Epaper_23-06-02 ISB

Profit

P T I C H I E F U S I N G ‘ A L L TA C T I C S ’ T O D I V E R T

AT T E N T I O N F R O M M AY 9 I N C I D E N T S : P M

g BLAMES IMRAN FOR DEFAMING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Chairman PTI Imran Khan is using all possible tactics to divert attention of the public from tragic incidents of May 9

In a tweet on Thursday, he said, “Make no mistake about the evil intent behind Imran Niazi’s latest ploy to defame our law enforcement agencies and police Yet again he is making misleading and baseless allegations of the rights abuses just to distract attention for his culpability in the tragic events of May 9 Premier Shehbaz Sharif said that he was not surprised by antics of PTI chief in this connection Someone who could persistently use foul language against the state institutions incite people to violence and attack the state symbols and military installations, and bring down martyrs’ monuments, was capable of going to any extreme, he added

The prime minister said that Imran Niazi presided over a disinformation apparatus that deployed fake news methodically to fool the people Everything about him is hate, division and lie,” he remarked

: Meanwhile the Prime Minister said that Japan is a key partner in development and prosperity of Pakistan and Japanese companies should avail the vast investment opportunities offered by Pakistan This was stated by the prime minister while talking to President Toyota Asia

Joint ACE, police team arrest PTI President Per vaiz Elahi from outside residence

A joint comprising personnel of the Punjab AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE) and Punjab Police on Thursday arrested former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry

Pervaiz Elahi from near his Lahore residence

Confirming Ch Pervaiz Elahi s arrest, Punjab Caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir informed that the PTI president was in his vehicle and “trying to flee” when he was arrested “Yes he has been arrested from the Zahoor Elahi Road He was arrested while trying to flee the minister told a private news channel Several raids were carried out at his residence He was wanted Today out of the blue, a couple of bullet-proof cars came out [of the house] He was in one of the cars ” Mir said that law enforcers tried to stop and check the bullet-proof cars at a check-post The minister said that the former chief minister resisted the arrest and was not opening door of his bullet-proof vehicle therefore the law enforcers had to break the side mirror of his vehicle After resistance, there was an attempt to break the car s window on the driver s side Pervez Elahi sb was inside the car,” he said The minister emphasised that, during initial attempts to apprehend Elahi there were significant instances of mismanagement thus the arrest was made after proper planning today The series of arbitrary arrests began in January and it was then that my father told me that even if they arrest me, we must stand by Imran Khan, the former chief minister s son, Moonis Elahi, tweeted shortly after the arrest He said that his parents had expressed the same sentiments three days ago

It is being alleged that the police have unlawfully apprehended my father based on false charges We are by the grace of Allah affiliated with PTI and will continue to remain so, he further said Various corruption cases have been registered against the former Punjab chief minister, who is accused of receiving kickbacks for awarding several government development projects during his tenure Earlier a special judge of an anti-corruption court in Lahore issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the former Punjab CM ordering authorities to produce him by June 2

CJP welcomes AGP’s proposal to review law cur tailing powers

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

hanzeb Khan and Tariq Bajwa and high ranking officials attended the meeting

Premier Shehbaz Sharif was briefed that Toyota Indus Motors for the first time established a unit for production of hybrid vehicles in Pakistan with an investment of $100 million Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the project of Toyota to produce hybrid vehicles in Pakistan

The production of hybrid vehicles in Pakistan would decrease the import bill resulting in saving of precious foreign exchange he said adding the government was providing all available facilities to the industries for investment in modern technologies in the country The Japanese ambassador said leading Japanese companies were desirous of further investment in Pakistan

An eight-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) indefinitely adjourned proceedings against the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 on Thursday after the government sought time to review the law

Heading the bench, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP)

Umar Ata Bandial “welcomed” the federal government’s proposal to reassess the law as “a very good idea”

Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan appearing before the larger bench stated that there is an overlap in some of the provisions of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 and SC (Rules and procedures) Bill 2023, adding that the government intended to harmonise them He also referred to those provisions

“There is some contradiction between the SC (Rules and procedures) Bill 2023 and the revisional jurisdiction extension law the AGP said

Yoshiki Konishi and Chief Executive Officer of Indus Motors Ali Asghar Jamali who called on him here on Thursday Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan

Mitsuhiro Wada Vice Chairman Toyota Indus Motors Shinji Yanagi Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Murtza Mehmood, Advisor to PM Ahad Cheema Special Assistants to PM Je-

During the briefing, it was told that in the current year from July, Toyota Indus Motors would start export of spare parts of vehicles and these exports would make Pakistan a part of the global supply chain The PM said exports of spare parts should be enhanced by taking benefit of the capacity of the engineering sector in the country He said it should be ensured that the spare parts for the vehicles to be sold in Pakistan should be manufactured locally The participants of the meeting lauded the prime minister for his government s business friendly policies

There should be harmony in the laws, the CJ agreed, adding that the SC should be consulted before laws related to the working of its administration are made “Will the government take the matter back to the parliament ” Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi inquired AGP Awan proposed that the apex court may refer the issue to the parliament for review which was dismissed by the CJ We will not do that he said adding that the bench would consult on the matter

“Another option could be that we continue hearing the case and the parliament continues its review and then we can see who finishes first ” the CJ remarked smiling

Earlier CJP Bandial had formed an eight-judge larger bench to hear petitions filed against the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 which curtailed the top judge s powers to initiate suo motu proceedings and constitute benches on his own

No alter native plan other than IMF: Ms Pasha

Minister of State for Finance Dr Ayesha Ghous Pasha clearly told the Standing Committee on Finance of the National Assembly that Pakistan has no alternative plan other than the International Monetary Fund Briefing the committee members which met under the chair of Qaisar Ahmed Shiekh she said that there is no option but to restore the current program

The Minister of State for Finance said that Pakistan has no plan B except the IMF Pakistan has fulfilled all the difficult conditions of the IMF adding that she said that the IMF had set a c o n d i t i o n o f o b t a i n i n g s i x b i l l i o n d o l l a r s t h r o u g h

Three billion dollars were received from friendly c o u n t r i e s H o w e v e r t h e f u n d o ff i c i a l s a r e o f t h e opinion that Pakistan should get the required amount first, she explained

S h e a l s o s a i d t h a t t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r h a s a ss u r e d M D I M F t o c o m p l e t e t h e p r o g r a m w h i l e M D

I M F h a s g i v e n h o p e t o r e v i v e t h e p r o g r a m

Pasha also said that the ninth review of the program has been completed and now under the tenth review Pakistan is consulting with the IMF on the budget for the next financial year

The Chairman committee appreciated the government’s clear stance on the IMF program

About the inflation in the country the State minister for Finance said that the main cause of inflation is the acting governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which are not taking action against hoarding and overselling

The committee expressed displeasure in the absence of the Minister of Finance & Revenue and deferred the Companies (second amendment) Bill 2020 (Ord No X of 2020) (Government Bill) till his presence in the meeting The Committee also expressed serious concern on

the absence of the President National Bank of Pakistan and other senior officials for their briefings on the agenda items and decided to take action under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007 if they remain absent in the next meeting of the Committee

The Chair observed unnecessary delay in the selection process of the President of some Banks, financial institutions and Members of Board of Directors The Minister of State for Finance and Revenue assured the Committee of earlier completion of the selection process

The Chair expressed displeasure at the incomplete briefing of the Finance Division on Budget Strategy Paper for the Financial year 2023-24 and desired that the Minister of State will share the Paper with the Committee as soon as it is finalized

The Committee recommended that the Federal Government appoint competent experienced senior officers of the departments against these vacant positions

Per vez Khattak steps down as PTI’s KP president

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The close confidant of Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the party Pervez Khattak on Thursday announced stepping down from the party position Pervez Khattak made the announcement in a video statement, saying he had taken the decision after consulting friends ” Khattak who id the president of PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter said he was resigning from the party position and he would decide the future course of action after further consultation with friends and party workers He also said “propaganda” being played on television was “not right” and he had taken the decision after careful consideration

The PTI leader said that he had al-

ready condemned the attacks on military installations on May 9 after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, saying what happened on May 9 was not good for the country and it should not be repeated He said that it is difficult for him to continue holding the party position in the prevailing political environment of the country that s why he announced his resignation from the position of president PTI KP Another party leader Asad Qaiser was also briefly seen in the video but did not speak

Prior to his announcement PTI General Secretary Omar Ayub had alleged in a tweet that Khattak, along with another party leader Asad Qaiser, had been detained “Pervez Khattak sahib and Asad Qaiser sahib, senior PTI members and part of the notified PTI negotiation committee have been detained They were lured on the pretext of meeting them to conduct negotiations, he tweeted

The PTI chairman had also alleged the same saying that the two leaders “called for a meeting by the intelligence agencies and then illegally detained in a safe house [ ] to quit PTI for their release

Earlier in the day, PTI President Pervaiz Elahi was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) officials and a police team from his residence Zahoor Palace in Lahore He was shifted to an undisclosed location by the police and ACE teams The PTI

president was booked in corruption cases in Mandi Bahauddin and Gujranwala

The PTI president s residence was raided by ACE and police officials multiple times since the cancellation of his bail Police said that a case was lodged against Pervaiz Elahi under different sections including ATA They added that he was wanted to police after the bail cancellation After ACE, police will take action against Pervaiz Elahi,” they said Earlier Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Amir Bakhsh Bhutto and Allah Bux Unar along with their companions quit the party While talking to the journalists, Amir Bakhsh Bhutto condemned May 9 incidents and termed the attacks on military installations terrorism He added that he has already excused from taking part in politics

Meanwhile former PTI MNA from Multan Muhammad Ibrahim Khan decided to quit politics

Annual inflation soars to highest-ever level of 38%. How did we get here?

prices of vegetables pulses and chicken witnessed the most significant increases

According to the ministry of finance, there is more at play than the global commodity prices that has contributed to the increase in prices over the previous year It includes damages caused by floods disruptions in supply chains macroeconomic imbalances leading to currency devaluation, and prevailing political uncertainty Previously, Pakistan experienced its highest ever year-on-year inflation percentage in April at 36 4% The measurement of inflation is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which comprises a basket of products and services divided into 12 major components with varying weights The change in the price of that basket on a monthly and yearly basis hence derives the inflation Even though the yearly inflation rate is high the latest data reveals a month-on-month

According to the PBS the categories with the highest year-on-year increases were alcoholic beverages and tobacco (123 96%), recreation and culture (72 17%), and transport (52 92%)

In the food group, notable price hikes in May compared to the previous year were observed in cigarettes potatoes wheat flour tea wheat eggs and rice In the nonfood category, items such as textbooks, stationery, motor fuels, washing soaps, detergents, and matchboxes saw significant price increases

The Consumer Price Index for urban areas recorded a year-on-year increase of 35 09% in May while rural areas experienced a higher inflation rate of 42 18% With the current rise in the CPI, the average inflation for the fiscal year from July to May has reached 29 16%, compared to 11 29% in the previous year What does 38% mean? Simply put a 38% inflation means that

the

the value of 1 rupee is 38% less than it used to be Meaning that you would have to spend Rs 1380 to buy something that you would have otherwise bought for Rs 1000 in May 2022 But it is not as simple The CPI consists of a number of items most of which are not an inherent need for those at the lowest level of the Maslow s hierarchy of needs, i e those below the poverty line Right off the bat the rural areas which house the majority of the financially challenged households have a 4% higher headline inflation rate Within that the food inflation amounts to 51 4% This gets worse if one gets into the details of the food inflation The rural figures for YoY change in the prices of wheat is 100 5% for eggs it is 88 3% for rice 86 3% and for spices is 40 8% The urban figures for the same items are comparable These and most of the earlier mentioned, highly affected items are basket goods for household usage The most vulnerable get hit the most with this inflation onslaught Especially when the minimum wage remains stagnant and unemployment stands at more than 6% Who to blame? According to the government, the alarming inflationary pressures in Pakistan

have been attributed to the fiscal adjustments demanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) These adjustments were necessary to unlock stalled funding However the fund is still nowhere to be seen Pakistan s economy experienced 0 29% provisional GDP growth in the fiscal year 2022-23 on account of many challenges emanating from the uncertain external and domestic economic environment Despite attempting to curb inflation by slowing down the economic growth Pakistan ended up landing at the worst possible outcome, where inflation wasn t effectively curbed, but the growth was halted

“The challenges triggered CPI inflation to remain on a higher trajectory despite monetary tightening primarily due to the rupee depreciation External payments also remained burdened due to lesser foreign exchange inflows, the ministry states, sheepishly in its report The skyrocketing inflation poses significant challenges for the country’s economy impacting the purchasing power of consumers and exacerbating socio-economic disparities even further And the question that still befuddles the average Pakistani is, who should they blame for his economic condition?

g STAPLE FOODS, TOBACCO AND TRANSPORT TAKE BIGGEST HIT MAKING CONDITIONS GO BAD FROM WORSE FOR COMMON MAN

I H C Q U E S T I O N S W H I C H ‘ A U T H O R I T Y ’ S H O U L D

B E H E L D R E S P O N S I B L E F O R TA P P I N G P H O N E S ?

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

THE Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday asked Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan which public authority or agency should be held accountable for tapping phones without legal cover

The court raised the question in a sevenpage order issued on a petition filed by Najam Saqib son of former chief justice Saqib Nisar against a National Assembly committee tasked with investigating his purported audio leak wherein a voice said to be his could be heard demanding a reward from a PTI leader for securing him the party ticket to contest Punjab elections

In his petition, Najam had requested the court to stop the proceedings of the

parliamentary panel headed by Aslam Bhootani claiming that the body was formed in violation of the National Assembly rules

A day earlier the IHC had taken up the plea and asked, Who records the audios

It also sought a response from the government by June 19 and barred the NA committee from taking any action against the ex-CJP’s son

In a detailed order issued today Justice Babar Sattar raised multiple questions regarding the entities accountable for surveillance and the regulatory framework governing recording and surveillance activities, specifically inquiring about the legality of such actions

To the extent that recording of phone calls is permitted which public authority or agency is authorised to do so how is the right of a citizen to liberty and privacy balanced against the interest of the state in

recording phone calls or undertaking surveillance and which agency is vested with legal authority to undertake such balancing exercise? the judge asked

He also inquired if the Constitution empowered the government for surveilling phone calls or telecommunication between private citizens “ If so the supervisory and regulatory legal regime within which such recording and surveillance can take place?

Justice Sattar also questioned the mandate of the Parliament in forming committees to look into matters pertaining to private individuals “Does the Constitution and the rules framed under it to regulate parliamentary procedure vest in the office of the Speaker of National Assembly the authority to constitute a special committee to investigate actions attributable to a private citizen who

is not a member of Parliament or a public officeholder?

Which public authority or agency is to be held liable for such surveillance and encroachment over the right of citizens to liberty and privacy and/or release of illegally recorded private conversations to the public?” it asked “Is the Parliament vested with legal authority to inquire into and investigate acts of private citizens who hold no public office or whether assuming such power intrudes into the domain of the executive? the court inquired

It also directed the ministries of interior and defence, the Federation through the Prime Minister ’s Office and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to be made respondents in the case

T h e r e s p o n d e n t s w e r e f u r t h e r i n s t r u c t e d t o s u b m i t p o i n t - b y - p o i n t c o m m e n t s t o t h e c o u r t w i t h i n t w o w e e k s

‘Detentions under 3 MPO illegally’: LHC orders release of PTI workers arrested in 11 districts

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday declared detention orders under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) as illegal and ordered immediate release of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) workers detained in 11 districts of Punjab, including the provincial capital, after May 9 riots

Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid issued a nine-page verdict on the petitions of Imran Abbas Bhatti and others wherein arrest orders for PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid and others were declared illegal

The court observed that the shocking incident of May 9 presented a distorted image of a peaceful and democratic country” However, it maintained that it was the government’s responsibility to maintain law and order

According to the LHC the reaction at the PTI chief s arrest on May 9 was regrettable The high court stated that the incumbent government blindly issued innumerable detention orders “There was plenty of time to make arrests in criminal cases if it [the government] had evidence ” the court further observed T h e v e r d i c t s t a t e d t h a t t h o s e w h o have been arrested should be made aware

o f t h e c h a rg e s s o t h e y c a n d e f e n d t h e m s e l v e s e m p h a s i s i n g t h a t i t w a s wrong to pick up citizens and put them in jails without a trial The judgment maintained that every notification submitted by the deputy commissioner stated that citizens were

PML-Q seeks dismissal of pleas against Supreme Cour t Practice and Procedure Act

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Thursday pleaded with the Supreme Court to dismiss the petitions against the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act In its reply submitted to the Supreme Court the PML-Q said that the act would increase not decrease the freedom of the Supreme Court After the lawyers movement in the country, the opportunity for reforms was missed, it pointed out “Section 4 of the act extends the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court Section 3 of the act does not curtail the power of the Supreme Court under 184 (3) Section 3 requires the chief justice to use his power of taking suo motu notice along with senior judges it stated The appointment of cases by the committee and the exercise of suo motu powers will increase the public confidence,” it added “Former chief justices namely Iftikhar Chaudhry, Gulzar Ahmed and Saqib Nisar used their powers proactively The results of the exercise of their powers came in the form of Steel Mills PKLI and Nasla Tower it pointed out These consequences could have been avoided through legislation such as the Practice and Procedure Act, it added An independent judiciary means the performance of duties by every judge without restrictions pressure and interference ” it stated

ATC extends Asad Umar’s interim bail till June 13

The Anti-Terrorism Court Lahore on Thursday extended PTI leader Asad Umar s interim bail till June 13 in a case pertaining to vandalism at Lahore’s Askari Tower Accepting Umar ’s bail plea against surety bonds worth Rs100 000 the court ordered him to join the investigation During the hearing presided by Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar Umar s counsel told the court that on the date of the incident mentioned in the case his client was in Islamabad and had no involvement in the alleged offence In a short interaction with reporters, referring to a recent press conference by ex-PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry Umar clarified he was not active in what Fawad is doing Asad Qaiser moves IHC to stop arrest under MPO3 Meanwhile PTI leader Asad Qaiser has approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking details of any case registered against him under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance In his plea he has asked the IHC to direct the Islamabad district commissioner to provide details on any such cases if they are filed against him and also asked for the grounds to be provided The former NA deputy speaker has also requested the IHC to stop the Islamabad police from arresting him under the MPO (3) ordinance

arrested on the report of the district police officer (DPO) It further stated that the deputy commissioner s decision itself violated Section 3 of the Public Maintenance Ordinance, 1960 In its verdict, the court quashed the detention orders of PTI workers in Lahore

The PTI finds itself in hot waters following the events of May 9, when in an unprecedented show of vandalism, protesters allegedly belonging to the PTI vandalised public and state properties and even attacked the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Lahore corps commander s residence T h e a t t a c k o c c u r r e d h o u r s a f t e r t h e p a r a m i l i t a r y R a n g e r s a r r e s t e d t h e P T I c h i e f i n t h e A l - Q a d i r Tr u s t c o r r u p t i o n c a s e – l a t e r r e t i t l e d a s N a t i o n a l C r i m e A g e n c y £ 1 9 0 m i l l i o n s c a n d a l – o n t h e o r d e r s o f t h e N a t i o n a l A c c o u n t a b i l i t y B u r e a u f r o m t h e I s l a m a b a d H i g h C o u r t p r e m i s e s The rioting was followed by a harsh crackdown against the former ruling party leaders and workers that still continues

A day earlier the Peshawar High Court (PHC) also declared the deputy commissioner s orders to arrest those accused of involvement in May 9 protests under Maintenance of Public Order (3 MPO) as null and void The law of 3 MPO in KhyberPakhtunkhwa (K-P) had been challenged in the high court

Continued raids on PTI leaders, ac tivists’ houses condemnable: Omar Ayub

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan

strongly condemned the unlawful raids by Punjab police on the houses of PTI activists in Azam Chowk Layyah and the residence of Col (Retd) Shuaib Awan

In a statement on Thursday, PTI Secretary General said that these raids were a clear manifestation of how terrified this illegal government and the imported government are from Imran Khan and PTI Omar Ayub Khan stated that Punjab Police on the instructions of an Illegal Caretaker Punjab government was conducting widespread raids across Punjab against PTI activists, office bearers and parliamentarians P u n j a b P o l i c e r a i d e d t h e h o u s e s o f P T I a c t i v i s t s i n A z a m C h o w k L a y y a h a n d t h e r e s i d e n c e o f C o l ( R e t d ) S h u a i b Aw a n l a s t

n i g h t h e a d d e d P T I S e c r e t a r y G e n e r a l s t r o n g l y condemned these raids and said that t h e s e r a i d s w e r e a m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f h o w t e r r i f i e d t h i s i l l e g a l

g o v e r n m e n t a n d t h e i m p o r t e d g o v e r n m e n t w e r e f r o m I m r a n K h a n a n d P T I O m a r Ay u b K h a n v o w e d :

“ We w i l l e n d u r e I n s h a h A l l a h a n d w e w i l l r e m e m b e r ”

Pemra bars channels from giving air time to ‘hate mongers, facilitators’

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

There should be a media boycott of “hate mongers perpetrators and their facilitators” the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) said in its recent directive to television channels, advising them to remain vigilant and not give airtime to such people Issued on Wednesday, the Pemra notification stated that while the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to freedom of expression there are exceptions to this right A s p e r A r t i c l e 1 9 o f T h e Constitution of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Every citizen shall have t h e r i g h t t o f r e e d o m o f s p e e c h a n d e x p r e s s i o n a n d t h e r e s h a l l b e freedom of the press subject to any r e a s o n a b l e r e s t r i c t i o n s i m p o s e d b y l a w i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f t h e g l o r y o f I s l a m o r t h e i n t e g r i t y, s e c u r i t y o r d e f e n c e o f P a k i s t a n o r a n y p a r t t h e r e o f f r i e n d l y r e l a t i o n s w i t h foreign States, public order, decency o r m o r a l i t y o r i n r e l a t i o n t o contempt of court [commission of] or incitement

freedom of speech and maintaining public order

Then it referred to the events of Black Day on May 9 when violent protests broke out across many cities in the country following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan

On this day the notification stated zealots of [a] political party attacked state and public properties endangered innocent lives, and promoted anti-state to weaken the country and state institutions, adding that caution must be exercised in this regard This is a terrible trend which should be condemned the notification stated adding: In the wake of aforementioned scenario, all satellite TV channel licensees are directed to remain vigilant and not to promote any hate monger, perpetrators and their facilitators inadvertently ” Stating that national unity should be promoted the media regulating agency directed that hatemongers be blacked out Planners and perpetrators of hateful violence should not be promoted on television and violent discriminatory content not should be broadcast the regulator stated

from the date of the order

THE PETITION

Najam had also challenged the legality and validity of the National Assembly speaker s decision to form the special committee to audit, inquire and investigate his alleged audio clip

“Under the garb of these audio leaks a campaign has been launched against the petitioner and his father that some kind of gratification has been obtained by Abuzar Chaddhar for the said ticket, he said

While he conceded that his father played a role in the award of a PTI ticket to Chaddhar, the petition, however, stated that Chaddhar explored other avenues as well to secure the party ticket

Najam said the petitioner is very clear in his mind that Abuzar Chaddhar was given the ticker on the basis of positive decision taken in the appeal on merit

NA thumbs up to bill aims at ending moon sighting controversy

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The National Assembly has approved a bill aims at resolving the ongoing disputes over the dates of religious events by banning private moonsighting committees The bill introduced by State Minister for Law Shahadat Awan, proposes that only the federal and district Ruet-e-Hilal committees will be authorized to operate in the country According to the bill individuals running unauthorized moon-sighting committees will face a fine of Rs500 000 Additionally those who provide false testimony about having sighted the moon may be subjected to a three-year jail term an Rs50,000 fine, or both Furthermore, the bill prohibits TV channels from making moonsighting announcements before the official announcement is made Any channel found violating this rule will be fined Rs1 million and their license could also be suspended The bill outlines the composition of the central Ruet-eHilal committee, which will consist of 16 members, including a chairman, two scholars from each of the four provinces, a cleric from Islamabad Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir

The committee will also include representatives from Suparco the Meteorological Office and the Ministry of Religious Affairs In Pakistan moonsighting often stirs controversy as many religious events are determined by the lunar calendar TV channels compete to be the first to announce the sighting of the moon, which can come from various sources The central committee frequently clashes with non-governmental committees leading to the celebration of multiple Eids in Pakistan Once the bill is passed by the Senate it will become law

Audit repor t reveals Rs64.79b irregularities in KP LGs

PESHAWAR a z z B u n e R i

“The licensee shall ensure that nothing is contained in any programme or an advertisement which is prejudicial to the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan, Ideology of Pakistan, security, friendly relations with foreign states public order or which may constitute contempt of court defamation or incitement to an offence or brings into disrepute the State institutions including armed forces, the notification read It further directed all licensees “to adhere to [the] provisions of PEMRA laws and orders of the superior courts by refraining from providing their airtime to such individuals who propagate hate speech and provoke public sentiments against the Federation and State Institutions ” Moreover, the notification stated that all broadcasters must make use of an effective time delay mechanism to ensure effective monitoring of the content being aired live No licensee shall broadcast any l i v e p r o g r a m m e u n l e s s t h e r e i

An audit report has unveiled irregularities of over Rs 64 79 billion in the revenue and expenditures of local governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) According to the report, the District Accounts Office failed to respond to audit objections, leading to the decision to refer the matter to the Public Accounts Committee Under Section 36(3) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, it is mandatory for District Accounts Officers to reconcile the accounts of local governments on a quarterly and annual basis Similarly these accounts should be separately maintained for government and local funds and submitted to the provincial government the Auditor General and the council However the audit report highlights incomplete records and irregularities amounting to billions of rupees in the expenditure accounts According to the Auditor General’s report the highest irregularities in terms of amount were found in Peshawar where irregularities of over PKR 16 21 billion were identified over a four-year period Other districts with significant irregularities include Haripur (PKR 7 509 billion) Swat (PKR 5 1 billion) Mansehra (PKR 4 358 billion) Lower Dir (PKR 3 567 billion) Abbottabad (PKR 3 335 billion) and Swabi (PKR 2 985 billion) The report also highlights irregularities in Tank Upper Kohistan Malakand Batagram Bannu Hangu Kohat Chitral Torghar Lower Kohistan Kolai Palas Karak Nowshera Kurram Shangla and South Waziristan amounting to billions of rupees

The audit report raised concerns about financial mismanagement and emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in local government finances

Bilawal reaches Jordan to attend royal wedding

AMMAN S ta f f R e p o R t

Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

who has been invited by Jordan s royal family to attend a wedding function reached Amman on Thursday morning On June 5 the foreign minister will head to Iraq s capital Baghdad According to the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson, Bilawal will visit the country on the invitation extended by his counterpart from Iraq He elaborated that besides meeting his counterpart the FM would also hold meetings with other government officials Besides that he went on to say during his stay in Iraq, Bilawal would also pay his respects at shrines of saints The spokesman said that apart from FO officials, several PPP leaders would also accompany the foreign minister to Iraq

Wazirabad Jhang Sheikhupura Hafizabad Sialkot Mandi Bahauddin Gujarat Nankana Sahib Gujranwala and Narowal

O G R A A N N O U N C E S S I G N I F I C A N T R E D U C T I O N I N L P G P R I C E S

ISLAMABAD a h m a d a h m a da n i

THE Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has made a significant move to alleviate the burden on consumers by issuing a notification that slashes the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs 37 per kilogram

This price reduction comes hot on the h e e l s o f t h e r e c e n t c u t i n p e t r o l a n d d i e s e l p r i c e s p r o v i d i n g m u c h - n e e d e d r e s p i t e t o h o u s e h o l d s g r a p p l i n g w i t h r i s i n g e n e rg y c o s t s c o u p l e d w i t h s k yr o c k e t i n g i n f l a t i o n i n t h e p r i c e s o f e s s e n t i a l c o m m o d i t i e s

As per details the price of both imported and locally produced LPG has been fixed at Rs 197 per kilogram across the

Five killed in explosion inside house in Kot Addu

KOT ADDU S ta f f R e p o R t

Five people were killed and three injured in an explosion inside a house in Kot Addu on Thursday According to rescue and health authorities the incident was reported in Daira Deen Panah area of Kot Addu The bodies of the deceased and those injured were shifted to a nearby hospital A police spokesperson informed that the blast took place in a home-built junk shop

He added that security agencies were at the spot to ascertain nature of the blast

The spokesperson stated that the deceased were identified as Muhammad Iqbal Muhammad Bilal Haseena Mai Shanu Mai and Sadia Bibi Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar took notice of the blast and sought a report from the police officers

The IG warned of strict legal action to be taken after ascertaining the facts of the incident Earlier in a separate incident in Rawalpindi, a teenage boy lost his life while eight others, including women and children, sustained injuries as a result of a powerful gas cylinder blast that ripped through a two-storied residential building in the Peoples Colony area The condition of one of the injured victims who sustained burns up to 80 per cent, was stated to be critical According to sources, in the aftermath of the explosion, a large part of the two-storied house situated on Street 62 collapsed

Justice Iqbal Hameedur

Rahman sworn in as Federal Shariat Cour t CJ

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rahman on Thursday took oath as the chief justice of Federal Shariat Court Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial administered oath to Mr Rahman at a ceremony which was attended by the judges of the Supreme Court Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan and a large number of lawyers Earlier this week, President Dr Arif Alvi approved the appointment of Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rahman as the chief justice of the Islamic court for the period of three years An approval was accorded in line with Article 175(A)-13 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the President’s House said Justice Iqbal Hameed, who is the former judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan belongs to a family affiliated with the legal fraternity as his father and grandfather were notable jurists of the pre-partition India Justice Rahman was born in Dhaka, formerly Dacca, in 1956 He studied LLB from the Punjab University Law College Lahore and graduated as a professional lawyer in 1980 The jurist was then enrolled as an advocate High Court in 1983 and an advocate Supreme Court in 1997 In 1998, Justice Rahman was elected as the Lahore High Court (LHC) Bar Association secretary, and elevated to the post of an additional judge of the high court in 2006 A year later he was confirmed as a permanent jurist of the LHC Following the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and the establishment of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), he became the first constitutional chief justice of the IHC on Jan 3 2011 and later as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan two years later

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

Amir Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sirajul Haq has said the political engineering could not bring any solution, underlining the need for dialogue among the political forces to develop consensus on the national poll Addressing the JI central leadership meeting at Mansoorah on Thursday, he said that a government formed on the basis of transparent, free and fair elections could only pull the country out of current economic quagmire

country Furthermore the price adjustment extends to LPG cylinders, with a reduction of Rs 438 for domestic cylinders and Rs 1,686 for commercial cylinders Domestic cylinders will now be available at Rs 2 322 while commercial cylinders can be purchased for Rs 8 933 in the open market of the country

The LPG Industry Association, represented by Chairman Irfan Khokhar, has commended OGRA’s decision but asserts that further measures could be taken to reduce prices even more Khokhar suggests treating the LPG industry on par with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which would result in cheaper rates for LPG compared to Sui gas, benefiting a larger segment of the population Khokhar also highlighted the adverse consequences caused by the closure of the

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Meteorological Department on Thursday forecast continuation of present wet spell across the country as moderate to heavy downpour made weather pleasant Torrential rain and hailstorm was reported in many cities of Balochistan including Chaman Qila Saifullah and Ziarat on Wednesday Rain in many cities of Punjab –

LPG plant operated by Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited (JJVL) The government has incurred significant financial losses

amounting to billions of rupees and consumers have been forced to bear the brunt of expensive gas prices as a result

Urgent action is needed to allow the JJVL s LPG plant to resume operations promptly, thus preventing further losses and ensuring affordable gas for the public

Irfan Khokhar requested the Prime Minister that the government should provide relief to the LPG sector in a manner similar to LNG in the upcoming annual budget for 2023-2024 By prioritizing the LPG industry and implementing favorable policies, the government can bolster affordability and accessibility for consumers across the nation

A s t h e n a t i o n e a g e r l y a w a i t s t h e b u d g e t a n n o u n c e m e n t i n d u s t r y s t a k e h o l d e r s a n d c o n s u m e r s a r e h o p e f u l t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t w i l l h e e d t h e c a l l s f o r g r e a t e r s u p p o r t , u l t i m a t e l y l e a d i n g t o a m o r e s u s t a i n a b l e a n d a ff o r d a b l e e n e rg y l a n d s c a p e f o r a l l

Multan, Rajanpur, Gujarat, Shakargarh –Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat, Abbottabad Malakand and Nakyal in Azad Kashmir turned weather pleasant T h e M e t e o r o l o g i c a l D e p a r t m e n t f o r e c a s t r a i n w i t h t h u n d e r a n d h a i l i n s o m e p l a c e s i n P u n j a b K h y b e r P a k h t u n k h w a , N o r t h e a s t B a l o c h i s t a n , u p p e r S i n d h , G i l g i t - B a l t i s t a n a n d Kashmir

Pakistan c an earn $300m through PVC

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

The primary obstacle hindering progress lies in import limitations caused by the foreign exchange crisis “The main hurdle is the curb on imports due to the foreign exchange crisis he said EPCL needs to import some spare parts to build the manufacturing facility

EPCL’S INITIATIVES TO INCREASE DEMAND OF PVC

Pakistan’s per capita PVC consumption currently stands at 1 2 kg versus a global average of 6 1 kg Per capita consumption can grow by improving per capita income through increasing urbanization, and robust domestic manufacturing in the coming years Through various customer engagement and market development initiatives EPCL is actively promoting various standardised high-quality PVC products Muhammad Idrees, Chief Commercial Officer at EPCL, said that “the Company is collaborating with TDAP to explore global markets for export of value-added PVC downstream products In the last two years the

company exported surplus products worth $48 million to Turkiye and Middle Eastern markets while import substitution of around $300 million contributed significantly toward solving Pakistan s balance of payments situation The downstream PVC industry can fully utilize its excess capacity and help in earning $300 million in valuable foreign exchange by standardizing and improving the quality of finished products Mr Idrees said his company is working actively with downstream businesses, which are primary customers of EPCL, to nudge them towards producing value-added PVC products like flooring doors windows tables mock ceilings bathroom vanities and outdoor chairs We should try to export value-added PVC products instead of exporting resin The export prices of value-added PVC goods are three to four times higher than that of resin ” he added POSSIBLE IMPORT SUBSTITUTION

Although two major chemical firms in the country produce hydrogen peroxide, Pakistan imports

it?

approximately 14,000 tonnes annually

The current market price for imported hydrogen peroxide ranges from $500 to $600 per tonne resulting in an import bill of roughly $8 4 million per year

Once the EPCL plant is operational, Pakistan is poised to transform into a net exporter of hydrogen peroxide, boasting a production capacity of 28 000 tonnes

As for PVC resin EPCL intends to make substantial investments to enhance production efficiency This strategic move presents Pakistan with a remarkable opportunity to generate up to $300 million in three to five years through the export of surplus volumes and value-added products

The domestic PVC market demands approximately 240 000 tonnes annually while EPCL s production capacity reaches 295,000 tonnes per year As a result, the majority of EPCL s output is currently sold domestically In 2022, less than 6% of the company’s net revenue amounting to Rs 82 billion originated from exports to European Middle Eastern and Afghan markets EPCL generated $21 million in 2022 by exporting approximately 15,000 tonnes of its output

C JP welcomes AGP ’s proposal to review law c ur tailing powers

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Besides the chief justice himself the larger bench comprises Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha Malik Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed

Interestingly none of the judges who had written dissenting notes in recent cases, including Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Athar Minallah, were included in the bench

The legal fraternity has strongly criticised the move as the top court remains shrouded in controversy

Adding fuel to the fire, the government had also sought the dissolution of the eight-member bench lamenting the “unprecedented” decision by the SC to take up the “premature petition challenging the SC (Practices and Procedures) Bill 2023 that had not been ascented by the president

Subsequently, in April, the court had gone on to act “pre-emptively” and stopped the enforcement of the bill

Later the apex court sought a record

Sirajul Haq said the JI had initiated the efforts for the dialogue in the past month and it was still trying to bring the parties on table He said the masses were the ultimate victim of the prevailing crises which was a direct result of the fight among the powerful for the protection of self-interests He demanded the institutions stay apolitical and follow the duties assigned to them in the constitution

He announced the countrywide protest demonstrations for the release of Dr Afia Siddiqui from the US prison, appealing to the masses to ensure their full

Pakistan saw minor drop in militant attacks in May 2023: PICSS

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t T h e P I C S S M i l i t a n c y D a t a b a s e s h o w s t h a t P a k i s t a n s a w a m i n o r d r o p i n m i l i t a n t a t t a c k s a n d t h e i r h u m a n t o l l i n M a y 2 0 2 3 H o w e v e r t h e v i o l e n c e l e v e l i n t h e f i r s t f i v e m o n t h s o f t h e c u r r e n t y e a r w a s m u c h h i g h e r t h a n t h e s a m e p e r i o d l a s t y e a r T h e d a t a b a s e r e p o r t e d 4 0 m i l i t a n t a t t a c k s i n M a y 2 0 2 3 t h a t t o o k 4 8 l i v e s a n d w o u n d e d 1 0 2 p e o p l e S e c u r i t y f o r c e s p e r s o n n e l a c c o u n t e d f o r h a l f o f t h e d e a t h s ( 2 4 ) a n d m o r e t h a n h a l f o f t h e i n j u r i e s ( 5 6 ) w h i l e c i v i l i a n s m a d e u p t h e r e s t ( 1 0 k i l l e d a n d 4 6 i n j u r e d ) P a k i s t a n i s e c u r i t y f o r c e s c o n t i n u e t h e i r o p e r a t i o n s a g a i n s t t h e m i l i t a n t s d u r i n g t h e m o n t h a n d k i l l e d a t l e a s t 6 4 m i l i t a n t s a n d a r r e s t e d 3 9 o t h e r s D a t a b a s e o f P a k i s t a n I n s t i t u t e f o r C o n f l i c t a n d S e c u r i t y S t u d i e s ( P I C S S ) s h o w t h a t t h e f i r s t f i v e m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 2 r e c o r d e d 1 2 6 m i l i t a n t a t t a c k s t h a t k i l l e d 2 5 7 p e o p l e a n d i n j u r e d 4 6 1 o t h e r s I n c o n t r a s t t h e f i r s t f i v e m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 r e c o r d e d 2 2 4 a t t a c k s t h a t k i l l e d 3 5 7 p e o p l e a n d i n j u r e d 6 1 5 o t h e r s T h i s m e a n s t h a t t h e f i r s t f i v e m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 3 s a w a 7 7 p e r c e n t i n c r e a s e i n m i l i t a n t a t t a c k s , a 3 9 p e r c e n t i n c r e a s e i n d e a t h s , a n d a 3 3 p e r c e n t i n c r e a s e i n i n j u r i e s c o m p a r e d t o t h e f i r s t f i v e m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 2 T h e t r i b a l d i s t r i c t s o f K P f a c e d t h e m o s t m i l i t a n c y i n M a y 2 0 2 3 w i t h 1 8 a t t a c k s t h a t k i l l e d 1 8 p e o p l e a n d i n j u r e d 2 7 o t h e r s M a i n l a n d K P f a c e d 1 0 a t t a c k s t h a t k i l l e d 1 6 p e o p l e a n d i n j u r e d 5 4 o t h e r s B a l o c h i s t a n f a c e d 1 0 a t t a c k s t h a t k i l l e d 1 2 p e o p l e a n d i n j u r e d 2 0 o t h e r s S i n d h f a c e d t w o a t t a c k s t h a t k i l l e d t w o p e o p l e a n d i n j u r e d o n e

Delegation of Islamabad Industrial Association calls on Ishaq Dar

of the parliament s proceedings with regard to the bill while rejecting requests to form a full court to hear pleas filed against the piece of legislation

A special parliamentary committee however decided not to share the record of the National Assembly and one of its committees with the SC These developments alongside other controversial decisions have led to a face-off between the parliament and the judiciary

Meanwhile earlier this week the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president contended that the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 stands in violation of Article 191 of the Constitution as it attempts to intrude on the exclusive powers granted to the apex court

In a concise statement submitted to the SC SCBA President Abid Zuberi argued that Article 191 must be read along with other sections of the Constitution that deal with the functioning of the judiciary SC Act seeks to uphold law: PML-Q Conversely the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has submitted in its written response today that the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure)

participation in the agitation He directed the JI workers to expedite “Dastak Mohim -Door to Door Movement and spread the party message of corruption-free modern Islamic state among the people T h e J I c h i e f d e m a n d e d t h e government to provide relief to the poor i n t h e b u d g e t i n s t e a d o f f o l l o w i n g t h e IMF directions He called for restoration o f s u b s i d i e s o n e l e c t r i c i t y a n d g a s a n d c u t i n p e t r o l p r i c e s H e s a i d t h e N A B and the courts had failed to act against t h e l o o t e r s a n d n o w t h e p e o p l e s h o u l d h o l d t h e c o r r u p t s a c c o u n t a b l e w i t h t h e power of vote

Act, 2023 seek to uphold the Rule of Law’, promote ‘Judicial Independence’ and ensure ‘Access to Justice and Fair Trial’ guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 adding that the petitions challenging it contrary to such lofty goals if granted the petition will actually undermine each of these venerated ideals Calling for a dismissal of the petitions filed against the law, it argued that “under Section 2 of the 2023 Act the lone responsibility nay burden of the Hon ble CJ for the constitution of benches in all matters has been given relief so that it is shared equally with the two senior-most judges of the SC “Pursuant to Article 191, the Parliament clearly has the right to legislate on matters pertaining to the practice and procedure of the SC it added stressing that the Parliament has the right to enact the subject legislation and has done so strictly in accordance with the law and the Constitution The 2023 Act is constitutional and will only serve to promote the ‘Independence of the Judiciary’ ‘the Rule of Law’ the Right to Access of Justice and Fair Trial as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the PML-Q stated

Siraj said the incumbent and former governments were equally responsible for the plight of the masses He said Islamic system was the only solution to the country s problems He said the masses should launch a peaceful democratic movement to get rid of the corrupt system

The meeting congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his success in Turkey presidential polls hoping Pak-Turk relations would further strengthen in future It also condemned the Zhob suicide attack on the JI Amir, demanding fair investigation into the terrorist incident

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t A d e l e g a t i o n o f I s l a m a b a d I n d u s t r i a l A s s o c i a t i o n ( I I A ) c a l l e d o n t h e F e d e r a l F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r M r M o h a m m a d I s h a q D a r t o d a y a t F B R H e a d q u a r t e r s i n I s l a m a b a d T h e d e l e g a t i o n c o m p r i s e d M r K a r i m A z i z M a l i k , S e n i o r Vi c e P r e s i d e n t ( I I A ) , M r U s m a n S h a u k a t , Vi c e P r e s i d e n t ( I I A ) a n d , a m o n g o t h e r s , S h e i k h A m i r Wa h e e d T h e F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r w a s a c c o m p a n i e d b y M r Ta r i q B a j w a , S p e c i a l A s s i s t a n t t o t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r o n F i n a n c e M r Ta r i q M e h m o o d P a s h a S p e c i a l A s s i s t a n t t o t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r o n R e v e n u e M r A s h f a q To l a C h a i r m a n R e f o r m s a n d R e s o u r c e M o b i l i z a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n ( R R M C ) , M r A s i m A h m a d C h a i r m a n F e d e r a l B o a r d o f R e v e n u e , a n d o t h e r s e n i o r o ff i c e r s f r o m t h e F i n a n c e M i n i s t r y a n d R e v e n u e D i v i s i o n D u r i n g t h e m e e t i n g m e m b e r s o f t h e I s l a m a b a d I n d u s t r i a l A s s o c i a t i o n h i g h l i g h t e d t h e d i ff i c u l t i e s o f b u s i n e s s e s i n t h e f e d e r a l c a p i t a l t e r r i t o r y T h e y s a i d t h a t d e s p i t e b e i n g a s m a l l c i t y I s l a m a b a d i s c o n t r i b u t i n g t o t h e n a t i o n a l e c o n o m y a n d i s f a s t t u r n i n g i n t o t h e i n f o r m a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y h u b o f t h e c o u n t r y T h e y s a i d t h a t w i t h p r o p e r s u p p o r t f r o m t h e G o v e r n m e n t t h e i n d u s t r y i n I s l a m a b a d c a n g r o w a n d h e l p c r e a t e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r e m p l o y m e n t T h e F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r a s s u r e d t h e d e l e g a t i o n t h a t t h e G o v e r n m e n t v a l u e s c o n t r i b u t i o n o f t h e b u s i n e s s s e c t o r i n t h e n a t i o n a l e c o n o m y H e s t a t e d t h a t i n t h e u p c o m i n g b u d g e t , m e a s u r e s w i l l b e t a k e n t o p r o m o t e t h e b o t h L S M a n d S M E s e c t o r s H e f u r t h e r e m p h a s i z e d t h a t p r o p o s a l s f r o m t h e b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y a r e a l w a y s g i v e n d u e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d u r i n g f o r m u l a t i o n o f F e d e r a l b u d g e t a n d a l l e ff o r t s a r e b e i n g m a d e t o p r e s e n t a b u s i n e s s f r i e n d l y b u d g e t

expor ts. But will faltering economy allow

I n f l a t i o n n o t c o m i n g u n d e r c o n t r o l

Latest figures show price hike hitting new highs

TH E May figure for inflation showed it was 37 94 percent year-on-year as measured in the Consumer Price Index The previous highest figure was recorded last month at 36 4 percent This was higher than the Finance Ministry s estimate of 36 percent, and may be the peak of the record bout of inflation However as inflation is likely to go down slowly, that means the common man’s agony is likely to continue The inflation was attributed to flood damage disruption in supply chains, devaluation ‘brought by macroeconomic balances’ and political uncertainty The floods are wearing thin as an excuse, with lower rainfall than normal predicted for this year ’s monsoon which will use its own set of challenges Devaluation seems likely to continue, with a simple indication being the gap between the interbank rate and the market rate, which reached Rs 27 on Thursday That is simply not sustainable, and will lead to yet more devaluation as the interbank rate nears the open-market rate, in the Rs 310-320 range Making this a virtual certainty is the government’s touch in faith in the IMF with which it hopes to conclude a deal, even though it is approaching the end of the current programme without one Because of this, it still insists on trying to fulfil those IMF conditionalities it can

The supply chain issues caused by the impact of the covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have been compounded by the inflation presently bedevilling the USA and Europe, also cannot be even mitigated let alone eliminated by the government The only policy step available to it, that of raising the interest rate has already been taken with the State Bank’s base rate set at a record-breaking 21 percent, and with the IMF pressing for even higher rates However it does not seem to be working

An important factor is political uncertainty This is supposed to be an election year but the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan have combined not only to avoid holding elections to two dissolved provincial assemblies, but may not hold the remaining elections on time There is some talk of imposing an Emergency, because that can only be done during an Emergency Is the inflation rate high enough for the imposition of an Economic Emergency There is nothing obvious for which the government would use its powers (basically the suspension of fundamental rights) All it can do is pray that inflation does not get further out of control

It is already close to becoming hyperinflation

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M A Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Easy come, easy go

the PP came to power, it had made its compromises with the establishment However, it had never gone as far as the PTI, as its workers had never attacked military installations, nor had its leader accused the sitting COAS of anything

TH E Pakistan Tehrik Insaf suffered badly because of the May 9 attacks, and the last week saw a bleeding that seems to have come to an end more because there is really no one of prominence left than because there is any turning of the tide

At one level the damage is not as bad as it seems

After all, the party s main vote-getter, Imran Khan remains However, those who have left are not negligible It should not be forgotten that the PTI, according to its critics, was cobbled together by the agencies ny injecting electables According to this belief in the words of the Bible What the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away However there are two dimensions to this

A electables were given to the PTI, and eagerly accepted, because they were useful When it is said someone is an electable, it means that that person has the ability to contest an election He has an electioncontesting machine has built up or inherited the contacts that will allow him or her to contest A party ticket is going to deliver the party vote to that individual That is in addition to the votes that person is likely to obtain because of his other connections

It should be noted that the only attempt made to break this localism has been by the parties in the UK, where candidates very often come from outside the constituency (though if adopted usually buy a house or flat there) though adopted by the local constituency association The USA where party candidacy is determined by primaries, and campaign funds are individually raised It is no wonder that parties are not as strong as in the UK The main means of control US parties have is through their national committees which have large funds at their disposal which they can dole out to candidates

The PTI could not offer a machine or money All it could offer were the votes its candidates would get because they were Imran s candidates That might be enough for someone who has both a machine and a source of funding, but for someone who does not, a party ticket can be a poisoned chalice

These electables are particularly vulnerable to being swayed by the establishment They have the machine even the money but the delivery of party votes will be welcome That can only be done by the establishment Incidentally, that party will probably form the next government, means the humble MNA will be revealed in the full glory of a parliamentary secretary No one turns up his nose at free fuel in these days of inflation

When it became increasingly clear as it did after May 9, that the PTI would be opposed by the establishment in any subsequent election, it no longer made good sense to remain in the PTI The only party which formed a government despite establishment opposition was the PPP in 1988 However that government was not allowed stability and the next time

Powder Keg in Kashmir

posturing military buildup and provocative actions aimed at showcasing resolve and deterring the other side Both nations are aware of the catastrophic consequences of a full-scale war or a nuclear exchange and yet they continue to engage in dangerous brinkmanship each hoping that the other side will blink first

However the rise of the Bharatiya Janata

Yet the PPP is a sign that the PTI can learn from Imran was merely arrested the PPP s Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged Then Benazir Bhutto was assassinated PPP supporters did not target the military, or anyone It did see a trickle of departures after Nutto s ouster, but not on the scale that the PTI has suffered

Indeed when the PML(N) was ousted by the Musharraf Martial Law it did see many departures to the PML(Q) which was then bolstered by the PPP MNAs who became Patriots

A new theme is being sounded this time, that of leaving politics Previously, politicians left the party they were in by joining a new party Now, it seems, they will sit out the next election That might not be absolute For example it is difficult to see Ch Fawad Hussain sitting out an election such are the pressures in his constituency On the other hand Shireen

Mazari did not have to cultivate a constituency having been twice elected on a reserved woman s seat, and thus can easily put aside political activity

One of the problems the PTI faced was its lack of any defining ideology beyond electing Imran Khan PM

It cannot be said that either of the other mainstream parties has a clear ideology but still the PML(N) has a sort of bent towards the right, the PPP towards the left The PTI, if anything, is against corruption

It has also been relying on national and religious symbols

Its problem has thus been how to direct the anger of its workers against the Army, which has become the symbol of nationalism That was done by a concentrated campaign against the new COAS Civilian governments have had their problems with the military, but none has ever gone so far The establishment reaction has been strong and seems to have convinced those politicians who went into the PTI that they should get off the bandwagon Imran apparently made the mistake of assuming that electables were gifts; they weren t, they were only loans

Those who have left the PTI now need a new political destination That is likely to be provided by the political outfit that Jahangir Tareen is busy setting up

He has been long associated with the intelligence agencies from the time he was CM s adviser to Mian Shehbaz Sharif even before the Musharraf Martial Law, and then replicated that role under it

There is also the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League which has been around for a few years but because it is seen as the political wing of the Ja aatude

maintain diplomatic channels and engage in meaningful dialogue In the absence of constructive engagement, the risk of miscalculations, military clashes, and the potential for a nuclear confrontation escalates

Dawa, it has a limited sectarian appeal, just as the Tehrik Labbaik Pakistan

Of course, the PTI has not come to an end After all, Imran is still there However, he now has a problem getting winning candidates While his nominees will get the vote of his fans where are they supposed to get machines and money? Electables will already have scurried (or perhaps waddled) over to parties with a better chance of winning, and of delivering votes

One sign that Imran might find helpful is that his base has not been repelled

Where the leadership has been deserting him there is no sign that the electorate has been similarly repelled This has two implications

One is that he will find candidates

That is because constituencies contain more than one electable and if the best party gives the ticket to one electable, a rival electable will get the other party s ticket

The other implication is that having attacked military installations is not the electoral kiss of death it should be True the wholesale departures from the party mean that arresting Imran may mean that Imran s arrest will not provoke the same sort of reaction, because the people to carry out the protests will lack leaders

That has implications not pleasant for the establishment: attacks on it have a certain acceptability The establishment will have to depend on fear to establish respect not the popular adulation that it expects

The May 9 attacks and their aftermath demand much soul-searching from all those involved, whether attackers or attacked Unfortunately, that has not happened which is why there was such a stream of departures from the PTI

The writer is a member of staff

TH E Kashmir region, nestled between India and Pakistan, has long been a simmering cauldron of tensions, geopolitical rivalries and territorial disputes With both India and Pakistan being nuclear-armed nations the stakes are higher than ever before The persistent conflict over Kashmir has transformed the region into a powder keg, where the dangerous game of nuclear chicken is being played out India’s assertive pursuit of nuclear dominance and its readiness to engage in high-risk brinkmanship with Pakistan highlights a dangerous trajectory where the potential consequences of a misstep are beyond imagination

The theory of nuclear chicken, derived from the game theory framework, provides a useful lens to understand the dynamics of the Kashmir conflict in the context of nuclear-armed nations

In the game of chicken two drivers accelerate their vehicles toward each other and the first to swerve to avoid a collision is considered the chicken The theory of nuclear chicken applies this concept to the realm of international relations, where two adversaries engage in a high-stakes game of brinkmanship with the potential for catastrophic consequences if neither side backs down

In the case of India and Pakistan the theory of nuclear chicken is manifested in the constant

Party (BJP) and its Hindu nationalist ideology has introduced a new dimension of danger to the already precarious situation in Kashmir The BJP’s ideology is exacerbating the risk of a catastrophic nuclear conflict in the region turning Kashmir into an even more dangerous game of nuclear chicken To understand the danger of this game one must understand the ideology on which BJP functions and their multi-pronged strategy in Kashmir

The BJP’s ideology, rooted in Hindutva and the vision of a Hindu nation has fueled a more assertive and aggressive approach towards Kashmir The party s leaders and affiliated groups often employ provocative rhetoric stoking nationalist sentiments and escalating tensions This aggressive posture increases the likelihood of military clashes and heightens the risk of unintended escalation between India and Pakistan, both of which are nuclear-armed nations

The BJP s aggressive stance evident in actions such as the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, sends a clear message of assertiveness and unwillingness to engage in meaningful dialogue Such unilateral moves exacerbate grievances erode trust and create a more volatile environment where the risk of a nuclear confrontation looms larger

The BJP s ideology which emphasizes a more nationalist and Hindu-centric identity for India, strains bilateral relations with Pakistan and diminishes the prospects for a peaceful resolution in Kashmir The Hindu nationalist narrative often portrays Pakistan as the perpetual enemy contributing to a heightened sense of animosity and mistrust between the two countries

This strained relationship has a direct impact on the stability of Kashmir Increased hostility and distrust make it more challenging to

The BJP’s policies and actions have alienated the local Kashmiri population particularly the Muslim-majority demographic The abrogation of Article 370, heavy-handed security measures, and the disregard for the aspirations of Kashmiris for autonomy and self-determination have deepened the sense of marginalization and resentment

This alienation not only fuels local grievances but also pushes some segments of the population towards more radicalized ideologies The presence of disenchanted groups within Kashmir increases the likelihood of homegrown militancy and the potential for the region to become a breeding ground for extremist ideologies The interplay between nuclear-armed nations and extremist elements heightens the risk of an unintended nuclear exchange as non-state actors may have less regard for the consequences of their actions

The rise of an extremist government in India, represented by the BJP and its ideology, poses a significant danger in the high-stakes game of nuclear chicken being played out in Kashmir The aggressive rhetoric provocative actions and nationalist agenda of the BJP strain bilateral relations deepen the alienation of the Kashmiri population, and hinder meaningful dialogue This dangerous combination increases the risk of unintended escalations, military clashes and the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear exchange

It is imperative for the international community to recognize the perilous implications of an extremist government in a nuclear-armed nation and actively work towards de-escalation, conflict resolution, and the promotion of peaceful coexistence in the region The stakes are too high and the consequences too dire to allow extremist ideologies to further endanger the delicate balance of power in South Asia

The writer is a researcher at the Centre for International Strategic Studies AJK

E

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m a i l S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan Today 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y

Incorporating AI into legal system

A D M I T T E D LY the idea of using artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionise our legal system has great potential The said article rightly recognised the benefits that AI can bring to legal practitioners and judges particularly in improving the efficiency of decision-making and reducing the backlog of cases

However, the article also raises valid concerns about the ethical, legal and societal implications of AI, particularly in a country where the legal system is still evolving I believe that the concerns raised must be taken seriously if AI is to be integrated into the legal system

The potential for AI to perpetuate biases and prejudices in the legal system is particularly worrying Therefore it is imperative that the data on which AI systems are trained is completely unbiased, and the use of AI is regulated to ensure transparency and accountability

Moreover, it would be essential to recognise that the law should be developed and altered empathetically according to society’s changing needs Slavish adherence to existing data runs the risk of perpetuating biases and dehumanising the system Thus before we introduce AI into the legal system we need to establish clear guidelines and regulations that ensure trans-parency and accountability, as well as recognise the limitations of using AI in courts

Besides, the concerns in the article concerning accountability, due process and, particularly, data privacy cannot be overlooked In case an AI system for any reason makes a mistake how would it be rectified and who would be held accountable? How can we ensure that individuals are given a fair trial when decisions are made without human input? These are critical questions that need to be addressed before we can confidently introduce AI into the legal system

At inception, it seems advisable with certain cautious suggestions that the government should establish a regulatory framework for the integration of AI in the legal system This framework should include guidelines on the use of AI including the ethical considerations that must be taken into account such as privacy data protection and the potential for bias

Moreover the use of AI in the legal system should be limited to areas where it can bring demonstrable benefits, such as reducing the backlog of cases and improving the efficiency of decision-making

It should not be used to replace human judgement altogether, as the fundamental principles of due process and the right to a fair trial must be respected Thus the integration of AI in the legal system can bring significant benefits to Pakistan but it must be done with due care and consideration for the ethical legal and societal implications The government must take the lead in establishing a regulatory framework that ensures transparency, fairness and accountability in the use of AI in the legal system

MAJID BURFAT KARACHI

The big question

I have before me a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) which shows that the recent statement by the opposition leader in a political gathering vehemently accusing a serving officer was one transgression too many The campaign to malign the state institution without any proof had been going on for some time and the reaction was long expected The last sentence of the press release which talked about the institution’s right to take legal action against the propaganda was the most significant point People would do well to remember that after the 21st amendment which was duly validated by the Supreme Court a civilian can be tried in a military court The most recent example is that of a son of a military veteran a civilian who was court martialled for writing a letter with some critical points to the former army chief Will the situation go that far in the current case? That is the big question MALIK UL QUDDOOS KARACHI

Abdul RehMAN

It is imperative for the international community to recogniz e the perilous implications of an extremist government in a nucleararmed nation and actively work towards de-escalation, conflict resolution, and the promotion of peaceful coexistence in the region

The May 9 attacks and their aftermath demand much soul-searching from all those involved, whether attackers or attacked. Unfor tunately, that has not happened, which is why there was such a stream of depar tures from the PTI

AF T E R a period of confidential discussions between representatives of Iran and Saudi Arabia with the aid of Chinese mediation it was announced in mid-March that Tehran and Riyadh would renew their diplomatic ties after seven years of regional hostilities As part of the reconciliation agreement, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud formally invited President Ibrahim Raisi to visit Riyadh Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhbar disclosed that Raisi had accepted the invitation while Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian stated that Iran would extend a similar invitation to the Saudi king The sustainability of the détente between Saudi Arabia and Iran remains uncertain Nonetheless, China s role in resolving this diplomatic impasse between two key regional powers might signal the start of a multifaceted process of de-Westernization in the region

In December 2022 Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled to Riyadh to attend the inaugural Sino-Arab States Summit In February 2023 President Raisi journeyed to Beijing at the formal invitation of his Chinese counterpart These high-level diplomatic meetings reflect China’s political outlook in the Persian Gulf: to establish alliances with all major regional powers and fill the political void left by the West

As geopolitical rivalry between major powers grows the world is becoming less Westernized A rising number of interrelated crises around the world and decreasing participation of Western powers in various conflicts outside of Europe have resulted in a shift towards multipolarity According to Xi, “Today’s world is undergoing profound changes that have not been seen in a century ”

A central aspect of this post-Western world order is a fluid and situation-specific network of strategic partnerships between global and regional powers primarily driven by pragmatic rather than ideological considerations In contrast to the USA, China has developed

friendly ties with all countries in the Middle East Beijing has signed multiple comprehensive bilateral strategic partnerships on both sides of the Persian Gulf, highlighting the adaptability of its non-aligned diplomacy

The Chinese-mediated agreement between Riyadh and Tehran signifies the growing inclination of regional players to leverage the emergence of alternative global powers to the detriment of the US and the West in recent years The USA has been the primary external actor in the Middle East for decades, but its recent reluctance to engage in regional crises has given local governments a greater incentive to interact with other available external powers, especially in Asia

In a sign of the Gulf ’s move towards a more Asiacentric policy Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have considerably increased their trade with the Asia-Pacific region comprising approximately 60 percent of that trade

Moreover, reports have surfaced that China and Saudi Arabia are exploring the possibility of conducting oil transactions in Chinese yuan rather than US dollars, which could have far-reaching implications for the global economy and the role of the US dollar as the world s reserve currency

Actually the Arab leaders perceive that Washington has ceased to prioritize the Middle East, particularly after the Obama Administration proclaimed a pivot to Asia strategy This perception has ramifications for defense and security, for the Arab nations have taken steps to lessen their reliance on the USA as a security provider by developing their national defense sectors They have repeatedly sought the aid of China to achieve these objectives For instance Saudi Arabia has commenced the development of its ballistic missiles with China s assistance, while the United Arab Emirates has permitted Beijing to establish a military base at one of its ports albeit after US officials raised concerns

For Iran, the further Asianization of the Persian Gulf is a blessing Iranian leaders, particularly the conservative decision makers view China s increasing political and economic influence in the region as being detrimental to the USA Thus, contrary to the expectations of many analysts, Tehran supports the expansion of relations between the GCC member states and China as

well as the growing political influence of Beijing in the region The withdrawal of the Trump Administration from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) has strengthened Iran s belief that China recognizes its status as a regional power, evident by China’s support for Iran to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) later this year The SCO led by China is a symbol of Asianization and Saudi Arabia s recent decision to join the organization as a dialogue partner will bolster the region s trend towards Asianization Beijing s diplomatic mediation between Tehran and Riyadh aligns with China’s objective of playing an active role in international politics and reshaping the world order based on its declared vision of common comprehensive cooperative and sustainable security This objective is part of China s broader renewal strategy, which has been in place since 2012 By hosting the signing of the diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran China seeks to establish itself as an active and responsible global player in resolving disputes through diplomatic means This role as a mediator follows China s release of a 12-point position paper in February aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict China s recent talks with both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents demonstrate its evolving role as a world peacemaker and contrast with the USA’s reputation as a

The damage Canada’s spies can do

the OK to go since the pool was much cheaper in China

He did not know it at the time, but this fatherly act of generosity and love would soon be twisted into a pretext to strip him of his top-secret clearance and job and call into question his fidelity to Canada

While he was in Guangzhou McNamara says he spoke briefly by phone to the ex-cop whom CSIS had its wary eyes on and who was a casual friend That fateful call would have blunt repercussions

In early November 2021, McNamara says he had to submit to a standard security clearance review that involved all Canadian and US law enforcement and national security databases including CSIS All the checks apart from CSIS were completed quickly

TH I S is the tale of two men who risked their lives as veteran police officers to serve their country only to have their life s work and loyalty to Canada smeared by spies Paul McNamara, a 62-year-old former Vancouver Police Department undercover officer and Peter Merrifield a 57-year-old Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer and ex-soldier shared their stories with me because they want Canadians and more particularly, the Canadian government, to finally hold this nation s spies accountable for the profound and lasting damage they have done

McNamara and Merrifield – in addition to several Canadian politicians of Chinese descent – have had their allegiance to the maple leaf sullied by spies who enjoy the comfort of anonymity They are victims of a dangerous hysteria gripping Canada over the scope and nature of Chinese interference in Canadian elections and society, ginned up by scoop-thirsty reporters and timorous spies who do not give a damn about the human costs of their sinister handiwork

As I have written previously that hysteria reeks of the old yellow peril canard that casts near blanket aspersions about the devotion to Canada of the Chinese-Canadian community

It all began shortly after David Vigneault, the director of Canada’s domestic spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) declared in 2018 that the spies under his command would focus on the threat China posed to the country

Anxious to show that they were up to the pressing task, Vigneault s inept charges fixed their crosshairs on several individuals They targeted a number of Chinese-Canadian politicians because of their ethnic background and McNamara and Merrifield because they knew and on rare occasions met with a former Canadian law enforcement officer turned security consultant whom CSIS apparently considers a Chinese-paid collaborator McNamara and Merrifield are proof that guilt by association is still standard practice at CSIS, decades after Canada s intolerant spies routed Canadians from their government jobs because of their left-wing politics or homosexuality

The miscarriage of fairness and decency visited on McNamara and Merrifield stands as a warning to the gullible politicians and reporters who treat Canada s spy service with deference and respect, rather than the swift censure and condemnation it deserves Here are their cautionary stories

Paul McNamara spent 26 years as a police officer in Vancouver British Columbia For much of that time he played the role of a crook to ensnare crooks He did the risky job well So having done his public duty McNamara retired from the police in 2016 and joined a US firm that provided security for America s consulates and embassy in Canada It was sensitive, high-paying work that required top-secret security clearance

In October 2019 McNamara visited Guangzhou China to try to buy a six-lane 25-metre above-ground swimming pool for his young daughter Holly a competitive open-water swimmer who one day hoped to represent Canada at the Olympic Games McNamara says his bosses and the US State Department gave him

As part of the review McNamara says he was interviewed at length at the US Consulate in Vancouver

Two days later, his security clearance was renewed, although the CSIS check was still not complete

On December 21, McNamara was told that his security clearance had been revoked by the State Department due to “derogatory information [that] was discovered McNamara was stunned and bewildered

Suddenly he was out of work Worse perhaps he was now deemed a potential national security risk McNamara went searching for answers He says a well-placed source told him that he was let go abruptly as a result of information “sensitive in nature in relation to national security” McNamara is convinced that all along CSIS was behind the spurious suspicions about his phantom ties to China He never received the results of his CSIS check All roads lead back to CSIS McNamara says Still, in July 2022, McNamara received a letter from CSIS, saying that it had reviewed and made the “appropriate internal inquiries” and found that the service was “neither responsible for or involved in” the “circumstances you describe” McNamara doubts what CSIS says He has good reason to be sceptical

In July 2020 Federal Court Judge Patrick Gleeson confirmed as much in a blistering decision slamming CSIS officers for repeatedly lying while asking for the court’s approval to issue the service special search warrants Gleeson scolded CSIS – to put it charitably – for “a degree of institutional disregard for – or at the very least a cavalier institutional approach to – the duty of candour and regrettably the rule of law But Canada s security-intelligence infrastructure was not done with McNamara just yet

In February 2023, McNamara says he was grilled for two hours by an RCMP officer attached to the federal police force’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams or INSET McNamara was accused of having been introduced to senior Chinese government officials during his trip to China in 2019 and having met with, and had his expenses paid for, by the ex-officer connected to the Chinese He says all of that was false, too These accusations have taken a toll on McNamara – financially and emotionally His once secure future has been replaced with uncertainty and doubt Given his age and the scurrilous questions surrounding his patriotism McNamara can t find work He has applied for more than a dozen jobs to no avail A modest pension is his only source of income A deep depression set in for a long while Uncertainty turned into emptiness

Still, McNamara is intent on clearing his name and reputation and making sure that other Canadians do not suffer the same surreal fate “I am evidence of the damage that they [CSIS] can do McNamara says I have lost faith in my country Like McNamara Peter Merrifield, a short, stocky firearms instructor, has devoted his life to protecting Canada and Canadians from harm not only from bad seeds, but “bad” state actors

A renowned RCMP investigator, Merrifield’s impressive résumé includes keeping prime ministers and visiting foreign dignitaries safe and weapons of mass destruction out of the arsenals of Canada s adversaries That stellar record did not prevent Merrifield

from having his higher than top-secret security clearance suspended at the behest of CSIS officers who cannot, it seems, connect beach balls, let alone dots Merrifield’s troubles began in March 2020 when he says a pair of CSIS officers paid an unannounced visit to his home True to form the CSIS officers missed their mark Merrifield wasn t home

Later Merrifield says he met with the intelligence officers twice They quizzed him on his contacts with the security consultant with ties to Beijing Merrifield says he cooperated by telling them the truth They were friends who had, in the past, shared a beer or two and talked about stuff that most people talk about: family work and politics Merrifield says he reported the meetings with CSIS to his RCMP superiors and decided that it would be best to stop having any contact with his former colleague

In October 2020, Merrifield met with a CSIS officer to have his top-secret security clearance renewed for another five years He treated the meeting as pro forma Merrifield was in for a disconcerting surprise

He says he was questioned for more than five and a half hours by an agitated CSIS officer who demanded to know more about his casual relationship with the compromised ex-law enforcement officer “There was no interest in facts,” Merrifield says “She only wanted to support the CSIS theory which was not evidence; it was assumption and scattered pieces of intelligence CSIS asked to meet Merrifield again He obliged Meanwhile Merrifield waited for word about his security clearance renewal

In July 2022, Merrifield got the shocking answer

The RCMP had suspended his Enhanced Reliability Status” based on allegations made by CSIS Merrifield, who had already suffered a near-fatal heart attack a few years earlier thought he was on the cusp of another Not only that but he believed he was going to lose a job he loved In a letter the RCMP detailed CSIS s charges against him Taken together, CSIS claimed that Merrifield had sold out Canada to China for money

Over the next nine months, Merrifield did everything in his power to prove that these accusations were untrue He says he provided the RCMP with reams of exculpatory evidence and agreed to interview after interview where he rebutted the disastrous allegations – one by one By this point, Merrifield had become aware that he was not alone in having his allegiance to Canada soiled by CSIS’s flimsy web of conjecture and suspicion

Together with McNamara Merrifield wrote to the prime minister cabinet ministers opposition leaders parliamentary committees and other oversight bodies urging them to take up their case and to hold CSIS to account To date, they say, nobody has heeded their urgent call On April 3, 2023, Merrifield prevailed The RCMP’s Departmental Security Branch informed him that their “review” of the CSIS-born accusations was “complete” and that his Enhanced Reliability Status had been reinstated In other words Peter Merrifield is not and never has been a traitor Paul McNamara remains in limbo struggling to understand why he was cut adrift Approached for comment on the pair s allegations, CSIS insisted that it cannot disclose the identity of anyone who has applied for or renewed a clearance” “What happened to us is a drive-by smear by CSIS ” Merrifield says “And we are determined to hold the amateurs responsible for the horror we have endured to account Merrifield is right Canada s spies enjoy extraordinary

they

global policeman China s strategic and economic interests in the Middle East, specifically energy security, are centered in the Persian Gulf Hence, China has signed three comprehensive strategic partnerships and four strategic partnerships with the Persian Gulf states Furthermore, Beijing has proposed hosting a high-level summit between Iran and the GCC members in 2023 which would enhance China s role as a peacemaker in the region and potentially usher in a new framework of peacekeeping and security based on the principles of the Global Security Initiative (GSI), a concept paper issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2023 The commitment between Iran and Saudi Arabia indicates the practical acceptance of the GSI and confirms China’s commitment to strengthening the security dialogue through this initiative

The USA s role in this diplomatic development in the Middle East is a concern Since the end of World War II, the USA has been the principal global power involved in the Persian Gulf, finalizing all significant diplomatic agreements in the region Nevertheless a Chinese-brokered agreement and Beijing s comprehensive strategic partnership agreements with both sides of the Persian Gulf could represent a possible alternative to a US-led regional order based on a US-led alliance and a robust US military presence in the region China is positioning itself as an external power capable of managing conflict through mediation and diplomacy focusing on business stability and common interests rather than seeking regional dominance On the other hand the West has frequently attempted to resolve regional conflicts through coercion

The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo com

HOW WILL US VISA POLICY FOR OFFICIALS MANIPULATING POLLS AFFECT BANGLADESH?

The countr y has of ten been advised to correc t its ways More of ten than not, it has looked sideways and got by. Will this time be different?

After weeks of speculation about further sanctions by the United States on Bangladesh, presumably on allegations of human rights violations and demands for free and fair elections, the cat finally came out of the bag There were no new sanctions against the country or any specific agency in the country What was revealed was a non-specific yet very wide application of a visa policy that would bar individuals or officials, including those in political parties of Bangladesh, from entering the US – who would be deemed to have used their influence or authority to rig or manipulate elections in the country The policy is wide reaching and can be interpreted to mean that any individual whether in government or politics engaged in electoral malpractice can be denied entry into the United States

On the face of it permission to enter into a country is a privilege granted by the host country to any foreigner It can decide who it will grant this privilege to and who it will deny As a would-be-visitor, anyone can expect any result You cannot go to court if you are denied the request If the US has a visa policy that articulates a set of principles that decides who from Bangladesh can or cannot attain visas to the country it certainly has the power and the right to do so

But this policy takes a different nuance when cast in the context of the change in US relations with Bangladesh over the last few years, specifically on our electoral process and cries from human rights groups over alleged abuses of human rights More so as Bangladesh has been trying hard to refurbish its image after last year s sanctions by the US on its elite law enforcement agency the Rapid Action Battalion So, is this a shock that the US has announced a new visa policy at the heart of which is our electoral process and commitment to preserving human rights? Or is the US asking us to watch out for further harsh treatment?

At one level this visa policy is an internal US matter It should not bother our domestic governance But unfortunately it does It hurts our national pride our image, and trust of others in running our own affairs including our democracy We are often quick to remark on external comments on our governance as uncalled for and we tend to ignore these often at our peril

US visa policy may not affect ordinary citizens of Bangladesh since not many people from our 170 million plus citizenry are lining up at the US embassy for a visa But there are others who may be affected The question however, is whether this US threat for visa denial will affect our own conduct in elections It is a long shot, but nevertheless, it will be worth watching External interest in Bangladesh politics is not new We have courted foreign powers in the past to help us over political quagmires particularly our opposition parties Often we have been advised to correct our ways More often than not, we have looked sideways and managed by But this time we seem to be put on alert by no less a power than the US The next parliamentary elections are still more than six months away And we don’t know if the major opposition will participate without having their demand for a neutral government fulfilled

Ziauddin Choudhury has worked in the higher civil service of Bangladesh early in his career and later for the World Bank in the US

dR MuhAMMAd AkRAM ZAheeR

China is positioning itself as an external power capable of managing conflict through mediation and diplomacy, focusing on business, stability, and common interests, rather than seeking regional dominance .

U S D E B T C E I L I N G B I L L PA S S E S H O U S E W I T H B R O A D B I PA R T I S A N S U P P O R T

WASHINGTON ag e n C i e S

Adivided U S House of Representatives passed a bill to suspend the $31 4 trillion debt ceiling on Wednesday, with majority support from both Democrats and Republicans to overcome opposition led by hardline conservatives and avoid a catastrophic default

The Republican-controlled House voted 314-117 to send the legislation to the Senate, which must enact the measure and get it to President Joe Biden’s desk before a Monday deadline when the federal government is expected to run out of money to pay its bills

This agreement is good news for the American people and the American economy, Biden said after the vote I urge the Senate to pass it as quickly as possible so that I can sign it into law ”

The measure a compromise between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy drew opposition from 71 hardline Republicans That would normally be enough to block partisan legislation, but 165 Democrats – more than the 149 Republicans who voted for it – backed the measure and pushed it through Republicans control the House by a

Trade Agency office to enhance Pak, Italy bilateral trade: Ambassador

ISLAMABAD a p p

narrow 222-213 majority The legislation suspends – in essence, temporarily removes – the federal government’s borrowing limit through January

1 2025

The timeline allows Biden and Congress to set aside the politically risky

issue until after the November 2024 presidential election It would also cap some government spending over the next two years, speed up the permitting process for certain energy projects claw back unused COVID-

China rejects US claim of ‘de-risking,’ warns risk of a ‘new Cold War’

BEIJING S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t

19 funds and expand work requirements for food aid programs to additional recipients

Late on Tuesday the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said the legislation would result in $1 5 trillion in savings over a decade That is below the $4 8 trillion in savings that Republicans aimed for in a bill they passed through the House in April, and also below the $3 trillion in deficit that Biden’s proposed budget would have reduced over that time through new taxes

In the Senate leaders of both parties said they hoped to move to enact the legislation before the weekend But a potential delay over amendment votes could complicate matters

Republicans said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could need to allow votes on Republican amendments to ensure quick action

But Schumer appeared to rule out amendments on Wednesday, telling reporters: “We cannot send anything back to the House plain and simple We must avoid default S e n a t e d e b a t e a n d v o t i n g c o u l d s t r e t c h i n t o t h e w e e k e n d , e s p e c i a l l y i f any one of the 100 senators tries to slow passage

BRICS FMs meet with eyes on cooperation, not confrontation

CAPE TOWN S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t

Foreign ministers from the BRICS countries – Brazil Russia India China and South Africa – kicked off a meeting on Thursday in Cape Town South Africa where they are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including preparation for the upcoming leaders summit, a potential expansion of the group as well as trade and economic issues

The two-day meeting has attracted widespread global attention as the group’s international profile particularly its attractiveness to other developing countries is rising rapidly amid the US-led West s reckless abuse of its economic dominance at the expense of the developing world Recently, many countries have publicly expressed a desire to join the BRICS group

plans to reduce or even cut reliance on the US dollar as well as plans for expansion according to Zhu

China on Thursday rejected the claim by the United States that it seeks de-risking instead of decoupling from China stressing that the real risk facing the world is a new Cold War U S Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters following a ministerial meeting of the U S -EU Trade and Technology Council on Wednesday that Washington and Brussels are not looking for “decoupling” from China but are focused on “de-risking ” In response Mao Ning a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed the importance of defining risks De-risking has become a buzzword recently But first and foremost, we need to identify what the ‘risks’ are when we talk about ‘de-risking, ” Mao told a regular press briefing in Beijing China pursues a high-level opening up and provides a marketoriented law-based and internationalized environment for businesses from all over the world she said China carries out economic trade and science and technology investment and cooperation with other countries in the spirit of mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win outcome, Mao continued She added that China upholds international fairness and justice and promotes the resolution of disagreements through dialogue and consultation A China like this poses no risk but offers opportunities, she said The spokesperson underscored that the real risk facing the world is to provoke camp confrontation or a “new Cold War,” to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and create regional turmoil and chaos to politicize economic trade and technology issues and destabilize the global production and supply chain and to transfer economic and financial risks to other countries to harvest global wealth in a cyclical manner The international community should be vigilant and work together to fight against these risks,” she said

Dubai ruler reveals plan for mothballed second palm-shaped island

DUBAI ag e n C i e S

Dubai’s ruler on Wednesday announced a new plan for the Palm Jebel Ali a man-made palm-shaped island that has been dormant since 2009 following a real estate crash and is double the size of the functioning Palm Jumeirah Its visitors and tourists will enjoy more than 80 hotels and resorts that provide beautiful tourist experiences,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also vice president and prime minister of the UAE said on Instagram

Italian Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese Thursday expressed hope that establishment of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) office in Islamabad and assignment of the first Italian Trade Director to Pakistan would enhance trade cooperation between the two countries I am pleased to share with you exciting news; that is the establishment of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) office in Islamabad and the assignment of the first Italian Trade Director to Pakistan would be a major step towards enhanced trade cooperation between the two countries” the ambassador said in his message on the upcoming celebration of 77th anniversary of the Republic Day National Day of Italy

He told the APP We shall continue to explore the avenues with a focus on agriculture, renewable energy, textiles, construction and tourism Collaboration in fields of textiles, agriculture livestock marble pharmaceuticals and mass manufacturing will help enhance Pakistan s industrial scope and increase exports of value-added goods The ambassador further stated that the fifth Italy-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission (JEC) took place on May 29-30 in Rome, where the two sides agreed to establish a joint framework to deal with climate change and cooperation in water management He said both sides signed an important Roadmap for Cooperation which covered climate change, trade & investment, heritage & culture, agriculture, technical cooperation, higher education, and transfer of technology in related sectors

However, contrary to the Cold War mentality hyped by Western media that says BRICS countries are seeking to counter the US-led West the group is actually striving to build a platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries improve global governance and ultimately build a global community of shared future, Chinese experts noted

The foreign ministers’ meeting started on Thursday and was chaired by Naledi Pandor South Africa’s minister of international relations and cooperation Pandor will continue with the policy of inclusive engagement by inviting 15 foreign ministers from Africa and the Global South to a Friends of BRICS meeting to be held on Friday, South Africa s Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement dated May 18

According to media reports, foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia and India were in Cape Town for the meeting A vice minister represented China according to Reuters As of press time on Thursday Chinese officials have not announced representation at the meeting The BRICS foreign ministers meeting is a relatively comprehensive meeting among all the ministerial meetings It will involve political security economy and trade finance cultural exchanges and other issues, Zhu Tianxiang, director at the Institute of Foreign Relations of the BRICS Research Institute of Sichuan International Studies University told the Global Times on Thursday

One of the top topics for the meeting is preparations for the leaders summit scheduled for August in Johannesburg, South Africa Other hot topics also include the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Even before the meeting started Western media had sought to hijack it by hyping topics related to the RussiaUkraine conflict Many Western media outlets have been hyping the question of whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the leaders summit in person and how South Africa will handle the “arrest warrant” issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC)

Russia has dismissed the ICC’s accusations as “null and void and charged an ICC prosecutor and judge over the arrest warrant according to Russia Today On Tuesday South Africa s Department of International Relations and Cooperation issued a notice in the government gazette on Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges for the upcoming BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting in Cape Town and BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg in August which has been interpreted by foreign media as paving the way for Putin’s attendance

The existing Palm Jumeirah is one of the most sought-after areas in Dubai and a favourite of Russians who have flocked to the emirate following the conflict in Ukraine, contributing to a red hot property market State-owned company Nakheel, which was taken over by the government in 2011 as part of a $16 billion (10 billion pounds) rescue plan in the aftermath of Dubai’s 2009-2010 real estate crash is the developer of the islands Nakheel in November secured 17 billion dirhams ($4 63 billion) in financing as it accelerates plans for new waterfront projects including Dubai Islands, another man-made island project formerly known as Deira Islands The real estate market in Dubai, the Middle East’s financial and tourism hub began its recovery in early 2021 as the government moved to quickly reopen its economy and airports

CORPORATE CORNER

SBP felicitates Bank Alfalah to redefine banking with opening of first digital lifestyle branch

SHERRY REHMAN CALLS FOR ENHANCED COMPLIANCE AND INDUSTRY INNOVATION

k a r a c h i: Governor State Bank of Pakistan Mr

Jameel Ahmad has said that Pakistan s banking industry was investing in technological upgrades to facilitate its customers and improving their overall banking experience He was optimistic that exciting projects like Bank Alfalah’s First Digital Lifestyle Branch will unlock new opportunities making banking easier to access and leading a more financially inclusive and digitally empowered nation

He was addressing at the launch ceremony of Bank

Alfalah’s First Digital Lifestyle Branch, a unique, one-of-a-kind digital experience hub designed to fulfil customers financial and lifestyle needs The innovative branch is a transformative fusion of banking s integration with the way of life Mr Ahmad observed that digitalization has entailed a reduction in the brick-and-mortar footprint of the banking industry globally and Pakistan is no exception He felicitated Bank Alfalah for launching First Digital Lifestyle Branch The Governor was confident that the successful implementation of this model will show the way forward to the new entrants of the banking industry in Pakistan In his concluding remarks Governor SBP stressed for the need of proactive approach by the banking industry in tailoring customers’ products and services based on their specific preferences and changing behavior Further, he emphasized that customers’ fair treatment and protection must remain a top priority of banks P R

K arachi ’s ac tual population

k a r a c h i: The final official census figures reported in the different censuses from 1981 to 2017, have generated controversy and disagreement with regard to actual population of the Karachi city The last census conducted in 2017 also met the same fate whereby almost all the parties of the province rejected the findings of the census Unfortunately the present digital census (2023) to the extent of Karachi city is once again being made controversial from the start by certain political parties such as MQM & JI whose leaders are playing to the gallery The mainstream leaders of these two parties claim gross under-reporting in Karachi’s head count For example, the representatives of political organizations claim that the city of Karachi is the biggest city of the world (population wise) with a population of over 30 million inhabitants It is to mention that even with the reported population of 16 05 millions according to the 2017 census Karachi is the biggest city of the country as well as province It constitutes almost 30% of the province’s total population P R

KE, Visa par tner to benefit consumers from digital bill payments

k a r a c h i: In a first for Pakistan s utilities, KElectric has partnered with global payment leader Visa to work together to facilitate digital payments that will make it easier for consumers to pay their utility bills and also reward them in the process KElectric intends to bring convenience and value to their constituents and has signed a strategic partnership with Visa to enable this primarily through Visa s digital payment solutions and partner bank mobile applications

Starting 21st May 2023, Visa cardholders of the following banksHBL, Bank Alfalah, Meezan Bank, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and Easypaisa - with electricity bills of at least PKR 1 000 will be able to avail a cashback on up to PKR 500 if they scan the Visa Dynamic Payment QR code in the Scan to Pay feature of their bank s mobile application Upon confirmation, an SMS will be sent to the customer on their registered mobile phone number and the cashback will be adjusted in their following month’s bill While the cashback offer will run during the campaign period the ability to pay through Scan to Pay will continue P R

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistan s first Kumon Centre located in DHA Phase-4 Lahore has become the fastest growing opening Centre in a new country in Kumon s 66-year history Kumon operates in over 60 countries with Pakistan being one of the latest entrants in the prestigious Kumon community With over 3 26 million children learning with the Kumon method worldwide it operates 23 700 Study Centres globally, largest in Japan with 15,400 Centres, followed by 1,652Centres in the USA while neighbouring India boasts 126 Centres as of end of March 2023 Kumon entered the Pakistani market in early 2022 opening its first Study Centre in DHA Phase 4 Lahore Mr Kazunori Hanahata Executive Officer in charge of Overseas Management Division at Kumon Institute of

1% of all industrial emissions historically have been done by the big businesses and industries and without their active involvement in transformative initiatives the world will continue to experience escalating temperatures causing countries like Pakistan to bear the brunt of this heat , said Federal Minister for Climate Change & Environmental Coordination at the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit 2023 in Islamabad

“7

During her conversation with business leaders Minister Rehman said that there is a pressing need for concrete, real, and comprehensive action propelled by enhanced compliance to address the pervasive issue of climate change “The absence of proper compliance measures raises the crucial question of accountability for responsible parties including major powers and corporations It is important to note that we do not advocate for businesses to be compelled to divest their investments Instead, our aim is to incentivize industries to foster innovation and invest in research and development thereby facilitating the implementation of practical cost-effective solutions on the ground Given the magnitude of the challenge, it is imperative for large businesses

to proactively consider sustainable practices and embrace environmental consciousness ” the Minister stated The Minister highlighted the disarray in global public financing for climate initiatives attributing it to the dual pressures of economic crises and climate emergencies that strain resources on a global scale “The unmistakable impacts of climate change have become immediate concerns that demand nations urgent attention At this critical juncture it is imperative to reset our approach and reimagine the broader architecture of adaptation Despite the prevalence of repeated slogans and catchy bumper stickers, an increasing number of individuals

SCO states need to boost cooperation for

globally are being left behind Climate change intertwines with security, economic and developmental factors exacerbating their consequences and multiplying their effects

As we move forward it is crucial to acknowledge the urgency of the situation and seek comprehensive solutions that address the interconnectedness of these complex issues,” said the Minister She continued “The Bretton Woods institutions initially designed after World War II were effective for their time but now it needs a reset The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, hosted by President Macron in France later this month, represents a crucial initiative to

ty

tion, sustainable development: Senator Afridi

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Deputy Chairman Senate, Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi has said that the SCO countries direly need to promote and augment well-coordinated strategic partnerships and synergies aiming at poverty alleviation and sustainable development by sharing knowledge expertise good practices and latest technological innovations, especially towards agriculture development, value addition and modernization

In his key note address at the SCO Forum on Poverty Reduction at Yangling Shaanxi province

China, the Deputy Chairman Senate underlined that the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a framework for countries to promote prosperity while ensuring that economic social and environmental factors are taken into account Pakistan was committed to the SDGs He also dilated upon the social safety net programs and other initiatives implemented by Pakistan to reduce poverty provide social protection and promote economic growth

Senator Mirza Afridi also com-

mended and acknowledged the efforts made by China especially His Excellency President Xi Jinping in lifting over 800 million people out of extreme poverty and transforming China into an inspiring global economic power

Poverty reduction was a complex challenge that requires a modern approach he said urging China to provide support technical assistance and expertise to Pakistan to modernize its agriculture sector, build capacities and knowledge base of farmers and employ latest techniques and equipment to increase quality output create more economic opportunities for people at the grass roots and promote inclusive progress and sustainable development

The Deputy Chairman Senate also highlighted fraternal PakChina friendship based on mutual respect trust and cooperation emphasizing that as we work towards sustainable development and poverty reduction we look forward to further collaboration and support from China as only by working together, can we achieve our common goals and create a better future for our people

Earlier Mr Wang Xiao mem-

Ambassador of Republic of Uzbekistan c alls on Air C hief

The Ambassador of Republic of Uzbekistan H E Mr Aybek Arif Usmanov, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force in his office today The meeting was focused on areas of mutual interest and regional developments During the meeting Chief of the Air Staff shared his pragmatic policy decisions aimed at modernizing Pakistan Air Force through smart acquisition of niche technologies, upgradation of infrastructure and revitalization of operational & training domains The Air Chief emphasized the longstanding religious, cultural and historical bond between Pakistan and Uzbekistan which is exemplified through robust bilateral relations He also reiterated his unwavering commitment to enhancing the existing ties in realms of military-to-military cooperation and training Highlighting the bond of brotherhood between the two nations, the Air Chief said "Pakistan values its strong diplomatic PR

ber of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Provincial Committee and Executive Governor of Shaanxi province formally launched the the opening ceremony, highlighting the significance of collaborative efforts in tackling poverty and promoting sustainable development

In his keynote address Zhao

Yide Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Congress, enumerated China’s remarkable achievements in eradicating poverty future plans for rural revitalization and the upgrade of agricultural products Praising China s unparalleled success, Madam Shen Yueyue, Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chair of the Good-Neighbourliness Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO emphasized that China had surpassed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals a decade ahead of schedule calling upon SCO member nations to collaborate on poverty reduction

Ufone 4G connec ts pilgrims through industr y ’s best Hajj data roaming offer

i s l a m a b a d: Pakistani telecom operator Ufone 4G is providing seamless data connectivity through its industry-best and most competitive Hajj Data

Roaming Offer to its prepaid customers travelling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for Hajj The exceptionally affordable offer comes with generous allocations of data volume and allows exclusive access to WhatsApp calls for unrestricted communication with friends and family back home The offer has been designed to provide a worry-free user experience to Ufone 4G customers during the pilgrimage The large volume of data allows for easy exchange of photos, videos and video calls from the Holy land so the pilgrims can virtually include their friends and family in the blessed experience

Customers may choose from three data buckets of varying volume depending upon their budget and need Each of these bundles has a validity of 30 days Bucket 1 offers 1000 MB for just PKR 490 Bucket 2 offers 2500 MBs of data and is priced at PKR 980, while Bucket 3 provides access to 5000 MBs for just PKR 2100 These are the lowest prices in the industry for any roaming service, aiming at bringing unprecedented ease and convenience for Ufone 4G users embarking on the Holy Pilgrimage Ufone users may subscribe to their desired bucket digitally through Ufone 4G website, My Ufone App or by simply dialing *506# from their handset PR

reorganize the Bretton Woods financial architecture with a focus on incorporating climate finance Climate issues are now inseparable from global financial obligations These institutions must adapt to the realities of the 21st Century as the current models are inadequate to meet the trillions of dollars required for climate finance goals The existing climate financing entities and architecture are simply insufficient for the scale of action needed

The Minister emphasized the vital role of partnerships with businesses and civil societies in fostering effective governance “While governments are sometimes perceived as overly involved entities akin to intrusive caretakers active engagement with businesses is crucial The power of lobbying efforts holds the potential for positive contributions, but it can also devolve into rent-seeking practices Recognizing their impact is essential as they can either facilitate or impede progress Amidst these considerations the importance of such discussions tends to escalate episodically, particularly during significant events such as floods or record-breaking incidents It is crucial to foster a continuous dialogue and understanding between governments businesses and other stakeholders to ensure effective governance and meaningful progress, said the Minister

Pa k i s t a n N av y s h i p c o n d u c t s r e s c u e o p e r at i o n i n A r a b i a n S e a

karachi: Pakistan Navy Ship SAIF while carrying out routine patrolling in the Arabian Sea expeditiously responded to a distress call by a stranded Fishing Vessel AL ZUBAIR thereby saving valuable lives of 6 fishermen The fishing vessel had suffered engine failure and subsequent flooding due to rough sea conditions PNS SAIF swiftly responded to the distress call at night and safely recovered 6 stranded fishermen Medical assistance was provided onboard and the fishermen were subsequently shifted to Gwadar Fishermen community has lauded the efforts of Pakistan Navy in saving precious lives at sea Pakistan Navy, besides ensuring combat readiness at all times, remains vigilant to contribute in ensuring Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) through sustained presence and monitoring of activities within the Maritime Zones of Pakistan PR S t a n d a r d C h a r t e r e d r e ve a l s f u t u r e o f t r a d e r e p o r t

New research by Standard Chartered reveals trade corridors in Asia, Africa and the Middle East are set to outpace the global growth rate by close to four percentage points driving export volumes in these regions from USD 9tn in 2021 to USD14 4tn by 2030 Global trade over the same period is set to reach USD32 6tn, from USD21tn in 2021, according to the report titled Future of Trade 2030: New growth corridors Thirteen key markets are expected to account for 73 per cent of all exports and 69 per cent of all imports in Asia Africa and the Middle East by 2030 with a combined total trade value of USD19 7tn based on analysis of historical trade data and projections until 2030 Mainland China, India and South Korea top the list by volume Simon Cooper, CEO of Corporate, Commercial & Institutional Banking and CEO Europe and Americas Standard Chartered said: Global trade continues to present growth opportunities within and across some of the world s most dynamic regions This research underlines how businesses are diversifying their sourcing and manufacturing decisions and offers practical insights into how this is playing out around the globe In particular, the adoption of digital supply chain finance solutions could have a game-changing impact on export growth International trade is projected to move away from the West shifting southward and outward South Asia will be the fastest-growing export region, driven by strong trade ties with neighbouring regions, including a recent free trade agreement between India and the UAE and Bangladesh’s plans to establish more than 100 special economic zones by 2030 PR

Kumon DHA L ahore Centre: Fastest growing stud y centre ever in 66-year histor y of Kumon

Education expressed his vision at the first anniversary of Kumon in Pakistan: “I am very happy to report that Kumon DHA Phase

4 has achieved the highest student enrolments ever in any Centre s first year of operations

This is a remarkable achievement, and we now propose to slowly expand across Pakistan It is an honour to make contributions towards the education landscape of Pakistan and I hope that many children in Pakistan will be able to develop their basic academic skills through the Kumon Method and thereby, fulfil their dreams Mr Hanahata went on to state that this proves the high potential of Pakistan as a centre for educational investment and also illustrates the desire of Pakistani parents for quality education Originating in Japan Kumon is an after school self-learning programme designed to promote independent learning, confidence and critical thinking ability resulting in over-

all academic excellence in students of any age It offers individualised instructions to each learner allowing them to progress at their own pace regardless of academic level Kumon s child-centric approach to learning neither pressurizes the student, nor does it limit his or her ability to a particular grade It sets and gradually raises expectations according to the growing capabilities of each student enabling him or her to not just cope with their grade level content but in many cases to study beyond grade level Kumon Institute of Education in Japan has now established a local entity by the name of Kumon Pakistan Private Limited, which has recently opened its doors to potential franchise partners to form a network of Kumon Study Centres across Pakistan Mr Koya Nishimura; Executive Director for Kumon Pakistan stated that they have aspirational and ambitious plans to make quality

education available to the entire Pakistani student population through the Kumon learning method This dream can only be re-

alised by partnering with local driven professionals who are passionate about education and developing children

pover

reduc

FBR FAILS TO ACHIEVE TAX TARGET FOR MAY 2023

g BOARD COLLECTS RS572B REVENUE AGAINST TARGET OF RS621B IN MAY

increase of 32% However, a cumulative growth of almost 44% has been achieved in the collection of domestic taxes This is despite the fact that the economy has slowed down and GDP growth rate has been revised downward Cumulative growth of almost 44% has been achieved in the collection of domestic taxes

However on the import side the same momentum could not be maintained due to unprecedented compression in imports In US$ terms imports in the country declined by 37% in May

T wo soldiers mar t yred in attack along Pak

Iran border in Kech

W h at

s u

2023 compared to May 2022

Moreover, the import of high duty items such as vehicles home appliances as well as miscellaneous consumer goods such as garments fabrics footwear etc have been drastically reduced, changing the import mix

This has impacted collection of Customs duties and other taxes Despite an 18% dip in collection of Customs duties and 11% decline in overall tax collection at import stage FBR s overall growth was registered at 16% compared to previous year

i s r e a s o n b e h i n d P K R ’s

d d e n s u r g e i n o p e n m a r ke t ?

g PKR DROPPED BY RS27 IN MARKET AGAINST

20 percent

US DOLLAR

Two soldiers were martyred when terrorists attacked a security forces check post in the Singwan area of Balochistan s Kech district along the Pakistan-Iran border, the military s media affairs wing said on

Thursday According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a group of terrorists opened fire at a check post

Since troops at the post were already alert they responded gallantly with all available weapons and a heavy fire exchange ensued it said

The ISPR stated that the security forces successfully pushed the terrorists back However, during the “intense exchange of fire”, 34-year-old Sepoy Hasnain Ishtiaq a resident of Dera Ghazi Khan and 27-year-old Sepoy Inayatullah hailing from Jhal Magsi embraced martyrdom

t o p u r c h a s e U S d o l l a r s f r o m t h e i nt e r b a n k m a r k e t f o r s e t t l i n g c a r d - b a s e d c r o s s - b o rd e r t r a n s a c t i o n s w i t h I n t e r n a t i o n a l P a y m e n t S c h e m e s ( I P S s ) T h e c e n t r a l b a n k ’s i n t e n t i o n b eh i n d t h i s m o v e w a s t o b r i d g e t h e g a p b e t w e e n e x c h a n g e r a t e s i n t h e i n t e r b a n k a n d o p e n m a rk e t s P r i o r t o t h i s c h a n g e b a n k s h a v e b e e n p u rc h a s i n g d o l l a r s f r o m e x c h a n g e c o m p a n i e s f o r t h e p a s t 1 7 y e a r s

However, with the recent SBP directive, banks have been facilitated as they can purchase dollars from interbank market for such payments

The open currency market experienced a significant demand for US dollars due to various factors

But with banks now given the option to buy and settle payments through interbank trading in open market would further decrease which would increase pressure on exchange companies and may lead to the appreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar in the open currency market Zafar Paracha the General Secretary of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan expressed his optimism stating that the difference between the open market and interbank rates would reduce by Rs 20-25 within the next few days He further projected an immediate shrinkage of Rs 15-20 on the same day, June 1 However the SBP has now expanded the options by permitting banks to purchase the greenback from the interbank market to facilitate such payments

This facility is initially provided for a two-month period until July 31, 2023

The summary for the appointment of Managing Director Pakistan China Investment Company

Limited

awaiting approval of the federal cabinet Sources said that the Finance Ministry had proposed the name of senior commercial banker Hasan Raza for the position of MD Pak China Investment Company Limited However due to the special importance of Pak-China relations it was decided that this appointment be formally approved by the federal cabinet The Cabinet Division circulated the summary of Hasan Raza s appointment as MD Pak China to Cabinet members, but reportedly, it is still in the process According to a source a few cabinet members want their own favourites to be appointed even though the Finance Division had proposed name of Raza who has a diversified banking experience both locally and internationally, for this position after conducting interviews of several candidates On the other hand, the government has approved the appointments of Saad Ur Rehman as MD Pak Kuwait Tariq Mehmood as MD Pak Libya Aamir Shamim as MD Pak Brunei and Nauman Ansari as MD Pak Oman It is pertinent to note that the Government of Pakistan has established Joint Investment companies in collaboration with friendly countries on an equal shareholding basis According to the Finance Division, these Joint Investment companies play an important role in the economic uplift of the country through infrastructure investment asset management project financing and investment banking

Re-arrest of Shehr yar Afridi: IHC ser ves contempt notice on Islamabad IGP

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Islamabad police chief in a contempt of court plea against the re-arrest of PTI leader Shehryar Afridi despite clear orders by the court and put off the hearing till Friday (tomorrow) The petitioner s lawyer said his client was re-arrested despite a court order against it, and he was not even produced in any court The court asked the government lawyer why the petitioner was not produced in court yet and sought a response by Friday (today)

During hearing Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat – counsel for the petitioner requested the court to dispose the petition today with a direction as the main case was also fixed for Friday Advocate Marwat said Shehryar Afridi had been kept in a death cell despite the court order, asking the court to issue a written order as a verbal order had already been conveyed for shifting of Afridi from the death cell “How is it possible that the order was not complied with? Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir questioned Justice Tahir said the contempt of court case was not being wrapped up, and adjourned the hearing till tomorrow Meanwhile, the IHC also summoned the SSP (operations) in person on Tuesday, in a case against the raid on the house of PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the petition was Omar Ayub s wife Advocate Babar Awan appeared on behalf of the petitioner and adopted the stance that the police conducted the raid without a search warrant

Security forces have launched an immediate sanitisation operation in the area and are in communication with Iranian authorities across as well,” the statement concluded Earlier in January, four security personnel were also martyred during “terrorist activity” from across the Pakistan-Iran border in Balochistan s Panjgur district The incident was roundly condemned by Pakistan s senior officials and the Foreign Office had asked Iran to punish the culprits and ensure a thorough investigation ISLAMABAD

S

Minister for Information and Broadcasting

Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said the nation had witnessed both constructive and destructive mindsets in the last one year as the former brought destruction to the country while the latter served the masses

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his ongoing government tenure stabilized the economy while the former ruler sowed the seeds of hatred chaos and anarchy to train the armed groups which resulted into the May 9 tragedy the minister said while addressing a news conference

She said the former ruler would not be remembered as a pragmatic leader as he had played no role in bringing political and economic stability in the country

On the other hand PM Shehbaz Sharif and the coalition government s foremost priority was to ensure political and economic stability in the country as both were intertwined, she added

“We have inherited a ruined economy from the previous government of PTI which

Travelers students and pilgrims were purchasing dollars from exchange companies and banks were also buying dollars for settling card-based cross-border transactions with IPSs This resulted in higher rate of USD in open market

With devaluation of the Pakistani currency and rise in dollar rates in the unofficial market exchange companies have been greatly affected leading to a decrease in inflows Additionally the constant appreciation of the dollar against the PKR has discouraged foreign currency holders in Pakistan from selling their holdings, further reducing market trading to just

Currency experts and bankers involved in the currency business praised this significant step, especially considering the high dollar rate in the open market The shortage of dollars in the open market led to a steady increase in the greenback rate The open market dollar rate had soared by Rs 30 to Rs 35 per dollar P a r a c h a s p r o j e c t i o n t u r n e d o u t t o b e t r u e a s t h e r u p e e a p p r e c i a t e d i n t h e o p e n m a r k e t a g a i n s t USD Mohammed Sohail, the CEO of Topline Sec u r i t i e s L i m i t e d n o t e d “ P a k i s t a n i r u p e e a p p r e c ia t e d i n t h e k e r b m a r k e t a g a i n s t t h e U S d o l l a r ”

However sources say that this appreciation of the r u p e e i s a r t i f i c i a l A c c o r d i n g t o t h e s o u r c e s c u rr e n c y d e a l e r s a r e o n l y b u y i n g a t t h i s r a t e a n d n o t selling So no transactions are taking place, which m e a n s t h a t t h i s i s n o t t h e a c t u a l o p e n m a r k e t r a t e A c t u a l t r a n s a c t i o n s a r e t a k i n g p l a c e a t 3 0 0 p l u s , i n t h e g r e y m a r k e t w h e r e s e l l e r s a n d b u y e r s d ec i d e a c o n s e n s u a l r a t e

Pakistan can earn $300m through PVC expor ts. But will faltering economy allow it?

PR

M A R I A M U M A R FA R O O Q

Engro Polymer and Chemicals Ltd (EPCL) the sole producer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin used in plastic and rubber manufacturing in the country, has encountered significant setbacks in constructing its hydrogen peroxide plant worth $23 million

Speaking to journalists at the Bin Qasim factory EPCL officials revealed that the project s costs have surpassed initial estimates due to challenges in importing machinery amid restrictions on outgoing dollars

EPCL was established in 1997

Mahmood Siddiqui Vice President of Manufacturing of the Company highlighted that Since 2015, the Company has invested over USD 188 million in Plant expansion and other upgrade projects for higher efficiency reliability and diversification of operations In 2021 EPCL

left the country at verge of default due to its inefficiency and incompetence, she said, adding economic uncertainty was now on the retreat with end of political uncertainty

“The spell of misguidance seems to be breaking while the spell of hatred mischief and anarchy is ending the minister remarked

Marriyum recalled that the previous government first signed the IMF programme, then violated, and finally suspended it On the other hand, the present coalition government was holding negotiations with the IMF as it was determined to complete the ongoing programme

She said the incompetent and inefficient PTI regime had laid economic mines and when ousted from the power it resorted to agitation and long marches to disrupt the development process which was initiated by the coalition government under the leadership of PM Shehbaz Sharif

“The youth was brainwashed and the politics of arson and vandalism was promoted to ruin the economy she said while citing the May 9 tragedy as an example when armed groups attacked the sensitive installations The minister said the masses were reaping benefits of the reform agenda initiated by

enhanced its PVC capacity to 295,000 tons per annum, which is sufficient to fully cater to the local demand and achieve exports as well ” Economic woes hinder company growth EPCL s 2030 vision is to become a globally-competitive PVC producer, prioritising exports, and increasing the domestic per capita PVC consumption to international levels As part of its business strategy the Company is also looking to position PVC as the Material of Choice with a primary emphasis on value-added products But for the Company to enact its plans and maximise the potential of PVC exports while also meeting increasing local demand it is equally imperative for the Government to ensure a conducive business environment with the availability of the right policies and necessary utilities

Like other businesses and industries EPCL is faced with chal-

Gov t defers plan to impose tax on companies’ reser ves in next year’s budget

lenges of restriction on Letter of Credit (LC) opening of plant s critical raw materials, lack of gas availability needed for production destruction of local demand due to volatile macroeconomic situation and increase in the cost of financing EPCL s integrated chlor-vinyl chemical complex currently generates hydrogen as a by-product during caustic manufacturing, utilizing it as a fuel for their power plant However the company aims to redirect the hydrogen towards hydrogen peroxide production a crucial bleaching agent in the textile industry Muhammad Idrees, the Chief Commercial Officer stated that the anticipated plant is expected to commence commercial production next year EPCL plans to supply its hydrogen peroxide to textile mills targeting foreign markets that prefer oxygen-based bleaches over chlorine-based alternatives

the coalition government in last one year with all the economic indicators had been on upward trajectory

The price of LPG domestic cylinder had been reduced from Rs 2 759 to Rs 2 321 which would provide Rs 438 relief to domestic consumers per cylinder she said adding the commercial cylinder price had also been reduced by Rs 1,686

She said the commercial LPG cylinder was earlier being sold at Rs 10,619 and now its price had been fixed at Rs 8,933 The price of cooking oil was decreased by upto Rs 70 per kg whereas that of flour and wheat had been reduced by Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kg

She said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave a historic package for farmers which proved a harbinger of bumper wheat crops The prices of flour, wheat and cooking oil had come down today due to the government policy initiatives

On the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif she said young farmers were given loans on the easiest terms and subsidy was given on the DAP fertilizer prices and due to all the initiatives, today the country was moving towards economic stability

The Federal government has decided to defer its plan of imposing an advance tax on the undistributed reserves of both listed and unlisted companies Sources close to the development of the budget preparations revealed that in a recent meeting related to next year s budget the Prime Minister has directed the Finance minister and Federal Board of Revenue to put the plan to impose advance tax on the undistributed reserves of both listed and unlisted companies on hold Business men have strongly objected to the proposals prepared by Ashfaq Tola Minister of State and the Chairman of Reforms & Resource Mobilization Commission They are of the view that they are already paying huge taxes and such taxes will put further burden on them and their already vulnerable businesses The Ashfaq Tola led Commission, in its interim report proposed the Finance minister to impose advance tax on the undistributed reserves of both listed and unlisted companies For other than listed companies a tax rate of 7 5% has been proposed whereas for listed companies a tax rate of 5% has been proposed This tax shall be adjustable, for the shareholders, against the tax on actual dividend distribution made by the Company in the future The concept of advance tax on dividends already exists in the Ordinance for CFCs Ashfaq Tola has shared with the Finance minister that the reserves of Companies that have not paid dividends in the last 3 years stand at Rs 2808 billion and the government can collect Rs 140 billion with just 5% tax on listed companies Similarly, based on FBR data, Tola claims that companies in totality have Rs 5442 billion reserves which include the Rs 2808 billion reserves of listed companies For the companies that are not listed Tola proposed 7 5% tax on non listed companies which will generate Rs 197 billion tax

Today the value of the dollar dropped by about Rs 27 due to the prudent policies of the government, she said, adding the PM had directed that direct relief of reduction in the prices of oil flour and LPG cylinders should be passed on to the common people

The prime minister she said had started consultations related to the budget with the departments concerned and he had formed two sub-committees regarding agriculture

The committees, she said, would be responsible for ensuring supply of quality seeds import of modern machinery and equipment and ensuring their availability

T h e p r i m e m i n i s t e r d i r e c t e d t h a t a l l agriculture tube-wells should be fully solar powered and he directed to ensure the best s u p p o r t p r i c e o f w h e a t f o r t h e p r o s p e r i t y of farmers

She said the scheme to provide direct subsidy on fertilizer to farmers would be implemented in an effective way The committees would submit their report to the Prime Minister within three days He also directed to work on oil seeds policy for cooking oil production in Pakistan, she added She regretted that the previous govern-

ment changed the name of the youth programme which was launched by the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, but failed to empower the youth through their socioeconomic development

The programme had been revived to distribute to 100 000 laptops among the youth she said adding the young entrepreneurs continued their work with any disruption during the coronavirus pandemic just due to the laptop scheme which was launched in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

She said loans amounting to Rs 25 billion had been disbursed among young agriculturalists and the programme for skill development of 100,000 students was launched by the coalition government soon after coming into power

The one-year programme had concluded with seed money of Rs 4 billion for the skill development of young people she added

The minister said the Nawaz Sharif led government was inherited a ruined economy and extreme inflation in 2013, but it boosted economic growth to 6 per cent and reduced inflation to 2 per cent

Nation witnessed ‘destruc tive & construc tive’ mindsets in last one year: M arriyum