to crack “SNIPER1” which, in high school, me and two of my friends realised we were all using as our computer passwords for IT class, and had somehow come up with completely independently of one another. That’s a true story about how uncomplicated and predictable teenage boys are. Why do we let them have smartphones?

At a time when a huge portion of our lives take place online, it’s important to be safe. What isn’t safe is making the log in process for most websites contingent on our remembering a random string of numbers and letters that we’re often forced to come up with on the spot, and will likely end up writing down on a Post-it and sticking to our computer monitor because we know we can’t be trusted to remember it. If Google has come up with a way to kill off passwords, I say sign me up (but don’t sign me out, because I forgot my log-in details).

There’s nothing I hate more than having to solve a complex series of riddles and memory tasks every time I want to log into a website

INDEPENDENT ryan COOgan

ARAB LEAGUE READMITS SYRIA AS RELATIONS WITH ASSAD NORMALISE

CAIRO AGENCIES

ARABLeague foreign ministers adopted a decision to readmit Syria after more than a decade of suspension on Sunday, a League spokesperson said, consolidating a regional push to normalise ties with President Bashar al-Assad.

The decision said Syria could resume its participation in Arab League meetings immediately, while calling for a resolution of the crisis resulting from Syria’s civil war, including the flight of refugees to neighbouring countries and drug smuggling across the region.

It was taken at a closed meeting of foreign ministers at the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo, said Gamal Roshdy, spokesman for the Arab League’s secretary general.

While Arab states including the United Arab Emirates have pushed for

Syria and Assad’s rehabilitation, others, including Qatar, have remained opposed to full normalisation without a political solution to the Syrian conflict.

Some have been keen to set conditions for Syria’s return, with Jordan’s

UK marks coronation with street parties and a concert

LONDON AFP

Britain on Sunday celebrated the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla with street parties around the country and a concert at Windsor Castle.

Following Saturday’s glittering ceremony at London’s Westminster Abbey featuring royalty and leaders from around the world, the emphasis shifted to a chance for the public to mark the “Carolean” age after Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign. The medieval majesty of the coronation ceremony has its roots in the England of 1066 but the “Big Lunch” parties look to bring 21stcentury Britain’s diverse communities closer together. Monday has been declared a public holiday — meaning people can let loose on Sunday without having to worry about a hangover.

Charles and Camilla hope the long weekend “will provide an opportunity to spend time and celebrate with friends, families and communities”, Buckingham Palace said. After the post-World War II hardships, street parties were a major feature of Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 — and a memorable part of celebrations for her long reign in 1977 and last year. The Big Lunch is an attempt to keep alive that more neighbourly spirit.

‘CELEBRATION AND FRIENDSHIP’

“From a cup of tea with a neighbour to a street party, a Coronation Big Lunch brings the celebrations to your neighbourhood and is a great way to get to know your community a little better,” Buckingham Palace said. It is likely to see multiple hit-and-miss attempts at making Coronation Quiche — the specially created baked savoury tart featuring spinach, broad beans and tarragon.

Alvarez batters Ryder to retain undisputed super middleweight crown

GUADALAJARA

AFP

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez made a triumphant return to Mexico, punishing John Ryder on the way to a unanimous 12-round decision to retain his undisputed super middleweight world title.

Ryder, whose face was already a bloody mess by the time Alvarez knocked him down in the fifth round, battled gamely in the later stages but Alvarez emerged a clear winner in his first fight in his native Mexico in nearly 12 years. Judge Jeremy Hayes scored the bout 120-107 for Alvarez while Joe Pasquale and Gerardo Martino both saw it 118-109 for the champion, who delighted a sellout crowd of some 50,000 at the open-air Akron Stadium in his hometown.

“It’s a historic moment for me,” Alvarez said. “I’m blessed to be here with my people who supported me from the beginning.” Alvarez improved to 59-2-2 with 39 knockouts while Ryder, the mandatory challenger, fell to 38-6 with 18 wins inside the distance.

After a tentative opening round, the 32-year-old Alvarez began to open up, landing a bevy of right hands that had Ryder bleeding from the nose and mouth by the third round. A brutal left-right combination dropped Ryder in the fifth round. He beat the count and held on until the bell, but he was in trouble again in the sixth when another big right from Alvarez had the Briton’s knees sagging. But Ryder, nicknamed “The Gorilla,” kept coming. He was down again after a right from Alvarez late in the eighth, but that was ruled a slip and he had bounced back up moments before the bell.

Shaken again in the ninth, Ryder nevertheless seemed to find a second wind. The 10th and 11th were closer and Alvarez was less effective but had more than enough to hang on. “He’s strong,” Alvarez said.

23,000 flee violence in northeast India, army says

DELHI AGENCIES

foreign minister saying last week that the Arab League’s reacceptance of Syria would only be the start of “a very long and difficult and challenging process”.

Sunday’s decision said Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and the

Arab League’s Secretary General would form a ministerial contact group to liaise with the Syrian government and seek “step-by-step” solutions to the crisis.

Practical steps included continuing efforts to facilitate the delivery of aid in Syria, according to a copy of the decision seen by Reuters.

Syria’s membership of the Arab League was suspended in 2011 after a crackdown on street protests against Assad that led to a devastating civil war, and many Arab states pulled their envoys out of Damascus.

Recently, Arab states have been trying to reach consensus on whether to invite Assad to an Arab League summit on May 19 in Riyadh to discuss the pace of normalising ties and on what terms Syria could be allowed back.

Saudi Arabia long resisted restoring relations with Assad but said after its recent rapprochement with Iran – Syria’s key regional ally – that a new approach was needed with Damascus.

Shooting rampage at Texas mall leaves at least nine dead

ALLEN AFP

A man went on a rampage at a Texas outlet mall on Saturday, shooting dead eight people and wounding several others before he was killed by a police officer at the busy shopping complex. Video footage circulating online showed the shooter getting out of a sedan in the mall’s parking lot before opening fire on people walking nearby.

An officer inside on an unrelated call quickly responded to the gunfire and “neutralized” the shooter as scenes of panic broke out at the sprawling facility in Allen, police said.

The identity of the shooter was not released. His body, sprawled on a sidewalk, was one of seven deaths at the mall when more police arrived.

Two others died in the hospital while “three are in critical surgery, and four are stable,” said Allen fire chief Jonathan Boyd.

The shooting at Allen Premium Outlets, 35 miles (55 kilometres) north of Dallas, began around 3:30 pm (2030 GMT), when it was busy with weekend shoppers, police said.

The officer in the mall “heard gunshots, went to the

gunshots, engaged the suspect and neutralized the suspect,” said chief Brian Harvey of the Allen police department.

Some of the victims were as young as five years old, a hospital official told NBC News.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the mass shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.”

President Joe Biden “has been briefed on the shooting,” a White House official told reporters.

Local officials hailed the actions of the police officer who charged and killed the shooter.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to first responders that ran toward the gunfire and acted swiftly to neutralise the threat,” said Keith Self, a Republican congressman whose district includes the city of Allen.

Authorities believed initially that a second shooter might be on the loose. As police combed through stores in the mall, frantic shoppers and store employees rushed into parking lots.

Harvey later said police believe the unidentified shooter, who CNN said was wearing tactical gear, “acted alone.”

Janet St. James, a spokesperson for Medical City Healthcare, which operates multiple trauma facilities in North Texas, said it received eight patients from the

shooting, ranging in age from five to 61, NBC News reported.

“Allen is a proud and safe city which makes today’s senseless act of violence even more shocking,” mayor Ken Fulk said in a statement.

“I want to commend our police and fire departments for their quick response. Their thorough training not to hesitate to move toward the threat likely saved more lives today.”

‘NO MORE SAFE PLACES’

Jaynal Pervez, who arrived at the mall while his daughter was inside, told CNN: “There’s no more safe places. I don’t know what to do.”

Pervez later told broadcaster CBS that the scenes in the mall parking lot had been chaotic.

“I saw the shoes around there, people’s cell phones on the street,” he said. With more firearms than inhabitants, the United States has the highest rate of gun deaths of any developed country — 49,000 in 2021, up from 45,000 the year before.

There have been more than 195 mass shootings — defined as four or more people wounded or killed — so far this year in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Canada’s Alberta declares state of emergency over wildfires

ALBERTA, CANADA AGENCIES

Alberta on Saturday declared a provincial state of emergency after tens of thousands of Albertans have been forced to evacuate their homes as “unprecedented” wildfires rage on in Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith, head of the ruling United Conservative Party (UCP) said at a press conference.

By Saturday at 5 pm Mountain Time (7 pm ET), more than 24,000 Albertans had been evacuated from their homes, with 110 active wildfires across the province, and 36 out of control.

“It has been an extremely challenging day for firefighters here,” said Christie Tucker, an information unit manager for Alberta Wildfire. “We were battling very strong winds and hot weather, and those winds produced extreme wildfire activity.”

A smoke column rises from wildfire WWF023 near Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada May 5, 2023. — Reuters

She added that additional firefighters had arrived today from Quebec and Ontario.

“Much of Alberta has been experiencing a hot, dry spring and with so much kindling, all it takes is a few sparks to ignite some truly frightening wildfires,” said Smith at a press conference earlier in the day.

“These conditions have resulted in the unprecedented situation our province is facing today.”

Among the communities evacuated was Brazeau County, including all 7,000 people living in Drayton Valley, 140 km (87 miles) west of the province’s capital Edmonton.

A smoke column rises from wildfire EWF031 near Lodgepole, Alberta, Canada May 4, 2023. — Reuters

The entire community of 3,600 people in Fox Lake was also among the evacuees, where the 1,458hectare (3609-acre) Fox Lake fire consumed 20 homes and the police station.

“I don’t know that I ever recall seeing multiple communities evacuated all at once in fire season,” said Smith. She said C$1.5 billion ($1.12 billion) is put aside as a contingency because they know a significant amount could need to be spent on emergency management, Whitecap Resources WCP.TO, an oil producer operating in northwestern and central Alberta, said it has been busy ensuring staff is safe through the evacuation process and assets are unaffected.

“(We are) monitoring closely and praying for rain,” Grant Fagerheim, Whitecap CEO, said on Saturday.

Pembina Pipeline Corp PPL.TO, which runs oilgathering pipelines in the region, on Friday said it had activated emergency response and incident management processes and is “evaluating any current or anticipated operational impacts”.

So far this year, there have been 43,000 hectares burned from wildfires, Smith said.

“It is very unusual for us to see this much fire activity this early in the season,” said Tucker earlier on Saturday.

Voters in Alberta will go to the polls on May 29 to elect a new government. Smith said people should expect election day will go ahead as planned.

Some 23,000 people have fled ethnic violence in northeast India that has reportedly killed at least 54, the army said Sunday, although there was no new “major violence” overnight.

The unrest in Manipur state erupted after a protest march by a tribal group last week sparked clashes, with vehicles and houses set on fire and authorities firing tear gas.

The military has deployed thousands of troops to the state bordering Myanmar, issued “shoot-at-sight” orders in “extreme cases”, imposed curfews and cut the internet. The army said on Sunday no major flare-ups were reported overnight and that a curfew was lifted between 7-10 am in Churachandpur district, one of the main flashpoint areas.

“Past 24 hrs also witnessed Army significantly enhancing surveillance efforts through aerial surveillance, movement of UAVs & redeployment of Army Helicopters within Imphal Valley,” it said, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles or drones.

“Total 23000 civilians have been rescued till now & were moved to own operating bases/ military Garrisons,” the statement said.

Authorities have not given an official death toll but hospital morgues in the state capital Imphal and Churachandpur had reported a combined total of 54 dead, according to local media. Tribal groups including the Kukis are unhappy about the prospect of the state’s majority Meitei community being recognised under a “Scheduled Tribe” category. This designation would give them a certain quota of government jobs and college admissions in a form of affirmative action aimed at addressing structural inequality and discrimination. Sanglun Simte, 29, a Kuki who has been camping outside the airport in state capital Imphal with 11 of his family members since Saturday, recounted the horror as violence broke out.

“We fled for safety. Things are not okay. They are just attacking us Kukis,” he told AFP.

Simte said his 49-year-old cousin, Siemcha Gangte, was killed by a mob on Thursday and his house was set on fire.

“The attackers say we are outsiders and need to leave Imphal. When they attacked us, the local police didn’t help.” Simte, who has booked a flight for Agartala, the capital of neighbouring Tripura state, said he would return only if security improved.

“We don’t feel safe right now,” he said.

Lalpu Suantak, 45, who works with a state-owned bank in Imphal and is also from the Kuki community, said he fled his house with 12 family members after some homes and a neighbourhood church were set on fire.

“My house hasn’t been touched yet but there was fear when a mob burnt one house in our area,” he told AFP.

Manipur riots result of Modi’s crackdown on religious, ethnic minorities: Chinese scholar

BEIJING

AFP

The recent severe riots in Indian State of Manipur are serious consequences of Narendra Modi’s strong push for extreme nationalism and severe crackdown on religious and ethnic minorities since he took office, Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Prof. of Southwest University of Political Science and Law said on Sunday. He noted that on May 03, armed conflicts broke out in Manipur in northeastern India, resulting in at least 54 deaths and thousands of people becoming destitute and homeless. Prof. Cheng, who is also former Defense Attache in South Asian countries observed that there are six states in northeastern India, namely Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. These states have little political status in India and are often discriminated against, with a long-standing armed struggle of the people for liberation and the states for independence. In addition, in the illegally occupied southern Tibetan of China, namely the illegally established ‘Arunachal Pradesh’, local people strongly demand the return of the land to Tibet of China, he added. He said that northeastern India is a very special region that is connected to the mainland of India only by the narrow Siliguri Corridor known also as the Chicken’s Neck. Indian literary giant Rabindranath Tagore once said that India has never been a country, but a geographical concept. In history, India was composed of hundreds of loose tribal states. After Britain invaded South Asia, it took more than a hundred years to integrate the loose states in the South Asian subcontinent into British India. Later, British India disintegrated, and India, Pakistan and other countries became independent one after another, he added.

Prof. Cheng believes that there are two fundamental factors that hinder the maintenance of national unity in India today: firstly, India is a multilingual country, with no more than 500 million people speaking Hindi, the national language, among its 1.4 billion population; secondly, India is a multi-ethnic country, with only 46.3 percent of the Hindu people.

He said that since BJP leader Narendra Modi took office, he has forcefully promoted extreme nationalism and severely cracked down on religious and ethnic minorities, thereby exacerbating nationwide unrest. In response to the current armed struggle of the people of Manipur, the Indian government has cut off the internet service and implemented closed management, sent heavy troops to brutally suppress the people, and issued orders to kill the innocent people, which means that military and police can shoot at the people in special circumstances, he added.

14 million watched coronation of King Charles III: BBC

LONDON

AFP

More than 14 million people tuned in to watch King Charles III’s coronation on BBC television, the corporation said on Sunday.

At its peak, 13.4 million watched on the main BBC One channel, with an average of 11.9 million watching Saturday’s coverage of the ceremony.

A signed version on BBC Two peaked at 1.7 million, averaging at 1.4 million, a statement from the public broadcaster read.

Saturday’s coronation — the first to be held in Britain in 70 years — was only the second to be televised, and the first to be shown in colour.

But the figures indicate that overall viewing figures were well down on previous major royal occasions.

Last year’s state funeral of Charles’s mother Queen Elizabeth II attracted one of the biggest television audiences in the UK in modern times. An estimated average audience of 26.2 million watched on TV sets alone, peaking at 28 million, including 18.5 million on the BBC.

In 2011, more than 24 million viewers watched the wedding of Charles’s son Prince William on BBC terrestrial television.

In 1997, more than 32 million viewers in the UK watched the funeral of Charles’s first wife and William’s mother, Princess Diana. The 1953 coronation of Elizabeth is seen

as a breakthrough in broadcasting, as it was the first shown on TV.

Then some 27 million people watched and 11 million listened to the service on the radio, according to Buckingham Palace. But TV set ownership was low.

The BBC was the only broadcaster at the time. Since then the media landscape has been transformed, with dozens more channels, as well as online, on-demand and streaming services.

Charles’s coronation was also broadcast live by commercial channel ITV — which only launched two years after Elizabeth’s coronation — and others including Sky News. Their viewing figures were not immediately available.

JLI, Sehat Kahani celebrate 100,000+online OPD consultations

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Jubilee Life Insurance (JLI) in collaboration with Sehat Kahani recently surpassed 100,000+ consultations for policyholderswith world class doctors. A celebratory event was held at Jubilee Life’s Head Office attended by Mr. Javed Ahmed, Managing Director and CEO, Jubilee Life Insurance, Mr. Farhan Akhtar Faridi, Group HeadRetail Operations, Marketing and Administration, Jubilee Life Insurance, Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram, Co-Founder and CEO, Sehat Kahani along with other representatives from both companies. With both general physicians and specialists on the roster the joint initiative of Sehat Kahani and Jubilee Life Insurance is providing a free and unlimited OPD consultations 24/7 to policyholders nationwide. Besides consultation fees, policyholders can avoid the hassle of waiting in long queues and commuting to a medical facility which incurs traveling costs and saves time as well. The doctors under this partnership have 90% female doctors which also paves the way for our policyholders to get consultations for their female family members.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Faridi, stated: “Healthcare and wellbeing are the most essential necessities, and providing access to timely medical care to our policyholders is of paramount importance to us at Jubilee Life. Through this partnership with Sehat Kahani, we are utilizing digital technology to bring quality healthcare solutions in the form of OPD consultations to our policyholders at their fingertips. We are thankful to our corporate clients, banking partners and colleagues for making this initiative a resounding success.”

PIC Karachi to conduct training workshop to identify fake news

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Information Center (PIC) project of the Press Information Department (PID) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will conduct a two-day training workshop on News authenticity and tools to counter the fake news and anti-state propaganda on May 9 and 10 at a private hotel in Karachi. Members of Karachi Press Club, journalists associated with various TV channels and newspapers and media studies students will participate in the training workshop.

In the two-day training workshop, Senior Trainer, Director News Aaj News and former CEJ Director Kamal Siddiqui will serve as lead trainer, while Karachi Press Club (KPC) Secretary General Shoaib Ahmed and other important personalities will be guest speakers. The workshop will educate participants on using tools to identify fake news and anti-state propaganda. During the workshop, participants will be taught advanced tools to identify fake news while also being trained to understand global or domestic propaganda against the state. On the second day of the workshop, Director General (DG) Public Relation (PR) Erum Tanweer will distribute certificates to the participants & hand over shields to the guest speakers and trainers.

Pakistan Information Center has so far provided training to more than 10 thousand journalists, Media Students & Social Media Influencers across the country, while this year also the center plans to provide training to 2000 more journalists & students. Pakistan Information Center provides training to journalists in all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Islamabad.

IESCO notifies power suspension schedule

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) on Monday issued a power suspension program on Monday (today) for various areas of its region due to necessary maintenance and routine development work.

According to IESCO Spokesman, the power supply of different feeders and grid stations would remain suspended for the period from 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM, Islamabad Circle, I-11/1, I-11/3, Metro, Sohdran Road Feeders, Rawalpindi City Circle, Nogzi, Bajnyal, Mohanpura Feeders, Rawalpindi Cantt Circle, Chahan , Chontra, Rajar, Chakri, SPD, SPF feeders, Jhelum.

SYED AFSARSAJID

Title: ‘Dam e Khyal’

Author: Tariq Mahmud

Publisher: Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore

Tariq Mahmud is an eminent former bureaucrat. His socio-cultural profile coupled with his innate literary proclivities distinguishes him amongst his peers and associates. His long but illustrious civil service career preceded by a hectic academic stint at the University of Dacca (Dhaka) in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) seems to have enormously broadened his vision and outlook besides stirring his imagination on the dynamics of literary creativity. ‘Dam e Khyal’ is a logical outcome of a serial of Tariq Mahmud’s biographical articles published in ‘Adab-e-Latif’, a leading literary journal from Lahore.

An autobiography is a record of its author’s life comprising his personal impressions and experiences retrieved from the archives of memory. A Herculean task indeed that the author has so discreetly accomplished in the shape of the instant book, spread over as many as nineteen eloquent chapters bearing the impress of his distinctive academic as well as bureaucratic background, myriad observations on an assortment of themes touching administration, politics, economy, history, international affairs, travel, and public relations! The narrative is couched in lucidity, episodic connectivity, and an impressionistic literary suavity.

Tariq Mahmud is basically a fiction writer whence his proficiency in (the art of) stylistics as betrayed in the book being reviewed here. The book should be an interesting read for those who would be keen to know about the post-Partition developments in the politico-administrative oligarchy of this country notwithstanding Qudratullah

SAUDI ARABIA EMERGES AS KEY PLAYER IN SAFE EVACUATION OF PEOPLE FROM SUDAN: PRESS ATTACHÉ

ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

SAUDIPress Attaché Dr Naif

Al-Otaibi on Sunday said Saudi Arabia, in a remarkable display of compassion and solidarity, had emerged as a key player in the safe evacuation of people from Sudan, providing much-needed assistance and shelter to those affected by the ongoing crisis. He, in an exclusive talk with APP, said the Saudi leadership’s proactive response underscored its commitment to humanitarian efforts and its pivotal role in ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals caught in dire circumstances.

The Saudi Press Attaché said due to political unrest and social upheaval in Sudan, countless lives had been disrupted, leaving many vulnerable, and

seeking refuge. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the Kingdom swiftly mobilized resources and deployed aid teams to facilitate the evacuation process, he added.

He said under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi government coordinated with international organizations, including the United Nations and the Red Crescent Society, to organize safe and efficient evacuation routes for people from various hues and nationalities.

He said this collaboration among these entities proved instrumental in ensuring that evacuees were transported securely to temporary shelters in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Naif said the Saudi government had set up multiple reception centres equipped with essential amenities such as food, medical facilities, and psychosocial support services. These centres served as

a refuge for those fleeing the violence in Sudan, providing a safe haven where individuals could begin the process of rebuilding their lives, he maintained.

To enhance the efficiency of evacuation operations, Saudi Arabia utilized its extensive logistical capabilities, including its well-established air transportation infrastructure, he said adding that Saudi Arabian airlines, in coordination with international carriers, dedicated numerous flights to transporting evacuees from Sudan to Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the national commitment to expediting the process and ensuring the well-being of those in need.

He said the international community had commended Saudi Arabia’s admirable efforts in the Sudan evacuation, acknowledging its leadership’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian causes.

Several world leaders had expressed their

Risks to economy loom large as govt facing $3.5b debt repayments challenge: BMP

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

As the government has been struggling to secure a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry’s Businessmen Panel (BMP) on Sunday warned that the government will have to pay almost $3.5 billion in debt payments in just two months, with the domestic economy nose-diving due to non-serious and poor policy decisions and mismanagement of the economic managers.

FPCCI former president and

Businessmen Panel (BMP) Chairman Mian Anjum Nisar expressed the hope that the government and the IMF will reach an agreement on the program review but the risks are large to haunt the economy, reflecting that a default or debt restructuring is an increasingly real possibility, he warned. He observed that the rupee continued to remain at lower ebb while the key interest rate has been escalated by the central bank to the record historic level of 21%, which will destroy the economy completely. Anjum Nisar observed that the country is reeling from an eco-

nomic crisis with inflation surging to 36.5 percent, the highest in its history and the highest in South Asia, while a bruising political battle is raging between the government and the opposition party. Though the government has removed caps on the exchange rate, imposed taxes, raised energy tariffs, and scaled back subsidies in an attempt to unlock the IMF funding, besides raising key interest rates to a record 21 percent but all in vain. Finance Minister has been claiming that there’s no way Pakistan is going to default, however, the economist constantly claim that the country is on the brink of default.

Int’l Divine Economics Conference concludes with calls for promoting alternative economic system

of Hadi Foundation in collaboration with the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK), AJK Medical College, and other institutions. Experts from various countries, including the United States, Britain, Chile, Iran, and Malaysia, attended the conference along with researchers, economists, philosophers, MPhil and PhDs, faculty members, scholars, and post-graduate students from over two dozen universities of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir.

gratitude for the prompt and efficient response exhibited by the Kingdom, recognizing the positive impact it had brought in the lives of those affected, he added.

As the situation in Sudan continues to evolve, Dr. Naif said Saudi Arabia remained steadfast in its determination to support the Sudanese people.

He said the nation’s ongoing commitment to ensuring their safety and wellbeing served as an inspiration to other countries and reinforced the importance of collective action in times of crisis.

He said Saudi Arabia’s remarkable role in the evacuation of people from Sudan highlighted the power of international cooperation and compassionate leadership. Through their selfless actions, Saudi Arabia had not only saved lives but also offered hope to those in desperate need, reminding the world of the enduring spirit of solidarity and empathy, he added.

Federal College of Education faces turmoil amidst administrative changes

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The frequent changing in management and makeshift arrangements at Federal College of Education (FCE) has created a state of turmoil within the college, significantly impacting its efficiency.

In an experimental move, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has given the temporary charge of the FCE to Professor Muhammad Ihsanul Haq who is already a Principal at Islamabad Model College for Boys F-10/3. Earlier, Ms Saba Faisal, who was also a Principal at Islamabad Model College for Girls F-10/2, took the temporary charge of the FCE on March 3, 2023 under the direction of FDE.

However, this decision was short-lived, as on May 5, 2023, the FDE abruptly removed Ms. Saba Faisal from FCE after a mere two months and Mr. Muhammad Ihsanul Haq was made interim head of the college. Actually the removal of Dr. Samia Rehman Dogar from FCE followed a series of transitional appointments which has resulted in a lack of stability and a detrimental impact on the college's functioning. Dr. Samia Rehman Dogar who was the Professor at FCE was placed at Islamabad Model College for Girls G10/4 on attachment basis.

A faculty member of FCE on the condition of anonymity told media persons, previously running smoothly, FCE is now facing disruptions in its training programs. Moreover, the college's telephone and internet connections have been severed due to non-payment of bills, leaving staff and students disconnected from crucial communication channels.

MUZAFFARABAD STAFF REPORT

The 3rd International Divine Economics Conference has concluded after a thorough discussion on the role of economy, religion, spirituality, ethics, and values. Speakers urged the promotion of Divine Economics as an alternative to the traditional economic system and a solution to social problems. The conference was organized by the Islamic Social Sciences Forum

During the conference, the Islamic Social Sciences Digital Library was inaugurated, which includes a large number of e-books on topics such as the Quran, Hadith, ethics, divine economics, research journals on Islamic history, biography, logic, philosophy, law, literature, and social sciences. This library is available online for free. Furthermore, the book "Philosophical Thinking and Rational Thinking" by philosopher Dr. Kausar Ali was launched, providing guidance on basic philosophical concepts and issues. Dr. Ali described the book as a rational attempt to answer metaphysical questions that arise in life and a strong foundation for building an intellectual personality.

Railways upgrades 167 unmanned crossings

ISLAMABAD PR

Pakistan Railways has upgraded as many as 167 vulnerable un-manned level crossings to manned level crossings, out of 550 which are identified by the department over the entire railway network last year.

“The relevant provincial government provided the finances to Pakistan Railways for the upgradation of un-manned level crossings in the country,”

Zhob-Dhana Sar blocked section opened for traffic

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Zhob-Dhana Sar section of the National highway (N-50) which was blocked by heavy landsliding is opened for traffic.

Heavy landslide was triggered at the Zhob-Dhana Sar section section of the National highway (N-50) resulting in the blocking the route by large stones within 60 to 80 meters.

The spokesperson of National Highway Authority (NHA) told on Sunday that the Federal Minister for Communication Maulana Asad Mehmood and Secretary Communications Captain (R) Muhammad Khurram Agha had directed the concerned authorities to open N50 highway, immediately.

official sources in the Ministry of Railways told APP.

They said the present government was taking several steps including the up-gradation of unmanned and vulnerable railway level crossings across the country in collaboration with respective provincial governments.

The sources said there were two types of level crossings over the Pakistan Railways network, unmanned and manned level crossings, adding that the un-manned level crossings were without gate leaves.

An engaging autobiography

Shahab’s ‘Shahab Nama’ and Mukhtar Masood’s ‘Awaz-e-Dost’ besides Gen. Ayub Khan’s ‘Friends not Masters’, Gen. Pervez Musharaf’s ‘In the line of Fire – A Memoir’, and Gul Hassan Khan’s ‘Memoirs of Lt. Gen. Gul Hassan Khan’ which reminisce identical themes but in separate contexts. This work could also be partly compared to Qur’atulain Haider’s ‘Kaar-e-JahanDarazHai’ and Josh Malihabadi’s ‘Yadonki

Barat’ in its context and scope.

Besides an authorial preface, the book contains an insightful foreword by ex-bureaucrat and aesthete (also a former colleague of the author)Akram Malik who terms it (the book) as a sparkling piece of contemporary social history and a travelogue as it were, of its author’s eventful life.In his considered view, it is an unconventional autobiography in that it resembles a neatly crafted mosaic of minuscular fiction in the manner of that doyen of Urdu short story writer Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (1914-1987) and the acclaimed proponent of magic realism (a mix of suspense and wonderment) in fiction, the Latin American Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927-2014). On the narratorial level it is an engaging autobiography of the speaker recounted in a semi-chronological fashion interspersed with occasional flashes of an impressionistic narrative technique.

Tariq Mahmud’s style is simple, pleasing, effectual and meaning oriented. Past, present, and future coalesce in his work to produce an impeccable impression of artistic unity in a quasi-Joycean fashion.

Tariq Mahmud is a keen observer which amply explains his felicity as a portrayer of characters and situations of all specifica-

tions, from the low to the high, from the familiar to the bizarre. Tarek Fatah (a native TV producer later turned into a known Canadian journalist and author, lately deceased at age 73), Rafiq Guraya (author’s colleague in PTV), Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi (a politico-religious celebrity of South Punjab), ZbigniewBrzezinsk (National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter (1977-81), Mukhtar, an Afghan émigré shoemaker in Bara (KPK), (Chief) Justice (R)Shakoorul Islam, Aftab Memon (a DMG officer; author’s junior colleague),an unnamed settlement officer in Sialkot (Syed Abdullah Iqbal?), Sahibzada Naseer Bakhsh(a veteran revenue officer), Nanney Mian (a staff car driver in Shujabad), Allah Dewaya (an aggrieved poor petitioner from Lodhran), Faqira Bhagat (a Rohi folk singer), Mian Ahmad Hassan(a scion of Bodla clan from Depalpur), Syed Fakhruddin Balley(a noted literary and cultural figure), Makhdoom Syed Alamdar Hussain Shah (of Shershah),

Member NHA West Zone Quetta Shahid Ihsan along with staff and heavy machinery was present at the landslide site to supervise the road rehabilitation work. The NHA crews removed the heavy landslides and reopened the blocked road and the national highway was open for all kinds of traffic. The officials of the NHA were vigilant day and night to maintain the road network at the highways and it was their priority to provide best travel facilities to the public

Allah Ditta (author’s PA in Jhang), Abdullah Hussein (famed Urdu-English diasporicfiction writer), Lambardar Qazi Taj of Cholistan, Syed Amjad Hussain Shirazi (Tehsildar), and Apaji (author’s revered mother), among others, are some of the characters that the author has drawn in a Dickensian cast with great dexterity and literary finesse. Tariq Mahmud’s autobiography is like an almanac of his hectic bureaucratic career coded in a racy but spicy narrative vacillating freely between tenses ---- past, present and future--- like what one notices in Qur’atulAinHaider’s ‘Kaar-e-JahanDarazHai’. The nineteen chapters of the book encapsulate a whole world of men and matters riveted to anthropology, philosophy, human psyche, history, science, technology, literature, art of governance, philanthropy, politics, vagaries of public administration, law and order, ethics, polemics, academia, culture, religion, travel et al.

The author has a graphic memory which enables him to recall the past vividly and transcribe it no less graphically. The description is not wanting in humor either. In the tradition of an ingenious narrator, the author exposes his subjects, men or matters, like a neutral, non-partisan observer of the human dilemma, and leaves the rest to the imagination of his readers who are supposed to be knowledgeable and perceptive enough to make out the implied meanings of his seemingly innocuous avowals. His positions in the higher bureaucratic echelons of the country afforded him an opportunity to study the eventful, at times ominous, vicissitudes of the national politics roughly dating back to

the tragic dismemberment of Pakistan in December 1971 followed by an unending series of chequered events, both savoury and unsavoury, encompassing the various eras of political and military governance to-date, in the country.

Tariq Mahmud has ventured to present here a picture gallery of men, both commoners and elite, of situations, political and apolitical, and of turbulence in the body politic, seething and atrocious. The book is in a way his magnum opus also. He can vividly recall the names of characters of all denominations as well as locales, with the avowed intent of configuring them into the mainstream of his social, political, and economic existence. His descriptions are mostly empathetic and yet accurate. Portrayal of men like Sh. Zaid of Abu Dhabi, Hamid Karzai (Afghanistan), Mujahid Hussain (author’s brother and an eminent diplomat), Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Indian Premier, Ghulam Haider Wyne, Gen (r) Tikka Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Abdullah, Salman Siddique, Akram Malik, Mian Muhamad Riaz, Syed Safdar Javed, Shoaib Sultan Khan, NavidAsif, Anwar Zahid,Fariduddin Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Ali Kazim, Salim Khan, Asghar Khan (DIG), Gen. ® Pervez Musharaf, Mr Douglas (DD, CSA), Zia Mohyuddin, Dildar Pervez Bhatti, Khushwant Singh, Prof. Zamarrud Malik (Sialkot), Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Ahmad Faraz, Prof AB Ashraf (Ankara, Turkiye) Aisha Siddiqa, Siddiqa Begum, Ashfaq Ahmad, Bano Qudsia, Intizar Hussain, Dr. Maher Abdul Haque, Shoaib Bin Aziz, Dr Anwaar Ahmad, Qaiser Aminuddin, Fayyaz Tehsin, Surraiya Multanikar, and many others, exemplifies his skill as a narrator. Similarly of geographical locations like his places of posting, a whole list of native towns, small and big, and his overseas travel destinations.

ADB ADvIses PAkIstAn to ProvIDe tArgeteD suBsIDIes, enhAnce tAx-to-gDP rAtIo

PROFIT ISLAMABAD

tHEAsian Development Bank (ADB) has suggested Pakistan to provide targeted subsidies to mitigate inflationary pressure on people; bring about necessary structural reforms and enhance tax to GDP ratio to come out of existing uncertain economic situations and steer the economy towards a sustainable growth trajectory.

In a joint interview with APP at the sidelines of ADB’s 56th Board of Governors meeting at Incheon South Korea, Director General, Central and West Asia Department Yevgeniy Zhukov and Country Director Pakistan Resident Mission, Yong Ye, with one-voice, highlighted the importance of targeted subsidies to assist downtrodden segments of the society and effective mobilization of domestic resources to help improve the national economy which ADB predicted would grow at just 0.6 percent this year, coming down from last year’s 6 percent growth.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also been advocating for the provision of targeted subsidies, which are very crucial, Yong Ye said stressing to strengthen the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), improve its verification system and make this package more affordable for the country by reaching to only those people who needed assistance.

Responding to the same query, Director General of, the Central and West Asia Department Yevgeniy Zhukov said the Asian Development Bank had been extending financial assistance to the government to strengthen social security through the BISP programme.

He said the bank was engaged with the BISP since 2016 while it provided assistance of $600 million since 2021 for conditional cash transfers in the areas of health and education besides $1.5 billion, under the Countercyclical support facility of which substantial part would be going through the BISP to provide the much-needed assistance to the people

Minister blames Imran for Pakistan’s problems; demands his arrest

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum

Aurangzeb declared on Sunday that the solution to the problems being faced by Pakistan is the “arrest and punishment” of former prime minister Imran Khan for “conspiracy” against the country and his corruption.

Aurangzeb accused Khan of having a “dirty mentality” which she claimed is creating intolerance and violence in society. She said the country needs food, employment, and business, not “fraud, mischief, disorder, and distraction being promoted by Khan.”

Aurangzeb held Khan responsible for the extremist attitudes in the country, which she claimed have resulted in the deaths of people by mobs. She also claimed that Khan has been engaging in dirty politics on the issues of India and Kashmir, using Islam for his ulterior motives, and even “prayed for the victory of Narendra Modi in the 2019 Indian elections.”

The minister further accused Khan of being a foreign agent who called for agitation and the creation of chaos while the foreign minister of China was on a Pakistan visit. She also alleged that Khan called for riots and anarchy after watching the video of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with King Charles III.

Aurangzeb said that Khan suffered a “bout of insanity” when work on CPEC accelerated. She claimed that Khan has completely lost his cool after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s visit to India in connection with the SCO meeting and his response to the Indian foreign minister.

mostly affected by the ongoing difficulties. Zhukov was of the view that Pakistan should improve revenue collection as it has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios standing at only 10 percent whereas there are countries in the region having Tax to GDP ratio of about 20 percent to 25 percent.

If the Pakistan government is collect-

ing only 10 percent, it may not have enough money to provide support and enhance income, he cautioned.

“It is important for the current and coming governments to continue working seriously on the structural reforms for the domestic-resource mobilisation,” he said, adding the IMF has been working in this area with the government.

Zhukov said Pakistan has the poten-

tial to perform well economically; however, there was a need to improve the public sector governance and carry out the reform process seriously. “As long as Pakistan puts its internal things in a proper order, I think there is no reason why Pakistan should not be prospering,” he added.

Pakistan fails to secure $200m ADB loan for Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Project

PROFIT: Pakistan has failed to secure a $200 million Asian Development Bank loan for the Greater Thal Canal Irrigation (GTC) Project, Profit learnt on Sunday. According to documents available, the ADB Board on December 13, 2021, had approved a loan worth $200 million from its ordinary capital resources for the GTC project, which aims to increase agricultural production and productivity of the project area by developing a new irrigation system. For this, 704,000 hectares (ha) of low productive rainfed lands in Punjab will be converted to irrigated and productive areas. This will provide reliable irrigation water supplies during the monsoon season. The government has already constructed the Main Canal and first branch (Mankera) system using government funds. The ADB-financed project was to support construction of the irrigation canal network in the second branch (Choubara) canal system; onfarm command area development (CAD) in the Main Canal, Mankera and Choubara branch canal areas which cover about 263,000 ha of irrigable command area; and capacity enhancement of relevant government entities and water users for efficient water management, and sustainable infrastructure. STAFF REPORT

OMCs seek reduction in minimum tax to counter falling margins

PROFIT ISLAMABAD

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) are reportedly seeking a revision to the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 to reduce the burden of taxation on petroleum products.

In this regard, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) has written to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) asking for amendments to the minimum tax under Section 113 of the ordinance. The current rate of taxation is said to be eating up around 23.5% of OMCs’ fixed margins, a figure that is expected to rise in the wake of anticipated price increases.

The OCAC has proposed a reduction in the minimum tax rate applicable to OMCs and refineries from 0.5% to 0.25%, as well as the ability to carry forward minimum tax credit for up to five years. A previous letter to the FBR on the matter was sent in early April and followed by a meeting, which did not yield desired results.

The price of petroleum products is set by the government, as is the fixed margin covering all costs

Police: Mardan ‘under control’ after man killed over blasphemy claim

related to establishing and running OMCs, including capital and financial costs. The minimum tax is currently calculated as 0.5% of this margin, but the OCAC argues that this eats into OMCs’ profits and is unsustainable. The reduction in the minimum tax would reduce this burden and allow OMCs to maintain margins amid price increases.

OMCs purchase petroleum products from local refineries and also import them for further distribution through petrol pumps and to industrial and commercial users. The selling price of these products is determined by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, with the margin per litre to be retained by OMCs fixed by the government.

Although OMCs prepare financial statements in accordance with international accounting standards and the Companies Act 2017, their actual margin from the sale of petroleum products is fixed and determined by the government. The OCAC has urged the FBR to make amendments to the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 to ensure the sustainability of the sector in the face of rising costs and taxes.

First Congo virus case confirmed in Karachi

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Sindh health department has confirmed this year’s first case of the life-threatening Congo virus in Karachi. According to health officials, Muhammad Adil, a 28-yearold resident of Nazimabad, visited the Ziauddin Hospital as an outpatient on Thursday this week.

Qasim Siraj Soomro, the parliamentary secretary on health, told The Express Tribune that the health facility took samples from the patient and sent them to the

Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), where the laboratory results confirmed that he had contracted the Congo virus.

Soomro said the health department received the results on Sunday evening and immediately sent a team to Adil’s residence to bring him to the Infectious Disease Hospital located at NIPA Chowrangi.

This is the first case of Congo virus in the country this year, and medical experts have warned that the virus is very dangerous as it can cause bleeding at very early stages.

While the symptoms of the

Congo virus are similar to those of dengue fever, they can quickly become life-threatening.

The health department has urged citizens to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus, such as wearing protective clothing and using insect repellents when in contact with cattle or other livestock. The Congo virus, or the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), is primarily transmitted to humans by ticks on cattle and other livestock, and can cause severe fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and internal bleeding.

PESHAWAR: A day after rallygoers in Mardan beat to death a participant for allegedly making a blasphemous speech, the police said the situation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa city is now “under control” and authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

Iqbal Khan, a local police officer, said local cleric Nigar Alam, 40, was killed late on Saturday by demonstrators in Sawal Dher village of Mardan.

The participants of the rally, gathered to express support for the judiciary, accused Alam of blasphemy when he made a concluding prayer at the end of the event.

“Some words of his prayer were deemed blasphemous by a number of protestors, leading to torture and death at the hands of the angry mob,” said Khan.

Witnesses and Rohanzeb Khan, senior superintendent of police (SSP) for operations in Mardan, said the police deputy on duty at the rally attempted to save the man by locking him up in a nearby shop, but the mob broke through the door and attacked him.

Videos circulating on social media showed people pushing the accused man to the ground, kicking him and beating him with batons. The cleric died at the scene.

Najeeb ur-Rehman, district police office (DPO) of Mardan, confirmed the police dispersed the crowd and recovered the body, while investigations are underway and evidence is being collected from the site. However, an official complaint has yet to be filed, and no arrests have been made. STAFF REPORT

kP again suspends health card scheme

PESHAWAR: The Health Card facility has been suspended once again in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s captal Peshawar due to financial constraints, officials said Sunday. The State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC) has issued a letter asking the hospitals to stop admitting patients with C-section, patients undergoing cardiac operations and kidney dialysis and patients with other operations.

The statement further reads that the Health Card scheme will not be restored until the KP government releases the due payments. STAFF REPORT

Iftikhar blitz in vain as nZ foil

Pakistan’s clean sweep bid

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Determined New Zealand came out roaring in the fifth PAK vs NZ ODI of the five-match series to thrash Pakistan and avoided the clean sweep.

The fifth PAK vs NZ ODI of the fivematch series was played here at the National Bank Cricket Arena here on Sunday.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham opted to bat first for the first time after the coin flipped in his favour in the ongoing series.

His men justified his decision as they piled up a massive total on the scoreboard on the back of brilliant half-centuries by their captain Tom Latham and Will Young. Will Young smashed eight boundaries and two sixes on his way to top score for New Zealand with a 91-ball 87. Latham, on the other hand, played a brisk

59-run knock in just 58 deliveries with the help of five boundaries. The target set by the Kiwis turned out to be too much for Pakistan as they succumbed to their first defeat in the ongoing five-match

series despite a brilliant half-century by Iftikhar Ahmed. A defeat in the fifth PAK vs NZ ODI also deprived Pakistan of the top spot in the ODI team rankings as they slipped back to the third position.

Pakistan, Scotland to hold investment conference, says PM

LONDON STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said Pakistan and Scotland will hold a conference to attract investment in the fields of trade, education, technical training and renewable sources of energy.

After meeting with First Minister of Scotland Hamza Yousaf here, he told media that he had constructive talks with the First Minister who was a young man infused with passion and energy. He said Pakistan enjoyed good relations with Britain and Scotland. He said Scotland had expertise in the areas of solar, wind and hydro energy and Pakistan would like to take benefit from it. The prime minister mentioned that 80,000-

strong Pakistani diaspora was playing an important part in economy of Scotland and their contribution will further strengthen ties between the two nations.

Earlier, First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif here on Sunday.

Felicitating the First Minister on his election to this important position, the prime minister observed that Mr. Yousaf’s election underscored the important and positive contribution of the British Pakistani community to the progress and development of Scotland and across the UK. He wished him success in the discharge of his responsibilities.

The two leaders agreed to further strengthen historic ties be-

tween Pakistan and Scotland, including in the domains of trade, investment, education, water management, wind & solar technology and people-to-people links.

The two sides agreed to work collaboratively to promote joint ventures in education, skills development and renewables.

They also explored ways to leverage Scottish-Pakistani entrepreneurs to promote investment in Pakistan. They also agreed to work collaboratively to address the challenge of climate change.

In this regard, Pakistan suggested holding an Investment Conference in Scotland and separately arrange a road show to showcase Pakistan’s renewable energy potential in Scotland.

The prime minister further

thanked the Scottish government for its generous contribution to floods relief last year. The prime minister extended a cordial invitation to Mr. Yousaf to visit Pakistan, which he happily accepted. Mr.Yousaf leads the Scottish National Party and was elected in March by the Scottish Parliament to head the Scottish government. He is the first British national of Pakistani heritage to hold the coveted position. ‘Pakistan, China to work for peaceful, stable Afghanistan’ Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday said the 5th Trilateral Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue held in Islamabad on Saturday underscored the unwavering consensus of Pakistan and China to work for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan in the interest of Afghan people.