Epaper_23-06-8 LHR

Profit

B U D G ET S E A S O N I N F U L L S W I N G A S G O V T

S C R A M B L E S F O R P U B L I C S U P P O R T

Govt misses targets for all key economic indicators in FY23

PR OFIT

a h m a d a h m a da N I

BUDGET season is in full swing in the federal capital with the Prime Minister calling a high-level meeting to discuss possible relief measures for the public in the days to come The meeting, which has been tentatively scheduled for Thursday (today) comes only days after the government slashed fuel prices

With Finance Minister Ishaq Dar set to present the budget to parliament on Friday all corners are abuzz with what the budget will look like While the final shape it takes will become apparent on Friday, for now the government has approved an estimated 3 5% GDP growth target for its 2023-24 financial year budget

The figure has been deemed unlikely largely because of the rising difficulties the government faces on the economic front Debt servicing is the most crucial element of this budget with Pakistan’s lenders breathing down its neck Without any foreign exchange reserves to speak of keeping the country from defaulting on its sovereign debts has proved difficult With the need to find money and increase taxation, it is un-

likely that the budget will provide much relief to the public With elections nearing governments often depend on peoplefriendly budgets to shore up their vote bank

That is perhaps why the PM is trying to find measures to make things easier for a nation that is day by day facing growing inflation and economic hardships

There is quite clearly a sense of urgency coming from the Prime Minister s office In

a Most Immediate letter dispatched to the Secretary of Petroleum by the Prime Minister ’s Office, a Deputy Secretary of the PM Office sought soft and hard copies of relevant information and documents pertaining to the meeting s talking points as well as minutes from the last two meetings on the subject Additionally, the letter sought a copy of any previous presentation made and a list of participants

The letter emphasised the importance of timely submission of the required materials stating that as per previous instructions all necessary information must reach the Prime Minister s Office at least two days (48 hours) before the scheduled meeting to allow for the Prime Minister ’s perusal

It is worth mentioning that the general public has been grappling with skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and

high transport fares despite the recent decrease in fuel prices

The lack of relief has been observed both in the refusal of transporters to reduce fares and in the failure of industrialists to lower the prices of their manufactured items

The discussion is expected to focus on devising effective strategies and measures to ensure that the benefits of reduced fuel prices are passed on to the public, providing them with much-needed relief

By addressing the non-compliance of reduced fuel prices by transporters and industrialists the government aims to alleviate the burden on the common people who are struggling to cope with the escalating costs of living The meeting will likely explore various options to ensure that the benefits of reduced fuel prices are realised by the masses and help mitigate the adverse effects of inflation on their livelihoods As the meeting approaches anticipation builds for the measures and decisions that will be taken to bring about tangible relief for the public The outcomes of this gathering will be closely monitored, as they have the potential to significantly impact the lives of ordinary citizens providing them with much-needed respite from the economic challenges they currently face

ISLAMABAD S h a h z a d Pa r ac h a & G h u l a m a b b a S

The current government under the supervision of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif missed all important Economic indicators during the

Sources told Profit, that the country s GDP stood at 0 3% in 2022-23 against the target of 5% The government has set a 3 5% GDP target for next fiscal year 2023-24 The growth in the agriculture sector declined to 1 5% against the target of 3 9% in 2022-23

The government has set a 3 5% agriculture target for next fiscal year 2023-24

The growth in important crops remained negative 3 20% against the target of 3 5% in 2022-23 On the other hand the livestock sector would remain at 3 8% in the current fiscal year

The government has fixed a 3% growth target for important crops and a 3 6% growth target of Livestock for the next fiscal year 2023-24

The growth in industry (manufacturing and Large Scale Manufacturing) remained negative as the government had set a 5 9% target of industry which was recorded at a negative 2 9% Major industries performed at -7 98% against the target of 7 4%; the target for electricity, gas, water supply was 3 5% and they showed an efficiency of 6%

Employment Climate Change and Social Protections will also be described in detail in the economic survey

WB projects two more dark years for Pakistan’s economic growth

RAWALPINDI

S ta f f r e P o r t

Top military commanders on Wednesday decided to tighten the noose around the planners and masterminds of those who mounted the hate ripened and politically driven rebellion against the state and state institutions”

The statement came at the conclusion of formation commanders conference presided over by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi This was the first formation commanders conference chaired by General Asim since he was appointed army chief in November last year The conference was attended by corps commanders, principal staff officers and all the formation commanders of the army

Unlike the past the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued an unusually detailed statement focusing mostly on the events unfolded after the May 9 violent protests

The most significant part of the statement was that the top military brass hinted at taking legal action against the leadership of Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

It has been further stressed that while the legal trials of perpetrators and instigators have commenced, it is time that noose of law is also tight-

ened around the planners and masterminds who mounted the hate ripened and politically driven rebellion against the state and state institutions to achieve their nefarious design of creating chaos in the country according to the military s media wing

The forum also resolved that endeavours by any quarter to create obstructions and stymie the conclusive defeat of ill design of inimical forces will be dealt with iron hands

Participants were briefed on the prevalent environment challenges to security – both internal and external – and own operational preparedness in response to evolving threats, both traditional and non-traditional

The forum was also briefed on the structural changes and niche technologies being incorporated to enhance operational preparedness besides up-gradation of essential logistic infrastructure corresponding to emerging security imperatives

The COAS reiterated, Pakistan Army will remain committed towards their national obligations of safeguarding territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country He further said People of Pakistan and their deep bondage with the armed forces is and will remain central to all our undertakings and events of 25th May were a clear manifestation of same”

The forum concluded that Unfounded and baseless allegations on Law Enforcement Agencies and Security Forces for custodial torture human rights abuses and stifling of political activities are meant to mislead the people and malign Armed Forces in order to achieve trivial vested political interests Hostile forces and their abettors have been trying hard to create societal division and confusion through fake news and propaganda but all such designs will continue to be defeated with the full support of the nation, InshaAllah, the COAS asserted

PR OFIT

N P

The World Bank has said the devastating effects of the August 2022 floods policy uncertainty and shrinking foreign exchange resources have depressed economic activity in Pakistan as the top financial institution revised the country’s GDP growth for the current year by 1 6 per cent to 0 4pc Moreover, it portrayed a bleak future in medium term for Pakistan saying economic recovery in the next two fiscal years was expected to be anaemic – 2pc in 2023-24 and 3pc in 202425 The reason for this trend is stated to be the limited fiscal room the government has to support recovery from flood-related damages In its latest report Global Economic Prospects , the World Bank said the growth rate would stay at 2pc in 2023-24 – next fiscal year –which is a 1 2pc reduction in an earlier estimate released in January this year The latest projection comes just when the National Economic Council (NEC) on Tuesday set a growth target of 3 5pc for the coming fiscal year While noting that the country is facing shortage of foreign reserves for importing food items and other goods the global financial institution said agriculture output is likely to have contracted for the first time in two decades The World Bank said exchange rate flexibility resulting in 20pc depreciation in Pakistani rupee since January had sharply increased in headline consumer price inflation to the level of 38pc – highest since records began in the late 1970s At a time when many circles in the country have expressed their reservations and resentment over the high interest rate the global lender said policy rate increases had not kept pace with expected inflation; consequently, real interest rates have turned deeply negative However, it said the South Asian countries would again start witnessing a reduction in poverty after recent upward movement since 2020-21 – the time when COVID hit the world But this decline it warned would not be as swift as previously expected given the impacts of high inflation slow recovery in employment and withdrawal of pandemic-related food support

Militar y top brass decides to tighten noose around ‘planners, masterminds of May 9 rebellion’

TA P I G A S P I P E L I N E P R O J E C T H I G H LY

S I G N I F I C A N T F O R R E G I O N : M U S A D I K

TH E flagship TurkmenistanA f g h a n i s t a n - P a k i s t a n - I n d i a (TAPI) gas pipeline project is a transformation agenda for the region not just a pipeline said Dr Musadik Malik

A high level delegation of Turkmenistan led by State Minister & Chairman of Turkmengas Mr Maksat Babayev, held meeting with the Pakistani delegation led by Minister Of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik here on Wednesday

Both sides discussed various aspects of the flagship Turkmenistan-AfghanistanPakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project Minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to TAPI project and highlighted the energy potential Turkmenistan holds “TAPI is a transformation agenda for the region not just a pipeline, said Dr Musadik Malik

Chinese FDI to Pakistan reached $ 347.6 mm in first 10 months of F Y 22-23

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan has received $ 347 6 million as Foreign Direct Investment from China in the first 10 months of Fiscal Year 2022-23 (July 2022-April 2023) according to the latest statistics of the Board of Investment Pakistan

(BOI) According to BOI during April Pakistan received another $ 28 4 million from China, bringing the total Chinese FDI during the ongoing financial year to $347 6 million Pakistan has received a total of $ 1170 1 million in the first ten months of FY 2022-23 with a large share of 29 7% coming from China According to a Gwadar Pro s report, after China, Japan is the second highest investor in Pakistan with $ 162 9 million, followed by Switzerland with $ 131 6 million UAE with $ 113 6 million In the first ten months of the current fiscal year Pakistan received the highest amount of investments in the power sector amounting to $ 504 1 million In financial businesses, the country has so far received $ 264 5 million, in the oil and gas sector $ 128 2 million in chemicals $ 39 5 million in trade $ 34 4 million in transport $ 30 5 million in construction $ 19 1 million in textiles $ 13 5 million in communication $ 8 8 million while others sectors received $ 127 2 million In FY 2021-22, China was the leading investor in Pakistan with $ 531 6 million which was 28 47% of the total FDI Pakistan received from different countries of the world

Funding crisis: More than 100 technical training centers to shutdown

PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t

Due to non-payment of funds, more than 100 technical and vocational training centers are at risk of closure in Peshawar it was learnt on Wednesday According to the reliable sources the financial constraints have left employees of these training centers without salaries for the past four months

The sources maintained that out of the allocated budget of Rs690 million only Rs 322 million has been disbursed so far effecting thousands of diploma and short courses students in Peshawar Earlier this week, five private companies running the Peshawar BRT have threatened to stop the operations due to the provincial government’s failure to pay around Rs1 billion in dues

In a letter penned to KP government the operator had warned the provincial authorities of closing the Peshawar Bus Transit on June 3 if the government had failed to pay the dues to the operator before Wednesday The NorthSouth Travels (Pvt) Limited, and East-West Transport (Pvt) Limited drew the government s attention to the issue of the non-payment of dues This delay has an adverse effect on the operational expenses (procurement of diesel, lubricants and parts, related to electricity and salaries) to the company for the BRT Peshawar operation,” the operator had said in the letter

MUZAFFARABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan

Neil Hawkins accompanied by senior embassy officials visited the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and interacted with the faculty and students of the institution

The High Commissioner emphasized the historical and longstanding ties between Australia and Pakistan and highlighted collaboration in various sectors such as education, climate change, agriculture, water resources, and reproductive health

He mentioned that Australia was providing financial support and food assistance to flood-affected individuals across Pakistan Recognizing Pakistan s significance in

Meeting agreed to appoint a high level official from Pakistan to resolve open issues Technical working group on TAPI will hold extensive meeting today

Turkmen delegation thanked Pakistan Government s support and cooperation for TAPI

The Turkmenistan’s delegation also i n c l u d

USAID to give $445.6 million grant to Pakistan in five years

ISLAMABAD S h a h z a d pa R ac h a

USAID to give US$445 6 million grant to Pakistan over a span of five years through the Development Objectives

Assistance Agreement (DOAG)

Secretary Economic Affairs Division Dr Kazim Niaz and USAID Mission Director to Pakistan Reed

Aeschliman signed a new five-year bilateral Development Objectives Assistance Agreement (DOAG) at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Islamabad today

The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Federal Minister of Economic Affairs, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and the visiting USAID Deputy Administrator Ms Isobel Coleman

This agreement is being signed after a lag of thirteen (13) years as the last development partnership agreement Pakistan Enhanced Partnership Agreement

(PEPA) was signed between the two countries in 2010 and under this agreement, USAID will provide a grant of Four Hundred Forty-Five Million Six Hundred Thousand USD (US$ 445 600 000) over a period of 5 years

This agreement will be instrumental for socio-economic uplift of Pakistan as it supports major areas like Climate-Resilient Economic Growth, Inclusive and Accountable Democratic Governance and a healthier and more educated population The development objectives of DOAG are in line with our national developmental vision/objectives and activities funded under this would be implemented in coordination with the Government of Pakistan, thereby continuing close bilateral relationship, fostering effective coordination and the Government of Pakistan’s visibility

This agreement has been signed between the Government of Pakistan and USAID after an extensive consul-

Leaders couldn’t withstand prison heat , workers still steadfast: Sh Rashid

RAWALPINDI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid on Wednesday said the workers were still firm on their stance and didn’t panic at a time when their leaders [What he referred to the PTI arrests] could not face heat in prison

tative process with the federal and provincial departments It launches a renewed effort for transparency and accountability as well as for increasing involvement of Pakistani organizations in its implementation

“The United States remains one of the largest providers of development assistance to Pakistan partnering with the Government of Pakistan, civil society, and international organizations on numerous programs aligned with Pakistan’s priorities We look forward to continuing to advance this partnership in part through the U S -Pakistan Green Alliance a framework focused on agriculture water management and clean energy, said the Minister for Economic Affairs

The Secretary, Economic Affairs Division thanked the USA Government and USAID for its continuous support to the Government of Pakistan for the socio-economic uplift of Pakistan

Registered voters count rises to 126m mark: ECP repor ts

In a series of tweets Rashid was referring to the defections by PTI leaders after their arrest and spending a few days in jail Parties are run by workers, not leaders,” he remarked He said the country was facing an economic and political crisis with reduced remittances closure of industries negative growth and paucity of dollar The executive the seasoned politician claimed was interfering in judicial matters and disrespecting the judges under a well-orchestrated plan Elections were the only solution, not jailing the innocent people, he again stressed with a warning that the state of affairs would get further complicated if polls were not held He said the ministers statements about elections were creating suspicions and cited the example of Turkiye where polls had been held despite a devastating earthquake Accusing the government of saving their lost politics he said the constitution was meant to be implemented not being placed in a cabinet and that it had been twisted as per their desire

FIA books Moonis Elahi in Rs121m corruption case

LAHORE

S

The FIA money laundering circle has registered a case against Moonis Elahi the son of former chief minister and PTI president Parvez Elahi in an inquiry into the alleged corruption of Rs121 million According to the FIA Moonis during his stint as an MNA, was involved in corruption worth millions of rupees Three callup notices were issued to Moonis Elahi, but he failed to turn up even once Zahra Elahi and Aamir Sohail have also been named as suspects in the case Earlier a local court of Lahore rejected the anti-corruption s request for physical remand and ordered to send PTI President and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi to prison on judicial remand It should be noted that the former chief minister was arrested in a third case from Gujranwala the other day after being released from the court in two other cases

Customs Intelligence confiscates contraband cigarettes worth Rs79m

ISLAMABAD S ta f

Customs Intelligence on Wednesday claimed to have confiscated smuggled cigarettes worth millions of rupees from different cities of the country

According to FBR, Customs Intelligence on directives from Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Asim Ahmad and Director General Customs Intelligence Faiz Ahmad Chadhar the crackdown on cigarette traffickers has been intensified and many raids have been carried out against the smugglers during the past 24 hours

In the wee hours of Wednesday, Customs Intelligence Karachi confiscated 250,000 sticks of foreign brands cigarettes, having value of Rs10 million while in another raid 400 000 cigarette sticks of for-

the region the Australian High Commissioner reaffirmed his country s commitment to support economic prosperity and sustainable and equitable development in Pakistan

Regarding education cooperation between Pakistan and Australia he mentioned that a limited number of scholarships were offered to Pakistani students based on merit and efforts will be made to ensure that students from Azad Jammu and Kashmir receive a fair share of these scholarships

In response to questions regarding human rights violations and the suffering of the Kashmiri people in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir the Australian Envoy acknowledged the complexity of the Kashmir issue Australia s stance has consistently been that the matter should be resolved through peaceful bilateral talks be-

eign brands were confiscated from Saddr area of Karachi having market value of Rs25 million

Similarly, 4000 sticks worth Rs4 million and 1,050,000 sticks having total value of Rs30 million were recovered from Multan and Dera Ismail Khan respectively

Overall during the last 24 hours Customs Intelligence has confiscated 1,780,000 sticks of cigarettes of foreign brands including Pine Mini, Dunhill, Benson & Hedges, Inhale, Speed Blue and Royal Business with a value of Rs79 million

The Customs Intelligence has reiterated the resolve to eradicate the menace of cigarette smuggling Despite limited resources, Customs Intelligence has confiscated 39,187,000 sticks of cigarettes having a total value of Rs1 093 billion dur-

tween India and Pakistan he added

The envoy expressed understanding for the concerns and problems faced by the people of Kashmir, particularly divided families residing in both Indian and Pakistani parts of Kashmir The High Commissioner emphasized the need for a humanitarian resolution to the lingering Kashmir dispute

Upon arrival at the city campus of the University, the High Commissioner and his delegation were warmly received by ViceChancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi Registrar Prof Dr Ghulam Murtaza Prof Dr Syed Nadeem Haider Bukhari Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Dr Bashir ur Rehman Kanth, Director of Finance Dr Bilal Ahmed Abbasi, Director of Students Affairs Dr Imtiaz Ahmed Awan and other senior officials of

ing the ongoing financial year

2022-23 Chairman FBR

MAsim Ahmad and Director General Customs Intelligence

Faiz Ahmad Chadhar have appreciated the successful raids in Karachi, Dera Ismail

the University Prof Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi briefed the Australian High Commissioner on the University’s educational, research, and administrative affairs Additionally a documentary showcasing the university s academic achievements was screened during the visit Prof Dr Ansar Yasin, the Director of Planning and Development of the University, presented an overview of the University’s efforts to bring about economic and social changes in Azad Kashmir through academic interventions He proposed an academic corridor between Pakistan and Australia to explore further opportunities for mutual cooperation, which was appreciated by the High Commissioner, who assured progress on the proposal

Khan Peshawar and Multan and expressed optimism that Customs Intelligence will continue its crackdown against smuggling in general and the smuggled cigarettes in particular

Dr Bashir ur Rehman Kanth expressed gratitude to the Australian government and people for their support and participation in the rehabilitation of areas affected by the devastating earthquake in 2005 He also briefed the delegation about the university s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences emphasizing its crucial role in producing healthcare professionals and educators to meet the region s health sector needs Prof Dr Wajid Aziz Lone provided an overview of the university’s education in information technology seeking cooperation from the Australian government in training students in fields such as cyber security data science artificial intelligence, and related areas

At the conclusion of the visit, the ViceChancellor presented a shield to the honorable guest as a gesture of appreciation

s t r a l i a n e n vo y a s s u r e s s h a r e o f A J K s t u d e n t s i n s c h o l a r s h i p s

BUSHRA BIBI’S SON, BUZDAR, OTHERS BOOKED IN RS450M CORRUPTION CASE

TH E Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Wednesday registered a graft case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief s wife Bushra Bibi s son, Ibrahim Maneka, former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar and six others including bureaucrats

According to the ACE the accused took bribes worth millions of rupees for appointments and transfers of high-ranking officials in various government departments Amounts received in bribes were allegedly collected and deposited in different banks accounts by Farah Gogi Around Rs450 million have been recovered so far states ACE in its FIR

Double advance income tax proposed for non-filers on impor ting cars

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The FIR maintains that the accused abused the powers accorded to them to appoint and transfer individuals to high-ranking posts within the government

Maneka, Buzdar, Gogi, senior bureaucrat Tahir Khurshid, Ahmed Aziz Tarar, Saleha Saeed, Usman Muazzam and Sohail Khwaja have been named in the case

WB projects two more dark years for Pakistan’s economic growth

Earlier this week Buzdar like other PTI stalwarts including Shireen Mazari and Ali Haider Zaidi, reportedly announced that he is quitting the PTI, as well as politics, in the aftermath of May 9

In his press conference Buzdar condemned the vandalism witnessed on May 9 – when civil and military installations were attacked by enraged protestors – and stressed that he has always stood by the Pakistan Army and continues to do so

The controversial former chief minister of Punjab maintained that he has always believed in politics of virtue and requested all stakeholders to set aside differences and work towards the betterment of the country

Several other PTI leaders have either renounced their positions within the beleaguered party, left it or distanced from politics altogether in the past month

JI challenges Sindh LG law amendment in Sindh High Cour t

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

Jamaat Islami has challenged amendment in Sindh local government law in Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday with regard to election of unelected persons as mayor or chairmen

Jamaat Islami the second largest group in Karachi’s city council has challenged recent amendments in the municipal law in the high court

In what could be bad news for non-tax filers, double advance income tax has been proposed on importing cars in the upcoming budget It has also been proposed to levy withholding tax on purchase receipts instead of engine capacity Regulatory additional customs duty has been proposed to be increased on imported vehicles in the new budget Instead of engine capacity, there is a proposal to levy withholding tax on purchase receipts In the next year ’s budget the target of domestic exports has been set at $30 billion as per official documents Imports are estimated to be $58 70 billion, according to the documents The documents also suggest that in the next financial year, the trade deficit will be $28 70 billion The current account deficit is estimated to be $6 billion as per the documents There is a likelihood of the current account deficit to be -1 7% of the GDP

PHC orders release of PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan

PESHAWAR

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday ordered release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister of state for parliamentary affairs Ali Muhammad Khan A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice SM Atiq Shah heard the petition against Khan s arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) after nationwide protests broke out on May 9 following the PTI chief ’s arrest The advocate general informed the court that the administration held the power to arrest those who disturb law and order under MPO when the petitioner s counsel, Ali Zaman, argued that the former minister was arrested under public order act Remarking on the matter, Justice Anwar stated that those who held a press conference are let go off but those who don t are arrested again The judge was referring to PTI leaders announcing their departure from the party after being repeatedly arrested Justice Anwar questioned how such serious allegations could end with a press conference Zaman highlighted that after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered Khan’s release the former federal minister was arrested by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police under the 3 MPO The PHC reserved its decision after hearing the arguments Later in the day, the court in a short order directed for the PTI leader to be released after depositing two surety bonds of Rs100 000 each The court also accepted the pleas filed by others arrested under 3 MPO

The party has petitioned to the court that the local elections were held under the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 and elected candidates vying for chairmen and mayors’ offices sworn in under the same law

An amended law has been passed to facilitate election of unelected per-

sons as chairmen and mayor without taking in account their ineligibility, JI pleaded “Under the spirit of the local councils’ law a mayor should be taken from the elected representatives it argued JI has pleaded to the high court to declare the May 24 notification of recent amendment in the law as unlawful Sindh Assembly passed key amendment in the Local Government Act in May also backed by the MQM and GDA members allowing the mayor to get elected on a local council seat within six months after election Provincial Minister Nasir Shah said that the amendment allows six months to the mayor for getting elected on the local council seat as per the rule allowing a federal minister

Sind Government had earlier decided to amend the Local Government Act to delete the condition for a mayor candidate to be elected on a general or special seat of local council

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan People s Party (PPP) has been largest group in the city council having 155 seats with JI having 130 members in the house

However the PTI the third largest party in the city council has extended its support to JI candidate for mayor Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman The PTI support provides simple majority to JI to get elected its mayor

However, after May 09 incidents, a shadow of uncertainty hovering over the PTI members facing charges in violent incidents during the party s protest

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Some economies in the region have suffered significant domestic shocks, and deep crises are continuing to undermine their growth particularly Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka the report mentioned

The WB said growth in the region is expected to slow marginally to 5 9pc in 2023 and more significantly to 5 1pc in 2024

But these strong figures for 2023 are a product of the greater-than-expected resilience in private consumption and investment and a robust services sector in India

The downward revision in 2024 mainly reflects the lagged impact of tightening domestic policy and global financing conditions, the aftermath of floods and policy uncertainty in Pakistan, and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

It also mentioned that more than half of South Asians had been affected by one or more climate-related disasters over the past two decades

Five killed as car catches fire in Pindi Bhattain

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

Five people were burnt to death when a car caught fire near Kot Sarwar Interchange in Pindi Bhattian on Wednesday As per details the fire erupted in the car when it was on the motorway in Pindi Bhattian The dead people are not identified yet Sources said that dead bodies were shifted to the Tehsil Headquarter In an unfortunate incident earlier at least four people were killed while three others sustained injuries after a car fell into a ditch in the Lower Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) According to police, the father and son duo were among the victims On getting information rescue teams and police reached the spot and shifted the deceased and injured to the district headquarters hospital in Lower Dir Furthermore, the police have launched an investigation into the incident and are trying to determine the cause of the accident As per the initial police report, the accident occurred due to over-speeding

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The forum while condemning the 9th May Black Day incidents in the strictest sense reiterated their firm resolve that desecrators of Shuhada Monuments Jinnah House and attackers of military installations would certainly be brought to justice speedily under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act which are the derivatives of the Constitution of Pakistan

In this regard, efforts to create distortions and attempts to take refuge behind imaginary and mirage Human Rights Violations to create smoke screen for hiding the ugly faces of all involved, are absolutely futile and do not stand the abundantly collected irrefutable evidences

The COAS stressed on maintaining high standards of professionalism and motivation during operations and achieving excellence during training of

their formations He commended the commanders for their constant focus on the wellbeing and high state of morale of their soldiers who remain the foundation of army s operational readiness The forum concluded by affirming resolve to render all sacrifices necessary for the security and stability of the country with the perpetual support of the proud people of Pakistan Rich tribute were paid to the supreme sacrifices of shuhadas including officers and men of the Armed Forces, Law Enforcement Agencies and Shuhada from civil society who laid their lives for the safety, security and dignity of the country The forum offered Fateha for the shuhadas departed souls The forum asserted The State of Pakistan and Armed Forces will always keep Shuhadas and their families in highest esteem and will continue to honor them and their sacrifices with utmost respect and dignity”

The government launched a massive crackdown against PTI which landed in trouble following the rioting on May 9 a day the country s military and PDM government termed as black day

In an unprecedented show of vandalism, protestors allegedly belonging to the former ruling party vandalised public and private properties and even attacked the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and Lahore corps commander s residence also known as the Jinnah House

The attack took place hours after paramilitary Rangers personnel arrested the party chairman, Imran Khan, in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case later retitled as the £190 million National Crime Agency scandal on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau from the Islamabad High Court premises

Following the clampdown, several senior PTI leaders were arrested, and many dissociated themselves from the party

Fighting terrorism: KP police eyes Rs103b in budget

PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police Department has demanded Rs103 billion rupees in the budget KP DIG Finance Abbas Majeed Marwat said that Rs27 billion rupees are required for tribal districts while 75 billion is needed for the rest of the districts KP Police sought Rs11 billion more in comparison to last year budget Rs1 40 billion are needed for bullet proofing of transport and vehicles and a billion rupees needed for the purchase of modern weapons including other technologies quadcopters and locators ” Abbas Majeed Marwat said

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

In a significant step towards addressing the issue of smog and reducing pollution levels the caretaker government of Punjab has given its

with flu, chest infection, and cough

measures can be taken by people

G ov t m i s s e s t a rg e t s fo r a l l key e c o n o m i c i n d i c ato r s i n F Y 2 3

Militar y top brass decides to tighten noose around ‘planners, masterminds of May 9 rebellion’

Throwing open the coffers

The coalition is budgeting for an elec tion

TH E budgeting process took another step forward with the National Economic Council approving the federal Public Sector Development Plan of Rs 950 billion It is not so much the size of the PDSP that indicates it was designed with elections in mind as the fact that 46 percent of the allocation would go to 311 new schemes, while the remaining 871 ongoing schemes would get the remaining amount Thus the budget has a bias built in towards new schemes, which would indicate ribbon cuttings by coalition legislators close to the polls but trying to avoid the Election Commission’s imposition of a ban on new schemes The focus on new schemes cannot be ascribed to legislators excluded from the development process making up for lost time For one thing, a minority of the supporters of the government had been supporting the previous government as well, and were beneficiaries of the development process then too Also Treasury legislators had last year to make up for the deprivations of opposition The 871 ongoing schemes would include many schemes only approved last year

However, while the government would only love to fulfill the sentiment expressed by the Prime Minister while directing that the information technology sector get major incentives in the budget, the reality is bleaker

The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet had to approve a Ministry of Economic Affairs request for Rs 402 billion extra which it needs to meet the costs of rupee devaluation The rupee may have gained Rs 5 in the open market, but it lost Re 0 37 in the interbank market, with the differential between the two at Rs 16, which was not particularly sustainable The NEC s growth and inflation projections were depressing Growth was targeted at an anaemic 3 5 percent while the inflation target was 21 percent In short the NEC expects another year of stagflation The World Bank is even more pessimistic, predicting growth of two percent

The government is also seeking a deal with the IMF, which will explain why the petrol levy is expected to go up to an inflationary Rs 60 per litre This is expected to add to hardship with petrol prices expected to rise even as the rupee declines One of the first targets of the IMF is development spending and the first schemes to be axed are new ones Is the NEC merely setting up easy targets for the IMF, or does the government intend to defend its development spending?

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

and London Conspiracies

T h e f i r s t l e d t o t h e b re a k- u p o f Pa k i s t a n A n d t h e s e c o n d ?

usurper Gen Zia-ul-Haq Ever since his launch it has been his dream to establish the Sharif Dynasty which would enjoy absolute power and unflinching loyalty and obedience from all quarters

treatment for his failing platelets his focus has been politics

A London Conspiracy was hatched to bring MNS back to the corridors of power

JUSTICE S A Rehman a former Chief Justice of Pakistan had to flee Decca Cantonment in his night suit to save his life In 1968 the first usurper Ayub Khan had initiated a sedition case against Sheikh Mujib-Ur-Rehman, the leader of the Awami League called the Agartala Conspiracy’ Mr Justice Rehman was heading the tribunal that included Justices M R Khan and Maksum-UlHakim Workers of the AL stormed the rest house where the judges were staying

Once in the safety of his Gulberg home Justice

Rehman revealed the extent of support for the AL and suggested a political solution for the crisis Earlier during the election campaign of Madare Millat Motarma Fatima Jinnah in the 1965 Presidential Elections the AL came to her support It fully endorsed her demand for the restoration of the unanimously agreed 1956 constitution Ayub Khan s imposed 1962 constitution was disg r a c e f u l w h i c h c a u s e d f i s s u r e s i n J i n n a h s P a kistan Despite the fact that the freedom movement in the Indian Subcontinent was launched in Decca w i t h t h e f o r m a t i o n o f t h e A l l - I n d i a M u s l i m L e a g u e ( A I M L ) i n 1 9 0 6 t h e B e n g a l i l e a d e r s h i p was fed-up with the step-brotherly treatment of Isl a m a b a d p u s h i n g t h e m t o s e e k p r o v i n c i a l a u t o nomy to run their own affairs

Some factions within the party were blamed for conspiring with India to leave the union In the 1970 free and fair elections the AL emerged victorious Only two other candidates managed to win (Nur-Ul-Amin and Raja Tridev Roy) After the break-up of the Quaid s Pakistan Sheikh Mujib emerged as Banga Bandhu (Father of the Nation)

Some historians believe that he never desired to break away and sought a political solution till the end but his efforts were frustrated by the Hawks on both sides The then governor Vice Adm (retd) S M Ahsan and field commander Lt Gen Sahibzada Yaqoob Ali Khan sensing the public mood pleaded for a negotiated settlement but Gen Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, the President and Chief Martial Law Administrator, decided on the use of force which resulted in disastrous consequences The Agartala Plan was grossly mishandled Unfortunately despite the losses no lessons were learnt Public opinion always prevails over the use of force The collapse of a superpower like the USSR is living proof of this

Currently the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is being tormented by the London Conspiracy carefully crafted and led by three times Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif an establishmentcreated ‘Political Player ‘ launched by the third

The age- old policy of divide and rule has worked well for the Sharifs of Gawalmandi When cornered they either resort to a compromise or all-out attack Under an agreement with the fourth usurper Gen Pervez Musharraf, the entire family agreed to go into self-exile for a period of ten years while they launched a physical assault on the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1997 which finally resulted in the removal of Mr Justice Sajjad Ali Shah as Chief Justice In reward for his services Mr Justice Rafiq Tarar was awarded with the Presidency

In 2017 a famous case called Dawn Leaks was reported by a leading national newspaper It resulted in serious differences between the civilian and military leadership of the time During his third stint in power MNS created a media cell in the PM House to record secret discussions that took place to be used later for personal advantage and blackmailing

T h e I s l a m i c R e p u b l i c o f

Pa k i s t a n h a s b e e n a

c o n s t i t u t i o n a l d e m o c r a c y

When IK tried to be his own man, the international establishment together with support of General Bajwa aligned with MNS decided to get rid of the sitting PM Despite his waning popularity IK was relying on conviction of the corrupt before the electoral contest in 2023 Asif Zardari played a key role in the success of the No-Confidence Motion against IK in April 2022 The ouster of IK did not sit well with the public and his popularity graph started to rise In November 2019, General Bajwa’s term ended and MNS had another opportunity to appoint a COAS of his choice Gen Asim Munir was chosen for this coveted slot despite the fact that his retirement was due before his higher appointment While the PDM coalition government has succeeded in wrapping up its corruption cases on all other fronts it has performed poorly

s i n c e 1 4 Au g u s t 1 9 7 3 . N o

c o n s p i r a c y w i l l b e a l l ow e d

t o c o m e i n t h e w ay o f t h e

In November 2016 MNS appointed Qamar Javed Bajwa as the COAS with clear understanding of Hola Hath ( Soft Handling ) of the corruption charges against the ‘Sharif Group’ With his handpicked COAS and an absolute majority in Parliament the PM was enjoying life in the fast lane despite the occasional criticism from the friendly opposition led by the PPP Imran Khan as the third force tried to raise pertinent issues which were largely overlooked

p ro g r e s s a n d p ro s p e r i t y o f t h e p e o p l e o f Pa k i s t a n

In 1971 the Awami League sought autonomy which ended up in the breakup of the Quaid’s Pakistan The 1956 Constitution could have saved the union had it not been abrogated by a usurper and dictator The situation in 2023 calls for caution The London Conspiracy’ is trampling the constitution of the republic While the Golden Jubilee of this vital agreement between the rulers and the ruled is being celebrated its violations are blatant No state can claim legitimacy without adhering to the constitutional requirements All pre-1973 Draconian laws have to be declared null and void

Then came the Panama Leaks which exposed the international network of the corrupt While there were around 200 Pakistanis who made it to the list the name of the sitting PM created a big havoc Finally the issue was settled by a bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa who later on became the CJP In July 2017 MNS was removed from power and disqualified for life from holding any public office Later on he was convicted and jailed for corruption While serving his jail term he managed to get relief on medical grounds for treatment abroad His appointee General Bajwa played a key role in his escape from justice Since November 2019 he has been residing in London conspiring for his return and exoneration

From the safety of his London home MNS has been planning his political revival Instead of getting

Taiwan’s growing diplomatic isolation

Ta i p e i ke e p s b e i n g s n u b b e d

Dr IMrAN KHALID

ON C E again the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) went ahead in Geneva, Switzerland, without Taiwan s participation The familiar pattern played out once again as China and Pakistan made pleas to keep Taiwan out of the proceedings culminating in a vote that sealed Taiwan s exclusion

This annual charade has been ongoing since 2017 when Taiwan s observer status was revoked following the election of President Tsai Ing-wen Taiwan voiced its protest at being sidelined, yet, despite such noise by Taiwan and its supporters the meetings proceeded without Taiwan perpetuating the marginalization of the Tsai-led government

There was further embarrassment for Taipei when Taiwanese media and journalists faced obstacles, as demonstrated by the recent incident involving the Central News Agency, which was denied access to the UN office in Geneva

h e s e a c t i o n s h av e p l u n g e d Ta i w a n i n t o a n u n p a r a l l e l e d c r i s i s , l e a d i n g t o t h e Ta i w a n S t r a i t s b e i n g p e rc e i v e d a s a d a n g e ro u s h o t s p o t w i t h t h e p o t e n t i a l fo r a m i l i t a r y c o n f ro n t a t i o n T h e g r av i t y o f t h e s i t u a t i o n c a n n o t b e ov e rs t a t e d , e m p h a s i z i n g t h e u rg e n t n e e d fo r a m o r e p r u d e n t a p p ro a ch t o avo i d t h e r i s k o f c o n f l i c t a n d wo r k t ow a rd s m a i n t a i n i n g p e a c e a n d s t a b i l i t y i n t h e r e g i o n

The outcry over Taiwan s absence has become a ritualistic chorus This also demonstrates the international community s resolute adherence to the one China principle

With the backing of select Western powers, Taiwan made the attempts to secure observer status within the WHA yet this step has been met with unyielding defeat This steadfast denial underscores the profound influence of the one China doctrine which consigns Taiwan to this status During a specific period from 2009 to 2016, Taiwan enjoyed the privilege of participating in the WHA as an observer This harmonious collaboration stemmed from the Kuomintang’s recognition of the 1992 Consensus which led to improved cross-Strait relations

However a regrettable shift occurred when Tsai Ing-wen and her independence-oriented Democratic Progressive Party rejected the consensus, thereby undermining the political foundation for Taiwan’s continued involvement in the WHA This unfortunate development highlights the significance of maintaining a cohesive political stance in order to sustain Taiwan s participation in international organizations and preserve the invaluable benefits it brought to the island s public health and well-being

This is certainly a major diplomatic setback for President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive party (DPP) The unfortunate decline in both the domestic and international circumstances surrounding Taiwan can be traced back to the obstinate persistence of the DPP authorities in pursuing a misguided path towards Taiwanese independence By unilaterally leaning on the USA in their pursuit of independence, the DPP authorities have inadvertently opened the door for Western politicians such as Nancy Pelosi and Liz Truss to meddle in cross-Strait affairs and exploit the Taiwan card to further their agenda of containing China

This interference has had detrimental consequences for the island of Taiwan, eroding stability and hindering its prospects for progress Last week the Cross-Strait Peaceful Development Forum made a significant declaration denouncing the dangerous path of Taiwan independence and advocating for the ouster of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from power Esteemed experts from the forum have called upon all segments of Taiwanese society to deeply contemplate

the detrimental consequences of the DPP s flawed political agenda over the past three decades Recognizing the potential for irreversible harm to the region, it is crucial to thwart the DPP s ability to inflict further damage

Consequently, the upcoming 2024 Taiwan regional election should be regarded as a collective movement for the people to rescue themselves from the perils of misguided governance

In a landscape marked by strained cross-Strait relations, economic challenges, and the hardships faced by individuals, the Cross-Strait Peaceful Development Forum emerges as a vital voice comprising around 20 pro-reunification political parties and groups including the Labor Party Their collective belief is that the forthcoming 2024 regional elections hold a significance that extends beyond mere party politics

Rather, these elections bear the weight of preserving cross-Strait peace, advancing the welfare of the populace, and shaping the trajectory of Taiwan’s future

Recognizing the crucial interplay between political power and the well-being of the people these pro-reunification factions underscore the necessity of maintaining stability, fostering prosperity, and exerting influence over the destiny of the island The grave consequences of the Democratic Progressive Party’s misguided agenda and their rejection of the crucial 1992 Consensus are becoming more visible as witnessed by the exclusion of Taiwan from the WHA

These actions have plunged Taiwan into an unparalleled crisis, leading to the Taiwan Straits being perceived as a dangerous hotspot with the potential for a military confrontation The gravity of the situation cannot be overstated emphasizing the urgent need for a more prudent approach to avoid the risk of conflict and work towards maintaining peace and stability in the region

It is imperative for the DPP leadership to reevaluate its approach, shifting towards a more pragmatic and cooperative stance that acknowledges the complexities of the cross-Strait relationship and fosters positive engagement with mainland China The WHA episode reflects Taiwan s growing diplomatic isolation which has seen a new momentum this year with Honduras cutting off its diplomatic ties with Taipei

The writer is a freelance columnist

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been a constitutional democracy since 14 August 1973 No conspiracy will be allowed to come in the way of the progress and prosperity of the people of Pakistan

The rise of Bangladesh as an economic power in the Subcontinent should be an eye-opener for all Strict adherence to the constitution and rule of law is the only way forward Conspiracies are lethal and destructive which must be understood and then contained to save what remains of the Quaid’s Pakistan the land he liberated for the cornered and battered Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent This battering must come to an end

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

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

An inter-provincial link facing threat

FOLLOWING the heavy monsoon rains last year infrastructure in Balochistan among many other sectors like agriculture and livestock sustained serious damages, leaving many a dam breached that led to flooding in adjacent areas Apart from dams, flooding in the Hub River washed away one of the essential bridges connecting the province with Sindh

The bridge had already exhausted its scheduled life having been built in 1972 with a planned span of 20 years meaning 1992 Over the last 30 years it was functional with gradually increasing uncertainty About six months after its inevitable collapse last year the National Highway Authority (NHA) started the construction of a temporary muddy passage across the Hub river to facilitate the flow of traffic The first spell of rain this year in April exposed the fragility of the arrangement, with the mud-plastered route unable to sustain even a low-level flood following the rains in Hub and surrounding areas This was merely because of the poor design and the use of substandard material that was not sufficient to make it worthwhile

Moreover following the rains the local authorities rushed to close the route for the daily commute leaving the residents of the city in a quandary However, the risk involved in the matter was understandable, as can be seen in the accompanying photograph above The irony is that despite the risk, the route has been opened not only for the commuters, but also for both heavy and light traffic This has only increased the risk manifold as the path can cave in any time under the constant load of heavy traffic Furthermore the recent flooding in the river has hampered the construction work that is being carried out by the National Logistic Cell (NLC) which has been given the contract of building a new bridge By the looks of it, rains and floods caused by climate change will affect the pace of work repeatedly, and it may take several years for the project to get completed The NHA should ramp up the repair work of the mud-plastered route and the relevant authorities need to ban the movement of heavy traffic to give the route some realistic chance to survive till the construction work is completed

REHMAN MAGSI

People and state

A L L three organs of the state legis-lature executive and judiciary are presently busy fighting a vicious web of infighting In this battle royale, the citizens are merely helpless bystanders They are not at all worried about who should be in power All they worry about is to find a way to feed their families, to somehow avoid getting mugged on the streets, and that they may finally get possession of that small plot of land for which they had made the payment decades ago The word constitution does not hold more logic than say hunger or does it?

People just want safety and security and if possible the liberty to live the life they want to live These and other equally innocent desires were the sole reason that the people had entered into a social contract that they would jointly put in place a mechanism called a state, and expected it to act as an honest mediator to help resolve their disagreements and disputes

Simply stated they bartered away a small portion of their rights for the protection of larger part of their rights defined in the Constitution as fundamental rights How the so-created state would perform was decided by marking out duties, subsequently called the separation of powers Mind you, at the centre of the social contract was the security and wellbeing of the individual and not the aggrandisement of the state This social contract did put an end to what we now call the state of nature, and what the people got in return was the present state which turned out to be a prison where the fundamental rights were forced to take the back seat This is what is happening in today s Pakistan While the interior of Sindh is still under water the people in queues are dying in stampedes in an attempt to get free flour, and the clients cases in courts are pending awaiting verdicts for years, the country s elite is fighting among themselves for the throne

ART I F I C I A L Intelligence or AI: most of us watched movies like The Matrix a blockbuster three decades ago but today AI is everywhere

In the last few months chat GPT has taken the world by storm What s Chat GPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that can write essays, make up poems, scripts of complete movies and even clear exams

It’s gotten so out of hand that the creator of Chat GPT Sam Altman wants us to regulate it by saying “We think regulatory intervention by governments will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful models

So how powerful is AI? How can we control it? Or can we control it? Also, why should we care? I will read between the stated and the unstated lines, the obvious and the hidden, to bring you the full story

You may hear AI and think Chat GPT but that’s not the only AI in your lives AI is all around us Using Google Maps that s AI Talking to Siri or Alexa that s AI too Using predictive text AI again Using face ID to unlock your phones, that too is AI The YouTube algorithm making videos pop up on your feeds is also artificial Intelligence; as I said, it’s everywhere What exactly is artificial Intelligence? Where the answer involves much jargon so let me break it down What makes us humans special? We can think That s exactly what AI is trying to replicate systems that think and solve problems like humans It s intelligent but artificial

The idea is simple to recreate human-like thinking to solve problems which brings us to another term, machine learning Essentially machines learn from experience algorithms learn from previous data They recognize existing patterns and use them to solve problems with no human interference

It doesn t sound very easy so let me simplify this further Imagine you re scrolling down your YouTube feed, and you see a video about dogs, you like it, and the algorithm takes note of it Suddenly dog videos are all over your feed So the algorithm has used machine learning to understand what you like and started recommending similar content Now AI has come a long way Computers beating humans at chess is ancient history

Today AI is broadly characterized into three categories First is narrow artificial Intelligence, where the system is given one task and does just that Think of appliances, self-driving cars, streaming apps, or even Health Care This is simple: we give a machine a task and it does

s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f a g l o b a l A I t a k e o v e r r e a l ?

i t , s o t h e rudimentary stages of artificial Intelligence that s what it is Then comes the second stage artificial general Intelligence where AI can rival humans They can do multiple things simultaneously as many call chat GPT, a step towards artificial general Intelligence Then we have the third stage, where things get a little scary It is called artificial super-Intelligence machines going Beyond Human Intelligence They have a mind of their own Remember all those Sci-Fi movies with the villain robot?

This is that stage or so we are told but we have yet to talk Terminator The current emergence of AI has raised many questions Is it ethical that it can go out of hand, and are we too late to control this?

Some of Tech’s most prominent minds wrote a letter in March this year It included the likes of Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak They asked world leaders to hit a pause to stop AI development for six months Let me write out part of that letter which says, Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable ” So clearly, top tech leaders are worried they believe AI is going too fast fast enough to impact society and humanity negatively Inherently AI is not without its own set of problems The first would be the way it s used Facial recognition to open

Our arch-rival India is also considering a regulator y framework for AI, but all governments are just playing catch-up AI is moving at breakneck speed, and countries must race much harder to control it They may be late already like they were with social media

The Middle East: Goodbye America, hello China?

nomenon The United Arab Emirates, another US ally, has also cultivated closer ties with China improved strategic relations with France and worked on engaging Iran Russia and India This at times has been at the expense of its relations with the US

The region as a whole has been diversifying its global engagement This is quite apparent in its commercial relations Between 2000 and 2021, trade between the Middle East and China has grown from $15 2bn to $284 3bn; in the same period trade with the US has increased only modestly from $63 4bn to $98 4bn Six Middle Eastern countries – among them Saudi Arabia the UAE and Egypt – have recently requested to join the Chinese-led BRICS group, which also includes Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa This is despite the West s ever-widening sanctions regime imposed on Russia

your phone sounds great but what happens when the same is used to spy on you? Countries use it to spy on their citizens Some even use it for racial profiling as China does They use surveillance to oppress vegan Muslims

The other problem is bias, you would expect machines to be neutral, but at the end of the day, they’re made by us and as humans we are inherently biased so the machines we make are biased too AI almost amplifies the existing biases in society AI is as good as the data that it is fed If the data is biased so will be the machine Imagine that an AI algorithm is trained on data involving only white men Now in this same algorithm that is applied to women, the result will be biased, bringing us to the third issue, lethal mistakes Humans and machines make mistakes but what happens when the mistake is life-threatening? What happens when a self-driving car kills someone? Who will you blame the car or the person behind the code? What if the stakes are a little higher? I m talking about lethal autonomous weapons, aka Killer Robots These will be able to identify and kill targets without human help

We’re not there yet but precursors do exist In 2020 AI drones may have killed a human for the first time

The details are a little murky According to the United Nations a Turkish-made Kargu-2 drone hunted down Libya s National Army members The manufacturer says Kargu-2 can use machine learning to classify objects This allows it to fire autonomously Turkey denies using Kargu-2 in this way but the point is that the Drone has a mind of its own just like many other armed drones

So the United Nations wants to ban Killer Robots but countries are not agreeing The USA for example wants guidelines and not a complete ban So we can t regulate Killer Robots yet, but can we regulate AI? That s what open AI Sam Altman called for at the U S Congress He said AI could cause significant harm to the world, so the need of the hour was regulation and leading the trend was China They have devised a law that seeks to regulate AI in all forms Chinese tech companies will need to register their AI products They will go through a security assessment first China is always ready to regulate everything, even human rights, but what about the West?

The European Union, too, is working on an AI act

The European AI Act is the West’s first law for AI systems The regulation takes a risk-based approach What does that mean? It means the higher the risk the stricter the regulation This act could be a precedent for others especially the USA

Our arch-rival India is also considering a regulatory framework for AI, but all governments are just playing catch-up AI is moving at breakneck speed, and countries must race much harder to control it They may be late already like they were with social media They thought of regulation only after things went out of control and just like social media AI can also be a double-edged sword It can be used for good and bad, so we must not repeat the same mistakes we made with social media The regulations must come before the damage is done

The writer is a freelance columnist

Women job seekers often experience rape or sexual assault’

Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e Wo r l d B a n k , 3 5 % o f wo m e n wo r l d w i d e h ave e x p e r i e n c e d e i t h e r p hy s i c a l a n d / o r s e x u a l i n t i m at e p a r t n e r v i o l e n c e o r n o n - p a r t n e r s e x u a l v i o l e n c e

These barriers reduce their employability, constrain their ability to participate on their own terms, restrict the options available to them and limit the likelihood of utilising their full potential to economically empower themselves and grow in their careers

IN an attempt to salvage his country s waning influence in the Middle East US Secretary of State

Antony Blinken is embarking on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia this week But advancing strategic cooperation with his Saudi and Gulf counterparts may well prove an uphill battle

In July last year President Joe Biden attended the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in the kingdom and vowed that the United States will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China Russia or Iran

But that is precisely what has been happening

Despite US objections, the past year has seen its regional allies go hybrid: they have improved relations with Beijing and Tehran and maintained strong ties with Moscow Although the Biden administration has publicly downplayed the importance of the recent Chinesebrokered Saudi-Iranian agreement to re-establish diplomatic relations it seems frantic about the growing Chinese influence in the oil-rich Gulf region and the greater Middle East

Over the past two decades, the US has ramped up oil and gas production becoming virtually energy independent It may no longer need Gulf oil as much but it insists on being in charge in the region so it is able to cut China off of vital energy supplies in the event of a conflict, and secure them for its allies As Blinken warned last month, China represents the most consequential geopolitical challenge we face today: a country with the intent and, increasingly, the capability to challenge our vision for a free open secure and prosperous international order

But Beijing s autocracy may actually be an easier and better fit for the region s autocrats than Washington s democracy Russia s sway in the Middle East and beyond has also made the US nervous

Fed up with their ambiguity, even complicity with Russia the Biden administration has been ramping up pressure on certain Middle Eastern states making clear that its patience is running out It has been warning countries in the region against helping Russia evade sanctions and demanding they pick sides – or else face the wrath of the US and G7 nations But to no avail

Saudi Arabia has thus far refused the US request to substantially increase oil production to lower its market price and offset the effect of Western sanctions on Russia It has maintained good relations with Moscow and dragged its feet on supporting Ukraine

Last year in response to Biden s threats to punish Riyadh for its presumed insolence, the kingdom went on to host the Chinese president, Xi Jinping for bilateral talks and the China-GCC and China-Arab summits Saudi Arabia then normalised relations with Iran under Chinese auspices just as the West was tightening sanctions against Tehran and in a clear snub to the US went on to repair ties with Syria

But this new attitude towards relations with the US is not only evident in Riyadh; it is a regional phe-

Of course America has been the dominant strategic power in the Middle East the past three decades and remains so today But will it be in the next three decades?

In a region where autocratic regimes and the general public do not agree on much if anything at all, saying no to America is a very popular stance because the majority believes it is a hypocritical imperial power that pays only lip service to human rights and democracy

This is particularly apparent in US foreign policy on Palestine which staunchly and unconditionally supports the Palestinians coloniser and occupier – Israel

On his visit to Riyadh Secretary Blinken will likely put pressure on Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Tel Aviv, hoping to lower its asking price, which reportedly includes a nuclear civilian programme and major security assurances

The UAE Bahrain Morocco and Sudan have already normalised relations with Israel at the expense of the Palestinians in return for American concessions such as the sale of US-made F-35s to Abu Dhabi, US recognition of Moroccan claims over Western Sahara, and the lifting of US sanctions on Khartoum All so that the Israeli government does not have to make any “concessions” of its own and end its decades-long occupation of Palestine But the Palestinian cause which is quite close to the heart of ordinary Arabs is not the only issue that has convinced the Arab public that America is a duplicitous power that should be kept at a distance

Thanks to satellite television and social media platforms, people of the region saw with their own eyes US crimes in Iraq and its humiliation in Afghanistan and do not think of it as a guardian of civilisation let alone an invincible power The balance sheet of US interventions in the Middle East over the past 20 years since the 9/11 attacks is firmly not in its favour

No wonder that in a 2022 poll conducted by the Doha-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in 14 Arab countries, 78 percent of respondents believed that the biggest source of threat and instability in the region was the US By contrast only 57 percent thought of Iran and Russia in these terms both of which have had their own share of dirty work in the region – from Syria to Iraq and Yemen In his aptly titled book, Grand Delusion: The Rise and Fall of American Ambition in the Middle East, former US official Steven Simon estimates the US has wasted some $5-7 trillion on wars that have resulted in the death of millions of Arabs and Muslims and the devastation of their communities In addition these conflicts have killed thousands of US soldiers injured tens of thousands and led to some 30,000 suicides of US veterans

It is no coincidence then, that more Middle Easterners (and Americans) agree that the region’s decoupling from America and at least some American disengagement from the region is as desirable as it is inevitable Such a turn of events would also be terribly consequential with messy long-term implications for both sides and it would be determined by whether and how America chooses to change its foreign policy But that s another discussion for another day

ON E of the most common human rights violations experienced by many women (inclusive of LGBTI+) across the world is gender-based violence (GBV) It is estimated that one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e Wo r l d B a n k 3 5 % o f w o m e n worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence; 7% of women have been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner and as much as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner GBV refers to violence directed against a person because of that person s gender or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately, more commonly women and the LGBTI+ community Violence against women is a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination against women It undermines the health dignity security and autonomy of women yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence It is worth mentioning that men and children are also affected by violence of this kind

Although we speak a lot about GBV, we unfortunately do not speak enough about the rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment that women face in recruitment processes or when seeking economic opportunities and the silencing that comes with it This issue is something everyone knows about but it is seldom openly spoken about This is often incorrectly referred to as trading sex for a job or sex for jobs Describing it as a trade is unacceptable these trade-offs are simply rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment

It cannot be called a “trade-off” when there is no consent on the part of the woman The crime of rape is committed when a person has non-consensual sexual intercourse with another person by means of physical force or threats The offense of sexual assault is committed when a person makes sexual contact with a person, like touching a person’s intimate parts, without that person’s consent and a person commits sexual harassment when there is unwelcome sexual advances requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature

Consent is an agreement between participants to engage in sexual activity Consent should be clearly and freely communicated Consent cannot be given by individuals who are underage, intoxicated or incapacitated by drugs or alcohol or asleep or unconscious If someone agrees to an activity under pressure of intimidation or threat that isn t considered consent because it was not given freely Unequal power dynamics, such as engaging in sexual activity with an employee or job applicant, also mean that consent cannot be freely given

Recruitment for men and women vary where an exchange is sought by the recruitment team of an organisation Men often bribe the recruitment team with money or non-sexual favours to get a job but sex is the preferred inducement for women to get employment, funding for their businesses or other economic opportunities Correctly put recruiters rape sexually assault and sexually harass women for them to get economic opportunities

In some industries especially those that are male dominated, it becomes difficult for women, especially young women, to get jobs, funding for their businesses, government procurement opportunities, promotions, etc without sexual or relationship advances from men It is unfortunate that in some organisations being raped sexually assaulted or sexually harrased increases a woman s chances of being employed or being given the economic opportunity they are seeking

The sad reality is that the women are often exposed to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections because the power dynamics mean it is left to the recruiter or boss to decide whether any form of protection mostly a condom is used or not Unfortunately the state of women s economic empowerment leads to concerns about possible HIV infection being less important than the desperate need for money to feed families and support themselves

This is often one of the main reasons why women do not put themselves forward for higher positions or promotions Disparities in women’s representation in positions of power is because of the disproportionate burden imposed on women by a culture that discounts the prevalence of rape and harassment and by p o l i c i e s t h a t i n a d e q u a t e l y a d d r e s s t h e m , a l l o w i n g them to perpetuate

The unfortunate part is that speaking out exposes victims to further victimisation and often does not derail the career prospects of the perpetrator The perpetrators use their power to silence the victims either by bribing them giving them the desired job threatening to fire them should they speak out, suing them when they do speak out, resigning from office or violating them further There is a lack of support for women when they experience these kinds of violations

It is not only an external battle for these victims it is also an internal and an economic battle For example

There are many women who are believed to have been sexually exploited by the perpetrator in return for permanent positions Some are managers in different departments and are earning high salaries and they are afraid of coming forward because they think this might lead to them losing their jobs or demotion ” The internal challenges the victims face regarding speaking out are also unfortunate

Karabo Mokgonyana is an award-winning legal and development practitioner and programme director for the Sesi Fellowship and Skill Hub, a woman- and youth-led organisation that provides young women with mentorship and skills development

P E N C E E N T E R S R A C E C H A L L E N G I N G T R U M P F O R 2 0 24 W I T H ‘ C O N S I D E R AT I O N S B E Y O N D N O M I N AT I O N ’

US ag e n C e S

FORMER US vice president Mike Pence filed the paperwork for his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Monday and is expected to formally announce his candidacy in Des Moines Iowa on Wednesday while his former boss president Donald Trump leads the polls at this early stage of race for the GOP s presidential nomination

It is the first time a former US vice-president and his former president will compete for the party s presidential nomination according to media reports I think we ll have better choices Pence told the Associated Press (AP) recently

Since Pence is far from favored in most polls, as a representative of the GOP establishment Pence may seek to distance himself from Trump even more while encouraging the party to diminish the level of support for Trump s populist wave through running for election, experts said Pence was known as a loyal deputy to Trump for most of the time until Trump slammed him for “lacking courage” in refusing to help overturn the 2020 election result

amid the January 6 Capitol riots, with some Trump’s supporters even threatening Pence and his family’s safety According to CNN Pence an evangelical Christian who has long opposed abortion rights, was selected as Trump s deputy in 2016 to shore up the GOP s socially conservative base ”

Pence supporters see “a reliable conservative who espouses many of the previous administration s policies but without the constant tumult according to AP However Pence has been polling in the single digits well behind Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Some anti-Trump voters are skeptical of Pence for not being sufficiently distanced from the former president while some Trump loyalists blame Pence for his act of betrayal over the election Pence s chance of winning the nomination is currently slim Pence is probably clear about that, and that means his considerations may lie beyond the nomination,”

Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing told the Global Times on Tuesday

Since Pence stood in opposition to Trump in the late period of Trump s administration, he may hope to completely cut his association with Trump through intra-party

competition and obtain a more decent historical position within the Republican Party Diao said On the other hand it is also a way to p r o m o t e t h e G O P e a r l y, a t l e a s t i n t h e physical sense, to rid the party of Trump and his influence as soon as possible, the expert added

Liu Weidong a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said that Pence

may believe that the anti-establishment forces represented by Trump are not as strong as they once were And the conservative establishment in GOP expects a credible, principled alternative to Trump

For the GOP establishment, even if Trump wins this time, the attempt can be viewed as a kind of accumulation, laying the groundwork for the future Liu noted

The race for the GOP nomination is far fiercer compared to the Democrats Besides

C hinese envoy voices concern over destruc tion of Ukrainian dam

UNITED NATIONS

ag e n C i e S

A Chinese envoy on Tuesday voiced grave concern over the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam in southern Ukraine

The protection of civilians and critical civilian facilities in armed conflict is an important principle enshrined in international humanitarian law, said Zhang Jun, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations

“We express our grave concern over the destruction of the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant We are deeply concerned about the resulting humanitarian, economic, and ecological consequences We call on all parties to the conflict to abide by international hu-

manitarian law and do their utmost to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure he said

The collapse of the dam has caused flooding A great number of people are in urgent need of evacuation and tens of thousands of people may face difficulties in accessing drinking water China supports the active efforts by the United Nations and humanitarian agencies to help evacuate the affected people followed by further assistance, Zhang told an emergency meeting of the Security Council The reservoir, formed by the dam, is also a major source of cooling water for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant China notes that the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that the dam s destruction has not posed any safety risk to the Zapor-

China’s expor ts tumble in May as global demand falters

and swinging from 8 5% growth in April Imports contracted 4 5% a slower pace of decline than the 7 9% in the previous month The figures compared with a Reuters poll that showed economists forecast a much smaller 0 4% decline in exports and an 8 0% fall in imports The poor export performance reflects weak demand for Chinese goods as does the weak import performance as China brings in parts and materials from abroad to assemble finished products for export South Korean data last week showed shipments to China slid 20 8% in May marking a full year of monthly declines with Korean semiconductor exports dropping 36 2% suggesting weak demand for components for final manufacture Chinese stocks trimmed gains and the Australian dollar , a commodity currency that is highly sensitive to swings in Chinese demand, fell after the trade data The weak exports confirm that China needs to rely on domestic demand as global economy slows ” said Zhiwei Zhang chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management “There is more pressure for the government to boost domestic consumption in the rest of the year as global demand will likely weaken further in the second half China s factory activity shrank faster than expected in May on weakening demand, the official purchasing managers index (PMI) showed last week The PMI subindexes showed factory output swung to contraction from expansion while new orders, including new exports, fell for a second month Having beaten expectations in the first quarter analysts are now downgrading their expectations for the economy for the rest of the year as factory output continues to slow amid persistently weak global demand The government has set a modest GDP growth target of around 5% for this year, after badly missing the 2022 goal BEIJING

The militaries of China and Russia on Tuesday carried out a joint aerial strategic patrol in the Asia-Pacific region a move that experts said is conducive to peace and stability offsetting the impact of consecutive US-led + in the region

Based on an annual cooperation schedule between the Chinese and Russian militaries, the two sides conducted the sixth joint aerial strategic patrol over the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea on Tuesday China’s Ministry of National Defense announced in a press release on the day South Korea said that four Chinese and four Russian military planes entered its air d e f e n s e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n z o n e o n Tu e s d a y without violating the country’s air space, the Yonhap News Agency reported Japan’s Ministry of Defense Joint Staff said in a statement on Tuesday that two Chinese H-6K bombers and two Russian Tu-95

izhzhia nuclear power plant However as the water in the reservoir continues to recede it may not be possible to continue pumping water to the nuclear power plant in the future China reiterates that in the event of a nuclear disaster, no one can stay immune We call for maximum restraint, for the avoidance of words and deeds that could escalate confrontation and lead to miscalculation and for efforts to maintain the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, he said China is concerned about the protraction or even further escalation of the crisis in Ukraine What has just happened shows once again that anything can happen in a conflict situation The flames of war if allowed to rage on will only bring about greater suffering and more disasters, as well as major risks that are hard

to predict Zhang said The parties concerned should come to senses exercise restraint and resume peace talks as soon as possible The international community should spare no effort with a greater sense of urgency to create favourable conditions for dialogue and negotiations and for the restoration of peace he said No party especially countries with important influence should fuel the fire and escalate tensions, much less try to profit from expanded crises to advance their own strategic agenda, he added China will continue to stand on the side of peace and alongside partners concerned make unremitting efforts to promote peace talks and achieve a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, Zhang said

Iran reopens embassy in S audi Arabia af ter 7-year closure

RIYADH

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

Iran reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, several months after Tehran and Riyadh agreed to end years of antagonism under a Chinese-brokered deal

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli addressed the opening ceremony in the Saudi capital of Riyadh highlighting the importance of the occasion for the relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran Bigdeli said that with the re-hoisting of the flag of Iran in Saudi Arabia and vice versa, the cooperation between the two countries enters a new era He added that diplomacy is the best means for communication and dialogue between countries to reach a common understanding stability and peace The Iranian official stressed that Iran is always willing to strengthen relations with its neighbors based on the principles of good neighborliness

Bigdeli also noted that promoting economic relations and mutual investments would lead countries to get closer to each other to achieve peace and stability in the region

Its consulate general in Jeddah and its representative office with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will also be reopened a day later, according to Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli (Front) and Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs Ali Al-

bombers escorted by two unidentified Chinese fighter jets flew together over the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan on the day

China and Russia have been regularly holding joint aerial strategic patrols since 2019

The latest China-Russia joint patrol came amid rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific region when no meeting took place between the Chinese and US defense chiefs at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last weekend due to the US lack of sincerity to communicate The US has made provocations including sending a spy plane to the South China Sea to peek on a training session of China’s aircraft carrier Shandong on May 26 and partnered with Canada in a warship transit in the Taiwan Straits on Saturday Both moves saw resolute interception maneuvers by the Chinese People s Liberation Army (PLA)

NATO s potential expansion into the Asia-Pacific region has also caused wide concerns after Japan announced last month a plan to open NATO’s first liaison office in

Yousef (C) attend the opening ceremony of the Iranian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June

6 2023 /Xinhua ranian Deputy Foreign Minister Alireza Bigdeli (Front) and Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs Ali Al-

Yousef (C) attend the opening ceremony of the Iranian embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June

6, 2023 In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish relations between the regional rivals whose hostility had threatened stability and security in the Middle East and helped fuel regional conflicts from Yemen to Syria The two countries reached in Beijing China a groundbreaking agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and missions

According to the trilateral statement jointly issued by China Saudi Arabia and Iran the latter two agreed to resolve their disagreements through dialogue and diplomacy and in light of their brotherly ties, adhering to the principles and objectives of the Charters of the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and international conventions and norms

Last month Tehran named Alireza Enayati a former envoy to Kuwait and a foreign ministry deputy for regional affairs as its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, which had severed relations in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a protest against the execution of a Shia religious leader by the Sunnimajority kingdom

Pence, Trump and DeSantis, the crowded list includes former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and North Dakota Govenor Doug Burgum, according to the AP

GOP politicians may find a new trend –that the populism driven by Trump does not seem to be so invincible as people s attention on Trump is declining as his scandals continue to be revealed Liu said

The first televised debate of the GOP nomination contest will be in August, and according to Diao, if DeSantis still fails to close the gap with Trump in the polls by then Trump is very likely to be the nominee

The Democrats may hope that a bruised Trump will represent the GOP in 2024, and the GOP probably have noticed that, Diao said On the one hand, Trump s scandals will further shore up the support of his base, making it easier for Trump to secure the nomination but scandals will no longer be the bonus for Trump in the 2024 presidential election as the Democrats will use it against him and swing voters will be less inclined to lean toward a scandal-ridden person, Diao noted

Oil extends losses as economic slowdown concerns return

Oil extended losses on Wednesday as concerns over global economic headwinds deepened erasing the price gains booked after top crude exporter Saudi Arabia s surprise weekend pledge to deepen output cuts Brent crude futures were down 40 cents, or 0 5%, at $75 89 a barrel at 0456 GMT The U S West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 35 cents, also 0 5%, to $71 39 a barrel Both benchmarks had jumped more than $1 on Monday boosted by Saudi Arabia s decision over the weekend to reduce output by 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to 9 million bpd in July The fears of recession, as more and more sombre economic readings point towards a slowdown, have kept a lid on oil prices, eroding all OPEC+’s efforts to keep prices afloat ” Priyanka Sachdeva an analyst at Phillip Nova said in a note U S gasoline inventories rose by about 2 4 million barrels and distillates inventories were up by about 4 5 million barrels in the week ended June 2, market sources said on Tuesday, citing American Petroleum Institute figures The unexpected buildup of stockpiles raised concerns over fuel consumption by the world’s top oil consumer especially as travel demand grew during the Memorial Day weekend Meanwhile the U S Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday that U S crude oil production this year would rise faster and demand increases would cool compared to prior expectations “The market has digested the news of Saudi’s production cut and investors are now reluctant to take a large position because of mixed economic forecasts and indicators in the United States and China said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, president of NS Trading, a unit of Nissan Securities China s official data showed on Wednesday that its exports shrank much faster than expected in May and imports fell, albeit at a slower pace as manufacturers struggled to find demand abroad and domestic consumption remained sluggish Nonetheless some analysts expected Saudi Arabia s voluntary cut the biggest in the kingdom in years, would put a floor under oil prices, although it was unlikely to underpin a sustainable price increase into the high $80s-low $90s per barrel range “We expect oil prices to test upside as we enter the summer driving season in the United States Kikukawa said adding that tighter global supply and U S plans to buy crude to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve would limit the downside

Xuefeng, another Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday

Asia even though NATO s eastward expansion had already led to the Ukraine crisis The China-Russia joint strategic patrol displayed the two countries capabilities in the safeguarding of peace and stability in the West Pacific at a time when continued provocations led by the US have severely disrupted peace and stability in the region Wei Dongxu

a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Tuesday

It serves as a powerful counterbalance to the US hegemonic actions, Wei said China showed transparency and confidence by making the announcement earlier than all other parties which is also a responsible move to prevent misjudgment Zhang

The timing of the joint patrol is sensitive following the Shangri-La Dialogue and the US hyping of PLA vessel and aircraft interceptions Zhang said It showed just how firm the China-Russia military cooperation is the expert said Observers said that in addition to aerial maneuvers, the Chinese and Russian navies also operated in the same region on the same day indicating a certain level of sea and air integration as part of the joint strategic patrol and a further deepening of China-Russia military cooperation Japan s Maritime Self-Defense Force spotted a PLA Navy flotilla consisting of the Type 055 large destroyer Anshan and the Type 054A frigate Linyi when they sailed from the East China Sea through the Tsushima Strait into the Sea of Japan from Saturday to Monday Japan s Ministry of Defense Joint Staff said in a press release on Monday Also, the Type 052D destroyer Xiamen and the Type 054A frigate Yangzhou of the PLA Navy sailed from the East China Sea through the Miyako Strait into the West Pacific on Tuesday according to a separate press release from Japan s Ministry of Defense Joint Staff on Tuesday

C hinese, Russian militaries hold joint aerial strategic patrol in A sia-Pacific region amid US -led provoc ations

CORPORATE CORNER

SEED Ventures launches ‘what's alternative’: Inspiring Greener Lifest yles

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

SEED Ventures is pleased to announce the launch of "What's the Alternative" (WTA) an online platform that empowers individuals to embrace greener living for a better planet and improved well-being The platform, now live at www whatsthealternative pk, seeks to promote sustainability; with regards to our individual and collective choices and the impact they have on the environment, our wellbeing and lifestyles "What's the Alternative" is an initiative by SEED Ventures aiming to question raise awareness spark debate and provide practical solutions to foster sustainability by focusing on the need for alternatives to harmful practices across three core areas of our lives that are indelibly linked to sustainability: the environment, wellness, and lifestyle

Fatima Fer tilizer’s marketing lead wins globally acclaimed Chief Marketer Award by Campaign Asia Pacific

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Rabel Sadozai Director Marketing and Sales Fatima Fertilizer, has won the Chief Marketer Award in the business category by Campaign Asia-Pacific’s

prestigious Women

Leading Change

Awards 2023 announced this week

Now in its seventh year, the Women Leading Change Awards celebrate outstanding women who question, challenge innovate lead inspire and champion change across all industries The award is also an avenue for Campaign s own commitment to promoting the advancement of diversity inclusion and equality in the industry by spotlighting the region s most inspiring women business leaders, change makers, trailblazers and rising stars standing tall despite the bias and stereotypes

IIUI: Family law orientation course for law yers concludes at Shariah Academy

ISLAMABAD

A two-day family law orientation course for the lawyers of Islamabad conducted by Shariah Academy of International Islamic University (IIU) concluded here on Wednesday at the Faisal Masjid campus of university Around 400 lawyers from Islamabad participated in this course, who were trained on important topics by scholars of the academy and other eminent legal experts DG Shariah Academy Dr Farkhanda Zia former DG Shariah Academy Dr Tahir Mansoori and eminent personalities of the legal community were also present in the concluding ceremony Addressing the closing ceremony of the course as the chief guest, the President of International Islamic University, Dr Hathal Hamoud Alotaibi said that the family is the most important unit of the society the best family life has positive effects on the society He said that Islam emphasizes on justice in family life Islam teaches to focus on mutual tolerance, sincerity and happiness in family life He said that nowadays there is an urgent need to organize family life in the light of Islamic teachings instead of imitating west President IIU said that the role of the legal fraternity is important in the society lawyers should use their profession positively in solving the cases of family life in the light of the path indicated by the Holy Quran

OGDCL empowers athletes for Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) continues its commitment to inclusivity and support for unique talent by sponsoring 20 exceptional athletes to represent Pakistan in the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 This initiative in collaboration with Special Olympics Pakistan highlights OGDCL's dedication to social responsibility and provides a platform for these athletes to showcase their skills on a global stage

At a heartwarming farewell event held at the OGDCL Head Office in Islamabad on Wednesday, Ahmed Hayat Lak, MD/CEO of OGDCL, delivered an inspiring speech to motivate the special athletes He emphasized the company's belief in the inherent abilities and potential of every individual irrespective of their physical or intellectual challenges OGDCL is committed to unlocking untapped potential and positively contributing to society The company has continuously launched initiatives to explore and support young talent contributing to both the country and society Under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program the company has partnered with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) to provide quality skills to young students

DAWN OF NEW ERA AS HENAN, BALOCHISTAN PROVINCES ENTER INTO BOND OF SISTER PROVINCES: ZIA L ANGO

QUETTA s ta f f r e p o r t

Balochistan Home Minister, Ziaullah Lango Wednesday said that the people of Balochistan were looking toward the start of a new era after Henan and Balochistan provinces entered into a bond of sister provinces

The minister expressed these views while addressing as chief guest at a seminar held under the aegis of Friends of China Forum to highlight the fruits and contribution of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for the wellbeing and economic uplift of the people of the province

Ms Pang, Charge d affaires, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China;

Liang Jieyi, Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Henan Province; Jahanzeb Khan Director General of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Senator Danesh Kumar Yang Yundong, Chinese Consul General

in Karachi; Bayazeed Kasi Chairman of FOCF also addressed on the occasion Langove said that the new bond between Henan and Balochistan provinces would help Balochistan develop and economically thrive on the model of Henan Province adding that Balochistan s people could learn from their brethren in China to attain economic and industrial revolution Chinese companies can also benefit from collaboration with the people of Balochistan and a win-win collaboration can be developed further to help

build this friendship between the two sister provinces, he added He also conveyed his deepest gratitude to the people and government of China for its continued support to the people of Balochistan for their generous assistance during last year s floods adding that both the countries had helped each other despite all odds and the people of both the countries had sacrificed for each other in peace and critical times and challenges

“We are deeply touched by the gen-

erous support from Henan Province during the recent floods as 9000 food packs were despatched and distributed among deserving families in 25 flood-affected districts of Balochistan he added

On this occasion, we also should remember the sacrifices of our valiant armed forces and its martyrs in safeguarding the Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects and the infrastructure of the CPEC he added

Addressing the seminar Pang Chunxue said that last year, Pakistan was hit by unprecedented floods, causing heavy casualties and property losses More than 30 million people were displaced fields were flooded houses were collapsed and roads were destroyed she added

The Chinese people felt the pain of the people of Pakistan and responded for the first time to provide relief assistance

The government, enterprises, and the public worked together to help Pakistan with assistance in funds exceeding 260 million dollars she said

Police determined to address public’ issues on priorit y: SSP Operations

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Pakistan hosted an interactive event to commemorate World Environment Day under the global theme "Produce, Consume, and Dispose of Plastic " Since 1973 World Environment Day serves as a global platform to unite people and amplify the call for environmental action It s a reminder that we all have a role to play in safeguarding our planet

The event aimed to raise awareness and strengthen the discourse about the pressing need for sustainable consumption and production patterns stressing the adverse impacts on food security

marine life and ecology of Pakistan The Guest of Honor, Ms Romina Khurshid, (Head of the SDG Unit & Special Assistant to PM) shared insights on meeting the Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs) targets emphasizing the critical role of sustainable consumption and production in achieving these goals She called upon introspection on our consumption patterns and on glaring social disparities

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

World Oceans Day (WOD) is observed on 8th of June each year to raise awareness about the impact of human activities on the oceans and to motivate people to use the ocean s resources sustainably Oceans a major source of sustenance of life on earth act as lungs to our planet as they provide more than 50% of the oxygen produced on this planet Oceans are also key absorbers of green house gases and carbon dioxide

The WOD aims to highlight challenges in preserving health of world s oceans and measures to

maintain an ecological balance in the environment The theme selected by UN for WOD-2023 is Planet Oceans: Tides are Changing' This years' theme reflects that

change is occurring around the world for ocean preservation

On the eve of WOD, we acknowledge the challenges that are eroding the integrity of our waters - pollution marine invasive species extreme climatic changes and threats to survival of marine life We depend on our oceans for livelihood; fishing alone, from catch to consumer produces not only food for billions of people but also creates millions of jobs worldwide Nearly 15% of animal protein consumed by humans comes from marine fish As the challenges to the oceans continue to grow, so does the need for novel solutions to fight these challenges

ISLAMABAD p r e s s r e L e a s e

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Malik

Jameel Zafar has said that the Islamabad capital police was organizing open katchehries to address the issues of the public He was addressing the participants of an open Katchehry at Golra police station The Katchehry was organized under the direction of Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and CPO/DIG Operations Islamabad Syed Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari

The concerned police officers including the DPO SDPO Incharge police station, members of conciliatory committees, ulema and notables of the area were present on the occasion At the outset of the proceedings, the participants shared their grievances and also gave suggestions to resolve them The SSP Operations issued orders on the spot to address the issues of the participants and assured them that their suggestions will be taken into account

HBL becomes first Bank to launch dedic ated customer c are Twitter handle

KARACHI p r e s s r e L e a s e

HBL becomes the first Bank in Pakistan to launch a dedicated customer care Twitter handle “@HBLCare” The Twitter handle will provide customers with a convenient platform to interact with HBL and get their queries answered quickly HBL is the only bank in Pakistan with two Twitter handles The existing handle @HBLPak which has more than 131 000 followers will now be used for news and information Elaborating on the initiative, Ali Habib, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer - HBL, said, “We are excited to leverage the potential of Twitter to unlock value for our customers HBL believes in the power of social media and through two dedicated Twitter handles we will deliver more value to our customers

KARACHI

p r e s s r e L e a s e

The Aga Khan University commemorated the 2023 World Environment Day featuring the screening of documentary “Oceans: The Mystery of the Missing Plastic followed by a panel discussion at the AKU auditorium

The panel discussion revolving around the topic of Addressing plastic pollution through innovative and local solutions”, brought together experts from various fields to explore effective strategies to tackle the plastic crisis of global proportions The panel included Mr Ghazi Salahuddin Regional Head (Sindh and Balochistan) at WWF Pakistan Ms Ramlah Tariq Sustainability Lead at Unilever Pakistan Mr Salman Tariq CEO at Davaam, Dr Mehmood Ali, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering at NED University,

and Ms Amber Ajani Manager Environment and Sustainability at the Aga Khan University The documentary showcased at the event raised awareness on how our addiction to plastic ends up polluting the deep sea, coral reefs, and other land and marine deposits, and eventually finds its way into our food chain Celebrated every year on the 5th of June, World Environment Day is a global commemoration to raise awareness on environmental challenges such as air pollution plastic pollution illegal wildlife trade climate change among others Our event primarily focused on solutions to plastic pollution under this year s theme of #BeatPlasticPollution

As we know, the plastic waste is choking our seas and coasts, threatening ecosystems, livelihoods, and lives around the world According to the United Nations Environment Programme more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced globally every year half of which is designed to be used only once

Promotion of organic agri prac tices essential for safe, nutritious food for all individuals: PARC Chief

ISLAMABAD p r e s s r e L e a s e

PR&P PARC) In commemoration of World Environment Day, the WWF-Pakistan Organic Cotton Team in collaboration with the Agriculture Extension Department Balochistan, launched the First Ever Green Shop The initiative aims to facilitate the accessibility of bio inputs for organic farmers at the local market level promoting sustainable and environmentally-friendly agricultural practices The launch was accompanied by a farmer's field day held in Rakhni Barkhan Balochistan, which welcomed prominent guests and experts from the agricultural sector

The event witnessed the presence of esteemed figures such as Chairman PARC, Dr Ghulam Muhammad Ali who graced the

occasion as the Chief Guest Addressing the audience Dr Ali emphasized the economic potential of organic cotton, highlighting its ability to generate foreign exchange earnings and contribute to the overall growth of the country He also acknowledged the growing demand for organic products among health-conscious and environmentally-aware consumers Dr Ali further emphasized the significance of intercropping organic pulses with cotton, presenting a promising opportunity for farmers to expand

Careem grows Engineering Hubs across Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt

KARACHI

p r e s s r e L e a s e

Careem the region s leading everything app invests in its engineering hubs in Pakistan Jordan and Egypt with dozens of open engineering roles across Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Amman, Cairo and Alexandria More than 600 tech professionals already work in Careem’s engineering hubs to build technology to power Careem’s Super App services across the region with 55 percent of Careem s total engineering organisation based in Pakistan Jordan and Egypt Careem also has engineers in the UAE and Germany

their organic farming operations and tap into the rising market

National Project Director Pulses

PARC Dr Muhammad Mansoor said that the importance of organic cultivation of pulse crops lies in its capacity to augment the resilience of agricultural systems by fostering soil quality, biodiversity and ecosystem services P a k i s t a n h a s m a d e s i g n i f ic a n t s t r i d e s i n c u l t i v a t i n g o rg a n i c p u l s e p a r t i c u l a r l y i n Balochistan province Recognizi n g t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f r e d u c i n g r e l i a n c e o n s y n t h e t i c f e r t i l i z e r s a n d p e s t i c i d e s , W W F - P a k i s t a n , C A B I , a n d A g r i c u l t u r a l E x t e nsion Balochistan have agreed to strengthen their collaboration to p r o m o t e i n t e r c r o p p i n g o f o rganic cotton and pulses This inn o v a t i v e a p p r o a c h n o t o n l y e n h a n c e s s o i l h e a l t h a n d y i e l d s b u t a l s o m i t i g a t e s t h e r i s k o f pests and diseases

Blue World Cit y's magnificent development recognized with 2 Asia Pacific Proper t y Awards

LAHORE press release

Blue World City, the world's largest purpose-built tourist city has garnered international acclaim at the Asia Pacific Property Awards Acknowledged by the esteemed UK-based International Property Awards Blue World City received two awards during the ceremony held in Bangkok, Thailand The world's largest underdevelopment tourist city has achieved distinction for the exceptional development design of Water Theme Park and the awe-inspiring construction of the World’s Tallest Horse Mascots and earned two discerning Asia Pacific Property Awards Blue World City s Chairman Saad Nazir and CEO Ch Nadeem Ejaz along with industry professionals from across the globe, participated in the International Property Awards show

E C C T H U M B S U P F O R R S 2 8 B S U P P L E M E N TA R Y G R A N T S O F N I N E M I N I S T R I E S

PR OFIT S h a h z a d pa R ac h a

IN an attempt to overcome budget targets that went amiss the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved large amounts in grants and allowances, right before the closing of the current financial year

In its latest session, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved Rs 27 8 billion in Technical Supplementary Grants (TSGs) related to parliamentarians schemes Executive Allowances of FBR and other development schemes

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of the ECC of the Cabinet Breaking it down, the ECC approved Rs6 million in Executive allowance for the employees of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)

The Finance Division had conveyed the approval of the federal government for grant of Executive allowance @1 5 times of basic pay to the officers of BPS 17 to BPS22 working in the federal secretariat with effect from July 1 2022

The allowance however was unforeseen at the time of preparation of budget for

Zardari calls for ‘char ter of economy’ to navigate economic situation

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

Amid Pakistan s ongoing economic challenges, Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and a key ally in the ruling coalition reiterated the importance of a charter of economy to enhance the country s financial landscape Emphasising the need for collective efforts among all stakeholders to address the current economic situation during a speech at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Zardari stressed the potential for Pakistan to achieve “double-digit exports” without relying on foreign investors urging the business community of Punjab to unite and form industry-specific groups He encouraged these groups to invest from their own pockets assuring them that the loans and investments would be guaranteed by the government Emphasising the long-term nature of economic development, Zardari highlighted that a strong economy is vital for future generations The PPP co-chairperson further emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships and acknowledged that while politicians make policies it is the responsibility of businesses to drive economic growth He expressed his willingness to collaborate with political opponents, urging them to engage in discussions about the charter of economy beyond short-term political interests

Highlighting Pakistan’s acute balance of payments crisis and declining foreign exchange reserves Asif Zardari s call for collaboration comes at a crucial time for the country He concluded his address by urging the business community to unite and contribute to the formulation of the charter of economy He emphasised that the PPP would support those committed to this collaborative effort while underlining the consequences of a lack of participation

the current year 2022-23 and no additional budget was allocated for the said purpose by the Finance division The original budget allocation of Rs 57 22 million for the current year proved to be insufficient to meet the expenditure

Later the Finance minister also ensured that the said allowance would be in effect from December 2022 which did not happen As per the rules, the gazetted federal secretariat employees would have been able to draw 150% more than their salary under the allowance In order to meet the shortfall through TSG this division has approached FBR to

surrender the requisite funds in their favour for this purpose

Amongst the total Rs 27 8, the ECC also approved a Rs 1 billion TSG in the favor of the Ministry of Housing and Works, for development schemes in Punjab Province under (SAP) during the fiscal year 2022-23 S i m i l a r l y t h e c h a i r a l s o a p p r o v e d R s

1 4 8 b i l l i o n i n t h e f a v o r o f M i n i s t r y o f H o u s i n g a n d Wo r k s f o r d e v e l o p m e n t s c h e m e s i n F Y 2 3 , R s 1 2 b i l l i o n i n f a v o r o f M i n i s t r y o f H o u s i n g a n d Wo r k s f o r e x e c u t i o n o f 1 5 l e f t o v e r d e v e l o p m e n t s c h e m e s o f F Y 2 3 a n d R s 5 b i l l i o n i n f a v o r o f C a b i n e t D i v i s i o n f o r S u s t a i n -

SC clubs pleas against judgment review law, Punjab polls order

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Supreme Court (SC) decided on Wednesday to club petitions against the SC (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023 along with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) review appeal against the apex court s April 4 order in the Punjab polls case

A three-member bench of the apex court was hearing petitions seeking a review of its earlier orders mandating the provision of elections in Punjab on May

14 CJP Bandial headed the proceedings alongside Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhter

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government had challenged the court s verdict

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) permitted the objections raised against the SC (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023 by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsel Ali Zafar and will begin hearing arguments on the matter on a daily basis starting June 13

The court also issued notices to concerned parties including Attorney General

of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan and adjourned proceedings until next week

Notably the three-member bench had adjourned the hearing last week when the state s top law officer had revealed that a new law enlarging scope of review petitions had been enacted

The PTI had challenged the law as being “contrary to the Constitution”

At the outset of the hearing today Justice Akhtar questioned how the court could proceed with hearing petitions over the delay of elections for the Punjab Assembly with the SC (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act 2023 now being in place The PTI’s lawyer pleaded the court not to permit the right to appeal granted under Clause 5 of the new law in the Punjab elections case

I am sure the court will declare this law null and void he said adding that if the law is maintained, a five-member bench would have to be constituted and that it would be appropriate for the SC to “decide the Punjab election revision case under the old law”

The CJP however remarked that the ECP has given very good arguments about the provision of justice as he

stressed that the case was of “national significance”

The CJP though went on to raise the question whether the directives of constitutional traditions could be overruled

The ECP s lawyer has argued that the [new] law has expanded the scope of review, but there are some limits to appeals too,” Justice Bandial added

“Elections were declared to be held in Punjab on May 14 the CJ said we cannot turn back time now but noted the question remains what the consequences of these events will be After the events of May 9, the ECP s lawyer cannot even say with certainty if elections will be held on October 8 or not ” he said

The CJ also said that “if this matter goes before a larger bench then the ECP s lawyer could begin his arguments from where he left off that is present arguments about expanding the scope of review petitions

The CJP also noted that the Constitution leaves room for extensions to be granted provided the circumstances meet a specified criterion

I thought the Constitution was murdered on May 15, retorted Ali Zafar,

stressing that “the population of two provinces remains deprived of public representation”

No matter what the circumstances or the arguments are the court should decide the Punjab polls matter as early as possible, he argued

“You mean to argue that the government’s decision to grant the right of appeal against Article 184 (3) is against the Constitution? CJ Bandial inquired

The points that were not raised in the main case cannot be brought up in the review, argued the PTI lawyer

The PTI s lawyer argued that the right to appeal “is good, but it should be granted through a constitutional amendment” The CJP also noted that there were good amendments related to Article 184(3) in the law adding that the only mistake they made was that they declared the reviews as appeals

Another good thing the government has accomplished is that they have decided to enter dialogue through the court ” said CJP Bandial Nonetheless the court took strong exception to the protests held by PDM parties outside the court premises

PTI chief approaches SJC for declaring Chairman NAB as ineligible

WASHINGTON S ta f f R e p o R t

Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel on Tuesday said that the United States has asked the Pakistani government to grant consular access to fashion designer Khadija Shah During his weekly press briefing, the spokesperson was asked if the Biden administration was aiding the release of American citizens arrested after the May 9 protests Patel stated that the US stood ready to provide all appropriate assistance We expect Pakistani authorities to respect all free – all fair trial guarantees owed to these detainees, he said When asked about designer Khadija Shah, who is a US citizen and was detained following the May 9 protests, the spokesperson said that the US was following her case and asked “Pakistani officials for consular access to her As we – I ve previously said we always urge foreign governments to allow and follow consular notifications for procedures when American citizens are detained I believe Ms Shah is a dual national, and so we continue to engage directly with the Government of Pakistan on this,” he detailed Patel, however maintained that he had “nothing additional to report” on consular access to Shah When asked about former army chief general (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa manipulating the US to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) chairperson, Vedant stated that the allegations were categorically false He maintained that Pakistani politics were “a matter for the Pakistani people to decide” “These allegations are categorically false; you have heard me say this before Pakistani politics are a matter for the Pakistani people to decide and for them to pursue within the auspices of their own Constitution and laws he said adding that the US valued its longstanding cooperation with Pakistan

The murder case of senior Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar killed in a drive-by shooting in Quetta on Tuesday was registered against PTI chief Imran Khan on Wednesday

The first information report (FIR) was registered on the complaint of Advocate Siraj Ahmed, son of slain Abdul Razzaq Shar at Quetta’s Shaheed Jamil police station Advocate Ahmad in his complaint alleged that his father was killed at the behest of PTI chief Imran Khan Unidentified assailants shot dead Advocate Shar near Alamo Chowk on Airport Road on Tuesday Police said that the deceased was on the way to the Balochistan High Court when his vehicle came under attack by unknown men armed with automatic weapons

The lawyer received 15 bullet injuries and died on the spot Condemning the killing, lawyers’ bodies had boycotted court proceedings across the province and announced three days of mourning

Meanwhile the government and the PTI had traded blame over the incident, with both sides accusing the other of having a role in the killing Prime minister ’s aide Attaullah

Tarar had alleged that the lawyer was killed at the behest of Imran to allegedly evade accountability in a treason case while PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan had accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior

Minister Rana Sanaullah of being be-

hind the murder It may be recalled that Shar had f i l e d a c o n s t i t u t i o n a l p e t i t i o n a g a i n s t t h e P T I c h i e f i n t h e B a l o c h i s t a n H i g h C o u r t , s e e k i n g proceedings against the ex-premier u n d e r A r t i c l e 6 t h a t p e r t a i n e d t o high treason His petition said that I m r a n K h a n s h o u l d b e t r i e d u n d e r Article 6 in light of the apex court d e c i s i o n w h i c h h a d r e c o m m e n d e d legal action against Imran Khan and Qasim Suri for illegally dissolving t h e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y a f t e r t h e j o i n t o p p o s i t i o n h a d m o v e d a n ot r u s t m o t i o n a g a i n s t t h e P T I g o vernment in April 2022

It invoked sections 302 (intentional murder), 109 (punishment for abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Sections 6 and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997

According to the FIR, Ahmed told police that he received information at 9:40am on June 6 that his father had been taken to Civil Hospital after being shot I immediately reached Civil Hospital where I found my father s dead body covered in blood, the FIR quoted him as saying Pointing out that his father had filed a petition under Article 6 of the Constitution against the PTI chief he said he was certain about the involvement of the former premier and others from the PTI in his father s

murder because of this case

Murder c ase of slain Q uetta’s law yer registered against Imran US asks Pakistan to grant consular access to Khadija Shah

According to the complainant unidentified men on a motorcycle blindly fired at his father at Airport Road at 9:20am while he was on his way to the court

He alleged that his father was killed at the PTI chief ’s behest adding that Shar had also told him that he had been receiving threats in connection with the case filed against Imran The complainant sought legal action against the PTI chief

The FIR said police also reached the hospital after receiving information about Shar ’s murder and found his body covered in blood

It was found after a cursory examination of the body that the deceased had suffered eight wounds on his face, neck, right arm, chest, waist and right leg, the FIR stated

It added that the the said information was provided to the doctor on duty for post-mortem and other necessary procedure

LAWYERS BOYCOTT COURT

PROCEEDINGS

Meanwhile, lawyers continued to boycott court proceedings across Balochistan for a second day on Wednesday Quetta Bar Association

President Abid Kakar said the boycott would continue for three days saying the black coats will not sit quietly until Shar ’s murderers are arrested

He demanded a transparent investigation into Shar ’s killing

In a separate statement the Balochistan High Court Bar Association condemned the government s allegations against the PTI chief

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman

Imran Khan has approached the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Chairman NAB Lt-Gen (Rtd) Nazir Ahmed, demanding to declare him ineligible to perform his duties for violating the code of conduct

An application was filed under Article 209 of the Constitution and Section 6 of the NAB Ordinance in the SJC against Chairman NAB on Wednesday It was said that the complainant was a well-respected well reputed responsible and law-abiding citizen of Islamic Republic of Pakistan

He is politician who has served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022 As a founder and chairman of SKMT Imran Khan collected approximately Rs10 billion annually as charity In was said in the application that Imran Khan had been declared as Sadiq and Ameen under Article 62(1)(1) by the august Supreme Court of Pakistan Despite registration of more than hundred frivolous bogus and politically motivated cases against him, he has always cooperated with law enforcement agencies for investigation purposes PTI Chairman pleaded that Chairman NAB issued warrants for his arrest on May 1 on a holiday in violation of Section 24 of NAB Ordinance, who even kept the warrants secret for 8 days “The Arrest of the Complainant was executed in a manner which is violative of his fundamental rights available to him under the Constitution of Pakistan in particular Articles 4, 9, 10-A and 14 Through the execution of Arrest Warrant, the impression that went to the world is that the Complainant is a hardcore terrorist or mercenary or enemy of the state or habitual criminal or a wanted fugitive, it was said

companies It is worth noting that the NTDC board s decision to terminate Ahmad s employment comes in the wake of its impending dissolution, expected to occur by September 2023 The NTDC board’s action follows pressure from the Senate Standing Committee

on Power which expressed concerns over the appointments of both Zain Banatwala and Manzoor Ahmad as Deputy Managing Directors labelling their appointments as dubious The committee urged the Power Division to remove both individuals promptly Senator Saifullah Abro, chairing the committee, expressed dissatisfaction with the Power Division for failing to address the issue of Manzoor Ahmad s substantial remuneration of Rs 1 8 million per month

While an inquiry against Zain Banatwala has already been completed and forwarded to the NTDC Board for further action sources indicate that an investigation into the conduct of Manzoor Ahmad is cur-

rently underway However the NTDC’s current state of affairs has drawn criticism with calls for a thorough forensic investigation into the organisation s alleged white-collar crimes The NTDC Board s actions have raised concerns over its adherence to rules and regulations, particularly in HR matters The board has been accused of manipulating appointments to senior management positions including the DMDs and Company Secretary roles The recent appointment of Manzoor Ahmad, along with the controversial appointment of Ali Zain Banatwala as an illegally appointed member of the board adds to the growing list of alleged irregularities

I t i s p e r t i n e n t t o m e n t i o n h e r e t h a t t h e t e r m i n a t i o n o f M a n z o o r A h m a d s e m p l o y m e n t a s D e p u t y M a n a g i n g D i r e ct o r ( D M D ) b y t h e N T D C b o a r d h a s r a i s e d c o n c e r n s a b o u t t h e f a v o u r g r a n t e d t o h i m b y b o t h t h e N T D C b o a r d a n d t h e P o w e r D i v i s i o n D e s p i t e t h e t e r m i n a t i o n b e i n g c a r r i e d o u t w i t h o u t c a u s e t h e b o a r d h a s a p p r o v e d t h e p a y m e n t o f a n e x t e n d e d n o t i c e p e r i o d , p r o v i d i n g M a nz o o r A h m a d w i t h t h r e e m o n t h s ’ s a l a r y a s c o m p e n s a t i o n , t o t a l i n g R s 5 , 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 o r R s 5 4 m i l l i o n T h i s g e n e r o u s c o m p e n s at i o n p a c k a g e d e v i a t e s f r o m t h e s t a n d a r d p r a c t i c e o f o n e t o t w o m o n t h s n o t i c e p er i o d i n b o t h n a t i o n a l a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m p a n i e s A t t e m p t s t o s e e k c o m m e n t s f r o m M a n z o o r A h m a d a n d t h e S e c r e t a r y o f t h e P o w e r D i v i s i o n h a v e s o f a r b e e n u n s u c c e s s f u l