Epaper_23-06-17 LHR

S H E H B A Z A S KS N AWA Z T O R ET U R N T

O

PA K I S TA N , B E C O M E P M F O R F O U R T H T I M E

MARYAM NAWAZ LAUDS WORKERS FOR STANDING WITH PARTY IN DIFFICULT TIMES

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

PR I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan to lead the election campaign of the party and become the prime minister for the fourth time

PM Shehbaz made the appeal during a central general council meeting of the party where the premier was re-elected as the president of the PML-N

Addressing the meeting the premier said that he was waiting for his elder brother, who has been in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 owing to health reasons, to return to Pakistan and then hold the party meeting so he could hand over the PML-N’s presidentship back to him

The election commission s sword was hanging which is why this meeting was held, the prime minister added Premier Shehbaz was given the PMLN’s presidency after his predecessor Nawaz the three-time prime minister was disqualified by the Supreme Court and barred from holding any party office

He also said that the PML-N needed young leadership, and commended Maryam for her hard work

“You will see that the map of politics will change when Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan PM Shehbaz said

Coming to his governance he once again reminded the workers that his government took charge at a time when they did not get roses but thorns

“Inflation has broken the back of the people oil prices were touching the sky

The coalition government decided together that we would face the tough times he said adding that in the upcoming budget, the government increased the salaries of employees and pensions

“We have still locked horns with the

IMF [and] Pakistan will continue on the path of development the premier further said

On the criticism of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, PM Shehbaz said that those people within the party pulling his leg have no right to remain part of the PML-N

Before the PM’s address PML-N Senior Vice-President Maryam lauded the workers that stood with the party in its difficult times

The party is standing today because the workers stood by the

party during its difficult times ”

She also lauded PM Shehbaz for running the current government along with coalition partners Be it a big or small decision, Shehbaz Sharif did not do anything without Nawaz Sharif ’s approval ” Maryam told the party workers She also shared that her father Nawaz asks her to talk politely if she gets emotional during her speeches Nawaz Sharif never asked anyone to put on fire anything Nawaz Sharif and

LAHORE: All the central office-bearers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) including its President Shehbaz Sharif, have been re-elected for another four-year term without having any contest The intra-party elections at the federal level were held at the Central Secretariat of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Chak Shehzad Besides Shehbaz Sharif Maryam Nawaz has been elected unopposed as the PML-N chief organiser Ahsan Iqbal as secretary general Ataullah Tarar as Deputy Secretary and Ishaq Dar as Secretary Finance

KP proposes Rs103b allocation for Counter

Terrorism Depar tment

suggested providing further financial support to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in the budget Furthermore there are plans to increase the risk allowances for the personnel of the provincial Police force However, alongside these recommendations, there are also suggestions to eliminate certain allowances While the proposed budget for the next fiscal year allocates Rs 103 billion for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police specific allowances are being considered for discontinuation T h e p r o v i n c i a l b u d g e t f o r t h e u p c o m i n g f i s c a l y e a r a l s o i n c l u d e s p r o p o s a l s t o i m p r o v e s e r v i c e s t r u c t u r e s a n d p r o v i d e a d d i t i o n a l b e n e f i t s t o p o l i c e o ff i c e r s i n t r i b a l d i s t r i c t s M o r e o v e r t h e b u d g e t i n c l u d e s p r o v i s i o n s f o r t h e p r o c u r e m e n t o f n e w b o m b - p r o o f v e h i c l e s a n d t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f e n h a n c e d s e c u r i t y m e a s u r e s f o r t h e P o l i c e T h e p u r c h a s e o f p o l i c e v e h i c l e s w i l l b e p r i o r i t i z e d a c r o s s v a r i o u s d i s t r i c t s A d d i t i o n a l l y t h e b u d g e t o u t l i n e s t h e a p p r o v a l o f o v e r 3 0 0 0 a p p o i n t m e n t s a c r o s s d i ff e r e n t p o s i t i o n s w i t h i n t h e P o l i c e f o r c e

A bill seeking amendments to the Elections Act 2017, sailed through the Senate on Friday, aims at empowering the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce elections dates unilaterally without having to consult the president

The bill presented in the Senate also included an amendment to Section 232 (Qualifications and Disqualifications) of the Election Act 2017 to end lifetime disqualification of a lawmaker

The Elections (Amendment) Bill 2023 was moved by State Minister Shahadat Awan amid protests by senators belonging to Jamaat-iIslami and the opposition PTI

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the legislation the Constitution envisages the duty of the ECP to organise and conduct elections honestly, fairly, and in accordance with the law

“The ECP enjoys administrative and functional autonomy under the provisions of the Constitution and the Election Act 2017 which facilitates the body in fulfilling its core obligation of free

PML-N faced a lot of difficulties but never cried about them ” she added

Meanwhile the meeting also passed a resolution against the violence that took place on May 9 after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan The convention also unanimously passed a resolution in solidarity with the Kashmiri people The political huddle also called for severe punishment of those who tried to create divisions in national institutions The characters who conspired to create a rift between the people and the army should be punished, it added A p a r t f r o m t h e e l e c t i o n o f P M S h e h b a z a s t h e p r e s i d e n t t h e c o n v e nt i o n a l s o b a c k e d t h e a p p o i n t m e n t o f A h s a n I q b a l a s t h e s e c r e t a r y g e n e r a l o f t h e p a r t y, M a r y a m a s c h i e f o rg a ni s e r a n d s e n i o r v i c e p r e s i d e n t , I s h a q D a r a s p r e s i d e n t P M L - N o v e r s e a s , M a r r i y u m A u r a n g z e b a s s e c r e t a r y i n

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was not given any position in the party In another development on FRiday PML-N decided to activate its minority wing and a six-member team was constituted by Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz F o r m e r M e

and fair elections

“To further strengthen the commission amendments in sections 57(1) and 58(1) of the Election Act 2017 are required to allow the ECP to announce poll dates for general elections on its own,” it added T H E A M E N D M E N T S

S TAT E: Section 57(1): The commission shall announce the date or dates of the general elections by notification in the official gazette and shall call upon the constituencies to elect their representatives Section 58: Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 57 the commission may at any time after the issuance of notification under subsection (1) of that section make such alterations in the election programme announced in that notification for the different stages of the election or may issue a fresh election programme with fresh poll date(s) as may in its opinion to be recorded in writing be necessary for the purposes of this act

The statement further said that the parliamentary committee constituted by the Senate chairman had also examined the proposed amendments and recommended that the federal government should initiate

the process of tabling the legislation

Earlier during the Senate session Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said that the right to choose the date for polls had been given to the ECP in 1973

“But Ziaul Haq gave this right to the president through an amendment ” he recalled noting that the parliamentary committee had also given a nod in favour of the law

The Constitution Tarar continued, was superior He said the amendments would make the role of the ECP more active and enable changes in the election schedules as well This amendment is being brought to remove all the ambiguities he told the house adding that the Parliament had the power to legislate when the Constitution was silent

On the other hand while raising objections to the proposed law Leader of the Opposition Shahzad Waseem said: Legislation can only be done under the Constitution

The Constitution is very clear about the date of the elections and it gives both the president and governor the power to announce the date for polls he said

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03

PR OFIT G H U L A M A B B A S

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Ishaq Dar, announced on Friday that China would soon roll over a $1 billion loan that was recently paid back by the Pakistani government providing relief during the country s acute forex crisis

During a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue in Islamabad, the finance minister briefed the committee about China’s imminent rollover of the loan, which had been fully repaid earlier Dar stated that Pakistan would receive the $1 billion either on the same day or on Monday Additionally he mentioned that Pakistan is in talks with the Bank of China for an additional loan amount of $300 million

On the subject of defaulting, the finance minister highlighted that Pakistan possesses assets worth billions of dollars including the Reko Diq mine with assets valued at $3 000 billion

g S E N AT E B O D Y C O N C LU D E S D E B AT E O N F I N A N C E B I L L, M A K E S R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03

Pakistan committed to good ties with India, says FM Bilawal

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the relationship with India is marked by an atmosphere of mistrust, primarily due to New Delhi s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019

However, Pakistan is committed to having cooperative and good-neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equalities he maintained

He made these remarks during his address at a ceremony in Islamabad commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) on Friday

“To move forward India will have to address the obstacles that hinder peaceful coexistence reverse its illegal measures in IIOJK and create an enabling environment for meaningful engagement and resultoriented dialogue, Bilawal remarked

The foreign minister said that Pakistan remains committed to a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution and the wishes of the Kashmiri people

If this dispute is resolved in a just and fair manner not only a durable peace will be established in South Asia but also the peace dividends would contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the one-fifth of humanity residing in our region ” he added

“I had the opportunity to visit GOA this year to participate in the SCO-CFM The SCO Heads of State (HOS) meeting is going to be held soon in India As Pakistan was considering mode of Prime Minister s participation in the SCO summit, India announced holding the summit in virtual format,” he added Bilawal said that Pakistan is committed to engagement through multilateral organisations including SCO the UN and other multilateral organisations

Cabinet approves TAPI joint implementation plan to accelerate gas pipeline project

ensure the timely completion of the TAPI

Afghanistan

way for its signing during the Turkmenistan delegation s visit to Pakistan

Petroleum Division, seeking endorsement for the plan as per the Rules of Business, 1973, according to sources familiar with the matter

The approved Joint Implementation Plan (JIP) is a legally non-binding document to be executed between the Ministry of Energy of Pakistan and the State Concern Turkmengas, a company incorporated under the laws of Turkmenistan The Ministry of Law and Justice has already cleared the JIP, paving the

The TAPI Gas Pipeline Project is a crucial initiative undertaken by the Petroleum Division, based on Government-to-Government Agreements, including the Inter-Governmental Agreement and Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement These agreements have been duly approved by the federal cabinet and signed jointly by the governments of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India Under these umbrella agreements, nominated entities from the four countries have been actively involved in project implementation entering into various project-related agreements such as the TAPI Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement

TAPI Shareholders Agreement, TAPI Investment Agreement, and Heads of Terms of Host Government Agreement

The TAPI Gas Pipeline Project aims to bring natural gas from Turkmenistan s Galkynysh gas field to Pakistan through

The pipeline s capacity is expected to transport up to 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year for a period of 30 years Pakistan s off-take will be approximately 1 3 billion cubic feet per day (BCFD) through a pipeline with a diameter of 56 inches The proposed route covers 1 849 kilometers passing through Herat Kandahar Chaman Zhob Dera Ghazi Khan Multan and Fazilika

The approval of the TAPI Joint Implementation Plan marks a significant milestone in expediting the implementation of the gas pipeline project It demonstrates the commitment of all participating countries to regional energy cooperation and lays the foundation for enhanced energy security and economic growth in the region With the necessary approvals in place, the project stakeholders will now focus on finalizing key project agreements undertaking land acquisition processes and formulating project implementation strategies to

Gas Pipeline Project

Key Points of TAPI JIP

The Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India (TAPI) Joint Implementation Plan (JIP) is a crucial document that outlines the key points and strategies for the successful implementation of the TAPI Gas Pipeline Project Here are the key points of the TAPI JIP:

Project Objectives: The JIP reiterates the project s objectives, which include the transportation of natural gas from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field to energydeficient countries in South Asia namely Afghanistan Pakistan and India The project aims to enhance regional energy security promote economic growth and foster regional cooperation

Senior Coordination Committee (SCC):

The JIP establishes a Senior Coordination Committee (SCC) comprising representatives from Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan and India The SCC will oversee and expedite

project activities ensuring effective coordination and cooperation among the participating countries The SCC will play a vital role in the implementation process, including finalizing outstanding project agreements and resolving any issues that may arise Responsibilities and Tasks: The JIP clearly defines the responsibilities and tasks of the participating countries and relevant entities It emphasizes the need for active engagement and collaboration to ensure the smooth execution of the project Key tasks include finalizing project agreements, undertaking land acquisition processes developing the TAPI security concept supporting the TAPI Herat offtake strategy and formulating project implementation strategies Legal Framework: The JIP serves as a legally non-binding document to be executed between the Ministry of Energy of Pakistan and the State Concern “Turkmengas of Turkmenistan

Bill sails through Senate to empower ECP decide polls date unilaterally, end lifetime disqualification

N A C O N T I N U E S D I S C U S S I O N O N B U D G ET

F O R Y E A R 2 0 2 3 - 24

Alluding to the challenges faced by the country she stressed that more resources should be allocated to deal with the issue of climate change

areas In his remarks Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif asked the educational institutions to focus on teaching of moral values to the youth

THE National Assembly (NA) is continuing discussion on the budget for the year 2023-24 At the outset the House prayed to Allah Almighty to keep all the Muslims safe from all accidents and tragedies including natural disasters

Later, taking part in the discussion, Romina Khurshid Alam said the government has presented a people centric and forward thinking budget while keeping in mind both the short and long term measures

She said there is also a need to encourage the farmers to shift to smart farming in order to enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector Ghulam Mustafa Shah emphasized accelerating the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the flood affected areas

Minister of State for Finance Ayesha

Ghous Pasha said the federal government has fully supported rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities in the flood affected

He also apologized over the remarks that he made against the Vice Chancellors the other day saying that he respects the teachers and educational institutions from the core of his heart

He however said that it is a fact that corruption has become rampant in our society On the request of the Defence Minister, the Speaker expunged the words that were used against the Vice Chancellors from the proceedings of the House

CPNE announces Sindh Committee for year 2023-24

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has announced the formation of Sindh Committee for the year 2023-24 According to detail Mr Aamer Mahmood is appointed as a Chairman of the Committee while Mr Maqsood Yousufi will be Deputy Chairman The committee will be consist of other members including Mr Anwar

Sajidi, Mr Aijaz ul Haq, Syed Hamid

Hussain Abidi, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Mr Ikram Sehgal, Dr Jabbar Khattak,

Mr Saeed Khawar, Kazi Asad Abid, Abdul Rehman Mangrio, Abdul Khaliq Ali Mr Hasan Abbas Mr Ahmed Iqbal

Baloch Mr Faqir Manthar Mangrio Mr Owais Aslam Ali Muhammad Siraj Muhammad Tahir Mr Naseer Hashimi

Kazi Sajjad Akbar, Sher Muhammad Khuhawar, Mr Salman Qureshi, Mr Muzzafar Ejaz, Mr Ayaz Ali Memon, Mr Kashif Hussain Memon, Mrs Munazza

Seham Muhammad Saeed Shah Syed

Muqadas Shah Muhammad Taqi Alvi

Mr Asad Siddiqui Syed Rizwan Shah

Mr Tariq Aziz Mrs Bilqees Jahan Mr Mehmood Alam Khalid, Mr Ali bin

Younus, Mr Javed Mehr Shamsi, Syed Mudassar, Mr Mudassar Alam, Mr Imran Korai Mr Mehboob Abbasi Mr Faraz Ahmed Chandio Mr Nusrat Mirza Mr Usman Arab Saati Mr Rafaqat Tanoli and Mrs Naseem Akhtar Shaikh T h i s C o m m i t t e e w i l l c o n s i d e r t h e g r o u n d s i t u a t i o n o f t h e m e m b e r publication in Sindh and recommend the measures to promote and safeguard their interests before the Standing Committee I t w i l l a l s o h o l d a c t i v i t i e s f u n c t i o n s workshops seminars etc to develop the standards for print media in the province Furthermore, the Sindh Committee will

Federal gov t to give professional training, laptops to Balochistan’s youth: PM

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

c o o r d i n a t e w i t h t h e C P N E S t a n d i n g Committee meetings and function in its region as well as commencement of any a s s i g n m e n t g i v e n b y t h e S e c r e t a r y G e n e r a l o r t h e S t a n d i n g C o m m i t t e e Matters relating press in Sindh will also b e c o n s i d e r e d b y S i n d h C o m m i t t e e w h i c h w i l l b e r e f e r r e d t o S t a n d i n g Committee for further action Similarly, C o m m i t t e e w i l l a l s o o rg a n i z e d i ff e r e n t programs to bring the role of Sindh based press in the limelight

Issued by: Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday terming talented youth a real asset to Balochistan said the federal government would work on strengthening their professional capacity He was talking to an eight-member delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) from Balochistan led by Jafar Khan Mandokhel The other delegates included Jamal Shah Kakar Sardar Yaqoob Nasir Agha Shah

Rasheed

raises concerns over transparency in upcoming general elections

RAWALPINDI S ta f f R e p o R t

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Friday raised concerns over transparency in upcoming general elections as he sensed foul play in Karachi mayor elections In a series of tweets the former interior minister said time will tell the PPP what it has lost by staying away from Jamaat-e-Islami mere for the mayor s seat He said what happened in Karachi mayor elections was just a trailer of national election, adding that all should be alert “Democracy is best revenge ” he said it was demonstrated by Pakistan People’s Party in Karachi on Thursday He said minority had overpowered the majority as JI and PTI s joint candidate could not win the mayor election despite bagging 900,000 votes The world is trying convince us but we have no sense, he said Lashing out at the government, he said people were forced to end their lives but “rulers are busy in foreign trips” Attack on residence of senior lawyer Latif Khosa was alarming he said while warning that a major incident could happen The former minister further said the ruling coalition was driving the country towards economic disaster, adding that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wanted to save Pakistan from default but rulers were bent on it in order to impose economic emergency

Moonis Elahi’s wife gets interim bail

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

A banking court in Lahore on Friday granted interim bail of four accused including Moonis Elahi’s wife Tahreem Elahi in FIA money laundering case The court has extended the interim bail of the accused till June 21 All accused completed their attendance in the court of Judge Muhammad Aslam Gondal Court granted interim bail to Tehreem Elahi, Zara Elahi and two other accused in the case The accused prayed that cases were lodged on political basis and pleaded bail

A sad Rehman Gilani assumes additional charge as Nadra chairman

Two days after his predecessor Tariq Malik resigned, Asad Rehman Gilani on Friday assumed additional charge as the new chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra)

In a tweet the authority confirmed that Gilani who is a grade 22 officer of the Pakistan Civil Service and also the secretary of the Board of Investment has joined the Nadra headquarters in Islamabad

It said that on his first day at work today, Gilani visited different departments and instructed the employees to perform their duties efficiently while ensuring uninterrupted services to the public

He expressed the determination to continue efforts to improve the provision of Nadra services, the authority said The bureaucrat also visited the Nadra Regional Head Offices to review operational activities and directed the heads of all Nadra departments to clear the backlog of ID card printing by continuing to work over the weekend Nadra added Gilani s appointment comes on the heels of Malik s sudden resignation on June 14 a year before the completion of his three-year term

The resignation was submitted by him during a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif It came months after a controversy over the leak of data regarding the family of the army chief entailing action against some employees by

Malik I find it increasingly difficult to work in a charged and polarised political environment It is difficult for any professional to maintain his integrity and independence in an environment that constantly pigeon-holes people in an ‘us versus them’ logic and where political loyalty is privileged over competence,” read the three-page resignation which was seen by Dawn

In his resignation Malik had also pleaded to the prime minister not to appoint a serving or retired bureaucrat as his replacement and instead pick a professional and technical person

The organisation deserves a thorough professional with a background in technology and management,” he had said adding that Nadra could not afford further political experimentation

Malik was appointed Nadra chairman for a second time in June 2021 by the then PTI government He had reportedly been facing immense pressure from the interior minister to resign after reports emerged that some officials of the authority had been found involved in leaking the personal data of the army chief and his family

However Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah addressing a press conference a day earlier said that the resignation of the Nadra chairman had nothing to do with the data leak issue He was facing no pressure to resign he asserted adding that action had already been taken against all those involved in the data leak

KSA, Pakistan to ink green oil refiner y accord within two months

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Friday agreed upon signing the Green Field Oil Refinery agreement within the next

two months

The decision was made during a meeting between Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Bin Said Al-Malki

Both the dignitaries discussed matters of mutual interest and the future course of action on the speedy implementation of the Green Field Oil Refinery project Musadik Malik extended his grattude to the Saudi government on behalf of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

This mega project has come to existence due to the great leadership of Crown Prince and Prince Abdul Aziz, the minister added

KARACHI

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

An agreement between Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Musaliha International Center for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (MICADR) to was signed enabling gas company to avail alternative dispute resolution services The signing ceremony was held at the MICADR / Legal Aid Society Office in Finance and Trade Centre (FTC), Karachi

As per the agreement, MICADR will offer its mediation, arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution services to SSGC in order to help resolve complex disputes in a time and cost-effective manner resulting in amicable settlements for disputing parties In addition the agreement also allows SSGC to avail Mediation Advocacy training services for its staff MICADR is Pakistan s first private Alternate Dispute Resolution center that has been recognized and notified by the Federal Government as well as the Sindh High Court MICADR provides state-of-the-art mediation arbitration and negotiation services for individuals and entities in line with global standards through its panel of internationally and nationally accredited Mediators and notable Arbitrators The delegation of SSGC included the Managing Director

Deputy Director Amin Rajput, and

Director

MICADR informed the guests that cost-effective litigation and the promotion of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms such as mediation are critical in order to create an investor-friendly climate in Pakistan

Speaking to the occasion, Managing Director SSGC

Imran Maniar highlighted the importance of mediation services for SSGC which will ultimately be helpful to ensure timely and cost-effective resolution of disputes He highlighted the growing trend of commercial mediation across the world and how the corporate sector in Pakistan has much to gain from the development of a robust ADR ecosystem in Pakistan Shahzar Ilahi, Associate Director MICADR informed the SSGC delegation about the efforts being done by Legal Aid Society and MICADR to develop an ADR ecosystem across the country and how SSGC s inclusion in this ecosystem is monumental for the development of ADR in the country Sarha

Rasheed Senior Manager MICADR informed the delegation that MICADR currently has a success r a t

Zeb Durrani Amir Afzal Mandokhel Chaudhry Naeem Naseer Achakzai and Zaheer Khan PM Sharif said the progress of Pakistan was linked with the development of Balochistan He said the youth in Balochistan would be given professional training in diverse areas and laptops would be distributed among them The government he said was woring on priority over the development projects in Balochistan under the umbrella of China Pakistan Economic Corridor The meeting discussed the current political situation in the country

LHC orders identification of May 9 ‘suspects’ within 48 hours

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed all the session judges and special courts to complete the identification parade process of suspects involved in May 9 riots within the next 48 hours A single-member bench of LHC comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh issued a 13-page verdict on a plea filed by a citizen who has been in prison since May 25 against delay in the identification process by the lower judiciary of the province The judgment reads: “The delay in the identification process of the suspects has restricted the citizen right of freedom as every human being enjoys the right to live freely The court observed that people cannot differentiate between the arrests before the charges or after the charges; the LHC declared the arrest should be made after availing ‘concrete evidence ’ The Court gave remarks that “International human rights bodies have also raised reservations over arrest before the commencement of trial

Bilawal, UK counterpar t discuss bilateral ties, climate finance

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom James Cleverly telephoned Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and discussed issues of mutual interest FM Bilawal in a tweet on Friday, said he was pleased to receive the phone call from his British counterpart, with whom he discussed bilateral ties He mentioned that the conversation focused on the urgent need for mitigation measures to combat climate change and natural disasters The Foreign Minister mentioned that the conversation focused on the urgent need for mitigation measures to combat climate change and natural disasters The critical role of international financial institutions in climate financing and reconstruction in disaster-hit areas also came under discussion

Ex-MNA Shah Jee Gul joins PML-N

I S L A M A B A D : F o r m e r M e m b e r N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y ( M N A ) f r o m t h e m e rg e d d i s t r i c t s o f K h y b e r P a k h t u n k h w a , S h a h J e e G u l A f r i d i a l o n g w i t h h i s s u p p o r t e r s a n d p a r t y w o r k e r s a n n o u n c e d t o j o i n P a k i s t a n M u s l i m L e a g u eN a w a z ( P M L - N ) H e m a d e t h i s a n n o u n c e m e n t w h i l e a d d r e s s i n g a n e w s c o n f e r e n c e a l o n g w i t h

PML-N leaders in Islamabad on Friday Present o n t h e o c c a s i o n w e r e M i n i s t e r f o r P a r l i a m e n t a r y A ff a i r s M u r t a z a J a v e d A b b a s i a n d A d v i s e r t o P r i m e M i n i s t e r E n g i n e e r A m i r M u q a m S ta f f R e p o R t

L AT I F K H O S A R E M A I N S S A F E , D R I V E R

I N J U R E D I N G U N AT TA C K O N H O U S E

FORMER Punjab governor and senior lawyer Latif Khosa remained safe while his diver sustained bullet

wounds when unidentified armed men opened fire on his house in Defence area of Lahore late Thursday night Latif Khosa said some unidentified persons opened fire at his residence which was so intense that bullets penetrated the main gate and hit the cars parked inside the

Punjab gov t promoting solar system to resolve energy crisis

MULTAN

S ta f f R e p o R t

Punjab government is working actively to promote solar energy in the wake of energy crisis in the province by allowing a factory to produce 5 megawatt (MW) electricity through solar system which was one MW previously Caretaker provincial Minister for Industries Commerce Skills Development and Energy MS Tanvir expressed these views while talking to the members of executive committee of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) here on Friday He observed that the industries in Punjab were faced with numerous problems for which the govt was exhausting all resources to solve these issues

The minister regretted that when Excise and Taxation Department closes a factory, no one likes the decision adding that the Department should speak to inustrilasts who are ready to pay taxes like public organizations Shutting down of factories due to energy and other issues is a serious matter for which the provincial govt is talking to the federal govt he said and added that a plant running on RLNG in Jhang was producing 1240 MW electricity and the government was taking steps to provide electricity to the industry through it The minister mentioned a number of other issues including the imposition of 17 percent tax on animal feed by the federal govt corporate farming, agriculture etc He noted that the tax would add miseries for already under crisis industry, adding that it may create problems for livestock too and the provincial govt was requesting the federal govt for its reversal President MCCI Mian Rashid Iqbal in his welcome address shed light on various issues being faced by the industrialists

All defence assets in safe hands, Senate told

The Senate was informed on Friday that Pakistan is a responsible country and all its defence assets are well protected and in safe hands under a world-acknowledged

mechanism Replying to questions raised by Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan during debate on the next year s budget, Law

Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that Pakistani armed forces were capable enough to defend every inch of the motherland against any threat He said under the austerity measures no member of the cabinet is taking salary Taking part in the discussion, JI s Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that the share of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the National Finance Commission should be given well in time as it is directly linked with the lives of the people He asked to exempt erstwhile FATA from taxes for more ten years In his speech PML-N s Rana

Maqbool said the latest oil deal with Russia will definitely help improve the economy

The Senate today passed “The Elections

Amendment Bill 2023” The Bill which was moved by the Minister of State for Law

Shahadat Awan contains amendments in the Elections Act 2017 Talking about the Bill Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said that under this bill, the Election Commission of Pakistan will now be able to announce the dates for the general elections

Former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani while supporting the bill said that the bill is tantamount to protecting the future generations of Pakistan

The House also passed unanimously The Members of the Senate Salaries and Allowances Bill 2023” It was moved by Senator Kauda Babar

house due to which his driver got injured

Following the attack, Chaudhry Aitzaz

Ahsan reached Khosa’s house to express solidarity with him Ahsan demanded the police to trace and arrest the attackers

forthwith

SP Cantt Owais Shafique along with a heavy contingent of police reached the house of former Punjab governor Sardar Latif Khosa after the firing incident

“I was listening to a client’s case at my home I heard shots my driver came inside and said that he has been hit by a shot the

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Furthermore in February the Chinese Development Bank refinanced a $700 million loan bringing the total facility from Chinese institutions to $2 billion

During the committee meeting, it was informed that the selection process for presidential roles at the National Bank and the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) is nearing its final stages Shortlisted candidates are awaiting final interviews with the Minister for Finance and Revenue

The committee raised concerns about the sustainability of the proposed budget questioning its feasibility in light of the current economic situation in Pakistan

However, the finance minister presented statistical evidence to support the revenue targets outlined in the budget proposal, projecting a growth rate of 3 5% with the proposed budget s aid Dar emphasized the government s commitment to implementing challenging but necessary economic reforms and urged Chambers of Commerce to refrain from spreading misinformation that could destabilize the market

The committee along with multiple Chambers of Commerce acknowledged the government s dedication to incentivizing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

former Punjab governor said “When I went outside, I saw [bullet] holes in the gate A bullet also hit my car

The shots were fired from a Kalashnikov Pictures and videos of his house showed several bullets lying on the ground inside and outside his house along with a bullet hole in his car s front bumper

Bullet holes and damage caused by the firing could also be seen on his house’s main gate Khosa said that till 7pm on Thursday he was attending a lawyer s convention organised by the Supreme Court Bar

equitable loan distribution, IT sector reforms, support for the agriculture industry, and measures aimed at women’s empowerment

In response to concerns raised during the meeting the FBR Chairman and the Finance Minister affirmed the imposition of a 0 6% tax on cash withdrawals, as a move toward documenting and digitalizing the economy However, the committee proposed reducing the tax rate to 0 2% to address concerns about cash transactions and smuggling

The committee also recommended an equitable tax regime for raw material traders, increasing the tax net by incentivizing new filers, and offering discounted rates for credit card usage in restaurants Furthermore concerns were raised about the allocation of $3 billion by the previous government at minimal interest rates and the non-utilization of crop insurance for the farming community

Regarding the IMF, the Finance Minister stated that all technical measures were finalized and a stafflevel agreement should be signed within the same month Delays in the budget strategy paper were attributed to ongoing discussions with the IMF, with geopolitical factors potentially influencing the release of tranches

The meeting was attended by members of the National Assembly senior officers from the Finance

Association and Lahore High Court Bar Association where he talked about the “Constitution’s supremacy [ ] and the judicial system”

I said [during the convention] that unconstitutional government has been imposed in two provinces The way chants are raised outside the Supreme Court, it is contempt [of court], the veteran lawyer said He lamented: “There was a huge applause there but here [those remarks] sparked [the firing] Khosa asserted: The lawyer s movement cannot be weakened by

Division, M/o Law and Justice, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), and representatives from all Chambers of Commerce and Industry

Meanwhile the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue successfully concluded its deliberations and recommendations on the Finance Bill, 2023-2024 The committee reviewed deferred items, made recommendations and decisions accepted certain items and rejected others for finalization of the report

The committee also decided to discuss various recommendations even after the budget All the deferred items of the customs act were accepted after due deliberation, and the committee emphasized the potential burden on consumers with the taxation of consumer goods sold under brand names and trademarks Sections related to Bonus share and Super Tax were unanimously rejected by the committee

The committee received general recommendations from Senators Rukhsana Zuberi and Saadia Abbasi which were included in the budget Various stakeholders including the Telecom Foundation and the Pepsi-Cola International representative, expressed concerns over regulatory duties and taxes, advocating for reductions and rationalizations The committee will continue its deliberations on the final recommendations and report on Monday

decide

ation

Waseem added that the ECP could not be given the authority to exceed the powers envisaged under the law and suggested that simple legislation should be done instead of complicating things Subsequently, the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjarani presented the bill for voting before the House and it was passed with a majority DISQUALIFICATION OF LAWMAKERS

The bill presented in the Senate also included an amendment to Section 232 (Qualifications and Disqualifications) of the Election Act, 2017

“Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Act any other law for the time being in force and judgement order or decree of any court including the Supreme Court and a high court the disqualification of a person to be elected chosen or to remain as a member of the Parliament or provincial assembly under paragraph (f) of clause (1) of Article 62 of the Constitution shall be for a period not exceeding five years from the declaration of the court of law in that regard and such declaration shall be subject to the due process of law ” it stated

The amendment added that the procedure manner and duration of disqualifications and qualifications should be as specifically provided for in relevant provisions of Articles 63 and 64 of the Constitution Where no such procedure, manner or duration has been provided for therein, the provisions of this Act shall apply,” it added

ECP’S PROPOSALS

Earlier this year raising alarm over judicial overbearing

SWABI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Excise Department on Friday raided the residences of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) senior leader and former

diluting its writ, the ECP had proposed the recently enacted law Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja had written letters to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani proposing amendments to Sections 57 (1) and 58 of the Elections Act 2017 Letters on similar lines, signed by ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, were also sent to the principal secretary to the prime minister and secretary for parliamentary affairs

“Section 11 of the original (peoples’ representation) Act of 1976 empowered the Commission to announce poll date unilaterally without any trace of intervention by a third party

The Section was amended through Ordinance No 11 of 1985 (12 1 1985) with the sole object to create the role of the President to hold the elections at the whims of one man, the identical letters, seen by Dawn com, had said

“The role of the president to appoint a date for poll in case of dissolution of the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister or the dissolution of the National Assembly on expiry of the term is not supported by any constitutional provision they had pointed out The letters had further said that the amendment made to Section 11 of the Representation of People Act was also replicated in Section 57 (1) of the Elections Act, which states that the president shall announce the date of elections after consulting the ECP “Therefore Section 57(1) of the act ibid to the extent of the role of the president to announce poll date is against the spirit of the Constitution and ultra vires of proviso of Article 222 as it has abridged and taken away the powers of the commission mandated under Article 218(3) and 219 of the Constitution

such tactics

We are standing with the chief justice [of Pakistan]

Noting that “power is being grossly abused”, the former Punjab governor said he had never before seen such a period in the country s history

The initial report about the incident reveal pistol and riffle were used in firing at the senior lawyer s house Seven bullet cases have been found by the investigators from outside Khosa’s house

The injured driver named Javed was shifted to hospital where his statement is being recorded the police said and added that CCTV footage is being reviewed for the arrest of the attackers

Khosa maintained that he told the police officers that the Punjab inspector general (IG) was “domineering” and held press conferences every day He claimed that he would file a case against the IG if he arrived at Khosa s residence

Cabinet approves TAPI joint implementation plan to accelerate gas pipeline project

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

It outlines the framework for cooperation and establishes the basis for future binding agreements

The JIP has already been cleared by the Ministry of Law and Justice in Pakistan ensuring its legal validity Focal Person and Leadership: The JIP designates a focal person from each participating country to facilitate effective communication and coordination In the case of Pakistan, Dr Jehanzeb Khan, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, has been nominated as the focal person The focal persons will play a crucial role in leading and guiding the project s implementation efforts from their respective countries Timeline and Milestones: The JIP emphasizes the importance of adhering to timelines and achieving project milestones It highlights the urgency of completing the feasibility study and progressing towards the construction phase in a timely manner Clear timelines will be established for various project activities enabling effective monitoring and progress tracking Government Support: The JIP emphasizes the commitment of the participating countries’ governments to support and facilitate the project It highlights the role of the federal cabinet in approving and endorsing the Joint Implementation Plan indicating strong political will and determination to see the project through The TAPI Joint Implementation Plan serves as a roadmap for the successful implementation of the TAPI Gas Pipeline Project It provides a comprehensive framework for coordination, cooperation and timely completion of key activities By defining responsibilities establishing a senior coordination committee and emphasizing the legal and government support required the JIP sets the stage for enhanced energy security and regional prosperity

Asif advises Miftah to express reser vation at par t y forum

Soon after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s strict warning to critics of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar from within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz s (PML-N) ranks, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday advised former financial czar Miftah Ismail a vocal critic of his successor to express his reservation at the party forum The premier, while addressing the central general council meeting of the party where he was re-elected as the president of the PML-N said: Those people within the party pulling his [Dar s] leg have no right to remain part of the PML-N In his recent salvo against Dar, the former finance minister on June 9 said that the budget 2023-24 is in line with the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) demands and not very expansionary Dar however claimed that he presented “a responsible budget not an election budget Miftah had said that the way the government was increasing taxes and giving money to the provinces, this budget was not sustainable Earlier, The ex-finance minister claimed that his successor ran campaigns against him for more than six months as he could not tolerate someone else from the party as the finance minister The PML-N leader said Dar is closer to Nawaz Sharif because his son is married to Nawaz s daughter and was with him in London It is pertinent to mention here that Dar replaced Miftah in September last year Since being replaced by his party colleague as finance minister, Miftah has been criticising the incumbent government’s economic policies

National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser and former education minister Shahram Tarakai

According to details, teams of Excise Department conduced separate raids on houses of Asad Qaiser and Shahram Tarakai in different localities of Swabi

During raids two vehicles were taken into custody from residence of former Speaker NA while two noncustom paid and unregistered vehicles were recovered from house of former education minister The Excise officials said that no one were present at house during raids therefore no arrest could be made They said that the vehicles worth

millions of rupees have been taken into custody and investigations were kicked off In a statement Asad Qaiser said that police illegally raided his house in Swabi despite the bail in all the fake FIRs from the concerned courts Shahram Tarakai said that police that an illegal raid was carried out by the police at his house in Swabi and were forcibly taken away two vehicles They were of the view that the sanctity of boundary wall was being violated, which was a violation of basic human rights and Pakhtun traditions “Our struggle will continue until the restoration of true democracy rule of law and supremacy of constitution Inshallah they vowed

Pakistan seeks roll over of existing $1b, pursues additional $300m from Bank of C hina

Bill sails through S enate to empower ECP

polls date unilaterally, end lifetime disqualific

Excise Dept raids houses of ex-NA speaker, KP minister; recovers 4 vehicles

B u d g e t t h a t w o n ’ t d o i t s j o b

The IMF has been angered, while the voter hasn’t been attrac ted

tH E 2023-2024 Federal Budget was expected to be one where it threw open its coffers caution to the winds, and fulfilled requests from various interest groups and pro-government lobbies at the same time, it was also expected to exercise the kind of fiscal caution that would keep the IMF happy enough for it to engage with it in one more review It failed on both counts, the budget it presented has not attracted the voter, because it has not given enough relief at the same time it contains issues which have made it difficult to defend before the IMF the local IMF representative, Ms Esther Ruiz Perez, went as far as to issue a press release detailing the various aspects of the budget which caused problems First was a tax amnesty scheme which she said was violative of an IMF conditionality, then it failed to broaden the tax base, and failed to address the power sector s liquidity problem the latter two have been virtually staples of the IMF’s concerns about the budget the IMF is not the only critic the government had to face Its own ally, the PPP, has been critical of the budget as not being one that would allow it to go into the next election comfortably the PPP had left the management of the economy to the PML(N), but has found that it has not delivered sufficiently to enable it to go to the hustings with any confidence While PPP ministers have been loyal enough its backbenchers have seen no reason to defend policies that may cost them their seat come polling day the outburst against Budget by Nafisa shah in the National assembly’s Finance Committee provides just one example where the shehbaz government finds itself exposed this is something the PML(N) has brought on itself It is a coalition government formally, but apart from Finance the PML(N) has also taken the Defence and Interior portfolios leaving only Foreign affairs to the PPP If the coalition finds it is no shape for the next election, it is the PML(N) which suffered an excess of confidence, and proved not to have the men for the job it thought it did the Finance portfolio is a prime example the holder was brought in from exile, and widely touted as Mr Fixit, who would right the economy, but it now turns out he only had old solutions to new problems and solutions which had not worked all that well the last time around

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Nizami Editor

M A Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

HI s tO RY would bifurcate May 9 into two parts First on May 9 people (mostly the youth) exercised their right to raise a voice for their rights and staged demonstrations, whether in civilian areas or military cantonments second, on May 9, people (mostly the youth) resorted to acts of violence and arson especially in military cantonments after May 9 the state has been using the pretext of the second half to silence the first half of May 9 this deed of the state is both erroneous and unjustifiable that is, in the name of retribution for acts of violence and arson on May 9, clampdown is continuing with the sole objective of decimating the Pakistan tehrik Insaf (PtI) the state whether it is the incumbent government or it is the army has no right to exterminate the PtI Gaffes and wrong turns of the PtI are known In all the negativity, the embedded positivity of the PtI has been disseminating the message of the awareness of one’s rights to elaborate, the main positive with the PtI has been to mobilize the youth into giving them a voice and making them realize their presence on the earth the mobility of the youth both boys and girls paid dividends for society in two ways: first it invited politicians (even electables) from other parties to join the PtI and ensure their electoral win; and second, it compelled rival political parties to divert their attention towards assuaging the youth– both during political rallies and afterwards another point of positivity has been that the PtI remained successful in introducing modern politics (with all its refrains and gadgets) into otherwise entrenched traditional politics the PtI made politics uncharted waters for traditional politicians Even the electables who joined the PtI to ensure their electoral victory remained worried about their compatibility with rising voter expectations especially in the youth Precisely the PtI threatened the existence of the Kammi culture propping up traditional politics that is, the youth refused to be low-caste Dalits ever ready to fawn over the master, political or administrative this is one of the reasons the pro-traditionalists have decided to cash in on May 9 events to annihilate the pro-modernists

the PtI is not just paying the cost of violence and arson of May 9 the PtI has also been paying the price for challenging the status quo of traditional politics the PtI is being punished for exercising its constitutional right to raise a voice and stage demonstrations though it was the blunder of the PtI to resign from the National assembly, it is unfortunate to see the assembly passing a resolution on June 12 demanding a speedy action against the May 9 rioters under the Pakistan army act of 1952 Unfortunately just for the sake of devastating the PtI the assembly decided to submit to the army this is precisely why democracy remains subservient to the will of a military dictator Defence Minister Khawaja asif, who tabled the resolution, was unaware that it was not the PtI but a bench of the supreme Court which had decided on the Panama case to exclude Nawaz sharif from politics years ago the decision was unfair and unjust the PtI celebrated the decision for which it is being punished What about the judges who delivered the decision? What about the army men who were part of the joint investigation team?

Khawaja asif ’s party the PML(N) has not held them accountable for their misdeeds the PML-N is so scared of the judges that it shied away from holding even a retired supreme Court judge and Chairman NaB Justice Javed Iqbal accountable for sexually harassing a lady tayyaba Farooq Gul the understandable reason for discounting the reprehensible act of Mr Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal was to keep the sC pleased with the PML(N) the condemnable crime of the judge is still unpunished as if that were not enough to appease the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr Justice Umar ata Bandial, the PML(N) even permitted him violating merit and elevating three junior judges to the supreme Court the PML(N) played traditional politics: not to displease the authority the grave mistake of the PML(N) put the whole country in trouble May 9 was one of those troubles

disappeared He is still naïve to understand that the vagaries of life entail all potential to offer his head to some Kangaroo court If the Pakistan army act of 1952 is still relevant to the modern democracy of 2023 the Kangaroo courts are also waiting in the wings

The point is simple: there was no problem with the first par t of May 9 The spirit of holding an authority, civil or militar y, accountable to people is the essence of modern-day democracy. Submitting the PTI workers, who are mostly the youth, to any kind of militar y cour ts is not an effor t to channeliz e the youthÊs energy to the construction of society and wellness of democracy

Not change but the status quo suits the army which dislikes being challenged by the sanctity of human rights some army officers might have obtained law degrees but these documents cannot make them judges equivalent to civil judges the civil system is highly competitive, bringing forward best legal minds to pass the exam of a civil judge rendering consequently any kind of military courts deficient and ingenuous in quality It would be like doctors of army Medical Corps (mistakenly) thinking of competing with doctors of services Hospital Lahore Civil doctors are far ahead in their expertise exposure experience and knowledge after subduing the PtI, the voice for changing the status quo would be over or the voice may be hijacked by other political parties which may be keen to showcase a semblance of change but without any substance stillness may please the traditionalists, but it heralds the demise of society the point is simple: there was no problem with the first part of May 9 the spirit of holding an authority, civil or military, accountable to people is the essence of modern-day democracy submitting the PtI workers who are mostly the youth to any kind of military courts is not an effort to channelize the youth s energy to the construction of society and wellness of democracy

Unfortunate is the stance of the PPP represented by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari For whole life his mother the late Benazir Bhutto, decried military courts (or submitting civilians to any army act) Her concept of Kangaroo courts was any court which was handicapped in dispensing justice Now by supporting the resolution in the assembly Bilawal assumes that the Kangaroo courts have

W i l l B l i n k e n ’ s v i s i t b r i n g p o s i t i v i t y t o S i n o - U S r e l a t i o n s ?

ample of the Usa s propensity for short-sighted and counterproductive actions subsequently, both the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, and the shangri-La Dialogue in singapore were used by Washington as platforms to showcase its hostility towards China

In Hiroshima the Usa attempted to rally support for a collective response to what it labeled as China s economic coercion, portraying it as a global challenge similarly, at the shangri-La Dialogue China’s legitimate advocacy for safeguarding its sovereignty was unfairly depicted as threat to regional peace and stability Meanwhile the true threats to peace and stability, emanating from the Usa s containment measures against China, were conveniently overlooked, and painted as benign endeavours to maintain order

La s t month when Us President Joe Biden predicted that a thaw in the sino-Us relationship would begin very shortly many analysts dismissed it as just a slip of tongue rather than serious rhetoric However, the confirmation by the Chinese Foreign Ministry about Us secretary of state antony Blinken’s visit to China this weekend has sparked a renewed sense of optimism indicating the potential for a resumption of positivity between the two sides

Because of the prevailing atmosphere of extremism in Us politics, envisioning a swift resurgence of rationality and normalcy in Washington’s approach towards China has become increasingly challenging Yet recent events such as the joint visit of Us assistant secretary of state for East asian and Pacific affairs Daniel J Kritenbrink and sarah Beran the White House National security Council s senior director for China affairs, and now Blinken s visit, offer a glimmer of hope that something positive is brewing such a change in perspective would certainly pave the way for a renewed phase of collaboration between the two global powers Blinken s visit signifies the emergence of pragmatism among Us policymakers Regrettably, the grand tapestry of Us diplomacy has been marred by incessant interference and intervention from the extreme China hawks in Washington obscuring the prospects of a mutually beneficial relationship

In an unfortunate turn of events in February the Usa demonstrated its penchant for overreaction and unilateral actions

In response to the unmanned civilian balloon incident, the Us side decided to postpone secretary Blinken’s visit to China, thereby squandering a valuable opportunity for meaningful engagement and dialogue between the two nations this ill-considered decision not only aggravated the already abysmally low level of mutual trust but also exacerbated the deepening rift between China and the Usa the postponement of Blinken’s visit was a missed chance to bridge the gap and foster understanding between the two nations Instead it served as yet another ex-

It is the Biden administration that has fueled more cynicism in the sino-Us relationdhip by taking the initiative to create more opacity in the longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity concerning the taiwan issue It was established in the 1970s firmly, explicitly, and unambiguously that taiwan is part of China, but neither side will undertake provocative actions to change this situation It’s called strategic ambiguity

It s held the peace for 50 years which is not inconsiderable in international affairs China is still maintaining that position the Usa is abandoning it, is how Noam Chomsky, renowned american scholar, has commented in his interview with Piers Morgan recently these actions by the Usa reveal a disturbing pattern of antagonism towards China driven by self-interest and a desire to maintain dominance in the region Rather than engaging in constructive dialogue and seeking common ground, Washing-

The persistent hijacking of the foreign policy ag enda by fer vent ideologues has hindered the prospects of a harmonious trajector y in Sino-American relations Constructive engag ement, rather than antagonism, holds the key to a future where both nations can harness their collective strengths for the betterment of the world.

ton continues to stick to a confrontational approach that risks escalating tensions and jeopardizing global stability against this backdrop the visit of Blinken to China must be taken very seriously because it presents a unique opportunity for constructive engagement admittedly, the Usa holds the key to shaping a positive atmosphere that fosters sincerity and goodwill Only through such proactive measures can this visit transcend mere spectacle and evolve into a substantive endeavour actively propelling the healthy and stable growth of China-Us relations the focus must remain on substance rather than theatricality, if this visit is to yield meaningful outcomes amid the stagnant state of China-Us relations a breakthrough lies within strengthened communication and the resolution of numerous pressing issues It is crucial however to acknowledge that the agenda for discussions cannot be unilaterally determined by the Usa the Chinese side has a long list of grievances the seriousness and accountability with which the Usa addresses these infractions will determine its commitment to constructive engagement and provide the Chinese side with the explanations it rightfully seeks

On the question of taiwan China s resolute commitment to upholding national unity and territorial integrity is unequivocal, underscored by its unwavering stance and clearly defined red lines so it is crucial for both nations to prioritize rebuilding trust and finding common ground in order to navigate the complex challenges that lie ahead Only through sincere and meaningful cooperation can we hope to achieve a more harmonious and stable global order the persistent hijacking of the foreign policy agenda by fervent ideologues has hindered the prospects of a harmonious trajectory in sino-american relations Constructive engagement rather than antagonism holds the key to a future where both nations can harness their collective strengths for the betterment of the world the time has come for the Usa to transcend the suffocating grip of ideological entrapment and forge a new path one that fosters understanding cooperation and shared prosperity with China

The writer is a freelance columnist

It is apparent that the second part of May 9 is being overemphasized and overplayed to undermine the prospects of change which could challenge the status quo in society this is unfair to the PtI and society at large

The writer can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo com

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

A power ful tool

s O C I a L media is a powerful tool that helps people connect and communicate with one another It provides real-time information about what is happening in other parts of the world those who use social media intelligently are the ones who make the most of the many opportunities that are available currently Else, the whole thing becomes a waste of time according to reports, more than four billion people across the globe have access to social media It shows how easily governments can reach people and provide relevant information to them During the Covid pandemic people learnt a lot through social media It was a source of online education entertainment inspiration and motivation during the days that people spent in quarantine

While social media is a useful platform, it can also be destructive if used excessively or irresponsibly Research studies have shown how addictive social media can be and how easily it can force someone into social emotional and even mental isolation affecting one’s mental health

Regrettably most of the people use social media for no productive reason such reckless usage is bound to increase the risk of depression anxiety suicidal ideation and more importantly cyber-attacks and privacy such usage of social media can distract people, disturb their daily routines and sleep patterns, and affect their communication skills social media should be used safely and responsibly by all of us Parents particularly need to be vigilant in this regard and should allow their children to use it only under their supervision

Why resist a fair living wage?

t H E strong advocacy for a fair living wage by the chief executive officer (CEO) of a leading corporate and consumer brand gladdened my heart the fact that the person concerned also happens to be the sitting president of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) definitely adds to the weight of the utterance and that actually gladdened my heart even more

It was a breath of fresh air for the large underprivileged segment of our society that earns just enough to eat a couple of nans a day and does not have any means to attend to their children s educational, medical or other basic needs the OICCI chief had also spoken about the matter previously when in a tV interview he had advocated a minimum wage of Rs56,000 for all segments of the workforce, whether in the corporate world or otherwise

Unfortunately this view of the president of OICCI is not shared by many employers and as per record the Employers Federation of Pakistan of which the OICCI itself and indeed the corporate brand concerned happen to be members, had gone to court against the decision by the sindh government two years ago to raise the minimum wage to a mere Rs25,000 this is by the way less than half the fair living wage being advocated now by some conscientious CEOs the opposition to the fair living wage proposal is also strong and is mainly by known tycoons who hardly pay any taxes they continue to get richer due to a variety of tax exemptions and evasions that are woven into the tax mechanism in the country the move is also opposed by several CEOs whose remuneration, as per published financial reports of listed companies, is over Rs100 million per year the government should enforce the fair living wage, but at the same time it should take steps to increase productivity across the national economy including the agriculture sector as is common knowledge the current level of productivity in Pakistan is the lowest in the region a fair treatment both for the workers and the investors is the only way forward Let us move in that direction to the benefit the under-privileged without being unfair to anyone MOIN

Trade with Iran - Beyond 2022 COMMENT 05

Pakistan and Iran also have to tackle the sec tarian issue

is also unlikely to get offended by such cooperation anymore therefore options should be explored to increase trade and cooperation with Iran

AsADuLLAH RAIsANI

Pa K I s ta N shares a long border of some 909 km with Iran its West Districts Chaghi Washuk Panjgur Kech and Gwadar of the Balochistan province of Pakistan have adjoining borders with Iran

It is estimated that over a million Pakistanis directly, and almost the same number of Pakistanis indirectly, depend on border trade, or rather smuggling on that border with Iran It is easy to find Iranian beverages, petrol and diesel, cooking oil, sweets snacks and dairy products in more than half of Balochistan even in the provincial capital Quetta and especially contiguous Baloch areas in the province the contiguous districts of the province even get electricity from Iran, as these districts have yet to be connected with Pakistan s national grid In short, the livelihoods of a great number of Pakistanis are directly or indirectly dependent on this border therefore there is a need to regularize and increase border trade with Iran and make easy movement of human capital possible this article aims at exploring and recommending a way forward

For a long part of its 75 years of history, Pakistan remained grappling with the choices in its foreign policy to maintain a balance between the Iran and saudi arabia Pakistan’s population is over 75 percent sunni Muslim causing a tilt in its public opinion in favor of the Kingdom However it is also a fact that no nation on earth has the choice to pick and choose its neighbours, which has always nudged the people sitting in Islamabad to opt for a wiser and balanced approach between Iran and the Kingdom For, foreign relations cannot be taken for granted and keep changing depending upon vital national interests since the China-been brokered rapprochement between Iran and the Ksa has recently reached choices have ultimately got better for Islamabad stakeholders and policymakers in Pakistan now should benefit most from this rapprochement China, unlike the Usa, may not get offended if Pakistan goes for more and easier border trade and cooperation with Iran secondly the Ksa

Possible options can be as follows a great number of people living in Balochistan near the Iranian border often trade through the taftan border Certain checkpoints with advanced CCtV cameras and technologically well-equipped computer systems should be built for more trade and easy human capital movement across the border Locations for such advanced-feature checkpoints can be taftan in District Chaghi Mashkel in District Kharan Grawag in District Panjgur Mand in District turbat, Jiwani and Gabd in District Gwadar of Balochistan Checkpoints that are already functional should be upgraded Proper checks and balances and strict accountability will make it smooth for the people living on both sides of the border to trade easily However american sanctions on Iran cannot be nullified but can be managed intelligently therefore barter trade can be a potential option to consider in this regard there are already such memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Pakistan and Iran that ask for barter trade between the two, so those need to be implemented and more such MoUs should be concluded for increasing the trade volume between the countries there are already such instances where Iran has explored barter trade arrangements with India Russia thailand and turkiye the recent visit of Pakistan s Prime Minister shehbaz sharif to Iran, his meeting with the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and their joint inauguration of a marketplace and a power transmission line along the Pak-Iran border is a good starter to boost trade and energy cooperation between both countries as already stated by the Iranian leader during shehbaz s visit Iran is ready to deepen energy cooperation with Pakistan His words, today, both countries see the border as an opportunity and not a threat,” also sound welcoming and signal more cooperation between the two countries Because in the past both countries at times have blamed each other for harbouring militant groups or showing reluctance to act against them that were operating across the border against either Iran or Pakistan

With the China-brokered rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, new options for cooperation, trade, easy movement of human capital, and tourism have opened for Pakistan and Iran both. They can open more checkpoints across the border and install and use technologically advanced gadgets and systems to make convenient trade between them

For easy movement of human capital across the border and for increasing tourism between the two countries it is essential to deal with a major ideological fault line that is visible in both countries For instance, a great number of ethnic Hazara shias live in the outskirts of Quetta and there is almost no connection between the shia and sunni population of the city Unfortunately, this sectarian divide is now quite visible in many parts of Pakistan, where the shias and sunnis feel threatened by each other the other side of the coin is not good either as there are instances of harassing the sunni population in Iran, also harassing Pakistani passport holders, and calling them names to make them feel inferior to Persians For such reasons it is important to manage this sectarian fault line, which is possible by following a specific course of action For instance, Pakistani passports ought to be respected in Iran and arrangements should be made between the officials of

both states for this purpose secondly the shia-sunni divide card should not be allowed to be played by the clergy nor by any political party nor any religious group the law-enforcing agencies in Pakistan, as well as Iran, should make it clear that those who play this card will be punished as per the law of the land Most importantly, efforts should be made to end shia-sunni segregation in Pakistan and ideas that are common between both sects like respect for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the teachings of the Holy Quran should be used as a bridge to bring them closer the slogan of the single National Curriculum can possibly do that also, many of their cultures not only resemble but are exactly the same, and should be promoted With the China-brokered rapprochement between Iran and saudi arabia new options for cooperation trade easy movement of human capital and tourism have opened for Pakistan and Iran both they can open more checkpoints across the border and install and use technologically advanced gadgets and systems to make convenient trade between them

However they need to counter the sectarian divide that both states populations face to enhance tourism and increase cooperation between their citizens mechanisms for more interaction between Pakistanis and Iranians to increase tourism and easy movement of human capital can be discussed between the two governments such policies in the long run will not only benefit Pakistan and Iran, but also the entire region

The writer is a Research Fellow Balochistan Think Tank Network Quetta

Dictators without an exit

in a way inaccessible to other species? Maybe unlike aI devices and algorithms the brain is software and hardware rolled into one? too much uncertainty remains

If neuroscience is an inchoate field riddled with myriad questions and gaps, what of its simpler subset – artificial intelligence? Can an embryonic technology invented by humans suddenly spring to life and threaten mankind?

When you are suffering from snowballing intellectual torpor or depression that may be the brain s way of warning you to avoid fake news and the fools who peddle them

TRAFFIC TEST: HUMAN BRAIN VS AI:

The world’s despots know that losing power will mean a long prison sentence and the loss of the vast for tunes they pillaged

RT D R M At H e w M A AvA K

TH E global infoscape is currently abuzz with alarmist predictions over the dangers posed by artificial intelligence (aI) Billionaire entrepreneurs and their hirelings, who had once gushed over the emerging aI “technopia” have suddenly turned apocalyptic as the narrative du jour goes a sentient aI may ultimately turn against its creators But are there any merits to this claim apart from fictional cues from the terminator franchise?

One way to answer that question would be to compare aI to an analogue that is already available and sentient, namely – the human brain aI was designed not only to mimic the human mind but also to out-compute it in certain aspects apart from presenting a paradigm shift aI s utility is not entirely revolutionary

Rather, it is a continuation of innovations past and present – wheels, cranks, and windmills to surmount our limbic limitations; bows, arrows and missiles to counter remote threats; and the Internet to resolve space-time constraints in (global) communications according to a notable article in the Foglets, it is postulated that the human brain operates at 1 exaFLOP, which is equivalent to a billion calculations per second” Mind you, this is just a postulation – a guesstimate likely defined by computing metrics at the time of writing Frontier the world s fastest supercomputer reportedly operates at a speed of 1 102 exaFLOP the difference between the brain and the supercomputer, however, lies in nature and function: one thinks while the other analyses data

We have invented supercomputers to crunch numbers but our scientists remain baffled by the neural processing prowess of human calculators shakuntala Devi who grew up in a circus environment, was one prime example Our sophisticated machine-mediated models still cannot fully comprehend how the brain works, beyond the fact that there is an atypical increase in blood flow to particular cerebral lobes when computational tasks are performed the rest is a plane of scattered studies suppositions and data that have yet to be reconciled into a comprehensible whole there are too many unknowns with regards to the human brain this may be the reason why the scientific community casually divides its major functions into eight or 12 primary categories Where sentience lies within these categories remains an open question Maybe, it is the result of cumulative interactions between all of them Or maybe, humans have a sentient soul that makes them innovate

If we cannot fully understand how the human brain works or even define sentience, why are we cutting and pasting plots from sci-fi flicks onto our reality? there is a hypothetical chance that artificial intelligence does pose a real threat within a narrow spectrum Poor software designs rushed developmental processes and mismatched updates to algorithms among others can lead to various disaster scenarios those involve incidents at chemical or nuclear plants, on the stock market, or with experimental self-driving vehicles But the prospect of an ominous sentient aI is an imaginary proposition altogether the current fad in aI alarmism may actually be rooted in something more venal and down-to-earth For it may not be machines that will ultimately revolt against its masters, but rather the hundreds of millions of workers –perhaps billions – who will be displaced by aI before this decade is out this topic deserves a dedicated commentary on its own and the human brain provides a reality check to the supposed existential threats posed by aI

WONDERS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN:

the nm org resource provides the following snippet on our thinking organ and its processing capabilities: a fragment of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains 100 000 neurons and 1 billion synapses the brain can generate about 23 watts of power – enough to power a light bulb Information travels up to an impressive 268 miles per hour, while its storage capacity is considered virtually unlimited Research suggests the human brain consists of about 86 billion neurons Each neuron forms connections to other neurons which could add up to 1 quadrillion (1,000 trillion) connections

No wonder the Psalmist exulted in the fact that he was “fearfully and wonderfully made” in “his mother ’s womb” at any one second the brain coordinates a bewildering variety of functions within itself and the human body in order to maintain organic harmony It also rapidly compensates any deviation from the norm within the body in the event of a disruption i e shifting balance to one leg after another is impaired or activating hemostasis upon bleeding the human body is therefore the ultimate complex adaptive system (Cas)

While the body s Cas functions are too vast and technical to be enumerated here, there are some worldly examples on how the brain contrives to protect its host When you have a “pain in the neck” in a vexatious social setting that is your brain sending an instruction via your body to seek the nearest exit thereby avoiding a more serious condition

While the brain generates 23 watts of power the Frontier supercomputer consumes a whopping 21 megawatts (MW) One megawatt is one million watts the energy factor alone is a reason why scientists are betting on biological computing as the next great technological frontier Until then, we need to put up with hardware and software that still cannot match the human brain in relatively simple situations I often use the following traffic example to demonstrate the contrasting capabilities of the human brain and aI two cars are approaching a narrow choke point in opposite directions there is heavy rain and wind outside Car a is travelling twice as fast as Car B but the distance to the choke point is twice as long for the former Both drivers realise that under normal conditions Car B should speed up to exit the narrow strip However, there is a large puddle of water in front of Car B, hinting at a risky pothole underneath Both drivers instinctively realise that it is then better for Car a to exit the choke point first and thereby free up space in the adjoining lane for Car B to avoid the puddle this is called situational awareness the brain negotiates complexities like these without breaking the proverbial sweat – second after second!

Now, replace the drivers with autonomous driving systems and imagine the amount of energy and the scale of technological infrastructure needed to perform a similar task? the cars would need GPs navigation and weather updates, satellite and 5G connectivity, and a host of sensors satellite navigation may fail during a storm so what should these ‘intelligent’ vehicles do? stay put and halt traffic? Or seek a curb that is rapidly becoming muddy? Our human tactile senses would know when to accelerate out of a slippery situation but self-driving cars would need a staggering array of hardware and algorithms to cope

Now, imagine a billion cars operated by autonomous driving systems How will the energy and computing power for this infrastructure be generated? Would a proverbial Death star suffice albeit for our collective benefit?

Maybe, this is the conundrum that keeps aI alarmists awake at night? the aI technopia they envisage cannot support a global population of one billion let alone the eight billion we have at present

In fact according to the celebrated techno-prophet Yuval Noah Harari the big political and economic question of the 21st century will be what do we need humans for, or at least what do we need so many humans for” Now if that doesn’t send an existential chill down your spine I don’t know what will

Dr Mathew Maavak is a Malaysian expert on risk foresight and governance

ON E of the critical debates of our time is how to deal with dictators In dozens of countries there is a fierce clash between those who will only accept the unconditional defeat and the eventual prosecution of a dictator and his cronies and those who are willing to accept horrible concessions in order to establish a democracy

It is an issue whose urgency has become impossible to ignore Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his democratic neighbor Ukraine amplified the world s attention to this difficult problem But it is not just a problem in Russia: from China to the tight control over dissent that teodoro Obiang has maintained in Equatorial Guinea since 1979, the world today is governed by no less than 39 dictators (and that’s without counting the eight kings emirs and sultans who rule single-handedly)

Of those 39 dictators currently in power, 20 of them rule with impunity in africa, 14 more in asia, three in Latin america and two in Europe three command nuclear arsenals Vladimir Putin Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un Others are the despots of countries with significant international influence as Egypt Cuba and Vietnam several rule the poorest countries in the world: Burundi, Laos, Nicaragua and many others whose misery stems in many cases from the dictator ’s incompetence and corrupt leadership

Getting rid of a dictator today is far more difficult than it was a couple of generations ago Back then, a common solution was exile tyrants like Idi amin of Uganda or Baby Doc Duvalier of Haiti knew that, if push came to shove, they could discreetly board a plane with suitcases full of money and retire in a luxurious mansion preferably in the south of France those days are over

On October 10, 1998, General augusto Pinochet was arrested in the name of universal jurisdiction during a stay in London on charges of genocide and torture during his regime (1973-1990) although he was finally released for health reasons and returned to Chile his arrest marked the beginning of the end of exile as a solution to removing entrenched dictators from power Years later, in 2006 former Yugoslav president slobo-

dan Milošević died in a cell in the Hague while awaiting the verdict in his international trial for crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes the intentions of these international prosecutions were undoubtedly good, but their unintended consequences continue to shape politics worldwide By substantially increasing the cost a dictator faces for relinquishing power these cases have paradoxically hampered all subsequent attempts at excising entrenched despots

When the alternative offered to dictators is a long prison sentence and the loss of the vast fortunes they and their cronies have amassed it is not surprising that they will do whatever it takes to avoid losing power For dictators, staying in government is no longer about politics: it becomes an existential requirement Partly because of this deeper entrenchment the process that took place in past decades when dictators left power and were replaced by democratic leaders and their followers, is now very infrequent

Of the last five countries which ousted their dictators only one armenia seems to have had any success in its transition to democracy the others have seen their democratization process regress (tunisia), collapse (Myanmar, Egypt), or degenerate into civil war (sudan) In the latter case, there is an open war between military factions while the former dictator Omar alBashir sits in prison awaiting a trial that will likely carry the death penalty there are few cases in which massive street protests, combined with the support of the armed forces and parts of the international community, succeed in ousting a dictator But this is happening less frequently Much more common is the experience of countries such as Belarus Cameroon Cuba Hong Kong Iran thailand, Nicaragua or Venezuela, where large protest movements have been repressed by their dictators, in most cases brutally the world has lost the ability to remove dictators from power the lack of attractive options and tolerable risks that result from losing power has led autocrats to redouble their efforts to repel the attempts to remove them thus, dictators today are overthrown less frequently than in the past and when they leave, what is often left is a country that is very difficult to democratize or even govern the world needs to relearn the art and science of ousting dictators Or get used to the dismal reality that tyranny and anarchy, not democracy, are the world s most common form of government

Despite the hype, artificial intelligence remains inferior to the human brain

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

AGENCIES

wa S h i n g to n

US rights groups plan protests next week against India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington over what they say is India’s deteriorating human rights situation The Indian American Muslim Council Peace Action Veterans for Peace and Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition plan to gather near the White House on June 22 when Modi is due to meet US President Joe Biden Washington hopes for closer ties with the orld s largest democracy which it sees as a counterweight to China but rights advocates worry that geopolitics will overshadow human rights concerns The United States

has said these include government targeting of religious minorities dissidents and journalists The groups prepared flyers that said Modi Not Welcome and Save India from Hindu Supremacy Another event is planned in New York featuring a show titled Howdy Democracy,” a play on the name of the 2019

“Howdy Modi!” rally in Texas featuring the Indian prime minister and then-US President Donald Trump Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have invited policy makers, journalists and analysts next week to a screening in Washington of a BBC documentary on Modi that questioned his leadership during the deadly 2002 Gujarat riots All of this is unlikely to change the Biden-Modi discussions said analysts

Oracle cuts hundreds of jobs, rescinds job offers in its health unit – Insider

PR OFIT

r e u t e r S

Software firm Oracle (ORCL N) on Thursday laid off hundreds of employees rescinded job offers and cut back open positions within its health unit the Insider reported citing three people familiar with the matter The layoffs follow thousands of cuts in corporate America as companies wrestle with elevated levels of inflation and rising interest rates Oracle s health unit includes electronic medical records firm Cerner which it acquired for $28 3 billion, its biggest ever deal in December last year

“My guess is that human rights will not be much of a focus of the conversation ” said Donald Camp a former State Department official and part of Washington think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies Camp said that for the Modi trip to be seen as successful on both sides, there would be a reluctance from Washington to raise human rights issues The US State Department has said it regularly raises human rights concerns with Indian officials and respects the free speech rights of US residents to demonstrate against Modi A spokesperson for India s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters PRESS FREEDOM CONCERNS

Since Modi took office in 2014 India has slid from 140th in the World Press Free-

dom Index, to 161st this year, its lowest ever, while also topping the list for the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years

The Indian government dismisses the criticism, saying its policies are aimed at the welfare of all communities and that it enforces the law equally Modi remains India’s most popular leader and is widely expected to remain in office after next year ’s elections

Advocacy groups have however raised concerns over alleged human rights abuses under the Modi s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

They point to a 2019 citizenship law that the United Nations human rights office described as “fundamentally discriminatory” by excluding Muslim migrants; anti-conversion legislation that challenged the constitu-

tionally protected right to freedom of belief; and the revoking of Muslim-majority occupied Kashmir s special status in 2019

The administration of President George W Bush denied Modi a visa in 2005 under a 1998 US law barring entry to foreigners who have committed particularly severe violations of religious freedom

In 2002, when Modi had just become Gujarat s chief minister, at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots Modi denied wrongdoing An investigation ordered by India’s supreme court found no evidence to prosecute him When he became prime minister the US ban was lifted

Under Biden, Washington has raised some muted concern, including by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and by the State Department in its 2023 reports on human rights and religious freedom

The China factor is certainly a prime reason why the US treats rights and democracy issues in India with kid gloves, but it goes further than that, said Michael Kugelman, the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington “The US views India as an important long-term partner

Fo u n d at i o n o f C h i n a - U S r e l at i o n s l i e s i n

e o p l e, X i t e l l s G at e s

BEIJING

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with Microsoft cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates as the latter has been paying a highly-anticipated visit to China hot on the heels of other US business icons and during the trip he also met with other highlevel officials, with both sides expressing willingness to join hands to solve global challenges and help developing nations The meeting which took place as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepares for a long-awaited trip to China illustrated clearly that China s door has never shut on cooperation with the US and its sincere hope for a stable and healthy relationship has been consistent when dealing with non-governmental or governmental figures Greeting the 67-year-old US entrepreneur in Beijing’s Diaoyu-

tai state guesthouse, where China’s leaders have historically received senior foreign guests Xi called Gates the first American friend he has met in Beijing this year The foundation of ChinaUS relations lies in the people We have always placed our hope on the American people and wish all the best for the friendship between the two peoples Xi said, adding that people should travel and communicate more to increase their understanding as the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic Xi applauded Gates and the Gates Foundation for their longterm work to promote poverty reduction, health, development and philanthropy around the world, vowing that China will continue to strengthen cooperation with the Gates Foundation in relevant fields and will provide support and assistance to other developing countries within its capacity

Stressing that China is committed to advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization Xi said China will never fall into a pattern of seeking hegemony and will instead work with other countries to achieve common development and build a community with a shared future for humanity Gates who landed in China on Wednesday said during the meeting that China has made huge achievements in poverty reduction and dealing with the coronavirus, which he said set a

good example for the world

In recent years, the Gates Foundation s cooperation with China has made remarkable progress and that accelerating innovation and development in China is good for China developing countries and the world Gates said The Gates Foundation is committed to strengthening cooperation with China in the fields of innovation, global poverty reduction public health research and development of drugs rural areas and agriculture and spreading successful practices and technologies to other developing countries, he said

US evacuation plan shows it will abandon Taiwan after turning it into an ammunition depot: Taiwan Affairs O ffice

US ag e n C i e S US evacuation plan for American citizens on Taiwan island shows it has made calculations to abandon the island at any time after turning it into a “minefield” and “ammunition depot” through continuous provocations and arm

sales, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council, said on Monday The US government is preparing evacuation plan for American citizens living in Taiwan sources revealed to the US news website The Messenger According to an anonymous US intelligence official, the plan has been underway for at least six months and has “heated up over the past two months or so” due to the recent “heightened level of tension ” Media reports indicated one thing while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan boast about the best-ever Taiwan-US relations, the island is nothing more than a pawn in US’ strategy of containing China and can be discarded at any

moment, Zhu said If a war breaks out across the Taiwan Straits, the island will become a battlefield and people there will end up being cannon fodder But the Americans in Taiwan will just leave safe and sound Zhu pointed out The US wants to replicate his approach in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, where the US just withdrew with endless turmoil, division and devastation left, on Taiwan island right now, Zhu added “I believe the majority of people in Taiwan will have a clear understanding if the US is supporting Taiwan or harm it and if the DPP authority is protecting the island or bringing disaster to it Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also responded to the evacuation plan on Tuesday, saying despite that despite not being aware of the plan

p

Pakistan’s Zaheer Ahmed wins US award for anti human

e i g h t r e c i p i e n t s , i n c l u di n g M r A h m e d T h e T I P r e p o r t i s r e l e a s e d b y t h e U S a n n u a l l y T h r o u g h t h e t i r e l e s s e f f o r t s o f h i s A n t iH u m a n S m u g g l i n g U n i t M r A h m e d h e l p e d d r i v e t h e m o d e r n i z a t i o n o f P a k i s t a n ’s a n t i - t r a f f i c ki n g a n d a n t i - s m u g g l i n g l a w s a n d t h e f o r m u l a t i o n a n d i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a N a t i o n a l A c t i o n P l a n t o C o m b a t H u m a n Tr a ff i c k i n g a n d M i g r a n t S m u g g l i n g H i s t e a m ’s e f f o r t s l a i d t h e g r o u n dw o r k f o r t h e F e d e r a l C a b i n e t s a p p r o v a l i n 2 0 2 1 o f b y l a w s t o t h e 2 0 1 8 l a w s o n h u m a n t r a f f i c k i n g a n d m i g r a n t s m u g g l i n g T h i s i m p o rt a n t w o r k c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e e f f e c t i v e i m p l e m e nt a t i o n o f t h e g r o u n db r e a k i n g l e g i s l a t i o n H e l e v e r a g e d h i s e ng a g e m e n t a c r o s s P a ki s t a n s f e d e r a l a n d p r o v i n c i a l b u r e a u c r a c i e s t o l o b b y s u c c e s s f u l l y f o r P a k i s t a n ’s r a t i f i c a t i o n o f t h e U N P r o t o c o l t o P r ev e n t S u p p r e s s a n d P u n -

PPP calls out PMl-N for PreseNtiNg ‘PoPulist’ budget ahead of electioNs

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

PA K I S TA N Peoples’ Party (PPP) Friday called out its ruling partner Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for presenting an unrealistic and election-oriented budget , questioning the party’s intention behind this “populist” move despite economic uncertainty

PPP’s Nafeesa Shah during the debate over the budget in the meeting of the National Assembly s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue said that Shehbaz Sharif-led government told the lawmakers that tough decisions would

be taken in the budget; however no such measure was unveiled Finance Minister Ishaq Dar unveiled an Rs14 5 trillion (around $50 5 billion) budget on June 9 with over half set aside to service Rs7 3 trillion of debt raising concerns from various stakeholders about the economy s future

An economic storm is looming over our heads, she warned, lamenting that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is pressurising Pakistan and the economy will be in more trouble in the coming days

Committee Chairman Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh regretted that despite his important position he wasn t briefed even asked for a briefing about IMF matters

Pakistan largely ‘spared’ as biparjoy weakens into depression after hitting india’s gujarat

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that Biparjoy had weakened into a cyclonic storm from a “very severe cyclonic storm” during the last three hours and the system is likely to weaken further into a depression before hitting Keti Bandar

The alert stated that the cyclone is at a distance of 110km south of Badin 200km southeast of Keti Bandar and 180km southeast of Thatta

The associated maximum sustained surface winds are 80-100 Km/hour with sea conditions being over the northeast Arabian Sea with wave height 10-12 feet ” the alert said

“The associated maximum sustained surface winds are 80-100 Km/hour with sea conditions being over the northeast Arabian Sea with wave height 10-12 feet, the alert said

Earlier in the day, Climate Change Minister Sherry

Rehman said that the cyclone had completed landfall in India’s Gujarat

“Pakistan was prepared but largely spared the full force Sindh s coastal areas like Sujawal were inundated by high sea levels but most people had been evacuated to safe ground she said

The minister also thanked all authorities concerned for a stellar coordination effort

It said that widespread rain/thunderstorm accompanied by squally winds were likely in Sindh’s Sujawal Badin Tharparker and Umerkot districts while heavy rain was likely in Thatta and Mirpurkhas districts today and tomorrow (Saturday)

Dust/thunderstorm-rain with few moderate falls and gusty winds likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar districts today, the alert said

The weather alert said that a storm surge of 2-2 5 metres was expected along Keti Bandar and its surrounding areas adding that sea conditions along the Sindh-Makran coast were likely to be rough

It also advised fishermen to refrain from venturing out into the open sea until the system was over by June 17

The Civil Aviation Authority also issued a notice to airmen, or NOTAM, in light of the cyclone The NOTAM said that take-off and landing would not be permitted when the wind speed exceeded 30 knots at Karachi Nawabshah Moenjodaro and Sukkur airports

‘Life returning to normal,’ says Sindh CM

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said life was returning to normal in the areas along the country’s coastline as the danger posed by Biparjoy had been averted

He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif the Sindh government and law enforcement agencies for aiding in the safety measures taken to prepare for the cyclone s landfall I am grateful to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who assured me of all kinds of help and cooperation,” he said

Crediting the Sindh government for taking “robust measures” Shah highlighted that his party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali

Zardari continuously kept giving directions for the protection of people s lives and property

He also thanked the provincial ministers, advisers, other elected representatives, the Pakistan Army, the Navy, Rangers and Maritime Security for their efforts ahead of the cyclone as well as the PMD

“Welfare institutions also left no stone unturned in helping the government ahead of the natural disaster Shah added The PPP leader further appreciated the residents who left their homes on the direction of the government and went to camps

This is called teamwork Few examples of such work are found ”

In a tweet the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi also said that the threat had “diminished” and told residents who were earlier evacuated to return home

‘Chaos everywhere’

Meanwhile, shops had been closed early on Thursday evening in Badin and the usually bustling streets emptied as night fell

“Everybody is immensely fearful ” 30-year-old government clerk Iqbal Mallah told AFP

Pakistan to relocate outlawed ttP to western afghanistan

ISTANBUL

S TA F F R E P O R T

business proposals

but wasn t given any update Highlighting the issues which were still unaddressed, the chairman said that no action was taken against those banks which subjected businessmen to injustice and refrained from opening letters of credit (LCs) due to which containers are stuck are ports and those who manipulated the dollar rate

D A R D E F E N D S B U D G E T: At the outset of the hearing, the committee expressed displeasure over the absence of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar “I don’t know what problem the finance minister has with this committee Sheikh said adding that the entire business community was present in the meeting with their

However, Dar arrived at the meeting later and briefed the committee about the federal budget for the fiscal year 2023-24

The finance minister cited the delay in talks with the IMF major reason behind the delay in the preparation of the budget strategy paper Even if this wouldn t have been an election year the budget would have remained the same,” he said in response to the complaints registered by the PPP leader Dar claimed that the tax targets had been set according to the inflation and growth rate He also told the NA panel that a report had been sought from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman

SNGPL star ts gas supply from Wali G as Field, easing energy crisis

PR OFIT S TA F F R E P O R T

In a significant development gas supply from OGDCL s recently discovered Wali (Bettani) gas field in District Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, has commenced, marking a major milestone in addressing Pakistan’s energy crisis

The injection of gas into Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited s (SNGPL) network began earlier today

The discovery of the Wali gas field by the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) prompted directives from Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and the Federal Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) to SNGPL to lay pipelines for gas injection from the newly found field

The gas flow from the Wali

ISLAMABAD

The United States said Thursday that journalists in Pakistan should be allowed to cover the ongoing events and do their work freely

I would say that we generally urge all governments to respect the role of journalists and media, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing in Washington

The department’s spokesperson noted that the press performs a critical function in democratic societies

We expect that journalists covering the events in Pakistan should all be allowed to do their work,” Miller said

gas field will be processed at OGDCL’s facility before being injected into Sui Northern’s transmission system The current gas supply flow rate is 10 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) which is expected to increase to 20 MMCFD in the near future A 50kilometer long high-pressure pipeline has been constructed to connect OGDCL’s processing plant to Sui Northern’s network at Kaka Khel District Lakki Marwat

Additionally SNGPL constructed a 16-kilometer long gathering line as per OGDCL s request

Despite security challenges during the pipeline construction, SNGPL successfully completed the construction of the 66-kilometer-long pipelines in record time The pipeline segments from the well to the processing plant and from the processing plant to Kakakhel Valve Assembly were

commissioned on June 14 and 15,

respectively

The early production facility at Wali (Bettani) Gas Field has been installed to expedite the monetization of hydrocarbons

With a gas production rate of 10 MMCFD and 1000 barrels per day (BBLS/Day) of oil, the gas field is operationally ready OGDCL plans to drill two additional wells Wali Deep#1 and Wali #2 which would further enhance the gas production to approximately 50 MMCFD

The successful commencement of gas supply from the Wali gas field highlights the dedication and hard work of SNGPL’s workforce and the guidance of the company s Board of Directors and current management This achievement contributes significantly to addressing the prevailing energy crisis in Pakistan

Kabul and Islamabad have agreed on a plan to relocate members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to western Afghanistan according to a source

“The two countries have reached a shared understanding regarding the project but no practical measures have been taken to implement it thus far a senior security official of Pakistan told Anadolu on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media

The funding for the relocation will be provided by Pakistan the official added Pakistan s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch declined to comment on the report during a weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday Responding to a query, she said: I would not like to go into specifics on this particular issue

We are engaged with the Afghan interim government on the serious concerns that Pakistan has about the menace of terrorism ”

Our regular engagement is an ongoing process All aspects of countering this menace remain under discussion between the two sides Besides it is not appropriate for us to make comments on any such media statements, she said

She said Islamabad is looking forward to working “closely” with Afghan side to counter the terrorist threat

The TTP which causes frequent tensions in the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan is often on the agenda because of the attacks it has carried out against civilians and security forces in Pakistan, the official added Islamabad remains unconvinced that the Taliban’s interim administration, in control of Afghanistan since August 2021 has fulfilled its promise to prevent terrorist attacks originating from within its territory

A L E RT S A N D A I R S T R I K E S: Pakistan and the TTP have held several peace talks and reached various cease-fires since the outlawed group s inception in 2007 However, they were short lived with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreements In April 2022 the official said Pakistan carried out an airstrike on TTP targets in Afghanistan

The official highlighted the nexus between the TTP and Afghan Taliban against the US

Because of a similar sense of loyalty toward Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban proposed relocating TTP members to Afghanistan

The spokesperson noted that a press without restrictions plays an important role in helping democratic forces evolve A free and independent press is a vital, core institution that undergirds healthy democracies by ensuring that electorates can make informed decisions and holding government officials accountable

The development comes as cases have been registered against several journalists and anchorpersons for their alleged involvement in May 9 riots P T I

H I E F S A L L E G A-

T I O N S FA L S E : In response to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan s allegations against the United States, the

department reiterated its rejection

I would say that we ve spoken [about] this in the past Those allegations are absolutely false, the State Department spokesperson noted “Pakistani politics are a matter for the Pakistani people to decide pursuant to their own constitution and laws They are not a matter for the United States Government, he added I n M a r c h 2 0 2 2 , K h a n c l a i m e d t h a t t h e U S w a s p l o t t i n g t o o u s t h i m a n d c o n t i n u e d w i t h t h e t i r a d e e v e n a f t e r b e i n g v o t e d o u t o f o ff i c e But the tirade ended when he later blamed former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa for his removal from office

Result of K arachi mayoral poll subjec t to outcome of JI plea: SHC

KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T

The Sindh High Court (SHC) Thursday ruled that the result of the city’s mayoral election would be subject to the outcome of the petition that challenges the local government law s amendments that allow unelected persons to contest elections for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor The News reported

Issuing order on Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Emir Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman s plea seeking a stay order on the election for the mayor and deputy mayor posts, an SHC division bench headed by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed said that the operation of the LG Act 2023 and its amendments could not be suspended as an interim measure The court said that no case for interim relief had been made out, but the result of the election would be subject to the final outcome of the petition

The petitioner had elicited interim relief, seeking suspension of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification for the election for the mayor and deputy mayor posts The request had been made on the grounds that the notification was ultra vires the 1973 Constitution without lawful authority and of no legal effect He had sought to restrain the ECP and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation from taking any ac-

tion pursuant to Section 18-B of the Amendment Act

His counsel pointed out that Section 18 of the Act made the membership of the corporation/council a sine qua non (essential condition) vis-à-vis the eligibility of a person seeking to be elected to the post of chairman or mayor He said that prior to the 2023 Act, it had been necessary that a person goes through the rigours of a direct electoral process to become eligible to contest the election for either of those posts

He also said that through the insertion of Section 18-B in the 2023 Act, the provincial government had effectively dispensed with the requirement so as to allow any person to be elected

He argued that Section 3 of the 2023 Act thus offended the fundamental precept of representative democracy at LG level premised on the vesting of executive authority with persons who are elected representatives of the people, as enshrined in Article 140-A of the constitution

The Sindh advocate general raised objections as to the petitioner ’s locus standi (right to bring legal action to court) and the maintainability of the petition

He said the petitioner belongs to a political party whose elected representatives in the provincial assembly had voted in favour of the 2023 Act which according to him, had been passed unanimously

The official said that the interim Taliban government wants to disarm TTP members and relocate them to western Afghanistan but they neither have the money nor infrastructure for the move Pakistan can afford this both in terms of infrastructure and other issues, the security official added I N C R E A S E I N T E R R O R I S T AT TA C K S: Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in August 2021 there has been an increase in TTP attacks on Pakistan The Pakistani army recorded 436 terrorist attacks in the first four months of 2023 resulting in the loss of 293 lives including 137 security personnel Pakistan witnessed 506 terrorist attacks in 2022, resulting in 601 fatalities and 741 injuries, according to data from the Islamabad-based think tank, the Centre for Research and Security Studies

Among the victims 290 were security forces and 311 were civilians

TTP claimed responsibility for many attacks in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border regions

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan spans 2,670 kilometres (1,659 miles) and includes 18 designated points of entry Tensions between the two neighbours rose after the Taliban removed border fencing at some points along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border resulting in an increase in TTP terrorist attacks inside Pakistan in recent months

fbr’ intelligence directorate foils fleeing bid of accused in fake/flying scam

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation Inland Revenue (I&I-IR) Karachi in a recent move to show its resolve against the fake/flying invoice mafia, has successfully blocked the way of a nominated accused in a fake/flying invoice scam to flee out of the country Reacting on a credible information about the mastermind of a recently unearthed fake invoices scam trying to escape from country prosecution filed an application in the Court of Special Judge Custom & Taxation Karachi for attachment of passport of the accused HAB who earlier managed to obtain protective bail from High Court and then interim pre arrest bail from Trial Court but failed to join investigation

The Court after hearing on application was pleased to pass an order to call a report from Director FIA Immigration & Passport Karachi and issued notice to the accused and directed him to join the investigation

The Court further directed that the accused shall not leave the country without prior permission of the Court Authorities at the anti-fraud agency of Inland Revenue have reiterated that the time has come to eliminate the menace of fake/flying invoices from the country which has caused billions of rupees loss to national exchequer

The Ministry of Finance has said that we are

J o u r n a l i s t s s h o u l d b e a l l o w e d t o d o t h e i r w o r k , U S t e l l s P a k i s t a n