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Prime suspect among 15 human traffickers arrested

ISLAMABAD

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He also urged the committee investigating the Greece shipwreck incident to expedite its proceedings and present a report promptly Chairing a high-level meeting to address the Greece boat incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his dismay over the failure to prevent criminal activities related to human smuggling He questioned the lack of concrete preventive measures despite repeated incidents of this nature

The Prime Minister demanded that all those involved in human smuggling be brought to justice without delay, and he instructed the relevant authorities to take immediate action

The meeting attended by Federal Ministers Rana Sanaullah and Marriyum Aurangzeb Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatimi, DG FIA, Chief Secretary Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and other senior officials, focused on the latest developments regarding the tragic incident

The Mediterranean Sea boat sinking near Greece on June 14 resulted in 104 survivors including 12 individuals from Pakistan, while the bodies of 79 victims have been recovered thus far

The meeting highlighted the round-the-

RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan to oversee the investigation and develop necessary legislative proposals to effectively combat human traffickingclock operations of a coordination cell established within the Ministry of Interior which allows families of missing persons to seek assistance at any time

It was reported that ten First Informat i o n R e p o r t s ( F I R s ) h a d b e e n r e g i s t e r e d f o l l o w i n g t h e i n c i d e n t l e a d i n g t o t h e a rr e s t o f 1 5 i n d i v i d u a l s i n c l u d i n g t h e m a i n s u s p e c t

Authorities revealed that an organized network spanning multiple countries is involved in human trafficking activities

The Prime Minister instructed the FIA to conduct a comprehensive investigation

Alvi designates Isa as next chief justice

ISLAMABAD

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promptly and implement effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future

Furthermore Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the Commissioner of Gujranwala to identify and promptly apprehend the agents responsible for heinous acts of human trafficking in the district

He stressed the importance of maintaining constant communication with the victims families and instructed relevant institutions to remain in contact Additionally, he urged the Pakistani embassy in Greece to establish continuous contact with Greek authorities regarding the i n c i d e n t

At least 15 human traffickers including the prime suspect have been arrested so far during the ongoing countrywide crackdown linked with the migrant boat tragedy off the coast of Greece, authorities told a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday Chairing the high-level huddle regarding human smuggling and the recent capsizing of a boat in the Mediterranean near Greece the premier directed the authorities concerned to bring the responsible for human trafficking to book at the earliest Authorities in Europe still have no clear idea how many people were aboard the ill-fated boat when it sank last week estimates range from 400 to over 700 but likely hundreds came from Pakistan and many from Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) The United Nations Human Rights office said in a statement on Sunday that at least 500 people were still missing and that dozens of people were known to have perished A good number of women and children were among the missing persons in the horrific tragedy The ferry boat was carrying up to 750 people that went down 50 nautical miles off Pylos in southern Greece it further said During the meeting PM Shehbaz expressed resentment over not taking timely action to check human smuggling and taking concrete steps despite the repetition of such incidents He directed Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to supervise the investigation process and formulate recommendations related to the necessary legislation to prevent human trafficking The prime minister also ordered the investigation committee to submit the report after completing it at the earliest The meeting was informed that ten FIRs had been registered after the incident It was further briefed that 104 people including 12 Pakistanis had been rescued, while 74 bodies had been recovered The premier also directed the relevant institutions to be in constant contact with the families of the victims, while the Pakistani embassy in Greece was further instructed to stay in touch with the Greece authorities regarding the incident Earlier today the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended two alleged human traffickers from Gujranwala linked with the migrant boat tragedy off the coast of Libya in February this year The development came after the FIA expanded the scope of its investigation into the recent Greece shipwreck incident and formed teams in major cities to bring the human traffickers to justice

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Titanic sub: Rescuers race against time after hearing undersea sounds

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The bearish sentiment was attributed to a lack of progress on a Staff Level Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a disappointing budget for fiscal year 2024

The budget’s proposed taxes, including an across-theboard super tax a 10 percent tax on bonus shares and a 50 percent tax on abnormal profits which discouraged investors and contributed to the market downturn

With less than 10 days left until the June 30 deadline of Pakistan s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF, the absence of a signed agreement raised concerns The IMF deal is crucial for Pakistan, and the fear of default without its support added to the cautious sentiment among

g U n c e r t a i n t y p r o m p t e s i n v e s t o r s t o a d o p t a w a i t- a n d - s e e a p p r o a c h Dar updates US envoy on ongoing IMF negotiations

investors The uncertainty surrounding the IMF agreement prompted investors to adopt a wait-and-see approach despite attractive dividend yields and price-earning ratios available in the market

The bearish trend in the stock market was driven by a combination of factors including economic uncertainty dismal data on foreign direct investment which fell by 21 percent for Jul-May 2023 and delays in the IMF bailout programme

as deadline approaches

PR OFIT S ta f f R e p o R t Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday met with US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome to discuss the ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) providing an update on the progress made

The Ministry of Finance issued a statement affirming the government s commitment to completing the programme with the IMF before the impending deadline

Pakistan s ninth review under the 2019 Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which aims to secure $1 2 billion, remains pending with less than 10 days remaining until the programme s expiration on June 30 Last week the IMF raised concerns about certain measures proposed in Pakistan s fiscal year 2024 budget, which were seen as contradicting the conditions of the EFF programme Esther Perez Ruiz the IMF representative for Pakistan emphasised that Pakistan needs to address three key issues,

including the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, before the pending tranche can be released As the deadline approaches and the IMF’s reservations regarding the budget persist concerns have grown about the likelihood of a successful agreement Despite the challenges, the government has expressed its flexibility and ongoing engagement with the IMF to find a mutually beneficial solution Pakistan s dwindling foreign reserves have heightened the urgency for an IMF bailout, as failure to secure it could re-

sult in default Dar also highlighted the government’s efforts to reduce the fiscal gap and fulfill national and international financial obligations The statement further mentioned the government s economic policies and priorities to address the current economic challenges and foster stability and growth

Bloome expressed confidence in the government’s economic programes and extended his support to strengthen bilateral economic investment and trade relations between the two countries

Rescue teams were racing on Wednesday to trace the origin of sounds heard from the depths of the North Atlantic in a search for a tourist submersible with five people on board that vanished on its descent to the century-old wreck of the Titanic The US Coast Guard said remotely operated vehicle (ROV) searches were deployed in the area where Canadian aircraft detected the undersea noises on Tuesday as the clock ticked in the last 24 hours of the missing craft s presumed air supply Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue, the US Coast Guard wrote on Twitter on Wednesday The 21-foot (6 4-meter) submersible Titan operated by US-based OceanGate Expeditions began its descent at 8:00 am (1200 GMT) on Sunday according to the US Coast Guard It lost contact with its parent surface vessel soon after that during what should have been a two-hour dive to the Titanic The mini-sub was designed to remain underwater for 96 hours, according to its specifications That would give its occupants enough air until roughly 1200 GMT on Thursday if it remained intact Experts said a range of factors affected that deadline including whether it still had power in the icy depths The wreck of the British ocean liner, which sank when it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912, lies on the seabed at a depth of about 12 500 feet (3 810 meters) It is about 900 miles (1 450 km) east of Cape Cod Massachusetts and 400 miles south of St John s Newfoundland Those aboard the submersible, the highlight of a tourist expedition that costs $250,000 per person, included British billionaire and adventurer Hamish Harding, 58, and Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood 48 with his 19-year-old son Suleman who are both British citizens French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet 77 and Stockton Rush founder and chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions, were also reported to be on board The authorities have not confirmed the identity of any passenger

ISLAMABAD

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Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday formed a ninemember larger bench to take up petitions for hearing on Thursday against trial of civilians in military courts under Army

Act

The larger bench led by Chief Justice

Umar Ata Bandial comprising of: Justice

Qazi Faez Isa Justice Sardar Tariq Masood Justice Ijazul Ahsan Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah Justice Munib Akhtar Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha Malik

p o w

militarisation of justice This case is also about power flowing f r o m t h e b a r r e l o f a g u n I t i s a b o u t t h e

“The question for our civilian institutions including this court is whether the militarization of justice will be endorsed said a 39-page constitution petition filed through Khwaja Ahmad Hosain advocate

The former top judge asked if Pakistanis as a nation want to march backwards in time “with banners flying and drums beating to old tunes”

Or do we see a better tomorrow with public officeholders and institutions operating within constitutionally assigned domains? It is a fundamental question that continues to plague us as a nation The answer will shape the future,” he added H e s a i d t r i a l s o f c i v i l i a n s i n m i l i t a r y c o u r t s d o n o t m e e t i n t e r n a t i o n a l f a i r t r i a l s t a n d a r d s : t h e r i g h t t o a p u b l i c

h e a r i n g i s n o t g u a r a n t e e d , t h e r e i s n o r i g h t t o a r e a s o n e d j u d g m e n t , t h e r e a r e n o d e t a i l s a b o u t w h e r e t r i a l s a r e c o nd u c t e d a n d e v e n t h e d e t a i l s o f t h e c h a rg e s a r e k e p t s e c r e t T h e d e c i s i o n t o t r y c i v i l i a n s b y m i li t a r y c o u r t s w h e n t h e c i v i l i a n c o u r t s a r e functioning is incompatible with the Cons t i t u t i o n a n d a v i o l a t i o n o f f u n d a m e n t a l r i g h t s g u a r a n t e e d t h e r e i n ”

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TH E Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday obtained

DNA samples from the families of 126 missing victims of the Greece boat tragedy

According to the FIA, samples were submitted by the relatives of 52 victims in FIA Gujarat Circle and 46 affected families in Gujranwala Circle while blood samples were also obtained from the relatives of 28 people of Kotli Azad Kashmir

Two more human traffickers arrested

In another development, FIA AntiHuman Trafficking Circle Gujranwala arrested two more human traffickers involved in the Libya boat incident

The arrested human traffickers include Mohsin Javed and Sharafat Ali who belong to Gujranwala The accused reportedly obtained Rs2 5 million to send the victim of the boat incident, Umair Yahya, to Europe

According to the spokesperson of FIA, the accused were arrested from Gujranwala and a case was registered against them adding that further investigation is going on

Former minister Sar war nabbed in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD

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Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the ex-aviation minister, was taken into custody in Islamabad in the small hours of Wednesday, according to reports from police sources Quoting police, ARY News reported that Khan his son Mansoor Hayat Khan and nephew Ammar Siddiqui were taken into custody from a house in the F-8 sector of Islamabad Authorities took him into custody apparently for his alleged role in the violent demonstrations that ensued after the brief detention of former prime minister Imran Khan for suspected graft on May 9 The police said the trio were wanted for their involvement in the protests and an alleged attack on a judicial complex in Islamabad Additionally, the police added that cases against the accused have been registered in the capital, as well as in their hometown of Taxila and Rawalpindi The country is beset by political turmoil as Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has faced a countrywide crackdown since the protests that saw mobs ransacking state installations, including military assets Khan was freed on bail on May 12 for an initial two weeks, obtained a three-day bail extension from a high court and later a further extension from the trial court until June 19 Dozens of top and mid-tier leaders in the PTI have been arrested alongside hundreds of Khan supporters since the violent protests of May 9 Many have quit the party after being released while other leaders remain on the run to avoid arrest Khan, who denies wrongdoing, says the arrests are part of a campaign to dismantle his party and that the state is using pressure tactics to force out his aides The government denies this and says his aides were leaving of their own volition

Supposed missing persons arrested by police: SHC informed

connection with the Libya boat wreck that took place earlier this year in which seven Pakistanis lost their lives

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Most of the people on board were from Egypt Syria and Pakistan and paid thousands of dollars to people traffickers like 28-year-old Yasin did Hundreds more than the 81 confirmed victims are feared to have died He thought his kids future would be better, Yasin s brother Muhammad Ayub told Reuters as the two children, Subhan, 3, and 1-year-old Zulekha sat in his lap “We’ve no idea where he is If he’s alive or dead In the hilltop town of Khuiratta

where the family was being tested authorities know of at least 28 people who are either dead or missing The town in the independent Himalayan region of Kashmir, like in some other parts of Pakistan, is known for people going to Europe to try to earn a better living

“Each family is giving at least two samples father mother or son or daughter the area s assistant commissioner Mushtaq Ahmad said Some of the women don t know their sons are missing, so we haven t told them ” The exact circumstances of the vessel sinking while it was being shadowed by the Greek coastguard are still unclear

The boat is thought to have set off from the Libyan city of Tobruk on June 10 Witness accounts suggest between 400 and 750 people had packed into the fishing boat that sank about 50 miles (80 km) from the southern coastal town of Pylos Police in Pakistan say 800 were on board Fourteen people in Pakistan have been arrested on suspicion of alleged trafficking Nine suspected smugglers have been detained by Greece, all from Egypt Yasin had borrowed money to pay Rs2 2 million ($7,660) to an agent to reach Europe Ayub a construction worker said

PPP to vote for budget as coalition par tners ‘settle differences’

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to vote for Budget 2023-23 as differences between the two ruling allies have apparently resolved

The party has barred its leaders from giving statements against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)

According to sources privy to the development the federal government has approved additional Rs30 billion for Sindh which according to the latter will be used for restoration of flood-affected houses and infrastructure

It was one of the demands of the PPP and reason behind the differences between the allies However the federal government acted swiftly to placate the PPP and allocated the funds the sources informed

A day earlier Prime Minister (PM)

Shehbaz Sharif assured Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah of allocating Rs25 billion funds for the flood victims in the budget 2023-24

Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah held a one-on-one meeting with PM Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad Sources said the chief minister raised the matter of special allocations for the flood affectees in the federal budget 2023-24

He apprised PM Sharif that the Sindh government allocated Rs25 billion funds for the flood victims and the federal government should also allocate Rs25 billion for the rehabilitation of the flood affectees CM Shah also demanded the premier for special allocations for the flood victims from global aid

The premier assured CM Shah of allocating Rs25 billion allocations for flood affectees in the federal budget

After meeting the premier, CM Shah departed for Karachi from Islamabad

The government has been facing criticism from almost all coalition part-

Afridi remanded in custody for five days in GHQ attack case

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summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order

May 9 violence: Over 4200 detained in Punjab jails

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

ners on the budget during the budget debate that is currently in progress in the National Assembly Foreign Minister Bilawal BhuttoZardari, who is also chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) indicated at a public meeting in Swat on Saturday that his party may not vote for the budget unless its concerns about the budget were addressed

The PPP leader said the prime minister had promised to keep funds for rehabilitation of flood-hit people in the budget but some members of his team were not fulfilling those promises

PIA sets to resume Islamabad-Beijing flight with bumper offer

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Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is likely to resume its commercial operation between Islamabad and Beijing starting from August 6 with lowest fares and extra free baggage allowance, said PIA Country Manager in China, Bilal Afzal on Thursday

He told China Economic Net that to provide best service they are offering the ever-best policy for this route and all passengers can enjoy it Besides all students even have more discounts and baggage allowance

“We are pleased to announce that PIA is resuming flight operation to China effective 6th August 2023 Initially we will have one weekly flight Islamabad -Beijing-Islamabad every Sunday It will depart from Beijing at 21:15 local time , he added He further said that they are offering the lowest fares in the market with gracious free baggage allowance of 50Kg in Economy Class and 60Kg in Economy Plus The one-way fare from Beijing-Islamabad is 3814 RMB and the fare for a return ticket is RMB 5685

We are also offering a 20 percent

student discount with 80Kg free baggage allowance and passengers can avail further discount if tickets are purchased online”, Bilal mentioned Muhammad Zubair, a Pakistani student at Shandong University said that he was planning to visit Pakistan during summer vacation but worried about the high fares, PIA can solve my difficulty by adopting the new policy

I m happy that the national flag carrier is providing a preferential policy for all passengers and particularly for students, now I can visit my family and will enjoy my summer holidays This route also has the shortest distance to visit my hometown Rawalpindi I m always thankful to Chinese authorities who facilitate our national carrier whenever we needed , he added

More than 4200 suspects who were involved in the May 9 violence were detained in Punjab jails, ARY News reported As per details, a total of 37 women and 432 men involved in the May 9 violence are currently in two jails in Lahore The total number of suspects who are in jails across Punjab has reached 4200 whereas a huge number of accused have been released when they were not identified in an identification parade Moreover, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Yasmin Rashid and Ejaz Chaudhary were also discharged in one case Earlier Punjab police completed the identification of ‘2 290 miscreants’ who were involved in the May 9 violence According to Punjab Police officials out of the total 4120 miscreants, 2290 were identified and 1180 arrested They further said that 1125 miscreants out of 1800 were identified and 513 are arrested these miscreants were involved in the attack on Jinnah House in Lahore May 9 violence: Police complete identification of 2 290 miscreants

UAE ‘keen’ to invest in Karachi por t terminal operations

KARACHI

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is keen to invest in Karachi port terminal operations, sources said on Wednesday Sources further said UAE wants to equip Karachi port terminals with the latest technology for the smooth handling of shipments The sources claimed that the agreement regarding terminal handling with the UAE will be inked before June 30 Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Maritime Affairs Minister Faisal Sabzwari are finalizing the conditions of the agreement with the UAE Sources said the panel has been permitted to finalise a draft operation maintenance investment and development agreement under the government-to-government arrangements with a nominated agency of the UAE for handing over the Karachi port terminals Earlier this year, the federal government formed an eight-member committee to begin outsourcing three major airports in Pakistan – Islamabad Karachi and Lahore The committee wrote a letter to managers of all three major airports and directed them to provide data of the airports aviation ministry Pakistan is in a financial crisis amid uncertainty over the revival of the $6 5 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

The police submitted its progress report in Sindh High Court (SHC) over petitions against enforced disappearances on Wednesday Sindh Police in its report claimed that all allegedly disappeared persons have been involved in crimes and concerned police has arrested them Supposed disappeared person Syed Ahrar has been arrested by Shah Faisal police in two cases,” report read

“Tajdar Ali was arrested by the counter terrorism department and he has been in jail ” police disclosed Danish Soomro was arrested by Hyderabad Police and he has also been in jail according to police report

Another purported disappeared person Sikandar Memon was arrested by the Memon Goth police in a case, while Fazal Ghani was arrested by the CTD from Manghopir”

“Another person Ibrahim Ali was arrested from Sachal police jurisdiction according to police report The high court bench directed the families to contact concerned courts for their disappeared relatives

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday apprehended Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi from prison and transported the former prime minister to a sessions court in Lahore, where they sought a twoweek physical remand in connection with a money laundering case Despite securing bail from an anti-corruption court in Lahore the previous day Elahi remained incarcerated as the prison authorities had not received the orders for his release S i m u l t a n e o u s l y, t h e F I A r e g i s t e r e d

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l a h i a n d t h r e e o t h e r s o n c h a rg e s o f a ll e g e d m o n e y l a u n d e r i n g t h r o u g h a f r o n t m a n C o n s e q u e n t l y, E l a h i w a s t a k e n i n t o c u s t o d y f r o m t h e j a i l p r e mi s e s a n d s u b s e q u e n t l y p r e s e n t e d b e f o r e t h e s e s s i o n s c o u r t

CONSEQUENCES OF RUNNING COUNTRY ON HYBRID MODEL CAN BE DANGEROUS: JI CHIEF

JA M A AT-E-I S L A M I Emir Sirajul Haq has said the consequences of running the country on hybrid model and any artificial or ad-hoc system could be dangerous, demanding free and fair elections immediately

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday he said the government of 14 political parties was worst in country’s history following the bad experience of the PTI

Former SC judge passes away

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Former Supreme Court Judge Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed 66 passed away in Rawalpindi due to a heart attack on Wednesday The funeral prayer for Ahmed will be held at Bahria Town in Rawalpindi at 6:00 pm Ahmed served as a Supreme Court Judge from April 2019 until his retirement in March 2022 Hailing from Chakwal he had been receiving treatment at the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology for an extended period Born on March 26, 1957, in Chakwal, Ahmed completed his early education at the Government High School and Government Degree College in Chakwal He obtained a law degree from the University Law College in 1980 and became an enrolled advocate in 1981 In pursuit of further education he joined the doctoral program in Public International Law at the University of Amsterdam He also completed collateral programs in International Law and International Relations at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague in 1985 Ahmed commenced his law practice in 1986 and was enrolled as an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1997

Abhi awarded Technology Pioneer 2023 by WEF

KARACHI: p R e S S R e l e a S e ABHI a growing embedded finance platform was selected among hundreds of companies as one of the World Economic Forum s Technology Pioneers Providing innovative finance solutions to over 450 businesses and their employees, ABHI is the first in the business from the MENAP region to receive the recognition The World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers program recognizes earlystage companies from around the world that are driving innovation and shaping the future of their respective industries ABHI has been acknowledged for its exceptional contributions in the realm of embedded finance, empowering businesses and their employees with groundbreaking financial solutions Verena Kuhn Head of Innovator Communities at the World Economic Forum said: We re excited to welcome ABHI to our 2023 cohort of Technology Pioneers She added: ABHI and its fellow pioneers are at the forefront of innovation and disruption needed to help us solve the world s most pressing issues We look forward to their contribution to the Forum s content work that brings together the public and private sectors to tackle these global issues As a Technology Pioneer, ABHI s Group CEO and Co-Founder Omair Ansari will be invited to engage with the World Economic Forum, working with global leaders to help address key industry and societal issues Technology Pioneers will also be invited to join Forum events and discussions throughout the year bringing together leading stakeholders from the public and private sectors

The people experienced such horrible happenings in last one year which they had never seen in 75 years, he added Now when the PDM, the PPP and the PTI failed to deliver, it is need of the hour that people should be allowed to elect their representatives through transparent elections he stressed and added it was the duty of the Election Commission of Pakistan

(ECP) to take all political stakeholders into confidence and devise a transparent mechanism for the national vote He called for the creation of a separate

Dir Division arguing that Malakand division being the largest in KP with nine districts and nine million population was presenting a plethora of problems The governments, he said, promised CPEC route and identified nine points in the area for the border trade with Afghanistan and central Asia but failed to honor their commitments

Similarly he said the claims to build economic and industrial zones in Malakand also remained limited to the papers He said the majority of the overseas Pakistanis belonged to Malakand division but the govern-

ments had desperately failed to protect their properties and families back in the country

Rather, he regretted, the defense minister insulted the community, attracting backlash from all over the world He demanded the government issue Mohsin Pakistan Golden Cards to overseas and address their concerns He said overseas sent 31 billion-dollar remittances but they were treated like third degree citizens at airports Haq said the PPP made fun of democratic values and mandate of the people of Karachi in mayor election, demanding the

France keen to see a ‘strong Pakistan’: Deputy Head of Mission

tire world The French want a lasting peace as do the Pakistanis and the rest of the world French educational institutions are always open to the intelligent and hardworking Pakistani students

The French deputy ambassador in reply to a student s question assured of France s support for Pakistan Prof Dr Shabbar Atiq said that France is a developed nation that can play a vital supporting role for Pakistan in various fields

ECP declare the selection process as illegal and hold fresh election for the slot by ensuring presence of 31 elected representatives who were kidnapped on June 15 He said the JI would hold protest demonstrations in front of the ECP head-office Islamabad on June 23 against rigging in Karachi local body polls and mayor election

CTD arrests four TTP terrorists in Punjab raids

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The bond of friendship and bilateral relations between Pakistan and France is very strong because it is decades old and time-tested a top French diplomat told the audience here at Hafiz Hayat Campus of the University of Gujrat on

Wednesday

Guillaume Dabouis Deputy Head Mission at the French Embassy in Islamabad was addressing a seminar – A Talk by Deputy Ambassador of France on Franco – Pakistan Relations , organized by the Student Services Centre (SSC), however, stressed that his government was keen to further strengthen these ties because there’s a lot more room for further cooperation especially in the fields of education trade and economy

Earlier Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Shabbar Atiq gave a warm welcome to

the French dignitaries upon their arrival at the campus French Embassy Education Attaché Sabine Vermeilard and University of South Asia Vice Chancellor and former Punjab education minister Mian Imran Masood were also part of the delegation Guillaume Dabouis said that there exists a relationship of mutual trust between us France can provide higher education opportunities to the Pakistani youth in various fields

The Pakistani youth is intelligent and possesses a lot of potential to be reckoned a force because of their resilience intellectual and strong mental abilities France is a secular society and does not promote any particular religion over the other, he said Glum Dubois added that France is keen to see an economically strong Pakistan

The Russia-Ukraine war has affected the peace and economy of the en-

He stressed the need for developing academic ties with the universities around the globe to create more opportunities for our students Dr Shabbar Atiq shed ample light on the ongoing educational and research activities at the UoG

Mian Imran Masood said that Gujrat is a developed region in terms of education and industry Partnerships and collaborations between French universities and the UoG will prove fruitful

French Embassy’s Education Attaché

Sabine Vermeilard said that Pakistani students enrolling in French universities should improve the general perception of Pakistan Enrich yourself with knowledge and make service to humanity your motto Scholarships are also available for Pakistani students in various universities in France Pakistan students should learn French so that they do not feel alienated in the French society At the end of the seminar Dr Shabbar Atiq presented commemorative shields to the guests including the Chief Guest – Deputy Ambassador France Guillaume Dabouis

T itanic sub: Resc uers race against time af ter hearing undersea sounds

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A friend of Harding Jannicke Mikkelsen who has accompanied the British entrepreneur on other expeditions told Reuters on Tuesday she was hoping for good news but was not optimistic It would be a miracle if they are recovered alive, she said Teams from the United States, Canada and France have been involved in the search covering an area of open sea larger than the US state of Connecticut or about half the size of Belgium

REPORTS OF ‘BANGING’

SOUNDS: Aircraft and ships from the US Coast Guard, US Navy and Canadian armed forces had combed more than 7 600 square miles (19 700 square km) of the North Atlantic US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said on Tuesday The Canadian military dropped sonar buoys to listen for any sounds that might come from the Titan and a commercial pipeline-laying vessel with a remote-controlled deepwater submersible was also searching he said A French research ship carrying a deep-sea diving robot submersible was

dispatched to the area at the request of the US Navy and was expected to arrive later on Wednesday, France s Ifremer ocean science research institute said US Coast Guard said Canadian Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft which have sub-surface surveillance gear to trace submarines detected the underwater noises in the search area on Tuesday Remote undersea equipment was deployed in the area where the sounds were detected and data from the P-3 aircraft was shared with the US Navy experts “for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans the US Coast Guard wrote in its Twitter statement It did not give details about the nature of the sounds, but CNN and Rolling Stone magazine, citing internal US government communications, reported that Canadian aircraft detected banging sounds at 30-minute intervals in the area Rolling Stone said the sounds were picked up by sonar buoys and that sonar picked up more banging four hours later CNN, citing a US government memo, said additional sounds were heard about four hours after the banging

was detected but said the second occurrence was not described as banging

Experts say rescuers face major obstacles both in finding the Titan and in saving the people aboard In the event of a mid-dive emergency Titan’s pilot would likely have released weights to float back to the surface said Alistair

Greig a marine engineering professor at University College London But he said it would be difficult to locate the vansized submersible in the Atlantic without any communication The submersible is sealed with bolts outside preventing occupants from escaping without assistance even if it surfaced If Titan were stuck on the ocean floor, a rescue effort would face even bigger challenges because of the huge pressures and total darkness at a depth of more than 2 miles Titanic expert Tim Matlin said it would be almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue on the seabed

The sinking of the Titanic which killed more than 1,500 people, has long been immortalised in books and films

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed on Wednesday to have arrested four terrorists of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in an intelligence-based operation conducted in different areas of Punjab According to the CTD spokesman, the terrorists were arrested from Sheikhupura, Sargodha, Sahiwal and Rawalpindi Explosives, six detonators, six fuses cell phones and cash worth Rs4 830 were recovered from the terrorists The accused were identified as Zahid Nymat Zubair and Abdul Ghafoor Four cases were registered against them, and investigations were launched According to the CTD authorities, 22 suspects were held during 166 combing operations this week As many as 8 218 people were interrogated in the combing operations The CTD is working on the goal of Safer Punjab the CTD authorities said and reaffirmed their resolve to root out the scourge of terrorism

Sharif emphasises importance of early childhood education

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the significance of early childhood education in shaping children s personalities and determining their future career paths He emphasized that this crucial stage of education lays the foundation for children to internalize essential social norms and values In a tweet, the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction in announcing the Pakistan Learning Conference 2023 which aims to empower children by adopting global best practices in education Although he expressed his eagerness to attend the conference and learn from scholars and policy practitioners representing diverse backgrounds his commitment to representing Pakistan at a global financial event in Paris prevented him from doing so Nevertheless Prime Minister Sharif extended his best wishes to the conference and eagerly awaited the recommendations that would contribute to building a resilient and prosperous future for children in Pakistan

Fake mineral water plant sealed, owner held

SWAT S y e d S h a h a b u d d i n

Popular interest was renewed by the 1997 blockbuster movie “Titanic”

P r i m e s u s p e c t a m o n g 1 5 h u m a n t r a f f i c ke r s a r r e s te d

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

At least three Pakistanis perished in a boat wreck near Libya s Benghazi city the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on February 28

In another shipwreck incident off Libya s coast on January 31, at least 16 Pakistanis lost their lives “There were 32 Pakistanis among 80 to 90 people aboard the boat,” the foreign office had confirmed

A spokesperson of the FIA said that the suspected human traffickers had received Rs2 5 million from a citizen named Umair Yahya for transporting him to Europe Yahya had died in thae shipwreck incident

The arrested human traffickers were identified as Mohsin Javed and Sharafat Ali The FIA has registered a case against the suspected human traffickers and launched investigations into the incident

In order to identify the bodies of the Greece shipwreck victims the government has formed a 10-member team comprising renowned doctors The team will collect DNA samples from the relatives of the victims

The 10-member team has reached the Khuiratta area of Kotli District to collect the DNA samples for crossmatching, the Mirpur division commissioner confirmed on June 19

Authorities in Europe still have no clear idea how

many people were aboard the boat when it sank estimates range from 400 to over 700 but likely hundreds came from Pakistan, and many from Azad Jammu Kashmir As per the foreign media reports over 80 people have died and hundreds were still missing

The United Nations Human Rights office said in a statement on Sunday that at least 500 people were still missing and that dozens of people were known to have perished A good number of women and children were a m o n g t h e m i s s i n g p e r s o n s i n t h e “ h o r r i f i c t r a g e d y ”

The ferry boat was carrying up to 750 people that went down 50 nautical miles off Pylos in southern Greece it further said

HEC takes exception to Holi event at university

Additional Assistant Commissioner Swat Muhammad Amir Khan raided a local brand of water filtration plant, where unhygienic water was being supplied to the masses on commercial basis According to a press release issued by the office of Deputy Commissioner Swat during the raid all expired reagents and chemicals were recovered which were used in qualitative tests of water The owner couldn t provide the mandatory NOCs required for establishment of filtration plant It was also noticed that most of the water cans and bottles were refilled from tap water of washroom The Assistant Commissioner immediately sealed the Aqua Swat plant and handed over the accused to local police station for lodging First Information Report (FIR) against him Meanwhile, two other milk shop owners were handed over to local police for overcharging the public According to the administration those involved in food adulteration and overcharging would be dealt with iron hand ISLAMABAD

ta f f R e p o R t

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken an exception to the Hindu festival of Holi being celebrated at a university claiming that it had caused concern and disadvantageously affected the country s image , it emerged on Wednesday

The commission made the remarks in a letter, dated June 20, sent by HEC Executive Director Shaista Sohail to vice chancellors and heads of institutions

The letter said that higher education institutions (HEIs) were responsible for disseminating knowledge and were essential for transforming the youth into cultured individuals” while also creating a workforce with a skill set in accordance with the coun-

try s needs

It said that HEIs had the ultimate responsibility to polish and nurture the exuberance of youth into learned, mature, and responsible citizens ready to take on the reins of the country and play their role in nation building” “Public and private sector HEIs across the country are consequently relied upon to groom our youth into compassionate discerning and refined individuals able to walk through life avoiding obvious pitfalls, it said

The letter said that HEC had been formulating its policies based on the concepts “embodied in our own culture values and traditions thus preserving the nation s ideology Unfortunately it is sad to witness activities that portray a complete disconnect from our socio-cultural values and an ero-

sion of the country s Islamic identity One such instance that has caused concern was the fervour exhibited in marking [the] Hindu festival of Holi This widely reported/publicised event from the platform of a university has caused concern and has disadvantageously affected the country’s image the letter said

While the HEC letter did not name the varsity in question it comes days after Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad gained attention on social media for hosting an event for Holi, which took place on March 8 In one of the videos circulating on social media students can be seen dancing and throwing colours in the air as loud music plays in the background

While there is no denying the fact that cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity leads

towards an inclusive and tolerant society that profoundly respects all faiths and creeds; albeit it needs to be done so in a measured manner without going overboard

The students need to be apprised to be aware of the self-serving vested interests who use them for their own ends far from the altruistic critical thinking paradigm the HEC letter said The letter advised HEIs to prudently distance themselves from all such activities obviously incompatible with the country s identity and societal values

The HEC’s letter drew the ire of netizens online Sindhi journalist Veengas said Islamabad needed to understand that Hindu festivals of Holi and Diwali were part of Sindhi culture Islamabad neither accepts our Sindhi language nor does it honour the Hindu festivals, she said

Lawyer and rights activist Jibran Nasir called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately take notice of the matter and demanded that the HEC withdrew the letter In his criticism of the HEC, he said: “A commission formed to regulate ‘higher education for students in Pakistan appears to be governed by forces who have no basic education about decency community and need for diversity

Journalist Rabia Mehmood said she spoke to the HEC director who she said was “annoyed” at the press calling the restriction a “ban” She added that the notification was clearly discriminatory Activist Ammar Ali Jan said the commission should be more concerned about the dismal state of education in Pakistan Our universities are not even ranked in the top 1 000 Yet HEC is more worried about students celebrating Holi Such misplaced priorities are the reason for the intellectual/moral decay we see in society he said

Boat tragedy investigation

TH E country is still reeling from the effects of the Messenia boat tragedy, in which some hundred Pakistanis the number of which remains unknown were drowned while attempting to cross illegally from Libya to Italy The government seems to have taken the matter seriously not only observing a day of mourning, but making arrests almost daily However, so far, the arrests have only been of those directly responsible for running the human trafficking at the root of the tragedy However, those providing support to this nefarious business are not being arrested It is not believable that the whole affair could take place without some bureaucrats turning a blind eye And could they have turned a blind eye, without political backing? It should not be ignored that this was not a one-off Illegal migrants have made the journey before, and those arranging this visit have got more people in the pipeline

In an ideal world the government would clean up its act and provide at home the kind of opportunities that the tragedy victims were trying to seek illegally However even if that happens it will take time Until that day in the future, illegal immigrants will go on trying their luck, a new generation of agents will emerge, and seek protection from the same big fish who are apparently escaping punishment today There will be in time another tragedy, and after the same hand-wringing and breast-beating as we are seeing today life will go on

The Pakistani government immigration agents their backers and intending immigrants are the stakeholders everyone has been focused on, but there are others What about those providing passage, possibly illegal, no doubt dubious, to Libya, and then those providing shipping to Italy? And was Italy the terminus, or just a stop on the way to somewhere else? Libya is facing troubles of its own and its government is weak but the authorities there should realize that this is precisely the sort of situation which makes more powerful states intervene That intervention may end badly, but while it lasts, it is agonizing Pakistan s government must not only show that it is concerned about its citizens, but is also a responsible member of the international community At the same time it must work to be part of the solution which is to provide people the sort of opportunities at home that they were seeking abroad illegally rather than be part of the problem, which it is at present

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M A Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Muslim League aur Vote ki Be-Izaati

d R Fa R i d a M a l i k

AF T E R being deposed as Prime Minister for the third time Nawaz Sharif started a campaign for Vote ki Izzat (Respect for the vote) He travelled with his caravan of supporters on the GT Road which was considered to be his strong area of support Despite the theatrics of Marvi Memon, it was a lacklustre performance by the three-time PM

On reaching Lahore he offered Fatiha at the shrine of Sufi Saint Data Gunj Buksh RA and went home to his princely state at Jatti Umra Shahid Khaqan Abbassi replaced him as PM After the 2018 elections Imran Khan came to power While Abbassi Sahib is of the opinion that every election after 1970 has been rigged, the PML(N) as a party claims it was denied power through establishment manipulation of the electoral process As Nawaz was himself launched by the establishment he does not know the history of Pakistan Muslim League (PML) the political outfit that falsely claims to be the founding party of Pakistan

The All India Muslim League (AIML) was founded at Decca in 1906 In order to come into the mainstream of politics as the sole representative voice of the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent it moved its headquarter to Lucknow Allama Muhamamd Iqbal led the party (1930 to 1934) followed by the brilliant barrister Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1934 to 1947) who finally won freedom for his people

On 14 August 1947, the AIML ceased to exist A new party had to be raised called Pakistan Muslim League (PML) The Quaid-e-Azam as President and first Governor General wanted to set the course for the new political entity He even presented a constitution to the Executive Committee Unfortunately the new country inherited political leadership that did not have roots in this part of India

Notably the first Prime Minister, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, and PML President, Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman had both migrated leaving their support behind Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy was the sitting Chief Minister of the undivided state of Bengal and decided to stay on to keep his province together Jinnah s efforts to build a formal structure were thwarted, finally he decided to quit the party and sever all links with his former fellow party members Khaliq-uz-Zaman was elected the first party President and an organizing committee was also formed

My father ’s political mentor Mehboob Ahmed Qureshi a rich businessman of Ludhiana who at one time rose to be the Joint Secretary of the AIML was a member of this committee that travelled the new land including East Pakistan There were serious complaints that only the favourites were being given party membership and positions Several disgruntled stalwarts decided to leave; that included heavyweights like Suharwardy G M Syed and Mian Ifthikar-ud-Din Qureshi Sb also decided to step down when he realised that in the new party Vote ki Izzat had been seriously compromised As a Muslim League child it is a painful reality to accept that PML has played a very negative role in the politics of the country It has acted as the mistress of the establishment always siding and supporting dictators PML (Convention) was the first King’s Party with its headquarter on Davis Road Since then several brands have surfaced from this launching pad PML (Pagara) PML (Nawaz) PML (Quaid) to name a few In the over 75 years of our chequered political history only one free and fair election has been held which resulted in the break-up of Jinnah’s Pakistan It was this legislature that came out of the 1970 electoral contest that succeeded in formulating the 1973 consensual constitution Despite being a constitutional democracy for half a century the democratic order remains hijacked by the powerful establishment The PML has lived up to its design of Vote Ki Beizzati (Dishonouring the vote) by repeatedly siding with the establishment 2023 is poised to be an election year where votes will be cast and then counted for the public representatives to hold office In the last free and fair election held in 1970 the PML could not win a single seat; however the Qayyum League did emerge as a force to be reckoned with Awami League won big in the Eastern Wing while People’s Party prevailed in the Western part Leadership is earned through service to the people not bestowed as has been the case in the land of

the pure

The PML(N) has been in power three times twice with an absolute majority, yet they have nothing worthwhile to show Several personal empires have been built at the cost of the nation The M-2 Motorway is a prime example that has increased the distance between Lahore and Islmabad by over 100 km The gradiant of the Chakri Loop is a killer for heavy traffic due ro brake failures The CPEC-financed Orange Train cannot even pay its electricity bills The Sahiwal Coal-fired plant is another disaster In the words of President Farooq Leghari, the Sharifs indulge only in ‘Kickback’ projects

A new name has been suggested this time for another Vote Ki Be-Izaati party It has been named IPP ( Isthekam-e- Pakistan Party ) with Aleem Khan as its President and Aamir Kiani as its Secretary General There is a silver lining in this move for the genuine Muslim Leaguers Committed soldiers of the freedom movement like Qureshi Sahib, my father Nazir Ahmed Malik Qayyum Khan Khawaja Nazimuddin and others who never joined any other party can now rest in peace as the misuse of their party platform has finally ended with a new Tota (parrot) Party Hopefully, what is left of the PML will vanish in another free and fair election in 2023, thus restoring the much needed ‘Vote ki Izzat’ PML, being a rootless party, will be cut to size

The writer is ex-Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail com

A n ew n a m e h a s b e e n s u g g e s t e d t h i s t i m e fo r a n o t h e r  Vo t e K i B e - I z a a t i  p a r t y. I t h a s b e e n n a m e d I P P ( I s t h e k a m - e - Pa k i s t a n Pa r t y ) w i t h A l e e m K h a n a s i t s P r e s i d e n t a n d A a m i r K i a n i a s i t s S e c r e t a r y G e n e r a l . T h e r e i s a s i l v e r l i n i n g i n t h i s m ov e fo r t h e g e n u i n e M u s l i m L e a g u e rs C o m m i t t e d s o l d i e rs o f t h e f r e e d o m m ov e m e n t l i k e Q u r e s h i S a h i b , my f a t h e r N a z i r A h m e d M a l i k , Q ay y u m K h a n , K h aw a j a N a z i mu d d i n , a n d o t h e rs , w h o n ev e r j o i n e d a ny o t h e r p a r t y c a n n ow r e s t i n p e a c e a s t h e m i s u s e o f t h e i r p a r t y p l a t fo r m h a s f i n a l ly e n d e d w i t h a n ew  To t a ( p a r ro t ) Pa r t y Ê

C h i n a - P a k i s t a n r e l a t i o n s h i p

b e y o n d C P E C

Th e re’s a l o t m o re to t h e b i l ate ra l re l at i o n s h i p

of Pakistan and has always played a crucial role in the defence capabilities of Pakistan

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor Pakistan Today

4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah Lahore Pakistan

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday com pk

Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Rashid MehMood

BE Y O N D CPEC other dimensions bear witness to the strong relationship between China and Pakistan The bilateral ties between the two countries encompass several decades of bilateral relations Some critical aspects of the relationship between both counties include geopolitical interests strategic considerations and economic cooperation Scholars on CPEC and general relationships have produced extant literature; this piece covers strategic partnership, defence collaborations, training and education, diplomatic support, people-to-people exchanges and manifold relationship beyond CPEC

Both China and Pakistan have a long-standing strategic alliance driven by mutual concern over regional security Both countries share arms sales, joint military exercises and intelligence China is one of the largest arms suppliers

B o t h Pa k i s t a n a n d C h i n a a r e r e l i a bl e p a r t n e rs i n a mu l t i f a c e t e d a p p ro a ch T h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e t wo c o u n t r i e s h a s evo l v e d a n d d e e p e n e d ov e r t i m e - b a s e d o n t h e i r s h a r e d i n t e r e s t a n d mu t u a l s u p p o r t C P E C i s n o t a o n e - o f f, o u t - o f - t h e - bl u e s e t o f p ro j e c t s , bu t f l ow s n a t u r a l ly f ro m a n a l r e a dy w a r m r e l a t i o n s h i p

Both countries have conducted joint training exercises and regular military exchanges China has always provided military equipment to Pakistan China has been a significant supplier of military hardware to Pakistan; some arms sales supplied by the Chinese government to Pakistan are fighter aircraft, armoured vehicles, submarines, surface-to-air missiles and naval vessels Due to China’s arms sales, Pakistan has maintained a balance of power in the region China has also assisted Pakistan in developing its defence industry and enhancing its technological capabilities in all kinds of defence forces like the Army Navy and Air Force

Both countries share training and educational activities with their armed forces Chinese have offered Pakistani officers to attend courses and share in military practices strategies and equipment Both countries exchange armed forces for training and defence tactics Both countries also cooperate in intelligence particularly on counterterrorism and regional security Both countries exchange secret information to counter common threats and challenges Both countries collaborate on border security to combat cross-border threats exclusively in the mountainous region of GilgitBaltistan to ensure stability in the border areas This kind of cooperation involves joint patrols and intelligence sharing

Beyond CPEC, the economic domain between China and Pakistan is worth mentioning Chinese private firms have started many economic projects in the development sectors of Pakistan

A few noteworthy projects are in infrastructure telecommunications energy and agriculture that further cemented the relationship between the two countries Other exemplary aspects of the relationship between the two countries are people-to-people exchanges in student exchange programmes, cultural cooperation tourism promotions etc China and Pakistan have consistently defended each other on international forums like the United Nations and SCO China has always supported the Pakistani stance on Kashmir is-

sues and regional security When the world blamed Pakistan for terrorism, Chinese diplomats supported Pakistan; similarly, Pakistan always stood with the Chinese on human rights violence in Muslim inhabited regions and covid-19 when the world blamed China for this dangerous pandemic Both countries have solid regional cooperation at national and international levels Chinese and Pakistani diplomats always supported each other in Shanghai and the Economic Cooperation Organizations (ECO) Both countries work together on counterterrorism efforts infrastructure development and stability in Afghanistan

Both China and Pakistan have strong linkages in scientific and technological collaborations, exclusively in science, technology and space exploration China has always supported Pakistan in technical fields Some prominent areas of science and technology include space and satellite technology nuclear energy scientific research and collaboration technological parks and industrial zones, joint laboratories, and hi-tech research centres China has always supported Pakistan in its Space and Satellite Technology programme The most notable project between both countries is PakSat-1R which China designed to provide Pakistan s communication and broadcasting services The other noteworthy projects extended by the Chinese government to Pakistan are in nuclear energy, in Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 to 3 which control the power shortage in Pakistan Chinese collaboration in academic exchange and scholarship programmes is remarkable for the youth of Pakistan Most of our students pursue higher education in Chinese universities and gain exposure to advance their research skills to make Pakistan prominent in scientific research

In short both Pakistan and China are reliable partners in a multifaceted approach The relationship between the two countries has evolved and deepened over time-based on their shared interest and mutual support CPEC is not a one-off, outof-the-blue set of projects, but flows naturally from an already warm relationship

The writer can be reached at rashidmehmoodkayani@gmail com

The my th of being people-friendly

T H E time for presenting the next year s fiscal budget is around the corner and the prime minister has advised all concerned to make the budget people-friendly A glance through the history of such utterances and advisories is enough to suggest that the bureaucracy formulating the budget will provide relief to itself by raising salaries and pensions making it a budget friendly to the government servants alone

There is no denying the fact that the prevailing hyperinflation has made lives of the people miserable But the problem with raising the salaries of government employees is that a matching increase is not available to those working with the private sector This leads to yet another tier of disparity in society

The employers in the private sector are not bound to give any relief to their employees What are these people supposed to do when they are facing the same set of economic hardships as their counterparts in the public sector? Are they not people enough?

The fallout of announcing such a raise in government salaries is that it gives an excuse to the businesses to increase the prices of even the most essential of commodities Their argument is simple: the government has increased the salaries, so we now deserve a cut of this increase What to do about that?

The common man working his guts out in the private sector has to bear the brunt of this illogical reasoning Not having much of a choice means he sinks further into poverty and despair Is there anybody who can end this vicious cycle?

AYUB MALIK RAWALPINDI

Facilitating the rich

A former finance minister has rightly said that opportunities power and wealth in the country are limited to the top one per cent of the people The rest of the underprivileged undernourished and less educated suffer and continue to be exploited at the hands of that 1pc

Recently, I happened to travel on the under-construction Bara Kahu bypass road via the newly-inaugurated Rawal Chowk interchange Both are ambitious projects providing easy and uninterrupted access to two landmark places; one in Banigala and the other in Murree Incidentally, both places have been home to two of our former prime ministers

No doubt both projects will go a long way in easing the smooth flow of traffic on Murree Road It will specially benefit the elites going to their palatial palaces/farmhouses in Banigala and their summer retreats in the hill station, without having to face the daily traffic blockage for hours Also, they will not encounter the ugly slums that are presently a sore sight on the access route I was just wondering how the construction of the bypass and the flyover would ameliorate the misery of the people residing in these two unregulated areas that have dilapidated road network haphazard and unplanned houses no basic facilities and no sewerage or proper drainage system

It seems that the projects have been undertaken for the convenience of the wealthy and the mighty travelling to Murree and Banigala Meanwhile, the residents of the said areas will continue to face the innumerable problems with no one to look up to

What was needed was proper manage-ment of traffic at Serena Chowk on Khayaban-i-Suhrwardy for people commuting to and from the secretariat and government offices on Constitution Avenue but there is no interchange, under- pass or flyover for the smooth flow of vehicular traffic This should be sorted out

The purpose of any investigation must be to stop a recurrence, not provide a whitewash

IR a N has departed from its traditionally balanced relationship between the East and the West and has instead embraced Russia and China The withdrawal of the USa from the nuclear deal has left Iranian leaders pessimistic about any prospects for a relationship with Washington

Initially Tehran agreed to sign the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action (JCPoa) with the obama administration accepting substantial reductions in its nuclear programme in exchange for a significant lifting of US economic sanctions Consistent with its long-standing goal of maintaining distance from Washington, Tehran was pleased that the JCPoa allowed it to avoid normalizing relations with its adversary while still benefiting economically from resumed oil exports and foreign investments

However after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal Iran concluded that Washington s policy towards Tehran was unreliable, and that the US political class could not be influenced The limited ability or willingness of European countries to defend the 2015 agreement further frustrated the Iranian leadership additionally internal factors such as pressure from hardliners to strengthen the country s military capabilities economic weaknesses and challenges to the continuity of the political system sparked intense debates on Iran s foreign policy although the Iranian foreign and defence policy bureaucracy had decided to reorient Iranian relations towards China and Russia as early as 2019, concrete steps in that direction were taken only during the administration of Hassan Rouhani in august The Rouhani delegation s deliberate delays during negotiations with the USa and the broader international community aimed at potentially reviving the JCPoa, serve as a clear indication of this decision

Since President Ibrahim Raisi s inauguration on 5 august 2021, the eastward axis has assumed a more prominent role Raisi’s presidency has brought coherence to the overall policy of the Iranian political system with a focus on maintaining the status quo This shift was necessary after Rouhani s presidency which saw somewhat liberal administrators surrounding the bureaucracy Throughout the history of the Islamic Republic, Iran s legislative and judicial branches have consistently demonstrated loyalty to the status quo However, with each change of president, the executive branch has had the opportunity to fill approximately 11 000 administrative positions across the country with like-minded individuals

Under the conservative Raisi government the three branches are determined to maintain the current inertia

I r a n ’ s g e o p o l i t i c a l c h e s s b o a r d

and coherence of the Islamic Republic Iran is now pursuing a two-pronged foreign policy approach: a strong shift towards Russia and China while simultaneously making further concessions on its nuclear programme to create the impression that another deal is possible

The implementation of the first approach is being done quietly while the second approach is receiving wide publicity Despite lacking support from the general public particularly the educated and professional classes Iran has persisted in its turn to the East Discussions about the country s foreign policy direction have been confined to the upper ruling class circles However, three main reasons can be identified for Iran’s growing alliance with China and Russia

Firstly Iran has a longstanding policy of avoiding normalization with the USa due to concerns about the consequences it would have on the current political system domestic politics economy and culture The Iranian leadership fears that increased presence of US companies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations would erode their grip on power anti-US sentiment also serves to unite the revolutionary class and prevent more pragmatic or internationally-minded groups from gaining power

Secondly there is a belief among the Iranian revolutionary class that rapprochement with the USa would lead to significant and undesirable changes in the political system They argue that concessions on the nuclear programme alone would be insufficient, and that Iran would eventually have to capitulate completely to the USa reviving memories of the 1953 US-british coup

The revolutionary class deeply involved in the political and economic arenas of the state is unwilling to relinquish power or make structural concessions that could facilitate a liberal takeover

lastly, Iran has historically prioritized its national security over economic development The reliance on energy exports has provided revenue to sustain the political system Iran s active foreign policy is primarily directed towards neighbouring and foreign countries driven by its national security ideology and a strategy of expanding regional influence vis-à-vis major arab states, Israel, and the USa Turkey remains one of the few countries in the region with which Iran has maintained stable relations

In recent years Tehran has forged a military alliance with a significant external power Russia Moreover Iran’s missile and drone capabilities along with its geopolitical influence in the region have served as an effective deterrent strategy However these notions of national security threat perceptions, and statecraft leave little room for promoting economic growth in a globalized economy This is in stark contrast to neighbouring countries such as Saudi arabia, Turkey Israel and the United arab Emirates which have intentionally focused on economic diversification hightech industries renewable energy and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) These countries concentrate their efforts on economic development while maintaining a balance between the West and the East, capitalizing on support

Joe Biden is not OK

There is nothing unique about being a scatterbrained 80-year- old. But a scatterbrained 80-year-old should not be president

FEDERALIST

TH E other day Joe biden ended a big gun-control speech in Connecticut with the words, God save the queen, man Why did the president express adoration for the departed brit monarch? Was he confused about royal succession? Is he a Sex Pistols fan? Who knows

When asked about the incident White House aides offered nonsensical and conflicting answers because they have absolutely no idea, and neither does the president It s likely that the octogenarian spontaneously used a coolsounding phrase, much like when your elderly neighbor tells you to “keep on truckin ’” for no apparent reason It happens

Yet axios writer alex Thompson points out that biden has an arsenal of wacky phrases and the president s quirky aphorisms, he contends, are sometimes weaponized by Republicans to insinuate the 80-year-old president is in mental decline ”

There is no need for insinuation biden’s mental acuity never impressive has conside r a b l y d e t e r i o r a t e d S u r e h e a l s o t e n d s t o botch old-timey sayings like lots of luck in your senior year, which he says is a gibe from his Corn Pop days but most reporters w h o p r e t e n d p e r c e p t i o n s o f b i d e n ’s d e c l i n e are due to his propensity for homespun maxi m s o r p r e v i o u s l y u n k n o w n s t u t t e r i n g p r o bl e m s a l m o s t s u r e l y w o u l d n t f i n d h i m f i t enough to babysit their kids

Every week, the president of the United States says something completely bonkers, and everyone goes on with their day We’re not talking about his propensity to lie about politics or his blustery lifelong fabulism (his “folksiness ”

The New York Times recently explained can veer into a personal folklore with the factual edges shaved off to make them more powerful for audiences ) We re talking about his inability to articulate simple ideas without notes and often with notes There are rarely any factchecks of these statements How can there be?

They don’t even make sense as lies There is no handwringing about the role of competency in our democracy There is no discussion about the 25th amendment

Just listen to any one of his speeches Put a pistol on a brace, it turns into a gun makes it more you can have a higher-caliber weapon higher-caliber bullet coming out of that gun the president explained before wishing Her Majesty his best This was also complete gibberish There is so much gibberish only a couple of days before his God save the queen comment, biden informed a crowd gathered for a league of Conservation Voters

endorsement that “we” have “plans to build a railroad from the Pacific all the way across the Indian ocean ” which must have really impressed everyone in attendance We have plans to build in angola one of the largest solar plants in the world, biden went on I can go on, but I m not I m going off-script I m going to get in trouble ” a few days before the railroad comment, biden couldn’t remember Winston Churchill’s name when speaking to the prime minister of britain listen I m not great with names myself and I m sure as an 80-year-old I d have trouble recalling world leaders but I m confident I wouldn t think myself competent enough to be the most powerful man in the world Nor should biden T h a t s a m e w e e k w h e n a s k e d w h y a Ukrainian FbI informant referred to biden as t h e b i g G u y t h e p r e s i d e n t l a s h e d o u t f o r being posed dumb questions He does this often in frustration When the president isn t flubbing canned lines to the rare tough quest i o n , h e y e l l s t h i n g s l i k e “ c ’ m o n , m a n ! ” a few years ago this kind of rhetoric was cons i d e r e d d e m o c r a c y - s h a t t e r i n g N o w i t s quirky and folksy The week before he couldn t remember Churchill s name, the president also tripped and fell on stage after a commencement speech at the air Force academy biden’s surrogates pointed out that there had been a sandbag right there as if no one whether young or old could possibly be expected to walk over a small bag without falling to the floor

You might recall that after the former president gingerly navigated a ramp after giving a speech at West Point in 2020, The New York Times’ headline the next day was: “Trump’s Halting Walk Down Ramp Raises New Health

Questions The president the Times went on also appeared to have trouble raising a glass of water to his mouth during a speech at West Point a day before he turned 74, the oldest a president has been in his first term The sitting president is now six years older than Trump was at the time he would be a decade older should he finish a second term of course everyone ages differently

John Fetterman only 53 can barely put together a thought while some septuagenarian is out there writing his literary opus right now Nor is there anything wrong with or especially unique about being a scatterbrained and tired 80-year-old In this case maybe americans who elected a scatterbrained and tired 80-year-old deserve to be governed by him good and hard as Menken might say but please stop pretending biden is oK He s not

from both beijing and Moscow They benefit from European and american financial and technology sectors making substantial profits by selling in those markets

In contrast economic development is not a priority for Iranian leadership Instead, Iran dedicates a significant portion of its resources to internal and national security as a result, even a complete political and economic shift away from the West does not threaten Iranian state-owned companies or have a significant impact on them Conversely Western companies and banks have excluded Iran as a potential market due to US and European sanctions

Consequently Iran s turn towards the East will likely reduce its economy to selling fossil fuels to China and other asia-Pacific countries in exchange for imports of raw materials However, these clients are unlikely to invest in Iranian industries due to the restrictions imposed by current sanctions Thus the only plausible investment opportunities for Iran may come in the form of barter where Iran could export oil in exchange for infrastructure development without involving financial transactions

The timing of Iran s leadership decision to reduce political and economic dependence on the West, particularly Europe, is significant The strategic choice was made at a high level to prevent dissenting views within the country Iran s deepening ties with Russia and China not only risk jeopardizing its foreign economic relations but also contribute to maintaining progress on its nuclear programme as a strategic component of its national security doctrine

Moscow sees Iran’s anti-american sentiment as a highly valuable geostrategic asset In a sense, Iran serves as the belarus of southern Russia Historically Russia has consistently aimed to keep Iran out of the Western orbit a policy that has spanned the Russian Empire the USSR and the current Russian Federation Iran is set to receive 24 Su35 fighter jets and Russia s S-400 air defence system, while Tehran has provided Moscow with low-cost drones and weapons systems additionally the two countries cooperate in the energy sector with Russia reportedly supplying Iran with 30 000 tons of diesel fuel in early 2023 However it remains uncertain whether Russia s technological limitations in the energy sector will hinder the effective implementation of these plans While military relations with Russia have expanded since the invasion of Ukraine, there are other motivations behind Iran’s desire to strengthen ties with Moscow

Two main reasons stand out Firstly Tehran seeks access to classified information about US and Israeli operations against Iran Secondly Iran believes Moscow can provide political and intelligence support during the transition period for Iran s third supreme leader These expectations align with Russia’s fundamental interests regarding Iran and the West regardless of whether Vladimir Putin remains in power Iran has reached a point where it can no longer rely solely on internal controls and regional deterrence to maintain the political system Israel s approach of establishing security partnerships with non-arab countries has now extended to the South Caucasus and Central asian regions Furthermore, most of Iran’s arab neighbours

Oil 2023

currently maintain diplomatic relations with Israel; thereby increasing US influence vis-à-vis Tehran Faced with limited foreign policy options including the possibility of reinstating the JCPoa and diminishing prospects of reaching a modus vivendi with the United States in the context of Russia-Western relations, Iran seeks to secure its position in a changing regional landscape and safeguard the continuity of its political system In this context as long as Russia’s interests conflict with those of the West Moscow is likely to exert considerable effort to protect the Islamic Republic of Iran In contrast to Russia s strategic calculations China has primarily focused on political and trade relations with Iran China has cautiously worked alongside the United States in the Middle East instead of opposing it beijing maintains significant short- and long-term business and technological interests in maintaining peace and cooperation with Israel as well as major arab countries like Saudi arabia and the United arab Emirates Moreover Iran s oil imports are crucial for China s global crude supply China s mediating role between Iran and Saudi arabia underscores how its positive relations with the Islamic Republic provide valuable political leverage in the region serving its global rivalry with the United States Unlike the USa and Europe Russia and China do not concern themselves with Iran s internal political system constitutional structure or governmental machinery among Iran s three main adversaries the USa, Israel, and Saudi arabia – Iran recently recognized the likelihood of rapprochement with Saudi arabia, marking a complete U-turn in March 2023 with the help of Chinese mediation Iran s decision to compromise with Saudi arabia was influenced by various factors including the political and financial role of Iranian minorities within Saudi arabia, as well as Iranian opposition groups in Europe and the USa Iran apparently made concessions in exchange for reduced Saudi support for the Iranian opposition in Yemen While Yemen holds little value compared to lebanon Iraq and Syria in terms of Iran s regional influence the shift in Iranian policy demonstrates an effort to adapt to the evolving geopolitical landscape The current direction of Iran s foreign policy not only contradicts beijing’s or Moscow’s overall international outlook but also aligns with their interests in their tense relationship with the USa by aligning with Russia and China in security and trade Iran believes it has secured insurance against any potential adverse UN Security Council resolutions additionally, faced with an upcoming period of leadership transitions and successions, Tehran may feel comfortable relying on Moscow and beijing for financial, political and security support However the Iranian political establishment faces a significant challenge The social and political environment that emerges as Iran s third supreme leader consolidates power will determine the sustainability of this unbalanced geopolitical realignment

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

A resulting spare capacity cushion of at least 3.8 mb/d, concentrated in the Middle East, should ensure that world oil markets are adequately supplied throughout our forecast period

INTERNATIONAL ENER GY AGENCY

Glo ba l oil markets are gradually recalibrating after three turbulent years in which they were upended first by the Covid-19 pandemic and then by Russia s invasion of Ukraine benchmark crude oil prices are back below pre-war levels and refined product cracks have now come off all-time highs after rising supplies coincided with a marked slowdown in oil demand growth in advanced economies Moreover an unprecedented reshuffling of global trade flows and two consecutive emergency stock releases by IEa member countries in 2022 allowed industry inventories to rebuild, easing market tensions

While the market could significantly tighten in the coming months as oPEC+ production cuts temper the upswing in global oil supplies the outlook improves over our 2022-28 forecast period Russia s invasion of Ukraine sparked a surge in oil prices and brought security of supply concerns to the fore helping accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies at the same time, upstream investments in 2023 are expected to reach to their highest levels since 2015 our projections assume major oil producers maintain their plans to build up capacity even as demand growth slows a resulting spare capacity cushion of at least 3 8 mb/d concentrated in the Middle East should ensure that world oil markets are adequately supplied throughout our forecast period as always, there are a number of risks to our forecasts that could affect market balances over the medium term Uncertain global economic conditions, the direction of oPEC+ decisions and beijing’s refining industry policy will play a crucial role in the balancing of crude oil and product markets

WORLD OIL MARKETS RESET: based on existing policy settings growth in world oil demand is set to slow markedly during the 2022-28 forecast period as the energy transition advances While a peak in oil demand is on the horizon, continued increases in petrochemical feedstock and air travel means that overall consumption continues to grow throughout the forecast We estimate that global oil demand reaches 105 7 mb/d in 2028 up 5 9 mb/d compared with 2022 levels Crucially however demand for oil from combustible fossil fuels – which excludes biofuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other non-energy uses - is on course to peak at 81 6 mb/d in 2028, the final year of our forecast Growth is set to reverse after 2023 for gasoline and after 2026 for transport fuels overall These trends are the result of a pivot towards lower-emission sources triggered by the global energy crisis as well as policy emphasis on energy efficiency improvements and the rapid growth in electric vehicle (EV) sales China was the last major economy to lift its stringent Covid-19 restrictions at the end of 2022, leading to a post-pandemic oil demand rebound in the first half of 2023 but demand growth in China slows markedly from 2024 onwards and global oil demand growth shrivels from 2 4 mb/d in 2023 to just 400 kb/d by 2028 Nevertheless burgeoning petrochemical demand and strong consumption growth in emerging economies will more than offset a contraction in advanced economies For total oil demand to decline sooner, in line with the IEa’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE Scenario), additional policy measures and behavioural changes would be required The petrochemical sector will remain the key driver of global oil demand growth with liquified petroleum gas (lPG) ethane and naphtha accounting for more than 50% of the rise between 2022 and 2028 and nearly 90% of the increase compared with pre-pandemic levels The aviation sector will expand strongly as airline travel returns to normal following the reopening of borders at the start of 2023 jet fuel demand was still lagging 2019 levels by more than 1 mb/d or 13% It quickly accelerates and contributes the highest growth across

all products over the forecast period, increasing by a substantial 2 mb/d However, efficiency improvements and behavioural changes will slow the pace of growth so consumption will only surpass 2019 levels by 2027

ENERGY CRISIS ACCELERATES TRANSITION AWAY

FROM OIL: Global upstream oil and gas investment is on track to increase by an estimated 11% in 2023 to USD 528 billion, compared with USD 474 billion in 2022 While the impact of higher spending will be partly offset by cost inflation, this level of investment, if sustained, would be adequate to meet forecast demand in the period covered by the report based on the current pipeline of projects underway and US light tight oil (lTo) growth expectations we see 5 9 mb/d of net additional production capacity brought online by 2028 Despite easing from 1 9 mb/d on average over 2022-23 to just 300 kb/d by 2028, new capacity building still moves in line with projected demand growth over the forecast period oil producing countries outside the oPEC+ alliance (nonoPEC+) dominate medium-term capacity expansion plans with a 5 1 mb/d supply boost led by the United States brazil and Guyana Saudi arabia the United arab Emirates (UaE) and Iraq lead the capacity building within oPEC+ while african and asian members struggle with continuing declines, and Russian production falls due to sanctions This makes for a net capacity gain of 800 kb/d from the 23 members in oPEC+ overall The relatively strong increases from non oPEC+ producers together with the projected slowdown in demand growth tempers the requirement for oPEC+ crude as a result estimated effective spare capacity of at least 3 8 mb/d is maintained throughout the forecast period

NON-OPEC+ PRODUCERS LEAD OIL SUPPLY CAPAC-

ITY GROWTH: a third wave of refinery capacity closures conversions to biofuel plants and project delays since the pandemic reduced the overhang in global refinery capacity This combined with a sharp drop in Chinese oil product exports and an upheaval of Russian trade flows resulted in record profits for the industry last year While net refinery capacity additions of 4 4 mb/d expected by 2028 outpace demand growth for refined products, contrasting trends among products means that a repeat of the 2022 tightness in middle distillates cannot be ruled out Refiners may need to shift their product yields towards middle distillates and petrochemical feedstocks to reflect changing demand patterns Demand for petroleum-based premium road transport fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, is 1 mb/d below 2019 levels at the end of the forecast period at the same time, robust petrochemical activity and slower growth in natural gas liquids (NGls) supply raises demand for refinery-supplied lPG and naphtha Chinese production policy will be pivotal for global markets Close alignment with petrochemical plant feedstock needs could leave middle distillate markets very tight by 2028

While East of Suez continues to propel growth in capacity additions and refinery runs, the atlantic basin could see throughputs decline despite substantial new plants starting up in Nigeria Mexico and brazil

However most of the increase in global crude and condensate production will come from the atlantic basin The Western Hemisphere and especially the americas will be the largest incremental supplier of oil to global markets, with exports up by 4 1 mb/d by 2028 This shift in trade flows comes in addition to most of the 2 5 mb/d of Russian crude oil backed out of Europe and G7 countries due to embargoes flowing eastward The absence of additional Middle East exports in 2028 versus 2022 and surging asian import requirements result in steadily rising flows from the atlantic basin to East of Suez

The prevailing trend for both crude oil and products is increased supplies from the americas and the Middle East to asia Refinery additions and dwindling crude production reduces africa’s crude export potential by around 15% over the forecast period but curbs its net product import requirements by 10%

Dr muHammaD akram ZaHEEr

C H I N E S E P R E M I E R C A L L S F O R M O R E C O O P E R AT I O N

B ET W E E N C H I N A , G E R M A N Y

VISITING Chinese Premier Li

Qiang on Tuesday said China and Germany should work more closely make more contributions to world peace and development play the role of stabilizer in the midst of changes and speed up the building of a community with a shared future for mankind

Premier Li made the remarks when cochairing the seventh China-Germany intergovernmental consultation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

They heard reports on the progress of China-Germany cooperation in relevant fields from the heads of 22 departments including foreign affairs, economy and trade, industry, finance, justice, transport, education, science and technology, health, environmental protection and development Li said that the consultation was efficient and pragmatic and achieved fruitful results

Under the current circumstances the two sides should seize the opportunity of green transformation and promote the upgrading of cooperation Li proposed that China and Germany should become partners in green develop-

ment, strengthen communication and coordination on green and environmental issues promote green energy technology development and industrial technology upgrading and deepen cooperation in such fields as new energy vehicles, green finance and thirdparty markets

China and Germany should adhere to a pragmatic and open attitude to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results Li said adding the two countries should also strengthen cooperation in global economic governance ensure the stability of international industrial and supply chains, and promote an early recovery of the world economy

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chair the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation in Berlin Germany June 20

2023 /Xinhua

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chair the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation in Berlin Germany June 20

2023 Scholz said the inter-governmental consultation mechanism reflects the special significance of the relations between the two countries

The German side is willing to maintain

close communication with China on all issues between the two countries and to jointly address global challenges such as climate change food security and debt problems he said Germany, Scholz said, has no intention to decouple from China, and is ready to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with China to promote world development and prosperity The two sides agreed that bilateral cooperation is solidly based and dynamic and that it is in the interests of both sides to deepen cooperation at a higher level, with higher standards and higher quality, and to jointly maintain the stability of the global production and supply chains which is also of great global significance

The two sides also agreed to set up a dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change and green transition, hold the third China-Germany High Level Financial Dialogue as well as new editions of SinoGerman Environmental Forum and health dialogue and continue to deepen cooperation in the fields of economy and trade investment automobile manufacturing high-tech new energy digital economy and humanities

After the consultation, Li and Scholz

witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of climate change response, innovation, advanced manufacturing and vocational education and met with the press together

A group photo of visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and attendees of the seventh ChinaGermany inter-governmental consultation in Berlin, Germany, June 20, 2023 /Xinhua

A group photo of visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and attendees of the seventh ChinaGermany inter-governmental consultation in Berlin Germany June 20 2023

Prior to the consultation, Li held a

Nine Egyptians charged with human traffick ing over Greek migrant disaster

CAIR O A F P

Nine Egyptians suspected of being people smugglers connected with the deadly sinking of an overloaded migrant boat off Greece have been charged with human trafficking and remanded a Greek legal source said on Tuesday

The men were arrested last week in the port of Kalamata after surviving the disaster which killed at least 82 people

with fears for hundreds more missing in one of the eastern Mediterranean’s worst tragedies in recent years

The suspects are between 20 and 40 years old and face charges of manslaughter and forming a criminal organisation

They face a sentence of up to life imprisonment if found guilty

The men denied the charges during a hearing before a magistrate in Kalamata that lasted more than 10 hours on Tuesday the legal source added

Officials say the migrants aboard the boat which capsized in the Ionian Sea last week had departed from Libya towards Italy The authorities still have no clear idea how many people were aboard the boat when it sank estimates range from 400 to over 700 A Greek navy frigate, a patrol boat a n d f o u r o t h e r v e s s e l s o n Tu e s d a y s e a r c h e d t h e w a t e r s o ff t h e P e l o p o nn e s e p e n i n s u l a w h e r e t h e m i g r a n t s d i s a p p e a r e d B u t t h e h o p e s o f f i n d i n g

US Coast Guard confirms ‘under water noises ’ detec ted in search for missing sub

to see the remains of the British passenger liner which sits more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the surface of the North Atlantic

The Titan, operated by US-based OceanGate Expeditions was built to stay underwater for 96 hours according to its specifications giving the five people aboard until Thursday morning before air runs out Engro Corp Vice Chairman Shahzada Dawood, his 19-year-old son Suleman, British billionaire Hamish Harding French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush were on board the craft that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic US and Canadian rescue teams are scouring 7,600 square miles of ocean (around 20 000 square kilometers) larger than the US state of Connecticut for the vessel which was attempting to dive about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area

As a result, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises the US Coast Guard s First District said on its official Twitter page The ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue, the maritime military branch added The Coast Guard did not detail the nature or extent of the sounds that were detected or how they were picked up But CNN and Rolling

a n y s u r v i v o r s a r e s c a n t a w e e k o n f r o m t h e d i s a s t e r A total of 78 bodies were recovered the day after the shipwreck Three more were discovered on Monday and another on Tuesday bringing the official death toll to 82 There are fears hundreds more people were onboard and have not yet been found 104 people have been rescued and taken to Kalamata The survivors are mainly from Syria Egypt and Pakistan

Stone magazine citing internal US government communications independently reported late on Tuesday that banging sounds were detected by Canadian aircraft at 30-minute intervals in the search area Rolling Stone the first to report the news said the sounds were detected by sonar buoys deployed in the area close to the distress position and that additional sonar picked up more banging four hours later CNN cited a US government memo also as saying that additional sounds were heard about four hours after initial banging were detected although the news channel said the second occurrence of noise was not described as banging Additional acoustic feedback was heard and will assist in vectoring surface assets and also indicating continued hope of survivors ” CNN quoted the updated government memo as saying

It was not immediately clear if the news reports were based on the same source Rescue aid has been pouring in from around the world, with a specialised winch system for lifting heavy objects from extreme depths other equipment and personnel due to join the rescue effort on Tuesday night according to the US Navy

The Pentagon said it was deploying a third C-130 aircraft and three C-17s

Meanwhile, a French robot that can dive to 20 000 feet underwater was on its way to help find the tourist submersible its operator said

The unmanned robot called Victor 6000, can dive deeper than other equipment now at the site in the North Atlantic and has arms that can be remotely controlled to cut cables or perform other manoeuvres to release a stuck vessel the operator said

US tampering with political commitments on one- China polic y: Chinese FM

The approach from the US that connects the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question to its one-China policy is not reiteration and insistence of its commitment to China, but a tampering of its policy, Yang Tao, director-general of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said while briefing Chinese and foreign media about US Secretary of State Antony Blinken s visit to China

In an address on Monday as Blinken wrapped up his visit to China, he reiterated the US’ one-China policy which he said was guided by the Taiwan Relations Act the three Joint Communiqués and the Six Assurances While Blinken said We do not support Taiwan independence,' he also said, adding, “We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side We continue to expect the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait differences Yang said that the Taiwan question has always been the most important issue in China-US relations The US has made a clear commitment on one-China by ac-

meeting with Scholz Li pointed out that the economic and trade cooperation between China and Germany has been developed for more than half a century and it is not easy for the two sides to achieve today s results which have brought real benefits to the two peoples

He hopes the German side will continue to keep an open mind, uphold the independent policy and properly handle relevant issues on the basis of international rules and in the principle of the spirit of contract

The two sides should vigorously promote the facilitation of personnel exchanges and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, he said

Tesla’s Musk eyes significant India investments after meeting Modi

PR OFIT

R e u t e R s

Tesla (TSLA O) chief executive Elon Musk said India s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pushing the car maker to make a significant investment in the country, adding that such an announcement was expected soon His comments came after a meeting with Modi on Tuesday during the Indian leader ’s state visit to the United States A source previously told Reuters that Musk would brief Modi on plans to set up a manufacturing base in India India has strong potential for a sustainable energy future including solar power, stationary battery packs and electric vehicles, Musk said, adding that he hopes to bring SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to India as well “He (Modi) really cares about India because he’s pushing us to make significant investments in India which is something we intend to do Musk told reporters after the meeting I am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible Later, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson tweeted saying Modi had invited Musk to “explore opportunities in India for investments in electric mobility and rapidly expanding commercial space sector

UK net debt passes 100% of GDP for first time since 1961

PR OFIT

R e u t e R s

Britain’s public sector net debt surpassed 100% of gross domestic product in May as borrowing came in higher than expected the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday Public sector net debt excluding that of state-controlled banks, hit 2 567 trillion pounds ($3 28 trillion), equivalent to 100 1% of gross domestic product That represented the first time that debt stood above 100% of GDP since 1961 although it was temporarily recorded as passing that threshold during the COVID-19 pandemic before being revised lower The ONS said government borrowing in May stood at 20 045 billion pounds A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, of 19 5 billion pounds

Iran up diplomacy to ease isolation, project strength

TEHRAN A F P

knowledging there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China

These commitments are clearly reflected in the three China-US Joint Communiqués which also means that the US recognizes the real status quo in the Taiwan Straits, that is, there is only one China in the world, and both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China The US calls it the ‘one-China policy '” said Yang

However the US has unilaterally attached the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances to its one-China policy, Yang pointed out, adding that these are not consensus reached by both China and the US and are opposed and not recognized by the Chinese side “The US’ characterization of the peaceful resolution of the Taiwan question as the core content of its one-China policy is a tampering of its political commitment, said Yang

When meeting with Blinken on Monday, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said China has no room for compromise or concession on the Taiwan question

Since the start of the year Iran has intensified its diplomatic activity engaging with friends and foes alike as it seeks to reduce its isolation improve its economy and project strength Iran s ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi has led the way, swinging through China, Syria and Venezuela, hosting Saudi Arabia s top diplomat, and reaching out to other long-time regional rivals such as Egypt And this week his foreign minister Hossein AmirAbdollahian has travelled to Oman the mediator in indirect talks between Iran and its sworn enemy the United States over its suspect nuclear programme and a possible prisoner swap Sanam Vakil, director of Chatham House s Middle East and North Africa programme, said Iran was seeking to show it can overcome its adversaries Iran is “looking to show that despite sanctions and domestic protests it continues to weather the storm by bolstering stronger international economic and foreign ties she said

These links aim to increase economic connectivity and boost internal morale At stake are agreements focused on easing tensions through the de-escalation of Iran s nuclear programme and release of US prisoners held in Iran, said Diako Hosseini, a Tehran-based foreign policy analyst Iran hopes such agreements would allow it to revive an economy battered by sanctions rampant inflation and record depreciation of the rial against the dollar

‘POLICY OF OPENNESS’

In 2018 under then president Donald Trump, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal and imposed waves of sanctions on the Islamic republic The punitive measures remain in place and are considered a strong deterrent for any foreign companies weighing up investments in Iran regardless of their nationality Any indication of a thaw in relations would therefore be viewed favourably by Arab countries especially those of the Gulf, which are seeking to ease tensions fuelled in recent years by the conflicts in Yemen and Syria This desire was one of the main drivers of the China-brokered normalisation of relations in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia after seven years of hostility

Since then Iran has sought to cement or restore ties with other Arab countries including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates

PM&DC to conduct national registration examination in August

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

Pakistan Medical and Dental Council is all set to conduct National Registration Examination (NRE)

PM&DC is pleased to announce the upcoming National Registration Examination, scheduled to take place in August This highly anticipated Medical and Dental examination for foreign medical graduates is designed to allow aspiring professionals to showcase their knowledge and skills paving the way for their future success The National Registration Examination is a crucial step for foreign medical and dental graduates in their professional journey, serving as a comprehensive assessment of individuals seeking licensure or registration in their respective disciplines

It is an essential benchmark that ensures the highest standards of competence and expertise are met within the industry To facilitate the candidates across Pakistan PM&DC is going to conduct the NRE in 4 major cities of the country i-e Lahore Karachi Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and Peshawar The NRE exam will be conducted by NUMS (National University of Medical Sciences) under the supervision of PM&DC

The syllabus of NRE is available on the PM&DC website Only candidates with Provisional licenses (issued by PM&DC) will be able to register themselves for the said examination

It is advised to the aspiring candidates to complete the pre-requisite documentation required for registration for the said examination

Shaheed Benazir

Bhutto paid tribute on 70th bir thday

AMNEST Y URGES PAKISTAN TO STOP ‘ARBITRARY ARRESTS’ OF AFGHAN REFUGEES

ISLAMABAD t h e a s s o c i at e d p r e s s

THE international rights group Amnesty International called on Pakistan s government to stop what it described as random arrests of Afghan refugees including those with Pakistani visas

Millions of Afghans fled to Pakistan during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country, creating one of the world s largest refugee populations More than 100,000 Afghans crossed the border to avoid persecution at home after the Taliban seized power in August 2021

The Taliban have announced a pardon and urged Afghans not to leave the country The majority of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan say they are facing delays in their visa processing and relocation to the United States and other countries

A group of people who worked with the European Union on elections in Afghanistan from 2018 to 2020 called for visas to be granted to Afghans who worked on the project

In an open letter to EU member states the group said the people working on the project had sent letters to the European Union and member states in an-

ticipation of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban to issue temporary visas so that they could leave Afghanistan They want to seek asylum to avoid persecution at home but say their pleas have gone unanswered The letter said those who worked on the project were still facing hardships and delays in getting visas for relocation to safer places outside Afghanistan

Earlier, in a statement to mark World Refugee Day the London-based Amnesty urged Pakistan to urgently stop arbitrarily arresting and harassing Afghan refugees and asylum seekers many of whom are fleeing persecution by the Taliban It also expressed deep concern about

FBR holds three - day int ’l conference on tax digitalization in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Federal Board of Revenue held three-day International Conference on Digitalization of Taxes in Pakistan at FBR Headquarters in collaboration with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UN-ESCAP)

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, paid tribute to the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, on the occasion of her 70th birthday He expressed congratulations to the entire nation on this significant day and said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto was an exemplary leader of global stature and a source of pride for the Islamic world In his special message on the occasion of the birthday of the late Shaheed Ms Benazir Bhutto, Sharjeel Inam Memon emphasized that the remarkable work carried out to empower women during Bibi's tenure remains unparalleled to this day Shaheed Benazir Bhutto never exhibited fear and always persevered

Chief of naval staff addresses par ticipants of national securit y, war course at NDU

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi visited National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad and addressed the course participants of National Security & War Course On his arrival, the Naval Chief was received by President NDU Lt Gen Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan While addressing the course participants, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi paid rich tribute to the role and sacrifices of Pakistan Armed Forces for defence of the motherland He lauded the efforts of officers and men for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations during recent cyclone and nationwide floods last year Naval Chief underscored the need for officers to remain abreast of major geopolitical developments and technological changes occurring across the world He emphasized that synergy remains central to the modern concept of military operations as no military force can achieve success in today s warfare single handedly

DW par tners with Telenor Microfinance Bank for strategic alliance

ISLAMABAD

Discount World (DW) An organization that caters more than 13 million + customer base of all the leading banks insurance industry pharmaceuticals financial institutes and corporate entities of Pakistan on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Telenor Microfinance Bank (Easypaisa) the first scheduled microfinance bank of Pakistan designed to operate as a fintech The collaboration between DW and Easypaisa is one revolutionary step forward aimed at facilitating the large consumer base of Easypaisa customers and this strategic alliance can be termed as one major leap forward in this direction towards strengthening the digital payment platform of Pakistan The MoU was signed by Mr Sultan Richard Chairman & CEO; Discount World and Mr Farhan Hassan Head of Easypaisa in the presence of senior officials from both organizations Speaking at the signing ceremony Mr Sultan Richard Chairman & CEO DW said “We are delighted to partner with Pakistan s leading digital payment platform and while DW remains at the forefront of providing convenience to the customers of various institutes in Pakistan today s strategic alliance with Easypaisa is yet another step forward in this direction

Syed Nadeem Hussain Rizvi M e m b e r A d m i n i s t r a t i o n F B R d e l i v e r e d t h e i n a u g u r a l n o t e o n b e h a l f o f C h a i r m a n F B R H e welcomed the participants from m u l t i l a t e r a l o rg a n i z a t i o n s , d ev e l o p m e n t s e c t o r p u b l i c s e c t o r o rg a n i z a t i o n s o ff i c e r s o f F B R and probationary officers of Inland Revenue Service Academy Lahore O n b e h a l f o f U N - E S C A P, Mr Alberto Isgut, Economic Aff a i r s O ff i c e r U N - E S C A P e mp h a s i z e d t h e r o l e o f I n t e g r a t e d N a t i o n a l F i n a n c i n g N e t w o r k s (INFN) for sustainable developm e n t , e c o n o m i c g r o w t h , a n d rapid enhancement in the tax-toGDP ratio of the developing nations through knowledge sharing between technology experts and t a x o ff i c i a l s T h e I N F N e m p h as i z e s m o b i l i z i n g f i n a n c i n g f o r productive investments in recove r y a n d S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p -

ment Goals (SDGs) through improving tax compliance

Besides Prof Frank Chan from ESSEC Business School France and several domestic participants, the conference is being virtually attended by experts from Australian Tax Office, Financial Directorate Slovak Republic, Federal Ministry of Finance Austria and National Tax and Customs Administration Hungary Federal Board of Revenue keeping pace with the global trends, has embarked on the journey of digitalization for documenting economy by launching four key projects including Track and Trace System (TTS) for production monitoring Point of Sale

(POS) System for real-time reporting of sales invoices by tier-1 integrated retailers Digital Invoicing to document complete supply chain and Synchronized Withholding and Payment System (SWAPS) aiming at simultaneous payment of withholding taxes and transfer of withholdee payments using the State of Bank of Pakistan s latest payment gateway RAAST built on ISO 20022 banking standard with payment contextualization

The conference will end on 22nd June, 2023 after carrying out Training Need Assessment of FBR Officers to better prepare them in adoption of technology data analytics and economic evaluations

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Speakers at a study launch have urged the world financial institutes to stop fossil fuel funding in Pakistan and divert their finances towards projects of renewable energy in the country This was stated by the academics researchers environmentalists and policymakers at the launch of the Energy Finance Outlook – A Case of Pakistan study launch at a local hotel here on Wednesday The study has been conducted by the Department of Economics and Management Sciences of NED University in collaboration with Indus Consortium, which works on humanitarian, environmental and development initia-

tives in the country Dr Raza Ali Khan, chairman of EMD, NED University chaired the session on “Energy Financing Trends in Pakistan” while renowned environmentalist Nasi Panhwer chaired the session on Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability

Dr Mirza Faizan Ahmed a senior researcher and Assistant Professor at EMD presented the findings of the study Other speakers included Hussain Jarwar, CEO Indus Consortium, Divisional Head – Policy and Transformation Compliance Group UBL Rashid Azeem Iqbal Hyder Ms Fiza Qureshi Director Knowledge Forum Zeenia Shaukat Yasir Darya Representative of Sindh Forest Department Shehzad Sadiq Fisherfolk community leader Fatima Majeed and others

Faysal Bank collaborates with PICG for environment social governance

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Faysal Bank one of the leading Islamic banks of Pakistan collaborates with the Pakistan Institute of Corporate Governance (PICG) to reinforce that they care for the environmental social and governance (ESG)

Climate change is a reality and Pakistan stands as a frontline state in that regard It is but our collective responsibility of the private sector to play a stronger role by adopting sustainable practices to create an environmentally sustainable Pakistan for tomorrow The change includes environmental concerns social and financial inclusivity, health & well-being, equity, and human rights All successful businesses today work within the guidelines as prescribed by Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Investors regulators litigators and community representatives are increasingly active in the same

Faysal Bank, empowered by its Islamic ethos and essential core philosophy of equity and wellbeing as instructed in the Holy Quran has come forward to contribute to this cause by agreeing to a collaborative framework with PICG The organization is aware that ESG adoption requires a complete ecosystem to be developed, including capacity building research and advisory “Faysal Bank in line with its core Islamic values which includes care has always been a good corporate citizen We are always trying to create a positive impact including our recent focus on the environment Understanding and subsequent im-

plementation of ESG standards with core focus on environment will be the foundation of the future for our country and our next generation We are proud to partner with PICG and PSX to help bring about this positive change leading to the establishment of ESG Scorecard mentioned Yousaf Hussain President and CEO, Faysal Bank Dr Shamshad Akhtar Chairman PICG & PSX reiterated her stance on the vital integration of corporate and sustainability with an accountability procedure that creates a transparent system of evaluation, " Businesses need to adopt and implement ESG standards and reporting ”

the vulnerable situation of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan

“It is deeply concerning that the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is not receiving due international attention said Dinushika Dissanayake Amnesty s deputy regional director for South Asia

Officials at the foreign ministry could not be reached for comment Security officials said police only arrest Afghans who enter the country without valid documents and deport them after they serve a brief sentence

For many refugees in Pakistan a return to Afghanistan is not an option, according to Amnesty

PBM, IIU sign MoU to keep deser ving students on educational track

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) inks Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with International Islamic University(IIU) to keep the deserving students on their educational track Managing Director PBM Amir Fida Paracha signed the MoU with Prof Dr Hathal Homoud Alotaibi The MoU describes PBM s further support to the deserving students in IIU as PBM will support 250 post graduate and undergraduate deserving students yearly for their education Addressing the ceremony Managing Director PBM Amir Fida Paracha expressed his enthusiasm to support the deserving and promising students of the country enabling them to complete their education He said PBM is leading the country towards a social welfare state with its eminent pro-poor services He further highlighted the PBM’s proactive contribution towards poverty reduction in the country He also said by inhancing kota for Balochistan province will resolve the difficulties of deserving students Prof Dr Hathal Homoud Alotaibi President of International Islamic University expressed his gratitude to PBM Chief for extending support to the deserving students anticipating their bright and successful life ahead, as a result of social

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Ms Shazia Marri has said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was not only first Prime Minister of Pakistan or the Muslim World but she was a globally celebrated political leader for the leadership she has provided restoration of democracy and women empowerment in Pakistan Ms Marri expressed her views on 70th birthday of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto during a Press Conference along with Mr Faisal Karim Kundi, Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety in Islamabad on Wednesday The Minister said that Shaheed Mohtarma s struggle towards restoration of democracy and her fight against anti-democratic forces is part of history of the political struggle of Pakistan People s Party which dates back in 1967 Her strong and dynamic role for upholding fundamental rights of common people, progressive thinking and endeavours for restoration of democracy and her political vision is recognized and appreciated by the top global leader Ms Marri continued Ms Shazia Marri further said that on the 70th birthday of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, along with the struggle and suffering of the Shaheed Bibi we also recall the lynching and oppression faced by the workers of Pakistan People’s Party, journalist, intellectuals and the member of the civil society She reiterated that Pakistan People’s Party pays tribute the sacrifices of its worker and other segments of the society who stood against the oppression totalitarianism and for the restoration of democracy She said that it was not possible to count all her achievement of Shaheed Mohtarma in a single Press Conference, however, her initiatives for women empowerment like, introduction of Women Police Stations appointment of women judges in higher judiciary and First Women Bank are only few examples of her visionary leadership She also highlighted Shaheed Mohtarma s projects like Thar Coal Project, Ghazi Brotha and other oil and gas production projects which benefited the local population of those areas where these projects were started While underlining her global leadership role, Ms Marri said that Shaheed Mohtarma gave a new direction to foreign policy of Pakistan Shaheed Mohtarma believed that cultivating good relationship with neighbours was crucial as we cannot change our neighbours

Mineral resources of Balochistan c an change destiny of province, countr y: Envoy

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Ambassador of Pakistan to Sudan Mir

Behrooz Regi has said that Balochistan is rich in gold gas mineral resources and utilizing these resources in a better way can change the destiny of province and country as well

He said “We need to work together to improve the security situation of Pakistan and take the country on the path of development and prosperity

T h e A m b a s s a d o r e x p r e s s e d t h e s e v i e w s d u r i n g h i s m e e t i n g w i t h P r e s ident Islamabad Chamber of Commerce

a n d I n d u s t r y ( I C C I ) A h s a n Z a f a r

Bakhtawari on the occasion of his visit to the chamber Mir Behrooz Regi said that the civil war of Sudan is causing the destruction of a very sad and important African country Within the city of Khartoum thousands of innocent civilians have fallen victim to this war We need to abandon t h e p o l i t i c s o f d i v i s i o n , h y p o c r i s y a n d c h a o s i n P a k i s t a n a n d a d o p t t h e p a t h o f b r o t h e r h o o d , t o l e r a n c e a n d d i al o g u e S o t h a t t h e c o u n t r y c a n m o v e o n t h e p a t h o f d e v e l o p m e n t a n d p r o sp e r i t y h e a d d e d

President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that Balochistan is the future of Pakistan After the completion of Gwadar Port, Pakistan will be able to gain new importance in the entire region this is the reason why anti-Pakistan forces are obstructing the way to bring peace and tranquility in Balochistan and Gwadar he noted H e s a i d t h a t t h e a r m e d f o r c e s h a v e s u c c e s s f u l l y f o u g h t t h e s e a n t i - n at i o n a l f o r c e s e a r l i e r a n d n o w u n d e r t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f A r m y C h i e f G e n e r a l A s i m M u n i r T h e r e c e n t s u c c e s s e s o f P a k i s t a n s s e c u r i t y a g e n c i e s a r e p r o o f t h a t s u b v e r s i v e s a n d e n e m i e s o f p e a c e

w i l l n o t b e a l l o w e d t o s u c c e e d h e m a i n t a i n e d Ahsan Zafar said that we expect that Pakistan will soon come out of its current economic crisis and move on to the path of development and prosperity He said that Sudan has great importance in the African region and the civil war there is very sad

The manner in which the embassy has evacuated our citizen in difficult situations is commendable As an important country in the Islamic world Pakistan should play a role in ending the civil war in Sudan through OIC and other international platforms he concluded

‘Benazir was a global leader who sacrificed life for estoration of democracy’

S peakers demand international financial institutions to end funding for fossil fuel

of Energy (Power Division) submitted a summary regarding Quarterly Tariff Adjustments of K-Electric and informed that as per the National Electricity Policy 2021 the government may maintain a uniform consumer-end tariff for K-Electric and state-owned distribution companies Accordingly, the KE applicable uniform variable charge is required to be modified to maintain the uniform tariff across the country The ECC after discussion ap-

proved a surcharge of Rs1 52 per unit to be recovered from K-Electric consumers in 12 months The ECC further allowed the release and utilization of the available budget of Rs76 billion as payment of arrears under different heads

CIRCULAR DEBT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Sources said that the Power Divis i o n a l s o p r e s e n t e d t h e s u m m a r y r eg a r d i n g t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e r e v i s e d c i r c u l a r d e b t m a n a g e m e n t p l a n a n d t h e u t i l i z a t i o n o f R s 2 0 7 2 6 billion for government-owned power plants Considering the unprecedented accumulation of circular debt and cash flow constraints, the federal cabinet, in a meeting dated February 14, 2023, approved the revised circular management plan for the power sector which encompasses a budget of Rs905 billion to manage the critical cash flow requirements and to curtail the CD flow to the minimum possible level This includes Rs 180 billion earmarked in the budgetary allocation for IPPs’ stock payments The ECC in a summary dated October 31 2022 approved the opening of the Pakistan Energy Resolving Account

PML-N set to change par t y’s organizational structure in Punjab

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Wednesday has started working on a plan to change r the party’s organizational structure in Punjab Sources privy to the development informed that the PML-N has set the course to change the party s organizational structure and has decided to replace Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah as PML-N president of Punjab It has also been decided to replace PML-N General Secretary Sardar Awais Leghari Sources revealed that Mian Javed Latif, Saud Majeed, and Haneef Abbasi are included in the race for Punjab presidency However the notification will be issued after the final approval by PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif According to sources Mian Javed Latif is a strong candidate for the presidency of PMLN Punjab It has been decided to replace Sanaullah due to his ministerial engagements The nomination for the party presidency in Punjab, however, is subject to the consent of incumbent President Sanaullah Sources said Saud Majeed can be nominated for the post of general secretary in case he is out of the race for president Punjab

KP faces budget shor tfall of Rs517b

amount out of the assignment account in relaxation of the limit of using Rs4 billion per month during June 2023

According to the Finance Division, the ECC considered another summary of the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) regarding the implementation of the revised circular debt management plan and the utilization of Rs20 726 billion for government-owned power plants

The ECC after discussion authorized the Power Division to utilize the one-time full amount out of the assignment account in relaxation of the limit of using Rs4 billion per month during June 2023 for the next five months and to ensure that there will be no more payment liability to IPPs for the period July 2023 to November 2023

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Pakistan Tehreek -e -Insaf (PTI) has issued show cause notice to Pervez Khattak over his reported activities of contacting party members and inciting them to leave the party PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan on Wednesday issued him the show cause notice and asked him to ex-

at SBP with Rs 50 billion allocation to be utilized during CFY 23 CPPA was allowed to withdraw a maximum of Rs4 billion per month and shall receive Rs32 billion till June 23, whereas Rs18 billion will remain unutilized in the assignment account Similarly after the stock settlement of Uc power an amount of Rs2 726 billion is available under IPPs stock clearance head Keeping the above in mind, it would be appropriate to utilize the available balance of Rs20 726 billion for clearing the GPPs outstanding liabilities to ensure full utilization of Rs180 billion As of April 30, 2023, current payables to GPPs stand at Rs 790 455 billion The Ministry of Power has asked the ECC to approve a Rs2 726 billion Technical Supplementary Grant for the assignment account from the existing budgetary allocation against the Finance Division R e l e a s e a n d a u t h o r i z e t h e P o w e r D i v i s i o n t o u t i l i z e R s 2 0 7 2 6 b i l l i o n (Rs18 billion already available in the assignment account plus Rs2 726 billion to be transferred through TSG) in favor of GPPs as per the breakup provided during FY23 Besides authorize the Power Division to utilize the full

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarked on a visit to France on Wednesday to participate in a summit to pin down a roadmap for easing the debt burdens of lowincome countries while freeing up more funds for climate financing being held in Paris

The visit comes as a response to an invitation extended to him by President Emmanuel Macron

France will host on June 22-23 the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact which will tackle the reform of multilateral development banks (MDB), the debt crisis, financing for green technologies, the creation of new international taxes and financing instruments and special drawing rights

The summit brings dozens of leaders together to forge a top-level consensus on how to progress a number of initiatives currently struggling in bodies like the G20, IMF-World Bank and United Nations

It s urgent for us to act and rethink collectively the international financing architecture,” a French presidential official said last month, adding that Paris had lobbied its G7 partners ahead of next month’s conference

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce submitted a summary regarding the suspension of import conditions contained in the Import Policy Order 2022 related to the import of Timber/Wood and briefed the meeting on the concerns of the wood/timber industry

The ECC, after detailed discussion, suspended the relevant import conditions from the date of issuance of IPO 2022 to 31st October 2023 with directions to the MoNFS&R to review the import policy and come up with suggestions to settle this issue

The ECC also considered and approved another summary of the Ministry of Commerce regarding an amendment in relevant clauses in the Import Policy Order 2022 to allow government agencies to import Pharmaceutical raw material

The ECC also approved another summary of the Power Division regarding the release of Rs56 billion as approved under the revised CDMP against the AJ&K receivables

The ECC approved a billion of rupee TSG for a number of ministries including the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training Federal Tax Ombudsman, Ministry of Interior for Repair & Maintenance of Helicopter by Pakistan Rangers, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports Intelligence Bureau GilgitBaltistan Council and Ministry of Housing and Works for the execution of development projects

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has encountered a significant budgetary shortfall of over Rs 517 billion in the financial year 2022-23, resulting in a concerning reduction in the provincial budget Additionally, the province is expected to face a deficit of Rs4 bn Hamayatullah Khan the Advisor to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Finance disclosed that the current fiscal year s budget could reach Rs 815 bn to be presented by June 30 However the province must address a loss of up to Rs 4 bn, which the provincial government will have to cover The primary cause behind this budgetary loss and reduction is attributed to the federal government’s failure to make timely payments leading to incomplete disbursement of funds for the province s expenditures The PTI-led government had initially proposed a budget of Rs 1 332 trillion for the fiscal year 2022-23 According to Hamayatullah Khan this budget is now expected to be revised to Rs 815 bn, marking a historic shortfall of Rs 517 bn In light of the situation, the provincial government has decided to approach the Prime Minister once again to secure the necessary funding from the central government which currently amounts to Rs 80 bn Hamayatullah Khan further revealed that out of the allocated Rs 62 bn for the power sector in the ongoing year, only Rs 5 bn has been received Moreover, there are outstanding dues of Rs 280 bn based on AGN Kazi’s formula Furthermore, funds for district expenditures have not been forthcoming, and the tribal belt’s share from the National Finance Commission (NFC) is limited to 5% which should have amounted to Rs 257 bn in the budget Additionally the three percent NFC allocation for the tribal area totaling Rs 294 billion has not been provided Highlighting the way forward, the special aide to the KP Chief Minister stated that the caretaker government has approved the Charter of Economy for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa urging all political parties to unite and approach the federal government to demand the province s rights

FBR recovers over Rs130 crores evaded in sales taxes

Today we have a network of development banks in the world which finance international solidarity and which find themselves limited in their capacity to act ”

The summit serves as a platform for global leaders to engage in discussions and consultations concerning the future changes required in the global financial system

A s a p r o m i n e n t m e m b e r o f t h e G - 7 7 a n d a s t h e l e a d e r o f a c o u n t r y p r o f o u n d l y a f f e c t e d b y t h e d e t r i m e n t a l i m p a c t s o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e , P r i m e M i n i s t e r S h a r i f w i l l p l a y a p i v o t a l r o l e i n t h e s u m m i t He is scheduled to deliver a significant address highlighting the perspectives of his nation and offering insights on combating climate change

In addition to participating in the summit proceedings, Sharif will also engage in bilateral meetings with other world leaders, further strengthening diplomatic ties and fostering cooperation on various global issues His attendance at the Global Financing Pact Summit signifies Pakistan s commitment to actively contribute to international efforts towards sustainable development and combating climate change, Sharif s office said

The Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation (Inland Revenue) of the Federal Board of Revenue, Lahore, has recovered sales tax evasion worth over Rs 1 billion by a reputable company According to the FBR the company issued illegal credit notes of significant amounts in Annexure-C of the sales tax returns without corresponding debit notes from the buyers As a result the company suppressed output tax to reduce its sales tax liability for the tax periods in which illegal credit notes were issued, thereby depriving the national exchequer of due tax revenue The Directorate’s team gathered information without disrupting the company’s business activity They initiated proceedings under section 38 of the Sales Tax Act 1990 and obtained the record and documents from the business premises Subsequently, the company management agreed to deposit the amount of sales tax involved in the credit note issued/claimed in the return of March 2023, along with default surcharge As a result of the timely intervention by the Directorate sales tax amounting to Rs 1358 million and a default surcharge of Rs 26 million were recovered on 20th June 2023 It is important for the Federal Board of Revenue to remain dedicated to eliminating tax evasion and tax fraud, so that a level playing field for tax-compliant businesses that contribute to the national exchequer, is ensured To prevent such fraudulent credit notes, the sales tax return has been amended to disallow suppliers of goods from issuing/claiming credit notes in the returns without first issuing debit notes by the corresponding buyers

plain his position in writing within seven day of this notice

T h e n o t i f i c a t i o n r e a d s I t h a s come to the notice of the party leaders h i p t h a t y o u a r e c o n t a c t i n g p a r t y m e m b e r s a n d i n c i t i n g t h e m t o l e a v e the party In view of these reported act i v i t i e s y o u a r e h e r e b y c a l l e d t o e x -

plain yourself in writing within seven days of

Greece boat tragedy: Count of missing Pakistanis rises

GUJRANWALA S ta f f R e p o R t

A heartbreaking incident unfolded as the number of missing individuals in the Greece boat accident surged to 111 sources said quoting Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reports As per the FIA reports the number of missing persons in the region has been increased to 111, the majority of the missing persons are based from Gujrat and Gujranwala To facilitate the identification process, the efforts are now underway to collect DNA samples from the affected families The FIA along with other relevant authorities is actively involved in coordinating the efforts to bring closure to the grieving families The number of registered cases in the missing persons in boat accident has increased to 31, where a total of 23 cases were registered in Gujranwala and eight in Gujarat Meanwhile, the law enforcers apprehended thirteen human smugglers believed to be connected to the tragic incident in which seven were arrested from Gujranwala while the remaining six were arrested from Gujarat

‘ArresTs CoNdeMNed’