Epaper_23-07-09 ISB

Profit

PAKISTAN NEEDS TO UTILIZE RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT INSTEAD OF WAR: PM

g HOPES PAKISTAN, SWITZERLAND MOU TO HELP PROMOTE COOPERATION IN DISA STER MANAGEMENT

PR I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need for mitigating effects of climate change and utilize the country s resources for development instead of war, saying MoU between Pakistan and Switzerland over disaster management will help harness technology and expertise in future to tackle natural catastrophe jointly

Addressing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony with Switzerland for cooperation on disaster management, the premier emphasized that Pakistan could not afford tension in the region nor would like to waste its resources on war as that has not been of any help in the past

He, however, added, it takes two to tango Without naming any party, Shehbaz said that the other side would also have to do some introspection and hold the same sentiment There can be no peace in the region without a resolution on Kashmir he emphasized

The resolution of all disputes including that of Jammu and Kashmir is impor-

g WANTS TO EXPAND TIES IN TRADE, INVESTMENT, RISK REDUCTION, EARLY WARNING, HIGHER EDUCATION AND BUILDING TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE

sire to further expand bilateral ties with Switzerland in various fields such as the tourism sector as the country is blessed with natural beauty Appreciating the Swiss foreign minister s remarks about peace in the region the PM said that it was important to maintain peace in this part of the world and that Switzerland could play the role of a catalyst to promote peace in the region

The premier added that Pakistan would like to promote progress and prosperity To this end the premier highlighted

SBP’s Financial Stabilit y Review 2022 paints dismal picture

g BANKING SECTOR REMAINS STEADY DESPITE AGGRAVATING MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS, WHILE MICROFINANCE BANKS STRUGGLE

tant for lasting peace in this part of the world, said Shehbaz

The premier termed the MoU signing as a vital step towards promoting cooperation between Pakistan and Switzerland whereby the two countries could harness technology and expertise to tackle natural catastrophes jointly

He reiterated that Pakistan was facing the impacts of global climate change, despite the fact that the country had very

g PIA SCRUTINIZED OVER PILOT LICENCES, FLIGHTS FROM BALOCHISTAN, RECRUITMENT, FAKE DEGREES, AND PENSIONS OWED TO WIDOWS

The Senate Standing Committee on Aviation convened a heated meeting on Thursday at Parliament House to tackle various issues pertaining to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)

Profit reached out to Abdullah H Khan PIA s head of marketing and corporate communications and Saifullah Khan the official spokesperson for Pakistan s CAA, for comment

However, no comment from either of the two could be obtained

Pilot licences

It endorsed the report of a sub-committee that resolved the issue of pilot licences raised by the former aviation minister last year The members castigated the former minister s claim of fake pilots and said it besmirched PIA s and the country s reputation globally They suggested that CAA should handle the matter according to its rules without FIA and court Flights from Balochistan

Furthermore, the panel scrutinized the details of flights cancelled from all airports of Balochistan in the last two months PIA officials apprised them that 49 flights were delayed in April and 9 in June due to financial and crew constraints They assured them that the flights would resume after the Hajj operation Moreover, they recommended PIA to devise a feasible flight plan for Balochistan and invited private airlines in the next meeting They expressed their desire to assist Balochistan’s people and provide better air connectivity They hoped for private airlines cooperation

little carbon emissions

His government looked forward to Swiss cooperation in terms of getting an advanced warning system and other gadgets to secure Pakistan as much as possible from natural disasters said the PM

He reiterated that Pakistan was facing the impacts of global climate change despite the fact that the country had negligible carbon footprints PM Shehbaz also expressed the de-

A district and sessions court on Saturday upheld its previous decision by declaring the Toshakhana case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman admissible

Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar announced the verdict reserved earlier in the day after rejecting a plea filed by PTI lawyer Gohar Khan seeking adjournment of the case till Monday The case has been adjourned till July 12 During today s hearing the judge expressed resentment over non-appearance of Khwaja Harris, the main counsel for the former prime minister, saying the court showed exemplary leniency in this case

He said Mr Harris had been summoned to submit arguments after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) referred the case to the trial court and gave seven days to decide on maintainability of the Toshakhana case

Earlier, Gohar Khan submitted two petitions seeking exemption from appearance for the PTI chief and adjournment of case till July 10

However the petitions were opposed by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) lawyer Saad Hassan, saying the PTI chief had filed exemption pleas multiple times

At one point, the judge remarked that Khawaja Harris did not appear before the court even once in the last three days He later reserved the decision which was announced later

On July 4 the IHC nullified the decision of the trial court that had turned down the Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman s plea challenging the admissibility of the Toshakhana case

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict reserved on June 23 after hearing arguments on the petition of the former prime minister against the trial court s ruling The chief justice sent the matter back to the trial court ordering it to again hear the arguments of the PTI He gave the trial court seven days to decide the PTI chairman’s plea in the Toshakhana case

The petition had been filed after the PTI chief was indicted in the case on May 10 – two days after the high court had stopped criminal proceedings in the Toshakhana case

On May 5, Islamabad s Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar had announced that charges would be framed against the PTI chairman on May 10 in the Toshakhana case

During the hearing the former PM’s lawyer had argued on two pleas stating that the ECP s petition was non-maintainable and that the sessions court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter However, the judge rejected both the requests and summoned the PTI chief in person for the indictment

On May 10 Judge Humayun Dilawar indicted him during court proceedings that were held at the guest house of the Police Lines headquarters at H-11

For security reasons, the commissioner s office had given the status of court to the Police Lines When the court indicted him in the Toshakhana case he refused to sign the documents while denying the committing of crime

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has issued its annual flagship publication, the Financial Stability Review (FSR) for the calendar year 2022 The review presents the performance and risk assessment of various segments of the financial sector including banks non-bank financial institutions financial markets financial market infrastructures and nonfinancial corporates Pakistan’s Economic Challenges Pakistan s economy weathered a stormy year, grappling with pre-existing imbalances that were further aggravated by an unfavorable external environment A combination of domestic challenges including fiscal and current account deficits soaring inflation catastrophic flooding and delays in IMF program reviews, coupled with global hurdles such as skyrocketing commodity prices and tightening monetary policies by major advanced economies, resulted in a deteriorating macroeconomic landscape The Pakistani Rupee depreciated significantly and average inflation reached 19 9% due to higher international commodity prices and supply side shocks from unprecedented rains and flooding in Q3CY22 Fiscal balance was also strained by lower tax revenue and increased debt servicing costs, leading to increased government reliance on bank borrowing International credit rating agencies downgraded Pakistan s sovereign credit rating

To address rising imbalances the SBP and the government implemented several policy interventions, including increasing the policy rate by 625 basis points to 16 0% during CY22 and implementing macroprudential measures for consumer financing and administrative measures to manage external imbalances

As a result of policy tightening and demand contraction the current account deficit improved towards the end of the year, and business activity slowed down The Business Confidence Index (BCI) declined to its lowest level since April 2020, and the average output of Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) decelerated to 6 0% in 2022 compared to 17 5% in 2021 The estimated economic growth for FY23 was revised down to 0 29% from 6 1% in FY22

Domestic financial markets experienced significant volatility and stress in CY22 The FX market faced pressure due to delays in completing IMF program reviews and reduced external inflows Money market stress was observed due to increased government borrowings and private sector credit growth while deposit mobilization slowed down

However, SBP s liquidity management helped mitigate PKR liquidity pressures The equity market remained bearish for most of CY22, with the KSE100 index falling by 9 4% However amidst these trials the financial sector emerged as a resilient force showcasing commendable performance The sector s asset base expanded by an impressive 18 3 percent in 2022, with the banking sector playing a pivotal role in driving this growth Banking Sector Performance

Despite challenging conditions banking sector remained steady during CY22 The asset base grew by 19 1% driven by increased investment in government securities Private sector advances also grew, albeit slightly slower, due to higher input prices However, banks relied more on borrowings as deposits decelerated

Upholding previous verdict, cour t declares Toshakhana case against PTI chief admissible

Senate Standing Committee on Aviation grills PIA

S W I S S F O R E I G N M I N I S T E R C A L LS O N S H E R R Y R E H M A N

SWISS Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis called on Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Saturday to discuss cooperation in climate disasters, emergency relief operations and rehabilitation measures Ambassador of Switzerland to Pakistan George Steiner was also present in the

meeting Before the meeting a memorandum of understanding was also signed between Pakistan and Switzerland on cooperation to deal with the effects of climate change said a news release Expressing the joint commitment of the two countries to combat climate change and promote environmental cooperation Sherry Rehman shed light on the environmental crisis facing the country and the challenge of climate finance and the government's active initiatives and plans

She said that July 7 was the hottest day on record according to United Nations Secretary-General (UNGA), adding that Pakistan will face water scarcity by 2025

The minister said ”Our glaciers are melting speedily We are currently witnessing heavy monsoon rains in Lahore She said that around 33 million people were affected by floods last year, adding that the incumbent government has already launched several projects to mitigate the effects of climate change

We are working on National Adaptation, Mitigation, Gender Action Plan, Gulf, Living India and other projects, Sherry Rahman

The government has introduced National Clean Air Policy Single Use Plastic National Hazardous Waste Management and other policies she said adding that the country s Environmental Gender Action Plan is designed to mainstream women The minister apprised, “We intend to reduce our emissions by 50% by 2030 ” The

International G andhara Symposium to strengthen c ultural diplomac y, foster inter faith harmony

ISLAMABAD

G h u l a m a b b a s

Pakistan is set to host the prestigious international Gandhara Symposium, which aims at reviving the ancient Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist heritage in the country

The event a first of its kind will witness the participation of senior monks and scholars from Buddhist-majority countries, fostering cultural diplomacy and eradicating Islamophobia in the South Asian region The symposium titled “Cultural

Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilization & Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan will be held in the federal capital and will feature eminent scholars and Buddhist religious leaders from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and China

Renowned for its strong historical connections with Buddhism, Pakistan is home to significant remnants of the ancient Gandhara Civilization including Takshasila (Taxila) Purushapura (Peshawar) Pushkalavati (Charsadda) and numerous archaeological sites scattered across Gilgit Baltistan During the reign of Ashoka the Great, the route between Gilgit and Kashmir was established enabling the spread of Buddhism to China and Tibet through the Gilgit area Dr Ramesh Vankwani, Minister for State and Chairman of the PM s Taskforce on Gandhara Tourism, expressed the need to showcase Pakistan’s rich history to the world He emphasized that the working paper for the symposium was prepared in consultation with historians Buddhism experts and religious leaders

T h e w o r k i n g p a p e r h i g h l i g h t s t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f G a n d h a r a , m e a n i n g

“ t h e l a n d o f f r a g r a n c e , ” a s o n e o f t h e m o s t i n f l u e n t i a l c e n t e r s o f B u d d h i s t C i v i l i z a t i o n I t e m p h a s i z e s t h a t t h e a r c h a e o l o g i c a l s i t e s a n c i e n t B u d d h i s t monasteries and Gandhara artifacts hold i m m e n s e h i s t o r i c a l c u l t u r a l a n d r e l i g i o u s i m p o r t a n c e f o r B u d d h i s t s worldwide Dr Vankwani added that these sites are considered sacred by followers of Buddhism and the symposium aims to explore the Pathways to Peace by showcasing Pakistan s rich Buddhist legacy to the world Additionally, the symposium seeks to promote religious tourism, projecting a positive image of Pakistan and creating an environment conducive to religious harmony

It is expected that the symposium will enhance efforts and awareness towards preserving the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Gandhara civilization in Pakistan Chairman PM s Taskforce on

Gandhara Tourism highlighted the role of the event in dispelling misconceptions between Buddhist-majority countries and Muslim-majority Pakistan as the world witnesses the rise of hatred and threats to social cohesion

The visiting delegates will have the opportunity to tour ancient sites, experiencing the hospitality of Pakistan while partaking in religious rituals according to their traditions This exchange of cultural and religious practices is expected to foster interfaith understanding and strengthen bonds between nations

The international Gandhara Symposium is poised to be a groundbreaking event promoting cultural diplomacy religious tourism and interfaith harmony By showcasing Pakistan s rich Buddhist heritage the symposium will pave the way for a more inclusive and tolerant world

Rain disrupts flight schedule at K arachi airpor t

KARACHI s ta f f R e p o R t

Rain in different parts of the metropolis disrupted the flight schedule at Jinnah International Airport Karachi

The national carrier s flight PK-306 scheduled to depart from Karachi to Lahore was among the affected flights Similarly, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK350, which was supposed to fly from Karachi to Peshawar, also faced suspension due to the “severe weather”

Similarly PIA’s flight PK-350 which was supposed to fly from Karachi to Peshawar was also affected by unfavorable weather conditions

Furthermore, flight PK370 to Islamabad was also

Voice of poor ‘Abdul Sattar Edhi’ remembered on 7th death anniversar y

ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o R t

The late philanthropist Sir Abdul Sattar Edhi was remembered on his 7th death anniversary and people from all walks of life through media platforms paid him glowing tributes for his lifetime unforgettable services to mankind Edhi, who built a network of humanitarian centers across the country to provide life-saving services to the people died on July 8 2016 at the age of 89 July 8 marks a significant day in the hearts and minds of millions around the world as they remember the remarkable life and legacy of Abdul Sattar Edhi, one of Pakistan s most revered figures and a beacon of hope for the less fortunate

On this solemn occasion, people from all walks of life come together to pay homage to the man who dedicated his entire existence to serving humanity selflessly PTV news channel reported Abdul Sattar Edhi was born on February 28 1928 in Bantva Gujarat, British India He grew up witnessing poverty and suffering, which planted the seeds of compassion and empathy within him In 1947, following the partition of India Edhi migrated to Karachi Pakistan where he began his lifelong mission of alleviating human suffering The philanthropist s charitable journey commenced with a humble dispensary in Karachi, which gradually evolved into the Edhi Foundation an unprecedented organization providing a wide range of social services, including medical care, rehabilitation centers, orphanages, morgues, and burial services Edhi’s vision knew no bounds and he made it his life s work to offer aid to anyone in need regardless of their race religion or social status The foundation s services expanded across Pakistan, and Edhi s unwavering dedication inspired others to join his cause Throughout his life, Edhi faced numerous challenges and hardships However, his unwavering determination and unyielding spirit propelled him forward

affected by the weather conditions leading to its suspension Passengers were informed about the cancellation, and alternative arrangements were being made to accommodate them on other flights

Light rainfall and drizzle reported in various localities of Karachi’s Malir district on Saturday

Light rainfall reported at Shah Latif Town Razzaqabad Pipri and Gulshan-e-Hadeed

Low-lying areas submerged after heavy rainfall in various areas of Malir district Heavy rainfall with strong winds also reported in Quaidabad, Shah Faisal, Landhi and Korangi

The Met Office has forecast mostly hot and partly cloudy weather likely to prevail in the city with maximum temperature between 35 to 37 degree Celsius

BNP-M rallies against deteriorating law and order

QUETTA s ta f f R e p o R t

The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) rallied against deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan, particularly in Tehsil Wadh of district Khuzdar, increasing activities of miscreants in different areas of the province and against conspiracies hatched against Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal leader of BNP (M)

A d d r e s s i n g t h e p r o t e s t d e m o n s t r a t i o n s p e a k e r s s a i d t h a t t h e i s s u e o f Wa d h w a s p o l i t i c a l w h i c h w a s b e i n g g i v e n t h e c o l o u r o f t r i b a l i s s u e m e r e l y t o d i s t u r b p o l i t i c a l e n v i r o n m e n t o f B a l o c h i s t a n p r o v i n c e T h e y s a i d t h a t s o m e e l e m e n t s d i d n o t w a n t B a l o c h i s t a n t o b e t h e c r a d l e o f p e a c e , a d d i n g t h a t p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s o u g h t t o h a v e c o m e f o r w a r d t o f i n d a n a m i c a b l e s o l u t i o n t o t h e i s s u e o f Wa d h D e m a n d i n g t o s t o p p a t r o n i s i n g dearth squad and armed militia they said that meddling

w i t h t h e p o l i t i c a l a ff a i r s o f B a l o c h i s t a n w o u l d n o t p r o v e t o b e a g o o d o m e n They announced that shutter down strike would be observed on July 14 2023 against conspiracies hatched against MNA Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal P r o t e s t d e m o n s t r a t i o n w a s a d d r e s s e d b y Wa j a

J a h a n z a i b , c e n t r a l G e n e r a l S e c r e t a r y, B N P ( M ) ,

M PA N a s e e r S h a h w a n i , M PA S h a k e e l a D e h w a r ,

M u s a J a n B a l o c h , c e n t r a l L a b o u r S e c r e t a r y, G h u l a m

N a b i M a r r i , d i s t r i c t p r e s i d e n t B N P, Q u e t t a , S a m a d

B a l o c h c e n t r a l l e a d e r o f B a l o c h S t u d e n t s

O r g a n i s a t i o n a n d o t h e r s

Earlier a protest rally was taken out from the lawn of Quetta Metropolitan Corporation Participants of rally marched through Taxi stand, Jinnah Road, Manan Chowk, Qandhari Bazar, Meezan Chowk, Adalat Road and reached Quetta Press Club where a protest demonstration was held outside Quetta Press Club

international financial system is not effective in dealing with the challenges of climate change, she added

Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan is still waiting for the commitments made in Geneva COP28 President reiterates commitment to accelerate and scale up climate financing Pakistan is looking forward to rekindling environmental cooperation and knowledge exchange with the Swiss government, the minister concluded

ECP announces schedule for LB by-polls in KP

PESHAWAR s ta f f R e p o R t

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday issued schedule for the by-election of local bodies in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) According to an ECP notification, the polling will be held on August 27 across KP, while the candidates will be able to submit their nomination papers for the LG polls till July 19 The election tribunal will publish final list of candidates on August 2 while the results of LG polls would be announced on August 30 It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had won the second phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held in April this year In the second phase voting was held in 65 tehsils in 18 districts of the provinces The party clinched victory on 32 seats Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) won 5; Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) 3; Awami National Party (ANP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and independents 2 each, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Rah-e-Haq Party (RHP) and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) one each

Gastro outbreak claims three lives in Khuzdar

QUETTA s ta f f R e p o R t A t l e a s t t h r e e p e r s o n s – t w o w o m e n a n d a c h i l d r e p o r t e d l y d i e d o f t h e g a s t r o o u t b r e a k i n r e m o t e a r e a o f K h u z d a r d i s t r i c t o f B a l o c h i s t a n c l a i m e d l o c a l p e o p l e o f t h e a ff e c t e d d i s t r i c t A s p e r a r e a p e o p l e , t w o w o m e n i n c l u d i n g B i b i G a n j - 3 5 B i b i S h a h - 2 5 a n d a c h i l d n a m e l y N o o r a g e d 4 d i e d o f g a s t r o i n D a s h t a r e a o f K h u z d a r s Wa d h a r e n j i Te h s i l d u r i n g t w o d a y s A l a rg e n u m b e r o f p a t i e n t s w i t h v o m i t i n g a n d m o t i o n c o m p l a i n t s a r e b e i n g r u s h e d t o t h e d i s t r i c t h e a d q u a r t e r s h o s p i t a l a n d b a s i c h e a l t h u n i t s H o w e v e r, o n a c c o u n t o f t h e l i m i t e d r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e p a t i e n t s d i d n o t g e t t r e a t e d p r o p e r l y T h e s c o r c h i n g w a v e o f h e a t l a c k o f b a s i c f a c i l i t i e s a n d c o n t a m i n a t e d w a t e r i n t h e f a r- f l u n g a r e a s o f t h e p r o v i n c e a r e t h e m a i n r e a s o n o f t h e o u t b r e a k o f e p i d e m i c s a l l t h e t i m e “ N o h e a l t h t e a m h a s s o f a r v i s i t e d t h e a ff e c t e d a r e a s d e s p i t e t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e s e v e r a l c a s e s o f t h e e p i d e m i c T h e d e a t h t o l l m a y r i s e i f t h e h e a l t h t e a m s d i d n o t r e a c h t h e a ff e c t e d a r e a s t h e y f e a r e d u rg i n g t h e h e a l t h a u t h o r i t i e s m a i n l y t h e S e c r e t a r y h e a l t h t o i m m e d i a t e l y t a k e n o t i c e o f t h e i s s u e t h a t c l a i m e d s e v e r a l l i v e s i n t h e l a s t c o u p l e o f d a y s W h e n c o n t a c t e d , t h e h e a l t h d e p a r t m e n t h a d c l a i m e d t h a t h e a l t h t e a m s u n d e r t h e s u p e r v i s i o n o f D i s t r i c t H e a l t h O ff i c e r K h u z d a r a r e r e a c h i n g t h e a ff e c t e d a r e a

FIA registers c ase against more than 6 acc used for money laundering/terror financing through C r ypto c urrenc y

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

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against 6 identified and 3 to 4 unidentified suspects on charges of money laundering and financing of proscribed terrorist organizations through crypto currency

Sources say, a syndicate of suspects namely Muhammad Riaz, Zeeshan,

witnesses sources added The above mentioned persons in interrogation revealed that they are dealing with Crypto currency and illegal business of currency exchange and hundi/Hawala Sources said that the accused also

memo in the presence of

Glowing tribute paid to Burhan Wani on both sides of LoC

MIRPUR (AJK)

s ta f f R e p o R t

Mass public rallies at both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) including Azad Jammu Kashmir besides various parts of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Saturday retired their resolve to continue the noble mission of Wani till the liberation of the occupied Jammu Kashmir State from the long Indian subjugation

The people of Jammu and Kashmir living at both sides of the LoC and rest of the world paid glowing tributes to the young martyred hero of the Kashmir freedom struggle Burhan Muzaffar Wani and his companions on his 7th martyrdom anniversary on Saturday with the renewal of the pledge to continue the mission of the young martyred Kashmiri till its accomplishment through the liberation of the

motherland from the forced and illegal

Indian occupation

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, mass public rallies and demonstrations besides special prayer meetings for rest of the departed soul of shaheed Wani besides other Jammu and Kashmir martyrs in all ten district and tehsil headquarters including the capital city of Muzaffarabad were the hall mark of the first martyrdom anniversary of the youngest Kashmiri freedom fighter In IIOJK there was complete shutdown strike across the occupied valley to mark the day followed by anti-India and pro-freedom meetings in various parts of the strife torn Muslim majority of Kashmir valley, says reports reaching here on Saturday from across the line of control

Addressing the gatherings speakers paid rich tributes to young Shaheed Burhan Wani for bringing the Kashmir freedom struggle

in the occupied state to the decisive stage through giving the supreme sacrifice of his precious life

Speakers said that best way to pay rich tributes to Shaheed Wani is to follow his foot-steps till the struggle for freedom of the motherland from Indian clutches reaches to its logical end

They said that ongoing indigenous struggle for freedom has reached at the point of no return in the Indian Illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir following the daily supreme sacrifices of lives being given by the youth including the street children who are determined to get the motherland freedom from the Indian despotic unlawful rule without taking care of their precious lives, the speakers added They said India should read the writing on the wall and accept the reality about Kashmir s struggle for freedom They said

that Shaheed Burhan Wani infused a new spirit in the Kashmir freedom movement by persuading the young generation of Jammu and Kashmir State to take to the street agitation in nook and corner of the occupied valley to get the homeland freed from forced and illegal Indian rule

T h e s p e a k e r s c o n t i n u e d t h a t t h e

s u p r e m e s a c r i f i c e s o f l i v e s g i v e n b y t h e

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

S h a h e e d h e r o o f t h e p r e s e n t t i m e o f t h e

K a s h m i r f r e e d o m s t r u g g l e B u r h a n Wa n i will not be allowed to go in vain They said that the mission of Shaheed Wani would be c o n t i n u e d w i t h f u l l v i g o r t i l l i t s a c c o m p l i s h m e n t t h r o u g h t h e c o m p l e t e success of the freedom movement

The speakers belonging to various political social and public representation organizations called upon the international community including the United Nations

disclosed that they have made millions of dollars transactions and further transfer to another suspect namely Aziz Ullah in Dubai through Hundi/Hawala and Crypto currency exchange They were also supposed to exchange 200,000 dollars which were sent to Afghanistan via Dubai the accused informed the interrogators Sources said that the persons have been found involved in commission of offences punishable under section 10, 12 PECA 2016 r/w 23 FERA 1947 r/w AMLA 2010 r/w 109 PPC while the role of Muhammaz Riaz and Furqan will be thrashed out during the course of investigation

(UN) to exercise their due role for getting the Indian brutalities stopped in occupied Jammu and Kashmir where the population was fighting for the liberation of the homeland from the forced Indian occupation for the last 76 years They underlined that since early peaceful solution of Kashmir issue was the key to the emergence of durable and everlasting peace not only in South Asia but the world over it was enjoined upon the peace and human rights loving international community to move ahead for ensuring the early settlement of the issue through the grant of the legitimate right of selfdetermination to the people of Jammu & Kashmir as enshrined in the global commitment through the UN resolutions they added In Mirpur a rally to observe Shaheed Burhan Wani s martyrdom anniversary was taken out from the city center under the auspices of various social political religious and public representative organizations representing people from all walks of life

B U R H A N W A N I I M B I B E D N E W S P I R I T I N R E S I S TA N C E

M O V E M E N T A G A I N S T U N L AW F U L I N D I A N R U L E : A J K P M

THE Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anwaar ul Haq Chaudhry while paying eulogizing

tributes to Shaheed Burhan Muzaffar Wani on Saturday said that Wani s martyrdom imbibed new spirit in the ongoing struggle for freedom of occupied Jammu and Kashmir from unlawful Indian occupation

Burhan Wani will always be remembered in the annals of Kashmir as a symbol of courage and resistance , the PM said adding that Wani had imbibed new spirit in the resistance movement by sacrificing his life

He said that the Kashmiri nation will

continue the mission of Shaheed Burhan

Wani and other martyrs who laid down their lives for the noble cause of freedom from Indian occupation

“No power can stop the struggle of the Kashmiri people for freedom of the motherland from Indian shackles” he said adding India cannot suppress Kashmiris spirit and passion for freedom through its military might

Stressing the need for early resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the AJK PM said that it was high time that the world should realize the fact that peace in the restive region would remain a distant dream unless the lingering dispute was resolved according to the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiri people Kashmir is an internationally

recognized disputed territory that needs to be resolved in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council , he underlined

U rg i n g t h e w o r l d c o m m u n i t y t o h e l p s t o p c o n t i n u e d b l o o d s h e d a n d v i o l e n c e i n t h e r e g i o n t h e P M s a i d t h e r e w a s a d i r e n e e d t h a t t h e w o r l d s h o u l d t a k e e ff e c t i v e n o t i c e o f t h e s y s t e m a t i c g e n o c i d e i n K a s h m i r Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir have crossed all limits of barbarism and brutality”, he said adding that IIOJK was now the world’s highest militarized zone where over one million armed Indian troops were stationed He said that India s hands were stained with the blood of Kashmiris More than 6,000 unmarked graves have been

discovered in occupied Kashmir India is the largest terrorist country in the world which is engaged in genocide in Occupied Jammu Kashmir He further said adding that India has issued fake domiciles to more than five million Indian national Hindus to change the demographics of the IIOJK Te r m i n g H i n d u t v a i d e o l o g y a s a t h r e a t t o 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 , t h e P M s a i d t h a t I n d i a u n d e r M o d i r e g i m e w a s n o l o n g e r s a f e f o r M u s l i m s a n d o t h e r m i n o r i t i e s A f t e r A u g u s t 5 , 2 0 1 9 h e s a i d “ I n d i a h a d t u r n e d O c c u p i e d J a m m u a n d K a s h m i r i n t o m i l i t a r y c a n t o n m e n t w h e r e b a s i c h u m a n r i g h t s o f c i t i z e n s w e r e a l w a y s d e n i e d a n d i n n o c e n t K a s h m i r i s w e r e b e i n g m a r t y r e d b y I n d i a n o c c u p y i n g f o r c e s

Upholding previous verdic t, cour t declares Toshakhana c ase against PTI chief admissible

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

‘Deeply upset’ by verdict, Barrister

Gohar says

Talking to the media after the hearing PTI chief s counsel Barrister

Gohar said he was deeply upset by this kind of verdict , adding that the law had been murdered

He recalled the proceedings and asserted that it was his right to be heard by the court “You did not give us the right to be heard then [at least] we deserve the right of rebuttal Gohar went on to say that it would be

a violation of the IHC orders if the session court made decisions without listening to their side The lawyer added that they would approach higher forums to challenge the verdict

TOSHAKHANA CASE

The case, filed by ruling party lawmakers is based on a criminal complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)

The case alleges that Imran had deliberately concealed details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign

officials are kept during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales Imran has faced a number of legal issues over his retention of gifts

The issue also led to his disqualification by the ECP

On Oct 21, 2022, the ECP concluded that the former premier had indeed made false statements and incorrect declarations regarding the gifts

The Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division that stores gifts given to rulers and government officials by heads of other governments and foreign dignitaries According to

Senate Standing Committee on Aviation grills PIA

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Toshakhana rules gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division

The watchdog s order had said Imran stood disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution

Subsequently the ECP had approached the Islamabad sessions court with a copy of the complaint seeking proceedings against Imran under criminal law for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister

SBP ’s Financial S tability Review 2022 paints dismal pic ture

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Credit risk in the banking sector was contained in CY22 Non-performing loans (NPLs) grew at a slower pace than advances, and banks maintained adequate provisions The gross NPL ratio decreased to 7 3%, while the net NPL ratio slightly increased to 0 8% This can be attributed to banks’ preference for creditworthy firms and the corporate sector s strong liquidity and capital cushions

Market risk profile of banking sector presented a mixed picture during CY22 While interest rate risk mainly drove the overall market risk, equity and FX risks remained subdued due to regulatory standards

During the year banks increased their holding of government securities particularly floating rate instruments to sustain the impacts of rising interest rates

Banks asset-based liquidity indicators remained satisfactory However, market liquidity conditions remained under stress due to slower growth in deposits with higher demand for bank credit particularly from the government Profitability in the banking sector increased in 2022 primarily due to interest income from investments in government securities However higher interest expenses and tax charges limited the bottom line Return on asset (ROA) improved slightly to 1 01%, and return on equity (ROE) increased to 16 9%

The capital adequacy ratio (CAR) improved to 17 0% well above the regulatory requirement of 11 5% Islamic Banking Institutions (IBIs) continued their growth momentum in 2022 with a 29 6% expansion in their asset base Funding through deposits remained robust, and asset quality indicators improved compared to conventional banks

PERFORMANCE OF OTHER

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Microfinance banks (MFBs) faced ongoing challenges from the COVID pandemic worsened by deteriorating macroeconomic conditions and flooding in Q3 2022 Asset quality indicators deteriorated, with the gross NPL ratio rising to 6 7% in 2022 MFBs incurred a loss of Rs 17 2 billion due to high provisioning and operating expenses compared to limited incomes The overall capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of MFBs fell to 10 9% by the end of 2022

Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) showed strong growth in 2022, with their balance sheet expanding by 165 7% This was driven by investments

in government securities financed through increased borrowings Advances also experienced noticeable growth, leading to improved asset quality indicators Earnings improved and CAR remained strong at 36 5% despite a slight moderation

Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs) witnessed a 26 7% growth in 2022 primarily driven by the mutual funds industry, which constitutes the majority of the sector Money-market and income funds showed significant growth in a high-interest-rate environment, while equity funds faced redemptions due to poor performance in the equity market The Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) segment also experienced notable growth The lending segment of NBFIs expanded strongly, supported by investment finance companies (IFCs) and nonbank microfinance companies, however, latter faced increased stress due to heavy flooding in Q3 CY22

The insurance sector posted 14 8% growth in 2022 mainly driven by the life insurance segment which dominates in terms of assets and premiums While the life segment faced increased group claims and individual surrenders, investment income contributed to the bottom line The non-life segment experienced some deterioration, with increased claims due to flooding and natural disasters as well as higher costs for repairing fixed assets due to inflationary pressures

FINANCIAL MARKET INFRASTRUCTURES

(FMIS)

The Financial Market Infrastructures (FMIs) remained robust and resilient during CY22 E-banking transactions continued to gain traction reflecting customers’ increased preference for e-banking The performance of PRISM – large value payment system – in terms of business activity moderated owing to economic slowdown Moreover the SBP implemented Raast s second phase during CY22 enabling instant and free Person-to-Person (P2P) fund transfers At the same time, a comprehensive licensing and regulatory framework for digital banks was also issued to promote digital financial services in a prudent manner Moreover a number of improvements were made in the cybersecurity framework It is important to note that the growth of digital financial services (DFS) has accelerated over the last few years Realizing the significant role that technology and innovation can play in revolutionizing the provision of financial services, SBP and policymakers are strategizing to leverage the technology to promote policy objectives of inclusion efficiency and convenience of customers in a

Pa k i s t a n n e e d s to u t i l i ze r e s o u r c e s fo r d eve l o p m e n t i n s te a d o f wa r : P M

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The Swiss minister said these disasters required an urgent need for international cooperation to mitigate the risks associated with the natural catastrophes

Extending his government s cooperation in this regard, he reaffirmed to further strengthen the bilateral ties and to pool their resources in this field

He further highlighted the joint efforts between the two countries during the years 2010 and 2022 when the devastating floods struck Pakistan, adding the Swiss government swiftly provided emergency aid and supported the affected people

The foreign minister further said that they were ready to embark on the new challenges in the field of disaster management which went beyond the borders and stressed that these required global unity and collateral efforts Earlier the prime minister witnessed the signing of the MoU

between the two countries by the visiting Swiss foreign minister and Chairman National Disaster Management Authority Lt-Gen Inam Haider Malik to cooperate in the field of natural disasters Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman ministers NDMA chairman and relevant authorities were present on the occasion The document between the two countries will also prove as a milestone in bringing the National Disaster Management at par with the international standards under the vision of the prime minister It will also help promote cooperation between Pakistan and Switzerland in forecasting natural disasters, their impacts, swift response and rehabilitation measures

PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION WITH SWISS FM ON TRADE, INVESTMENT: PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said he had a productive discussion with

Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, climate change, disaster management, risk reduction, early warning, higher education and building tourism infrastructure

In a tweet on social media platform Twitter he said Delighted to receive Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis

We had productive discussions on expanding cooperation in trade & investment climate change disaster management risk reduction and early warning higher education & building tourism infrastructure I appreciate Switzerland’s advocacy for climate-responsible sustainable development ” he added Pakistan attaches high importance to bilateral ties with Switzerland

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday reiterated the high importance

sustainable manner

LOOKING AHEAD

Financial stability depends on evolving international and domestic conditions Ongoing conflicts sticky core inflation and low global economic growth may impact Pakistan s external account inflation and economic activity While the current account deficit has narrowed the overall external account position remains stressed

High inflation and delays in the IMF program pose challenges to the economic outlook, leading to slower economic growth in FY23

In the latest Systemic Risk Survey (SRS) market participants identified political uncertainty foreign exchange rate risk inflation and energy crisis as leading risks to the financial system

The banking sector faces challenges related to borrower repayment capacity and asset quality The business model of Microfinance Banks (MFBs) needs improvement and earnings from advances and noninterest incomes may moderate due to subdued economic activities and increased risk aversion towards private sector credit Increased exposure to the public sector has implications such as crowding out private sector credit and repricing/revaluation risks Efforts are needed to mobilize deposits for liquidity needs, and the government should diversify funding sources and focus on fiscal consolidation Policy measures are necessary to boost productivity export competitiveness and debt sustainability for economic revival

The dynamics of financial stability are influenced by uncertain factors The SBP conducts regular scenario analysis to predict banking sector health indicators Recent stress tests indicate a potential increase in nonperforming loans (NPLs) but the sector is expected to remain resilient with sufficient capital liquidity and risk management capabilities The US banking sector s turmoil and climate change risks in Pakistan highlight vulnerabilities Additionally, digitalization brings technology and cyber risks The SBP acknowledges these risks and is prepared to take timely measures to preserve financial stability and support economic growth by ensuring the smooth provision of credit and financial services

Pakistan attached to its relations with Switzerland which were based on shared belief in fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law

The prime minister received Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis The Swiss foreign minister, accompanied by three members of the Parliament, is on a bilateral visit to Pakistan from 7-9 July at the invitation of the prime minister PM Office Media Wing said in a press release

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance bilateral ties, especially in the areas of climate change trade and investment development cooperation higher education and vocational training

The prime minister thanked the Swiss government for providing support to Pakistan in the aftermath of last year ’s devastating floods

He also appreciated the Swiss businesses approach to the resolution of issues and their work ethic, and invited more Swiss companies to invest in Pakistan, particularly in the renewable energy and IT sectors

RECRUITMENT OF EMPLOYEES

In addition to that, they deliberated on the recent Supreme Court decision that permitted PIA to recruit 205 skilled employees including cabin crew IT professionals and 80 pilots on a one-year contract basis PIA officials expressed concern that there was no legal binding to deter pilots from joining other airlines after contract expiry, resulting in PIA’s investment loss They lamented investing millions on training pilots who might fly away after one year Consequently they directed PIA to share the court decision in the next meeting They said they would review it and see if they could aid PIA FAKE DEGREES

Additionally, they voiced dissatisfaction on employees’ details submitted by PIA and asked for comprehensive information with experience and present posting in the next meeting They also took up PIA employees appointed on fake degrees FIA officials told them they submitted challans in 15 cases against 260 nominated employees but a special committee directed them to withdraw cases The chairman, Senator Hidayatullah, said employees with fake degrees should not be spared and their recommendations enforced He said they could not compromise on merit and quality He asserted employees with fake degrees should be terminated immediately

PENSION OF WIDOWS

Finally, they enquired about active pensioners drawing pension from PIA and pension given to widows of employees PIA officials said 15,000 employees drew pension out of which 5 000 were widows paid 2 to 3 000 rupees monthly They recommended the pension of widows increased from 2 to 5 000 rupees as the current amount is inadequate for livelihood They expressed empathy with widows who served PIA for years They said they deserved a respectable pension for survival They urged PIA to increase the pension soon Talking shop or anything concrete?

It s absolutely ludicrous! Things never change in Pakistan exclaimed Tahir Imran Mian a senior journalist This is the same old rigmarole I ve been witnessing for ages Mian continued, These socalled Committees in the National Assembly or Senate on aviation are utterly ineffectual organisations and setups They serve no purpose other than squandering taxpayer money and resources They re also routinely populated with the same bipartisan individuals Mian further elaborated, This meeting has zero relevance to airlines or aviation Not a single productive point was raised by the Committee during the meeting ” He concluded, “I would have expected Senator Afnan Ullah to have brought up more judicious matters given his longstanding association with PIA

e t i g h t e n i n g n o o s e

PTI chief Imran Khan has apparently found that nothing has harmed him or his party as much as the crackdown following the May 9 reaction to his arrest Though he was soon enlarged on bail, not only thousands of his party s workers arrested, but he was deserted by a vast number of party leaders including those he thought of as stalwarts including Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and his successor as KP CM Mehmood Khan, Asad Umar and Fawad Chauudhary The campaign for immediate elections seems to have been replaced by one pressing for Mr Khan to be kept out of jail, but it seems that his legal troubles are so strong that theory will lead to his arrest, trial and then disqualification The information that ’introvertible evidence’ has been found of his having planned and ordered attacks on military targets after his arrest indicates that he will be tried by a military court, with all the disadvantages that entails

Perhaps the most dangerous problem he faces is the latest ordinance amending the NAB law, which not only allows a 30-day remand period, but also allows the evidence of approvers It has been claimed that Mr Khan’s Principal Secretary to PM Azam Khan has agreed to bear witness to all that he is privy to, while Malik Riaz is willing to turn approver in the Al-Qadir University land case which was the case in which Mr Khan was arrested on that fateful May 9

Apart from Mr Khan s legal travails, there is his political future Though he may not be as popular aS he thinks he is Mr Khan still commands wide support

The problem will be translating it into votes at the hustings when elections take place Apart from the loss of support in the electorate because of the May 9 attacks potential candidates will hang back for fear of being associated with the PTI and thus offending the establishment This is especially true of those who thought that PTI tickets would win them the kind of support that is alleged the PTI received in the 2018 polls

Though Mr Khan is a very fit septuagenarian, a septuagenarian he is nonetheless, and he may not really be all that willing to wait out the five years following the coming election as he would be 75 at the time of a 2028 election More to the point, are the remnants of his party willing to wait

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

U n i t i n g A g a i n s t B l a s p h e m y

S a f e g u a r d i n g r e l i g i o u s f r e e d o m a n d f o s t e r i n g r e s p e c t f u l c o e x i s t e n c e i n a d i v e r s e w o r l d

ing their lives and providing them with spiritual solace and wisdom Blasphemy against the Quran is seen as an attack on their faith an affront to their core principles

Such acts inflict deep pain, as they target something Muslims hold sacred and central to their belief system Blasphemy against the Prophet (PBUH) or the Quran is not only an offense against religious sentiments but also a violation of basic human rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948 upholds the principle of freedom of thought, conscience, and religion

However, it also emphasizes that these freedoms should be exercised with responsibility and respect for the rights and beliefs of others

tions sharing personal stories and highlighting the importance of respect understanding and peaceful coexistence we can build alliances and mobilize international support to address this issue Religious institutions, including mosques, churches, temples, and synagogues, must engage in interfaith dialogue and promote tolerance and respect among their congregations In addition to engaging with international bodies and policymakers individuals can also play a role within their communities Participating in interfaith dialogues, organizing educational events, and fostering respectful conversations can help dispel misconceptions and bridge divides

IN a world characterized by diverse cultures, religions and beliefs it is essential that we engage in compassionate and empathetic dialogue Today we address the deep concerns and profound anguish felt by many Muslims worldwide when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or the Quran is subjected to blasphemy While we respect the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, we must also acknowledge the immense pain caused when religious figures and scriptures are targeted with disrespect and derision

The recent act of burning the Quran in Sweden serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the issue of blasphemy and its impact on Muslim communities This act, carried out by an individual, has caused deep distress and outrage among Muslims worldwide It is important to emphasize that such actions do not represent the views of the entire global community and they should be condemned in the strongest terms

The burning of the Quran is an assault on the beliefs and values held sacred by Muslims It is an act of disrespect and an affront to the millions who find solace, guidance, and inspiration within its pages

Such actions not only incite hatred but also perpetuate division and sow the seeds of discord among different communities

For Muslims the Prophet (PBUH) is not only a historical figure but also the embodiment of guidance, wisdom, and morality His teachings of peace, justice, and compassion have transformed the lives of millions for over 14 centuries The reverence Muslims hold for him goes beyond mere admiration; it is a deep-rooted love and respect that stems from the belief that he was chosen by the Almighty to guide humanity

When the Prophet (PBUIH) is denigrated or ridiculed, it wounds the hearts and souls of Muslims worldwide The hurt caused by such blasphemy is profound, striking at the inner core of their faith It stirs emotions of hurt sadness and anger because it undermines the reverence Muslims have for their Prophet (PBUH) whom they hold dear

Similarly the Quran holds immeasurable significance for Muslims as the divine revelation from the Almighty It is cherished as the literal word of God, guid-

B a l o c h s t u d e n t s a r e d i s a p p e a r i n g f o r c i b l y ?

G ra d u at i o n f o r B a l o c h m e a n s d i s a p p e a r i n g f o rc i b l y

a n d p h y s i c a l t o r t u r e s , or as mutilated corpses i n w h a t l o c a l a c t i v i s t s c a l l ‘ f a k e e n c o u n t e r s ’ – t h e a l t e r e d f o r m o f the kill and dump poli c y p r a c t i s e d d u r i n g

2009-2015 A f t e r t h e c r a c kd o w n s b e g i n n i n g f r o m

2009 in full pace there w a s a s l o w d o w n a f t e r

When religious figures or sacred texts are subjected to blasphemy it disregards the rights of individuals to practise their faith without fear of insult or ridicule Blasphemy can fuel hatred, incite violence, and perpetuate discrimination against religious communities Such acts undermine the principles of dignity equality and respect that form the foundation of human rights

Education, intercultural dialogue, and responsible media reporting are crucial in fostering understanding and respect among diverse communities

However, the responsibility to combat blasphemy does not solely lie with governments and organizations; it requires individual commitment to engage, advocate, and promote peaceful coexistence

In a world where diversity is celebrated and harmonious coexistence is essential, world leaders religious leaders and international organizations must take a stand against blasphemy Religious leaders of all faiths, including Pope Francis, must condemn acts of blasphemy and promote interfaith dialogue that fosters understanding respect and harmony among different religious communities

The UN the European Union the OIC and other international bodies must take stronger measures to protect religious freedoms and prevent blasphemy, and engage in constructive dialogue with member states and civil society representatives to develop legislation that strikes a balance between freedom of expression and respect for religious sensitivities

Additionally mechanisms must be established to monitor and address instances of blasphemy ensuring accountability and justice

To effectively convey these concerns to the international community and influence world leaders to take the issue of blasphemy seriously, there must be proactive dialogue and collaboration Engaging with influential international organizations such as the UN the EU the OIC and other intergovernmental bodies can raise awareness about the impact of blasphemy on religious communities and advocate for stronger measures to protect religious freedoms Furthermore, partnering with human rights organizations, civil society groups, and religious institutions with a global reach can amplify the message and exert collective pressure on world leaders to address the issue through legislative reforms educational initiatives and interfaith dialogues By fostering meaningful conversa-

Furthermore, individuals can support and collaborate with organizations that work towards promoting religious freedom and combating religious discrimination By volunteering donating or becoming actively involved, individuals can contribute to the efforts of these organizations As individuals we have the power to make a difference By standing united against blasphemy voicing our concerns to international bodies and human rights organizations, engaging with local representatives, promoting dialogue and understanding within our communities and supporting organizations that champion religious freedom, we can contribute to a world that upholds the dignity and rights of all its inhabitants Let us work together towards a future where diversity is celebrated respect is upheld and religious freedoms are protected We cannot ignore the profound pain and violation of human rights caused by blasphemy against the Prophet (PBUH) or the Quran It is our collective responsibility to take decisive action and address this issue urgently The formulation of international laws that protect religious sensitivities while upholding freedom of expression is paramount Education intercultural dialogue and responsible media reporting are crucial in fostering understanding and respect among diverse communities However, the responsibility to combat blasphemy does not solely lie with governments and organizations; it requires individual commitment to engage advocate and promote peaceful coexistence Together Let us stand united in condemning blasphemy conveying our concerns to the international community and working towards a world where religious freedoms are protected, and all individuals are treated with dignity and respect Together, we can create a future where different cultures and religions coexist peacefully, and the hurt caused by blasphemy is prevented

The writer can be reacjhecd at fayyazsalih@gmail com and tweets @fayyazSHussain

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan Today 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y

The leftists and the labour movement

R O M 2 a m t o 4 3 0 a m i n t h e e a r l y hours of July 4 unknown men entered A b s o r ( Tu r b a t ) a n d a r r e s t e d t w o B a l o c h y o u t h , i n c l u d i n g a s t u d e n t Salim Baloch, from their homes Both t h e y o u t h w e r e s h i f t e d t o u n k n o w n w h e r eabouts and have not yet been produced in any court of law Salim is a recent graduate in hist o r y f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f P u n j a b L a h o r e while Akram is a labourer in the city This new wave of enforced disappearances in Balochistan has mainly victimized Baloch youth, particularly students, who are never produced in any court of law during the illegal detention they face However they are released in two forms: either after months and years of mental

O t h e r t h a n p a s s i n g r e m a r k s o n e n f o r c e d d i s a p p e a r a n c e s , w h e t h e r i n c o u r t s , p a r l i a m e n t o r a s s e m b l i e s , n o t h i n g p r o d u c t i v e h a s e v e r b e e n d o n e p r a c t i c a l l y t o r e s o l v e t h e i s s u e o f e n f o r c e d d i s a p p e a r a n c e s o f t h e B a l o c h S h o u l d w e d e e m i t t h e f i n a l f a t e o f t h e B a l o c h p e o p l e ?

2 0 1 5 b u t t h i s d i d n o t l a s t f o r l o n g A f t e r 2 0 1 7 , t h e d i s a p p e a ra n c e s o b s e r v e d a f l o w i n i t s f r e s h e r f o r m w h i c h h a s c o v e r e d m o s t l y B a l o c h y o u t h i n c l u d i n g a l a rg e p o rt i o n o f s t u d e n t s a n d w o m e n a l o n g s i d e f a k e e n c o u n t e r s a n d o n es i d e d m e d i a t r i a l s d u ri n g t h e p e n d e n c y o f t h e c a s e T h e l a t e s t v i c t i m s of the very brute act of f o r c e d d i s a p p e a r a n c e s a r e S a l i m B a l o c h a n d A k r a m N a e e m , w h i l e earlier a month, Saki Sawad Baloch, a Baloch teacher, too faced the same fate Gradually, the graduation in Balochistan is shaping its definition as ‘Baloch ready to be forcibly disap-

peared Then terms as terrorists are underway f o r s u c h B a l o c h y o u t h who are themselves unaware of what actually l e d t h e m t o f a c e s u c h p u n i s h m e n t a p u n i s hm e n t w h i c h i s d e c i d e d w i t h E D s i s e n f o r c e d disappearance To r e c a l l a B a l o c h student Bebagr Imdad w a s a b d u c t e d f r o m t h e Punjab University host e l a y e a r a g o S a l i m B a l o c h w a s t h e e y ew i t n e s s o f t h e d i s a pp e a r a n c e w h o l a t e r o n w e n t t o t h e l e g a l d o o r s a n d f i l e d a C o n s t i t ut i o n a l P e t i t i o n ( C P ) i n t h e L a h o r e H i g h C o u r t a s B e b a g r w a s h i s g u e s t a n d h i s c o u s i n I n t h i s d u r a t i o n , S a l i m w a s a c t i v e i n a d v o c a ti n g f o r t h e r e l e a s e o f h i s c o u s i n I m d a d f r o m t h e s t a t e d u n g e o n s w h o , t o o , w a s n o t p r e s e n t e d i n a n y c o u r t o f l a w w h i c h w a s a g a i n s t h i s f u n d a m e n t a l r i g h t t o l e g a l r e p r e s e n t a t i o n T h e p e t i t i o n w a s d ec i d e d i n f a v o u r o f t h e B a l o c h s t u d e n t s , b ec a u s e i t w a s L a h o r e a n d n o t B a l o c h i s t a n T h e p e t i t i o n e n s u r e d I m d a d w a s r e l e a s e d v e r y s o o n I n I s l a m a b a d t o o p e t i t i o n s a r e f i l e d against the forced disappearances and harassment of Baloch students from Punjab and the c a p i t a l c i t y f o r w h i c h a c o m m i t t e e h a s a l s o been set up But apart from the delaying tact i c s t h e d i s a p p e a r e d p e r s o n s c o m m i s s i o n i s doing nothing to get the Baloch students rel e a s e d O t h e r t h a n p a s s i n g r e m a r k s o n e nf o r c e d d i s a p p e a r a n c e s , w h e t h e r i n c o u r t s , parliament or assemblies, nothing productive has ever been done practically to resolve the i s s u e o f e n f o r c e d d i s a p p e a r a n c e s o f t h e Baloch Should we deem it the final fate of the Baloch people?

S a k i S a w a d B a l o c h a n o t h e r B a l o c h teacher and writer also faced forced detention f r o m t h e s a m e Tu r b a t c i t y a m o n t h a g o H e used to teach Balochi writing using the online t o o l t o a n y B a l o c h a n y w h e r e , i n c l u d i n g m e H e u s e d t o w r i t e o n s o c i a l m e d i a a s w e l l which helped many in understanding Balochi writing His abduction has raised concerns for his family and students Does getting education or giving education mean you need to be disappeared through force in Balochistan?

T h e w r i t e r i s a f re e l a n c e c o l u m n i s t

WHILE discussing labour movements in Pakistan, people tend to oversimplify the movement of 1972 A case in point is the article ‘Labour movements’ (April 27) which talked about the workers’ struggle and painted it in a negative light by stating that some mill owners were publicly humiliated and 10 workers lost their lives due to police gunfire

The narrative overlooked the significance of the struggle of the workers and its true context The 1972 labour movement was a crucial turning point in Pakistan’s labour history It was the end result of the struggles that had been initiated by students and workers with leftist leanings against Ayub Khan in the late 1960s and which had led to the formation of the Pakistan People s Party (PPP)

Workers under the banner of the PPP had played a decisive role in the resto- ration of democracy in the country The workers had high expectations of the government, hoping that it would force the industrial elite to accept all their demands

The workers intensified their struggle, leading to regular lockouts and sieges of industrial units in Karachi’s two major industrial areas during the first six months of 1972

The workers demanded the reinstatement of those who had been sent packing during the martial law the opening of industries that were closed by employers without giving the employees any notice or compensation, and the distribution and payment of bonuses as part of the employee participation fund Besides, the workers asked for the payment of overdue amounts under certain heads

These elements provided the backdrop for the 1972 labour movement in Karachi s SITE area which had a violent ending As noted by Kamran Asdar Ali in his article The Strength of the Street Meets the Strength of the State: The 1972 Labour Struggle in Karachi (International Journal of Middle East Studies 37, No 1 [2005]: 83-107), the government of the time used the brutal force of the state to repress the movement

In response to state repression, the workers showed solidarity with their leaders leading to the closure of more than 900 units Employees waving their red-and-black flags were seen waving at nearly every factory across Karachi Its impact was felt throughout the country with workers going on strike at many factories in Hyderabad and other cities

In Punjab, union leaders organised a protest march, and their offices hoisted black flags to show solidarity with their comrades in Karachi However, the workers’ leaders soon divided, and the movement was crushed

Kamran noted that the government not only suppressed radical movements but also sought to restructure the working class according to its own vision of dependent politics The movement organised the labour class on wider agendas but the military regime that ousted the government resorted to even worse violent tactics to repress the movement, and some right-wing trade unions played their part in the repression of leftist voices

It was also alleged at the time that the workers’ union in Pakistan Railways had received financial assistance from the erstwhile Soviet Union Dada Amir Haider in his memoirs Chains to Lose: Life and Struggles of a Revolutionary has noted that leftists had always been accused of receiving the Moscow gold

He wrote a whole chapter in his memoirs on the economic plight of the founding members of the labour movement and party workers

It appears that those spreading such allegations were using the filter of socialism and communism, as depicted by Noam Chomsky in his propaganda model to present the struggle of left-wing workers in a negative light

It is essential for all concerned to understand the historical context and significance of the labour movement in Pakistan and not to oversimplify the many complexities the movement faced in different phases of national history

Constitution Hibernated

IN Pakistan s constitutional history there have been precisely two phases recorded by history:

t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l p e r i o d s l e d b y t h e c i v i l i a n order and the extra constitutional interventions done by keeping the constitution in abeyance, suspension or abrogation in case of a new document

The first such instance happened in the aftermath of the October 1958 coup by Ayub Khan who employed likeminded legal brains to churn out the 1962 constitution in place of the 1956 constitution penned by a civilian order That 1962 constitution died with its creator, forcing the next military dictator Yahya Khan to o p t f o r t h e L e g a l F r a m e w o r k ( L F O ) o r d e r, w h i c h i n fact paved the way in terms of political developments ending with the break-up of Pakistan on the dark day of 17 December 1971

T h e c o u p b y G e n Z i a u l H a q u e i n 1 9 7 7 w a s f o llowed by complete suspension of the newly agreed and promulgated 1973 constitution The gradual return to d emo cr acy b y th e late d ictato r in 1 9 8 5 co u ld n o t b e done without the restoration of the 1973 constitution; t h o u g h i n a m u t i l a t e d f o r m a t c o u r t e s y t h e E i g h t h A m e n d m e n t W h i l e i n t h e e y e s o f t h e p r o - e s t a b l i s hment legal wizards that amendment gave the President t h e r i g h t t o i m p l e m e n t t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t d i c t a t e s t h r o u g h t h e e x e r c i s e o f h i s p o w e r s u n d e r A r t i c l e 58(2b), which gave him the right to dissolve the political system for new elections, without resorting to the military takeover; also legalized in one stroke of the pen; whatever was promulgated between 5 July 1977 and 23 March 1985

That development; if in one way it legalized the extra legal acts of the political system; which was forced down the throats of the people, it also demonstrated the hard fact for the purview of the established order that whatever extra constitutional acts that were committed had no legal legs to stand on; until they were rationalized within the fold of the 1973 Constitution as an amendment agreed upon by hook or crook; like the infamous election of one-time Lebanese President Bashir Gemayel in 1982 (in the aftermath of Israeli occupation of Lebanon)

A similar exercise was again repeated when another deceased dictator Pervez Musharraf legalized his acts in yet another constitutional amendment through the 2002 National Assembly In both the cases in 1984 and in 2002 the fraudulent referendums staged by the late Zia and Musharraf were given legal legitimacy in the 1973 Constitution

In the cases quoted above, an analysis of the backg r o u n d r e a l i t i e s o f t h e P a k i s t a n i p o l i t i c s g u i d e s t h e r e a d e r s a n d t h e s t u d e n t s o f P a k i s t a n i p o l i t i c a l e c o n -

omy, why there are no military interventions happening in the country even though the domains of national security foreign policy and even economy; inclusive of the budgetary outlay are settled with the consent of the invisible forces The reason behind these ground realties and the resultant timelines of the political dev e l o p m e n t s d o w n t o A p r i l 2 0 2 2 r e s t o n t h e fact that the 1973 Cons t i t u t i o n m i g h t n o t b e the only document gove r n i n g t h e n a t i o n - s t a t e o f P a k i s t a n T h e i n f o rm a l s a y a n d c o n t r o l o f t h e f o r c e s t h a t m a t t e r ; t h e r e a s o n b e h i n d t h e c o i n i n g o f t h e t e r m inologies like the establ i s h e d o r d e r o r t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t b r i n g s home the bitter fact that t h e c e n t r e s o f p o w e r might be or may be diverse in Pakistan; for all practical purposes M o v i n g f o r w a r d t o f u r t h e r a n a l y z e t h e s i tu a t i o n , t h e a b i l i t y t o c o n t r o l t h e n a t i o n - s t a t e t o i t s a d v a n t a g e i s u n i q u e i n t h e c a s e o f P a k i s t a n T h e r e c a n b e m a n y i n s t a n c e s q u o t e d w h e r e t h e c o n t r o l o f t h e d r i v i n g s e a t h a s b e e n t h e i s s u e o f c o nt e n t i o n r a i s e d b y t h e c o m p l i a n t m e d i a P a ki s t a n b e i n g a n i m p o rt a n t c o m p o n e n t o f t h e S o u t h A s i a n S u b c o n t in e n t a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y a S A A R C C u s t o m s U n i o n , c o u l d h a v e b e e n t h e p r i m e t r a d e p a r t n e r o f I n d i a , b a s e d o n s h a r e d c l i m a t e , h a b i t s , c u i s i n e s a n d c u l t u r e , w h i c h f o r m t h e b a s i s f o r c o n s u m p t i o n - b a s e d e c o n o m i c a c t i v i t y

AL MAYADEEN

r i c k s t e r l i n g

NATIONAL Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is arguably the key person driving U S foreign policy He was mentored by Hillary Clinton with regime changes in Honduras, Libya and Syria He was the link between Nuland and Biden during the 2014 coup in Ukraine As reported by Seymour Hersh Sullivan led the planning of the Nord Stream pipeline’s destruction in September 2022 Sullivan guides or makes many large and small foreign policy decisions This article will describe Jake Sullivan s background, what he says, what he has been doing, where the U S is headed, and why this should be debated

BACKGROUND: Jake Sullivan was born in November 1976 He describes his formative years like this: I was raised in Minnesota in the 1980s a child of the later Cold War of Rocky IV the Miracle on Ice and Tear down this wall The 90s were my high school and college years The Soviet Union collapsed The Iron Curtain disappeared Germany was reunified An American-led alliance ended a genocide in Bosnia and prevented one in Kosovo I went to graduate school in England and gave fiery speeches on the floor of the Oxford Union about how the United States was a force for good in the world Sullivan s education includes Yale (BA) Oxford (MA) and Yale again (JD) He went quickly from academic studies and legal work to political campaigning and government He made important contacts during his college years at elite institutions For example, he worked with former Deputy Secretary of State and future Brookings Institution president Strobe Talbott After a few years clerking for judges Sullivan transitioned to a law firm in his hometown of Minneapolis He soon became chief counsel to Senator Amy Klobuchar who connected him to the rising Senator Hillary Clinton

MENTORED BY HILLARY: Sullivan became a key advisor to Hillary Clinton in her campaign to be Democratic party nominee in 2008 At age 32 Jake Sullivan became deputy chief of staff and director of policy planning when she became secretary of state He was her constant companion, traveling with her to 112 countries

The Clinton/Sullivan foreign policy was soon evident In Honduras, Clinton clashed with progressive Honduras President Manuel Zelaya over whether to readmit Cuba to the OAS Seven weeks later on June 28 Honduran soldiers invaded the president s home and kidnapped him out of the country stopping en route at the U S Air Base The coup was so outrageous that even the U S ambassador to Honduras denounced it This was quickly overruled as the Clinton/Sullivan team played semantics games to say it was a coup but not a “military coup ” Thus the Honduran coup regime continued to receive U S support They quickly held a dubious election to make the restoration of President Zelaya moot Clinton is proud of this success in her book Hard Choices

Two years later, the target was Libya With Victoria Nuland as State Department spokesperson, the Clinton/Sullivan team promoted sensational claims of a

General impression of the country resembling North Korea, Myanmar or some Baathist state in yesterday’s Middle East, Argentina or Chile in South America; might not help well in attracting long term investment Returning to the strategic balance within the-nation state is much more important an imperative for stability than the strategies without. Mere lip service, while the Constitution is subject to ‘forced hibernation’ courtesy ‘anaesthesia administered’ will not solve the situation in the long and short term The constitution has to return in full force, if the nation-state in question; Pakistan, is to be steered back to normalcy in the comity of nations

However the fact is that Pakistan has never been an active trade partner with India The post-1988 PPP and PML(N) governments tried hard to break the ice for the resumption of trade between the two states However, they were faced with accusations of endangering national security or ‘compromising’ on Kashmir Ironically the Musharraf government in 1999-2008 period followed the same trade trajectory; over which the establishment used to accuse the civilian governments of

being soft on India Yet no one accused Musharraf of any treason on Kashmir Here one can smell missed opportunities between I n d i a a n d P a k i s t a n a t t h e o n s e t o f 1 9 9 5 / 9 6 , w h e n t h e t w o c o u n t r i e s f o r m a l e n t r y i n t o W TO o b l i g a t e d b o t h t o d e s i g n a t e o n r e c i p r o c a l b a s i s t h e “ m o s t f a v o u r e d n a t i o n ” s t a t u s T h a t M F N c l a u s e w a s t r e a t e d a s s o m e t h i n g l i k e a s e l l - o u t b y t h e r i g h t o f t h e c e n t r e m e d i a W h i l e t h e t r a d e b e t w e e n t h e t w o s t a t e s w a s i n v i s i b l y d i s c o u r a g e d d u r i n g t h e s u c c e s s i v e c i v i l i a n p e r i o d s t h e M u s h a r r a f g o v e r n m e n t w a s i n s t r u m e n t a l i n o p e n i n g t o t h e B J P g o v e r n m e n t i n u n p r e c e d e n t e d w a y I t w a s i r o n i c t h a t w h e n t h e P P P g o v e r n m e n t w a s c a u g h t u n p r e p a r e d i n t h e a f t e r m a t h o f t h e M u mb a i a t t a c k s i n N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 8 o r w h e n t h e P M L ( N ) g o v e r n m e n t t r i e d t o b u i l d b r i d g e s w i t h t h e B J P g o ve r n m e n t e l e c t e d i n 2 0 1 4 b o t h t h e a c t s w e r e t r e a t e d o n e s t o p a s t r e a s o n In 2016, the then political government s opening with the Iranian reformist government for trade ties, when after a lapse of a decade an Iranian head of the state was invited to Pakistan, the sudden discovery of

‘Husain Mubarak Patel’ and the then military spokesman insistence on a diplomatic explanation from Iran evaporated much of the goodwill which might could have been created The departing Iranian President had to say that whenever the two neighbours try to open there are invisible hands which discourage the same steps When in the aftermath of the 2018 general elections, the ‘hybrid intervention’ resulted in a dispensation thinly veiled as an independent polity the nation saw the repeat of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war trajectory in Pakistan Like the Yom Kippur war in 1973 the Swift Retort was a high point but towards an informal surrender In the case of Arabs, the peace treaty was a shocker In the case of Kashmir, the abandonment of the special status of Kashmir and the freedom movement was the desired surrender Not many eyebrows were raised by the journalists close to the security establishment as to why all that happened Here one might ask, why there was a need to undertake the April 2022 disruption in the process The established order ’s overconfidence proved to be the misstep which unleashed friction between the two components of the famous one-page understanding The last one year s political turmoil is squarely the war of nerves between those two components, if anything else

The current situation arising out of the intense political confrontation in the second week of May 2023 has in fact emboldened the dominant players to the point where the Constitution seems a dead spectator The unceremonious exit of the Gilgit Baltistan government Wednesday and an unexplained clamp down on the parliamentary activity there has sent two wrong messages; one that the Constitution is suspended in practice secondly the Pakistani moral high ground in lost vis a vis its stance; if any in case of the worthlessness of the occupied Kashmir legislature, as Pakistani managed legislature seems as impotent As said earlier in these columns a general impression of the country resembling North Korea Myanmar or some Baathist state in yesterday s Middle East Argentina or Chile in South America; might not help well in attracting long term investment Returning to the strategic balance within the-nation state is much more important an imperative for stability than the strategies without Mere lip service while the Constitution is subject to ‘forced hibernation’ courtesy ‘anaesthesia administered’ will not solve the situation in the long and short term The constitution has to return in full force, if the nation-state in question; Pakistan, is to be steered back to normalcy in the comity of nations

The writer is a freelance columnist

is to increase investments in semiconductors clean energy minerals and manufacturing

pending massacre and urged intervention in Libya under the responsibility to protect When the UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing a no-fly zone to protect civilians the U S Qatar and other NATO members distorted that and started air attacks on Libyan government forces Today, 12 years later, Libya is still in chaos and war

The sensational claims of 2011 were later found to be false

When the Libyan government was overthrown in the Fall of 2011 the Clinton/Sullivan State Department and CIA plotted to seize the Libyan weapons arsenal Weapons were transferred to the Syrian opposition U S Ambassador Stevens and other Americans were killed in an internecine conflict over control of the weapons cache Undeterred, Clinton and Sullivan stepped up their attempts to overthrow the Syrian government They formed a club of Western nations and allies called the “Friends of Syria The Friends divided tasks over who would do what in the campaign to topple the sovereign state Former policy planner at the Clinton/Sullivan State Department, Ann Marie Slaughter, called for foreign military intervention Sullivan knew they were arming violent sectarian fanatics to overthrow the Syrian government In an email to Hillary released by WikiLeaks Sullivan noted “AQ is on our side in Syria ”

BIDEN’S ADVISOR DURING THE 2014 UKRAINE

COUP: After being Clinton s policy planner, Sullivan became President Obama s director of policy planning (Feb 2011 to Feb 2013) and then national security adviser to Vice President Biden (Feb 2013 to August 2014)

In his position with Biden Sullivan had a close-up view of the February 2014 Ukraine coup He was a key contact between Victoria Nuland overseeing the coup and Biden In the secretly-recorded conversation where Nuland and the U S Ambassador to Ukraine discuss how to manage the coup, Nuland remarks that Jake Sullivan told her “you need Biden ” Biden gave the “attaboy” and the coup was “midwifed” following a massacre of police AND protesters on the Maidan plaza Sullivan must have observed Biden s use of the vice president s position for personal family gain He would have been aware of Hunter Biden s appointment to the board of the Burisma Group, the Ukrainian energy company, and the reason Joe Biden demanded that the Ukrainian special prosecutor who was investigating Burisma be fired Biden later bragged and joked about this

In December 2013 at a conference hosted by Chevron Corporation Victoria Nuland said the U S has spent five billion dollars to bring democracy to Ukraine

SULLIVAN HELPED CREATE RUSSIAGATE:

Jake Sullivan was a leading member of the 2016 Hillary Clinton team which promoted Russiagate The false claim that Trump was secretly contacting Russia was promoted initially to distract from negative news about Hillary Clinton and to smear Trump as a puppet of Putin Both the Mueller and Durham investigations officially discredited the main claims of Russiagate There was no collusion The accusations were untrue, and the FBI gave them unjustified credence for political reasons Sullivan played a major role in the deception as shown by his Statement from Jake Sullivan on New

Russia

SULLIVAN’S MISINFORMATION: Sullivan is also a good speaker persuasive and with a dry sense of humor

At the same time he can be disingenuous Some of his statements are false For example in June 2017 Jake Sullivan was interviewed by the Frontline television program about U S foreign policy and especially U S -Russia relations Regarding NATO’s overthrow of the Libyan government Sullivan says “Putin came to believe that the United States had taken Russia for a ride in the UN Security Council that authorized the use of force in Libya He thought he was authorizing a purely defensive mission Now on the actual language of the resolution, it s plain as day that Putin was wrong about that Contrary to what Sullivan claims, the UN Security Council resolution clearly authorizes a no-fly zone for the protection of civilians, no more It’s plain as day there was NOT authorization for NATO’s offensive attacks and regime change

PLANNING THE NORD STREAM PIPELINE DE-

STRUCTION: The bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines, filled with 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas, was a monstrous environmental disaster The destruction also caused huge economic damage to Germany and other European countries It has been a boon for U S liquefied natural gas exports which have surged to fill the gap but at a high price Many European factories dependent on cheap gas have closed down Tens of thousands of workers lost their jobs Seymour Hersh reported details of How America

Took Out the Nord Stream Pipeline He says, “Biden authorized Jake Sullivan to bring together an interagency group to come up with a plan A sabotage plan was prepared and officials in Norway and Denmark were included in the plot The day after the sabotage Jake Sullivan tweeted: I spoke to my counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines The U S is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe’s energy security Jake Sullivan

(@JakeSullivan46) September 28 2022 [Jean-Charles]

Ellerman-Kingombe [Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Danish Prime Minister s Office] may have been one of the Danes informed in advance of the bombing He is close to the U S military and NATO command

Since then, the Swedish investigation of the Nord Stream bombing has made little progress Contrary to Sullivan s promise in the tweet the U S has not supported other efforts to investigate When Russia proposed an independent international investigation of the Nord Stream sabotage at the UN Security Council, the resolution failed due to a lack of support from the U S and U S allies Hungary’s foreign minister recently asked How on earth is it possible that someone blows up critical infrastructure on the territory of Europe and no one has a say no one condemns no one carries out an investigation?

ECONOMIC PLANS DEVOID OF REALITY: Ten weeks ago Jake Sullivan delivered a major speech on “Renewing American Economic Leadership” at the Brookings Institution He explains how the Biden administration is pursuing a “modern industrial and innovation strategy They are trying to implement a foreign policy for the middle class which better integrates domestic and foreign policies The substance of their plan

However the new strategy is very unlikely to achieve the stated goal to lift up all of America s people communities, and industries Sullivan s speech completely ignores the elephant in the room: the costly U S Empire including wars and 800 foreign military bases which consume about 60% of the total discretionary budget Under Biden and Sullivan’s foreign policy there is no intention to rein in the extremely costly military-industrial complex It is not even mentioned

US EXCEPTIONALISM 2 0: In December 2018, Jake Sullivan wrote an essay titled “American Exceptionalism, Reclaimed ” It shows his foundational beliefs and philosophy He separates himself from the “arrogant brand of exceptionalism demonstrated by Dick Cheney criticizes the American first policies of Donald Trump and advocates for a new American exceptionalism and American leadership in the 21st Century Sullivan has a shallow Hollywood understanding of history: The United States stopped Hitler ’s Germany, saved Western Europe from economic ruin stood firm against the Soviet Union and supported the spread of democracy worldwide He believes that the fact that the major powers have not returned to war with one another since 1945 is a remarkable achievement of American statecraft Jake Sullivan is young in age but his ideas are old The United States is no longer dominant economically or politically, and it is certainly not “indispensable ” More and more countries are objecting to U S bullying and defying Washington s demands Even key allies such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are ignoring U S requests The trend toward a multipolar world is escalating and Jake Sullivan is trying to reverse the trend, but reality and history are working against him Over the past four or five decades, the U S has gone from being an investment engineering and manufacturing powerhouse to a deficit-spending consumer economy waging perpetual war with a bloated military-industrial complex Instead of reforming and rebuilding the U S the national security state expends much of its energy and resources trying to destabilize countries deemed to be “adversaries” Previous national security advisers Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski were very influential Kissinger is famous for wooing China and dividing the communist bloc Jake Sullivan is now wooing India in hopes of dividing that country from China and the BRICS alliance (Brazil Russia India China South Africa)

Brzezinski is famous for plotting the Afghanistan trap By destabilizing Afghanistan with foreign terrorists beginning 1978, the U S induced the Soviet Union to send troops to Afghanistan at the Afghan government’s request The result was the collapse of the progressive Afghan government the rise of the Taliban and Al Qaeda and 40 years of war and chaos

On 28 February 2022, just four days after Russian troops entered Ukraine, Jake Sullivan s mentor, Hillary Clinton, was explicit: “Afghanistan is the model ” It appears the U S intentionally escalated the provocations in Ukraine to induce Russia to intervene The goal is to weaken Russia This explains why the U S has spent over $100 billion sending weapons and other support to Ukraine This explains why the U S and UK undermined negotiations which could have ended the conflict early on

The Americans who oversaw the 2014 coup in Kiev, are the same ones running U S foreign policy today: Joe Biden Victoria Nuland and Jake Sullivan Prospects for ending the Ukraine war are very poor as long as they are in power

B I D E N WA R N S C H I N A ’ S X I O N W E S T ’ S

I N V E S T M E N T A F T E R P U T I N M E ET I N G

S President Joe Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping following his meeting with Russia s Vladimir Putin to “be careful” because Beijing relies on Western investment according to excerpts from an interview with CNN I said: This is not a threat This is an observation, Biden said Since Russia went into Ukraine, 600 American corporations have pulled out of Russia And you have told me that your economy depends on investment from Europe and the United States And be careful Be careful Putin and Xi held two days of talks in March with warm words of friendship between China and Russia and joint criticism of the West, but no sign of a diplo-

Heat wave in US turns Texas prisons into ‘ovens’ HOUSTON

A G E N C I E S

On the afternoon of July 4, as Americans were celebrating the country s independence with elaborate fireworks displays, a prisoner named Joseph Martire passed out in his cell in Texas, amid the excessive heat that has been swamping much of the southern United States in recent days

In concrete brick and metal penitentiaries industrial fans churn warm vapor without really cooling the air

And with no air conditioning in most prisons, when outside temperatures exceed 40ºC (104 Fahrenheit), it can feel even hotter inside the cells

Some prisoners sabotage the toilets in their cells to make the water overflow and wet the floor which they then sleep on Others wet their clothes to try to stay cool according to convicts ex-convicts and family members who spoke to AFP

In recent weeks, 35-year-old Martire had four heatrelated health episodes at Estelle Prison in Huntsville, where he has served 16 years

“I just passed out the medical (staff) refused to see me and I don t know what to do he told his family by phone They called the prison administration to seek help

When other inmates sense that someone has passed out in a nearby cell, they yell to attract a guard s attention, but staff shortages often mean delays, Martire said The stricken inmate is then taken to an administrative area of the jail that does have air conditioning for socalled respite Prisoners try to linger as long as possible I ve already had too many issues with my health before from the heat Martire said

Asked what the heat in the cells is like, Amite Dominick of the NGO Advocates for Texas Community Prisons replied: “The fastest way I can explain that is, go sit in your car on a triple-digit day Bring a blow-dryer with you Crack your window a little bit ”

Brick oven –

The Texas Tribune news site reported that at least nine people had died in state prisons in June from heart attacks or other possibly heat-related causes

But Amanda Hernandez, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), which is in charge of prisons said the last heat death occurred in 2012

In June the department treated seven cases of people affected beyond first aid but there were no fatalities she said The department which oversees 126 000 prisoners, said that 32 people died in June, from a variety of causes Dominick took issue with that breakdown

“The coroner will usually report something like ‘cardiac arrest’ because heat stroke is highly correlated with cardiac arrest ” she said

We re seeing the same reports We re seeing medical evidence for what happens to the body You know during these types of temperatures, these are heatrelated deaths, Dominick added

Sean Adams, 36, served time in a prison called the Clemens Unit, in the Texas city of Brazoria, but which inmates call “Burns Like Hell ”

It s one of the older units that was made out of you know red bricks Adams said And so red bricks are essentially what ovens are made out of The prisons agency said inmates have access to ice and water, and can go to air-conditioned rest areas when necessary – ‘So inhumane’ –Samantha whose daughter is a 25-year-old inmate at the Lane Murray prison said three prisoners died there in June from heat-related causes

The way that they re treated is so inhumane she said

In the summer months, when you re inside, you see multiple heat-induced seizures every day, said Marci Marie Simmons, a 44-year-old ex-convict and activist

She said that in late June, a 36-year-old inmate died in the Estelle prison hours after speaking with her mother and complaining about the heat

matic breakthrough over Ukraine

The pair also participated in a virtual summit earlier this week

There are heightened tensions and pessimism in the U S -China relationship over national security issues including Taiwan, Russia s war in Ukraine, growing U S export bans on advanced technologies and China’s state-led industrial policies U S Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was continuing a visit to China on Saturday

Asked what Xi s response was, Biden said: He listened, and he didn’t argue And if you notice, he has not gone full-bore in on Russia ” “So I think there’s a way we can work through this

Gilgit-Baltistan B upset C hitral B in thrilling encounter in S handur Polo

CHITRAL S TA F F R E P O R T

Gilgit-Baltistan B team handed an upsetting defeat to Chitral B team in a thrilling encounter witnessed by hundreds and thousands of cheering spectators on the second day of the Shandur Polo Festival on Saturday

DG Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts Arslan Asrar Mirza opened the match by throwing the ball followed by the two teams raided on each other s defence with some out busted horses The riders exhibited their classes in a free for all match without rules, throwing the full force balls from one end to the others

Gilgit-Baltistan team defeated Chitral Body Guard team by five goals to two goals The closing ceremony of the festival will be held on Sunday As usual, the teams of Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan will compete in the match’s awaited final with a good supportive crowd also turned up from both Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan

A large number of tourists came to enjoy the festival The three-day Shandur Polo Festival continued for the second day amid joy and jubilation, with a large number of local and international tourists thronging to the scenic Chitral area to witness the Polo matches played on the highest altitude Polo ground famous as the world rooftop The second day’s festivities were inaugurated by Brigadier Arsalan Israr Mirza Director General GB scouts who threw the Polo ball to start the match Secretary of Tourism Sohail Khan

was also present on the occasion

A significant number of local and foreign tourists arrived in Shandar to see the Polo matches

The festival was jointly organized by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority, Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, and the district administration

All the necessary arrangements have been made to facilitate and assist tourists Tourism police and guides have also been deployed to assist tourists, and adequate accommodation facilities have been ensured for visitors

Camping pods have been installed and are available for tourists while the helpline of the tourism authority is also operational Various colorful programs, including paragliding, food stalls, and traditional dances, have also been arranged on the second day of the festival Stalls have also been established to highlight and promote the artwork of Chitral and Gilgit local artistes and

Hundreds def y Paris protest ban a week after riots

PARIS

A G E N C I E S

Hundreds of protesters defied a ban on Saturday to march in central Paris against police violence a week after riots sparked by the killing of a teenager in a Parisian suburb Police dispersed the crowd from Paris’s huge Place de la Republique, sending several hundred people towards the wide Boulevard Magenta where they were seen marching peacefully

The Paris police department said in a decision published on its website that it had banned the planned demonstration, citing a context of tensions

We still enjoy freedom of expression in France, but freedom of assembly, in particular, is under threat,” said Felix Bouvarel a health worker who came to the gathering in spite of the ban which he called shocking

skilled people

In the evening a Chitral cultural night was organized in which various local artistes sang traditional and cultural songs to entertain the audience and promote the rich culture of the area

It is worth mentioning that the Shandur Polo ground is situated at a level 3800m height known as the Roof of the World and the King Game has been held annually since 1936 The KPCTA has made all arrangements to hold the festival in a befitting manner and attract domestic and foreign tourists to witness the beauty of the scenic region and traditional games On the second day, a match was played between Gilgit B team and Chitral B team, with Gilgit B winning 5-2 in a thrilling match Brigadier Arsalan Israr Director General GB scouts and DIG Naisr Satti distributed gifts cash prizes and the trophy to the winning team

Authorities also banned a demonstration in the northern city of Lille on Saturday, while a march in Marseille took place with a changed trajectory, ordered out of the city centre

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said this week that more than 3 000 people mostly teenagers had been arrested in six nights of riots that ended a week ago

Some 2 500 buildings were damaged

The riots were triggered by the June 27 fatal shooting by a police officer of 17-year-old Nahel M at a traffic stop A police officer is under investigation for voluntary homicide; his lawyer says he did not intend to kill the teen Saturday’s demonstration was called by the family of Adama Traore a Black Frenchman whose death in police custody in 2016 has been marked by annual protests since Organisers had sought to move it to central Paris after it was banned in Beaumont-surOise, the Paris suburb where Traore died French authorities and politicians, including President Emmanuel Macron have denied institutional racism within the country s law enforcement agencies

The French foreign ministry denied on Saturday that the country s legal system is racist a day after the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) called for France to address “the structural and systemic causes of racial discrimination including in law enforcement”

“Any accusation of systemic racism or discrimination by law enforcement in France is unfounded the foreign ministry said

Grenade attack, gun battle leaves 2 Iran police dead

TEHRAN

A grenade attack and gun battle in Iran s southeast near Pakistan left four assailants and two Iranian policemen dead on Saturday, local media said

It was the latest violence in SistanBaluchistan province, where unrest has involved drug smuggling gangs rebels from the Baluchi minority and Sunni Muslim extremist groups

There was no immediate indication of who carried out the attack

Four unidentified armed individuals attacked and entered police station

Number 16 of Zahedan” the provincial capital according to state broadcaster

IRIB It quoted the province s deputy head of security Alireza Marhamati

The attackers used grenades to blast open the gates of the police station, and an exchange of fire occurred, said Marhamati

Two policemen were killed in the ensuing clash according to Tasnim news

agency, which quoted Sistan-Baluchistan Police Chief Doustali Jalilian All four “terrorists” involved in the attack were killed according to Iran’s official news agency IRNA which quoted a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps which commands southeast Iran

Meanwhile, Pakistan said it “strongly condemns the terrorist attack” and expressed “deepest condolences” to the bereaved families while praying for the swift recovery of the injured Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the government and people of Iran in this common fight against the scourge of terrorism,” the Foreign Office said in a statement after the attack

M AY AT TA C K S: In May five Iranian border guards were killed during clashes with an armed group in Saravan southeast of Zahedan, in one of the province s deadliest attacks in months State media reported at the time that the attack was carried out by “a terrorist

group that was seeking to infiltrate the country” but whose members “fled the scene after suffering injuries”

Zahedan was also the scene of protests that flared in September with dozens of deaths over the alleged rape of a teenage girl by a police officer

In late May, IRNA quoted a police official, Qassem Rezaee, as saying “Taliban forces” had shot at an Iranian police station in Sistan-Baluchistan a droughtparched region which also borders Afghanistan The two countries have been arguing over water rights

Yellen urges ‘direc t ’ talks, US - China climate collaboration

BEIJING

A G E N C I E S

Washington and Beijing should communicate directly on concerns about specific economic practices, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Saturday, urging greater cooperation between the world’s two biggest economies despite fraught ties

Yellen is on a four-day trip to Beijing as the United States seeks to cool tensions and stress areas of collaboration between the two countries

In a meeting on Saturday with Vice Premier He Lifeng, she pointed to record bilateral trade last year as proof of just how intertwined they are

There is ample room for our firms to engage in trade and investment she told He at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse

Where we have concerns about specific economic practices, we should and will communicate them directly ”

Vice Premier He said Beijing regretted that unexpected incidents had derailed ef-

forts to improve ties following a meeting be-

tween Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November

There were some problems in the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state, he said

But following Yellen s visit this week and her Friday meeting with Premier Li

Qiang he added “China will earnestly implement the consensus reached between you and Premier Li Qiang and turn it into concrete actions Her bilateral meeting with He lasted around five hours and was followed by a dinner

A Treasury statement said she raised issues of concern in the “candid” talks, while discussing the US approach of healthy economic competition

China s official Xinhua news agency added that China expressed concern on US sanctions and restrictions but both sides agreed to boost cooperation on global challenges

Yellen also met the party chief of China’s central bank Pan Gongsheng on Fri-

on global macroeconomic and

financial developments, the Treasury added in a separate statement

While emphasising areas where the two powers need to work together she has defended US moves to de-risk its economy from China, and tackle what Washington sees as unfair treatment of American businesses

Yellen told a roundtable of experts in China on Saturday that collaboration between the two powers on climate financing was critical

As the world s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases and the largest investors in renewable energy, we have both a joint responsibility and ability to lead the way,” she said

“The United States and China must work together to address this existential threat she added

Saying that climate finance should be targeted efficiently and effectively , she pressed China to support existing multilateral institutions such as the Green Climate Fund

“Both our economies seek to support partners in emerging markets and developing

countries as they strive to meet their climate goals and I believe continued US-China cooperation on climate finance is critical

China last year briefly said it was suspending talks on the climate after Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taiwan the self-ruled democracy claimed by Beijing

But there are signs talks could restart with US envoy John Kerry due to travel to China to discuss cooperation on climate change

Yellen also said in her meeting with Chinese Premier Li that it was key for both countries to closely communicate on global economic affairs, while making joint efforts on international challenges such as debt distress

‘Big ticket items’

The Treasury chief s high-level meeting with Li likely set the tone for the rest of her visit said Lyu Xiang a Sino-US relations expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

On Saturday, Yellen also spoke with women economists stressing that the US-China relationship was rooted in the solid ties be-

tween the American and Chinese people

“It is important that we keep nurturing and deepening these ties especially as China reopens its economy after pandemicrelated lockdowns she said adding that the US may have differences with the Chinese government, but not with its people Yellen likely aimed to drill down into more specific issues on Saturday ranging from the macroeconomy to trade and technology exports Lyu told AFP

But a key question is whether big ticket items that are in the category of global challenges , like debt distress and climate cooperation, get bumped to the top of the agenda, said Lindsay Gorman, senior fellow for emerging technologies at the German Marshall Fund of the United States Yellen s talks on Saturday followed meetings with US companies which have expressed concerns ranging from level playing fields with the Chinese to reduced people-to-people exchanges and an uncertain business climate in the face of a national security crackdown

CORPORATE CORNER

NOT-BY- PROFIT

Workers of Sarwari Jamaat taking part in a rally against the desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden in Lahore PR

Power supply to K arachi remained stable during rains

K a r a c h i: Power supply to the city remained stable during the first scattered showers of the monsoon spell KE teams are closely monitoring the situation and remain in touch with key departments including met department The staff is on high alert and geared to tackle all rain related eventualities Power distribution network remained stable while supply was temporarily suspended to a few areas prone to waterlogging or with a high prevalence of kundas which could create safety hazards These were restored after receiving clearance from field teams Spokesperson KE advised citizens to take precautionary measures including maintaining a safe distance from all electric infrastructure amid the prediction of sporadic rain until 10th july For further guidance, customers can reach out to KE Social media platforms or use the KE Live App and WhatsApp self-service portal for assistance For emergency electrical complaints during rainy weather call center 118 also remains available PR

SCCI welcomes launch of direct flight between Pakistan, Kazakhstan

PESHAWAR

The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry

(SCCI) welcomed the launch of direct flights between Pakistan and Kazakhstan expressing the hope that the initiative would further strengthen bilateral economic trade, diplomatic and cultural relations between the countries SCCI Acting President Ijaz Khan Afridi, in a statement here on Saturday said promotion of regional trade is the dire need of the hour

He hailed the efforts of Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Pakistan Mr Yerzhan Kistafin toward the launch of direct flight between Pakistan and Kazakhstan and further cementing bilateral trade and economic relations between the two countries

He said prospects are brighter to further cement mutual trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Kazakhstan

He however emphasized that it is essential to organize exchange of business delegations trade exhibitions and fully take benefits from each other s experiences and potentials to enhance the mutual trade volume between the countries

Ijaz Afridi appreciated it is a good sign that both governments of Pakistan and Kazakhstan are keen to further strengthen bilateral trade economic and diplomatic relations and steps have already been taken in this regard

He went on to say that Pakistan s economic future has been attached with regional trade, saying that the government was taking sufficient steps to enhance regional connectivity and trade with central Asian countries

He added the launch of a direct flight between Pakistan and Kazakhstan was part of these efforts

Ijaz Afridi continued to say that huge opportunities exist to improve mutual trade and economic ties between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, which should be exploited in an affluent manner by taking pragmatic steps at governmental level

Keeping the view of the prevailing economic scenario the SCCI s acting chief called for focusing on enhancing regional trade

He noted Kazakhstan is an important destination with regard to investment, which opportunities were available to make investment in energy, gas, oil and other potential sectors in Kazakhstan

He also mentioned that Kazakhstan was the third largest exporter of wheat in the world in which opportunities exist to collaborate with Pakistan

Ijaz Afridi said Pakistan s Gwadar and Karachi port are also highly attractive, through which could be easy access to Kazakhstan, including Central Asian countries’ markets

He also mentioned many other potential sectors which would help to improve bilateral trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan

MU H A M M A D Zohaib Khan the chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) described the creation of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) as a significant development for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan with the potential to bring about transformative changes in the country s economy

The SIFC will include key figures from both the government and the armed forces, and it will consist of apex, exec-

utive and implementation committees Khan commended the collaboration between civilian and state institutions for their clear vision and collective effort in advancing the prosperity of the nation Khan emphasized that investors entrepreneurs and business groups are deterred by bureaucratic hurdles dealing with multiple licensing and regulatory authorities, and the inconsistency in economic and investment policies They are accustomed to streamlined processes and incentives provided through centralized operations The SIFC has been established to specifically address these issues

The SIFC will prioritize defense production, agriculture, mines and min-

erals energy and the IT industry with the ambitious target of attracting $100 billion in FDI within three years The ultimate goal is to achieve a nominal GDP of $1 trillion by fiscal year 2035

The state apparatus will provide comprehensive technical and strategic support to ensure the seamless functioning of the council Khan highlighted the inclusion of information technology as a focal area for the SIFC Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the state institutions have made a commitment to promote the IT industry in order to create employment boost revenues and significantly increase exports P@SHA, as the leading

SPU together with other LEAs providing best security to Chinese in Punjab: Zhao Shiren

g ‘2ND CHINESE LANGUAGE PROGRAM ’ LAUNCHED FOR PERSONNEL OF SPU

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T

In a major development around 10-week-long 2nd Chinese Language Program has been launched for the personnel of Special Protection Unit (SPU) of Punjab Police on Saturday

The SPU unit has been formulated especially for providing security to the foreigners and particularly the Chinese national working on CPEC or the nonCPEC projects across the Punjab

The first Chinese Language Program for SPU personnel was launched in 2019 In post-Covid-19 scenario it is now the second program that has been organized by Chinese Consulate Lahore on the proposal of the Punjab Chief Minister

The inaugural ceremony was held by Chinese Consulate Lahore in attendance with Zhao Shiren

Chinese Consul General Lahore

Mr Mohsin Naqvi Chief Minister of Punjab, Dr Usman Anwar, Inspector General Punjab of Police, Mr Shakeel Ahmad, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Mr Tayyab Hafeez Cheema Deputy Inspector General of Police Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Vice Chancellor, University of the Punjab at Riaz Hall, University of Punjab

The 10-week-long course will continue till September 16 and the classes will be held every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 12:00

The textbook is tailor-made for SPU officers so that they can deal with the real situations In order to improve teaching efficiency, Chinese Consulate Lahore has divided 50 selected SPU people into two

classes Three teachers are from local Chinese Community with two teaching assistants from Confucius Institute, University of the Punjab

Speaking to the audience Chinese Consul General Lahore Zhao Zhiren said this training program adds a special significance to everlasting process of cooperation, partnership and friendship between Pakistan and China in the backdrop of series of many gala events and commemorative celebrations of the 72rd anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan as well as tenyear completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

“The Chinese Consulate enjoys good collaboration with the SPU and the Home Department We commend their services efforts and sacrifices and we are willing to reciprocate We have taken some initiatives, and this program is a new step in this direction, aiming to enhance the institutional capacity building of the SPU and strengthen the quality security provision and service to the Chinese community in Punjab as lan-

guage is an essential tool for effective communication, and the equipment of Chinese language for the SPU personnel is the need of the hour ” he articulated

“During meeting CM Punjab floated the proposal and we discussed the probability and feasibility of the program In retrospection, I have to acknowledge that I had a moment of hesitancy, because circumstance has changed in the wake of the unfortunate April 26 Karachi Incident last year as we lack both the qualified teachers and the proper language textbooks, he added Nevertheless, we managed to obtain the teaching materials for Confucius Institutes invited three competent and experienced teachers from the local Chinese language school and mobilized all resources available, he explained In short, he said that I m inspired by honorable Chief Minister ’s commitment to public service his personal care of the SPU as well as his dedication to the development of our bilateral relations

platform representing the IT industry expressed its full support in facilitating the consultative process between stakeholders to harness the untapped potential of the IT industry and assist the SIFC in achieving its goals

P@SHA emphasized that the IT industry plays a pivotal role in catalyzing other sectors through automation digitalization, business process reengineering, and artificial intelligence, enabling them to align with international best practices Therefore IT will serve as a productivity multiplier for the other focus areas of the SIFC

To read the full article visit www brecorder com

WB approves $46m financing for KP healthcare

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The World Bank s Board of Executive Directors on Saturday approved $46 million in financing for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Citizen-Centered Service Delivery Project which will support both supply and demand side interventions to improve health service delivery in the province

The Project will support the Government in expanding the provision of Child Wellness Grants targeted at mothers, provided they attend health awareness sessions”, said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan

Nearly 300 000 children under the age of two will benefit from Child Welfare Grants (CWGs) To mitigate the financial barriers associated with the use of these services families of these children will receive PKR 12,500 (approximately US$45), spread over five visits, for attending the health awareness sessions and growth monitoring of their child

The project will also support the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government in adoption of the one window operation model of the Citizen Facilitation Centers (CFC) to promote essential service delivery to the local population

The CFCs, in addition to provision of Child Wellness Grants, offer vital services to the local communities such as registration services including recording of birth death marriage divorce family registration etc 560 000 individuals will be utilizing the services provided at the CFCs

The project will facilitate the transition of the program to the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bridging the continuity of the activities under the 40 CFCs already established with the support of the Federal Government ” said Amjad Zafar Khan Task Team Leader for the project Pakistan has been a member of the World Bank since 1950 Since then the World Bank has provided $40 billion in assistance The World Bank s program in Pakistan is governed by a Country Partnership Strategy with four priority areas of engagement: energy private sector development inclusion and service delivery The current portfolio has 58 projects and a total commitment of $14 8 billion

ANF calls for increased awareness, collective effort to save youngsters

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Governor Kamran Tessori said that the citizens of Karachi were obsessed with Cricket He said that Pakistani youth were talented and they could perform in every field of life Kamran Tessori said that different academies were working for the young cricketers He said that the abilities of the young cricketers were being developed in those academies The Governor said this metropolitan city introduced many international standard players including Mohammed brothers Javed Miandad and others He said that the promotion of Cricket in the city was also his mission

The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Saturday called upon the entire society to play its role in making the collective efforts successful through intensive mass awareness and prevention measures to save the new generation from becoming drug addicts

The youth should focus on their studies in universities and colleges, keep an eye on their surroundings and inform ANF force in case of observing any suspicious activity Director Enforcement ANF Brigadier Rashid said while talking to ptv news channel

An Anti-narcotics Unit has also been established to help crack down on drug peddlers he said adding there was need for creating awareness among youth against the use of drugs that were now easily accessible to prepubescent children Around 66 percent of young population was the wealth of any nation and can play a significant part in the reduction of the menace currently faced by the nation he added

N o ev i d e n c e o f to r t u r e, a b u s e o f wo m e n p r i s o n e r s o f M ay 9 r i o t s fo u n d : M i n i s t r y

A meeting was held under the Chair of Federal Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and attended by senior officers from Federal and Provincial Governments including representatives of Prisons and Home Departments, Islamabad Police, and Ministry of Human Rights

The Chairpersons of National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) also attended the meeting

The chair welcomed the participants and highlighted initiatives of the Ministry of Human Rights for the protection and promotion of the rights of prisoners across the country, including effective coordination, as well as training sensitization and capacity building of prisons authorities with a view to improve human rights situation in prisons

He also urged the stakeholders to undertake special measures concerning the protection of minorities’ rights particularly on religious festivals in line with national and international commitments and careful application of 4th Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 besides setting up rehabilitation centers for drug addicts

NCHR Chairperson Ms Rabiya Javeri

Agha informed that the Commission, which is an independent statutory body had taken cognizance of some allegations on the media regarding the violation of human rights of some women prisoners in the wake of the events of May 9

She informed that the Commission, led by herself and accompanied by the representatives of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Justice Project visited a number of prisons interviewed many prisoners and reviewed other evidence She informed that the report of the Com-

mission has been finalized and no evidence of mistreatment, torture or sexual abuse of women protesters was found by these independent observers

The team however found some gaps in procedure and some systemic issues in these arrests and prisons

While sharing the findings of the report, she highlighted recommendations for improvement in the system of Prisons Administration She informed that some prisoners complained about the use of excessive police force or verbal abuse of family members at the time of arrests

She said that some of the prisoners were not aware of their rights

She also expressed doubts about the efficiency of the oversight committees established to ensure outside review of the prison conditions

The Minister for Human Rights appreciated the Commission for taking cognizance of the issue and directed that the report of the

Commission may also be shared with all the provincial governments so that they may initiate requisite policy reforms

He also stressed the need for making the oversight committees more effective

NCSW Chairperson Ms Nelofar Bakhtiar stressed the need for improvement of the sys-

tem of prisons particularly for women inmates She said that separate cells for women prisoners were required in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir She also emphasized proper food and nutrition arrangements for pregnant women and mothers with infants in custody

C r i c ke te r S a r f a r a z , G ove r n o r Te s s o r i d i s c u s s c r i c ke t p ro m o t i o n i n p rov i n c e

PUNJAB GOVT DECIDES TO CHALLENGE RELEASE OF MAY 9 RIOTERS ON BAIL

LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T

TH E Punjab government Saturday decided to file appeals against the release of May 9 riots accused on bail with Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi vowed that the law will reach to the miscreants no matter, how much elusive they are

A meeting presided over by Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Saturday reviewed progress of action against the miscreants involved in the May 9 tragedy

The meeting decided to challenge the release of May 9 accused who were granted bail by the courts CM Naqvi took serious notice of not holding the

identification parade of 171 miscreants He ordered to complete the identification parade as soon as possible He also directed the authorities to arrest main fugitive miscreants involved in the May 9 violence He asked the law officers concerned to proceed cases against the rioters in a professional manner and make the prosecution manner more effective He ordered the law personnel to pursue the criminals “ N o m a t t e r, h o w m u c h e l u s i v e t h e m i s c r e a n t s a r e , l a w w i l l r e a c h t h e m T h e M a y 9 a t t a c k w a s a n a t t a c k o n t h e foundation of Pakistan All the rioting t o r c h i n g a n d v a n d a l i s m w a s c a r r i e d o u t a f t e r a t h o r o u g h p l a n n i n g T h e h e i n o u s g a m e p l a y e d b y m i s c r e a n t s i s a n u n p a r d o n a b l e c r i m e Te r r o r i s m w a s c a r r i e d o u t u n d e r t h e g a r b o f p o l i t i c s

People like Edhi reflect real moral values of societ y: PM

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that people like late Abdul Sattar Edhi truly reflected the moral values of a society and reinforced their trust in the humanity

Taking to his Twitter handle, the prime minister paid tribute to the services of late Edhi on his 7th death anniversary

He said that people like late Edhi worked for their objective with dedication and desire which later became a symbol of their contributions

Abdul Sattar Edhi had been one of those personalities who had devoted his life to serve humanity and spent his whole life in struggle, enthusiasm and dedication for his goal to serve humanity the prime minister added in his tweet posted in Urdu language

He also prayed for the high ranks of late Edhi

To ensure transparency in selection of recipients under laptop scheme

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that transparency and merit will be the guiding principles in the selection of recipients for laptop scheme

In a tweet today he said the nationwide launch of Prime Minister s laptop scheme yesterday resumed the fascinating journey, the PML-N government had started in Punjab He pointed out that these laptops helped students with their studies, become entrepreneurs and pursue gainful careers over the last decade

He said the laptop scheme has truly been a gamechanger which led to sterling success stories Under the present scheme, he said one hundred thousand laptops will be distributed among the students of Pakistan in a phased manner

Pervaiz Elahi moves LHC to get B class in jail

LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T

Former Punjab chief minister and PTI President

Pervaiz Elahi Saturday filed a petition in Lahore High Court again seeking provision of B Class in the jail

In the petition Pervaiz Elahi pleaded that a better class in jail is his legal right which was given to him earlier on the court s order but the jail authorities took all the facilities back including the air conditioner T h e P T I p r e s i d e n t r e q u e s t e d t h a t t h e c o u r t i s s u e s a n o r d e r t o p r o v i d e h i m w i t h A C , f o o d f r o m h i s h o m e a n d o t h e r f a c i l i t i e s i n c l u d i n g m e d i c i n e s a n d t r e a t m e n t

Pervaiz Elahi nominated the Punjab Chief Secretary Additional Home Chief Secretary the Inspector General of Prisons and Superintendent Jails as respondents in the petition

It was stated that the petitioner is 78 years old and has been suffering from heart ailments, arguing that better facilities in prison was necessary for his health

We w i l l t a k e t h e t e r r o r i s m c a s e s t o t h e i r l o g i c a l c o n c l u s i o n t h e c h i e f m i n i s t e r r e s o l v e d

The meeting was attended by Punjab

Chief Secretary, Punjab Advocate General the Punjab IG Police Additional Chief Secretary Home Ministry Additional Chief Secretary Lahore CCPO

Secretary Prosecution Additional IG Special Branch, CTD Additional IG, Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and other concerned officials The investigation agencies on Friday submitted a probe report of the May 9 tragedy to the higher authorities

According to police a detailed report was prepared regarding the arrest and investigation made in connection with the Jinnah House attack case and it was submitted to the higher authorities

According to the report five cases were registered in Sarwar Road police station under the terrorism sections and inspector-rank officers were investigating the cases of terrorism

The report said that two people were killed and 64 policemen were injured in the same cases It further said that 430 accused were arrested in these five cases All the cases are still being investigated, the report added According to the report, 49 nominated accused were arrested through footage identification, while 330 unknown persons were arrested in the terrorism cases

Seventy-four accused were discharged after the identification parade and 27 cases were registered under other provisions in the Cantt Division, the report concluded

PM sets up committee to decide on Pakistan’s tour of India for World Cup

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Prime Minister Shehbaz on Saturday formed a high-level committee to decide whether Pakistan national team would travel to India to participate in the 2023 ODI World Cup match scheduled to be held later this year

The international event is scheduled to begin in October in India

The formation of the committee comes after Asia Cricket Council (ACC) gave go-ahead for the hybrid model to hold the Asia Cup tournament as India had refused to visit Pakistan

Sources said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would head the committee while Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Communication Minister Asad Mahmood, and other officials will be its members

Officials from the security departments have also been included in the committee The committee would present its recommendations regarding participation of the Pakistan team in the ODI World Cup in India to PM Shehbaz, who will then take the final decision

Last month, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had sought the government permission to participate in ODI World Cup

In a letter written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), on behalf of the PCB, sought the government’s clearance to participate in the event to be hosted by India

The PCB had also requested the government to scrutinise the expected security on the five venues offered to Pakistan for their World Cup matches in India In the

Ijazul Haq booked in Rs1.8b money laundering case

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday registered a money laundering case worth Rs1 8 billion against Ijaz ul Haq, chief of PML-Z and son of former military ruler General Ziaul Haq

The case has been registered on the orders of the Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the light of a joint investigation team s report According to the case a total 23 persons have been nominated in the case including Ijazul Haq former MPA Ghulam Murtaza and Ghazala Shaheen

letter sent on June 27, the PCB had also sought the government’s advice on the venues The World Cup will start on Oct 5 with a repeat of the 2019 final as England take on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad

Pakistan will take on India on October 15 in Ahmedabad Hosts India begin their campaign on Oct 8 against five-time World Cup winners Australia in Chennai

A

The accused have been nominated in alleged money laundering of Rs1 8 billion, according to the FIR The FIA had summoned former federal minister Ijazul Haq for probe into the alleged money laundering in last February Haq was asked to appear on February 21 at the investigation agency s office in Faisalabad

The former minister for religious affairs and minorities has been charged with accumulating assets beyond means The case of Ijazul Haq was handed over to the FIA by the NAB and was investigated by a joint investigation team (JIT)

Seven passengers killed in Sargodha van cylinder blast

SAR GODHA

S TA F F R E P O R T

At least seven persons were killed and 14 others sustained critical burns when LPG cylinder installed in a passenger van with around 20 onboard exploded in Bhalwal Sargodha district police said on Saturday

The police informed that cylinder exploded when the ill-fated van was on the way to Kot Momin from Bhalwal with 21 passengers on board leaving five dead on the spot

LAHOR/ISLAMABAD

S

The sky across the country remained overcast bringing showers in various cities of Punjab and Sindh including Lahore and Karachi on Saturday while nine persons including three children were injured in separate roofcollapse incidents during rain in provincial capital, here on Saturday The intermittent rain continued pummeling different parts of the country submerging low-lying areas and tripping electricity feeders There was light to heavy showers in Lahore since Saturday morning which continued till evening The low-lying areas in the city have been inundated and Lesco s electricity transmission system has buckled under the pouring rain

On the other hand, nine persons including three children were injured in separate roof-collapse incidents during rain in provincial capital here on Saturday

Police and rescuers informed that three girls were sleeping in a room of a house at Azhar Town in Nishtar Town area when roof of the house collapsed As a result, all girls were buried under the debris On receiving information, Rescue-1122 vehicles reached the spot and started rescue operation They pulled the injured from under the debris and shifted them to Lahore General Hospital The injured were identified as Sadia Babar (18) Aalia Babar (13) and Amina Pervez

In another incident six persons were asleep when roof their house collapsed As a result, all persons were buried under the debris The rescuers reached the spot and started operation They pulled the injured from under debris Two of them namely Afzal Malik (45) Sonia Afzal (35) were shifted to Mayo Hospital

while remaining four people including Ghulam Abbas (36) Tania Abbas (30) Kaneez Fatima (7) and Dua Fatima (4) were given the first aid on the spot

Rain is also lashing other cities of Punjab including Gujranwala Rawalpindi Faisalabad Sialkot Sahiwal, Jhelum, Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Layyah, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur Rahim Yar Khan Rajanpur and Taunsa In Sindh Karachi has been receiving Monsoon showers since last night Moderate rain hit New Nazimabad Federal B Area Samanabad Azizabad Shah Faisal and North Nazimabad This year s monsoon has so far resulted in the loss of at least 50 lives since June 25, according to data released by the National Disaster Management Agency yesterday Additionally, over 80 individuals sustained injuries due to multiple incidents

The Punjab capital also witnessed moderate to heavy rainfall on Saturday As per the data provided by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) the area around Nishtar Town Director s Office recorded the highest rainfall of 85 millimetres, followed by Johar

To w n S D O O ff i c e w i t h 7 0 m m , L a k s h m i C h o w k 44mm, Gulshan-e-Ravi 41mm, Iqbal Town SDO Off i c e 3 8 m m a n d t h e a i r p o r t a r e a 2 7 m m o f r a i n f a l l today between 6am and 11:30am CM inspects water drainage process in city Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited different areas of the provincial metropolis during rain on Saturday and inspected water drainage process at Kalma Chowk Underpass, Garden Town, Gulberg Liberty Jail Road Mozang Qartaba Chowk Shahra-i-Fatima Jinnah and Lawrence Road

The police said that the explosion took place due to a gas leak from the LPG cylinder The vehicle caught fire right after the cylinder ’s explosion Eyewitness Kot Momin Police Station Head Constable Mohammad Shahid who was heading to work said that he was sitting on the front seat of the van when the cylinder exploded around 8:30am

He said he got out of the van immediately Then, he broke the middle and the rear doors of the van to take the passengers out as the flames engulfed the entire vehicle After the gruesome incident rescue teams rushed to the spot and started rescue operations to put out the fire in the passenger van

The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals in Sargodha and Kot Momin

The rescue-emergency officer said that the condition of one of the injured was critical He said that the process of identification of the deceased was underway CM grieved over loss of lives

Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the loss of human lives due to fire eruption in a passenger van in tehsil Bhalwal of Sargodha

The CM expressed his heartfelt sympathy and condolence with the heirs of the deceased He directed to provide best treatment facilities to the injured He directed Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Sargodha to immediately reach the accident site and investigate the incident Separately, nine people including a woman and a child were injured in separate road accidents in different localities of Gujranwala

Police said that an over speeding car knocked down a motorcycle on GT Road near Ghaniya area critically injuring a woman Tahira Bibi 40 and Jamil 50

Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control unveil changes in taxes on c ars in Punjab

revenues per se At present these increases only serve to fill the gap the government has observed in its revenues, concluded Younas

Registration fee cut

The registration fee for vehicles with engine capacities ranging from 1 501 cc to 2 000 cc has been reduced from 3% to 2%

said Younas

Despite these measures, I remain sceptical about their efficacy in terms of revenue generation, Younas added “Even if people could earn an additional Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh by selling their cars, I don’t believe they will Does it matter if your car has appreciated in value from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh? It s not due to anything inherent to your car; it s merely a reflection of the inflation in the economy he elucidated Alternative cars have also become more expensive so people are likely to retain their cars, reducing the efficacy of these increases The luxury car market might operate under a different set of dynamics altogether ” said Younas

“These increases are aimed at filling the gap Unless the economy rebounds to stages similar in the recent past there s not going to be a year-on-year increase in

The registration fee is something unique to the provinces Muhammad Awais another Partner at EY Ford Rhodes, pointed out The issue with Punjab was that the registration fee on high-end and imported cars is higher than in Islamabad and Sindh,” Awais continued He stated that “people who bought such cars would register them in Islamabad or Sindh instead of Punjab He continued that this reduced the vehicles and the token tax in Punjab He said that all of this resulted in revenue losses for Punjab

He concluded that the rate reduction is an attempt to harmonise registration fees with other territories ” He suggested that “all the provinces should charge a harmonised registration fee to avoid this issue ”

EY Ford Rhodes He suggested that reduced rates for electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles should be introduced Higher rates for higher cc vehicles and non-filers are good initiatives ” “Maybe the higher rates should be increased more to discourage their use ” posited