Epaper_23-06-21 LHR

P M U N V E I L S E C O N O M I C R E V I VA L P L A N A S A R M Y V O W S A L L O U T S U P P O R T

I S L A M A B A D S h A h z A d p A R A c h A

THE government of Pakistan has devised a plan to attract investm e n t f r o m G u l f C o o p e r a t i o n Council (GCC) countries as part of the ‘Economic Revival Plan’ A s p e r t h e p l a n t h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r h a s approved the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)

The SIFC will serve as a Single Wind o w ’ f o r m u l t i - d o m a i n c o o p e r a t i o n i n

‘Relevant Fields’ with GCC countries and other countries in general aiming to facilitate investment and create an enabling policy environment T h e S I F C w i l l c o n s i s t o f t h r e e t i e r s including a six-member Apex committee chaired by the Prime Minister The executive committee will have eight members, i n c l u d i n g r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f r o m t h e P a kistan Army A d d i t i o n a l l y t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n c o m m i t t e e w i l l c o m p r i s e f i v e m e m b e r s f r o m b o t h c i v i l i a n a n d m i l i t a r y l e a d e rship Co-opted members will include the Secretary of Finance, Secretary of Board of Investment Secretary of Economic Aff a i r s D i v i s i o n ( E A D ) C h a i r m a n o f t h e Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Deputy G o v e r n o r a n d P r o v i n c i a l f o c a l p e r s o n s according to sources

The primary focus of the SIFC will be on investment and privatization, initially targeting five areas: Defense Agriculture M i n e r a l s I n f o r m a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y a n d Telecommunication and Energy

According to the Terms of Reference (ToR), the council will develop long-term

p l a n s f o r g r o w t h d e v e l o p m e n t a n d i nvestment in the relevant fields while capitalizing on low-hanging fruit

F u r t h e r m o r e i t w i l l r a i s e a w a r e n e s s about Pakistan s untapped potential in the Relevant Fields and explore new opportunities to expand cooperation

The SIFC will also work towards imp r o v i n g t h e e a s e o f d o i n g b u s i n e s s b y

o v e r c o m i n g s y s t e m i c a n d b u r e a u c r a t i c h u r d l e s o p t i m i z i n g h o r i z o n t a l - v e r t i c a l s y n e rg y a n d c o o r d i n a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e federal and provincial levels facilitating timely decision-making, avoiding duplic a t i o n o f e ff o r t , a n d e x p e d i t i n g i n v e s tment and project implementation

To monitor the progress of each sectoral division the Apex Committee Ex-

Pakistan and China sign MoU for $3.48b nuclear power project

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pakistan and China for the Chashma-5 (C-5) nuclear power project valued at $3 48 billion

The MoU was signed by Muhammad Saeed ur-Rehman President of China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas Ltd (CNOS), and Member Power, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) During the event Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the significance of the nuclear power project as a major milestone in economic cooperation between the two

countries

He mentioned that the project was initially approved during the government of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif but it was later put on hold by the successive government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)

Despite the rising global inflation, the Chinese government not only refrained from increasing the project cost but also offered a discount of approximately Rs30 billion he said

The prime minister expressed his commitment to promptly initiate the project, emphasizing that China’s investment of $3 48 billion in the challenging economic situation of Pakistan demonstrated the trust and confidence Chinese companies and investors have in the

country Sharif highlighted the strong friendship between Pakistan and China quoting President Xi Jinping s reference to their relationship as iron brothers The prime minister also mentioned the recent inauguration of the K-3 nuclear project in Karachi

Addressing the economic challenges faced by Pakistan he acknowledged the support of international partners such as China Saudi Arabia UAE and Qatar

He particularly thanked President Xi Jinping, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal Power Minister Khurram Dastgir and the new military leadership for their contributions to the project

The prime minister expressed gratitude to Nawaz for initiating the first nuclear power project agreement with China in 1993 He also highlighted the recent renewal of commercial and sovereign loans from China underscoring the unparalleled friendship between the two countries

The signing ceremony was attended by Dar Iqbal and Dastgir as well as officials from China including Pang Chunxue and Shen Yanfeng from China National Nuclear Corporation

T

r i m e M i n i s t e r s o ff i c e s t a t e d t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f P a k i s t a n h a s u n -

v e i l e d a n e l a b o r a t e E c o n o m i c R e v i v a l

P l a n i n r e s p o n s e t o t h e e c o n o m i c c h a l -

l e n g e s f a c e d b y t h e c o u n t r y T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r c h a i r e d t h e e v e n t w h i c h w a s

a t t e n d e d b y t h e C h i e f o f A r m y S t a ff

C h i e f M i n i s t e r s F e d e r a l a n d P r o v i n c i a l

M i n i s t e r s a n d h i g h - l e v e l g o v e r n m e n t o ff i c i a l s T h e p l a n a i m s t o h a r n e s s P a k i s t a n s

untapped potential in key sectors such as D e f e n s e P r o d u c t i o n A g r i c u l t u r e / L i v estock Minerals/Mining IT and Energy through indigenous development and investments from friendly countries

To expedite project development, the S p e c i a l I n v e s t m e n t F a c i l i t a t i o n C o u n c i l

(SIFC) has been established as a ‘Single

Window’ interface for potential investors promoting a unified approach

The council will streamline and simplify business processes by adopting a coo p e r a t i v e a n d c o l l a b o r a t i v e w h o l e - o f - t h e - g o v e r n m e n t a p p r o a c h with representation from all stakeholders

It aims to foster synergy between the fede r a l a n d p r o v i n c i a l g o v e r n m e n t s f a c i l it a t e t i m e l y d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g a v o i d d u p l i c a t i o n o f e ff o r t a n d e n s u r e s w i f t project implementation T h e s i g n i f i c a n t p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f f e deral and provincial governments demons t r a t e s t h e n a t i o n a l c o m m i t m e n t t o reviving the economy against all odds T h e C h i e f o f A r m y S t a ff ( C O A S ) s p e a k i n g a t t h e o c c a s i o n a s s u r e d P a k -

istan Army’s full support to complement t h e g o v e r n m e n t s e ff o r t s f o r t h e E c onomic Revival Plan which is considered crucial for the socio-economic prosperity o f P a k i s t a n i s a n d r e c l a i m i n g P a k i s t a n s rightful stature among nations T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r h i g h l i g h t e d t h a t his government inherited an economy on the brink of collapse With bold and difficult decisions the country is now headi n g t o w a r d s g r o w t h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t H o w e v e r, s i g n i f i c a n t c h a l l e n g e s l i e ahead, and export-oriented foreign direct investments (FDIs) are key to economic r e v i v a l T h e r e f o r e t h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s decided to adopt a holistic and whole-ofgovernment approach that fosters partners h i p s w i t h i n f e d e r a l a n d p r o v i n c i a l g o v e r n m e n t s t o e n s u r e e ff e c t i v e i m p l em e n t a t i o n a n d e x e c u t i o n T h e p r i o r i t y will be given to investors providing them with expedited approvals through a wellcoordinated approach the Prime Minister added

The Prime Minister observed that the e x p e c t e d i n v e s t m e n t s w o u l d c r e a t e j o b s and livelihoods for the youth and women H e e m p h a s i z e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f e mp o w e r i n g t h e y o u n g e r g e n e r a t i o n a n d women to realize their full potential

The Prime Minister urged everyone to work together, leaving no stone unturned and remaining focused and determined in their efforts He expressed the belief that b y w o r k in g h ar d an d s tay in g co mmitted to the path of progress and development Pakistan s destiny and the well-being of its people can be transformed T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r c o n c l u d e d b y s t a t i n g t h a t P a k i s t a n a n d i t s p e o p l e d eserve nothing less than dedicated and diligent administration from those entrusted with the responsibility by Almighty Allah and the people of Pakistan

SHARIF CALLS FOR NATIONAL UNIT Y AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS

PR I M E M I N I S T E R Shehbaz

Sharif delivered a speech on Tuesday, emphasizing the need for unity among the nation and political parties to overcome the ongoing crisis and lead Pakistan towards a path of progress

During the inauguration ceremony of Margalla Avenue, the prime minister expressed his belief that the dream of a prosperous and developed Pakistan could only be achieved by setting aside differences, abandoning conspiracies and upholding the rule of law

He acknowledged Pakistan s abundant natural resources and highlighted the importance of harnessing the nation s talented minds and skilled workforce He emphasized that the key ingredient lacking was the collective will to act and although the task was challenging it was not insurmountable Sharif also acknowledged the delayed development projects in Islamabad and its surrounding areas due to the negligence of the previous government He expressed his commitment to the well-being and prosperity of the people and assured that all necessary initiatives were being taken to address the existing deficiencies

Reflecting on the previous year the Prime Minister noted the devastating im-

Sharif to attend new global financing pact summit in France

pact of natural calamities and political turmoil faced by the country He condemned the conspiracies hatched by political opponents against Pakistan, which became evident on May 9 He further commended the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) former MP Hanif Abbasi and their dedicated team for their diligent work in completing the long-awaited Margalla Avenue project Drawing inspiration from his recent visit to Baku, the Prime Minister praised the well-maintained roads scenic landscapes and meticulous gardening he observed there He urged the Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan to organize a

visit for his team to Baku to gain firsthand experience and implement similar practices in Pakistan Sharif also highlighted the signing of a momentous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (C-5) worth $3 8 billion He lauded China s commitment to supporting Pakistan during challenging times and acknowledged the unwavering friendship of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, who also stood by Pakistan during difficult periods Addressing allegations made by his political opponents regarding kickbacks in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects the Prime Minister chal-

Erdogran telephones Shehbaz , condoles over loss of lives in Greece tragedy

lenged them to provide evidence before the courts He emphasized that the Chinese state-owned company had maintained the cost of the C-5 project as agreed upon in 2017-18 and had even provided a discount of Rs 30 billion upon his personal request

The Prime Minister praised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for launching 5,000 MW energy projects during a time of severe power outages in the country, highlighting his dedication to addressing Pakistan s energy crisis Khan remarked on the importance of Margalla Avenue which connects new sectors of Islamabad with GT-Road, and commended the Prime Minister for inaugurating the road He also announced a historic Rs 20 billion package for the rural areas of the federal capital Abbasi speaking at the event expressed his admiration for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and emphasized their commitment to the welfare of the people He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s reputation for his efficiency and service to the nation Later Prime Minister Sharif laid the foundation stone for the upgradation and rehabilitation project of Sikander e Azam Road He directed the relevant authorities to ensure the timely completion of the 7 5kilometre road which would connect Haripur district with Khanpur Dam at a cost of Rs3 5 billion

Zaka Ashraf, Mustafa Ramday nominated as members PCB’s Board of Governors

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to embark on a two-day official visit to France starting Thursday The visit comes as he has been invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to participate in the New Global Financing Pact Summit scheduled to take place in Paris The Summit serves as a platform for leaders to engage in discussions regarding the development of a new global architecture that can effectively address the challenges related to sustainable development financing environmental issues energy transition and the climate change agenda During the Summit Prime Minister Sharif will present Pakistan s perspective and put forth proposals for the reform of International Financial Institutions He will also address topics such as climate finance green infrastructure the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and debt-related solutions

Additionally he will engage in bilateral meetings with other world leaders on the sidelines of the Summit As the international community looks ahead to important upcoming events and conferences in the next two years this Summit aims to establish the principles and necessary steps for a comprehensive reform of the international financial system, the Foreign Office said in a statement Furthermore, it seeks to pave the way for a more equitable and balanced partnership between the North and the South it added S ta f f R e p o R t

Gov t announces Eidul A zha holidays

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Tuesday announced holidays on the occasion of Eidul Azha According to a statement issued by Cabinet Division, Eidul Azha holidays will be observed from Thursday, June 29 to Saturday July 1 The notification issued on Tuesday stated: “In continuation of Cabinet Division s Circular regarding Public and Optional Holidays for the year 2023 it is for general information that the Prime Minister is please to approve the public holidays on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha as follows 29th & 30th June 2023 (Thursday & Friday) for the offices observing five days working in a week 29th June to 1st July 2023

(Thursday Friday & Saturday) for the offices observing 6 days working in a week The announcement comes a day after Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced that Zil Hajj moon was sighted in Pakistan and Eidul Azha will be celebrated on June 29 (Thursday)

Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad made the announcement in Islamabad before the media after receiving moon sighting testimonies Eidul Azha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is one of two Eid festivals celebrated by Muslims to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God S ta f f R e p o R t

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday nominated former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf and Supreme Court advocate Mustafa Ramday for their appointment as members of the PCB Board of Governors (BoG)

The development comes a day after the PCB interim Management Committee chairman Najam Sethi pulled out of the race to become the board’s next chief

In a notification issued by the Prime Minister s Office on Tuesday the premier nominated two names, other than Sethi s, for PCB s Board of Governors

“The prime minister has seen and, in his capacity as patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board and in terms of Article 1011)(d) of the PCB s Constitution

2014 is pleased to nominate the following for appointment as Members on Board of Governors of PCB

Muhammad Zaka Ashraf and Mustafa Ramday,” the notification said

The government’s notification

recognised Ashraf and Ramday as former PCB chief and advocate Supreme Court respectively According to a report, the two nominations would complete the 10-member BoG with the remaining eight members of the body almost decided four representatives each from regions and departments

The body will vote for the election of the PCB s new chairman and put an end to the tenure of the board s interim Management Committee, which took charge in December last year after the ouster of former chief Ramiz Raja to re-

voke the 2019 constitution of the board and replace it with the 2014 charter

Until late on Monday night Sethi was touted to be the PM s pick, before the 75-year-old announced his withdrawal from the mix

“Salaam everyone! I don’t want to be a bone of contention between Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif Sethi wrote on Twitter

Such instability and uncertainty is not good for PCB Under the circumstances, I am not a candidate for Chairmanship of PCB Good luck to all stakeholders ” he added

Alvi highlights economic diplomac y as key to trade boost

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

President Dr Arif Alvi highlighted the importance of economic and trade diplomacy as a means to enhance Pakistan’s exports and address economic challenges

During separate meetings with Pakistan s Ambassador-designate to Denmark Shoaib Sarwar and High-Commissioner-designate to Rwanda, Naeem Ullah Khan, President Alvi discussed the potential for collaboration and bilateral ties In his discussion with Ambassadordesignate Sarwar the President urged a

focus on economic diplomacy initiatives, particularly in the dairy, agriculture, and information technology sectors He encouraged inviting Danish companies to invest in Pakistan and proposed partnerships in wind power and renewable energy President Alvi expressed confidence that recent ministerial exchanges would further strengthen the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries Regarding High Commissioner-designate Khan s appointment President Alvi highlighted the significance of Pakistan s bilateral ties with Rwanda and emphasized the potential for cooperation in agriculture, food security, and

ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan telephoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday and expressed his deep grief over the loss of precious lives of Pakistani nationals in Greece shipwreck tragedy on June 14 On behalf of the Turkish government and people, Erdogan conveyed condolences to the Pakistani nation and to the victim families The Turkish President prayed to Allah Almighty for the grant of patience to the bereaved families PM Sharif said the Pakistani government and the people thanked their Turkish brethren for their sentiments in this hour of grief S ta f f R e p o R t

Anti-corruption cour t allows post-arrest bail for Elahi in recruitment case

LAHORE: An anti-corruption court in Lahore on Tuesday approved the post-arrest bail application of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi the president of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party in a case pertaining to illegal recruitment in the Punjab Assembly Earlier this month, the former chief minister of Punjab was apprehended by the AntiCorruption Establishment (ACE) in Gujranwala The allegations against him involve accepting bribes amounting to Rs15 million during his tenure as the speaker of the provincial assembly These bribes were purportedly in exchange for making out-ofmerit appointments on BPS-17 positions within the assembly Following his arrest Elahi was placed in judicial remand for a period of 14 days Prior to the court s decision on his post-arrest bail petition, both the state prosecutor and Elahi s lawyer, Rana Intizar, presented their arguments On Tuesday, Special Judge Ali Raza Awan announced the court’s verdict granting the former Chief Minister post-arrest bail against surety bonds worth Rs1 million During the hearing Special Prosecutor Abdul Samad contended that Elahi was directly involved in the case and opposed his request for bail Conversely, Intizar maintained that his client had no involvement in the alleged misconduct Elahi currently held at the district jail in Lahore is yet to be released S ta f f R e p o R t

LHC accepts plea to remove PTI chief, AML chief, Ameer JI from par t y positions

human resource development

He encouraged the facilitation of importers and exporters and suggested exploring the Pakistani market for Rwandan businessmen

Additionally President Alvi called on the envoys to shed light on the human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) by India, as well as the persecution of minorities particularly Muslims and Christians The President s meetings reflected the importance placed on economic diplomacy and the pursuit of mutually beneficial partnerships to enhance trade and address key sectors’ development in Pakistan

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday accepted a petition seeking the removal of Chairman PTI, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid, and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq from their respective party positions Eradicating the objections of registrar office about plea the LHC forwarded the case before a full bench for further proceedings and deliberation The petition highlights that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already disqualified Imran Khan, warranting the court to order his removal from the chairmanship position It further argues that both Sheikh Rashid and Sirajul Haq are fully aware of Imran Khan s disqualification, rendering their alliance with the PTI chief illegal Consequently, it asserts that Sheikh Rashid and Sirajul Haq should also be ousted from their party posts for unlawfully supporting Imran Khan The petitioner mentioned Imran Khan Sheikh Rashid and Sirajul Haq ECP Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and others as parties in the case It is pertinent to mention here that on October 21, the ECP disqualified the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) S ta f f R e p o R t

Greece shipwreck: Police nick another key suspec ted human trafficker

The Punjab Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested another key suspected in the Greece shipwreck tragedy case amid a vigorous crackdown launched on those involved in human trafficking – a multibillion dollar illegal business attracting crime syndicates around the globe

According to a police spokesperson, the suspect identified as Mumtaz Arain was arrested from Vehari district in southern Punjab He claimed the police seized important documents mobile phone data and other evidences from his possession

The mobile phone of Aslam another accused detained earlier was among the items recovered during the raid as the police are now handing over Mumtaz

to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) – the department responsible for tackling crimes like human trafficking Pakistan has so far arrested over a dozen suspects from Sheikhupura, Gujrat, Karachi and other areas as investigation is under way to capture the main characters behind human trafficking Meanwhile the suspected smugglers arrested by the authorities in Greece are expected to face manslaughter charges in a Greek court this week

promised to apprehend all the suspects involved in the boat tragedy in which only 104 people could

Paris air show: India takes centre stage as another big jet deal looms

India was set to dominate the Paris Airshow for a second day on Tuesday with Air India expected to finalise a whopping order for 470 planes from Airbus (AIR PA)

new models Demand has been hottest for short and medium-haul narrowbody jets, but engine maker Rolls-Royce (RR L) said on Tuesday

the market for long-haul widebodies was also coming back strongly

However, planemakers and their suppliers remain concerned about their ability to meet bulging order books amid rising costs parts shortages and a scarcity of skilled workers Lars Wagner CEO of MTU Aero Engines said on Tuesday labour shortages and problems with the production of castings were the biggest strains in the engine supply chain

INDIAN RIVALRY Air India with its maharajah mascot was once

about 130 Airbus and Boeing planes shortly after the event Leasing company Avolon finalised an order for 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes while Philippine Airlines firmed up an order for nine Airbus A350-1000 widebody jets and Qantas finalised a deal for nine Airbus A220-300s, confirming a Reuters report

THE MOST MEANINGFUL GIFT FOR SHAHEED BIBI'S BIRTHDAY

ued to cry and refused to eat anything

Ali Bhutto penned a letter to her from Central Jail Rawalpindi Shaheed Bibi herself was also imprisoned at that time The letter titled My Dearest Daughter," was of considerable length and was later published as a book

In this heartfelt letter, Shaheed Bhutto expressed his deep emotions and contemplated the complexities of the situation He wrote to his dearest daughter

How can a convicted prisoner father write a letter congratulating his beautiful and intelligent daughter on her birthday when both the father and daughter are in prison?

She is aware that her mother is also enduring immense pain and is actively engaged in fighting to secure her father s release

role in advancing and empowering this ancient civilization to its fullest potential

On June 21 1978 the esteemed BhuttoThe Great bestowed his beloved daughter upon the people, and Shaheed Bibi not only stood by the people until her demise but also made the ultimate sacrifice giving her life to uphold her bond with the people

TH E 70th birthday of Ms Benazir Bhutto Shaheed is being celebrated today After her martyrdom on December 27 2007 this is the 15th birthday since her passing which we are celebrating without her When she left us forever, she was only 54 years old She sacrificed her life for her country and her people On her birthday, we can give her the gift of dedicating our lives to our land and our people as well

45 years ago today on 21 June 1978 when it was the 25th birthday of Shaheed Ms Benazir Bhutto her great father Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto wrote a letter to her from Central Jail Rawalpindi Shaheed Bibi was also in jail at that time It was a long letter, which was published in book form under the title "My Dearest Daughter"

45 years ago today on June 21 1978 on the occasion of Ms Benazir Bhutto s 25th birthday, her esteemed father Shaheed Zulfiqar

This letter is a bigger deal than communication How can the message of love and compassion reach from one prison to another and from one chain to another

I give you only one message, this message is the message of the coming day and the message of history just believe in the people and work for their salvation and equality This is the message of Almighty Allah that believe only in the people The paradise of Allah is under the feet of your mother and the paradise of politics is under the feet of the people What gift can I offer you from within the confines of this prison cell where even the simple act of extending my hand is denied? I bestow upon you the gift of the collective hand of the people

What event can I arrange for you? I present you with the gift of a renowned reputation and a memorial service that resonates throughout history You are the inheritor of the ancient Indus Valley civilization the oldest known civilization Play your integral

A few years following her father s martyrdom Shaheed Bibi expressed in an interview with the renowned Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, "In the realm of Pakistani politics, there are numerous trials, sorrows, and sufferings " Several individuals in my family advised me to abandon politics and seek a life of luxury in a Western country given that I have everything However how could I possibly derive enjoyment from such a life when it necessitates severing ties with my country and my people?"

Then the world witnessed how Shaheed Bibi upheld this profound connection with her homeland and its people Although she was born into a royal family with a privileged upbringing she possessed a compassionate and empathetic nature that couldn't bear to witness the suffering of others In the same letter written from the death cell, Shaheed Bhutto wrote about an incident from his dearest daughter Shaheed Bibi s childhood Addressing his daughter he said During the winter of 1957 when you were four years old we sat on the terrace of Al-Murtaza

The weather was very pleasant in the morning I had a double-barreled gun in my hand and without thinking I shot and killed a wild parrot You screamed when the parrot came close to the terrace and fell You buried him in your presence However you contin-

Alibaba CEO and Chairman Zhang to step down to foc us on cloud business

PR OFIT R e u t e R S Alibaba Group (9988 HK) on Tuesday said its CEO and chairman Daniel Zhang will step down from the roles to focus on its cloud division as the Chinese e-commerce giant moves ahead with a plan to split into six business units Zhang has been concurrently serving in three roles since December when he took over as head of the cloud unit after it suffered an outage that it described as its longest major-scale failure for over a decade

The CEO role will be handed over to Eddie Yongming Wu, chairman of Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall Group while Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai will take over Zhang as chairman Both appointments will take effect on Sept 10 Al-

ibaba said

The appointment of Daniel to focus on running cloud is really a show of confidence and trust in him to take the most precious business and run with it to develop it in the right way given this age of generative artificial intelligence (AI) said Brian Wong, a former Alibaba employee and author of the book, The Tao of Alibaba

“The idea or expectation that one person could manage the business’ crown jewel Cloud and at the same time manage the entire Alibaba Group is an unreasonable expectation The surprise reshuffle

comes after a tumultuous two years that saw Alibaba heavily targeted by increased regulatory scrutiny and after the group announced in March that it would restructure into six units each with their own boards and CEOs

Its China-facing e-commerce division which includes the Taobao and Tmall marketplaces, will stay wholly owned by Alibaba, but the other five units will be spun off, with Alibaba saying in May it aimed to complete the public listing of its cloud unit within the next 12 months

Zhang in a memo to staff seen by Reuters said the cloud spin-off was approaching a crucial stage and that it was the right time for him to dedicate his attention to the business “From a corporate governance perspective we also need clear separation between the board and management team as the Cloud Intelligence Group proceeds down the path to becoming an independent public company, he said

It would be inappropriate for me to continue serving as chairman and CEO of both companies at the same time during the spin-off process ” Analysts have estimated the cloud unit to be worth $41 billion to $60 billion but have said the reams of data it oversees could put it in the crosshairs of regulators at home and abroad

accountant, joined Alibaba in 2007 and is known for being the architect behind the company’s annual flagship “Singles Day” shopping festival He has served as CEO since 2015 and took on the chairmanship in 2019 succeeding both roles from Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma

Alibaba thanked Zhang for his extraordinary leadership in navigating unprecedented uncertainties affecting the company’s business over the past few years ” Alibaba’s Hong Kong-listed shares fell 1 5% after the announcement in line with a 1 6% decline in the benchmark index ( HSI) as analysts viewed the reshuffle as being in line with the overall restructuring previously announced

“Under the new structure, the group will play a smaller role in setting strategies for the six business groups so instilling Alibaba founders Joe and Eddie as chairman and CEO likely serves the purpose of ensuring smooth leadership transition and maintaining culture, Shanghai based Independent analyst Eric Chen, who publishes on Smartkarma, told Reuters Wu who co-founded Alibaba alongside Ma and Tsai over two decades ago will continue to concurrently serve as chairman of Taobao and Tmall Group Alibaba said His previous roles include chief technology officer of Alipay and chairman of Alibaba Health

Wu’s elevation to CEO “is a natural transition and signals the unswerving im-

US envoy Blome witnesses remarkable success of US-Pakistan collaboration at

ISLAMABAD

a h m a d a h m a da n

US Ambassador Donald Blome on Tuesday visited the multi-purpose Gomal Zam Dam in the South Waziristan District of the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting the significant achievements of the joint project between the United States and Pakistan Ambassador Blome was accompanied by the Chairman of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Lt General (retired) Sajjad Ghani and the Secretary of the Agriculture Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Javed Marwat The dam is a joint project of the governments of the United States and Pakistan that has yielded remarkable outcomes The dam, under the U S -Pakistan Green Alliance” framework, has doubled agricultural production in the region by opening 191 000 additional acres for local farmers

It has also controlled potential flood damage for over 30 000 households dramatically increased Pakistan s national water storage capacity and provided electricity for 20 000 homes Ambassador Blome expressed immense pride in the fruitful collaboration between the United States and Pak-

Gomal Zam Dam

istan on the Gomal Zam Multi-purpose Project The U S investment of $130 million in the dam, irrigation infrastructure, and agriculture development components has brought substantial benefits to the project’s surrounding communities “We are immensely proud of our $130 million collaboration with the Government of Pakistan on the Gomal Zam Multi-purpose Project including the dam irrigation infrastructure and direct support to surrounding communities, said Ambassador Blome in a press statement issued by U S Embassy on Tuesday

The Gomal Zam Dam, considered the third-largest water storage facility in Pakistan stands as a critical component of the country’s climate change management and food security strategy The project has been a remarkable success in promoting sustainable water management clean energy, and climate-smart agriculture initiatives

With the collaboration of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Pakistan the dam has been instrumental in opening 191 000 additional acres for local farmers enabling them to significantly improve their socio-economic conditions

Moreover it has contributed to the generation of 17

The girl who shed tears over the death of a bird not only battled against two military dictatorships in history but also confronted gun-wielding terrorists who were patronized by internal and external forces Shaheed Mrs Benazir Bhutto engaged in politics from the age of 25 until her death when she was 54 in a country like Pakistan which was considered one of the most perilous for political involvement

By the way, this period of his 29-year political career was the most challenging for popular politicians worldwide particularly in the developing nations The disintegration of the Soviet Union coupled with the weakening of both national liberation and democratic movements, had a significant impact globally At the same time, the era of the Cold War ended and America became the only superpower in the world, which imposed the "New World Order" on the world

In this New World Order non-state actors especially terrorist organizations were framing the rules of world politics

Simultaneously, the Cold War era came to a close, and the United States emerged as the sole global superpower, asserting its dominance through the establishment of a "New World Order " Within this New World Order non-state actors particularly terrorist organizations played a significant role in shaping the dynamics of world politics

People-friendly, enlightened, and democratic forces in the third world were ruthlessly suppressed by these terrorist organizations Many third world countries witnessed the abolition of popular leadership and their political parties Pakistan

portance of e-commerce in the company’s roadmap ” said Jacob Cooke co-founder and CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies a Beijing-based e-commerce consultancy Cooke said he did not see the leadership changes as signalling a major strategic shift within Alibaba, given that the individuals are co-founders and close associates of Ma If anything it emphasises the increasing importance of AI in the company s focus while also underscoring that e-commerce is the core business unit COMPETITION Ma, China’s best-known entrepreneur, has stayed out of the public eye since late 2020 after a speech in which he criticised Chinese regulation and which is widely seen as triggering an ensuing crackdown Ma left mainland China in late 2021 –appearing in photographs in Japan, Spain, Australia and Thailand – and returned in March, a day before Alibaba announced its restructuring He has not made any public comments during that period

Last week Alibaba president J Michael Evans said Ma remained Alibaba s biggest shareholder and cared very much about the company He said Ma was teaching at a university in Tokyo and was also spending more time in China Chinese tech news outlet LatePost on Monday reported that Ma convened a meeting with leaders from Taobao and Tmall Group where he highlighted severe competition and discussed the need to return focus to users, the internet and Taobao – whose merchants are mostly individuals or small businesses – to stay relevant Alibaba did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the LatePost report which cited company sources

megawatts of hydropower, providing a reliable and clean energy source for the region Gomal Zam Dam the third-largest water storage facility in Pakistan after the U S -funded Tarbela and Mangla Dams is a critical piece of infrastructure in Pakistan s strategy for climate change management and overall food security With the generation of additional 17 megawatts of hydropower, the dam provides a reliable, clean energy source and empowers farmers to improve their socio-economic conditions The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) invested $130 million in the dam irrigation infrastructure and agriculture development components The Government of Pakistan and the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provided an equal contribution toward the project cost The visit by Ambassador Blome underscores the successful partnership between the two countries and highlights the tangible outcomes achieved through their joint efforts The Gomal Zam Dam project serves as a shining example of how international collaboration can lead to significant economic growth, improved livelihoods, and enhanced resilience to climate change The U S -Pakistan alliance in the field of sustainable development continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering long-term partnerships and addressing shared challenges The visit to Gomal Zam Dam further solidifies the bilateral cooperation between the United States and Pakistan and reaffirms their dedication to advancing water management clean energy, and climate-smart agriculture practices

during this period experienced some of the most challenging political conditions globally primarily due to the ruling elite s involvement in the power struggles orchestrated by world powers Shaheed Benazir Bhutto fearlessly confronted the horrors of the longest night of oppression with unwavering courage She not only ensured the survival of Shaheed Zulfiqar Bhutto s Pakistan People s Party during the darkest period in history but also played a crucial role in restoring democracy in the country

On October 18, 2007, as Shaheed Bibi was returning home after eight years of exile she received warnings from the rulers of other nations and numerous wellinformed individuals within her own country, advising her against returning to Pakistan due to an assassination plot However, she firmly declared, "I will certainly go back to Pakistan I cannot abandon my people I cannot bear to witness my country in such a state

In an interview she expressed We are men and women who talk about arguments who possess ideas We understand how to live and how to face death History is shaped by the sacrifices of martyrs The very essence of history is woven through the threads of revolution We have dedicated our lives our freedom our youth and our peace of mind to the cause of democracy Addressing her final gathering at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, she proclaimed, "We live and die alongside the people " Tragically, following this speech she was martyred by terrorists in the midst of the gathered crowd Thus while holding the hands of the people she departed from this world

MNAs praise govt for development-oriented measures in budget

ISLAMABAD:

Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday acknowledged the measures proposed by the government to move the national economic-wheel at a faster pace with remarkable allocations of development funds The National Assembly also echoed with the MNAs raising concerns over the May 9 tragedy during the discussion on the budget and the Senate budget recommendations presented in the House Resuming debate on the federal budget for fiscal year 2023-24, Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir of the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) said the budget had been presented amid the difficult economic conditions and the government tried its best to initiate development activities taking the country to sustainable economic growth and provide maximum relief to the common man He said the budgetary document, which contained remarkable development plans with allocation of unprecedented funds showed the incumbent government s strong commitment to put the country on a consistent path of progress and development Barjees Tahir recalled that when the incumbent government came into power, the national economy was on the brink of collapse due to failed policies of the past regime of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) But with collective wisdom and prudent strategy the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif avoided the looming threat of default and took the country towards macroeconomic stability He highlighted the importance of political stability for achieving economic sustainability citing instances from the past when unelected people ruled the country by sidelining the democratically elected governments No progress and prosperity can be achieved without political stability and prompt dispensation of justice in courts,” he said The PML-N lawmaker strongly condemned the May 9 vandalism of military installations and memorials of martyrs demanding exemplary punishment for those found involved in the anti-state activities Muhammad Aslam Bhootani termed the budget good, development & relief-oriented despite financial constraints, taking due care of all segments of society especially the government employees who got unexpected raise in their salaries and pensions He criticized the PTI workers and leadership for attacking the sensitive installations and desecration of the martyrs monument, terming it the anti-statement activities on part of a political party that happened for the first time in the history of Pakistan Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Jillani of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) said nature had bestowed Pakistan with great mineral resources and the government should exploit its full potential to make the country prosperous and self-reliant economically S ta f f R e p o R t

Shifting the Tobacco Landscape: Philip Morris International's commitment to scientifically substantiated alternatives

In today's rapidly evolving world technology and innovation have become the driving forces behind global advancements This powerful combination has not only enabled multinational corporations to thrive but has also paved the way for the introduction of environmentally friendly and harm reducing products As society increasingly advocates for a greener environment companies are making substantial investments totaling billions of dollars in alternatives to cigarettes

These alternatives have gained remarkable traction, now being available in over 70 markets worldwide

Senior representatives of Philip Morris International (PMI) recently convened in Switzerland for a noteworthy event to delve into the realm of harm reducing tobacco products The event aimed to shed light on the ever-expanding accessibility of these sciencebacked alternatives and their significant potential in mitigating harm caused by cigarettes

More than 25 million adult smokers globally have embraced PMI s alternatives with an

impressive 18 million successfully transitioning away from smoking altogether

One of the major challenges that the company faces in some regions is the hostility and skepticism to the alternatives Ironically, the very countries that oppose regulating these alternatives openly sell cigarettes Although alternatives are not entirely without risk their impact on tobacco harm reduction is significantly different when compared to the cigarettes currently available in the market Expanding upon the matter, Gizelle Baker, VP of Global Scientific Engagement at PMI, shared, “When you're looking at harm reduction, there's a piece where you have to accept that although there is an ideal behavior that you would like to drive There s some level of inevitability of people who won t go to where that ideal is For tobacco, this means quitting smoking “Take the use of sugar for instance, we all know the effects it has on one’s health but you still have sugar being consumed in quantities that are

vastly above what you would be recommending Right? she added She then went on to clarify that harm reduction isn t about prohibition it s about accepting that there is an ideal But if you can t eliminate the behavior, you can reduce the harm caused by people partaking in that behavior

As the conversation delved deeper into the topic of harm reduction Bertrand Bonvin President Heat Not Burn Philip Morris International (PMI) expressed the company s clear intention behind its scientifically substantiated alternatives, stating, "Our intention is to make it unequivocal that this product is intended for individuals who choose to continue smoking and seek to consume nicotine or maintain the ritual associated with smoking despite knowing the risks it poses We are just giving them an option to do it more responsibly by reducing the harm that a cigarette would do them "

During the session, one of the points emphasized was the strategy of expanding the range of products offered by Philip

Morris International (PMI) in middle and lower-income countries This entails providing a diverse selection of options in the heated tobacco segment Tommaso di Giovanni, VP of International Communications at PMI shared, "We believe that providing alternatives to smokers is crucial because it offers them a choice recognizing that not everyone chooses to quit smoking By offering technology-based or non-technology-based alternatives like pouches and snus, we give those who continue to smoke access to better options These products are far less harmful than cigarettes, making them a significant driver for improving individual and public health outcomes ” While a company can make these products available achieving widespread adoption requires support from various stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and the public health community Physicians also play a crucial role as they are often the first point of contact for smokers seeking guidance It is important that every-

one aligns their efforts in the same direction to drive change effectively In some countries particularly among populations with limited purchasing power smoking rates tend to be higher To address this, certain governments, like the UK, have taken the initiative to support these individuals For example the UK provides e-cigarettes under prescription for the less affluent part of their population acknowledging that without such support many would continue to purchase cigarettes This proactive approach helps facilitate the transition to better alternatives " The advocacy for and provision of responsible alternatives by PMI align with the evolving demands of society and highlight the potential for reducing the harm caused by their smoking habits By embracing technology innovation and a commitment to less harmful alternatives, PMI continues to contribute to the ongoing paradigm shift towards a tobacco landscape that prioritizes public health and the individual choices of smokers

ShaRjeel Inam memon

B

e

S A D Umar had left the PTI’s secretary generalship on May 24 but continued within the party He has not joined any party and says that the PTI ‘minus one’ has no chance even it was widely speculated that he had remained within the party so as to pick up the pieces after party chief Imran Khan was disqualified He said that his job was to implement the policy of the party but if he disagreed with it how was he to implement it? He said that that is why he had left the party because he disagreed with the policy of confrontation adopted in the refusal to talk with other politicians and shown by the attacks on military symbols on May 9 A PTI release riposted that he had chosen to leave the party while it was suffering an attack on its integrity

Mr Umar has not exactly covered himself in glory before He was widely touted by the PTI itself as the answer to the country’s problems and was given the Finance portfolio He did not do well to say the least and was sacked within months He was brought back to the Cabinet as Planning Minister and then made Secretary General when Aamir Kiani was sacked from the job He was thus Secretary General for both Long Marches the abortive Jail Bharo Tehrik as well as the May 9 protests

He did not name names in sniping at former colleagues when describing the decision-making process as flawed but he probably would not appreciate that he was an example of Mr Khan’s poor choice of advisers However what poses a question mark on Mr Khan’s judgement is the fact that he allowed those who had been imposed on him to gain ascendancy True every leader likes to be told only what he wants to hear and saying such things has been the foundation of many a courtier ’s career down the ages but Mr Umar ’s statement indicates that Mr Khan has carried this tendency to a whole new level The refusal to engage in dialogue is not good for the country, and Mr Khan’s call to his supporters to get ready for more protests, made on Monday indicates that he is persisting with the confrontational path that he has already been following with few dividends

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

A

M

Nizami Editor

Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

SH A H E E D Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was born to a father who was a renowned political figure and to a mother who was a kindhearted humanitarian The qualities of her parents amalgamated in Benazir s personality in a truly Benazir (unparallelled) manner

In July 1977, when Benazir Bhutto arrived in Lahore, the people of Pakistan came out in huge numbers to greet her at the airport and showered her with unprecedented love This was a way of expressing the need to fulfill the gap in the political landscape of Pakistan after the judicial murder of Benazir s father and former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto In her, the people demonstrated their trust to become their voice Even her opponents acknowledged her political acumen and intelligence After her father was taken away and after her mother became unwell Benazir was well-equipped to carry forward the Bhutto legacy Her parents must be immensely proud of her struggle for democracy Benazir Bhutto first received attention in the international media when Pakistan s then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was being awarded a doctor of law degree by the University of Oxford At that time, certain groups that were against Pakistan opposed this gesture by the University In response in an interview to BBC, Benazir Bhutto said that her father did not need a degree from Oxford as acknowledgement of his contributions Once a renowned analyst from the BBC said to me at an embassy event that Benazir was sharp and intelligent like Prime Minister Bhutto and she understood social etiquette like Begum Nusrat Bhutto When she became the first foreign president of the Oxford Union Society, Benazir once again featured in the international media She made Pakistanis proud with her achievements

During her stay in Lahore in July 1988 Benazir Bhutto gave an interview to me that indeed reflected the words of a future Prime Minister

You are a huge fan of your father so what was your immediate reaction when you found out that the democratic government was torn down and replaced

U n m a s k i n g t h e u n r e s t

to protect them

with a military rule?

My parents learned about the coup around 2 AM but I found out around 3 AM We received calls from Mumtaz Bhutto and Abdul Hafeez Pirzada My immediate reaction was a sense of sadness and regret

It was not for any personal reasons but it was at the loss of people’s power Pakistan People’s Party despite immense challenges continued to work for the interest of the people of Pakistan I was thinking about the achievements of our democratic government which included release of 90,000 prisoners of war in a peace accord as well as hosting the second Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Lahore I was regretting the loss of opportunity when we were working on many reforms for the betterment of the people At that time the military ruler had not even announced any timeline for elections

What was your father s reaction?

He was not worried about himself but he was only worried about his country He was worried about Pakistan’s enemies that were interfering in internal affairs and wanted to destroy Pakistan ” Although some people tried to downplay the threat of foreign interference but talking to an international journalist on the subject, I gave examples of Indonesia and of Chile I said it was obvious to everyone how Chile’s economy was targeted and damaged President Nixon admitted this later Similarly, some future President would admit interfering in Pakistan’s internal matters leading to a terrible and undemocratic situation in the country

In response to another question, Benazir Bhutto said that certain countries did not want to see an intelligent political leader like Bhutto because they did not want to see Pakistan prosper into a great nation

What was the reason that some anti-Pakistan lobbies opposed Bhutto; was it because he was a very popular leader and stood firm against Pakistan’s enemies?”

“One of the reasons is that during his tenure, my father united the Arabs and he raised awareness amongst them about the political value of their wealth of oil He united third world countries against imperialism The world powers did not appreciate that Bhutto in a position of power was working against their interests

“In an interview, Begum Bhutto said that becoming the First Lady meant sacrificing her family

online banking and other economic activities

life where children are deprived of parental affection but she said that her children understood these challenges and that you have an interest in politics Your mother has worked hard to maintain a strong connection with the common people Following in your mother s footsteps are you mentally prepared for such challenges?

I am always ready for sacrifices My parents are in politics and politics demands sacrifices It teaches you great resolve As children, our personal lives suffer indeed We do not get to meet our parents often who have dedicated their lives for serving the people It is rare that all of us get to have dinner together We also have to be extra careful about our conduct because we are under close scrutiny being in the public eye In friendships, we have to be careful if people want to be friends because of us or because of our parents Everyone wants to get close to us but we cannot be close to everyone For all these reasons I think I am familiar with the idea of personal sacrifice for the greater good

My mother used to say that because of luck, some people are born into rich households while others do not but this is not something of fundamental importance The people of Pakistan are not condemned to poverty We must end the feudal system We should always work on our bond with our fellow human beings and work for their welfare Begum Bhutto also encouraged women to participate in political activism

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto said, I hope to fulfil the many aspirations of my people who have called me daughter of Pakistan and who have given me immense respect One day the nation will witness their dream coming true Indeed they did by electing Benazir Bhutto as the Islamic World s first woman Prime Minister who left the world surrounded by her people and their love Today, her son is carrying forward the Bhutto legacy and she must be very proud of him

The writer is former press secretary to Benazir Bhutto

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor Pakistan Today

Pakistan E-mail: letters@pakistantoday com pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

TH E use of violence for political gains is a highly controversial and unethical approach that goes against the principles of democracy human rights and peaceful coexistence While it is true that history has seen instances where violence has been used as a means to achieve political objectives, such actions are widely condemned and are considered to be detrimental to societies and individuals

The Indian state of Manipur has witnessed a history of violence which has impacted the region socially politically and economically

The state of Manipur has been affected by various insurgent movements seeking greater autonomy or independence The major insurgent groups in the region include the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Revolutionary People s Front (RPF) These groups have engaged in armed struggle against the Indian government demanding self-determination or secession

The insurgency movements in Manipur have led to frequent clashes between the militants and the Indian security forces The armed conflicts have resulted in casualties displacement and a sense of insecurity among the local population The region has also witnessed allegations of human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances, both by the insurgents and the security forces

Manipur is a diverse state with multiple ethnic communities including Meiteis Nagas Kukis and others Inter-ethnic tensions and conflicts over land resources and political representation have added to the complexity of the situation These tensions have at times escalated into violent clashes between different communities, further exacerbating the overall violence in the state

As per media reports recent violent clashes largely between the ethnic Meitei and Kuki communities have left at least 70 people dead and 35 000 displaced and destroyed over 1 700 houses Skirmishes broke out in the state capital of Imphal on 3 May 2023 after thousands of people from the Naga and Kuki tribes took part in a rally against the majority Meitei ethnic group being afforded special status under India s Scheduled Tribe grouping Indian authorities should immediately and impartially investigate ongoing killings by ethnic groups and security forces in India s northeastern Manipur state, and work with community leaders to restore security Human Rights Watch said today Renewed violence on 28 May 2023 resulted in the deaths of five people including a police officer in separate incidents Following the recent violence, 10 Kuki legislators– including 8 from the BJP– called for a separate administration for the hill areas, saying the state of Manipur has miserably failed

Tensions had been simmering for several months between the Kuki community which is predominantly Christian, and rhe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government The BJP promotes Hindu majoritarianism and most Meiteis are Hindu Local activists accused groups affiliated with the government of targeting Kuki properties businesses and churches

The BJP is playing divisive politics in the state because of its own ideology Even Christian Meiteis are being targeted The authorities had earlier evicted tribal villagers from forest areas accused Kukis of illegal poppy cultivation and of being outsiders, and ordered the demolition of three churches in Imphal

The persistent violence and insecurity in Manipur have had adverse effects on the state s economy The region s development has been hindered due to disrupted infrastructure projects, reduced investment and limited access to basic services The tourism sector which has the potential to contribute significantly to the state s economy, has been adversely affected by the prevailing violence Likewise the state government s complete internet blackout has also severely hindered information gathering and reporting by the media and civil society groups Human Rights Watch has repeatedly urged the authorities throughout India to end broad, indiscriminate internet shutdowns The shutdowns undermine a range of fundamental rights including the right to receive and impart information express views on political issues contact relatives access medical care and conduct e-commerce

Indian security forces have been involved in the violence as well as they have under taken discriminatory policies against the local ethnic communities. There are credible repor ts that security forces are involved in the killings of local people

In response to the violence in Manipur the Indian government has deployed security forces and implemented the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in certain areas The AFSPA grants extensive powers to the armed forces, including immunity from prosecution for actions taken during counter-insurgency operations However the AFSPA has been a subject of controversy and criticism with concerns raised about its potential for abuse and human rights violations The violence in Manipur has had far-reaching consequences on the region and its people While efforts for peace and reconciliation continue addressing the root causes of the conflicts promoting dialogue between communities, and ensuring respect for human rights remain essential for achieving lasting peace and stability in the state However the Modi government has been sidelining the Manipur government and refused to assist the administration in mitigating challenges The recent violence has triggered ethnic protests where worship places of the Christian community have been set on fire Indian security forces have been involved in the violence as well as they have undertaken discriminatory policies against the local ethnic communities There are credible reports that security forces are involved in the killings of local people These reports must be investigated thoroughly and those responsible for the violence and killings of civilians must be held accountable Labeling members of a community militants and shutting down the internet can fuel further violence through rumor and fearmongering

The writer is a freelance columnist

Sympathy for arsonists

M I L L I O N S of ordinary Pakistanis remain deprived of their human and constitutional rights but these violations hardly attract the attention of the so-called champions of human rights who are always bothered about the rights of those who hurt the life of the common man

Those who violate human rights of people get full attention of such bodies The main opposition party vandalised public property, snatched the bread and butter of the daily wage-earner, and attacked military installations on the pretext of ‘peaceful protest’ which proved a nightmare for the whole nation that watched the horrific scenes on May 9 in a state of shock

The human rights organisations civil society and the so-called intelligentsia lost no time in demanding protection of the rights of the agitators and violators of the rights of the public The violent protestors also succeeded in grabbing the sympathy from the national media

The general perception is that the higher judiciary is lenient towards the protestors which has not always been the case especially during the heavy-handed crackdown back in the 1980s Today the political worker representing the backbone of the political system stands disillusioned

GULSHER PANHWER JOHI

Students and violence

T H E recent spate of violence and anarchy had a negative impact on the country at large A large number of students particularly those appearing in O and A level Cambridge system examinations had to undergo mental and physical trauma owing to the volatile situation As soon as violent mobs attacked sensitive military installations the British Council which is responsible for conducting Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) exams, cancelled the papers for May 10-12

The exams resumed on May 15 and the authorities announced that they would award grades based on examinations that the candidate had been able to take It means candidates whose exams had been cancelled will receive a result only if they had sat at least one eligible component and completed at least 15 per cent of the total assessment in the June exam series

On the other hand, A level candidates were required to sit at least one A2 level component to receive a result for a full A level Cambridge has decided to use a system of weightage for results, meaning it would allot grades based on other exams that the student had appeared in The system will be faulty since it will mean that their whole grade is based on specific components which might not even have the whole syllabus or might increase the percentiles

Even if Cambridge would have opted for expected grades, meaning the previous mock exam results of students used to assess their CAIE grades, it would have been problematic, too The expected grades are faulty since many students usually do not give mock exams much importance and do not score as high as they could which means they get lower grades

Another option is that students sit the exams in the October/November series The retake can be problematic for A level students since their results would get delayed and they would not be able to apply to universities in time

However, there are many A level students who could not sit any component of Mathematics and History owing to the cancellation of papers during those three days Cambridge is still trying to find how those candidates can be managed All this has caused significant tension for the student community in Pakistan

The violent activities of a few have put the academic career of thousands of students across the country at stake I wonder if those responsible for this huge loss care about the students at all

Asad Umar ’s attack on Imran may be self-ser ving but contains some uncomfor table truths

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto said, „I hope to fulfil the many aspirations of my people who have called me daughter of Pakistan and who have given me immense respect. One day, the nation will witness their dream coming true.‰

p

F o c u s o n t h e T r u m p c u l t

Much has already been written regarding the indictments against former US President Donald Trump

The crimes he is alleged to have committed have been examined And his defense that this is a partisan political attack to derail his candidacy has been thoroughly critiqued The story, however, is bigger because, in a real sense, we re not just dealing with the law justice or even reason Instead what is playing out is the radical transformation of a substantial component of the American electorate into a cult-like movement in the thrall of a cult leader Donald Trump

TH E R E was a time when the Republican Party was a centre-right group that prided itself on the simple conservative philosophy of rule of law individual freedom less taxes and small government But over the past six decades that party morphed into an intolerant xenophobic pseudopopulist movement that deepened political divisions and exploited the fears, insecurities, and resentments of Americans shaken by the economic, political and cultural changes occurring in the USA

While these factors laid the kindling what provided the spark that ignited the flames of social unrest were the sudden economic collapse of 2008 and that year s election of Barack Obama as president Obama had inspired much of the electorate with a message of hope and a vision of an inclusive America that brought together a substantial coalition led by young voters, women, and Black Latino Asian and a number of recent immigrant communities

Within months of Obama s decisive victory Republicans launched a cultural counterattack that preyed on the resentments of voters who felt left behind The GOP effort took two forms: the Birther movement suggesting that Obama was not born in the USA and therefore was an illegitimate president and the Tea Party’s railing against “big government” as responsible for the economic woes and social tensions confronting middle class white Americans The political revolution generated by these two movements laid the predicate for Donald Trump s ascent to power in 2016

Trump was never a conservative Republican, in the traditional sense, and therefore can’t be understood by his political philosophy He has been called a showman

r

GLOBAL

ON June 19, Chinese President Xi

Jinping met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, which was the most important and highly anticipated part of Blinken s China visit Until the last moment whether Blinken would secure a meeting with President Xi was a topic of great interest in the US media, carrying significant indicators to measure the achievements of Blinken’s visit and the level of easing in China-US relations

Therefore once the meeting was confirmed and the scene of the meeting was released it immediately became one of the most significant international events of the day Against the backdrop of the international community’s widespread concern over the downward spiral of China-US relations this meeting has released the expected signal of relief

Though the meeting was not long it carried substantial information President Xi expounded on the principled stance for stabilizing and developing China-US relations, providing strategic and guiding suggestions President Xi emphasized that the world needs a generally stable China-US relationship and whether the two countries can find the right way to get along bears on the future and destiny of humanity The vast expanse of the Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of China and the US Xi pointed out The Chinese like the Americans are dignified confident and self-reliant people Xi said adding that they both have the right to pursue a better life, and the common interests of the two countries should be valued, and their respective success is an opportunity instead of a threat to each other

These words are full of sincerity and goodwill while also targeted Some people in the US view China s development with a narrow mindset of zero-sum game or even negative-sum game, perceiving it as a threat rather than an opportunity Their biases toward China, catalyzed by the complex political and diplomatic environment in Washington have become the crux of the twists and turns in China-US relations

In other words the US own problems have turned into problems in bilateral relations, which need to be resolved by the US side China has consistently demonstrated its strategic clarity to the US which is a sharp contrast with US side’s strategic ambiguity The three most commonly used adjectives by both sides for their high-level communication are frank, in-depth and constructive Clarity represents frankness

We believe that Blinken deeply understands this during his visit China has thoroughly explained the root causes of the low point in China-US relations the urgent tasks for both sides China s intentions and goals for development and revitalization and the most prominent risks in the bilat-

whose popularity was due to his celebrity status But he s more than that He fits the classic definition of a cult leader who has been successful in convincing a sizable minority of the electorate that he alone understands them and can save them He has also transformed the contemporary GOP from a political party into a personal cult Cult leaders throughout history share many characteristics They are narcissists who seek the limelight They never avoid conflict but rather seek it out as it places them at the centre of attention They project success and power, never admitting failure, error, or wrongdoing, and use humour to ridicule and demean their opponents They are charismatic and persuasive, convincing their followers that they alone know their fears and insecurities and they alone can address them At the same time by creating this identification with their followers cult leaders convince the faithful that those who oppose them or seek to bring them down are not just the leader s enemy, but their enemy as well Cult leaders project a vision of success:

“If I win, you win, and all will be well in the future If I lose you lose and we’ll all be going to hell ”

This was the essence of Donald Trump s address to the Republican Convention in 2016 He drew a dark and foreboding portrait of America and painted himself as the only one who could lead America back to greatness

During the campaign and the years that followed,

While the legal process runs its course, no one should expect that a conviction will spell the end of Donald Trump or his cult following. If he wins, his followers will feel vindicated. In the likely event that he loses, TrumpÊs supporters will feel as victimized, threatened, and ripe for revolt as they were on 6 January 2021. This cult has been decades in the making and wonÊt be ended by an election defeat or a conviction

eral relationship China does not harbor ill intentions toward the US, but it will definitely counteract any suppressive actions

If the US still has any misunderstandings about China s strategic intentions then we can only assume that they are deliberate and pretending to be ignorant

Overall, in a situation with low expectations from various parties and having experienced twists and turns Blinken’s visit to China has achieved some specific consensus and the communication has been efficient and in-depth It is worth noting that during the talks, Blinken made some statements that moved toward China s position For example, he said that the US is committed to returning to the agenda set at the summit between the heads of state in Bali and reiterated US President Joe Biden s commitment of five noes Some of Blinken s statements during the press conference held on Monday evening also reflected this point However, it should be pointed out that the “stability” of ChinaUS relations requires both sides meeting each other halfway especially for the US to be consistent in both words and deeds

Even though it is still too early to determine if it was a successful visit, ChinaUS relations made positive progress because of the trip This is in the interests of the US, China, and even the world, which is also what the international community hopes to see The world once had unprecedentedly low confidence in the turnaround of China-US relations but now there are more expectations for the stability of China-US relations China and the US have taken a step forward but it is still far from enough The key lies in the next steps It goes without saying that there are still differences between the two countries on many issues No one expects Blinken s trip to resolve these divergences Its greater significance lies in the possibility of reversing the highly unhealthy and tense atmosphere in bilateral relations and thus creating conditions for managing and resolving the differences China s reception of Blinken also showcases China s demeanor as a major power and its sincerity in stabilizing China-US relations and strengthen communication Previously, the US gave the world the impression that China was unwilling to communicate but it is clearly not the case

Some media outlets noticed that the blooming lotus placed at the center of the meeting table between President Xi and Blinken was particularly eye-catching It is currently the season of lotus blooms, and “lotus” has the same pronunciation in Chinese as “harmony ” conveying the expectation of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between China and the US

We hope that after returning to the US Blinken will comprehensively and objectively convey the information received in China, generating new momentum for stabilizing China-US relations and

Trump further developed these themes and as his hold over his followers grew, he not only sought to deepen this identification with his base, but also successfully established their shared enemies: Democrats, Republicans who opposed him the press the courts the “deep state ” and those who supported foreigners who were in his words ruining America

When the reality he sought to create was undermined by facts, he posited alternate facts And his cult believed them

What is playing out in response to the recently unsealed indictments is more of the same His words and his supporters’ raucous cheers illustrate what is so worrisome about this situation in which we find ourselves

For example in his remarks to the Georgia Republican Convention less than a day after the indictments were released, Trump painted the following picture Maintaining that the 2020 election was stolen, he portrayed the indictments as just another form of “election interference ” It was a “witch hunt” and an abuse of power by Democrats who were using the courts to undermine his electoral chances in 2024 Biden he said is trying to jail his leading opponent just like they do in Stalinist Russia and Communist China

Trump went to great lengths to defend himself and minimize the charges levelled against him, saying that his alleged misdeeds paled in comparison to those of his former opponents Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden He insisted that the indictments were all based on politics

His list of enemies grew to include: Marxists law enforcement agencies in the control of Democrats Republicans who opposed him, elites in the media, and the sick political class that hates our country who

TEHRAN TIMES

HA M S H A H R I wrote in a note about Riyadh s rapprochement with Tehran: Saudi Arabia after suffering heavy political security and economic losses, concluded that America s humiliating and blackmailing attitude had cost the kingdom greatly

Over the past years America has received about 500 billion dollars from Saudi Arabia through the sale of arms But now Saudi Arabia has realized that the American supportive umbrella is not stable and should change its behavior toward the neighboring and eastern countries The new foreign policy of Saudi Arabia is that Iran is a trusted country and the United States through Iranophobia has prevented the kingdom to establish a stable relationship with Iran and other Persian Gulf countries

Today, Saudi Arabia is seriously seeking a stable mechanism for relationship with Iran Also, a maritime security coalition involving Iran Saudi Arabia the Emirates and Oman is also on agenda to localize security in the Persian Gulf The Saudis also hope to be able to use Iran s native technologies

JAVAN: TO REVISE THE CON-

TRACTS IN THE FIELD OF ENERGY:

Javan had an exclusive interview with the oil minister In a part of the interview Javad Oji said: There was a revision in the contracts so that the contracts became attractive for domestic and foreign investors We signed contracts worth about 100 billion dollars with domestic and foreign companies Last year, we had about 5 5 billion dollars in foreign contracts in various fields We used the capacity of domestic holding companies and involved banks in projects such as the Azadegan oil field Upon the progress

were defending the corrupt system that he was determined to smash

In remarks following his first court appearance he made the following claim to a cheering crowd:

“If the communists get away with this it won’t stop with me They will not hesitate to ramp up their persecution of Christians pro-life activists parents attending school board meetings and even future Republican candidates They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom

They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you and I am the only one who can save this nation because you know they’re not coming after me they re coming after you

We can debate the charges against Trump and the validity of his claims of persecution but what must not be ignored is his hold over a substantial portion of the GOP Despite the indictments, endorsements by Republican elected officials continue to roll in He is their cult leader, and they are afraid to go against his massive following

While the legal process runs its course no one should expect that a conviction will spell the end of Donald Trump or his cult following If he wins his followers will feel vindicated In the likely event that he loses, Trump s supporters will feel as victimized, threatened, and ripe for revolt as they were on 6 January 2021 This cult has been decades in the making and won’t be ended by an election defeat or a conviction Attention therefore must be paid to the root causes that bred this cult and they must be addressed in order to restore sanity to our political life

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

of these projects people themselves directly become shareholders in the projects

The unfinished Iran LNG project, with a value of 5 2 billion dollars, had been abandoned Fortunately, this project power plant became operational and its sweetening unit is being done by various contractors and we are trying to make the LNG project carried out in this government based on the emphasis of the Supreme Leader

ARMAN-E-EMROOZ: AGREEMENT OR UNDERSTANDING; THIS IS NOT

THE ISSUE: In a commentary Arman-eEmrooz wrote: Rumors indicate that the goal of the recent talks between Iran and the United States is an understanding because the agreement must also be approved by Congress However, many members of Congress are against giving any concessions to Iran The parties could not revive the 2015 JCPOA and they hope to return some limitations on Iran s nuclear program to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons In recent days, Michael McCall, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, warned about the Biden government’s attempt to avoid the scrutiny of Congress about any agreement or understanding

Generally if the Biden government reaches a nuclear agreement with Iran this agreement must be voted and approved by Congress A big obstacle that some experts believe is that the Biden government is trying to give less information about the process of the nuclear negotiations to Congress so that the serious opponents of the agreement do not stop it But is it an agreement or understanding as the media report?

Antony Blinken, the U S Secretary of State, answered this question on Saturday About the Iran nuclear case, Blinken said that some reports about the nuclear agreement or the

(American) detainees (in Iran) are not true

KAYHAN: DEFEAT OF AMERICA AND ISRAEL AGAIN AFTER FAISAL

BIN SALMAN VISIT: In an analysis, Kayhan discussed Faisal bin Farhan’s trip to Iran and said: Bin Farhan s trip to Iran with the aim of securing Iran-Saudi relationship and the two key sentences cooperation in the field of maritime security and freeing the region from weapons of mass destruction”, which of course can be summed them in two words “sustainable security” had many reflections in the world and attracted the attention of many political experts However they provoked the anger of America and Israel America, which had tried to push the Arab countries to compromise with the Zionist regime and create a united front in the form of a single security umbrella against Iran through the Iranophobia project and promises of selling weapons today sees its dreams have gone with the wind The new positive developments in the region will deprive the U S from highly lucrative sale of weapons The U S will also suffer a heavy blow to its hegemony as countries are taking steps toward regionalization of security Moreover its presence in the region will become irrelevant

The Hebrew language MivzakLive also commented on the matter It said Iran has recently completed the process of de-escalating tensions with many Arab countries in the southern Persian Gulf among which we can also mention the expansion of relations with the United Arab Emirates Israel has long tried to isolate Iran diplomatically in the Middle East and the world However, the process of rapprochement between Iran and the Arab countries proved that this action has failed

US’ plan to rope in India to serve Washington’s purpose wishful thinking

GLOBAL TIMES

WA n h e n g y i

TH E US intention to rope in India to counter China and Russia, and even further intensify the regional tensions toward militarization and conflict is only Washington’s own wishful thinking analysts said on Sunday

The US expects a transformational moment in India ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi s upcoming trip to Washington, President Joe Biden s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said as he downplayed chances for a diplomatic breakthrough in China when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Reuters reported on Friday Secretary Blinken s trip to China will be a significant event but it s likely not even the most significant event of next week when it comes to US foreign policy, Sullivan said at a briefing in Tokyo on Friday Biden has made deepening ties with India a cornerstone of his efforts to contain China s expanding influence with his administration also hoping to persuade India which maintains some security and economic ties with Russia, to buy US military drones, Reuters said on Friday

The close engagement between India and the US is a continuation of both coun-

tries’ foreign policies, and India has indeed maintained close cooperation with the US in recent years particularly in the areas of economy technology and defense Qian Feng director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times

It is foreseeable that both sides will reach new agreements during the leaders’ meeting particularly in economic and defense cooperation to further deepen their strategic partnership the expert noted India has traditionally followed a diplomatic approach of maintaining a balanced relationship with major powers, particularly regarding its relations with the US and Russia, Qian said, adding that its relationship with Russia has faced challenges especially with the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine leaving India confronted with numerous irreconcilable issues and challenges in managing its relationships with the US and Russia India has never directly criticized Russia since the start of the Ukraine crisis publicly but it has consistently called for the “cessation of hostilities by both sides and the need for a peaceful solution India has also become one of the top buyers of Russian crude in the last one year, according to Indian media reports T h

a p p r o a c h e s o f I n d i a O n t h e o n e h a n d , I n d i a h a s s t r e n g t h e n e d c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h the US and the West especially in defense and security but on the other hand it has e x p l i c i t l y r e f u s e d t o j o i n t h e U S - l e d

NATO Qian remarked

Analysts noted that these seemingly contradictory actions are taken with the purpose of safeguarding India’s existing strategic framework and maximizing its position among major powers in order to pursue its national interests to the fullest extent Separately Blinken began meetings in Beijing on Sunday just days ahead of Modi s arrival in Washington on June 22, wishing to manage the escalation to ensure that the world’s two biggest military powers do not “veer into conflict ” Sullivan was quoted as saying in a separate Reuters report on Friday

The discrepancy between the US stated position and its actual actions can be attributed to the fact that one of the key focuses of US-India cooperation is to contain and exert pressure on China, experts noted However whether such US’ scheme will be successful or not does not solely depend on itself India as a regional power that upholds strategic autonomy is unwilling to be a pawn of any major power and does not want its national interests to be held hostage as a result, the experts added

W h y R i y a d h c h a n g e d t h e p a t h

CHINA

N e w s D e s k

ARECENT report by a European organization investigating fake narratives of Indian media went viral on Chinese social media platforms recently drawing wide attention to India s supposedly vast smear campaign against China and Pakistan

Following reports in 2019 and 2020, the latest investigation report by independent non-profit organization EU DisinfoLab, published in February 2023 exposes more details and evidences to prove that Asian News International (ANI) an Indian news agency has been quoting a number of non-existent organizations, journalists and bloggers to spread disinformation that attacks and smears China and Pakistan

The report further uncovered that India has long been

building a huge anti-China and anti-Pakistan disinformation network and that Indian media outlets have built a sophisticated assembly line of fake anti-China and anti-Pakistan news

On the one hand, the Indian media produces and spreads false narratives about China, and on the other hand, the Indian government restricts Chinese journalists’ access to India and deny their rights of reporting a real India by treating Chinese journalists in an unfair and discriminatory manner during their posting in India and visa application process Chinese experts said the investigation report exposes a deliberate effort by India or Indian media to shape negative narratives against China and Pakistan The presence of such disinformation campaign aligns with India s strained relations with both countries

They pointed out that the production of fake

news by Indian media can incite nationalist sentiment within the country and distract people from the real problems of the country and the poor performance of its government

Within the complex geopolitical context of South Asia, such disinformation campaigns can have far-reaching consequences, which can exacerbate tensions, strain diplomatic relations and hinder regional cooperation efforts observers warned Bad sources

The investigation report titled Bad Sources – How Indian news agency ANI quoted sources that do not exist, published by EU DisinfoLab, unveils “its latest investigation into anti-Pakistan/China influence operations ” according to the organization

The report said ANI is an Indian news agency that plays a relevant role in the country s information ecosystem, providing content for many well-established media across India, such as The Print and Business Standard With this network, ANI acts as a purveyor of news to millions of Indians

In the report researchers write that ANI has been repeatedly quoting articles and reports issued by a think tank named the International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) The think tank was previously chaired by Mario Silva, a former Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) and dissolved in 2014 according to public information provided on a Canadian government website

However, when they checked IFFRAS official website, the researchers found that it

has kept updating information including articles news books and even conferences and that ANI has kept quoting information from the think tank s website

For example on December 27 2022

IFFRAS published an article titled Pakistan’s persecution of minorities under scanner again,” and on the same day, the article was quoted by ANI in a piece of news headlined Pakistan s ill-treatment of minorities under scanner after UK sanctions Sindhi cleric with most of the contents coming from the IFFRAS article ANI has quoted IFFRAS more than 200 times from May 2021 to January 2023, and “in most instances it was not only quoting but using the IFFRAS ‘reports’ as the backbone of the articles said the report News reports produced by ANI quoting IFFRAS can possibly get republished or reported on by other media outlets For example, in April 14, 2022, an ANI report quoting IFFRAS was reproduced by The Statesman, an Indian daily newspaper allowing the ANI report to reach a wider audience

In addition researchers of EU DisinfoLab further investigated whether the conference attendees at the think tank quoted in the articles actually exist

To find out who was attending conferences held by IFFRAS researchers contacted attendees of a session discussing the Increasing presence of Muslim Brotherhood But two of the attendees mentioned by IFFRAS responded that they had never attended such a conference and that the Mus-

lim Brotherhood “had nothing (to do) with their field of expertise ”

The investigation report also pointed out that more than 70 speakers mentioned in the fake conferences of IFFRAS did not exist at all Another interesting finding is that, in contrast to the frequent updates on its website, IFFRAS’ Twitter account has not posted any content since 2021 Therefore the researchers assumed that the sole purpose of IFFRAS is to produce content that can be covered by ANI and then republished widely throughout the Indian press ANI s editor Smita Prakash responded to the report on Twitter on February 24, dubbing it “defamatory and false ” The Global Times has tried to contact ANI through the email address provided on its website wanting to get a response on whether the news agency was aware that IFFRAS had been disbanded in 2014 and does not exist now

However, as of the publication of this report, there was no response from ANI Apart from IFFRAS the researchers also looked into another think tank frequently quoted by ANI the Policy Research Group (POREG) in which the researchers found no sign of the existence of three new members who had reportedly joined the group in the last two years For example, one of them is James Duglous Crickton a misspelling of James Douglas Crickton who wrote an article claiming that former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf held a secret bank account in Switzerland, which was later covered by ANI

Modi to talk tech, trade on US visit

NEW DELHI

A F P

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to the United States on Tuesday to meet with President Joe Biden and address Congress, with military and technological ties on the agenda as his hosts seek a regional counter to China

The leader of the world’s most populous nation will also receive all the pomp of a state dinner at the White House on Thursday only Biden s third since his inauguration Hailed by New Delhi as a “historic” chance to “expand and consolidate ties the visit comes at a time of rising concerns on human rights and democratic backsliding under the Hindu nationalist leader

But Washington is seeking to boost ties with a potential regional ally to counter an increasingly assertive China

Analysts expect landmark announcements in clean energy and strategic technology, including a deal to jointly produce fighter jet engines ‘DEEP ALIGNMENT’ US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on a visit to New

Delhi earlier this month an-

nounced an ambitious new roadmap for defence industrial cooperation with India

It has been linked to a likely announcement expected at this week’s summit of a long-discussed multibillion-dollar plan to co-produce jet engines in India New Delhi has been trying to become less dependent on Russian military hardware by diversifying imports and boosting domestic production With many countries wooing Modi Washington hopes its coproduction and technology offers will help secure a key market Ashok Malik India head of The Asia Group advisory firm, said US-India ties were defined by “ p r a g m a t i s m and deep alignment at the government level with very strong economic and business links India is im-

portant as a growing power in a region where China is becoming unusually assertive , New Delhi-based Malik told AFP

After a deadly clash with China along their disputed Himalayan border in 2020 India rapidly expanded its Washington ties and is already part of the Quad grouping alongside Australia, the United States and Japan

‘Contrasting personalities’

India’s huge market and potential as an alternative to Chinadependent supply chains make it

attractive but its ties with Moscow remain an irritant for Washington New Delhi has not condemned Moscow s invasion of Ukraine and has ratcheted up its oil imports from Russia

Donald Camp a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington said that while the United States will push India for some further action” on Russia, it “has not seemed to be a huge impediment in the development of the (USIndia) relationship over the last year or so

CORPORATE CORNER

FCEPL , NEDAP join hands to promote Pakistan's Dair y Sector

KARACHI s ta f f r e p r ot

Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL) and NEDAP a multinational technology company in the Netherlands join forces to harness the huge potential of Pakistani dairy sector with the aim of boosting operational efficiency of dairy farms and farmers’ income while increasing access to high quality and affordable dairy products for the Pakistani consumer By planning ahead this step can bolster the dairy industry and open up new opportunities for growth Sohail Sarwar Director Agribusiness FCEPL: The great potential of successful dairy farming in Pakistan can be realized with the assistance of NEDAP's expertise Through this support, our farmers can improve their production and income and provide high-quality milk to Pakistani consumers ” This partnership will be founded on several essential components FCEPL will offer access to its affiliated entrepreneurial dairy farmers who want to enhance their farm milk productivity and quality NEDAP will provide them with knowledge, training, and cutting-edge technology to reach their goals Hakeem Serbouti, Director Sales NEDAP “By working closely with FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Ltd we are presented with a chance to contribute to the advancement of Pakistani dairy farming being able to respond to the needs and challenges and supply effective solutions The main priority areas will be; equipping farmers with data management and analysis tools to help gain deeper insights and facilitate effective decision making providing feed management strategies to help ensure optimal nutrition levels for optimal animal productivity and health and providing solutions to measure and limit the environmental footprint of dairy farming

Bank Alfalah par tners with Aga Khan Foundation to provide health ser vices wor th PKR200m in flood-impacted areas

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Bank Alfalah one of Pakistan s leading commercial banks has partnered with Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) through a donation of PKR 200 million The funds will be utilised by AKF (Pak), and it's implementing partners to provide essential health services to populations impacted by floods in Pakistan The partnership's objective is to tackle the multifaceted challenges faced by flood-affected communities addressing their immediate and longterm needs The key goals encompass various aspects, starting with improving the accessibility and utilisation of health services through existing delivery platforms and mobile outreach services specifically tailored for the affected populations

Another objective is to enhance access to Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure for these communities ensuring better living conditions and hygiene practices Furthermore the project aims to empower communities by fostering knowledge and engagement in positive health and hygiene practices and resilience-building efforts It also endeavours to expedite the restoration of agricultural livelihoods in the affected areas supporting the revival of farming activities Lastly the project seeks to bolster households food security and resilience, equipping them to withstand ongoing challenges and uncertainties The signing ceremony was attended by senior leadership at the Bank and the foundation The notables include Hafiz Sherali President Ismaili Council for Pak-

istan Iqbal Walji Chairman of the National Committee AKF Pakistan and Akhtar Iqbal Chief Executive Officer of AKF Pakistan From Bank Alfalah Atif Bajwa, President and CEO, Dr Muhammad Imran, Head of Islamic Banking, Faisal Farooq Khan, Chief Human Resource Officer and Imran Assad Head of Branch Operations and the one who has been leading operation work graced the event Bank Alfalah s generous contribution of PKR 200 million highlights its unwavering dedication to uplift vulnerable communities and fostering social development

ZONG 4G empowers international callers during hajj with IDD Saudi Arabia Mobily Bundles

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

20th June: In a world where staying connected is more important than ever Zong 4G Pakistan s leading telecommunication operator is proud to set new benchmarks with its unparalleled service offerings Recognizing the importance of seamless communication for those embarking on the sacred journey of Hajj and yearning to stay connected with their loved ones Zong 4G presents an array of affordable International Direct Dialing (IDD) Saudi Arabia Mobily Bundles This promotion allows Zong 4G customers to avail exclusive benefits and competitive rates when making calls to their loved ones in Saudi Arabia on Mobily network The package ensures that individuals stay connected with their loved ones throughout the Hajj season and beyond Zong 4G understands the importance of reliable and affordable communication especially during significant events such as Hajj Through the IDD Saudi Arabia Mobily Bundles, Zong 4G enables customers to effortlessly connect with their family and friends, sharing precious moments and seeking blessings from afar

STRENGTHENING TIES WITH IRAN KEY TO BORDER, ENERGY SECURIT Y: SENATOR MUSHAHID

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

THE Senate Standing Committee on Defence met here on Tuesday with Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in chair to discuss and address important issues pertaining to national security and the well-being of the citizens Senators Walid Iqbal, Hidayat Ullah, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Dr Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur Engr Rukhsana Zuberi Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan and Mover; ex-Senator Muhammad Zahid Khan attended the meeting Secretary Ministry of Defence Lt Gen (Retd) Hamood Uz Zaman HI(M), Additional Secretary Ministry of Defence, Major General Khurram and DG, Military Lands & Cantonments Major General Tariq and CEO Rawalpindi Cantonment also participated in the meeting

The meeting offered Fateha for the souls who lost their lives in the Greece boat tragedy and extended their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and expressed solidarity with them during this difficult time

The Senate Body discussed in detail the unauthorized commercial activities in

Westridge Rawalpindi Cantt The Director General Military Lands and Cantonments (ML&C) delivered a detailed presentation highlighting the steps taken to address the issue He informed the committee that the department has been actively combating illegal activities and commercialization However due to a Supreme Court order issued on 5th January 2022 the ML&C has been restrained from taking action against school premises The DG ML&C assured the committee that once the Cantonment Board (Amendment) Act 2023 is passed by the Parliament stringent measures including heavy fines and property sealing will be implemented to ensure compliance with the directions Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed assured the petitioner that he would expedite the process in the Senate, aiming for the prompt enactment of the act to resolve the long-standing concerns of the residents Following a comprehensive discussion the Chair disposed of the matter after ensuring the satisfaction of the petitioner

The Committee was also briefed on counter-terrorism operations conducted by the Pakistan Army in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as the se-

curity situation on the borders with Iran and Afghanistan Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed commended the recent meeting between the Pakistan Prime Minister and the President of Iran at the Pak-Iran border, considering it a positive step forward in strengthening ties between the two nations He also welcomed the recent high-level visits to Iran by senior Pakistan security and diplomatic officials which would yield positive results for peace, border security and economic connectivity Senator Mushahid termed close ties with Iran as pivotal for Pakistan’s border and energy security

The Committee also discussed in detail the security situation on the PakAfghan border and expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the government towards ensuring peace on the border They also underlined the need for a proactive and consistent CT strategy that should focus on a pro-people approach with no quarter or compromise with any terrorist group The members of the Defence Committee expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Defence for their comprehensive and candid briefings and continuous support and underlined the commitment to safeguarding national security addressing public concerns and

A sad Umar, S hah M ahmood Q ureshi, A sad Q aiser ’s bail petitions rejec ted

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Dramatic scenes were witnessed in the district and sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday as the central leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Qaiser and Asad Umar slipped from the courtroom after their pleas seeking bail in cases related to the May 9 riots were dismissed

Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra while pronouncing the verdict dismissed the bail petitions of the PTI leaders

As per details Qureshi and Umar moved the court seeking bail in a case filed against them at the Tarnol Police Station in the federal capital Qaiser, however, sought bail in a case registered against him at the Sangjani Police Station

The PTI leaders reached the court separately In a bid to avoid arrest and make sure of their successful escape Qureshi and Umar heard the verdicts while standing at the doorstep of the courtroom

As soon as the judge rejected their bail pleas, the duo hurriedly moved to the same vehicle and managed to run away from the scene Qaiser however left the courtroom moments before the judge pronounced the verdict which was reserved earlier

It is pertinent to mention here that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s

arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 and subsequent violent protests during which unruly supporters and workers stormed and torched state installations almost across the country, unleashed a mass exodus of leaders from the former ruling party The nearly three-day-long protests also claimed at least 8 lives and injured dozens of others with the incumbent coalition government suspending internet services and deploying army troops to maintain law and order situation

Following the unprecedented attacks on defence and public properties the crackdown was launched on the PTI to detain the suspect involved in the vandalism with the country s top civil-military leadership vowing to try rioters under relevant laws of the country including the Army Act Hours after his release from Rawalpindi s Adiala Jail on the Islamabad High Court s (IHC) order Umar on May 24 quitted the party positions "Given the current situation [ ] after May 9, it is not personally possible for me to continue

performing my party leadership duties " the former federal minister had said I am resigning as the secretary general of PTI and as the core committee member One of the reasons why is [ ] I am outspoken and I cannot issue personal statements if I hold an office " The PTI vice chairman who was taken into custody in the wee hours on May 11 after the police raided Gilgit-Baltidstan House in Islamabad was released on June 6 on the court’s order "I want to tell PTI workers that the 'flag of justice is in my hands and I am still part of this movement he said while addressing the media outside the Adiala Jail soon after being released

However, Qaiser s status was unclear with confusion around whether he has quit the party or not after former PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Pervez Khattak announced quitting party positions in a joint presser during which the former speaker was also seated but remained silent Khattak cited May 9 mayhem as the reason behind his decision

Chief of Naval Staff Amjad Niazi message on World Hydrography Day-2023

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

World Hydrography Day (WHD) is observed on June 21st each year to raise awareness about the importance of hydrography and its contribution to the safety efficiency and sustainability of maritime navigation and related activities

Every year a specific theme related to contribution of hydrography in the maritime domain is articulated by the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) Theme of WHD for this year is Hydrography Underpinning the digital twin of the ocean

The theme aims to highlight that hydrography (the science of measuring and mapping the physical features of bodies of water) is elemental in developing and maintaining a digital representation of the ocean A digital twin of the ocean aims to model the ocean s

multiple components, provide understanding of the past as well as present to make informed predictions about its future behaviour WHD serves as an opportunity to highlight the significance of hydrographic services in various areas, including safe navigation, maritime security, environmental protection, disaster prevention & response and marine

resource exploration Since the oceans and seas are rich in natural resources including fish stocks minerals and hydrocarbons the hydrographic data is crucial for all these activities which reflect the contribution of hydrographers in world s economy As per United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Pakistan like other coastal states is responsible for hydrographic surveys and production of nautical charts/ maps of its waters to provide accurate nautical information to the mariners In order to discharge national/ international hydrographic obligations with appropriately vested authority Pakistan Navy approached the GoP for re-designating Pakistan Navy Hydrographic Department (PNHD) as National Hydrographic Office (NHO) and Hydrographer Pakistan Navy (HPN) as Hydrographer of Pakistan (HOP)

fostering harmonious relations with neighboring countries The Committee will continue to monitor the progress made on these issues and take appropriate actions to ensure the well-being and security of the Pakistani people Senator Mushtaq Ahmed condemned the recent brutal murder of Haji Sher Muhammad a grandson of the legendary Faqir of Ipi in North Waziristan and the arrest of Ali Wazir MNA Senator Mushahid Hussain concurred with the views of Senator Mushtaq, saying that the arrest of Ali Wazir at this time would be detrimental to security of the borderlands while it was also a violation of the law passed by Parliament that explicitly stated that no member of parliament should be arrested without Speaker s permission He called for the release of Ali Wazir He also hailed the Faqir of Ipi as a famous anti-imperialist freedom fighter The Chairman of the Defence Committee referred these two issues to the Senate Human Rights Committee whose Chairman Senator Walid Iqbal readily agreed to put it on the HR Committee s agenda for consideration The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the Chair Secretary of the Senate Defence Committee Major (r) Hasnain Haider was also present on the occasion

A A A A s s o c i ate s u nve i l s i c o n i c p r o j e c t : A A A O C TA 2

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Over the weekend AAA Associates unveiled its most ambitious project to date - the AAA Octa 2 Karachi

This state-of-the-art development located on the strategic M9 Karachi Motorway, was launched in a grand event including a dazzling array of celebrities from the entertainment industry These celebrities included Mehvish Hayat Mikal Zulfiqar Faisal Qureshi Bushra

Ansari Yunas Khan Sheharyar Munwar Ijaz Aslam

Hira Mani Shehroz Sabzwari Jannat Mirza Ahmed Ali

Akbar Nida Yasir Syed Jibran Muneeb Butt Momal Sheikh and Fatima Hassan The shows were hosted by Ayesha Omer, Syed Shafat, Amna Malik, Ahmed Ali Butt, Zainab Abbas and Dino The launching event had performances by Pakistan’s globally renowned names as Ali Azmat Ahmed Jahanzaib Hadia Hashmi Aima

Baig & Faisal Kapadia AAA Octa 2 Karachi brand ambassador Shahid Khan Afridi was also spotted on both days Apart from the celebrities of tinsel town, it was attended by a diverse mix of people from all walks of life

The files were given to the nominees by their favourite actors who also interacted with the attendees at the event “We are proud to announce the launch of AAA Octa 2 Karachi a testament to our commitment to not only enhance the living standards of the people but also contribute to the economy of our beloved city Chairman AAA Associates Sheikh Fawad Bashir expressed his gratitude to the attendees and assured that AAA Octa 2 Karachi will redefine premium living standards in Pakistan "Karachi is the vein of Pakistan a city that pulses with life and contributes significantly to the nation s GDP

Our goal with AAA Octa 2 Karachi is to reflect that energy and contribute to the city s prosperity, he quoted

SCO all set to revolutionize digital landscape of Mirpur in A JK

MIRPUR s ta f f r e p o r t

Special Communications Organization (SCO) a leading telecom organization in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) is committed to ushering Azad Jammu & Kashmir into a new era of innovation by driving digitization efforts across the region

With a focus on digitalization SCO is actively working in over 35 tehsils in Azad Jammu & Kashmir spearheading the transformation Mirpur stands fortunate as the first tehsil to experience the benefits of digitization through high-speed optical fiber internet Currently, the fiber cable work has been completed 100% in all the districts of Mirpur This initiative is set to revolutionize education foster online businesses and open up opportunities for online jobs bringing the region on par with global standards In the initial phase 40% of all villages in Azad Jammu & Kashmir will be provided with reliable digital infrastructure

This development holds immense significance for the local population and it marks a pioneering endeavor in

Faulty air- conditioning system leaves Sindh governor, CGs of different countries sweating at inauguration of 15th Food Asia exhibition

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) seems unable to fix the airconditioning system of the Karachi Expo Center or install a new system despite receiving crores of rupees from the organizers of the exhibition at the Karachi Expo Centre Delegates from foreign countries expressed disbelief and said that the condition of Karachi Expo Center is worsening This was said by Chairman of Consumers Association of Pakistan Kaukab

Iqbal in his statement He said that there was a shot circuit in Karachi Expo Center yesterday due to faulty electrical system Fortunately the organizers of the exhibition quickly brought the situation under control Kaukab Iqbal said that exhibitions are held all over the world to promote trade Dubai is a prime example of this where various exhibitions are held throughout the year under the auspices of the government Traders from all over the world set u p t h e i r s t a l l s a n d d i s p l a y t h e i r p r o du c t s a n d t a k e o r d e r s w o r t h c r o r e s t o e x p o r t K a r a c h i E x p o C e n t e r a l s o o r-

g a n i z e s m a n y e x h i b i t i o n s e v e r y y e a r b u t c o m p a r e d t o L a h o r e E x p o C e n t e r K a r a c h i E x p o C e n t e r i s i n t h e w o r s t c o n d i t i o n Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) seems not to be interested even though the CEO of TDAP belongs to a business community when he took charge it was expected that as a businessman from Karachi he would be the first to do this and will pay attention to this issue but instead the condition of Karachi Expo Center is going towards decline It seems that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is not

ready to do anything except collecting hefty money from the organizers of the exhibition Kaukab Iqbal said that Consumers Association of Pakistan is with the organizers of Food Asia Exhibition as a strategic partner F o o d A s i a E x h i b i t i o n w a s l a rg e l y a t t e n d e d a n d a p p r e c i a t e d b y t h e f o o d related people in Karachi we are tryi n g t o i m p r o v e t h e e c o n o m i c c o n d it i o n s o f K a r a c h i h o w e v e r t h e r e i s a need for the government to pay special attention to the condition of the TDAP K a r a c h i E x p o C e n t e r s o a s t o e n s u r e the organization of a world-class trade exhibition here

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

FORMER chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Jawwad S Khawaja on Tuesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) seeking the country s apex court to declare trial of civilians in military courts as unconstitutional

Filed through Advocate Khwaja Ahmad Hosain, the petition sought the top court to declare that “sections 2(1)(d)(i) and (ii) of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 are inconsistent with the fundamental rights conferred by the Constitution and are void and struck down

The plea, which has not been fixed for hearing yet, named the Federation of Pakistan through secretaries of law and justice, interior defence and chief secretaries of Punjab Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sindh and Balochistan as respondents in the case

It questioned how civilians who are not on active service can be subjected to trial by military courts for alleged crimes

“The petitioner submits that they cannot

To the extent that such trial is contemplated by law such law is unconstitutional and liable to be struck down

The plea a copy of which is available with Dawn com contended that proceedings

of a court martial were only appropriate and lawful in the case of army officers Their purpose is to maintain discipline within the forces There is no basis on which they may be extended to civilians unless they are in active service ”

It maintained that the challenge through the application was restricted to those provisions of the law that enabled civilians who were not on active service, to be court-martialled

The petition recalled that the government and armed forces had indicated to court martial certain civilians for their involvement in an offence allegedly committed on May 9 when public and private properties including army installations were vandalised amid protests sparked by the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan “In spite of the fact that the allegations revolve around attacks on or offences in respect of property within cantonments or socalled military installations the petitioner submits that any such alleged offences by civilians may only be tried by ordinary criminal courts, it stated The case of the petitioner, the plea highlighted, was that every citizen in the case of a criminal charge was entitled to fair and due process “This fundamental right is en-

Bilawal, Greece FM discuss ferr y tragedy

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto

Zardari on Tuesday telephones Greece Foreign Minister Vassilis Kaskarelis Taking to his twitter handle, Bilawal Bhutto said that during the telephonic conversation they discussed important issues of bilateral interests Bilawal Bhutto and Vassilis Kaskarelis agreed to closely work together to facilitate Pakistanis in distress and for the identification and repatriation of retrieved bodies During the conversation, they discussed the tragic ferry disaster off the coast of Greece

Bilawal termed his conversation with Greece Foreign Minister regarding ferry tragedy body recovery as very successful

Titanic tourist sub missing for third day with Pakistani t ycoon aboard

BOSTON R e u t e R S

A submersible taking wealthy tourists to visit the site of the Titanic wreckage in deep waters off the coast of Canada was missing for a third day on Tuesday, as US and Canadian ships and planes swept a huge area trying to find the vessel One pilot and four passengers were on board the submersible that went missing on Sunday the US Coast Guard said adding the vessel could stay underwater for up to 96 hours although it was unclear if it had resurfaced but was unable to communicate Those aboard the submersible called Titan, the highlight of a tourist expedition that costs $250,000 per person, included British billionaire Hamish Harding and Engro Corp vice chairman Shahzada Dawood with his son Suleman In a statement Engro Corp said that all it knew was that contact was lost with the submersible craft There is limited information available beyond this that we know and we humbly request that speculation and theorisation is avoided, the company said We, at Engro, remain in prayer for their swift and safe return, and will share updates we may have as and when they come ” it added The 77-year-old French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Stockton Rush founder and CEO of the vessel s US-based operating company OceanGate were also reported to be on board We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety, Dawood s family said on Tuesday US and Canadian ships and planes began swarming the area on Monday about 900 miles (1 450 km) east of Cape Cod some dropping sonar buoys that can monitor to a depth of 13 000 feet (3 962 metres) US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said We are deploying all available assets to make sure that we can locate the craft and rescue the people on board,” he told reporters on Monday “It is a remote area and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area ” He said officials had asked commercial vessels to help The wreckage of the Titanic that sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg lies at about 12 500 feet (3 810 metres) The Titan submersible usually takes two hours to descend to the wreck OceanGate Expeditions, the private company that operates the submersible, said it was “mobilizing all options” to rescue those aboard the Titan

ECP to charge Imran, aides in contempt case

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced its decision to proceed with charges against Imran Khan the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) party and former ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar in a contempt case ECP member from Sindh Nisar Durrani confirmed that all three political leaders would be indicted on July 11 and directed them to appear before the panel in a personal capacity During the hearing, Durrani inquired about the attendance of all parties to which PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry responded that he had not received any such order However the ECP member dismissed the PTI s reservations regarding the case and proceeded with the decision to indict the three political leaders The ECP initiated contempt proceedings against Khan, Umar, and Chaudhry based on statements they made against the electoral body and the chief election commissioner

shrined in Article 10-A of the Constitution and this right is violated when civilians are court-martialled

It pointed out that the recognised ingredients of a fair trial included “an open hearing by a competent and independent forum and the right to counsel of choice” However the petition contended that these principles were compromised in the case of military proceedings

The petition further stated that the primary purpose of the Pakistan Army Act, 1952, was to maintain discipline within the armed forces and when an individual joined the armed forces they consented to be subject to the system of military discipline

It is unjustifiable for civilians to be subjected to a system of military discipline

They have not consented to the same In the context of criminal prosecution and trial, court martial proceedings against civilians violate fundamental rights and do not enjoy protection under Article 8(3) of the Constitution

Furthermore the petitioner said that the plea fell within the scope of Article 184(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, which sets out the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction and enables it to assume jurisdiction in matters involving a question of “public impor-

tance with reference to the enforcement of any of the fundamental rights of Pakistan s citizens

Referring to statements released by the army regarding trials in military courts, the petition stated that the language used indicated that “a view has already been formed by the army authorities and military command that irrefutable evidence exists in these cases

In the presence of such a view, it will not be possible for the accused to receive a fair trial from army officers who operate under and are subject to the discipline of the army authorities

These statements indicate that the alleged incidents are perceived by the army authorities as an attack on the military and its installations

In the presence of such perception, army officers presiding over courtmartial trials would effectively be a judge in their own cause ” the petition stated

It added that the government too had not opposed this and noted it appears likely that the list of civilians to be tried in military courts will increase given the resolution passed by the National Assembly

The petition also listed various amendments made to the Pakistan Army Act 1952 over the years and said the present law “only

contemplates the trial of civilians not on active service by military courts in two situations: seducing or attempting to seduce any person subject to this Act from his duty or allegiance to the government or having committed an offence under the Official Secrets Act 1923”

I t f u r t h e r h i g h l i g h t e d t h a t t h e c o u r t s i n P a k i s t a n h a d o v e r t h e y e a r s d e c l a r e d a t t e m p t s t o e x t e n d t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f m i l i t a r y c o u r t s t o c i v i l i a n s a s u n c o n s t i t ut i o n a l ” a n d r e f e r r e d t o a n u m b e r o f c a s e s f r o m t h e p a s t

The plea pointed out that several human rights violations had been reported during military trials in the country and that such trials conflicted with Pakistan s human rights obligations under international law

Subsequently, it prayed that the respondents should be directed to maintain and furnish a list of all civilians in military custody and the details of where they were being detained Declare that any proceedings against civilians on the basis of the impugned sections are unlawful and direct that such civilians be transferred to the competent civilian authorities for appropriate proceedings before ordinary criminal courts ” the plea demanded

ATC issues non-bailable ar rest war rant for PTI chief, leaders in May 9 riots cases

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore on Tuesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

(PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders

The non-bailable arrest warrants were also issued for PTI leaders Hammad Azhar Mian Aslam Iqbal and others

The court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant at the request of the investigating officer

The cases against the accused were registered in the Naseerabad and Model

Town police stations of Lahore for torching the container and attacking Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) office in the provincial capital

Dozens of cases ranging from terrorism to corruption have been registered against the deposed prime minister since being ousted from power via a no-trust motion in April last year

Other party leaders including the party chief were also booked under terrorism charges following riots sparked by the arrest of the former PM in the AlQadir Trust case on May 9

During the nearly three-day-long violent protests, PTI supporters allegedly

attacked and torched state installations, leaving at least eight dead and dozens others injured

Following the violent protests several PTI leaders and founding members including Shireen Mazari Fawad Chaudhry Imran Ismail Ali Zaidi Aamir Mehmood Kiani and others parted their ways with the party while many blaming the party chief ’s policies for the violence

Hundreds of PTI leaders and workers were also arrested after the authorities launched a crackdown to detain the suspects involved in the vandalism

The National Security Committee (NSC) comprising top civil and military

leadership of the country had also expressed the resolve to show a policy of zero tolerance to acts of violence by miscreants on May 9 and endorsed the decision to hold the trial of those involved in attacking sensitive installations and state buildings under the Army Act Official Secrets Act and other concerned laws under the Constitution

The NSC meeting endorsed the decision that all the abettors, planners, facilitators and those directly involved in acts of arson attacks on military installations and public buildings should be tried under the Army Act Official Secret Act and other laws as the country s Constitution

Probe repor t on Greece migrant boat disaster within week: minister

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan assured the public the government is committed to taking strict action regarding the Greece ship accident, announcing that an investigation committee has already begun its inquiry into the incident Up to 750 men women and children from Syria Egypt Palestine and Pakistan were on board the overcrowded steel fishing trawler trying to reach Europe More than 500 people are presumed to have drowned when the vessel sank in

one of the deepest parts of the Mediterranean Sea last Wednesday Reports indicated that at least 298 Pakistanis died 135 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir Speaking to a news station Khan said the committee formed under the order of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, will present its report within a week, holding accountable those responsible for negligence T h e c o m m i t t e e ’s p r i m a r y objective is to determine the facts surr o u n d i n g t h e G r e e c e b o a t t r a g e d y a n d identify any shortcomings in Pakistan s legal mechanisms that have endangered lives due to human trafficking, not only

in this incident but also in similar cases from the past

Furthermore the committee will analyse previous incidents of a similar nature and appropriate actions will be taken in accordance with the existing legal framework The minister emphasized the importance of international coordination to prevent, control, and punish human smuggling in the future

In addition to the investigation the government will conduct a comprehensive review of both short-term and longterm legislation to address this issue effectively Penalties will be prescribed

FTO expresses concern over repeated changes in tax jurisdic tion of overseas Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has expressed serious concern over the repeated changes in tax jurisdiction for an overseas Pakistani, with the sole purpose of recovering taxes through the attachment of his bank account even after an ex-parte amendment order

According to the FTO order the complainant is an overseas Pakistani who has been permanently living in Germany for the past 2025 years, and he has never been a tax resident of Pakistan nor had any source of income in Pakistan

The complainant stated that he had purchased the property with foreign income earned from his business in Germany

Furthermore, the complainant had filed a declaration under the “Tax Amnesty Scheme 2018” on July 26 2018 which predates the date of the disputed assessment on March 22 2021

H e h a d d e c l a r e d c a s h a n d prize bonds, which were utilized for the same property in the reconciliation of the net wealth filed with the revised wealth statement o n O c t o b e r 2 6

l t h e s e

The complainant further stated that for Tax Year 2018, the original assessment order under Section

122(1) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 (the Ordinance) was amended, ex-parte on March 22, 2021 The amendment treated properties purchased worth Rs 6 crore as concealed income and a tax of Rs 2 crore was imposed and directly withdrawn from his bank account

Upon reviewing the taxpayer s tax profile, it is evident that his address is in Rawalpindi indicating that the jurisdiction of the case falls under the Regional Tax Office (RTO) in Rawalpindi

During the hearing the complainant confirmed that the jurisdiction of his case belongs to RTO Rawalpindi He requested that reassessment proceedings be completed in the same office where the return was filed the amendment was made the appeal order was passed, and tax recovery was made from the bank through coercive measures

Based on the aforementioned facts the complainant’s stance regarding the jurisdiction of the case is correct

It is perplexing that while conducting the ex-parte assessment and affecting recovery from the bank, RTO Rawalpindi was satisfied with its jurisdiction

However once the case was set aside and the possibility of a refund arose the case was being transferred to another jurisdiction

Therefore, the tax authority is di-

rected to handle the case within RTO Rawalpindi and refrain from transferring it to any other RTO

The FTO office has observed that remand back proceedings have been pending since the order passed by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue (Appeals) These proceedings have not been completed by the tax authorities The complainant has already faced hardship due to the ex-parte amendment order and the subsequent recovery of tax through the attachment of his bank account

The taxpayer had to go through the appeal procedure to obtain some relief Therefore, in this case, the tax authorities should have promptly completed the reassessment proceedings to provide the taxpayer with the necessary relief which has not been done

The findings of the FTO office revealed that the transfer of jurisdiction at this point in time and considering the aforementioned facts constitutes maladministration under Section 2(3)(i)(b) of the FTO Ordinance 2000

The FTO has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure that the jurisdiction of the case is not transferred arbitrarily and unilaterally Additionally, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue (CIR) for RTO Rawalpindi has been directed to expedite the reassessment proceedings as per the law and in light of the directions provided in the appeal order

for individuals found responsible for such incidents, and new laws will be developed to combat human trafficking

KEY SUSPECT ARRESTED Meanwhile law enforcement authorities announced the arrest on Tuesday of a key smuggler believed to be involved in the tragic boat capsizing

In a statement issued on Twitter by Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar it was revealed that the prime suspect in the case was apprehended during an operation conducted by the Vehari police

The arrest came after an intensive 24-hour offensive

T wo soldiers mar t yred in Nor th Waziristan IED explosion

RAWALPINDI S ta f f R e p o R t

Two soldiers of Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom on Tuesday after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the general area Spinwam of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province s North Waziristan district the military said in a statement According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 29-yearold Sepoy Gul Rauf from district Lakki Marwat and 23-year-old Sepoy Abid Ullah from district Karak embraced martyrdom during the incident Sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area it added Armed forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve On June 11, three soldiers embraced martyrdom during an operation targeting a terrorist location in the general area of Miranshah in the same district The ISPR stated that on the night of June 9 and 10 an exchange of fire took place between Pakistani troops and terrorists It added that as a result of this incident three terrorists were killed while four others were injured The statement continued that weapons and ammunition were found on the slain terrorists “However, during the intense exchange of fire Subedar Asghar Ali (age 40 years resident of Lakki Marwat district) Sepoy Naseem Khan (age 26 years resident of Lakki Marwat district) and Sepoy Muhammad Zaman (age 22 years resident of Abbottabad) having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat (martyrdom),” the ISPR said