Epaper_23-06-06 ISB

PAKISTAN ‘VERY HOPEFUL’ OF SEALING IMF DEAL THIS MONTH: PM SHEHBA Z

time the IMF required that those actions be met before the board s approval so we have met them

PR I

E Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said Pakistan is very hopeful of finalising a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month “We are still very hopeful that the IMF program will materialise Our ninth review by the IMF will match all terms and conditions and, hopefully, we ll have some good news this month,” he told Anadolu in an exclusive

The

disbursed from the package, which is scheduled to expire this month

At the end of May PM Shehbaz requested IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to help revive the stalled facility, but asserted that Pakistan does have a backup plan in place

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ishaq

Dar said last week that Pakistan will share its budget details with the Fund

He added that he would like the IMF to clear its 9th review before the budget which is due to be presented in early June, as all the conditions for that had already been met

7bn are left to be

For its part, the IMF has said it remains in touch with Pakistan’s authorities in order to pave the way for a board meeting before the financing programme expires at the end of June Ordinarily, a board meeting on a review of the programme would require a prior staff-level agreement

During his interview with Anadolu PM Shehbaz said “We have met all conditionalities I repeat each and every requirement of the IMF as prior actions has been met Some of those actions are usually met after the board’s approval, but this

On contingency plans in case the IMF talks fall through, PM Shehbaz emphasised the resilience and fortitude of the Pakistani nation

He said the people of Pakistan had faced challenges in the past and if needed will tighten our belt and rise again

According to the premier Pakistan has been facing a plethora of problems since April 2022, when the current government took over after Imran was ousted in a no-trust vote

The issues are the result of the previous government s policies the deadly floods in August and the inflation problem, he said Pakistan, in April 2022, was on the verge of default because the government of the day had violated the IMF agreement and the economy was in tatters Shehbaz said Then we had devastating floods in August 2022 Combined with that we are facing galloping inflation, because of the international situation ” He asserted that his government has been able to navigate the challenges in the best possible fashion with the help of the people of Pakistan and brotherly and friendly countries

ECC accords approval for issuing Rs9.5b guarantee for Hyderabad-Sukkur motor way

g TSG OF RS402B IN FAVOR OF MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS FOR DEBT SERVICING ALSO APPROVED

The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet has agreed to approve the issuance of Rs 9 5 billion GoP guarantee for the construction of project HyderabadSukkur

Mar yam says Imran is now ‘isolated and shedding tears alone’

BAGH A G E N C I E S

Maryam Nawaz the senior vice president and chief organiser of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), asserted on Monday that the person who once boasted about invincibility and promised to bring tears to other people’s eyes, was now isolated and shedding tears alone referring to former prime minister Imran Khan who is under fire following the event that transpired following his May 9 arrest Anyone who disrespects the martyrs sets their memorials on fire, or sets ablaze the fighter jets that destroyed enemy jets cannot be one of us They cannot be Pakistani either,” she said while addressing a public gathering in Azad Jammu and Kashmir ’s (AJK) Bagh area She emphasised that those who disrespect and burn down memorials of the martyrs cannot be respected They dreamed of breaking the PML-N, but today, the PTI itself has fallen into disarray Those who used to claim they were invincible and vowed to make others cry are now sitting alone and weeping Even their own prime minister of AJK is testifying against them ” she added Whoever acted in such a manner towards the martyrs and their memorials on May 9 listen carefully, the Pakistani nation and the people of Kashmir will never forgive you We will make an example out of it,” she concluded

Apex Court won’t interfere in economic affairs, says CJP Bandial

ISLAMABAD

N E W S D E S K

Exchange

SECP ) for implementing the Project Public Private Partnership Authority ( P3A ) in its 22nd Board meeting convened on March 31, 2022 The meeting approved the PPP Agreement negotiated between the NHA and M/s TECMC PPP Agreement further stipulates in section 6 5 5 that NHA shall establish and deliver to the Concessionaire the GOP Guarantee of financials close to the

tune of Rs 9 500 million backed by Sovereign Guarantee and acceptable to the financiers on a prior basis

In order to initiate the requisite process, ECC is requested to accord approval for issuance of the co Guarantee amounting to PKR 9,500 million to be issued by the Ministry of Finance for the comfort of commercial Lenders of the project so that concessionaire may achieve financial close on time

The committee also deliberated on the subject of the Fixation of Maximum Retail Prices of 49 new drugs ECC approved the fixation of Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) of 49 new drugs on the basis of being on the lower side as compared to their prices in the neighboring countries

These are drugs that are being introduced in Pakistan for the first time mostly at prices considerably lower than the region

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) submitted recommendations of the 52nd meeting of the Drug Pricing Committee (DPC) of the fixation of MRPs of 54 new drugs before the federal cabinet on January 3 2023

The federal cabinet directed to place the cases for the fixation of MRPs of 54 new drugs before the ECC for detailed discussion

While talking about the servicing of loans, the ECC also approved a technical supplementary grant (TSG) of Rs 402 billion in favor of the Ministry of Economic Affairs for debt servicing for foreign loans and credits

EAD informed the ECC that the budget estimated for year 2022-23 was prepared on the basis of parity exchange rate of Rs186 per USD whereas actual payments have been made at average exchange rate of Rs 235 per USD due to the change in dollar prices

Even though $7 billion for China SAFE deposit and Saudi Time deposit were also rolled over in recent months

The ECC also approved Rs 839 129 million TSG for New Gwadar International Airport (NIGA) Rs 120 450 million TSG to meet shortfall of ERE and Non-ERE components, Rs 140 million TSG for Payment to Govt Departments for Services Rendered from various sources Rs 116 499 TSG million for meeting the shortfall in essential expenditures in different organizations working under the Ministry Rs 700 million TSG to pay the salaries of APP and Radio Pakistan employees, Rs 48 million TSG for release of funds to HQ Frontier Corps (North) KP, for construction of FATA Levies Centre at Shakas Peshawar and Rs 470 827 million TSG for the payment of troops cost/subsistence allowance to personnel of Civil Armed Forces deployed in UN Peacekeeping Missions ECC also approved summary of Ministry of Interior for release of funds of Rs 66 336 million as TSG for the construction of Frontier Constabulary Training Center, Michni, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The funds have been granted in aid to Pakistan by the USA for capacity building of Civil Armed forces It also approved a Rs 347 99 million TSG to complete the raising process of 6th Battalion of Pakistan Post Guards for anti-smuggling purpose, RS 1 25 billion TSG for FATA Temporary Displaced Persons Emergency Recovery Project (TDP-ERP) of NADRA to serve the vulnerable families affected by military operations Rs 49 5 million as TSG for further disbursement of amount as financial assistance for the families of Shuhada and injured persons of Swat terrorism incident, Rs 9,145 million TSG for execution of 2×660 MW Coal fired Power project Jamshoro, Rs 110 653 million TSG to strengthen NACTA within its current mandate and Rs 5 252 million as TSG in the favour of Ministry of Defence for meeting its ERE shortfall

are in contact with the former PTI leaders

nection with May 9 riots till June 10 Addi-

vandalism during May 9 protests following the arrest of the PTI chief

With Imran Khan s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is facing a new challenge every day party s two senior leaders have clarified they have no contact with Jahangir Tareen s group who is planning to launch a new party

PTI’s former secretary-general Asad Umar on Monday told media he had no contact with Jahangir Khan Tareen who used to be a close aide of PTI chief Imran Khan before heading a group of dissidents in the party

The PTI leader, who had quit his party positions on May 24 but had not resigned from the party altogether, made the remarks outside an Islamabad court where he appeared in a case pertaining to violent protests in the country on May 9

Umar s remarks come amid reports of the Tareen group which had emerged as a faction in the PTI comprising the party’s dissident parliamentarians stepping up efforts to poach as many PTI defectors as it can to swell its ranks ahead of general elections

In recent days several PTI members including prominent leaders have parted ways with the party following a state crackdown on it over allegations of their involvement in

On May 29, Tareen held a meeting with former PTI leader Abdul Aleem Khan at his residence in the provincial capital The meeting was also attended by former minister

Ishaq Khakwani PM’s aide Aown Chaudhry Saeed Akbar Niwani and Shoaib Siddiqui

Though there has been no word from the Tareen group regarding their re-entry to the political arena, reports suggest that the former PTI leader and financier would relaunch his political career with a new political party

On Saturday the Tareen-led group held a meeting in Lahore in which PTI defector Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, the former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, participated and announced that he would be moving forward with the group

“Our understanding with Jahangir

Tareen is that we will move forward together The work regarding forming a new party is also underway, Ilyas said

Nauman Langrial, another member of the Tareen group, said the association was seriously considering forming a new party

“Although no final decision has yet been made we will likely form a new party We

Big names will join us soon he said He said that after the May 9 riots, things had changed and the people were not with “Imran Khan’s PTI”, adding that “we will welcome anyone who is ready to leave the PTI and its narrative”

During today s court appearance Umar was hounded by reporters who asked him about joining Tareen What connection do I have with Jahangir Tareen? Umar responded to the queries

Another reporter then asked the PTI leader whether Tareen had been in contact with him to which Umar shook his head in denial

However he did state that Fawad Chaudhry who had resigned from the party last month remained in touch from “time to time”

Umar was also asked whether he was facing any “pressure” He promptly replied that the only pressure he was facing was appearing before different courts every day

Since my release from Adiala Jail, I have attended more than eight court hearings,” he said

Meanwhile, a district and sessions court in Islamabad extended Umar ’s bail in a case registered at the Tarnol police station in con-

tional sessions judge Tahir Abbas Supra presided over the hearing during which the associate prosecutor said that the prosecutor ’s father had passed away He requested the court to adjourn the hearing The court extended the PTI leader ’s bail for five more days without conducting any proceedings

Qaiser

switched sides He was standing by the party and in contact with the PTI chief, Qaiser told reporters

outside a local court where he attended the hearing of a case pertaining to the vandalism outside the federal capital s judicial complex I am with [Pakistan] Tehreek-i-Insaf and in touch with the PTI chairman

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has said that the Supreme Court will not interfere in economic affairs as it has no expertise in the domain The CJP’s remarks came while hearing the petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) against the privatisation of K-Electric the sole private power utility company in Karachi Three-member bench led by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Ayesha A Malik heard the plea The CJP told the petitioner ’s counsel Rashid Rizvi that he could approach the relevant high court for the matter “Parliament has made two laws related to clause 3 of Article 184 he remarked Advocate Salahuddin told the apex court that an application was also filed against the power utility s labour union To which, Justice Malik responded that the court was not hearing the matter of labour union The petitioner ’s counsel requested the top court to adjourn the hearing on the matter till next week Holidays are starting next week judges will not be available on the principal seat the chief justice remarked He said judges will be in their respective registries from next week CJ Bandial asked advocate Rizvi to take instructions from his client regarding the case and fixed the hearing of the case for tomorrow (Tuesday) The company formerly known as Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) was privatised in 2005 for a sum of Rs16 billion to a Saudi-Kuwaiti group In those days the US dollar was valued at Rs59 75 in the inter-bank market Going by those rates, the company was privatised for $270 million The general perception was that privatisation will improve the financial condition of the company In 2009 the company was sold to private equity firm Abraj Group with management control for Rs361 million ISLAMABAD

The latest assertion is in complete contrast with what the people had seen last week when Pervez Khattak addressing a presser in Islamabad along with Qaiser had announced his decision to quit as the PTI president

However Qaiser remained silent during the event where Khattak had condemned the May 9 mayhem and said it wasn t possible for him to continue as a PTI office holder, adding that he would announce his future plan later after consulting his friends and party colleagues

And on Monday Qaiser said he wasn t in contact with Jahangir Tareen He was replying to a question about whether Tareen had contacted him as the influential politician from Lodharan is currently busy in forming a new political party mostly comprising the PTI defectors

A m i d r u m o u r s o f m o r e d e f e c t i o n s , U m a r,

Q a i s a r s a y n o c o n t a c t w i t h J a h a n g i r Ta r e e n

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

O U T P U T C U T S F R O M J U LY

PR OFT R e u t e R S

OIL prices rose by more than $1 a barrel on Monday after top crude exporter Saudi Arabia pledged to cut production by a further 1 million barrels per day (bpd) from July to counter macroeconomic headwinds that have depressed markets

Brent crude futures were up $1 72, or 2 3% at $77 85 a barrel by 0900 GMT after touching a session high of $78 73 U S West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $1 72 or 2 4% to $73 46 after hitting an intraday high of $75 06

Both contracts extended gains of more than2% on Friday after the Saudi energy ministry said the kingdom’s output would

drop to 9 million bpd in July from about 10 million bpd in May The cut is Saudi Arabia s biggest in years

The voluntary cut is on top of a broader deal by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia to limit supply into 2024 as the OPEC+ producer group seeks to boost flagging oil prices OPEC+ pumps about 40% of the world s crude and has cut its output target by a total of 3 66 million bpd, amounting to 3 6% of global demand

“Saudi remains keener than most other members in terms of ensuring oil prices above $80 per barrel which is essential for balancing its own fiscal budget for the year, said Suvro Sarkar, leader of the energy sector team at DBS Bank

Saudi will probably continue doing whatever it takes to keep oil prices elevated and take calculated pre-emptive steps to ensure the macro concerns potentially affecting demand are negated ” Consultancy Rystad Energy said the additional Saudi cut is likely to deepen the market deficit to more than 3 million bpd in July which could push prices higher in the coming weeks

Goldman Sachs analysts said the meeting was moderately bullish for oil markets and could boost December 2023 Brent prices by between $1 and $6 a barrel depending on how long Saudi Arabia maintains output at 9 million bpd over the next six months

The immediate market impact of this Saudi cut is likely lower, as drawing

inventories takes time, and the market likely already put some meaningful probability on a cut today,” the bank’s analysts added Many of the OPEC+ reductions will have little real impact however as the lower targets for Russia Nigeria and

LHC orders Punjab govt to furnish details of cases led against Qureshi

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Lahore High Court has sought details of the cases filed against PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi from the Punjab government J u s t i c e A l i B a q i r N a j a f i o f L a h o r e H i g h C o u r t c o n d u c t e d h e a r i n g o f t h e p e t i t i o n f i l e d b y G o h a r B a n o , d a u g h t e r o f S h a h M a h m o o d Q u r e s h i , s e e k i n g c o u r t o r d e r f o r n o t a r r e s t i n g M r Q u r e s h i i n c a s e s r e g i s t e r e d a f t e r M a y 9 a n d t o p r o v i d e d e t a i l s o f c a s e s r e g i s t e r e d a g a i n s t h

was a former foreign minister and an important leader of a political party The petitioner further said that police could arrest the PTI leader in any secret case registered against him after May 9 She prayed to the court that information of secret cases registered after the May 9 should be provided The petitioner requested the court to order police that her father should not be arrested in any secret case registered against him after May 9 The court adjourned the hearing by seeking details of the cases registered against the PTI s vice chairman from the Punjab government till tomorrow (Tuesday)

Signs of de -dollarisation emerge but dollar remains top currency: JPMorgan

REUTERS

There are some signs of dedollarisation emerging right now, but the dollar should retain its “large

footprint” for the foreseeable future JPMorgan currency strategists said in a note on Monday P u t t i n g t o g e t h e r v a r i o u s m e a s u r e s , o v e r a l l U S D u s a g e

Angola bring them into line with their actual production levels

In contrast, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was allowed to raise output targets by 200 000 bpd to 3 22 million bpd to reflect its larger production capacity

PPP nominates unelected Mur taza Wahab for mayor Karachi slot

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

To c o n t r o l i n c i d e n t s l i k e M a y 9 , S i n d h P o l i c e t o o k m e a s u r e s a n d d e c i d e d t o e s t a b l i s h a n e w u n i t t o p r e v e n t s u c h i n c i d e n t s f r o m o c c u r r i n g i n t h e f u t u r e I n a r e c e n t d e v e l o p m e n t t h e a u t h o r i t i e s h a v e g r a n t e d a n a p p r o v a l t o S i n d h p o l i c e f o r t h e f o r m a t i o n o f a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l - s t y l e A n t i - R i o t F o r c e , r e p l a c i n g t h e e x i s t i n g S i n d h R e s e r v e F o r c e T h e C r o w d M a n a g e m e n t U n i t c o n s i s t i n g o f 3 , 0 0 0 h i g h l y t r a i n e d p e r s o n n e l T h i s s p e c i a l i z e d u n i t w i l l b e r e s p o n s i b l e f o r m a i n t a i n i n g o r d e r a n d e n s u r i n g p u b l i c s a f e t y d u r i n g l a rg e g a t h e r i n g s a n d e v e n t s T h e o v e r a l l f o r c e s t r u c t u r e w i l l c o m p r i s e f o u r u n i t s w i t h a t o t a l o f 2 , 0 0 0 p e r s o n n e l d e p l o y e d i n K a r a c h i , w h i l e S u k k u r a n d H y d e r a b a d w i l l e a c h h a v e 5 0 0 p e r s o n n e l a s s i g n e d t o t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e u n i t s A G r a d e - 1 9 A s s i s t a n t S u p e r i n t e n d e n t o f P o l i c e ( A S P ) w i l l b e a p p o i n t e d t o o v e r s e e t h e o p e r a t i o n s o f t h e n e w l y f o r m e d u n i t w h i l e M o h a m m a d R i a z i n S u k k u r K h a l i d M u s t a f a K o r e y i n H y d e r a b a d , R a n a A r i f i n Q a y y u m a b a d , a n d M u h a m m a d A l i R a z a i n B a l d i a a r e a p p o i n t e d a s S u p e r i n t e n d e n t P o l i c e ( S P s ) S i n d h P o l i c e h a s p l a n n e d t o c o n d u c t t r a i n i n g s e s s i o n s l e d b y i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y t r a i n e r s w h i c h w i l l f o c u s o n v a r i o u s a s p e c t s s u c h a s c r o w d c o n t r o l c r o w d m a n a g e m e n t a n d n e g o t i a t i o n s k i l l s T h e a u t h o r i t i e s h a s a l r e a d y p r o c u r e d a n t i - r i o t k i t s f o r t h e 3 , 0 0 0 m e m b e r s o f t h e C r o w d M a n a g e m e n t U n i t , w h i l e t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i v e m e a s u r e s a r e a l s o b e i n g t a k e n t o e s t a b l i s h t h e o ff i c e o f S R P i n Q a y y u m a b a d a n d t h e C M U H e a d q u a r t e r s i n B a l d i a t o w n K a r a c h i

PTI MPA from Sindh quits par t y, politics

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

Another Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA from Sindh Malik Shehzad Awan on Monday announced to part ways with the party and quitting politics after condemning the May 9 violence Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Malik Shehzad Awan strongly condemned the attacks on the military installations following the arrest of the PTI chairman and former prime minister He demanded strict action against those found guilty of the attacks Malik Shehzad Awan said he remained part of PTI from 1997 but after May 9 violence he is quitting party and politics It may be noted that Malik Shehzad Awan become MPA from Sindh after winning from PS-116 Karachi West-V in the 2018 general elections He got 9966 votes and defeated all of his other rival candidates A number of PTI current and former lawmakers and ticket holders are leaving the party after the May 9 violence On June 3 former Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) MPA Niaz Gishkori joined the senior politician Jahangir Tareen’s group As per details, the former PTI MPA from Muzaffargarh met Jahangir Tareen and announced joining their group

In his address to the group member, Jahangir Tareen welcomed Niaz Gishkori and said that the former PTI MPA discussed his future political plan with the group s members

r e m a i n s w i t h i n i t s h i s t o r i c a l r a n g e w i t h t h e d o l l a r a t t o p o f t h e p a c k b u t u s a g e i s b i f u r c a t e d u n d e r t h e h o o d s t r a t e g i s t s M e e r a C h a n d a n a n d O c t a v i a P o p e s c u a t t h e Wa l l Street bank wrote

The dollar ’s share of traded currency volumes is just shy of record highs at 88% while the euro s share has shrunk by 8 percentage points in the last decade to a record low of 31%

C hina ex tends cooperation to Pakistan to develop dair y industr y

The Sindh s ruling party Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated unelected candidate Murtaza Wahab, the provincial government’s spokesperson for post of Karachi mayor PPP has become the single largest party with 155 members including the reserved seats in the 367-strong house and elections for the mayor Karachi slot are scheduled to be held on June 15 As no single party has a simple majority of 179 votes in the house at present, the count that is needed to ascertain who wins the coveted seat of the port city’s mayor As per the latest statistics the total number of the PPP PML-N and JUI-F is 175 In the 367 house the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has emerged as the second largest party with total 130 seats including the reserved seats, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bagged a total 63 seats The alliance between the two parties stands at 193 Apparently, the alliance has enough numbers to win the coveted seat but the PPP has been claiming that a “jiyala” will rule the metropolis this time Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that no one is pressurised but if someone decides to vote as per their conscience then they will respect their decision Besides announcing the candidates for mayor and deputy slots, the PPP also unveiled a list of candidates for the positions of chairman and vice-chairman in 13 towns of the mega city As per the details the ruling party in the province finalsed name of Salman Abdullah Murad for the slot of Karachi deputy mayor

SC issues order of last hearing on audio leaks commission

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

China is extending cooperation to Pakistan to develop its dairy industry through production of high milk-yielding cows the Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (AAUR) said The goal of the cooperation is to improve genetic variations of cows being used in Pakistan for dairy farming

This can be achieved by breeding elite animals with high yields and long lives, and with better embryos, according to a report published by Gwadar Pro on Monday

To this end the Royal Group of China has established a laboratory in Lahore to develop buffalo embryos of elite animals The company also plans to set up a buffalo dairy farm of 8,000 heads The China-Pakistan cooperation in the production of high milk-yielding cows is expected to

contribute significantly to the development of Pakistan s dairy industry It aims to increase milk production improve the quality of dairy products, enhance farmer incomes, and ultimately meet the growing demand for milk and dairy products in the country “China and Pakistan have been collaborating in different fields of agriculture and livestock specifically in the production of high milk-yielding cows

This cooperation aims to enhance Pakistan s dairy industry by introducing and breeding superior breeds of cows known for their high milk production capabilities, said AAUR in a statement It added: Under this collaboration, China will share its expertise in advanced breeding techniques, animal husbandry practices, and genetic improvement of livestock Chinese experts will provide training to Pakistani farmers and professionals to enhance their knowledge and skills in dairy farming

Punjab, Sindh lock horns over jurisdic tion as two abduc ted people killed in Katcha area

The share of the Chinese yuan, meanwhile, has risen to a record high of 7% “De-dollarisation is evident in FX reserves where (the dollar ’s) share has declined to a record as share in exports declined but is still emerging in commodities the strategists said MIRPUR

The death of two abducted persons during the ongoing operation in the Katcha area triggered a new controversy between the Punjab and Sindh police over the jurisdiction issue According to sources the police even refused to assist the injured abducted persons as the two corpses are still lying in the area and decomposing

The reason is that neither Punjab nor Sindh police are ready to take responsibility of the kidnapped citizens who have been killed They have been identified as Yaseen of Faisalabad and Ikram of Sargodha

The Supreme Court has issued its order of the previous hearing on the applications against the audio leaks commission The order says that the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) told the court the federal government has objected to the bench The next hearing on the petitions will be held on June 6 The AGP told the court the federal government had filed a written application against the judges The registrar s office should register the federal government s application, the order stated The parties may file a reply to the response of the audio leaks commission, it further said The office raised objections to Riaz Hanif ’s contempt of court petition the SC order said adding that if Hanif wants he can remove the objection and file the application again The next hearing on the petitions against the audio leaks commission will be held on June 6, according to the order

PM, JUI-F President discuss political situation

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mehmood called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore on Monday and held consultation on the next budget and the overall political situation of the country They held consultation on the next budget for fiscal year 2023-24 and the overall political situation of the country During the meeting Fazlur Rehman put forth his suggestions aim at providing relief to masses in the upcoming budget Later, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief visited the house of PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to condole over the demise of his brother Sardar Mahmood Sadiq Mr Rehman also prayed for the departed soul

May 9 riots: Another primar y culprit involved in Jinnah house attack arrested

ISLAMABAD: In a recent development the investigators on Monday unearthed another primary miscreant involved in the riots happened on May 9 at Jinnah house, Lahore According to the details, another primary miscreant, identified as Ali Raza, travelled from Okara to attack at Jinnah house in Lahore The alleged culprit Ali Raza revealed that the speeches of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership provoked him against the army I became a part of the mischief as per the pre-arranged plan Hassan Niazi, Yasmeen Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry and others were included in the plan made on May 9 at Zaman Park ” Ali Raza revealed S ta f f R e p o R t

Sindh police to establish new unit to tackle incidents like May 9

PA K I S TA N T O B R I N G M O R E S E A F O O D , A G R O P R O D U C T S T H R O U G H K K H T O C H I N E S E M A R K ET : E N V O Y

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

PAKISTANI and Chinese governments are making joint efforts to bring more Pakistani seafood and agro products through the Karakoram Highway (KKH) to the Chinese market

This was stated by Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque in a statement issued here while commenting on Pakistan’s first-ever land containerised seafood cargo

Elections to be postponed for another 6 months, PPP leader claims

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

which has successfully arrived in Xinjiang through Karakoram Highway

We are working together to bring more Pakistani seafood and agro products through this land route to the Chinese market,” he said As the world’s second-largest consumer market China is keen on importing more quality Pakistani products Ambassador Haque added Ambassador Haque stressed that facilitating trade and exports of Pakistan s quality products through the Khunjerab border is Pakistan and

China’s shared objective

Last week a truck carrying cold chain containers from Pakistan reached Kashgar in Northeast China s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region via a cross-border land route

This is the first time that seafood containers from Pakistan have been transported by road from Karachi to Kashgar along China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

According to a representative from the Pakistani transport

company it was the first attempt at a bilateral cross-border road transport business in partnership with a Chinese firm

The cost and price of cold chain transport of the route is under assessment Our Chinese partners are also exploring more opportunities to import more commodities from Pakistan he added

The container truck entered China via the Karakoram Highway the sole land route connecting Pakistan and China It underwent customs check at Khunjerab Port

S oldier mar tyred in S outh

Waziristan clash: ISPR

PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan People s Party leader and Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh on Agriculture Manzoor Wassan, known for his political forecasts, ruled out possibility of martial law in the country He said, “I don’t see the holding of general elections on time and there are chances elections could be postponed from six months to a year He said that a time will be sought for holding accountability then elections will be held It is pertinent to note that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that general elections in 2023 will take place on time and the government aimed to complete the census and compile results before it Earlier speaking to a delegation of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Shahbaz Sharif stated that polls will take place in August or September 2023 and holding elections on time will strengthen democracy

Over 74,000 citizens of Karachi deprived of bikes in 16 months

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Bike lifters/snatchers deprived more than 74 000 citizens of Karachi of their motorcycles during last 16 months IG

Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon holds drug addicts and drug sellers responsible for incidents According to details, on May 22, a vehicle was stolen from PIB area of Karachi late night The citizen acquired motorcycle of a neighbour for lodging a complaint in police station However on the way the bike snatcher deprived him of motorcycle also Within half an hour the citizen was deprived of both car and motorcycle IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon said that a well organized gang of drug addicts and drug pushers was behind the bikes snatching/lifting incidents

CPEC to enhance business activities in region, says Lango

QUETTA Staff RepoRt

Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs

Minister Mir Ziaullah Lango marked China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a game changer for promoting economic development and regional peace and stability He expressed his views in a talk with Chinese Consul GeneYang Yundong who called on him in Quetta The provincial minister said completion of the project will provide South Asian countries to showcase their products to international markets more easily and effectively Mir

Zia Lango said development of energy, road, rail infrastructure, industrial zones, and technology and tourism sectors under CPEC will speed up business activities in the entire region

Ex-governor Mian A zhar released: Hammad

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

A Pakistan Army soldier embraced martyrdom in a fire exchange between security forces and terrorists in general area Ladha of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa s South Waziristan district on Monday, the military said

The Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the army troops effectively engaged the terrorists location However during an intense exchange of fire, Lance Naik

Muhammad Sabir, a 30-year-old resident of Mansehra district, having fought gallantly embraced shahadat it added Sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area

Armed forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve the military s media wing

furthered A day earlier two soldiers embraced martyrdom while two terrorists were killed and another two injured in an exchange of fire between

Pakistan Army troops and terrorists in the North Waziristan district Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and two terrorists were sent to hell while injuring another two ” read a statement issued by the ISPR

According to the statement weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists FUNERAL PRAYERS FOR MARTYRS HELD

Meanwhile funeral prayers of Lance Naik Mairaj Uddin Shaheed (23 years resident of D I Khan) and Naik

Zaheer Abbas (38 years resident of District Khushab) who embraced shahadat in North Waziristan while fighting gallantly with terrorists , were offered at their respective hometowns The Shaheeds were laid to rest with full military honours Senior serving & retired officers / soldiers relatives and a large number of people attended the funerals Pakistan Army remains committed to ensuring the defence of motherland against all internal / external threats and hostile efforts to spoil the hardearned peace will be met with the full might of the Armed Forces of Pakistan

India’s SIU arrests 58 persons in IIOJK on freedom charges

SRINAGAR S ta f f R e p o R t

Working on the Israeli pattern in Palestine, India’s dreaded Special Investigation Unit (SIU) has arrested 58 persons on charges of being involved in pro-freedom and anti-India activities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir

A senior police official while confirming the arrests said the detainees belong to various districts of the Kashmir valley We are investigating 40 cases, the Police official added He said that the SIU had so far attached seven residential houses linked to pro-freedom activists in Kashmir The senior Police official said that the SIU also arrested 58 persons linked to freedom activities which he described as terrorism

These people were arrested during the investigations he said The senior Police officer said that most of these cases come under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act

Taking cue from Israel, India created the State Investigation Agency to curb the ongoing freedom movement in occupied Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh supervises the SIU which has separate branches in every district that work under district Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)

Since its formation the SIU has carried out frequent raids across Kashmir in synergy with paramilitary forces deployed in Kashmir Police last year said that they would attach the property of those who “willfully” shelter freedom activists The DGP had ordered establishment of Special Investigation Units (SIUs) in June last year

NAB summons Usman Buzdar for 10th time in assets beyond means c ase

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

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 ( N A B ) L a h o r e o n

M o n d a y s u m m o n e d f o r m e r P u n j a b c h i e f m i n i s t e r

U s m a n B u z d a r f o r t h e 1 0 t h t i m e t o d a y i n t h e a s s e t s b e y o n d m e a n s c a s e I t i s t o b e n o t e d h e r e t h a t U s m a n

B u z d a r h a s a p p e a r e d o n l y t w o t i m e s d e s p i t e r e p e a t e d s u m m o n s f o r i n q u i r y i n t o t h e c a s e b y t h e N A B T h e

N A B n o t i c e s w e r e s e n t t o t h e L a h o r e a n d D G K h a n

r e s i d e n c e o f U s m a n B u z d a r Usman Buzdar has been using delaying tactics in the

action is also being considered

The NAB had last summoned Usman Buzdar on May 30 but he did not appear due to illness

President direc ts COMSATS to allow student to complete degree

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

President Dr Arif Alvi has directed COMSATS

University to provide its student with a chance to complete his education as his future was at stake because his admission was cancelled by the university after he had already completed 7 out of 8 semesters of his degree

It should mentioned here that the COMSATS had cancelled Mr Hammad bin Zain s admission after 3 5 years on the ground that he was not eligible for admission to the university in 2017 as he had obtained fewer marks than required President Alvi said that it was surprising that the administration of the University could make such a huge error by granting him admission and then informing him after a lapse of 3 5 years that he was not eligible for admission He noted that the student paid his requisite fees for 8 semesters and diligently completed the semester course He added that justice demanded that COMSATS should rectify the situation by allowing the student to complete his degree program The President issued these directives while accepting a representation filed by Mr Hammad bin

Zain (the complainant) against the orders of the Wafaqi Mohtasib (WM) The complainant had filed a complaint against COMSATS before WM, stating that it was the responsibility of the University to check the eligibility criteria and that he should have been denied admission in 2017 if he did not meet the requirements The Mohtasib in its decision did not provide any relief to the complainant and only ordered COMSATS to conduct an inquiry into the whole situation and hold the guilty officers/officials responsible for their negligence

Dr Alvi rejected Wafaqi Mohtasib’s decision by observing that the student was studying in the BS (Business Administration) program and had already completed 3 5 years of his degree program He said that since there was no allegation of misrepresentation against him, the student should not be made to suffer for the negligence committed by the University’s administration He noted that the student’s time money and efforts would be wasted due to the cancellation of his admission The President accepted the student s representation and directed COMSATS to restore Mr Hammad bin Zain s admission and report compliance to the Wafaqi Mohtasib

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar has announced that his father Mian Azhar, former Punjab governor, has returned home after police released him Hammad tweeted on Monday that “he’s back Alhamdolilah He wrote that his father was taken to the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) police station where his phone was checked for one hour In a tweet post after midnight on Sunday, Hammad wrote that they picked him up at this time, took him to CIA police station In another tweet, he said “my father, Mian Muhammad Azhar 82 years of age with multiple health conditions has just been taken by police and some unknown people to an undisclosed location Hammad had on May 25 tweeted that unidentified men raided his house and threatened his father that his daughters would be arrested I am the only brother of my three sisters Yesterday, during a raid at my house, my father was threatened that his daughters will also be picked up Today, at this hour, there is a raid undergoing on the homes of my three sisters Fortunately all three are not there his tweet said

Direct Hajj flights from Quetta officially kicks off

In a significant development direct Hajj flights from Quetta have officially kicked off marking a milestone for pilgrims in the region Last night, a total of 145 pilgrims embarked on their sacred journey to Medina directly from Quetta The initiation of direct Hajj flights from Quetta brings great relief to pilgrims from Balochistan streamlining their travel experience to the holy land of Hajj Quetta International Airport witnessed yet another significant breakthrough as it welcomed the commencement of these special flights The PK-747 aircraft, operating on the new Runway Category-II, made a successful first night landing before embarking on its journey to Medina with the 145 Hajj pilgrims onboard Prior to this development PK-6133 and PK-6137 had facilitated the travel of three hundred Hajj pilgrims to Medina Previously pilgrims from Quetta had to undertake the additional leg of their journey to Karachi before heading to the holy land Pilots expressed their utmost satisfaction with the new experience of landing on Quetta Airport’s state-of-the-art CAT-II runway during nighttime The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson highlighted the recent upgrades that have made direct flights possible from Quetta Thanks to the recent expansion the runway now extends over an impressive length of 12,000 feet, allowing for more extensive operations The installation of the modern CAT-II airfield lighting system on the new runway guarantees smooth and reliable operations in various weather conditions The spokesperson further revealed that the enhanced facilities at Quetta Airport have opened doors for wide-bodied aircraft including the esteemed Boeing 777 and its equivalents, to land comfortably at the airport

The w rath of the state

FO R M E R Punjab CM Ch Pervaiz Elahi seems to be living out a Kafka novel if one is to follow what is happening to him after his arrest His attest, release on bail, re-arrest, release on bail in that case, and then his third arrest, make it almost seem that the purpose of the whole exercise is not to punish him for any malfeasances or crimes he may committed as Chief Minister, as to keep him in jail, come what may Ch Pervaiz s extreme age, 78, and his having been twice Speaker, twice CM, do not count Indeed, those are the offices he held which enabled the corruption of which he is accused What should count is his being a citizen of Pakistan The sort of cat-and-mouse game being played with him does not indicate a desire to prosecute as much as persecute In a tired reiteration of a much-too-familiar script, the purpose is not so much to bring him to account for his offences, as to make him abjure the Pakistan Tehrik Insaf, which recently made him ts President in exchange for his joining it along with the 10 PML(Q) MPAs at the head of whom Ch Pervaiz became CM with PTI support (and an allPTI Cabinet)

Ch Pervaiz is living out a nightmare which is used as a threat, that of being arrested in some other case as soon as he gets bail in one, as soon as he leaves that courtroom He has suffered that Kafka-esque fate often enough for him to feel quite the Sisyphean figure Camus had delineated the fate of Sisyphus, condemned by the gods to spend a whole day rolling an immense rock up a hill, only for it to roll down at the end of the day, leaving him to perform the task yet again the next day

Ch Pervaiz has ruled out deserting the PTI, though there is much speculation that his politics has always depended on his being in good with the authorities, which may make difficult for him to remain in a party with so close an association with the May 9 attacks on military installations While the magistrate s court may have overreached itself by acquitting him when he had only applied for bail, it seems inefficient for him to have to obtain bail in various cases one by one, rather than have all cases brought at once, and bail decided at the same time

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

e w a r e o f t h e c o p y - p a s t

He is lurking ever y where

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

b y w a y o f i n v e s t m e n t o f t i m e o r e ff o r t ( n o t t o m e n t i o n t h e f a c t t h a t o n e n e e d n o t u s e o n e s b r a i n ) , w a y t o o m a n y y o u n g s t e r s f a l l i n t o t h e t r a p o f t h i n k i n g o f t h e m s e l v e s a s a c c o m p l i s h e d d eb a t e r s w h e n a l l t h e y a r e e n g a g e d i n i s a r e p e t i t i o n o f C t r l - C a n d C t r l - P o p e r a t i o n s

Having observed internet debates at close quarters since the late nineties, I think I know what I am talking about To put it into perspective, I was part o f s u c h d e b a t e s b e f o r e t o d a y ’s t w e n t y - f i v e - y e a r s old keyboard warrior was even born! I am referring to the mIRC and the bulletin boards era Then came M y s p a c e a n d l a t e r F a c e b o o k b u t t h e p l a g u e o f

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

m e r c h a n t H e i s e v e r y w h e r e o n t h e s o c i a l m e d i a

Do not let him make you work where no work exists Never go on a wild goose chase at his behest Te l l h i m i n n o u n c e r t a i n t e r m s t h a t w o r d i n e s s i s n o substitute for substance and will not be accepted as such

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

Never proceed until he stops c o p y - p a s t i n g a n d s t a r t s u s i n g h i s o w n b r a i n I f t h i s ends the debate prematurely so be it It was bound to be fruitless anyway F i n a l l y a f e w w o r d s o f a u t o b i o g r a p h y : I r e m e m b e r a time when such intellectua l s ’ f r u s t r a t e d m e n o e n d W h a t u s e d t o h a p p e n w a s that I tried to respond meticulously and painstakingly to ev er y p o in t r ais ed o n ly f o r t h e c o p y - p a s t e m a n t o p o s t a n o t h e r l o n g - w i n d e d r es p o n s e ( m o r e c o p y - p a s t e ) T h e n I r e a l i z e d w h a t w a s h a p p e n i n g : I w a s r e a d i n g e n d l e s s p a s s a g e s p o u n c i n g o n e v e r y h a l f - t r u t h e v e r y e r r o r e v e r y a t t e m p t e d d eception, whether it was relevant to the discussion or not I realized that that was quite c o u n t e r- p r o d u c t i v e S o o n I l e a r n e d t o f o c u s ( a n d f o r c e m y o p p o n e n t t o f o c u s ) o n the issue at hand and to insist on his quitting copypasting and building up his own argument that is concise and relevant With this, I no longer allow the discussion to go off on a tangent If, as a result, my opponent chooses to quit, that is the end of that But if he does not I note that it makes for a much more fruitful discussion

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

A w o r d o f a d v i c e : B e w a r e o f t h e c o p y - p a s t e

Turkish voters must not forget Erdogan’s evil deeds

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

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

He subjected his people to draconian rules and decrees, coupled with pervasive corruption and arbitrary incarceration of thousands of innocent people and scores of journalists He has and continues to terrorize his Kurdish community denying them their basic cultural and human rights while detaining members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), the third-largest party in the Turkish parliament Meanwhile, the economy is in free fall, inflation is standing at a staggering 50 percent the value of the Turkish Lira continues to plummet against the dollar and the euro and unemployment is hovering around 10 percent Not to mention Erdogan s ineptitude in dealing with the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of 50,000 while shattering the livelihoods of millions

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

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

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

To be sure, as Ahmet S Yayla, a 20-year veteran of the counterterrorism and operations department in the Turkish National Police puts it In May 14 the people of Turkey will vote for a regime change and decide whether Turkey will

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

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

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

This worrisome trend does not only undermine democracy but would dramatically affect the world order as it emerged following World War II Especially now when the world is reeling from authoritarianism, defeating these individuals including Erdogan through free and fair elections would send a clear message to other wannabe dictators Thus as they go to the polling stations the Turkish people should know that they are not only fighting to rebuild their democratic institutions and protect their human rights, but the rights of other people in foreign lands who are living under similar regimes that have been viciously and continuously violating their peoples’ human rights with impunity Whether these current or aspiring dictators believe that they are really acting for the good of their countries or exercising raw and absolute power for personal gains and gratifications, they will end up leaving the political scene in humiliation and disgrace The Turkish people can ensure such an outcome now that they have the opportunity to do just that Although the most recent polls show that the

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

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

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

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

But since Erdogan will not do so voluntarily, it is now in the hands of the Turkish people to deny him another victory and usurp from him the honor of presiding over the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic Turkey has the potential of becoming a great regional and global power but first Erdogan must get out of the way As Kemal Kilicdaroglu the leader of the Republican People s Party stated, I will put the state on its feet again and heal the wounds, and I will give back the joy of life to the people ” The Turkish people have every reason to give Kemal Kilicdaroglu the mandate to do just that if they only will it

Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of

relations at the Center for Global

E d i t o r ’ s 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

Inflated billing for gas not supplied

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And, by the way, when did the meter rent go up from Rs40 to Rs500?

Also, we have been paying all our bills on time, so what is the logic behind the imposition of the so-called ‘adjustment charges’? How come there is such a big difference in GST in a matter of a single month?

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

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

Website and glitches

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

It appeared to be a fake website at the time but when I checked it again after a few days it was working slightly better I filled my credentials and submitted all the required information correctly To check the status of my application, I logged into the website again and was disappointed to see that my particulars were incorrect; hence, I was asked to update my profile T h e w e b s i t e h a s a l o t o f p r o b l e m s t h a t n e e d t o b e f i x e d a t t h e e a rl i e s t T h e a u t h o r i t i e s s h o u l d m a k e t h e w e b s i t e f u n c t i o n a l t o f a c i l i t a t e t h e a p p l i c a n t s

Brain Waves

Understanding Human B enefits and Challenges

ders c Development of New Brain-Computer Inter-

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

BR A I N waves are a natural and universal aspect of human brain function They are present in all healthy individuals and can be measured using techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) Further researches on brain waves are ongoing a globally, with many scientists and researchers investigating the relationship between brain waves and various aspects of human behaviour emotion and cognition They are conducted in academic and clinical settings around the world and have contributed to our understanding of the brain and how it functions

There is also growing interest in the use of brain waves for therapeutic purposes, such as for treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD Techniques such as neurofeedback and brainwave entrainment are being developed and tested to help regulate brain waves and promote positive mental and emotional states Overall the global status of brain wave research is active and dynamic, with ongoing advancements in technology and understanding of brain function leading to new insights and applications for brain wave research Further study on brain waves has the potential to reveal new insights into the workings of the human brain and its impact on our mental and physical well-being

There are many positive uses of brain waves which include: a Improved Understanding of Brain Function: By studying brain waves we can gain a better understanding of how different parts of the brain communicate and work together b Personalized Therapeutic Interventions: With a better understanding of brain waves and their impact on mental and physical health we may be able to develop personalized therapeutic interventions that target specific brain wave patterns associated with particular conditions or disor-

O R I G I N A N D K I N D S : Brain waves originate from the synchronized activity of large populations of neurons in the brain Neurons communicate with each other using electrical signals which are generated by the movement of charged ions across the cell membrane When many neurons fire together in a coordinated manner their electrical activity combines to produce a detectable electrical signal that can be recorded on an EEG However, the exact origin of brain waves depends on the type of wave

For example delta waves are thought to originate from deep brain structures such as the thalamus and the basal ganglia which are involved in regulating sleep and consciousness Theta waves are thought to originate from the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and spatial navigation, as well as other cortical regions of the brain Alpha waves are thought to originate from the oc-

‘King’ Modi’s sceptre

ON May 28, 2023, the Indian capital, New Delhi, witnessed two dramatic scenes play out within 3 kilometres (1 9 miles) of each other Just as a new parliament building was being unveiled police officers were manhandling some of the country s top female wrestlers who have brought home medals from the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games

The wrestlers have been on the streets for the last month demanding an investigation into Brijbhushan Sharan Singh president of the Wrestling Federation of India who has been accused of sexually abusing them and other women wrestlers including a minor

On that day they tried with their supporters to march peacefully towards the new parliament building but were blocked by Delhi police, whose officers pushed them around, dragged them and lifted them against their will before detaining them and filing charges Meanwhile Singh who is a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as a member of the same parliament entered the new building triumphantly waving to the cameras

It is this same police who were reluctant to even register a complaint by the wrestlers against the legislator It took a Supreme Court order for the Delhi police to perform this basic and mandatory function But this is in keeping with the behaviour of the Delhi police department which reports to the central government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi In the last eight years it has repeatedly refused to register reports against leaders of the BJP when they have openly incited violence as well as against organisers or participants of assemblies calling for violence against Muslims It has started behaving like an arm of the ruling party

On that Sunday the bizarre and horrible combined It was comical to see a prime minister elected through a democratic process, turning an inauguration of a new parliament building into a ceremony that felt like the unveiling of a new republic with a majoritarian monarchical hue Priests from the southern state of Tamil Nadu were flown in on special planes to lead a ceremony that looked like the anointment of an emperor

These priests presented Modi with a golden sceptre, which was taken out of a museum it had been lying in for the last 75 years It had been sent there by the office of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India who had been given this sceptre called a sengol by the priests of an Adheenam or Mutt – part of the Shaivite religious sect of Tamil Nadu These priests had come to Delhi by train on the day in August 1947 when India was to be declared free and the constituent assembly was to take power from the British Monarch

The sengol is a symbol of divine power Some variant of it exists in nearly every society Recently King Charles III was seen holding a sceptre after being anointed as the new monarch of the United Kingdom Nehru, the democrat, could not allow this sengol to be part of the official inauguration ceremony of a secular democracy Himself agnostic, he accepted it from the priests privately, at his residence, as a gesture of respect As pointed out by historians it was

put in a museum like many other gifts he had received Modi s government then wove a lie around it It claimed that the Hindu priests had handed over this sengol to Britain’s Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India who then handed it over to Nehru signifying the transfer of power from the British to Indians

According to the BJP government the sengol represents the continuity of the divine power of ancient times which was held by a succession of Hindu kingdoms on its behalf That continuity was broken for 1,300 years, which saw Muslims ruling India, and then a brief interlude of British rule After the departure of the British the power should have returned to its rightful owners – that is the Hindus By not placing the sengol in the seat of power – the parliament – and instead sending it to a museum the BJP claims Nehru had disrespected it as well as ancient Indian tradition Historians immediately busted the lie in this claimed sequence of events But it was propagated by the print and TV media as well as the ruling party as an act of historical injustice to the Hindus which was now being corrected by Modi The spectacle around the inauguration of the new parliament building was therefore meant to suggest the restoration of Hindu power

The sceptre was handed to Modi with Hindu religious chants Holding it in his hands, Modi entered the parliament building followed by his MPs and the speaker of the house He then placed the sengol near the seat of the speaker where it is supposed to remain as a reminder of that divine power

What Modi did was not new He has been performing similar symbolic acts for the last eight years, effectively presenting himself as a new Hindu monarch even if elected through a democratic process He conducts religious ceremonies and unveils temples in his official capacity

In August 2020 Modi led a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Ram Temple at a site in the city of Ayodhya where the Babri Mosque had stood for more than 500 years before it was demolished by a mob mobilised through a years-long-campaign spearheaded by Modi’s party and its affiliates Modi himself actively participated in that campaign

cipital lobe which is involved in visual processing and the parietal lobe which is involved in sensory integration Beta waves are thought to originate from the frontal and parietal lobes, which are involved in higher-level cognitive functions such as attention and decision-making Gamma waves are thought to originate from a network of cortical regions, including the visual cortex and prefrontal cortex which are involved in complex cognitive processes such as perception attention and memory

While the exact origin of each brain wave type is not fully confirmed research has provided some insight into the specific brain regions and networks that are involved in generating these electrical signals

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

mental states such as relaxation focus and creativity

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

F

E N T S : Brain waves are valuable source of information about an individual’s mental and emotional states as well as their cognitive abilities and overall brain function In the context there are several indications of brain waves that can reveal secrets of individual behaviour and other habits which largely affect their social conditions By measuring and analysing brain waves, researchers and clinicians can gain a better understanding of the brain and how it works which can lead to improved diagnosis treatment and management of various conditions and disorders The ongoing studies on the issue can improve our understanding of brain waves in future more informative as well as comfortable which include-improved understanding of brain function and personalized therapeutic interventions With a better understanding of brain waves and their impact on mental and physical health we may be able to develop personalized therapeutic interventions that target specific brain wave patterns associated with particular conditions or disorders In future brain waves can also be used to develop new brain-computer interfaces that allow individuals to control computers or other devices using their thoughts The study of brain waves is a rapidly advancing field and further research could lead to new discoveries that advance our understanding of neuroscience and the human brain

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

CIA Director travelled secretly to China in May

B urns’ visit is the highest-level trip a B iden administration official has taken to the countr y, par t of an Americ an effor t to ‘thaw ’ its relationship with China

I n t h e s t a t e t h a t M o d i i s b u i l d i n g, n o o n e n o t e v e n H i n d u s h e c l a i m s t o s p e a k f o r w i l l h a v e r i g h t s O r a v o i c e EL

MESSENGER NEWS

CE N T R A L Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns travelled secretly to China last month for official meetings with Chinese intelligence officials the Financial Times reported It s the highest-level trip a U S official has taken to the country during the Biden administration A U S official told the Financial Times that Burns emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of communications in intelligence channels” to his Chinese counterparts News of the trip follows comments President Biden made recently about a possible easing of US-China tensions Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Japan last month Biden said I think you re going to see that begin to thaw very shortly

The already tenuous relationship had iced over in February after the U S shot down a Chinese spy balloon that had flown over the U S That episode led to mutual recriminations and Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceling a planned trip to China

While Blinken has yet to reschedule his trip, Burns’ visit to China shows that the U S is making high-level efforts to repair relations Sending the CIA director definitely signals Washington s interest credibility and seriousness in improving relations with China Yun Sun China director at the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank, told The Messenger Biden has very high trust of Burns, and sends him to manage key relationships at difficult times ”

The trip follows other recent meetings between senior officials on both sides Last month national Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met for eight hours with China s top diplomat Wang Yi in Vienna, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with her counterpart in Washington But experts told The Messenger it’s too soon to say whether this diplomatic push will markedly improve the relationship

The effectiveness of the thaw eventually depends on the substance delivered by all these communications and exchanges, Sun said Concrete actions would make the thaw real, she added Otherwise, it s a superficial improvement of optics, communications and formalities ”

The two countries face strong headwinds to rebuilding ties They are locked in a fierce economic competition which has led to the imposition of trade barriers by both sides The latest example came last month when Beijing blocked Chinese companies that handle sensitive information from buying U S -based Micron Technology s microchips At the same time, the superpowers are on opposite sides when it comes to the Ukraine war, with China continuing to support Russia economically and diplomatically The ongoing tensions are on display this weekend at the Shangri-la Dialogue a security conference in Singapore where China s Defense Minister Li Shangfu has declined an invitation to meet with U S Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin China cited its strong objections to sanctions the U S placed on Li in 2018 for buying weapons from a sanctioned Russian military company

Lessons on power from ‘The Godfather’

Modi has not hidden his contempt for the secular character of India

After his second election victory in 2019 he boasted before his party s lawmakers that he had effectively banished the word secularism from India’s political discourse

Opposition parties had boycotted the ceremony, blaming the Modi government for trashing parliamentary norms and accusing it of violating constitutional principles It was a Modi show The president of India the titular head of state in whose name the government functions, was not invited The vice president, who also chairs the upper house of parliament, was also kept out of it

This ceremony was played live by the country’s major TV media largely blocking out the scenes of violence against wrestlers and their supporters They were condemned as those who had muddied a sacred occasion with their selfish demands

This contrast represents the truth of what Modi calls “New India” On the one hand, it involves using symbols like the sengol to try to usher in a Hindu nation Yet in reality the scenes of female wrestlers being battered in the vicinity of the new building make it starkly clear that this nation can flourish only by stripping all citizens including Hindus like the leading wrestlers, of their rights

Apoorvanand teaches Hindi at the University of Delhi

IN one of the most memorable moments of the animated series Family Guy, the Griffins are about to die and Peter, the bereaved patriarch, decides to tell his family one last secret: “I did not care for The Godfather His wife and children remind him that it is a masterpiece a visual poem the great American tragedy If the joke works, it s because (almost) everyone likes

The Godfather Coppola’s trilogy is one of those cultural artifacts that generates a rare consensus, a popular classic that is at the same time fodder for cinephiles an instant hit that maintains its reputation intact five decades later Alberto Mayol a sociologist political scientist and writer has also found both the films and Mario Puzo s novel offer a tool for reflection and learning The Godfather, he argues, is a crash course in power: how to get it, keep it, increase it, and wield it ” It is demonstrated in the unbiased amoral prowess of Vito Corleone and his son Michael heir to his empire Mayol is currently promoting the Spanish edition of The 50 Laws of Power in The Godfather an illuminating document for that silent majority that has never reflected on the nature of power and, therefore, is condemned to suffer from it Looking back, the author remembers that he came into contact with the film saga in 1990, when the third installment was released in Chile: “My uncle insisted that we go see it even though I was a minor His argument scandalous for the orderly child that I was at the time was that in order to really enjoy a film like this you first have to break a law Years later, Mayol would surprise himself by return-

‘’The Godfather ’’ is “a crash course in power: how to get it, keep it, increase it, and wield it”

ing again and again to sequences like the one with the horse s head between the silky sheets of a Hollywood producer finding in them a very profound reflection by no means trivial on that mythological god that we call power, which is behind almost all social relations, not just in politics That intuition gave rise to a popular series of seminars on The Godfather and an even more popular podcast La Cosa Nostra which grew and spread its tentacles during the pandemic And from there was born the book

During the opening day of his seminar Mayol used to say, jokingly, that his is an essentially right-wing analytical method, because it starts from the most stark pragmatism ” He cites specific examples to unravel the inexorable Corleone logic, and he reaches revealing conclusions: “Don Vito always exercised power without inhibitions but with good sense and moderation His best students would have to be found in the conservative spectrum in Winston Churchill Giulio Andreotti and Angela Merkel, as well as in the back rooms of such formidable and opaque nuclei of power as the CIA, the Vatican or the boards of directors of multinationals ” The western left in his opinion “does not generate leaders because it has gotten stuck in a discourse of resistance to power that condemns it to ineffectiveness The same could be said of the bulk of the citizens of communitarian Europe herbivores in a world of carnivores, some of them as voracious as Vladimir Putin, who not only poison their opponents, but want it to be known ”

Dr rAjkuMAr Singh

With a better understanding of brain waves and their impact on mental and physical health, we may be able to develop personaliz ed therapeutic inter ventions that targ et specific brain wave patterns associated with par ticular conditions or disorders.

B L I N K E N H E A D S T O S A U D I A R A B I A A M I D

R I S I N G C H I N E S E I N F L U E N C E I N M I D E A S T

RIYADH ag e n C e S

Amid the rapprochement momentum in the Middle East and the US strategic dilemma in the region Washington is trying to avoid the total collapse of its influence in the region, experts said on Monday, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to start his three-day Saudi Arabia trip for security and economy talks

Blinken s trip from June 6 to 8 comes after a visit by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan in May Experts emphasized that Middle Eastern countries need to be wary of the US creating more turmoil and division in the region

According to the US State Department Blinken will meet with Saudi officials to discuss US-Saudi strategic cooperation on regional and global issues and a range of bilateral issues including economic and security cooperation

The top US diplomat will also attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) talks during his visit and is set to co-host a meeting

for the global coalition against ISIS

Before Blinken s visit Saudi Arabia s foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in South Africa during the foreign ministerial BRICS summit on June 2, Iranian media reported

In April Saudi Arabia and Iran formally restored diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift In May foreign ministers from Arab League member states agreed to reinstate Syria s membership after its suspension for more than one decade With the rapprochement process in the Middle East accelerating observers are not optimistic about Blinken s visit

Liu Zhongmin a professor with the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times that Blinken’s visit reflects the current predicament Washington is facing in its Middle East policy

On the one hand the US is shifting its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region to compete with China whether it is by reducing its presence in Iraq or withdrawing troops from Afghanistan On the other hand,

the US is reluctant to see its control in the Middle East weakened Liu explained

The US cannot stop the trend of increasing autonomy in the Middle East, so it is trying to avoid a total collapse of its influence in the region, Liu said Li Haidong a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University told the Global Times on Monday that Blinken s visit to Saudi Arabia would be a first-hand investigation and assessment In the process of adapting to the new situation in the Middle East, the US would try to promote the transformation of the region’s internal environment along the direction of reflecting American interests and influence Li said Wile the US is less likely to play a constructive role in the Middle East, its disruptive role cannot be underestimated, analysts said, especially given its military and diplomatic presence in the Middle East that no other power can match The US is likely to take stock of the situation and become more involved in the region in a more intense way by sowing discord between different forces, destroying reconciliation, and creating more division,

turmoil and even conflict in order to reinforce its indispensable American dominance, Li said The oil-producing countries of the Middle East seem to have woken up to the risks, especially given that the US has already weaponized the dollar and energy, observers said

On June 2 Saudi minister of energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman met Zhang Jianhua administrator of China s National Energy Administration in Riyadh They discussed ways to strengthen relations between the two countries in various fields of energy, in order to achieve the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and to reflect the two countries efforts to diversify and develop their economies, Arab News reported Middle East countries faced a historic opportunity to liquidate the power of the US and take control of their own destiny, and it will not be hard to find that the region is better off without the US analysts said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China supports regional countries in resolving differences and achieving good neighborliness

‘Politic al atomic bomb’: The Israelis set for new Jewish temple on Al-Aqsa site

JERUSALEM ag e n C e S

With imported sacrificial cows, ancient hymns and growing support, some nationalist Jews hope to rebuild their temple in Jerusalem’s Old City at a site at the heart of Israeli-Palestinian tensions

In a suburb of Tel Aviv a group of choristers were getting ready for the moment they will rejoice at the reconstruction of the Jewish temple some 2,000 years after its destruction, which they believe will accelerate the arrival of the messiah

But for others realising their goal would massively inflame tensions around the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem

Chorister Shmuel Kam said Jews have been “waiting” two millennia for the revival of the temple

Members of the Orthodox Jewish group claim to be descendants of the biblical Tribe of Levi which performed

hymns and music at the holy site

“When the temple will be built we will ask the Levites to come sing and they won t know They have to learn said Menahem Rozenthal director of the men-only choir created a few months ago by the Temple Institute

Founded in 1987, the institute aims to rebuild the temple training choirs and clerics and making objects for use in religious rites While apprentice choristers come from across Israel to delve into the collection of ancient hymns, the Temple Institute has made all of the objects deemed necessary for Jewish rites according to rabbinical instructions

These include priestly robes baking moulds for bread incense burners and musical instruments ‘MATTER OF TIME’

The faithful have their sights set on the large, tree-dotted compound in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City

Known as Temple Mount to Jews and revered as their holiest site the com-

Iran set to reopen embassy in Saudi Arabia today

RIYADH a f p

Iran is set to reopen its embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, June 6, following a seven-year closure, a diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse (AFP), sealing a Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal announced in March Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh s execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr Iran s diplomatic mission, which was expelled by Saudi authorities, will return under the leadership of Alireza Enayati, who previously served as Iran’s ambassador to Kuwait “The opening of the Iranian embassy will take place on Tuesday at 6:00 pm local time (1500 GMT) with the presence of the newly appointed Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia a diplomatic source in Riyadh told AFP on Monday Saudi Arabia has yet to confirm when it will reopen its embassy in Tehran or its pick for ambassador Iranian media had named Enayati as the Islamic republic’s Saudi envoy last month He had previously served as assistant to the foreign minister and director general of Gulf affairs at the foreign ministry according to Iranian media reports After years of discord the two Middle East heavyweights signed a surprise reconciliation agreement in China on March 10 Since then, Saudi Arabia has restored ties with Tehran ally Syria and ramped up a push for peace in Yemen, where it has for years led a military coalition against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels

pound has for centuries housed Al-Aqsa mosque the third most sacred place in Islam

Those seeking to rebuild the temple recall the former place of worship destroyed around 70 AD during the Roman period According to Jewish tradition, their first temple was demolished in 586 BC by then ruler Nebuchadnezzar II at the same location

For Haim Berkovits a 50-year-old third temple advocate you can say whatever you want (about the Muslim presence), this was the place for Jews

Jewish worship at the future temple is “only a matter of time”, he said Berkovits is part of Boneh Israel ( Building Israel ) an organisation which according to its website works at bringing the redemption closer

In order to hasten their sought-after redemption, Boneh Israel imported five red heifers from the United States last year The plan is to sacrifice them and blend the ashes with water a mixture that

will be used to brush anyone deemed impure – for example those who have had contact with a corpse – before their ascent to the third temple

The rare cows are crucial because the inability to perform this ritual is part of Israeli rabbinical authorities opposition to Jewish visits to Temple Mount

The animals’ “return is a messianic sign” affirmed Berkovits at a farm in northern Israel where they are inspected by vets and rabbis to ensure that every single hair is red We pamper them, we re keeping them for the opportune moment,” he added

SPREADING IDEOLOGY

Berkovits said Boneh Israel had already acquired land on the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem so the animals can be burned facing Temple Mount For Yizhar Beer, director of the Keshev Centre for the Protection of Democracy in Israel these “third temple lovers” are in no way marginal

World’s spy chiefs meet in secret conclave in Singapore

SINGAPORE

ag e n C e S

Senior officials from about two dozen of the world s major intelligence agencies held a secret meeting on the fringes of the Shangri-La Dialogue security meeting in Singapore this weekend, five people told Reuters Such meetings are organised by the Singapore government and have been discreetly held at a separate venue alongside the security summit for several years they said The meetings have not been previously reported

The U S was represented by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, the head of her country’s intelligence community, while China was among the other countries present despite the tensions between the two superpowers Samant Goel the head of India s overseas intelligence gathering agency the Research and Analysis Wing, also attended, an Indian source said

The meeting is an important fixture on the international shadow agenda,” said one person with knowledge of the discussions “Given the range of countries involved it is not a festival of tradecraft but rather a way of promoting a deeper understanding of intentions and bottom lines

There is an unspoken code among intelligence services that they can talk when more formal and open diplomacy is harder – it is a very important factor during times of tension, and the Singapore event helps promote that ”

All five sources who discussed the meetings declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter

A spokesperson for the Singapore Ministry of Defence said that while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue, “participants including senior officials from intelligence agencies also take the opportunity to meet their counterparts ”

The Singapore Ministry of Defence may facilitate

some of these bilateral or multilateral meetings, the spokesperson said “Participants have found such meetings held on the sidelines of the (dialogue) beneficial

The U S Embassy in Singapore said it had no information on the meeting The Chinese and Indian governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment

The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand operate what is called the Five Eyes network to gather and share a broad range of intelligence and their intelligence officials meet frequently Larger meetings of the intelligence community are rarer and almost never publicised

Although few details were available on the specific discussions in Singapore, Russia’s war in Ukraine and transnational crime figured in the talks on Friday, the person with knowledge of the discussions added

On Thursday evening the intelligence chiefs held an informal gathering

No Russian representative was present one of the sources said Ukraine s deputy defence minister, Volodymr V Havrylov, was at the Shangri-La Dialogue but said he did not attend the intelligence meeting Another of the sources said the tone at the meeting was collaborative and cooperative and not confrontational At the main security dialogue more than 600 delegates from 49 countries held three days of plenary sessions as well as closed-door bilateral and multilateral meetings at the sprawling Shangri-La Hotel

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave the keynote address while U S Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and counterparts from Britain

Japan Canada Indonesia and South Korea also spoke Haines was among the official U S delegates to the Shangri-La Dialogue At a discussion on cybersecurity in the main meeting, she said in response to a question from a Chinese military officer that cooperation between countries was essential

C hina makes strides in building a unified market; move a boon for

BEIJING

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

Chinese officials said on Monday that China has achieved positive initial results in building a unified national market, and they vowed to further carry out the crucial strategy, which aims to root out local protectionism and give full play to the massive domestic market to boost growth amid an increasingly complex global economic landscape The move is crucial to expanding domestic demand by eliminating restrictions and cutting costs for businesses so as to bolster the country’s ability to fend off rising external economic risks while also providing a better environment and greater opportunities for foreign businesses experts noted

construction of a unified national market has achieved initial results,” Li Chunlin, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission China’s top economic planner told a press conference on Monday declaring progress in various areas

According to Li various localities have moved to conduct self-examination and clean-up of policy measures, and they abolished, revised or corrected policies that might have hindered the unified market and fair competition

Also a number of supporting policies have been introduced in terms of improving property rights, market access, fair competition, credit and other areas China first announced a guideline on building a unified national market in April 2022 in a bid to accelerate the construction of a unified domestic market with greater ef-

ficiency, high standards, fair competition and full openness

On May 19, 2023 an executive meeting of the State Council China’s cabinet deliberated on an overall work plan and other recent measures to build a unified national market The meeting specifically called for a targeted campaign to tackle prominent problems such as local protectionism and market fragmentation in key areas

“Eliminating local protectionism and administrative monopolies is the key task and key measure to accelerate the construction of a unified national market Zhu Jianqiao an official with the State Administration for Market Regulation, told the press conference on Monday

“The domestic economic recovery requires an expansion of domestic demand as external demand is at risk of falling due to

through dialogue and consultation and supports regional countries in strengthening unity and self-improvement and putting their future destiny firmly in their own hands

As a good friend of regional countries, China will continue to play an active and constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability Wang said

China sets record in sixth rocket engine trial of crewed lunar mission

AGENCIES

China recently completed the sixth test run of the main rocket engine for its future crewed lunar missions, setting a new record in the sector according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation The 130-tonne class liquid oxygen kerosene rocket engine had a cumulative test run time of 3 300 seconds after this recent trial, a new record for the longest trial of a single 100-tonne class engine in China, according to the corporation As the main engine for the country’s future crewed lunar missions the device needs higher comprehensive performance and reliability The trial broke the previous record for the longest test run which was achieved less than six months earlier according to the corporation, adding that the operating time of the engine in the trial exceeded its required mission by more than 10 times, which it said verifies its reliability

CREWED LUNAR LANDING BEFORE 2030

China plans to achieve a crewed lunar landing before 2030 Lin Xiqiang deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency announced on May 29 at a press conference Lin said China recently initiated the lunar landing phase of its manned lunar exploration program, aiming to achieve China s first manned landing on the moon by 2030 and carrying out lunar scientific exploration and related technological experiments According to Lin China is also aiming to master key technologies such as an Earth-moon manned round-trip a short-term stay on the lunar surface a human-robot exploration performing multiple landing, roving, sampling, researching tasks, returning, and forming an independent capability of manned lunar exploration

THE INTERNATIONAL LUNAR RESEARCH STATION C h i n a f o r m a l l y e s t a b l i s h e d i t s l u n a r e x p l o r a t i o n P r o j e c t C h a n g e i n 2 0 0 4 I n D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0 , t h e C h a n g ’ e - 5 l u n a r p r o b e b r o u g h t b a c k 1 , 7 3 1 g r a m s o f s a m p l e s f r o m t h e m o o n m a r k i n g t h e c o m p l e t i o n o f t h e t h r e e - s t e p l u n a r e x p l o r a t i o n p r o g r a m o f o r b i t i n g l a n d i n g a n d r e t u r n i n g I n 2 0 2 2 , t h e C h i n a N a t i o n a l S p a c e A d m i n i s t r a t i o n a n n o u n c e d a p l a n t o b e g i n t h e f o u r t h p h a s e o f t h e l u n a r p r o b e p r o g r a m i n c l u d i n g l a u n c h i n g t h r e e m i s s i o n s d u b b e d t h e C h a n g e - 6 C h a n g e - 7 a n d C h a n g e - 8 , a n d t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l l u n a r r e s e a r c h s t a t i o n o n t h e m o o n , s a i d Wu We i r e n t h e c h i e f d e s i g n e r o f t h e l u n a r e x p l or a t i o n p r o g r a m T h e C h a n g e - 6 m i s s i o n i s e x p e c t e d t o r e t r i e v e l u n a r s o i l s a m p l e s f r o m t h e f a r s i d e o f t h e m o o n a r o u n d 2 0 2 4 , w h i c h w i l l b e t h e f i r s t t i m e h um a n k i n d w i l l c o l l e c t s o i l s a m p l e s f r o m t h e f a r s i d e o f t h e E a r t h s n a t u r a l s a t e l l i t e T h e C h a n g e - 7 m i s s i o n i s p r e p a r e d t o l a n d o n t h e s o u t h p o l e o f t h e m o o n , l o o k i n g f o r t r a c e s o f w a t e r, Wu s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t t h e C h a n g e - 8 m i s s i o n w h i c h i s p l a n n e d t o b e l a u n c h e d a r o u n d 2 0 2 8 i s d e s i g n e d t o w o r k w i t h t h e C h a n g e - 7 t o l a y t h e f o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e b u i l d i n g o f a l u n a r r es e a r c h s t a t i o n o n t h e s o u t h p o l e o f t h e m o o n a n d f ac i l i t a t e a s e r i e s o f e x p e r i m e n t s o n l u n a r r e s o u r c e s e x p l o r a t i o n a n d u t i l i z a t i o n T h e c h i e f d e s i g n e r a l s o s a i d C h i n a w e l c o m e s p a r t n e r s a n d s c i e n t i s t s f r o m a c r o s s t h e g l o b e t o j o i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e i n t e rn a t i o n a l l u n a r r e s e a r c h s t a t i o n o n t h e m o o n a s t h e c o u n t r y p l a n s t o l a u n c h m u l t i p l e s p a c e f l i g h t m i s s i o n s t o f i n i s h t h e s t a t i o n ’s b a s i c s t r u c t u r e b y 2 0 3 0

foreign businesses

stagflation in developed countries Expanding domestic demand requires increasing consumer income on the one hand, and reducing transaction costs on the other to promote more transactions Hu Qimu deputy secretary general of the digital real economies integration Forum 50 told the Global Times on Monday Hu noted that the greatest significance of building a unified national market is to reduce transaction costs for businesses so as to unleash greater consumption vitality and help the country better counter rising external risks Other countries have been setting up trade barriers, pursuing economic decoupling and disrupting supply chains We cannot decide on what other countries import from us, but we can decide how to allow high-quality overseas resources to flow into China without barriers Hu said

As part of the strategy to build a unified national market, Chinese officials are moving to further expand market access and improve the climate for foreign businesses

The unified national market we are building is one fully open to the world which will surely provide a better environment and a bigger stage for various market players, including foreign-funded enterprises,” Zhou Qiang, an official from the Ministry of Commerce told the press conference on Monday

In order to attract and utilize foreign capital with greater efforts China will further expand market access by further removing or relaxing restrictions on foreign investment, fully promote investment opportunities and the vast potential of the Chinese market and improve services for foreign businesses Zhou said

CORPORATE CORNER

INDIA TO DEPLOY 300 MORE PARAMILITARY COMPANIES IN IIOJK IN YATRA’S NAME

IN D I A is planning to deploy 300 additional companies of paramilitary forces in occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the garb of upcoming Amarnath yatra

The approval will be given at a highlevel meeting of Indian Ministry of Home Affairs this week which will also be attended by top brass of police and paramilitary forces

environmental sustainbility

and a clean green

Bullseye DDB won 4 Effies 2023 awards and had its flag flying high in Pakistan as a top agency They won 2 Gold 1 Silver and 1 Bronze award Their Pakistan Pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai marketing, PR and social media work won them 1 Gold and 1 Silver Effie The “Lipton Chai Chahiye” advertising campaign won a Gold Effie as well, while their “Walls Thand hai tou kya huwa” campaign got them a Bronze Effie Speaking on this occasion Shoaib Qureshy MD Bullseye DDB said this is a proud moment for the agency and speaks for our allrounder marketing capabilities and talented team as we consistently delivering fame and fortune for our clients” P R D ubai's depar tment

a summer esc ape Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is thrilled to unveil its latest campaign, Chalo Dubai which is aimed at Pakistani travelers For the first time the campaign video exclusively

targets this market by featuring actors speaking in Urdu Dubai is the ultimate family vacation destination offering world-class attractions and a variety of indoor and outdoor activities for families to enjoy The campaign videos showcase the city's unique experiences and highlights its affordability and family-friendly environment making it an ideal holiday destination for Pakistani visitors especially those with kids P R

in DHA Islamabad and Top City With these latest additions, the bank has expanded its presence in the federal capital now boasting a total of 12 branches This strategic expansion aims to offer customers in the capital region enhanced accessibility to a wide range of convenient banking services P R Photoshows PTCL & Ufone 4G’s Group Head, HSE Corporate, Fawad Farukh,Group Head, HSE Technology, Muhammad Arsalan Raja and other team members plant a tree in connection with World Environment Day The PTCL Group led plantation activities across all its zonal offices in line with its long term

Ensuring gender parit y pivotal for socio-economic progress: NA Speaker

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The NA Speaker said he has been honoured and proud to learn politics from the unmatchable and astute leadership of Mohtrama Shaheed Benazir Bhuttoo

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The imposition of draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Acts (AFSPA) in the Indian state of Manipur has deepened the trust deficit between the government and multi-ethnic society of Manipur state fueling the already active separatist movements in the region

Since May 3 Manipur has witnessed inter-ethnic clashes primarily between Meitei and Kuki communities which resulted in over 98 deaths and the burning of at least 1,700 buildings including homes and religious sites According to the media reports more than 35 000 people are currently dis-

Officials told media that additional 300 paramilitary companies will be deployed on the demand of police in IIOJK

“for annual pilgrimage which will start on July 1 and last for 62 days till August

31 this year while 200 companies will be mobilized internally

Last year the maximum number of

300 paramilitary companies were given to Jammu and Kashmir for the annual pilgrimage as the yatra was taking place for

first time following abrogation of special status of J&K and its bifurcation the officials said They, however, said that a

D a s t g i r l ay s fo u n d at i o n s t o n e o f 5 0 0 / 1 3 2 k V g r i d s t at i o n

FAISALABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

NTDC Headquarters, WAPDA

able and stable power to support a 600 MW load demand Addressing the groundbreaki n g c e r e m o n y, E n g r K h u r r a m Dastgir Khan highlighted the imp o r t a n c e o f t h e p r o j e c t w h i c h w i l l s i g n i f i c a n t l y s t r e n g t h e n t b e c o n s t r u c t e d w i t h a n e s t i m a t e d c o s t o f P K R 2 0 b n a n d i t i s t a rg e t e d t o b e c o m p l e t e d b y J a n ua r y 2 0 2 5 A 1 5 k m l o n g t r a n s m i s s i o n l i n e f r o m G a t t iG h a z i B r o t h a w i l l a l s o b e c o ns t r u c t e d f o r p r o v i d i n g i n t e r c o n n e c t i o n t o t h i s p r o j e c t

May 9 vandalism exposes evil face of attackers: S ajid Tori

vandalism and said that burning of Radio Pakistan Peshawar s historic building showed that the attackers have no regards for cultural heritage and media

He expressed these views during his visit to the burnt building of Radio Pakistan Peshawar and expressed solidarity with employees of the national broadcaster and Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation

Sajid Hussain Tori said ransacking and burning of Radio Pakistan Peshawar Jinnah House Lahore and defence installations on May 9-10 exposed the barbaric mindsets of the roiters He said that former President Asif Ali Zardari had raised slogan of "Pakistan Khapay" after the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed in 2007 and PPP had allways raised the national flag sky high

large number of paramilitary companies have been deployed in violence-hit Indian state of Manipur and there “seems no possibility that they will be withdrawn within next 15-20 days” The pilgrimage this year is also going to last a little over two months Most of additional paramilitary companies comprise Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) while others belong to Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which is deployed on tracks and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Interestingly as the World Environment Day being observed across the globe today the Modi regime ignoring the Day s message is allowing lacs of Hindus to visit the territory, threatening IIOJK’s fragile environment New Delhi has turned Amarnath Yatra into a militarized pilgrimage & is showing least concern to save territory s environment

Naval Chief 's message on World Environment Day 2023

Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Humans Resource Development, Sajid Hussain Tori here Monday said that May 9 vandalism have exposed the evil face of the attackers and elements involved in the ransacking of national installations could not escaped from law

He strongly condemned the ransacking of public government and defence installations on May 9-10

The Federal Minister said the destruction and damages of May 9 vandalism was beyond immigration and the culprits could not escape from clutches of law

He said Radio Pakistan Peshawar was a historic station established on March 6, 1935 from where the announcement of Pakistan's Independence was aired on midnight of August 13-14 1947

Po l i c e d e te r m i n e d to a d d r e s s p u b l i c i s s u e s o n p r i o r i t y, s ay s S S P O p e r at i o n s

Senior Superintendent of Police

(SSP) Operations, Malik Jameel

Zafar has said that the Islamabad capital police was organizing open katchehries to address the issues of the public

He was addressing the participants of an open Katchehry at Sumbal police station The Katchehry was organized under the direction of Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and CPO/DIG Operations Islamabad Syed Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari

The concerned police officers including the DPO, SDPO, In-

placed as well, with many now living in one of the 315 relief camps in the state Instead of finding out any political means to resolve the dispute the Indian government s response has largely echoed the strategies India has previously employed during unrest in the Northeast or Jammu and Kashmir,” the United States Institute of Peace said in a report “This has included issuing military curfews suspending internet services and deploying approximately 17 000 troops and paramilitary forces with shoot-on-site orders in effect for extreme cases ” Just like the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir the Narendra Modi-led government is also trying to

charge police station members of conciliatory committees ulema and notables of the area were present on the occasion At the outset of the proceedings, the participants shared their grievances and also gave suggestions to resolve them The SSP Op-

erations issued orders on the spot to address the issues of the participants and assured them that their suggestions will be taken into account Addressing the gathering, SSP Operations said the police were determined to resolve the issues faced by the residents

World Environment Day (WED) is observed on 5th of June each year and calls for protecting our natural surroundings The day, celebrated under the ambit of the United Nations Environment Programme marks an occasion to raise awareness of the challenges facing our environment such as pollution, illegal wildlife trade sustainable consumption rising sea levels and food security This year s theme for the WED is Solutions to Plastic Pollution WED-2023 will showcase how countries, businesses, and individuals are learning to use material more sustainably, offering hope that one day, plastic pollution will be history This is a timely call since the world is being inundated by plastic More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year half of which is designed to be used only once Of that less than 10% is recycled An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers, and seas Today, plastic clogs our landfills leach into the ocean and is combusted into toxic smoke, making it one of the gravest threats to the planet In addition, microplastics find their way into the food we eat the water we drink and the air we breathe Many plastic products contain hazardous additives which pose a serious threat to our health PR

Andrew Schofer for continued US partnership to empower Punjab economy

LAHORE

A P P

U S Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM)

Andrew Schofer has said that Punjab has immense economic potential and empowering economy of the province will economically empower local population besides having a positive spillover impact on the country economy During a three-day visit to provincial capital Lahore and industrial hub Faisalabad he underscored United States’ partnership with people of Punjab through initiatives related to education cultural preservation and economic development

suppress the demands of the three million people through the use of brutal force

The AFSPA act has been criticized by the Human Rights Watch as a tool of state abuse oppression and discrimination On March 31, 2012, the UN asked India to revoke AFSPA saying it had no place in Indian democracy

The violence erupted after the militants reportedly backed by the central government attacked five localities mainly inhibited by the Christian community The latest factor triggering the violence was a high court s decision ordering to grant a Scheduled Tribe (ST) s t a t u s t o t h e M e i t e i s t h a t w o u l d g i v e them access to forest lands and entitle t h e m t o r e s e r v a t i o n s i n g o v e r n m e n t

jobs and educational institutions The m o v e h a s c r e a t e d f e a r a m o n g t r i b a l c o m m u n i t i e s i n c l u d i n g K u k i s o f l o sing their lands

However despite the violence in Manipur, the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah continue to electioneer for state assembly elections in Karnataka Amit Shah made his first statement about the violence 23 days after it began but Modi has not yet publicly acknowledged the situation According to the USIP, in Manipur, there are at least four valley-based armed groups several Naga groups and nearly 30 Kuki armed insurgent organizations

The DCM Schofer visited higher education institutions, software houses, and places of historical and cultural importance during his visit to the two cities In Lahore, the US diplomat met leaders at NETSOL Technologies and discussed Pakistan’s digital ecosystem and highlighted areas where U S Mission can partner with the private sector for innovative digital solutions DCM Schofer also toured Sunehri Mosque and Wazir Khan Mosque and the adjoining areas These cultural landmarks have been conserved through financial assistance from the Ambassador ’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) of the US embassy Islamabad Founded in 2001 AFCP has invested more than 7 6 million dollars on 32 cultural preservation projects The latest project is an almost one million dollars restoration project of seven sites at the Lahore Fort During his Faisalabad visit, Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew

MAY 9 VANDALISM: IMRAN SAYS NEVER ASKED PTI WORKERS TO INDULGE IN VIOLENCE

convicted by the courts was trying to mislead Kashmiris under the umbrella of lawlessness

Rauf Hassan stated that people of Kashmir would hold accountable those who insulted their mandate

He stated that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was the ambassador of the peop l e o f K a s h m i r t o t

Hassan said that the fugitive s daughter wanted to buy freedom-seeking Kashm i r i s t

it all that he never asked workers to indulge in violence PTI Chairman said: “I have never asked our workers to indulge in violence in my 27 years of politics Therefore the events of May 9 first took me by surprise and then it did not take long for me to discover that the whole charade from my violent arrest to the arson to the Nazi era type crackdown was pre-planned ” he asserted

Imran Khan brought to the lime light the real story of pressure behind the ‘forced divorces’

PTI Chairman shared the message from PTI s MPA on Monday wherein he narrated the ordeals he was passing

through for not quitting the party and said: This is the sort of pressure behind the forced divorces

In a message to the PTI Chairman, the MPA said: I bore a lot of pressure to quit the PTI but it has now become unbearable as the threats have no gone beyond business to the women of my house ” The MPA further said: Now there is no other way besides doing a press conference and announcing dissociation from PTI I had never thought this would happen

The MPA stated: “I only have two options now either commit suicide or hold press conference Chairman I have

Rana Sanaullah hospitalized after ‘chest pain’ complaint

FAISALABAD

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was admitted to Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology (FIC) for a checkup after his BP shoot-up last night Rana Sanaullah underwent heart surgery in 2004

According to FIC sources, Sanaullah was brought to the hospital with 120/160 blood pressure and complained of ‘heart pain ’ The interior minister underwent the test to know the nature of the heart attack the sources said Earlier in the month of November last year the minister was also shifted to AIFC over health issues Later Interior Minister issued a statement about his well-being after photos of him in a hospital circulated on social media In the audio statement, Sanaullah said that he was all perfectly fine and that he had already undergone heart surgery back in 2004 Multiple tests were conducted on the interior minister as he was under surveillance at the hospital for 8 hours

Pakistan, Iraq agree to fur ther strengthen bilateral ties

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Pakistan and Iraq have agreed to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries

The understanding to this effect was reached between Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Iraqi counterpart Dr Fawad Hussein in Baghdad on Monday Speaking on this occasion Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan maintains deep fraternal relations with Iraq During the meeting the two sides exchanged views on different aspects of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Iraq

been with you since the beginning when you first contest the election from Mianwali May Allah help you Ameen Convicted Maryam couldn t revive dead politics, hoodwink Kashmiris through false, absurd narrative: Raoof

Meanwhile Central Information Secretary Raoof Hassan said that the convicted Maryam Nawaz neither could not revive her party s dead politics nor could hoodwink the brave Kashmiri people through false and absurd narrative

Reacting to Maryam Nawaz’s speech, PTI secretary information said that the convicted daughter of a criminal

Sharif family badly damaged the Kashmir cause He reminded that behind-the-scenes friendship with Narendra Modi and withdrawal from Kashmir cause was the initiatives of absconder Nawaz Sharif Raoof went on to say that Nawaz Sharif avoided meeting with the Hurriyat leadership just to please Modi adding that the real insult to the martyrs was done by Maryam s father by slandering the army through Dawn Leaks Rauf Hassan said that like the people of Pakistan, Kashmiris were also wellaware of the Sharifs’ hostility towards Kashmir and the army; hence her attempts to revive dead politics on the basis of false and absurd narratives would not succeed

Govt likely to authorise FBR to collec t FED on digital ser vices in provinces

not the end-user of a service

Pakistan, Afghanistan among global food shor tage ‘hotspots’

UNITED

Two United Nations bodies – Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) – have foreseen acute food insecurity in Pakistan that is likely to further exacerbate in the coming months if the economic and political crisis further worsens Pakistan and Afghanistan have been declared early warning hotspots

Warnings on Pakistan and Afghanistan have been issued in a report jointly published by the FAO and the WFP from June to November, reported Afghan news agency Khaama Press

The WFP in the report said Pakistan the Central African Republic Ethiopia Kenya the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic are hotspots with very high concern, and the warning is also extended to Myanmar in this edition

The Federal government is likely to authorize the Federal Board of Revenue

to collect Federal Excise Duty on digital services in provincial jurisdiction in next year

Sources said that the current Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) is a complex system that is difficult for businesses to understand and comply with What is the reason for that? RCM is a mechanism under which the service recipient s end is the one where tax is levied, instead of the service provider s end merely because digital services can be offered from anywhere If this was not complex enough there are provisions for a Joint Reverse Charge Mechanism where both parties are engaged under separate sets of rules There have been loopholes pointed out on this front in the past as well that has led to debates, but to no avail

The problems that arise here are manifold which can even lead up to double taxation However that is not what the government of Pakistan is concerned with Sources have revealed that this has led to a significant amount of tax evasion by businesses which is the government s main concern Businesses are able to avoid paying taxes by claiming that they are

Former Punjab chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who has been remanded for 14 days to judicial authorities, has been kept in the Security Block of the Camp Jail in Lahore it came to light on Monday

This is the same block where Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was kept during his detention days under the previous regime

According to jail authorities, medical tests were run on Elahi last night and all his reports which have come today are normal The jail officials further said that Elahi would be provided jail food and he would not be allowed cuisine from home

They said as per the routine, the accused involved in the anticorruption cases can meet their relatives on Monday or Thursday Elahi can meet his family on any of these two days they added

A magistrate court in Lahore Sunday turned down the Anti-Cor-

Even though relevant provisions are available under provincial sales tax laws, a whole new set of controversies arise on the constitutional right of the province to tax services originating from abroad particularly from outside Pakistan Sources said that the Ashfaq Tola led Commission has also recommended that provinces should agree to allow federation to collect FED on services (particularly digital services provided virtually) which are subject to sales tax under the reverse charge mechanism Allowing the federal government to collect FED on services would also help to address the issue of tax avoidance by multinational corporations Adding to this sources also said that multinational corporations often use complex structures to avoid paying taxes in Pakistan By collecting FED on services, the federal government would be able to tax these corporations regardless of where they are located It is pertinent to note that FED is a simpler tax t h a n s a l e s t a x a n d i t w o u l d b e e a s i e r f o r b u s in e s s e s t o u n d e r s t a n d a n d c a l c u l a t e T h i s w o u l d lead to a decrease in tax evasion and an increase i n t h e f e d e r a l t a x r e v e n u e H o w e v e r, w h e r e t h i s w i l l l e a v e t h e p r o v i n c i a l r e v e n u e s i s a q u e s t i o n that still remains unanswered

It further said, “All these hotspots have a high number of people facing critical acute food insecurity coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to further intensify life-threatening conditions in the coming months

In addition to political turmoil Pakistan s International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial bailout has been delayed for the past seven months Pakistan has to pay $77 5 billion over the next three years The repayment amount is “substantial” keeping in view Pakistan s GDP of $350 billion in 2021

The report said The political crisis and civil unrest are likely to worsen ahead of general elections scheduled for October 2023, amid growing insecurity in the northwest of the country A shortage of foreign reserves and a depreciating currency are diminishing the country’s ability to import essential food items and energy supplies and increasing food items’ prices besides causing nationwide energy cuts More than 8 5 million people in Pakistan are likely to face acute food insecurity between September and December 2023 70 per cent of people in Afghanistan do not get two proper meals a day Economic and political crises are reducing households’ buying power and ability to purchase food and other essential goods Khaama Press reported

was re-arrested for the second time in two days on Saturday

Elahi was arrested from outside his house in Gulberg on June

1 in a corruption case However the court termed the charges against Elahi not well-founded and discharged him

Soon after his discharge, Elahi was taken into custody again by the ACE officials in two cases filed in Gujranwala accusing him of causing a loss of Rs100 million to the national exchequer and receiving kickbacks during his time as Punjab chief executive

On Saturday Elahi was produced before Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Afzal s court in Gujranwala

ruption Establishment (ACE) s plea seeking former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi’s physical remand and sent him on a 14-day judicial remand He was shifted to Camp Jail by ACE officials

On Sunday, Elahi was presented before the court by ACE officials amid tight security after he

After the arguments from the ACE and Elahi s lawyers, the court discharged the PTI president in both cases and ordered his immediate release if he was not required in any other case

But the PTI president was arrested yet again on Saturday – this time for making illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly

The report also said that the coal and food export revenues could witness a decline if the economic and political crisis in Pakistan and the security situation in border areas continue to deteriorate Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan in August 2021 The international community has not recognised the Taliban-led government Meanwhile instability in Pakistan has worsened the economy since lawmakers the judiciary and the army continue to clash with each other Amid the ongoing political situation in the country, Pakistan does not have the money to secure food imports on ships anchored at its ports It has led to shortages of basic necessities like wheat flour In March-April the Pakistan government set up distribution sites across the country to provide free flour to people to ease their burden amid rising prices However the initiative caused trouble in several places where the stampedes erupted, killing and injuring people, Khaama Press reported citing The Diplomat journal Mariyam Suleman Anees a development specialist from Gwadar Balochistan province wrote Pakistanis are putting their lives at risk to collect something as basic as a sack of flour It illustrates how the rising cost of food and other necessities is driving desperation and impacting the masses, Noman Hossain said in the Khaama Press report Anees raised questions about the stampedes and how Pakistan ended up here She even asked about how the economic crisis could affect most of the people in Pakistan particularly international projects especially those with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Pakistan considers vital for its future economic growth?

As per the Khaama Press report, Mariyam Suleman Anees further said “Instead of the promised economic growth through CPEC China’s loans may have worsened Pakistan s economic crisis But it is still too early to conclude whether CPEC debts will drain the Pakistani economy or open up opportunities for growth in the future

PM S hehbaz acc uses Imran of deceiving international audiences over M ay 9 riots

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday slated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supremo and accused him of misleading foreign media outlets and audiences over May 9 riots

The tweet comes amid rising international pressure over the federal government as the more and more incumbent and former lawmakers and office-bearers are taking note of the developments taking place in Pakistan

In a bid to clear air, the premier took to social media blogging site Twitter and wrote that the deposed premier expedient description of the post-May 9 events as human rights abuses and stifling of the right to political protest is not only misleading but aimed at manipulating and swaying opinion-makers outside the country Taking a jibe at the PTI chairman, the

premier went on and stated in his interviews with international media outlets Imran Niazi is openly and deliberately disinforming local & foreign audiences by glib talk laced with fake news & plain misrepresentation

“Let me put the context right: what his party did on May 9 was a brazen attack on the State of Pakistan with malafide intent and sinister objectives No country in the world would tolerate such an attempt at destroying its integrity added PM Shehbaz

Denying human rights violations, PM clarified that miscreants involved in attacks on army installations are being dealt with under the law

“Pakistan fully respects & is committed to all its constitutional and international obligations on human rights said the premier

istan s unwavering commitment to combat plastic pollution and embark on a journey of plastics reduction

In his message on the occasion of World Environment Day being observed on Monday, he emphasized the need to combat plastic pollution He said as one of the top ten countries in the world for plastic pollution Pakistan recognizes the urgent need for action Shehbaz Sharif said the government has prioritized the adoption of environment friendly alternatives and is actively working on the Plastics Prohibition Regulation 2023 for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) This regulation will establish a comprehensive framework and timeline for phasing out single-use plastics while also leading by example on a plan to reduce and then ban the use of single use plastics by the entire federal government

In a demonstration of the federal govern-

ment s commitment to reduce plastic waste in Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Prime Minister House to stop using singleuse plastics, which like the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, will lead the way in phasing out and restricting the use of Polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles in Federal Ministries and Divisions across the board

The Prime Minister called upon all stakeholders including citizens businesses civil society organizations, and the media, to renew their commitment in fight against plastic pollution and preserving the planet’s biodiversity for future generations

long term as it irreversibly damages our environment and threatens the very fabric of life on earth

She urged a call for action as

Per vaiz Elahi kept in same block where S anaullah spent his days in Camp Jail

g MOVE LIKELY TO CURB TAX AVOIDANCE AND INCREA SE FEDERAL TAX REVENUE