Epaper_23-07-15 LHR

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ARMED FORCES CONCERNED ABOUT TTP SAFE HAVENS IN AFGHANISTAN: COAS

g URGES AFGHAN GOVT NOT TO ALLOW USE OF ITS SOIL FOR TERRORISM AGAINST ANY COUNTRY

RAWALPINDI

S TA F F R E P O R T

CH I E F of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Friday said the Armed Forces of Pakistan had serious concerns on the safe havens and liberty of action available to the banned Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan

The army chief made these remarks during his visit to Quetta Garrison where he was briefed on the recent terrorist attack in Zhob an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), a news release said The COAS paid tributes to the Shuhada (martyrs), visited the injured soldiers at CMH Quetta lauded their services to the nation and appreciated their resolve General Munir said It is expected that the interim Afghan Government will not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in Doha Agreement ”

He further said that the involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan was another important concern that needed to be addressed

g PAYS TRIBUTE TO MARTYRS OF ZHOB ATTACK, ENQUIRES AFTER HEALTH OF INJURED SOLDIERS IN QUETTA CMH

menace of terrorism is rooted out from the country The army chief s statement suggests frustration on part of Pakistan due to the lack of cooperation from the Afghan Taliban to tackle the TTP threat

The Afghan Taliban spokesperson in a recent statement claimed the interim government was not allowing its soil to be used against any country and that TTP was a problem of Pakistan to deal with The TTP has become a thorny issue between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban Despite efforts the two sides could not find a common ground to deal with the issue

At the heart of the problem is the Afghan Taliban s reluctance to act against the TTP and their leadership Pakistan believes that the TTP and their top leadership were operating in Afghanistan with impunity

Such attacks are intolerable and will elicit an effective response from the Security Forces of Pakistan,” he added

He resolved that operations against terrorists would continue unabated and the Armed Forces would not rest till the menace of terrorism was rooted out from the country General Munir revealed that Afghan nationals were involved in recent acts of terrorism in Pakistan

FIA nicks nine in swoop on mobile loan apps ‘business’

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday claimed to have arrested nine suspects and booked 19 others for allegedly blackmailing citizens through loan-giving mobile applications (apps)

In a statement issued today, an FIA spokesperson said the cybercrime cell, along with the financial services, conducted raids in several areas of Rawalpindi during which nine suspects were held and first information reports were registered against 19 Inspector Badar

Munir sealed a number of offices inside a plaza located on the Saidu Sharif road it said in a statement

Earlier yesterday, the FIA team raided two offices of the loan app in G-8 sector, sealed the offices and confiscated laptops and other material

The FIA said the suspects were given targets to make 100 to 150 calls a day to citizens their friends and families on a daily basis

It added that in the raided offices a separate department was being run to make what it described as torture calls

The FIA said the departments were called D-0, D-1, D-2, DS-1, DS-2, and DS-3” and the suspects would collect personal information of citizens through the loan apps Afterwards they used it to harass people

The FIA added that a significant amount of documents computers laptops and mobile SIM cards were taken into possession during the raid

The arrested suspects were being interrogated, while an investigation was underway to nab others, it added M A N D I E S B Y S U I C I D E: The investigation into predatory loan apps was launched after a man died by suicide in Rawalpindi

The deceased man s wife who wished not to be named told Dawn com yesterday that her husband had taken two loans from separate mobile apps, one of which had seen its principal plus interest amass to Rs0 7m

The wife said he had initially taken a loan of Rs13 000 from EasyLoan app which quickly soared to Rs100 000 a few days later due to interest To pay back that loan he took another loan from Bharosa app, which also rose to Rs700,000 in a few weeks, she added Her husband, she said, had lost his job six months ago, leaving the family unable to pay for their children’s school fees and rent

According to her the officials operating the app “used to call daily to threaten and scare the family of police action against them if the loan repayment was delayed, and her husband died by suicide after growing tired of the threats Following the incident, the deceased man’s brother, Muzammil Husain, filed a complaint with the Race Course police station under Section 174 (police to inquire to report in suicide etc) of the Code of Criminal Procedure

Later an FIA team headed by Deputy Director Cyber Crime Tahir Jamil and Additional Director Abdul Rauf visited the man s family and registered a case after recording their statements, a Dawn report said

Higher food prices contribute to weekly inflation of 29%

g PRICES OF 41.17% DAILYUSE ITEMS WITNESS HIKE, 21 58% DROP

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) increased by 0 33 percent for the week ending on July 13, 2023

This rise was primarily driven by higher prices of food items including sugar (5 22 percent) wheat flour (4 23 percent) gur (3 68 percent) salt powdered (2 17 percent) and eggs (1 34 percent)

The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed ” the army chief said

“Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit effective response from the Security Forces of Pakistan he warned

He further said operations against terrorists would continue unabated and the armed forces shall not rest till the

The Afghan Taliban after taking over in August 2021 tried to broker a deal between Pakistan and the TTP Talks did make progress initially as the TTP announced a ceasefire in return for Pakistan freeing certain militants Islamabad also allowed hundreds of TTP fighters to return as part of the confidence building measure

Govt aver ted ‘potential

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that the risk of potential default has been completely averted through the efforts made by the government s economic team

Our detractors had been fabricating rumours all around that Pakistan was going to default on its sovereign commitments but we crossed all turbulent waters in just 15 months he added Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed the views at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 1,200 MW Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5) which is likely to be completed in seven to eight years at a cost of around $3 48 billion

The prime minister said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a new programme earlier this week and within 48 hours, around $3 billion were transferred

by Pakistan’s brotherly countries, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the first tranche of $1 2 billion was received from the IMF

He added that about four months back, the Chinese government and commercial banks rolled over amounts to the tune of $5 billion

The premier said keeping in mind the country s requirements

for clean and cheap energy sources, the nuclear project should be completed before the given schedule

Terming it a huge milestone and a symbol of cooperation between the two great friends China and Pakistan, PM Shehbaz said the project would help the country promote clean, efficient and comparatively cheaper energy

We will go solo, field candidates in all Punjab constituencies: Sanaullah

PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah indicated on Friday that his party would be contesting the polls solo in Punjab as he announced it was fielding candidates in all constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies in the province His remarks come after the prime minister promised timely elections after the government s tenure comes to an end in August

In a news conference in Lahore, the interior minister said:

“The PML-N is beginning its electoral activities and for this purpose an organisational meeting of the Punjab [chapter] has been called The primary agenda that will be discussed is our resolve to take forward the election activity

in Punjab with full force

All national and provincial constituencies, which number 433 297 of which are provincial and 146 are NA constituencies in all those a PML-N candidate will be present he asserted

A day ago Law Minister

Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, which met for the third day in a row, had completed 99 per cent of the work regarding the preparations for the polls

He had also said that all parties agreed on the proposed certifications and that while the PTI had objected to a few points, they would be resolved soon with PTI Senator Ali Zafar assuring them of his suggestions on the remaining issues

Last week it was reported that meetings between PML-N and PPP bigwigs in the United Arab

Emirates had purportedly resulted in a consensus on a number of issues, including names for the caretaker set-up and a power-sharing formula if the two parties win the next election I n h i s m e d i a t a l k t o d a y S a n a u l l a h n o t e d t h a t i t h a d b e e n t h e c a s e s o m e t i m e s t h a t i n a f e w c o n s t i t u e n c i e s , t h e P M L - N h a d n o t f i e l d e d i t s c a n d i d a t e s f o r t h e e l e c t i o n s

However this time the party has taken it as a challenge to ensure that its party symbol the tiger would be present in every constituency, he added

Recalling that the PML-N had organised the party in Punjab up to the Union Council level the minister expressed his party s intentions to fully back its candidates in the upcoming elections

On a year-on-year basis, there has been a significant increase of 28 96 percent in overall inflation This upward trend is mainly attributed to substantial price hikes in wheat flour (129 84 percent) cigarettes (111 74 percent) gas charges for q1 (108 38 percent) tea lipton (101 56 percent) rice basmati broken (76 74 percent) rice irri-6/9 (73 88 percent) potatoes (61 67 percent), gents sponge chappal (58 05 percent), sugar (57 91 percent), chicken (56 06 percent), salt powdered (53 49 percent), gur (48 30 percent), and bread (46 86 percent) However certain items have experienced a decrease in prices including onions (28 17 percent) electricity for q1 (14 58 percent) pulse masoor (7 54 percent) diesel (5 82 percent)

LPG (1 23 percent), and vegetable ghee 1 kg (1 16 percent) Out of the 51 items considered, during the week, the prices of 21 items increased (41 17 percent) 11 items decreased (21 58 percent) and 19 items remained stable (37 25 percent)

Some of the notable items that saw an increase in their average prices during the week compared to the previous week were sugar (5 22 percent), wheat flour bag 20 kg (4 23 percent), gur (3 68 percent), salt powdered (2 17 percent), eggs (1 34 percent), energy saver philips (0 81 percent) toilet soap (0 80 percent) rice basmati broken (0 77 percent) rice irri-6/9 (0 75 percent) milk fresh (0 47 percent) matchbox (0 36 percent) tea prepared ordinary (0 33 percent) garlic (0 33 percent), sufi washing soap (0 29 percent), pulse mash (0 27 percent), potatoes (0 14 percent), curd (0 14 percent), beef with bone (0 12 percent), cooked beef (0 08 percent) powdered milk nido (0 06 percent) and mustard oil (0 04 percent)

On the other hand the average prices of some items decreased during the week compared to the previous week, including bananas (12 18 percent), tomatoes (6 35 percent), onions (5 32 percent), LPG (2 17 percent), vegetable ghee dalda/habib 2 5 kg tin each (0 85 percent), pulse moong (0 70 percent), cooking oil dalda or other similar brand (sn) 5-litre tin each (0 51 percent) pulse gram (0 46 percent) vegetable ghee dalda/habib or other superior quality 1 kg pouch each (0 36 percent), pulse masoor (0 18 percent), and chicken (0 13 percent)

Historical Pakistan embassy sold in Washington for $7.1m

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The process of selling a government-owned historical building in downtown Washington, DC was completed in accordance with the instructions issued by the federal government According to details the property was purchased by Abdul Hafeez Khan a Pakistani-American who offered the highest bid of $7 1 million which was subsequently approved by the federal cabinet

In this regard, a ceremony was held at the Lincoln Library, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Washington DC with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett Congressman Gregory Meeks and former congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson were in attendance at the event

Speaking on the occasion Johnson congratulated Khan for buying the historic building She highlighted his achievements and extended her best wishes for his future endeavours Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan Ambassador Masood Khan expressed his satisfaction that the property has been sold and transferred as per the decision of the Cabinet He also clarified that no other property is being sold

Meanwhile, Khan thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet for accepting his offer He said that as a Pakistani-American citizen, it is a matter of pride for him to own a building that has served the Pakistani community for decades

For nearly two decade residents and local political leaders of downtown Washington DC had complained bitterly about the condition of the former Pakistani consulate in the area The large building at the corner of 22nd and R streets sticks out like a wart in the otherwise upscale neighbourhood The Associated Press reported

NEPRA raises average power tariff by Rs4.96 per unit for FY 2023-24

This approach ensures a fair and customized tariff structure based on the unique circumstances of each company Once NEPRA establishes the consumer-end tariff it is then forwarded to the Federal Government which files a uniform tariff application Upon approval, the uniform tariff, inclusive of any subsidies or surcharges communicated by the government, is officially notified and implemented for consumers

sumer-end tariff plays a crucial role in shaping electricity pricing, emphasizing the challenges posed by economic factors impacting the energy sector The effective management of transmission and distribution losses remains a priority to establish a transparent and sustainable system for electricity consumers

GWh NEPRA s determination process takes into consideration the distinct revenue requirements and allowed levels of transmission and distribution losses for each distribution company, known as DISCO

Aligning with the

will directly benefit consumers if there is appreciation of the Pakistani Rupee a decrease in inflation rates interest rates or other relevant factors This ensures that adjustments are made to maintain a fair and balanced tariff structure NEPRA’s determination of the con-

The implementation of the determined tariffs will not only ensure a fair and transparent system for consumers but also support the financial sustainability of distribution companies NEPRA s decision sets the stage for the upcoming fiscal year, providing guidance for the electricity sector ’s operations and facilitating a reliable and efficient power supply

default’, says PM Shehbaz

6 3 P T I F E M A L E W O R K E R S H E L D D U R I N G T W O

M O N T H S P O S T- M AY 9 E V E N T S : R E P O R T

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

APunjab Police report on Friday revealed that at least 63 female workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were arrested from eight different cities of the province during two months after the May 9 violence

The Punjab Police’s report, submitted to the Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister, stated that majority of the women 47 workers were arrested from Lahore

It stated that 22 of the arrested female workers were sent to jail on remand upon completion of interrogation

It is to be noted here that thousands of male and female workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were arrested during a crackdown launched after attacks on and vandalism of military installations in different areas of the country on May 9 2023

E a r l i e r i n r e s p o n s e t o t h e P T I s c l a i m t h a t d o z e n s o f i t s f e m a l e w o r k e r s h a d b e e n a r r e s t e d s p e c i a l l y i n P u n j a b , b o t h t h e

P u n j a b g o v e r n m e n t a n d p o l i c e h a d d e n i e d

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

According to a report of Punjab Inspector

General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir

Punjab s jails are housing only seven women

prisoners belonging to the PTI They include former provincial health minister Prof Dr Yasmin Rashid and Khadija Shah, the famous dress designer and a granddaughter of former army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua He said all the seven PTI women leaders a n d w o r k e r s a r r e s t e d i n t h e c a s e s l o d g e d against them under charges of terrorism and a t t a c k s o n m i l i t a r y i n s t a l l a t i o n s a r e b e i n g k e p t i n v a r i o u s b a r r a c k s o f L a h o r e s K o t L a k h p a t J a i l w h e r e 1 5 0 o t h e r w o m e n

prisoners are also confined “We have only seven PTI leaders and

workers including Prof Yasmin Rashid and Khadija Shah Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir had said while talking to Dawn H e h a d r e j e c t e d r e p o r t s o f m i s t r e a t m e n t , s a y i n g t h a t D r Ya s m i n R a s h i d a n d K h a d i j a a m o n g s e v e n w o m e n b e i n g k e p t a t K o t L a k h p a t w h i l e p u t t i n g t h e t o t a l n u m b e r o f P T I p r i s o n e r s a c r o s s p r o v i n c e a t 1 8 0 0 He added that there are 43 jails in Punjab and no female PTI leader or worker is confined in any other jail of the province except the seven mentioned above who are being kept in the lady ward of the Kot Lakhpat Jail A l l t h e s e v e n P T I w o m e n h a v e u n d e r g o n e m e d i c a l t e s t s c o n d u c t e d b y t h e w o m e n d o c t o r s a t t h e l a d y w a r d o f t h e K o t L a k h p a t J a i l , M r N a z i r a s s e r t s a n d a d d e d t h a t m e d i c a l t e s t s d o n e m u l t i p l e t i m e s o f a l l t h e s e v e n P T I l e a d e r s a n d t h e w o r k e r s s h o w t h a t t h e i r h e a l t h c o n d i t i o n i s q u i t e s t a b l e

Firms raise questions to tendering process of NITB’s skilled IT-HR outsourcing

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

A number of participating firms have raised questions against the skilled Information Technology (IT) Human Resources (HR) tendering process advertised by National Information Technology Board Sources said that NITB has received grievances from a number of companies with regard to HR outsourcing tender to ‘favorite’ the Company

They alleged that the selection criteria have been specifically designed to favor

one of the potential bidders

The NITB on May 13 2023 had published a tender to acquire HR outsourcing services The sources said that many bidders raised objections to the selection criteria in the pre-bid meeting which is openly meant for “one bidder ” NITB a few days later with certain amendments again floated the RFP to complete the outsourcing process the sources asserted Recently the NITB on July 7, 2023 has completed the technical evaluation of bidders and one company obtained extra ordinary marks which cement the claim of other bidders that RFP

Outlawed Jamaatul Ahrar’s Karachi head killed in Afghanistan

The Karachi ’emir ’ of the banned Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA) Muhammad Duadzai was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Afghanistan on Friday confirmed sources within the proscribed Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) The sources said that the chief was gunned down in Sharana city of Paktika province The militant commander belonged to the Pindiali Tehsil of Mohmand District KhyberPakhtunkhwa (K-P) He was appointed as the Karachi emir several years ago by a former JuA chief The notorious commander was wanted by the Pakistani authorities for his alleged involvement in several attacks, extortion and target killings across the country Two of Duadzai’s brothers, namely Mian Jaffar and Qari Qadim were also killed in military operations by US and NATO forces in Afghanistan during the last years of Ashraf Ghani s regime Paktika province is considered one of the strongholds of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while the Kunar and Nuristan provinces are considered the JuA’s strongholds, the sources added The two banned outfits had developed differences following attacks in Zhob and the de-notification of Dost Muhammad alias Asad Afridi as the DI Khan commander for his acceptance of the attacks on security installations Sources privy to the development had told The Express Tribune that the JuA that was a splinter group that merged back with the TTP in August 2020 had once again broken away from the TTP following its founder Omar Khalid Khorasani’s killing in August 2022 in eastern Afghanistan in a mysterious blast blamed by his group on Pakistani agencies

prepared to give favour to some blue eyed company Sources said that the role of officials serving in the ministry of IT as well as NITB is dubious in all the process as they reportedly influenced the technical evaluation process

It is pertinent to mention here that approximately 250 skilled IT resources on the payroll of M/s SoloChoicz whose contract expired on June 30 2023 are providing services such as running E Office besides handling internet or intranet related issues in ministries or divisions but due to incompetence of high ups of NITB, these resources have become “aliens” in

MQM-P nominates Rana Ansar as opposition leader in Sindh Assembly

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

important ministers including Prime Minister Secretariat Sources said that the NITB has been spending over Rs240 million on a yearly basis on acquiring HR outsourcing services It merits mention here that questions always arise over the tending process advertised by NITB and last year the Ministry of IT had terminated the contract of one company when Transparency International raised concerns Sources said that a committee has been formed to address the grievances of companies which will soon give the report to high ups of NITB

Peshawar BRT faces shutdown as unpaid dues exceed Rs600m

The Private Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service operated by a private company has issued a warning to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over outstanding dues exceeded Rs600 million as the latter has not paid for the months of May and June

According to the company, they are unable to pay their employees’ salaries and cover maintenance expenses of the bus service due to lack of funds If the outstanding balance is not settled within a week the bus service will be suspended

In a letter addressed to the Transport Secretary, the private company expressed concern over the non-payment of the outstanding amount Despite previous correspondence they have not received any positive response, indicating a

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Rain with wind and thunderstorm is expected in Kashmir Pothohar region northeast and south Punjab northeast Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the next 24 hours Heavy rain fall are also likely at isolated places during the period Hot and humid weather is likely elsewhere in the country The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has also forecast heavy rains for parts of Sindh province and Karachi over the weekend According to the synoptic situation, monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea are continuously penetrating upper and central parts of the country and likely to

Ancient Silk Road legac y

clear sign of an impending crisis May and June 2023 have already passed without receiving 90 payments for the expenditures incurred The company, in the letter, mentioned that the delayed payment of previous month’s expenses as stipulated in the contract constitutes a blatant violation of the agreement The company lamented the

unfortunate circumstances stating that they are left with no choice but to halt their operations It is difficult for the company to meet essential requirements such as diesel, lubricants, spare parts, and even salaries for employees The shortage of funds severely affects the responsibility to fulfill obligations and maintain a smooth bus service

c o n t i n u e i n c o m i n g d a y s A f e w h e a v y falls are expected in Sukkur Jacobabad N a g a r p a r k a r, T h a r p a r k a r, U m e r k o t , Sanghar and Mirpur Khas from July 14 to July 16

Meanwhile the Met Office recorded 26 Celsius in Islamabad 29 in Lahore 30 Karachi and Peshawar thirty 24 in Quetta 17 in Gilgit and Murree and 25 in Muzaffarabad in past 24 hours

According to weather forecast of Met Office for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, partly cloudy weather with chances of rain wind thundershower is expected in Jammu Shopian and Baramula and cloudy weather with chances of rain wind thundershower in Pulwama and Anantnag while partly cloudy weather in Srinagar and Leh

reinvigorated

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Silk Road Cultural Forum themed Exhibition of CPEC achievements over the decade was jointly by Pakistan-China Institute in collaboration with China Study Center, COMSATS

Those who spoke during the forum included diplomats like Amb

® Masood Khalid Former Ambassador to China; Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Spokesperson and Additional Foreign Secretary, (Strategic Communications Division & Public Diplomacy) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Moreover Dr Tahir Mumtaz Awan Director China Study Centre COMSATS University;

Li Wenyu Director of CPEC CCC (Cultural Communication Center) of Jiangsu Province, Education Department; Dr Aneel Salman, Chair Economic Security IPRI; Wang Chun

Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has nominated Rana Ansar for the opposition leader s slot in the Sindh Assembly amid deadlock with another opposition party, Grand Opposition Alliance (GDA) MQM-P’s Rana Ansar has been nominated for the position of Sindh opposition leader She would be the first woman opposition leader in Sindh Assembly if elected However the deadlock is still persisting between MQM-P and GDA for the opposition leader s slot as the nominated Ansar would require a specific number of votes for replacing the current opposition leader Haleem Adil Sheikh The MQM-P lawmakers filed her nomination to the Sindh Assembly Secretariat after getting the signatures of the lawmakers The application was filed in the PA Secretariat by MQM-P s Farooq Sattar, Nasreen Jalil, Rana Ansar and other lawmakers While talking to journalists, Farooq Sattar said that the current opposition leader is not present in the Sindh Assembly to represent the entire opposition He added that neither the opposition leader nor other lawmakers belonging to his political party are attending sessions at the provincial assembly He said that there is a need to fill the gap in the Sindh Assembly to represent the opposition benches

18 Pakistani prisoners released by India reach home via Wagah border

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

As many as 18 Pakistani nationals who were imprisoned in India crossed over to their home country through the Wagah-Attari border crossing after they were released by Indian authorities on Friday after completion of sentence Indian border authorities handed over the 18 men including six fishermen and 12 civilians to Pakistan Rangers officials at the border, sources in the paramilitary force said

at Silk Road Cultural Forum

Ping Chairperson Heroboss Technologies; and Noreen, Director, Chinese Media Group also made their remarks

The forum featured three documentaries on Chinese culture Chinese and Pakistani cultural dances Talwar Dance-Gilgit Baltistan, ChineseTea Stall, Food stalls, Language learning & Cultural Exhibition, Art Exhibition, display of Progress & Pictures of CPEC Projects and how they have contributed to Pakistan s Economy & improved the quality of Life of local communities

In his welcome remarks, Dr Tahir Mumtaz highlighted the significance of the forum and how it will pave the way for enhancing cultural exchanges He emphasized that the Silk Road forum stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of the ancient Silk Road which served as a lifeline for civilizations, transcending geographical boundaries and

fostering interactions between diverse cultures Drawing upon this historical backdrop, Dr Mumtaz stressed that the revival and revitalization of the Silk Road through the modern Belt and Road Initiative holds the promise of unlocking boundless opportunities for mutual understanding collaboration, and the preservation of shared heritage

In her keynote address, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch praised the Chinese and Pakistani students for their captivating cultural performances on stage emphasizing the significance of the Silk Roads throughout history Spanning from 138 B C to the present, she highlighted these enduring networks that have facilitated trade cultural exchange and collaboration among communities Beyond the exchange of goods she noted that the Silk Roads also enabled the transmission of ideas and beliefs, exemplified by

the diffusion of Buddhism from the Kushan kingdom to China She pointed out that Buddhist monks, accompanied by merchant caravans, embarked on transformative journeys from India to Central Asia and China spreading the teachings of this new religion Notably she mentioned that cities along the Silk Road bore witness to the presence of Buddhist monuments, underscoring the profound impact of this historic trade route on both the material and spiritual realms Ambassador Masood Khalid discussed the captivating Gandhara civilization and the historic Silk Road, emphasizing their significance to Pakistan, during his speech He highlighted the remarkable cultural exchanges that have flourished between Pakistan and China over the past 70 years particularly after the inception of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

SUTLEJ RIVER RETURNING TO TRANQUILLIT Y FOLLOWING UPROAR

the affected areas

T h o u s a n d s h e c t a r e s o f l a n d h a v e been inundated by the flood caused by i n c r e a s e d w a t e r f l o w h o w e v e r t h e w a t e r l e v e l s h a v e s t a r t e d t o d i m i n i s h n o w T h e w a t e r l e v e l a t H e a d G a n d a Singh has now reduced to 22 feet from

said 83 boats and over 300 rescue officials took part in flood rescue operations in the affected area after Caretaker Chief M i n i s t e r M o h s i n N a q v i o r d e r e d s e n d i n g a d d i t i o n a l 5 5 b o a t s a n d t h e i r oper ator s f r om the d is tr icts adjo in ing K a s u r M o r e t h a n 11 0 0 f l o o d r e l i e f worker are providing their services in

2 5 f e e t H o w e v e r, t h e f a r m e r s a r e a d v i s e d t o p l a n t h e i r a c t i v i t i e s according to the weather forecast as the m o n s o o n i s o n c e a g a i n p r e d i c t e d t o p o u r- i n T h e M e t O ff i c e s a y s n e

likely to intensify on 14th It is being speculated that India is going to release water again into the river because of persistent rains in the catchment areas It was in 1988 that Pakistan had witnessed worst flooding in the two eastern rivers – Ravi and Sutlej – which devastated crops and livelihoods over hundreds of thousands of acres Threats of heavy rains causing urban flooding in low-lying is still alive in the areas of Islamabad Rawalpindi Peshawar Gujranwala and Lahore from July 14 to 17 as well as triggering landslides in Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period

PM lays foundation stone of main campus of National

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of the main campus of National University of Technology in Islamabad on Friday

Addressing the ceremony he emphasized for promotion of skilled and technical education as it is key to success of any country He said technical and skilled education and training is also a guarantee for development and prosperity of the country as well, which should be our foremost priority

The Prime Minister said the skillful graduates from this university will not

University of Technology

only earn their livelihood in a dignified manner but also help improve the image of the country across the world including in the Gulf States Shehbaz Sharif stressed on the need to end class discrimination particularly in the education sector as per the vision of founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal

He expressed unwavering support of the government for promotion of skilled and technical education saying that it will also help in producing skillful human capital, which can help decrease trade deficit of the country by sending remittances from abroad

Interim bail of Per vaiz

Elahi’s 10 co-accused in fake recruitments case extended till Aug 4

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t A c o u r t i n L a h o r e T h u r s d a y e x t e n d e d t h e i n t e r i m b a i l o f 1 0 c o - a c c u s e d o f P u n j a b e x - c h i e f m i n i s t e r P e r v a i z E l a h i i n t h e c a s e o f f a k e r e c r u i t m e n t s i n t h e P u n j a b A s s e m b l y t i l l A u g u s t 4 n e x t T h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n o ff i c e r d e m a n d e d m o r e t i m e f r o m t h e c o u r t a s i n v e s t i g a t i o n s i n t o t h e c a s e w e r e y e t t o b e c o m p l e t e d T h e c o u r t o r d e r e d t o c o m p l e t e i n v e s t i g a t i o n s t i l l t h e n e x t h e a r i n g S p e c i a l J u d g e A n t i - C o r r u p t i o n A l i R a z a Aw a n c o n d u c t e d t h e h e a r i n g T h e a c c u s e d i n c l u d i n g S a m i u l l a h Wa q a s S a r w a r, D a n i y a l S a t t a r K h a n , Ta h i r A h m e d M a k k i , M u h a m m a d E j a z , M u h a m m a d H a i d e r S h a f q a t M u h a m m a d A m i n Z a i b u l H a s s a n M u k h t a r A h m e d R a n j h a a n d M u h a m m a d A q i f h a d f i l e d p l e a s f o r i n t e r i m b a i l t o a v o i d a r r e s t T h e y w e r e a m o n g t h o s e r e c r u i t e d i n g r a d e 1 7 i n t h e P u n j a b A s s e m b l y I t i s t o b e n o t e d t h a t 1 2 c a n d i d a t e s w h o f a i l e d t h e e x a m f o r r e c r u i t m e n t i n t h e P u n j a b A s s e m b l y w e r e g i v e n e m p l o y m e n t i n g r a d e 1 7

IHC rejects Asad Qaiser’s bail plea due to his absence

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Islamabad High Court has rejected the protective bail plea of PTI leader Asad Qaiser due to his absence during the hearing Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri presided over the bail plea hearing of Asad Qaiser on Friday During the proceedings Justice Jahangiri inquired about Asad Qaiser The assistant counsel representing Asad Qaiser informed the court that he would be arriving shortly Expressing dissatisfaction, Justice Jahangiri remarked that the case had been called earlier and was being called again The scheduled hearing time was 9:30 am and the accused should have been present at 7:30 am Justice Jahangiri expressed his frustration, stating that the courts do not wait for the accused Consequently the court dismissed the bail plea of PTI leader Asad Qaiser

Securit y aler t issued for Balochistan customs offices

The Prime Minister said he as the Chief Minister spread a network of Danish Schools in Punjab to provide opportunities to the poor and deserved youth to get education and also disbursed billions of rupees as stipends among nearly half a million students

On this occasion, the Prime Minister announced 100 million rupees and provision of 4 air-conditioned buses for the university

Earlier Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training

Rana Tanveer Hussain said pragmatic steps are being taken to impart skills to youth to enable them earn their livelihoods in a dignified manner Rana

Tanveer Hussain called upon youth to get technical education as it is the need of the hour Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja said skill development training will be provided to about one hundred thousand youth this year S h e s a i d g o v e r n m e n t i s p a y i n g s p e c i a l a t t e n t i o n t o e q u i p y o u t h w i t h basic technical skills She said eighty billion rupees have been allocated for y o u t h e m p o w e r m e n t i n d i ff e r e n t s e c t o r s S h a z a F a t i m a s a i d t w o hundred E Learning courses are being i n t r o d u c e d u n d e r L e a r n i n g Management System

Govt aver ted ‘potential default ’ , says PM S hehbaz

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The prime minister added that after a pause of many years, the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was again proceeding in full swing and gave the credit for concluding the agreement of C-5 to the coalition government and the military s Strategic Plans Division (SPD) for their efforts

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the history of nuclear energy cooperation between Pakistan and China goes back to thirty years He said this mutual cooperation to promote clean, efficient and comparatively cheaper energy is a great success, manifestation of great friendship and a model for other countries to emulate

He also paid tribute to Chinese President Xi Jinping Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their support in

Pakistan’s hour of need

PM Shehbaz also informed that as a result of serious efforts by the coalition government and himself the Chinese company kept the cost of the project at the level agreed upon in 2017-18 by the then Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government and did not include the average inflation of around 10% in the project cost

Further he said on his request a discount of Rs30 billion was also given to Pakistan which reflected a sense of sincerity between the two countries Chinese Charge D’affaires in Pakistan Pang Chunxue said C5 would help Pakistan build lowcarbon clean and cheap energy which would also produce local jobs and would engage the local industries to contribute to the project Chairman of China National Nuclear Cooperation Yu Jianfeng said cooperation between Pakistan

and China in nuclear energy had become an integral part of the allweather strategic cooperative partnership

He said the C5 project was a significant milestone in the HPR 1000 development global journey Hualong One (HPR 1000) is the 3rdgeneration nuclear power brand to which China has exclusive intellectual property rights

C h a i r m a n P a k i s t a n A t o m i c E n e rg y C o o p e r a t i o n R a j a A l i R a z a Anwar said Chashma-5 project has b r o u g h t u s o n e s t e p c l o s e r t o t h e e n v i s a g e d g o a l o f p r o d u c i n g 8 8 0 0 m e g a w a t t s c l e a n n u c l e a r e n e rg y H e s a i d C h a s h m a - 5 w i l l e n h a n c e n o t o n l y o u r n u c l e a r p o w e r t e c h n o l o g y e x p e r i e n c e b u t a l s o h a v e a n i m p a c t o n s e v e r a l a r e a s o f s o c i o - e c o n o m i c u p l i f t P l a n n i n g M i n i s t e r A h s a n I q b a l , E n e rg y M i n i s t e r K h u r r a m D a s t g i r K h a n , a n d C h a i r m a n PA E C D r R a j a A l i R a z a w e r e a l s o p r e s e n t o n t h e o c c a s i o n

We will go solo, field c andidates in all Punjab constituencies: S anaullah

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Sanaullah also said there was a possibility that in constituencies where the party would need help such as southern Punjab there could be talks with other parties about seat adjustments

If a party talks about seat adjustment, our criteria would be that we would not compromise on our winning and dedicated candidates ” he said Sanaullah went on to recall the PML-N s achievements during its past tenures specifically mentioning the 1999 tests that made

Pakistan a nuclear power

Recalling the party s tenure from 2013-2018 and the party supremo Nawaz Sharif s ouster the PML-N leader said that a conspiracy was hatched at a time when all newspapers were saying that Pakistan was becoming an economic power”

T h e m i n i s t e r t h e n p r o c e e d e d t o c r i t i c i s e t h e p r e v i o u s P T I g o v e r n m e n t , s a y i n g t h a t i t d i v i d e d t h e c o u n t r y s p o l i t i c s a n d i n j e c t e d p o i s o n i n i t , a n d m i s l e d t h e y o u t h ” Sanaullah lamented that “false cases were made under political

vendetta” against his party leadership and innocent people were sent to jail

Insisting that the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again brought the country out of economic crises and saved it from default the PML-N leader vowed to put the country back on the path of progress after elections If the public trusts us this time, we will not disappoint you, the minister asserted while saying the PML-N’s first and foremost priority was ending the ongoing crises and the country s prosperity

Filing of nomination papers for LG by-polls in KP to begin on 17th

QUETTA: The Deputy Collector Headquarters of Balochistan Customs House has written a letter to the officers instructing them to enhance the security measures in their respective offices The letter emphasizes the need to tighten security at customs field offices and strictly regulate access S ta f f R e p o R t

Armed Forces concerned about TTP safe havens in Afghanistan: COAS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

However, the move quickly backfired as returning militants started targeting the security forces The TTP called off the ceasefire a day before the change of command at the GHQ in November last year After the change of army command the civil and military leadership admitted that policy to seek peace talks with the TTP was thoughtless and had only given advantage to the terrorist group Earlier on arrival the COAS was received by Commander Quetta Corps The army chief paid rich tribute to the Shuhada, visited the injured soldiers at CMH, Quetta, and lauded their services to the nation and appreciated their resolve

Historical Pakistan embassy sold in Washington for $7.1m

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Plywood covers the windows, sleeping bags and empty bottles litter the shuttered doorways and headhigh weeds sprout through the asphalt of the empty fenced-off parking lot The city remained powerless to do anything as long as the building was classified by the State Department as a diplomatic property On the other hand, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) had unearthed that roughly $7 million was spent on two government-owned historical buildings located in the US capitol’s embassy row for repair and renovation but the end result is that one building is in a dilapidated condition while the other could collapse any moment Subsequently in its meeting on November 30, 2022, the federal cabinet decided to sell the building due to the heavy maintenance costs required

THE winding-up in the Cayman Islands of the KESP, the vehicle for the ownership of 66 4 percent of KESC, means that the acquisition of KESC by the Shanghai Electric Corporation is off the table, assuming that this option still exists The winding up is because the majority shareholder, Sage Venture, does not see eye to eye with the minority shareholder, Jomaih Grfoup The winding up will meant that Sage Ventures will receive the KESC shares, and thus management control of KESC Sage is wholly owned by AsiaPak Investments, which is controlled by Shehryar Chishti and the ownership of KESC which has been out of Pakistani hands will come back to Pakistan True KESC has always been a Pakistani company duly listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange but since 1985 the ownership of a majority of its shares have been in the hands of the KESP registered in the Cayman Islands After the Jumeirah Group the company was bought by IGCF which was a Cayman-registered fund of the Abraaj Group This was controlled by Arif Naqvi, the prominent PTI supporter, who went bust in 2019 IGCF then was taken over by the liquidator, and AsiaPak Investments then picked up IGCF That brought it KESP, and by winding it up, the 66 4 percent share of KESC will come to AsiaPak, and KESC control will vest with a company listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Just nationalism is not all that makes the development positive There will also be the conversion of K-Electric from a stodgy utility relying only on thermal power plants and PEPCO supplies It will go into solar and wind power making the kind of investment difficult for consumers and giving them the benefit of cheaper generation costs KElectric should end up as a utility which offers a cheaper mix of power than utilities relying on traditional means of generation Mr Chishti’s interest in Thar coal also offers a generation solution which uses indigenous resources and thus means the saving of foreign exchange

The advantages of having a Pakistani owner are not to be sneezed at Profits will not have to be repatriated abroad, while there will be greater sensitivity to national interests

The threat of pulling out the investment will also not be there With further privatisations on the anvil, the example of K-Electriic, whose privatisation and subsequent ownership has been troubled, is very important There should be a happy ending

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

ON July 7 a three-member bench of the Supreme Court issued the detailed judgement on its earlier decision of declaring the arrest of the Chairman Pakistan Tehrik Insaf (PTI) unlawful from the premises of Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9

The three-member bench comprised Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Umar Ata Bandial Mr Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Mr Justice Athar Minallah The bench had issued the short order on May 11

The detailed decision on July 7 focused on the mode and manner in which the Pakistan Rangers executed the arrest warrant (which had been issued on May 1) by breaking the door, glass partitions and windows of the biometric verification room

To elaborate on the fateful day of May 9 the DG National Accountability Bureau (NAB) sought the help of the DG Rangers to arrest the Chairman PTI

The Rangers arrested the PTI Chairman from the Court s premises, before he could present himself before the Court This blunder alone cost the country the events of May 9 when the PTI workers turned violent Nevertheless the same desperation opened space for the SC to renounce the arrest

The SC s decision of July 7 to declare the arrest of the PTI Chairman on May 9 unlawful automatically extends some credence to the agitation of the PTI workers That is, on May 9, the PTI workers also agitated against the unlawful arrest of the PTI Chairman The decision (and the extension of its meaning) undermines several stances of the DG ISPR the mouthpiece of the military which he uttered on June 26

If the DG ISPR says that May 9 was Pakistan s 9/11, the SC s decision implies that the Rangers adopted an erroneous course which provoked the PTI workers into agitation which culminated in ferocity and arson If the DG ISPR says that May 9 was pre-planned (and that there existed a mastermind) the SC s decision implies that the Rangers were part of the pre-planning to provoke the PTI workers into violence and incendiarism If the DG ISPR says that perpetrators of May 9 including the mastermind will be tried in the Army courts, the SC’s decision implies that the Rangers took a wrong decision but the price of the consequent events is

Ecosystem: A Wake-Up Call

The head of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Ghulam Rasool mentioned in 2018 that the average temperature in the last 80 years in Gilgit Baltistan has increased by 1 4 C as compared to 0 6 C in the rest of the country

being paid by the PTI workers

The broader question is this: In light of the SC s decision of July 7, how can the Rangers be exonerated from inciting May 9 which caused massive damage to properties of both civilians and the Army On June 26 the DG ISPR was emotive enough to describe properties as installations He had lost the sense of distinction

In paragraph 8 of the factual background, the SC’s decision of July 7 also asserted that the PTI Chairman was ignorant of the happenings of May 9 This single sentence exonerates the PTI Chairman from being called or considered the main perpetrator of May 9 Even if he were considered a mastermind the unlawful act of the Rangers on May 9 to arrest him would be the prime instigator of triggering the events afterwards In a way, the SC’s decision shifts the prime responsibility of May 9 onto the Rangers which arrested the PTI Chairman at the behest of the NAB That is the NAB prompted the Rangers to take an illegal action against the PTI Chairman The action cost this country enormously in terms of destruction of the properties of both civilians and the Army The SC s decision also implies that the in-charge of the NAB and the Rangers are also culprits whose miscalculated acts caused the destruction of properties That is do arrest the PTI workers who turned a legitimate demonstration into illegitimate plunder but also punish the DG Rangers and DG NAB for not knowing the law and for violating the laiddown procedures while arresting the PTI Chairman from the premises of the IHC Interestingly if the DG ISPR is still interested in proceeding with his resolve to try the PTI workers in the Army courts, the list of eligibility starts from DG NAB and DG Rangers

arrested from within the premises of a court before hearing

The decision says: “It is a well-settled principle t h a t t h e d i g n i t y s a n c t i t y a n d s a f e t y o f t h e c o u r t s for the benefit of all concerned stakeholders are inv i o l a b l e a n d c a n n o t b e c o m p r o m i s e d T h i s i s b ec a u s e c o u r t s o f l a w a r e s a n c t u a r i e s w h i c h t h e

people approach to seek justice with the assurance that they will be able to pursue their relief freely in a safe orderly and dignified environment The breech of this assurance undermines the effective d i s p e n s a t i o n o f j u s t i c e b y d e t e r r i n g p e o p l e f r o m s e e k i n g t h e r e s o l u t i o n o f t h e i r d i s p u t e s f r o m t h e courts Therefore, to safeguards the people s right t o a c c e s s t h e S u p e r i o r C o u r t s a n d a c c o r d i n g l y t o s e e k j u s t i c e , A r t i c l e 2 0 4 o f t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n h a s conferred this Court (and the High Courts) with the power to punish any person interfering with or obstructing the process of the Superior Courts in any w a y o r p r e j u d i c i n g t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f a m a t t e r pending before them The paragraph appeals to common sense The question is this: when this is a well-settled principle and when the principle is supported by Article 204 of the Constitution (describing the Contempt of Court) why was the DG NAB (who had a team of lawyers under his office) ignorant of it? Similarly why did the DG Rangers prefer to violate the well-settled principle of law? Moreover, why was the CJ IHC ignorant of the wellsettled principle and the attendant description of Article 204 of the Constitution?

The SC’s decision, which is now a public document, is a chargesheet against three authorities: The DG NAB, the DG Rangers and the CJ IHC. Either they must justify their positions or they must resign from their posts. The DG NAB and the DG Rangers violated the wellsettled principle of law and triggered May 9 events. The CJ IHC overlooked the well-settled principle of law and declared the arrest legal to support the otherwise unlawful acts of the DG NAB and DG Rangers

The SC’s decision of July 7 also poses a challenge to the legal expertise of the Chief Justice of the IHC Mr Justice Aamer Farooq who had declared the arrest legal He did not know that no person could be

In fact, the SC s decision, which is now a public document is a chargesheet against three authorities:

The DG NAB the DG Rangers and the CJ IHC

Either they must justify their positions or they must resign from their posts

The DG NAB and the DG Rangers violated the well-settled principle of law and triggered May 9 events

The CJ IHC overlooked the well-settled principle of law and declared the arrest legal to support the otherwise unlawful acts of the DG NAB and DG Rangers Now the question is this: where lies the PTI s future? The answer is this: in the SC’s verdict of July 7

The writer may be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo com

As time passes the threat of climate change is becoming visible day by day

The globe is witnessing harmful impacts, and developing countries face the music more severely Gilgit Baltistan is no exception The region’s geography makes it more vulnerable to the disastrous effects of global warming Gilgit Baltistan is home to the largest non-polar glaciers including Siachen Baltoro and Hisper glaciers

Global warming is increasing the rate of melting glaciers, causing floods, and disastrous effects are more severe each year Rapid climate change poses a significant threat to the region's delicate ecosystem thus affecting people’s normal lives Climate change results in various adverse effects on the ecosystem of the region

The rising temperature disrupts the natural habitat of various plants and animals and affects the pattern of vegetation and water sources The changing pattern, severe rainfall, and heat psychologically impact the region’s inhabitants and people live in constant fear

The region is known for its natural beauty: snow-capped mountains lush green fields crystal-clear streams, and eye-captivating lakes

Thus the habitat of the region is a source of tourism influx However, changing weather patterns are disrupting the tourism industry Unpredictable and severe weather events including heavy rainfall floods and landsliding pose dangers to travelers making them less appealing to tourists

Last year the Hassanabad bridge that connects Nagar and Hunza collapsed due to the glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) This created a lot of trouble for the tourists and locals Such incidents could result in heavy casualties as happened in the Chamoli District of India which took more than 200 lives Thus the main source of income of the region, which is the tourism industry, could be affected badly in the future if the situation continues the same

It is estimated that there are around 7000 glaciers in Pakistan most of which are located in Gilgit Baltistan Three of the World s seven largest glaciers are sited in Gilgit Baltistan Due to global warming, the rate of melting glaciers is increasing, causing floods and glacier lake outburst flooding(GLOF) threats The whole GB has been identified as either a high or very high-risk region with respect to GLOF hazard

According to the Ministry of Climate, 3044 glacial lakes have developed in Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 33 lakes have been identified as prone to hazardous glacial lake outburst flooding In a report jointly prepared by the Agha Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP), National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) it was mentioned that all three geographic zones of the district located on the western edge of Gilgit Baltistan are prone to hydro-meteorological hazards during spring, summer, and winter The report added, “Floods happen every year or every second year and are the main causes of socio-economic disruption in the area Important sources for these floods are glaciers and lakes situated at the higher altitude alpine zones These sources cause flooding due to heavy rains t h u n d e r s t o r m s and snow melt, More than seven million people are vulnerable to the threats of climate change in GB and KP This severe rainfall raises the risk of flash floods, devastatingly affecting communities and infrastructure The natural habitat is affected badly causing the endangerment of many species of the Northern areas such as Himalayan ibex markhor and snow leopard Floods threaten human lives and damage agricultural land, homes, and vital infrastructure such as roads and bridges, further disrupting the region's development and stability The last year saw flood disasters in the Ghizer district and some other regions The outburst of Shisper Glacier in Hunza devastated lands homes farms and infrastructure Due to these losses, locals migrate to other cities in Pakistan

We should encourage individuals, communities, and governments to work together to preserve the region's natural beauty and protect its unique biodiversity We must work with government authorities to raise awareness, implement sustainable practices, and support conservation efforts. We can protect Gilgit Baltistan's ecosystem and preserve its natural beauty for future generations Together, we can work towards a more sustainable and resilient future, ensuring that this precious region continues to thrive amidst the challenges posed by climate change It is the situation of now or never to recognize the intensity of the situation before it’s too late

lenges caused by climate change High authorities should develop and implement strategies for ecosystem restoration sustainable land management and biodiversity conservation As tourism is the major source of income the government should encourage responsible and sustainable tourism practices that minimize the ecological impacts This includes educating tourists about the ecosystem’s fragility, promoting eco-friendly accommodations and supporting local initiatives prioritizing conservation and community development Since floods cause water shortages and drought situations water management practices should be implemented to cope with changing water availability Further, awareness campaigns should be conducted to educate local communities and tourists about climate change impacts their consequences and the importance of individual and collective action Behavioural changes must be encouraged that reduce carbon emissions and support conservation efforts In addition, we should discourage deforestation and put effort into forestation and planting trees as much as possible The billion tree Tsunami project of Imran Khan deserves appreciation and the current government should follow the same policies

C l i m a t e change is a real threat Still, many people in GB have no concerns over the intensity of the threat that awaits to show its more disastrous shape in the future

However it is to be noted that the threat cannot be controlled if we leave all the burden on the government Everyone must play their role

We should encourage individuals communities and governments to work together to preserve the region's natural beauty and protect its unique biodiversity We must work with government authorities to raise awareness, implement sustainable practices and support conservation efforts We can protect Gilgit Baltistan s ecosystem and preserve its natural beauty for future generations Together we can work towards a more sustainable and resilient future, ensuring that this precious region continues to thrive amidst the challenges posed by climate change It is the situation of now or never to recognize the intensity of the situation before it s too late

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

Local ‘colonisation’

WHILE travelling on Hyderabad-Karachi motorway, one finds several unending housing schemes on either side Several schemes occupy thousands of acres of land This concrete jungle is spreading like wildfire eating away greenery, traditional homes, livelihood sources of indigenous people and everything coming in its way

According to media reports, the land for such schemes is often acquired through deals that are questionable There are few main stakeholders from within the system who join hands with local bigwigs

The government land which is actually public property is sold to the land mafia at throwaway prices In some cases, indigenous people have reportedly been evicted forcibly from their lands

The builders and their facilitators continue to spread the propaganda that this development is benefiting the local people The fact is that traditional sources of livelihood of the local people like livestock and rain-dependent agriculture, have been decimated The displaced people from Thana Bula Khan and other surrounding areas go to a housing society to work as house servants or perform such other low-paid errands

They spend almost all their earnings on commute between their homes and the residential society concerned What is the future of the displaced owners of these lands? There is no education infrastructure in their areas Their generations after generations would continue to work as cooks drivers and security guards on abysmally low wages The displaced indigenous people would continue to live under a vicious cycle of poverty, and those who grabbed their land and livelihood would continue to enjoy the luxuries

The development model founded by the developers of these residential societies and their collaborators is anti-environment as once thriving local wildlife has now disappeared The shining development drive has enriched a few privileged at the cost of hundreds of thousands of indigenous people

What is done may not be reversible But this rapidly expanding plague should be halted and not allowed to thrive otherwise loss to local flora fauna and indigenous population would be irreparable The milliondollar question here is: who will stop this trend of neo-colonisation ?

The investors and businessmen are from the big cities, the powerful, and they are hand in glove with government functionaries and local tribal chiefs They are all actual shareholders in this blatantly illegal process of colonisation and no one including the higher courts is either able or willing to stop this madness GULSHER PANHWER JOHI

Hepatitis aler t

A few months ago, a campaign was initiated to clean all the main water tanks of Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after a number of students at the Mirpur University of Science and Technology began developing symptoms of jaundice and hepatitis

Those who suffered the most were the hostellers as they depended solely on the university s water supply Some had to go home to receive proper care and hospitalisation One such student never returned Sameed Ijaz, a student of software engineering, was the only son of a Bhimber family He fell severely ill and remained hospitalised for a long time The death of such a brilliant and polite soul left the entire campus traumatised

Certain efforts are needed at both the government and individual levels to protect Gilgit Baltistan s ecosystem and address the chal-

The writer is a freelance columnist

It is crucial for the university to be transparent and inform the students of the measures taken if any to rectify the situation Whether or not student s death was linked to the water, students deserve to know if the water is safe for consumption, or if they should seek alternative drinking water sources

Can the USA’s coercive strategy in South Asia be counterproductive?

law and order are one noteworthy instance

RECENT years have seen a perplexing change in the fundamental attitude of the West, led by the USA, towards nations in South Asia

The US periodically exhibits a hostile and indifferent attitude towards Bangladesh despite participating in Security Dialogue and Partnership Dialogue with it Not just in Bangladesh is this true

In the past few years, the USA s attitude to countries like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, and the Maldives has experienced an intriguing change that has caused grave worries about the causes of these policy mistakes and their repercussions on regional dynamics

Why has the USA decided to pursue policies that are antagonistic toward their allies?

What potential effects might there be on regional dynamics and the balance of power?

These pressing issues emphasize the need to evaluate US policy and its impacts on bilateral ties regional stability and other governments influence in this strategically significant region Most crucially, the reason why the USA/West sought to strategically alienate itself in the Bay of Bengal became clear

Since the world has seen a rise in polarization and geopolitical upheavals in the policy domains of many actors the USA and the West have played a significant role in fa-

cilitating developments

It is a goal of the West especially the USA to bring independent nations under its wing However, it irritates other players, prompting them to reconsider their relationship with the West and the US Ironically, the West then accuses these nations of doing so because they are establishing tighter ties with certain powers

Sri Lanka: For allegedly interfering in Sri Lanka s internal affairs the USA has drawn condemnation When it comes to internal matters in Sri Lanka, such as human rights and reconciliation, the US has adopted an undiplomatic and hostile posture The USA has put pressure on Sri Lanka without taking into account the delicate balance of the nation s post-war dynamics Bilateral ties have been strained as a result of the intervention, and questions have been raised regarding the USA's objectives in the area In addition, the USA and the West's positions during the most recent political upheavals and economic crisis have sparked doubts about their relationship

Afghanistan: The dynamics of the Bay of Bengal region have been significantly impacted by the US troop departure from Afghanistan The USA has allowed extra-regional nations to increase their influence in the region by leaving a power vacuum and failing to ensure a smooth transition This action might upset the balance of power and alter how the surrounding nations see security

Nepal: The USA s response to Nepal, a country facing political difficulties, has been insufficient Despite Nepal's potential as a regional ally and its importance to geopolitics the USA s lack of constructive participation has been alarming The USA has missed opportunities to deepen ties and protect its interests in the case of Nepal by neglecting to provide substantive support during pivotal times, which in turn has had a ripple effect on the Bay of Bengal region

Other regional and extra-regional countries now have more potential to increase their influence and fortify their presence as a result of the USA, a leader of the West, appearing to engage in a strategic self-alienation in the

Bay of Bengal By increasing its economic and strategic ties in the region China for instance has benefited from the perceived US retreat This change in power has an impact on the political and strategic dynamics of the Bay of Bengal region as a whole, in addition to the interests of the USA

Bangladesh: With repeated interactions through the Security Dialogue and Partnership Dialogue Bangladesh has been an important ally for the USA The USA s approach to Bangladesh, however, has bla-

Aside from raising questions this action has strengthened the impression that the USA is meddling in Bangladesh's domestic matters while ignoring the nation's attempts to fight terrorism and preserve stability

It might be argued that sanctioning RAB was a poor policy choice given the context and complexity of Bangladesh s security issues Recognizing Bangladesh s efforts to thwart terrorism and uphold internal security is crucial By enacting penalties, the USA

The US's policies towards Bangladesh have caused anxiety and strained the two countries' ties Sanctioning RAB without taking Bangladesh's security problems into account runs the danger of losing cooperation and trust The perceived US indifference to Bangladesh's accomplishments and meddling in its internal affairs worsens the situation To ensure a more fruitful and profitable alliance, it is essential for the US and the West to reevaluate its policies, promote constructive engagement, and acknowledge Bangladesh's significance

tantly seemed inconsistent and unproductive

The USA has acknowledged the strategic value of Bangladesh as a prospective player in the region but at times its actions have sent a different message The USA has damaged the relationship and fostered a sense of disenchantment by denying Bangladesh duty-free access to the market and GSP facilities for ten years, placing restrictions on aid, pressing Bangladesh on matters like human rights and failing to fully resolve bilateral concerns

In recent years the USA s policies toward Bangladesh have generated serious concerns and strained relations between the two countries Sanctions against seven members of Bangladesh's elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) a unit in charge of upholding

France on fire: Generational revolts of the banlieues

runs the danger of weakening mutual respect and collaboration between the two countries, which might make it more difficult for them to effectively confront shared security issues

The new visa policy of the USA has come as the final nail in the coffin Although the formal responses of the government and opposition applaud this action, the fact is that it has sparked anti-US sentiment The USA and the people of Bangladesh have grown more apart as a result Everyone is aware that the USA is interfering in Bangladesh to advance its geostrategic objectives which is a plain reality The USA diplomatic objectives in the region will unquestionably be defeated by this new visa regime The USA has implemented policies that Bangladesh finds upsetting and unpleasant

These have included announcing insulting policies voicing worries about political and labour rights developments and openly criticizing some facets of Bangladesh's governance But most of the issues are settled with clarity and international organizations are already praising Bangladesh’s efforts through different reports and indexes Any bilateral relationship benefits from constructive interaction and dialogue but it is necessary to approach these dialogues with consideration for the partner nation s sovereignty and internal dynamics

The USA's perceived disregard for Bangladesh's efforts and achievements in areas such as social development adds to the frustration felt by many Bangladeshis Bangladesh has made significant progress in various sectors, including education, healthcare, and women s empowerment, but the USA's policies often fail to acknowledge and appreciate these accomplishments This creates a sense of alienation and disappointment among the Bangladeshi populace and raises questions about the USA s understanding of Bangladesh s realities

The USA's approach towards Bangladesh also needs to consider the broader regional context Bangladesh has emerged as a significant actor in regional dynamics particularly in terms of its geopolitical location and economic potential Neglecting Bangladesh s strategic importance and antagonizing policies risks pushing the country closer to other regional powers

The USA and the West must review their policies toward Bangladesh and adopt a more balanced and practical stance A deeper comprehension of Bangladesh s goals difficulties and contributions is necessary to forge a partnership that is more solid and mutually beneficial Prioritizing constructive engagement, the US should concentrate on areas of shared interest including as economic cooperation and counterterrorism initiatives and address regional issues like climate change and maritime security

The US s policies towards Bangladesh have caused anxiety and strained the two countries' ties Sanctioning RAB without taking Bangladesh's security problems into account runs the danger of losing cooperation and trust

The perceived US indifference to Bangladesh s accomplishments and meddling in its internal affairs worsens the situation To ensure a more fruitful and profitable alliance, it is essential for the US and the West to reevaluate its policies, promote constructive engagement, and acknowledge Bangladesh s significance

The writer is a freelance columnist

Changing the culture at the World Bank

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

PR OJECT SYNDICATE B e r t r a n D B a D r é a n D P e t e r B l a r H e n r y

DAILY SABAH

a B D e n n O u r tO u M i

THE question of the youth with Maghreb and African Sahel origins largely residing in the peri-suburbs of France, commonly known as "la banlieue," has emerged as an ongoing social challenge The thorny issue of the youth in the banlieues has become a social chronic disease French governments right and left alike have been dealing with the dilemma of the marginalized banlieues and the youth who are lost in the socio-cultural parameters of the French society and the republic at large

What is the root cause of France's longstanding challenges? A socioeconomic problem that has morphed into a national identity crisis contaminating public discourse in politics and intellectual spheres for decades It has become a political tool for both right-wing and far-right parties, media outlets and the elite Recognizing that the matter of youth, identity and immigration encompasses intricate social historical and civilizational factors it is clear that youth represents more than just an age group or biological stage It is a social position intricately tied to cultural, economic and political contexts

THE REPUBLIC FAILED ITS CHILDREN

To better understand last week the youth revolt of the banlieues another round of denial and neglect attitude from the French Republic has emerged following the death of a teenager

Nahel, a 17-year-old born French citizen with Maghreb descent of a Moroccan father and an Algerian mother in Nanterre, a popular neighborhood in the center of the richest department of les Hauts-de-Seine where is located the French capital s financial district

This translates to the French paradox where misery meets with luxury, in other words, when Pablo Picasso's popular social housing towers caress the skyscrapers of yuppie Europe's largest business district of La Defense quarter Chronologically there were other violent events that occurred in the banlieues/suburbs in 1979 1993 2005 and 2023 What is new this time is the shift in the dynamic of conflicts between the youth and the authorities It has moved to the center and is no longer a suburb issue It is however a large city issue because tragic events of looting and social chaos took place in the center of Paris Marseille Lyon Toulouse Bordeaux and

the

center France, therefore, it s a question of city development and public policy the governments of the French Republic should have seriously managed instead of blaming the children of a republic that failed and still look at them as immigrants This revolt is like the previous ones It s the result of long-time marginalization policies and arrogant behavior, adding to the humiliation feeling that many Arabs, Blacks and Muslims in particular the youth have been getting ever since A narrative used by the farright to express their racism toward Muslims in general in the last three decades particularly during the cultural and political episode of the so-called French national media: The Islamic Veil question (l affaire du foulard Islamique) in 1989

The year 1989 shaped and shifted the discourse of racism in France toward the Arabs and the Blacks and toward the Muslims from its ethnic nature to its religious one Hence the issue of French national identity was at every political debate and election, raising the question about the role of Muslims in France Thus, it’s a matter of social justice that those youth and their parents in the suburbs are asking for more equality and don’t care about liberty and fraternity as they are worried nowadays about their safety and security

POLICE AND SOCIETY NARRATIVES

In the meantime, the police is an institution that has been pretty much anti-Arab and anti-Muslim because of the rise of far-right parties like Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) and Eric Zemmour s Reconquest

Recently another controversial far-right figure has entered the arena of xenophobic a n d h a t e s p e e c h i n F r a n c e : J e a n M e s s i h a M e s s i h a , b o r n H o s s a m B o t r o s M e s s i h a i n Cairo, Egypt, has become the voice and face of racists in the French media He recently r a i s e d o v e r 1 5 m i l l i o n e u r o s i n a n o n l i n e fund for the family of a police officer who shot and killed Nahel in the Nanterre neighborhood T h e e x t r e m i s t p a r t i e s , m e d i a a n d e l i t e are shaping the anti-Arab and Muslim immig r a n t n a r r a t i v e a n d t h e d i a l e c t i c a l r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n p o l i c e a n d s o c i e t y i n F r a n c e S o the shooting of Nahel last week by the police in the Nanterre neighborhood was only the d r o p t h a t o v e r f l o w e d t h e v a s e b e c a u s e t h e

French police have a terrible record, dealing with non-white people for instance, the infamous one is the 1961 Parisian police as Algerian Liberation War of Independence was nearing its end the Paris police brutally repressed a demonstration of French Algerians in the heart of the city Examples include the infamous repression of a demonstration by French Algerians in 1961, the shooting death of a F rench-A lgerian s tudent during a s tudent march in Paris in 1986, and the deaths o f Z i y a d ( 1 7 ) a n d B o u n a Tr a o r e ( 1 5 ) i n

2005 for which the police officers involved were acquitted Consequently French President Emmanuel Macron and his government have attempted to address these issues by emphasizing law and order, partly as a response to the influence of far-right parties and

their sympathizers within the police force, which has caused concern within the Macron administration However, both right-wing and left-wing governments have struggled to effectively tackle these deep-rooted problems reflecting a broader malaise within French society

It is important to note that the notion that all children of North African parents and grandparents are not well integrated or included is incorrect Many of these children do not even speak their parents' native language and are intellectually assimilated with French republican values However one complex question that arises in the context of social justice and marginalization is the visible religiosity among a large majority of Muslim girls and women MACRON'S LEADERSHIP QUESTIONED

These tragic events have raised questions about Macron s leadership and his ability to handle this social crisis He finds himself caught between the legitimate concerns of the youth in the banlieues and the racist discourse propagated by far-right parties, media outlets and the elite which often scapegoat Muslims and others According to news reports 70% of French people have called on President Macron to deploy the army to quell the unrest in these suburbs Politicians from the LR party president to Zemmour have called for a state of emergency, and even the far-right-leaning police union alliance has used the term "urban guerrilla war" to describe the situation

In summary France is currently facing a serious political crisis following the anti-retirement and pension law protests earlier this year and the subsequent revolt of the youth in the banlieues President Macron finds himself in a precarious position, with a relative majority in the National Assembly (the lower chamber in French Parliament) and facing significant anti-Macron sentiment from his fellow citizens the left coalition of NUPES, and the far-right led by Ms Le Pen These challenges have been mounting since the "Benalla affair" scandal and the violent Yellow Vest protests in 2018-2019 The economic consequences of these events coupled with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have further added to the complexities faced by the French economy

As a result, the "youth of the banlieues revolt" is already badly affecting the image of France abroad in light of next year s Paris Olympic Games (Paris 2024) These events have posed the question of the safety of millions of tourists during the Games in the Parisian suburbs that have been burning for five nights and causing great damage to France s economy President Macron blames social media, and the hard-working parents of those youth who are challenging him and his legacy while the generational revolts of the banlieues are about social justice and recognition

ABDENNOUR TOUMI is North Africa expert at the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM)

AJAY Banga, the newly-appointed president of the World Bank, is taking the helm at a pivotal moment The devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impeded progress in developing countries and pushed 124 million people into extreme poverty And Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine which has exacerbated inflation and US-China tensions promises to trigger even more volatility Consequently the Bank projects that economic activity in emerging economies will not return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024 Low- and middle-income countries need the World Bank to spearhead global efforts to reduce extreme poverty and enhance living standards By helping them to reduce their debt burdens and combat climate change, the bank could also help to improve their air and water quality, increase their access to clean energy, and bolster their food security But scepticism about the Bank’s capacity to address the challenges facing developing countries is running high In a recent speech Banga said that the World Bank needs a new playbook for engaging with the developing world While this is undoubtedly true any updated strategy must acknowledge a fundamental truth: the bank is unlikely to have enough capital to finance the investments required to address the enormous challenges facing poor countries Given this, it must mobilise its knowledge and relationships, as well as its capital, to encourage investments that enhance growth and employment while also facilitating the green transition That means establishing itself as its stakeholders’ partner of choice By collaborating with policymakers in developing and developed countries other multilateral development banks and the private sector the World Bank could incentivise what Banga has called informed risk-taking This approach would enable the bank to use its limited balance sheet to encourage private, public, bilateral, and multilateral lenders to increase their annual investments in sustainable development from billions to trillions of dollars But first, Banga must guide the institution towards complete transparency Fostering transparency starts with acknowledging the obvious The debt crisis currently engulfing emerging economies was exacerbated by the pandemic but these countries were on a perilous path long before Today s debt conundrum is the result of borrowers and lenders including the Bank itself pursuing low-return projects that could not cover their costs To avert future debt crises multilateral institutions must stop financing economically unsustainable projects While technical discussions about how to generate additional financing are crucial, they must not distract the Bank from the vital task of collaborating with decision-makers in developing countries Identifying future investments that could boost growth and accelerate the energy transition would be far more beneficial The first step towards a more effective World Bank has already been taken by the Bank’s partners during the recent Paris Summit for a New Global Financing Pact With roughly 1 2 billion people in poor countries lacking access to electricity and another billion living more than a mile from an all-season road infrastructure investments could foster sustained growth, help reduce debt, and mitigate the effects of climate change Given that two billion people in emerging and developing economies are expected to migrate from rural to urban regions by 2030, it is crucial to build climate-friendly power plants, roads, and railways in these countries The bank’s technical teams working closely with other multilateral lenders must estimate the additional output that each dollar invested in such projects could generate For example consider a project that contributes 30 cents to GDP for every dollar of investment resulting in a 30 per cent rate of return For such a project to be deemed economically viable the borrowing cost would need to remain below 30 per cent

As the Bank increasingly evaluates partner project proposals based on expected returns, it will likely encounter pushback against climate-related projects whose benefits cannot be captured by GDP alone While the bank’s assessment process should emphasise that many climate projects can deliver high rates of return it is crucial to recognise that there are valid reasons to invest in projects that may not yield short-term economic benefits At the same time to mitigate risks to debt sustainability economic and non-economic investments must be carefully balanced To this end, the bank should adopt a two-tiered assessment process The first tier would comprise projects approved solely on the basis of projected returns, and the second tier would include projects whose anticipated environmental benefits outweigh their cost Projects approved on the basis of economic merit could be further divided into two groups: high-return projects that could attract private-sector financing and lower-return projects that require concessional funding As one of us (Henry) recently wrote the bank has the financial and human resources to implement a data-driven investment approach But to succeed it must produce estimates of expected returns on prospective projects ensure that estimates are independently reviewed and verified, and make this information freely accessible to governments, investors, and the general public Publishing this data would enable governments to identify infrastructure projects with the greatest potential to boost growth help private investors make informed financing decisions and allow civilsociety groups to hold leaders to account By cultivating a culture of transparency regarding the costs and benefits of the bank s investments Banga could boost its credibility Increased trust would encourage shareholders to consider capital increases and engagement with the private sector and other development institutions would generate scale and momentum To be sure, changing the World Bank s culture will not be easy But many people around the world have been waiting for such an effort, and they would likely support Banga in transforming a lethargic institution into a powerful force promoting a just and sustainable future Bertrand Badré is a former managing director of the World Bank Peter Blair Henry is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution

WANG, BLINKEN MEET AS PRECURSOR TO ‘UNFOLDING DEVELOPMENTS’

ISLAMABAD

M I A N A B R A R

CH I N A and the US have been having increasingly frequent talks between senior officials recently and are expected to have more exchanges in various fields, such as diplomacy finance trade climate change and maybe military in the future

However Chinese experts said that if US President Joe Biden wants to stabilize ties with China and hold another China-US summit later this year before the US presidential election, Washington needs to show more concrete sincerity through actions otherwise the frequent meetings would not be productive

On Thursday Wang Yi Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken again in Jakarta Indonesia on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers meetings About a month earlier on June 19 they met in Beijing where Wang warned Blinken that China-US relations are at a low point, and the root cause is US misperceptions toward China, which has led to misguided China policies ”

Also on Thursday Shu Jueting a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that China is open to and welcomes US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to visit the country, adding that

communication with the US in this regard is underway Experts said this would be a key to gauging to what extent the two countries can ease their tensions in the field of trade while the recently ended visit of US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was more about macro economy and finance

On Wednesday China announced that As agreed between China and the US, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will visit China from July 16 to 19 ” Apart from diplomacy, finance, trade and climate change China and the US also discussed the resumption of talks between the militaries of the two countries Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng met with US Assistant Secretary of Defense Ely

Ratner upon invitation on Wednesday according to the website of the Chinese Embassy to the US Xie urged the US to remove obstacles and manage differences with concrete actions prudently handle important and sensitive issues such as the Taiwan question in accordance with the principles enshrined in the three China-US joint communiqués, and work with China in the same direction to gradually bring “state-to-state and militaryto-military relations back to the right track ”

All of these signs show that the consensus reached by the two heads of state in Bali last November has been implemented step by step at least in terms of resuming dialogues between senior officials in different

BYD proposes $1b India plan to build EVs, batteries

sectors and China has shown its sincerity in meeting the US desperate demands for talks despite Washington not yet correcting its mistakes, which deeply harmed bilateral ties, Chinese experts said Jin Canrong associate dean of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University told the Global Times on Thursday that the reason why the Biden administration is desperately seeking talks with China on all fronts is that the White House wants to manage and stabilize the worsening ties with China because if Biden wants to win next year s presidential elections he doesn t want to see any extreme incident or even direct conflict occurs between the two countries PR OFIT

China’s BYD Co (002594 SZ) has submitted a $1 billion investment proposal to build electric cars and batteries in India in partnership with a local company three people with direct knowledge of the plan told Reuters

BYD and privately held Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructures have submitted a proposal to Indian regulators to form an EV joint venture, the people said, asking not to be named because the application is private

The longer-term plan is to build a full line-up of BYD-brand electric cars in India from hatchbacks to luxury models one of the three people said

BYD, the world s largest producer of EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles, did not immediately respond to a request for comment The company previously said it planned to set up manufacturing in India now the world’s third-largest car market India’s commerce and heavy industries ministries did not immediately reply to a request for comment

BYD s push into India is part of its rapid global expansion to challenge Tesla (TSLA O), which still leads in sales of EVs alone If the India investment is ap-

proved it would give BYD a presence in all major global car markets with the exception of the United States

Tesla has recently restarted talks with India s government after putting on hold plans to enter the market last year when it failed to secure lower tax duties on imported vehicles in talks with officials

BYD has already invested $200 million in India where it sells the Atto 3 electric SUV and the e6 EV to corporate fleets, and plans to launch its Seal luxury electric sedan this year

Members of the press and the general public check out the Atto 3 electric SUV in Farnborough

[1/2]Members of the press and the general public check out the Atto 3 electric SUV made by Chinese carmaker BYD at the Fully Charged Live electric vehicle trade show in Farnborough Britain April 28 2023

REUTERS/Nick Carey/File Photo

The total production capacity proposed by BYD was not immediately clear

The maker of Blade batteries as well as finished EVs has plans to scale up to production of 100 000 EVs annually in India over a few years but would likely begin by shipping vehicles in parts for assembly in the country as it works to build up a supply chain, one of the sources said

The investment proposal also includes a plan by BYD and Megha Engineering to set up charging stations in India and build research and development and training centres, the sources said

The joint proposal comes amid stricter investment rules Since 2020 India has tightened scrutiny of investments from neighbouring countries including China Those controls forced China s Great Wall Motor (601633 SS) to shelve a plan to invest $1 billion in the Indian market and pushed Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC’s (600104 SS) MG Motor unit to look for a local partner Shenzhen-based BYD entered the Indian market in 2007 producing batteries and components for mobile phone makers In 2013 it started building electric buses with Megha Engineering under a joint venture company called Olectra Greentech (OLEC NS) BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, sold a total of 1 86 million BEVs and plug-in hybrids in 2022 In India EVs made up just over 1% of total car sales of 3 8 million in 2022 but the government wants to grow this to 30% by 2030

In India BYD will compete with domestic automaker Tata Motors (TAMO NS) and Chinese rival MG Motor that currently dominate electric car sales

Work on Dhabiji Special Economic Zone site to be kicked off today: Memon

Minister for Information Transport and Mass Transit Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon along with Special Assistant to the Sindh Chief Minister for Investment and Public-Private Partnership, Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar, addressed a joint press conference in Karachi today and announced that the development work of the grand project of CPEC at the Dhabiji Special Economic Zone site will commence on Saturday at 12 noon Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari along with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and members of the Sindh Cabinet will inaugurate the project Information Transport and Mass Transit Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, said that Sindh government is inaugurating Dhabeji Special Economic Zone on July 15, any investor who establishes their business within this zone will be eligible for a ten-year tax exemption, the importation of machinery for business purposes will be duty-free

Wagner chief refused to cede command, confirms Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday revealed that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had refused to surrender the command of his fighter which could have settled the fate of the group during their first meeting held after a failed rebellion in Kremlin last month

It is pertinent to mention here that three weeks after Prigozhin launched a short-lived rebellion against Kremlin’s regime

CORPORATE CORNER

C H I N A C O N D E M N S P R E M E D I TAT E D A C T S O F D E S E C R AT I O N O F Q U R A N

S

Foolproof security to be ensured during Muharram : Tessori

Karachi: Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori has said that fool proof security would be provided for gatherings and processions during Muharram-ulHaram This he said while talking with a delegation of Jaferia Alliance led by Shabbar Raza at Governor House Ex-MNA Rehan Hashmi was also present on the occasion Security measures for Muharram processions close coordination with local administration, desecration of Quran-e-Karim in Sweden, economic steps of Federal Government for strengthening of economy and other matters of mutual interests was discussed on the occasion Governor Sindh said that all facilities would be provided to mourners throughout the province All District Administrations have been directed to coordinate with relevant persons in the regard, he added PR

French N g o to work in health, educ ation & clean drinking water sec tors

K a r a c h i: French NGO Triangle Generation

Humanitaire intends to workbin the fields of education, health and clean drinking water in the province and its delegation led by Director Operation Ivan Deret met Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori in this regards Governor Sindh while welcoming the delegation hoped that its assistance would provide improved basic amenities of life to locals in the province Their plan to provide clean drinking water is specially commendable, Governor Sindh said He also lauded the contribution of Triangle Generation Humanitaire in various other countries of the region Ivan Deret Director Operations of French NGO informed that Triangle Generation Humanitaire is working since last 30 years and its projects are running in 12 countries of the world PR

TikTok updates family pairing feature to enhance safety, wellbeing of teenagers

K a r a c h i: TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile videos, has announced two significant initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and well-being of teenagers on the platform In response to valuable feedback from parents and caregivers TikTok has expanded its content filtering capabilities within Family Pairing This new feature enables parents or caregivers to further customize the content their teenagers come across while using the app By utilizing the content filtering tool, caregivers can now curate a tailored viewing experience for their teens by filtering out specific words hashtags and themes that they deem inappropriate or unsuitable TikTok acknowledges the unique needs of every teenager and empowers caregivers to create a safer and more personalized environment for their teens within the app To ensure the development of a well-rounded and inclusive safety framework TikTok collaborated with renowned experts including the Family Online Safety Institute PR

No signific ant change to load shed regime as 71% of network remains exempted from loadshed

K a r a c h i: Following a periodic assessment of the network 71% of the city remain exempt from load shed under the schedule published by K-Electric

CH I N A supported the urgent debate held at the United Nations Human Rights Council over public and premeditated acts of desecration of the Quran and strongly condemned such acts that happened once again in the relevant country China supports holding this urgent debate and expresses its strong condemnation over the burning of the Holy Quran that happened once again in the relevant country Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during his regular briefing

He said that China advocated mutual respect, inclusiveness and mutual learning between civilizations and firmly opposes all forms of Islamophobia

The so-called freedom of speech is not a reason for stoking conflicts and antagonism between civilizations All religious beliefs and feelings need to be respected he added

Wang Wenbin said that China will work with the international community to implement the Global Civilization Initiative advocate equality mutual learning dialogue and inclusiveness among

New Delhi ’s stubbornness biggest impediment to K ashmir solution: APHC

SRINAGAR S TA F F R E P O R T

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has said that New Delhi s stubbornness is the biggest impediment in resolving the Kashmir dispute and ensuring peace in the region

According to Kashmir Media Service APHC spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar while expressing serious concern over the ongoing human rights viola-

tions by Indian troops in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir urged the world community to take notice of the dire situation in the territory

He said India cannot suppress the Kashmiris’ struggle for securing their inalienable right to selfdetermination by arresting innocent people and other repres-

s a s p i r a t i o n s

PEF approves fee increase, introduces e -voucher system

The 84th meeting of the Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) Board of Directors took place on Friday, chaired by Dr Saeed Shafqat The meeting aimed to address several crucial agendas including the enhancement of monthly fees for students attending PEF partner schools and the introduction of an innovative E-

Voucher System Under the leadership of Dr Saeed Shafqat the board members were warmly welcomed by Manzar Javed Ali the Managing Director of PEF, who presented the agendas for their consideration Following in-depth discussions, the Board of Directors reached a unanimous decision to increase the monthly fees for students in different school levels Middle-Level School fees will

be raised by Rs50, Secondary Level School fees by Rs100 and Higher Secondary Level School fees for those affiliated with Foundation Assisted Schools (FAS) Education Voucher Scheme (EVS), and New School Program (NSP) by Rs200

Dr Saeed Shafqat, the hairperson of the Board of Directors emphasized that the primary objective of the fee increase is to provide financial support to partner schools

HEC asks students, parents to check recognition of institution before taking admission

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

T h e H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n C o m m i s s i o n ( H E C ) h a s u rg e d s t u d e n t s t o e n s u r e t h e a c c r e d i t a t i o n o f p r of e s s i o n a l d e g r e e p r o g r a m m e s a n d t h e r e c o g n i t i o n of admitting university/sub-campus from HEC before taking admission A c c o r d i n g t o H E C t h e p r o f e s s i o n a l d e g r e e p r o g r a m m e s i n c l u d e E n g i n e e r i n g M e d i c i n e & D e n t i s t r y Ve t e r i n a r y E d u c a t i o n N u r s i n g A r c h it e c t u r e a n d To w n P l a n n i n g P h a r m a c y L a w H om o e o p a t h y, Ti b b , A g r i c u l t u r e , B u s i n e s s ,

C o m p u t i n g , Te a c h e r E d u c a t i o n , a n d Te c h n o l o g y

The programmes required accreditation from the respective professional councils it said

To verify the accreditation status of your desired programme HEC asked students to reach out to the concerned professional councils website hec gov pk/site/accredita

The commission further added that for professional and non-professional programmes it was equally essential to ensure that the admitting university or sub-campus was recognised by the HEC

The HEC also asked the students to check the recognition status visit: hec gov pk/site/HEls

Emirates celebrates 25 years of uniting Peshawar with World

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Emirates today marks 25 years of successful operations in Peshawar Pakistan’s sixth largest city Since the inaugural flight on July 14 1998 Emirates has carried over 1 8 million passengers between Dubai and Peshawar and lifted more than 25,000 tonnes of cargo, supporting travel and trade through the export of commodities

In 1998 the inaugural flight landed at Bacha Khan International Airport becoming the second Pakistani city served by the airline and, since then, the airline has ensured seamless travel connectivity be-

tween Pakistan s North Western city of Peshawar and Emirates network including its hub city of Dubai Emirates currently offers five weekly flights to passengers from

Peshawar operated with a Boeing 777-300ER wide-body aircraft capable of carrying up to 428 passengers and 20 tonnes of cargo in the bellyhold

civilizations safeguard the world diversity of civilizations and together advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind

From July 11 to 12, the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council held an urgent debate on acts of burning the Holy Quran in relevant countries and passed a draft resolution proposed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation with a vote of 28 in favour 12 against and 7 abstentions

The resolution condemns the recent public and premeditated acts of desecration of the Holy Quran, decides to hold a topic discussion and an interactive dialogue at the 54th and 55th sessions of the UN Human Rights Council respectively and requests the High Commissioner to present an oral update on the root causes of religious hatred

Students awarded Rs6 million under Chinese Ambassador Scholarship Program

PESHAWAR S TA F F R E P O R T

The University of Peshawar (UoP) distributed Rs 6 million in cash assistance to deserving students under the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship Program 2023

The China Study Center (CSC) at UoP organised the scholarship distribution ceremony, alongside the Prizes Distribution of Art Competition & Exhibition” titled “Decade of China Pakistan Economic Corridor” at the Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum

Khan Auditorium UoP Provincial Minister for Higher Education & Archives

Libraries Justice (retired) Irshad Qaiser the chief guest congratulated the students on their scholarship success, stating the financial aid would help alleviate financial burdens, aiding students in shaping Pakistan’s future Professor Dr Kausar Takrim Director of CSC revealed the centre had distributed Rs 18 million amongst deserving students to date according to Gwadar Pro This year RMB 150 000 (equivalent to Rs 6 million) was distributed among the university s deserving students Last year, the CSC distributed Rs 4 5 million under the same scholarship programme “CPEC is a game-changer project bringing peace and prosperity to South Asia It will transform and modernise Pakistan said Ms Takrim Professor Dr Muhammad Idrees Vice-Chancellor UoP, highlighted the significance of the 10th anniversary of CPEC due to the substantial progress made by Pakistan under this flagship project He praised the university for producing high-quality graduates making it a key institution for regional cooperation development and integration

The Vice-Chancellor also emphasised the positive impact of the CSC s establishment at UoP, with the financial and technical support of the Chinese embassy, on fostering mutual understanding between China and Pakistan H e e x p r e s s e d c o n f i d e n c e i n t h e c e n t r e ’s c o n t i n u e d e ff o r t s t o e n h a n c e t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e t w o n a t i o n s

First-ever Pashto Chinese mix song attracts applause

PESHAWAR S TA F F R E P O R T

The first ever Pashto-Chinese song on seventy years old phenomenal friendship between Pakistan and China is attracting applause from dwellers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa terming the melody as true reflector of inner emotions of peoples of both the countries

The song is prepared by China Window around a year earlier and re-launched it on the occasion when both the countries are celebrating the completion of ten years of gigantic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) agreement

Headed by prominent journalist Amjad Aziz Malik

China Window is a Chinese cultural center established in Peshawar for providing opportunity to the people to explore the culture of their brotherly neighbor Within few years after its establishment, China Window has provided opportunity to more than 100 000 people for exposure visit to the Chinese culture literature art and history through exhibitions movie screenings and training Pakistan embassy in Beijing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), Archeology Department, Youth Directorate KP and Islamia College Peshawar extended cooperation in preparation of the song

PM S hehbaz S harif L aunches Youth S kill Development Program

The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts of Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Mr Rana Tanveer Hussain, management of National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and NUTECH University a partner institute of NAVTTC for excellent contribution in imparting high demand skills trainings among youth The Prime Minister also appreciated Chairman NAVTTC Mr Shahid Khan for successful implementation of NAVTTC-Takamol Saudi Arabia Skill Verification program (SVP) and International accreditation of 10 TVET institutes The Prime Minister also awarded certificates among the graduates of Prime Minister s Skill Development Program Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain said that Prime Minister s Youth Skill Development Program (PMYSDP) being implemented by NAVTTC is socially inclusive and offers diversified training services to the youth in modern technology based sectors with focus on employment generation

collaborate with telecommunications providers Our contribution to this ecosystem comprises an extensive network of franchises and retailers throughout the country as well as a comprehensive analytical database of consumer behaviour, usage, and demographics that can facilitate the identification of suitable users for smartphone purchases ” Ashfaque elaborated Profit has covered the intricacies of phones being sold on instalments in an earlier article for those interested

Read more: Why don t we have phone plans in Pakistan?

So, is Kistpay the only one that stepped up to collaborate with Telenor then?

When asked why they chose Kistpay as their partner Telenor stated that KistPay s mission aligns seamlessly with our own as they are devoted to creating social impact by offering effortless access to smartphone financing, particularly for the unbanked population ”

“We acknowledge that providing smartphones to individuals currently ex-

COAS Gen Asim leaves for Iran on two-day official visit

RAWALPINDI S TA F F R E P O R T

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim

Munir on Friday embarked on a two-day official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said

During his visit, General Asim Munir is scheduled to meet key figures from Iran’s military and civilian leadership According to the ISPR military’s media wing the COAS will discuss bilateral matters related to defence and security cooperation during his meetings

The itinerary of the diplomatic mission places emphasis on strengthening ties between the two countries, with a particular focus on security and defence cooperation The visit comes as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and underscores the importance Pakistan places on its connections with Iran

The meeting comes a month after China Pakistan and Iran held their first counter-terrorism dialogue in Beijing, signalling the emergence of new alignments in the region

The dialogue was seen as a key indicator of new alliances with China in the lead role after Beijing brokered a landmark deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran leading to the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries

Also in June, Iranian Naval Chief Rear Admiral Shahram Irani proposed an Indian Ocean Naval Alliance comprising Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India and Pakistan aimed at ensuring collective maritime security

The proposal if executed could be one of the most important regional security initiatives after the Chinamediated rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran

According to the reports, China may have an important role to play in the proposed maritime alliance

Many observers believe that China, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Russia to name a few are the natural allies as their interests are converging in the increasingly bipolar world

BEIJING

S TA F F R E P O R T

Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal said that with China s support work on the multibillion ML-1, the main railway line project between Karachi and Peshawar, would be started as early as possible during this year

The ML-1 project was to be done in the first phase but somehow it got delayed in the last four years

There was little follow-up from the previous government but now we are actively following it up, the minister said

We are hopeful that this project will start this year,” he said in an interview after a special meeting of the 12th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC in Beijing

He said The railway track has been badly damaged during the floods last year

This is the main railway track line linking north and south Pakistan We want to repair

cluded from the connected world can revolutionise their lives By capitalising on the synergies between our two organisations we aim to create opportunities for individuals to participate in the digital economy and empower these segments of society to unlock their potential – fostering a more inclusive society,” they added

What do the two aim to achieve out of this relationship

When asked about any milestones they seek to achieve with this relationship Telenor stated that through this partnership, we envision a society where barriers to smartphone ownership and digital access are eliminated – allowing individuals from all walks of life to harness the power of connectivity and digital services

Furthermore Telenor added that together we are dedicated to building a digitally inclusive Pakistan where connectivity and smartphones are accessible to all, thereby driving socioeconomic progress and shaping a brighter more prosperous future for our nation At Kistpay we firmly believe that access to the internet is a fundamental need and that the fastest way to get connected to the digital ecosystem is through a smartphone,” stated Khurram Shaikh, Chief Technology Officer at Kistpay Shaikh continued “In Pak-

Funeral prayers of mar t yrs of Zhob attack offered in native towns

istan, almost half of the population is not connected to the internet – a reality we are dedicated to changing ”

How will the technology behind this instalment financing work?

The two most salient questions that arise when any form of financing arrangement is discussed are: how will the creditworthiness of potential customers be ascertained and how will the lender hedge for non-performing loans (NPL)?

“To enable this bottom of the pyramid – the largest and poorest socio-economic group in the world – we have built a sophisticated homegrown tech stack that enables us to analyse alternative data and make instantaneous loan approval decisions in the absence of formal data points,” Shaikh explained “Creditworthiness checks are built on both formal and alternate data points and underwriting is done using alternate data points to construct a digital score –based on which we make our decisions, Shaikh added In terms of hedging for NPLs, Shaikh states “We have also developed our own proprietary algorithm for device locking and we use this feature to lock devices remotely when someone defaults We are dedicated to solving this problem through cutting-edge technology ” More details regarding the locking system could not be obtained as Shaikh stated that he could not disclose much information pertaining to their proprietary and copyrighted technology

Af ter year of failed attempts, Trafigura offers LNG shipment to Pakistan

Pakistan has received an offer for supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first time in over a year potentially reversing a trend of failed attempts to procure fuel

According to sources commodity trader Trafigura Pte Ltd has offered two LNG shipments for delivery in January and February

The development comes as a positive sign for Pakistan, as its previous two spot tenders did not receive any offers

According to details Pakistan LNG Ltd (PLL) received a bid from Trafigura for an LNG import tender at a price of $23 47 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) for a delivery scheduled on January 3-4 Another bid was received for a delivery on February 23-24 at a price of $22 47/mmBtu The bid from Trafigura is for Pakistan LNG s second tender, which was set to close on July 14 Traders have noted that the offered shipments are priced at approximately a 30% premium to current market prices

Pakistan s attempts to procure spot LNG cargoes have been hindered by credit risk, preventing suppliers from selling spot shipments to the nation However, the recent acquisition of a $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has potentially eased concerns and improved the country s position

Dependent on gas for power generation Pakistan has faced challenges in securing spot cargoes of LNG due to elevated global prices resulting from geopolitical tensions

Last year, the country imported 9 billion cubic meters (bcm) of LNG a decline of nearly 20% compared to 2021 s imports of 11 2 bcm Pakistan has long-term supply agreements with Qatar, including a 2016 deal for 3 75 million metric tons of LNG annually and another signed in 2021 for 3 million metric tons per year Additionally there is an annual portfolio contract with ENI for 0 75 million metric tons

The outcome of Pakistan s LNG tender remains uncertain, as the decision is not expected until July 31 The country will need to assess the viability of the offered prices and weigh them against market conditions before finalizing any purchase

The successful acquisition of LNG shipments would provide much-

needed relief to Pakistan s energy sector and help meet its growing demand for natural gas

Pakistan LNG Limited is a subsidiary of Government Holdings (Private) Limited (GHPL) which is owned by the Government of Pakistan PLL has the mandate to procure Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to meet the country s gas requirement

Bids were invited from reputed international suppliers for the supply of three LNG cargoes on Delivered Ex-Ship (DES) basis at Port Qasim Karachi

According to invitation to bid for supply of three LNG cargoes the delivery schedule for these LNG cargos was 03-04 January 2024,28-29 January 2024 and 2324 February 2024

It is noteworthy that Trafigura has offered LNG supply for two cargoes while no one else participated in the bid

Funeral prayers of martyrs who embraced martyrdom while valiantly thwarting a full scale terrorists attack on Zhob Garrison and during an intense exchange of fire with hardcore terrorists in Sui the other day were offered at their native towns with full military honor

The funeral processions were attended by serving and retired officers/soldiers, relatives and a large number of people from different segments of society

In a statement, the ISPR said the Armed Forces of Pakistan stand resolute and committed to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the motherland at all costs

Gov t should complete tenure instead of dissolving assemblies early: Bukhari

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

PPP central leader Nayyar Bukhari on Friday said the incumbent coalition government should complete its term set to expire on August 12 instead of dissolving the National Assembly (NA)

His advice comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the coalition government would hand over the country’s reins to the caretaker setup on the expiry of its term next month

The five-year term of the NA commenced under the then-PTI government on August 12, 2018, and will be completed under a PM-Shehbaz-led ruling coalition following the ouster of former premier Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in April last year

PM Shehbaz had earlier said the “term of our government will be over on August 14 However a key member of the federal cabinet had later stated that the prime minister had mentioned the August 14 date only in the context of the country s Independence Day

The minister had added that at subsequent functions, the prime minister clarified and declared that he would hand over the government to the caretakers “upon completion of the constitutional term” Meanwhile confusion also persists about whether the coalition partners would go for the normal dissolution of the NA on completion of its term on August 12 or advise the president for an early dissolution

According to Article 224 of the Constitution, A general election to the National Assembly or a provincial assembly shall be held within a period of 60 days immediately following the day on which the term of the assembly is due to expire unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved In case of early dissolution, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is bound to hold the general elections within a period of 90 days after the dissolution, according to Article 224(2)

The provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan also held their first sessions on August 13 2018 so the term of these provincial assemblies also end with the National Assembly PPP s Bukhari opined:

Dissolving assemblies just a few days before the expiry of the term would not send a good message

He recalled that lawmakers had taken the oath on August 13 2018 “According to this elections should be held the day the NA completes its five-year term ”

The PPP leader further said that general elections in the country should be held on October 12

Dissolving the assemblies to get 30 more days won t make much of a difference, Bukhari stated, adding that both the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and political parties were aware of the completion of the incumbent government’s term

As per the law and Constitution the ECP should hold elections 60 days after this process Dissolving the assemblies will give a few more days which does not make much of a difference and will also not send out a good message, he maintained

The PPP leader added that the decision regarding the caretaker set-up would be taken by the prime minister and the opposition leader However if a consensus is not reached between the two leaders the matter would go to the parliamentary committee Bukhari also said that the prime minister would consult with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari with regard to the caretaker set-up as he was a member of the cabinet Currently, there are no candidates shortlisted for the caretaker prime minister

ISLAMABAD

Two well-known Pakistani and Chinese institutions have decided to enhance cooperation to boost cooperation in the education sector

In this connection, an agreement is set to be signed between Pakistan’s National Defence University (NDU) in Islamabad and China s Grandview Institution (GVI) a distinguished independent think tank Pakistan s federal cabinet has granted approval for the agreement, which also has garnered support from

it and we want to upgrade it as early as pos-

sible It will be a US$10 billion project We will do it in phases, and we hope to start this project as soon as possible during this year ”

Ahsan Iqbal said “The 150 years old railway line now requires major modernisation and up-gradation We are hoping that with China s help, we will be able to modernize this railway track from Karachi to Peshawar and it will be a very big support to our logistics ”

About Karachi circular railway, he said,

“It is a mass transit project for Karachi which is the biggest city in Pakistan So we also agreed to fast-track that project

Ahsan Iqbal said the JCC meeting was very historic because it marked a decade of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

“About 10 years ago, both China and Pakistan started a new journey of bilateral relationship through CPEC which is a pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative

As a result today we have more than $25 billion worth of investments in Pakistan

the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Ministry of Law and Justice

According to a Gwadar Pro s report the agreement is intended to enhance collaboration in education, academics, and research between the two nations

In June, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar expressed the nation’s

under CPEC and the flagship project has helped Pakistan overcome its energy crisis

Under CPEC, we installed more than 8 000 megawatts of power projects It has helped us to construct modern highways and motorways which has improved connectivity in the country linked different parts of the country, and provided efficient logistic support to the economy

He said, “Through CPEC, we have also developed infrastructure in Gwadar ”

“We have also improved the digital infrastructure with fiber optic cable that has been laid between China and Pakistan

With CPEC we have also carried out a number of socio-economic projects for uplifting the social conditions of people

“So, this is a very historic journey in which we are able to transform the nature of the relationship between two countries and make it much stronger in the economic cooperation field the minister added He said We had a discussion about how

The caretaker prime minister is picked by the outgoing prime minister in consultation with the leader of the opposition In case the prime minister and the leader of the opposition do not agree on any person to be appointed as the caretaker prime minister, within three days of the dissolution of the National Assembly, they shall forward two nominees each to a committee to be immediately constituted by the speaker

The committee should comprise eight members of the outgoing National Assembly or the Senate or both having equal representation from the treasury and the opposition The committee members are to be nominated by the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, respectively

to take forward CPEC in the next phase, which will promote business-to-business cooperation, industrial cooperation, and also Chinese private investment in Pakistan’s energy agriculture information technology and mining sectors where there are many opportunities for investors to have good business opportunities for Pakistan, to take benefit of investment and technology from China

“It will be a win-win investment for both countries and we look forward now to taking CPEC into the next phase based on greater cooperation in industrial and agricultural fields and also in the technology areas

Sharing more details in terms of how did the CPEC benefit the livelihood of Pakistani people, he said, The CPEC projects have created almost 200,000 job opportunities and helped Pakistan overcome the energy crises ”

He said with 12 hours and 14 hours of electricity shortage the factories were closed and the workers were laid off The small businesses were out of business in hospitals

the patients were suffering, in educational institutions, the students were suffering

“So, by solving the energy crisis, everyone in Pakistan has benefited from the great contribution that has been made by CPEC ”

Similarly in some remote areas where projects had been made for example in Thar, which is Pakistan very remote area, and we had huge untapped coal deposit there With CPEC, we were able to do the mining project and now it has become the energy capital of Pakistan he said

The companies that are working there are setting up schools and setting up hospitals They are empowering local people including women by providing them job opportunities It has helped the economy

“So, in many ways, these projects have connected people of very remote areas They are now very close to each other with very short distance where it used to take people eight hours to travel now they do the same travel in two and a half hours