Epaper_23-07-2 ISB

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R

The deal subject to approval by the IMF board in July comes after an eight-month delay and offers some respite to Pakistan which is battling an acute balance of payments crisis and falling foreign exchange reserves

The $3bn funding, spread over nine months, is higher than expected for Pakistan The country was awaiting the release of the remaining $2 5bn from a $6 5bn bailout package agreed in 2019 which expired on Friday Pakistan received formal documents on the deal later on Friday, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told Reuters, which he said he would “sign, seal and return by same night”

The new deal will disburse an upfront amount of $1 1 billion shortly after the IMF board s meeting in July he said

Dar said Pakistan aimed to take the central bank s foreign exchange reserves to $14 billion by the end of July “We have stopped the decline, now we have to turn to growth ” he added

The new stand-by arrangement builds on the 2019 programme IMF official Nathan Porter said in a statement on Thursday, adding that Pakistan s economy had faced several challenges in

recent times including devastating floods last year and commodity price hikes following the war in Ukraine

“As a result of these shocks as well as some policy missteps including shortages from constraints on the functioning of the FX market economic growth has stalled Inflation including for essential items, is very high, he added

Despite the authorities efforts to reduce imports and the trade deficit, reserves have declined to very low levels Liquidity conditions in the power sector also remain acute Porter said in a statement

Given these challenges the new arrangement would provide a policy anchor and a framework for financial support from multilateral and bilateral partners in the period ahead ” he said

Meanwhile the IMF’s press release states The IMF staff and the Pakistani authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on policies to be supported by a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA)

It added that the new SBA will “support the authorities’ immediate efforts to stabilise the economy from recent external

Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma arrives in Pakistan

shocks preserve macroeconomic stability and provide a framework for financing from multilateral and bilateral partners “The new SBA will also create space

for social and development spending through improved domestic revenue mobilization and careful spending execution to help address the needs of the Pakistani people,” the IMF said It further said “Steadfast policy implementation is key for Pakistan to overcome its current challenges including through greater fiscal discipline a market-determined exchange rate to absorb external pressures, and further progress on reforms, particularly in the energy sector to promote climate resilience and to help improve the business climate ”

There was a wave of relief that spread all over the country as soon as the news hit that Pakistan had signed an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The deal was of course expected

The rumour mill had already started churning out reports that a staff level agreement was near for the past week All of the government s actions indicated the same The prime minister had met the director of the fund in Paris, the government amended and bulldozed the budget through parliament and the State Bank hiked the policy rate in an emergency meeting

Ma Ma is the most well-known Chinese billionaire to vanish during a crackdown on tech entrepreneurs The South China Morning Post reported that he just recently arrived back in China after spending more than a year abroad

G

o v t j a c k s u p d i e s e l , ke e p s p e t r o

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has announced that petroleum prices will be maintained at their current rate of Rs262 per litre while diesel costs have been raised by Rs7 5 to a rate of Rs260 5 per litre Finance Minister Ishaq Dar shared the news in a tweet late last night, stating that the newly announced rates would be valid until July 15 The decision was made on the recommendation of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), it was claimed Dar has said that the price of oil has increased significantly in the world market due to which the price of diesel

condemns

of Quran bur ning in Sweden

Pakistan vehemently condemned the abhorrent act of burning the Quran in public outside a mosque in Sweden during the celebration of Eid al-Adha, the Foreign Office said A Swedish militant identified as Salwan Momika 37 burned a copy of the Muslim holy book under police protection in front of a Stockholm mosque on Wednesday, in a provocative act timed to coincide with Eid celebrations

The act has elicited widespread condemnation from the Islamic world including Pakistan Turkey Jordan Palestine Saudi Arabia Morocco Iraq Iran Senegal, Morocco, and Mauritania

Expressing strong disapproval of the incident, the Foreign Office said that such deliberate actions inciting discrimination hatred and violence cannot be justified under the guise of freedom of expression and protest

According to international law, it is the responsibility of states to prohibit any promotion of religious hatred that leads to incitement of violence The repeated occurrence of Islamophobic incidents in the West raises serious concerns about the legal framework that allows such hate-driven actions

The statement emphasised that the right to freedom of expression and opinion should not be misused to fuel hatred or disrupt interfaith harmony Pakistan s concerns regarding this incident will be con-

veyed to Sweden, it added

The Foreign Office further urged the international community and national governments to take concrete measures to prevent the escalating incidents of xenophobia Islamophobia, and anti-Muslim hatred

The militant told Swedish media Thursday that he intended to burn another Koran within 10 days

Speaking to newspaper Expressen Momika said he knew his action would provoke reactions and that he had received thousands of death threats Nonetheless, he was planning further actions in the coming weeks, he said

“ Wi t h i n 1 0 d a y s I w i l l b u r n t h e I r a q i f l a g a n d t h e K o r a n i n front of Iraq s embassy in Stockholm he said

PM, ar my chief celebrate Eid with troops at Afghanistan border

The prime minister and the army chief celebrated Eid al-Adha with troops stationed in Parachinar town of Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, located along the Afghanistan border Shehbaz Sharif and Gen Syed Asim Munir were accompanied by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Minister for

Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb

They joined officers and troops in offering Eid prayers followed by exchanging greetings Sharif commended the army for its unwavering resolve operational preparedness, and professional standards

Addressing the officers and troops, the prime minister expressed his admiration for their efforts and unwavering commitment to defending the borders of the country with bravery and courage He acknowledged the sacrifices they make facing difficult conditions and

Yet even when finance minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that the SLA was expected in the next 24 hours, it was hard to believe The people of this country have been fed the promise of just around the corner” and the deal being “a few days away” for so long that nothing but concrete ocular evidence was going to cut it

So when the agreement arrived and the IMF made a statement it was as if a nation that had been holding its breath in nervous anticipation could finally let it out But in the midst of the relief and jubilation it would, one must be cautious not to forget why things got this bad in the first place

This became necessary only because the agreement should rightfully have been struck eight months ago

The architect of this delay is none other than finance minister Ishaq Dar

After taking charge of the finance ministry in September, Senator Dar spent a good few months trying to prop up the rupee stomp on inflation and build a platform for the PML-N to build an election campaign off of Any criticism of his actions or suggestions that they could derail the hard fought IMF agreement were met with macho posturing and aggressive chest thumping

All of the buffoonish antics ended when the IMF did not respond kindly to Mr Dar ’s tactics When it became clear there was no recourse the government ended up blinking in the stare off and an IMF team arrived in Pakistan by February and left without signing a staff level agreement From here on in the fund had the upper hand and ended up essentially dictating the country’s budget

“This should be taken as a lesson,” says Taimur

Jhagra former finance minister of KP “If the deal had been completed 8 or 9 months ago there would have been far less economic anguish Instead we spent this time watching silently as the productivity of our industries fell, our foreign exchange reserves were depleted, and our currency took a beating”

“No one is going to be against the IMF deal, but there are some realities we must face If you just reflect on the budget the changes came as the result of the IMF s arm twisting Now we need to make these changes to help Pakistan not just because we need to secure a deal with the IMF If Ishaq Dar had not been dragging his feet, we could have negotiated the budget provisions better Instead with such little time left the IMF gave us their cookie cutter solutions and we had no option but to accept This seems to be the general sentiment among analysts In the last several months Pakistan has adopted several measures to limit the decline in reserves amid prolonged talks with the IMF

challenges while upholding their duty to protect and secure the nation

The prime minister applauded the officers and troops for prioritising the nation’s security regardless of joyful occasions or solemn events like Eid He paid tribute to the armed forces including the army air force and navy for their dedicated service and determination in safeguarding the country s borders amidst numerous obstacles

Prime Minister Sharif extended Eid greetings to the entire nation including the officers and troops of the armed forces He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating those who disrupt peace commit acts of terrorism or aid and abet such activities

IMF deal comes through af ter eight months of

will-they-won’t-they.

What happens now?

g $3B STAND -BY AGREEMENT MORE THAN WHAT PAKISTAN WA S EXPECTING. RESPONSE ACROSS BOARD HA S BEEN RELIEF

The only question is what happens now?

not default on its external debts

that was plaguing Pakistan in the short term

They say better late than never After more than eight months of delays uncertainty market confidence being shot and the constant threat of default looming ominously by Pakistan has reached a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Profit spoke to government officials members of the opposition, market experts, and other sources to try and picture what the immediate future will look like Safe until elections The agreement clears up a lot of uncertainty that has been plaguing Pakistan With forex reserves running out (the SBP only has a few weeks worth of import cover left), loan repayments to be made in the coming months, and an election to be held the failure to reach this agreement could have been catastrophic

The current deal is a $3 billion stand-by agreement that will last for a period of nine months and is higher than expected for Pakistan With the $3 billion from the IMF secured, it has become clear that Pakistan will

And since a stand-by agreement has been signed, any caretaker setup that comes in will not have to negotiate with the fund which would be beyond its jurisdiction Pakistan can simply now call elections select a caretaker setup and let the next government negotiate a new programme with the fund

The delay has been very damaging, but it is good that this deal has come through It clears the looming uncertainty about what will happen when the country is in the hands of a caretaker set up and preparing for elections while the forex reserves are falling explains Khurram Hussain former editor of Profit and a senior economic journalist As Mr Hussain explains, the agreement has cleared the path and removed the uncertainty

Former finance minister and leader of the Reimagining Pakistan platform Miftah

Ismail said that the agreement was a harbinger of good news and gave Pakistan a direction to move forward I think it s wonderful news This is the best insurance against default and gives us a way to move forward, he told Profit

What does the deal mean for Pakistan?

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03 C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03 C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03 C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03 C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03 g C O U N T R Y W A S A W A I T I N G R E L E A S E O F R E M A I N I N G $ 2 5 B N F R O M A $ 6 5 B B A I LO U T PA C K A G E A G R E E D I N 2 0 1 9 g D A R S AY S PA K I S TA N A I M S AT TA K I N G C E N T R A L B A N K ’ S F O R E I G N E XC H A N G E R E S E R V E S TO $ 1 4 B B Y E N D O F J U LY

Pakistan

‘despicable act’

T WA R N S A G A I N S T U S I N G I N D I A N , I S R A E L I

I T S E R V I C E S I N P U B L I C D E PA R T M E N T S

THE Federal government has warned of the use of Indian/Israeli IT related Products and Services in departments According to document, the attach department of Cabinet Division, NTISB, in its latest advisory pertaining to Cyber threats associated with Indian/Israeli IT related Products and Services revealed that some government Organizations including Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) are using Indian/Israeli origin IT products and services

probably on the pretext of being low-cost option in comparison with other market competitors However, the possibility of presence of backdoors or malware in these solutions cannot be ruled out and therefore pose a considerable cyber security concern it warned In the recent past many incidents of such nature in the public sector revealed involvement of Indian based threat actors which has not only caused discontinuity of services/loss of data but also became a source of reputational loss for the organizations

It emerged in September 2022 that the National Information Technology Board had produced Mobile Device Management (MDM) software from Chennai-based Indian company Zoho Corporation and installed it in the tablets given to Federal Cabinet members

The Prime Minister had taken notice of this but later on the cabinet division after the briefing of NITB officials kept mum with regard to changing of software in tablets NTISB in its latest advisory suggested to all Federal Ministries Divisions Provincial Governments affiliated/attached departments autonomous bodies and

Tweeps report problems using social media blogging site

ISLAMABAD s tA f f R e p o R t

Thousands of users across

Six terrorists neutralised in operations across KP

ISLAMABAD

s tA f f R e p o R t

In a security operation in Tank and North Waziristan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, raiding troops killed six militants involved in attacks against the security forces and civilians the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday An exchange of fire occurred between army troops and terrorists in the Manzai area of Tank on the night of June 29-30 The troops engaged the terrorists location, resulting in the elimination of three terrorists The security forces also seized weapons and ammunition from the neutralised terrorists In a separate operation in the Razmak area of North Waziristan a fierce encounter between troops and terrorists led to the elimination of three more terrorists These individuals were known to be involved in terror activities against security forces and were responsible for the killing of innocent citizens, according to the military The areas are currently being sanitised as part of ongoing efforts to trace and eliminate any remaining terrorists according to the ISPR The local community has expressed its support for the operation appreciating the efforts of the army troops in combating terrorism and ensuring the safety of the region s residents, the ISPR added

Minister Talha raises concerns about Pakistani pilgrims’ troubles in Mina

MAKKAH MUKARMA

s tA f f R e p o R t

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony

Senator Talha Mehmood has expressed his strong displeasure and disappointment regarding the challenges encountered by Pakistani hajj pilgrims during their stay in Mina Arafat and Muzdalifah

The minister contacted the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, and conveyed his displeasure with the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah over the challenges faced by Pakistani pilgrims in Mina and Arafat The Saudi Minister assured that a comprehensive inquiry will be conducted to determine accountability The hajj service providing company responsible for the mismanagement in Mina and Arafat be identified as the cause, appropriate steps will be taken to address the grievances of Pakistani pilgrims

NTISB has also asked organizations to discontinue use of online software solutions on priority and migrate to alternate solutions keeping business continuity in consideration

sectoral regulators to appropriately safeguard businesses and critical data

It suggested that IT hardware solutions must not be procured in line with ban already imposed on goods from these countries by Commerce Division vide SRO 927(1)/2019

In addition IT security solutions like Intrusion Detection System/ Intrusion Prevention System Security Information and Event Management, Extended Detection and Response, Mobile Device Management and DDOS Mitigation Solution may not be procured from these countries or their partners owing to strong possibility of presence of backdoors or malware

G ovt win trust of int ’l communit y: Asad Mehmood

D I KHAN s tA f f R e p o R t

Federal Minister for Communications Mufti Asad Mahmood on Saturday said that the coalition government was effectively going ahead with its prudent policies to steer the country out of economic woes and restore the confidence of the international community

“The previous government pushed the country into economic quagmire while toeing anti-Pakistan policies but the present government is committed to rid the country of negative policies and restored trust of international community,” he expressed these views during a meeting with delegations of elders and notables who called on him at his residence at Abdul Khel

He said the government s policies had started yielding results and as a result of which it had restored the trust

of Saudi Arabia and China on both the diplomatic and economic fronts

He added that the staff level agreement with the International Monetary Fund(IMF) was inherited from the previous Imran government and the present government successfully brought the country out

of this crisis

R e f e r r i n g t o t h

u n c e d b y M i a n N a w a z S h a r i f i n 2 0 1 7

It also recommended use of offline solutions with associated risk acceptance without applying updates/patches or connecting to the internet According to NTISB, Vendor/OEM to render a certificate that no backdoor eavesdropping or remote access mechanism is present and Identification of avenues for unauthorized access/data leakage at any stage may lead to cancellation of contract along with blacklisting of the firm SLA (If applicable) to include relevant security clauses to ensure safety of businesses and critical data, it added In case of critical information infrastructure code walkthrough and detailed security assessment be planned through PTA approved auditing firms Furthermore random penetration testing may also be ensured

Eight of a family die in accident near Moro, Sindh

NAUSHAHR O FER OZE s tA f f R e p o R t

A deadly collision between a car and a passenger coach took place near Moro area of Sindh leaving eight members of a family dead on Saturday A collision reportedly took place in Mehrabpur, a city in the Naushahro Feroze district on Friday after which the driver fled from the spot Another vehicle coming from the opposite direction then crashed into the vehicles and was completely destroyed due to the impact According to the police the eight family members killed in the accident were riding in an oncoming car Meanwhile over 10 passengers from the coach have been reportedly injured by the road traffic collision They have been shifted to a nearby hospital for medical assistance but their injuries were not said to be serious According to police sources the deceased family members were making their way to their ancestral village to celebrate Eid Hospital sources further revealed that those who died in the traffic accident also included women The deceased belonged to the Kashmore area of Sindh Last month, a tragic accident in the Salt Range portion of the Islamabad-Lahore Motorway that claimed 13 lives was a result of criminal negligence according to the complaint filed by the motorway police at the Kallar Kahar police station The complaint noted that passengers had notified the bus owner as well as the station manager that the vehicle had complications but their concerns were dismissed At least 32 people were on board the bus that lost control near Point 224 of the Lahore-Islamabad motorway and crashed through the safety barrier and also crushed an oncoming vehicle on the other track of the highway The Salt Range patch is a 10kilometre track with a seven per cent downward slope Here speed limit for heavy transport vehicle is as low as 30 km at certain parts The M2 (South) Point 231 to Point 222 is called as the ‘red zone of motorway’ It is full of sharp turns and slopes with the majority of the accidents due to brake failure The initial assessment of the accident suggested that brake failure and inability to slow down the vehicle at one such sharp turn led to the fatal accident

Amid criticism, S anjrani decides withdrawal of S enate chairman perks bill

ISLAMABAD s tA f f R e p o R t

Following scathing criticism Senate

Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has decided to withdraw the Senate chairmen perks bill and directed the concerned senators to take back the legislation

The government ministers had announced to oppose the controversial bill moved by over 40 senators recommending to increase perks and privileges of the former and current Senate chairmen, deputy chairmen and senators The bill had also recommended to provide 12-member staff and security even after retirement of the Senate chairman besides getting additional and increased perks and privileges including travel and daily allowances

On June 25, Defense Minister Khawaja

Asif had strongly opposed the proposed Senate

chairman perks bill, urging his fellow parliamentarians to stand against it, citing the economic realities facing the country Speaking on the floor of the House the PML-N lawmaker rejected the bill and urged the other members of the National Assembly not to support this particular legislation

He expressed confidence that the deal will be struck with the IMF in the coming days which will bring back economic stability in the country Khawaja Asif also clarified that no member of the parliament had gone for Hajj pilgrimage at the expense of the government Meanwhile, Pakistan People s Party has announced to reject the The Chairman Senate (Salaries, Allowance and Privileges) Act, 2023’ PPP leader and cabinet minister Shazia Marri issued a statement on Monday distancing her party from the controversial legislation

OIC convenes meeting: EU joins several Muslim nations in condemning Stockholm incident

JEDDAH Ag e n c e s

The world community on Saturday equivocally condemned the desecration of the holy Quran in Sweden calling it an act of racism xenophobia while the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would be convening an emergency meeting on the matter next week to take a united stand

The European Union joined several Muslim nations in condemning the latest incident by a man who fled from Iraq to Sweden several years ago outside Stockholm s central mosque on Wednesday

He has been charged by Swedish police with agitation against an ethnic or national group and a violation of a ban on fires that has been in place in Stockholm since mid-June

The act has drawn strong criticism from several countries including Pakistan

Turkiye Jordan Palestine Saudi Arabia

Morocco Iraq and Iran

In its condemnation, the EU said the desecration of the Holy Quran or any other holy book was “offensive, and disrespectful and a clear act of provocation”

“Manifestations of racism xenophobia and related intolerance have no place in Europe Nabila Massrali the EU spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, said in a statement

The EU joins the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its strong rejection of the burning of a [copy of the Holy] Quran by an individual in Sweden This act in no way reflects the opinions of the European Union

She added, It is even more deplorable that such an act was carried out on the important Muslim celebration of Eidul Azha ”

OIC: The OIC announced a day after the incident that it would be convening an emergency meeting next week to discuss the matter

The intergovernmental organisation of 57 countries said in a statement that the meeting had been called by Saudi Arabia in its capacity as chair of the Islamic Summit Conference and would take place at the OIC headquarters in the Saudi city of Jeddah

The emergency meeting would also go over the procedures for dealing with the fallout from the incident, it added

In an earlier statement the OIC strongly condemned the incident saying that such an act contradicted international efforts to spread the values of tolerance moderation and renunciation of extremism

It also reiterated its condemnation of such “reprehensible acts that some extremists deliberately commit” and urged

relevant governments around the world to take effective measures to prevent its recurrence

The OIC also emphasised the importance of adhering to the UN Charter in terms of promoting and encouraging respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all at the global level Meanwhile Pakistan too strongly condemned the despicable act stressing that such wilful incitement to discrimination, hated and violence cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest”

“The recurrence of such Islamophobic incidents during the last few months in the West calls into serious question the legal framework which permits such hate-driven actions We reiterate that the right to freedom of expression and opinion does not provide a license to stoke hatred and

sabotage inter-faith harmony the Foreign Office said in a statement on Thursday

It further stated that Pakistan s concerns abot the incident were being conveyed to Sweden and urged the international community and the national governments to undertake “credible and concrete measures to prevent the rising incidents of xenophobia Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred Separately President Arif Alvi also issued a condemnation, terming the incident painful

He said the act had “deeply hurt the sentiments of billions of Muslims [and] every state must take measures for the prevention of such Islamophobic acts Kuwait also summoned Sweden s envoy, based in the United Arab Emirates, over the incident, after the UAE and also called in the country’s diplomatic representatives

P

R E S I D E N T, S A U D

I

C R O W N P R I N C E ’ S P I C T U R E R E F L E C T S

C LO S E B O N D B ET W E E N PA K - KS A

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e P o R t

PRESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday shared a picture on his Twitter handle that showed him standing and sharing affectionate smile with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mohammed bin Salman

On his Twitter handle the president said that such expressions were very symbolic of great relationship between the people of two countries

The president, in a tweet, posted Very symbolic of the great relationship between the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

No better expression of the kinship than the

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

It added that the budget “advances a primary surplus of around 0 4 per cent of GDP by taking some steps to broaden the tax base and increase tax collection from undertaxed sectors as well as improving progressivity while ensuring space to strengthen support for the vulnerable through the BISP (Benazir Income Support Programme)”

“It will be important that the budget is executed as planned and the authorities resist pressures for unbudgeted spending or tax exemptions in the period ahead the lender emphasised

It went on to note that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has “withdrawn the guidance on import prioritisation and is committed to ensuring the full market determination of the exchange rate

Going forward the SBP should remain proactive to reduce inflation which particularly affects the most vulnerable, and maintain a foreign exchange framework free of restrictions on payments and transfers for current international transactions and multiple currency practices the IMF highlighted

The press release added: In addition to generous climate-related pledges from the January 2023 Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan held in Geneva, the

PM, army chief celebrate Eid with troops at Afghanistan border

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

beaming and affectionate smile on the faces of two brothers President Saudi Crown Prince, picture reflects close bonds between Pak-KSA The president had been to KSA for performing Hajj

According to Saudi Press Agency on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held an annual ceremony the other day at the Royal Court, Mina Palace for the presidents, prime ministers, senior Islamic dignitaries guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques guests of government agencies and heads of delegations and offices of pilgrims affairs who performed Hajj this year

At the outset of the ceremony, the crown

authorities’ efforts have focused on obtaining new financing and securing the rollover of debt falling due This will support near-term policy efforts and replenish gross reserves, with the aim of bringing them to more comfortable levels,” it asserted The IMF noted that the “authorities’ programme also includes ongoing efforts to strengthen the viability of the energy sector (including through a timely FY24 annual rebasing), improving SOE (stateowned enterprise) governance and strengthening the public investment management framework including for projects needed to build resilience to climate change

The international lender emphasised

The full and timely implementation of the programme will be critical for its success in light of the difficult challenges ” Last night, Dar had said that a staff-level agreement for a crucial bailout deal with the IMF was very close and expected in the next 24 hours

A total of $4bn had already been released Dar had earlier told media the government was working on a mechanism to try to unlock the full $2 5bn pending under the IMF programme

Following the deal s securement today Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

prince shook hands with King Abdullah Ri ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah of Malaysia; President Macky Sall of the Republic of Senegal; President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin; President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi; Vice President of the Republic of the Maldives Faisal Naseem; Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Dr Mustafa Madbouly; Prime Minister of the Republic of Lebanon Najib Mikati; Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre; Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou; Prime Minister of State of Palestine Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh and the speakers of the house of representatives of several Islamic countries

also announced the same on his Twitter account highlighting its positive outcomes for Pakistan

He appreciated the efforts and hard work of Dar and the finance ministry for reaching the agreement

The premier further thanked IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and her team for their cooperation and collaboration especially during the course of last week Dar also shared the IMF s press release while thanking God Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the prime minister and Dar would hold an “important press conference today at 4pm regarding the IMF deal and take the nation into confidence through the media Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal termed the development “good news” He said in a tweet, “Let’s resolve to implement Turn Around Pakistan 5E framework to make our economy strong & sustainable by developing it to its full potential Defence Minister Khawaja Asif congratulated the finance minister and in an apparent reference to the PTI which had been saying that Pakistan to default soon said “The hopes of many ‘well-wishers’ have been dashed including friends and enemies He also expressed his hope that those

eligible to pay taxes would do so as “tax evasion is the worst kind of antinationalism and is equivalent to the economic murder of the poor people , he added

Asif remarked, “The IMF agreement only gives us a chance to get rid of economic diseases we have to do the complete treatment ourselves

Commenting on the IMF deal former SBP deputy governor Murtaza Syed told Reuters, The SBA provides Pakistan with much-needed short-term cover, in the lead up to and immediate aftermath of the upcoming elections ” He remarked that “as long as Pakistan remains on track under the SBA s reviews it should catalyse additional financing from bilateral and other multilateral sources

“In this way, we should be able to meet the external debt repayments coming due in the next few months

Terming the SBA a short-term bridging operation Syed noted that it was not the end of our relationship with the IMF The new government will almost definitely need to negotiate another longterm EFF (external fund facility) programme with the IMF after the elections as our balance of payments and external debt repayment problems are of a more protracted nature he said

Govt jacks up diesel, keeps petrol prices unchanged

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Sri Lanka parliament approves domestic debt restructuring plan

PR OFIT

R e u t e R S

Sri Lanka’s parliament approved a domestic debt restructuring plan on Saturday that is crucial to continue a $2 9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The plan passed with a majority of 122 votes in the 225member parliament Sri Lanka tumbled into its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades last year after the country’s dollar reserves shrank to record lows triggering mass protests a foreign debt default and the resignation of its former president To put its debt on a sustainable footing and pass an IMF review Sri Lanka unveiled a much-anticipated domestic debt restructuring framework last Thursday that seeks to rework part of the island nation’s $42 billion domestic debt

“This debt restructuring plan is essential for Sri Lanka to meet the target set by the IMF agreement to reduce debt from the current 128% of GDP to 95% of GDP by 2023 State Minister of Finance

Shehan Semasinghe told parliament We are doing this while protecting banks, depositors and pensions Opposition parties called for more transparency in implementing the plan and stronger protection for pension fund holders “This restructuring will disproportionately affect pensioners and that is an extremely unfair move by the government said opposition leader Sajith Premadasa The island s economy improved it secured the$2 9 billion bailout from the IMF in March, which helped tame inflation, improve dollar inflows and appreciate its currency ADVERTISEMENT SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Emphasising the unity of the Pakistani nation, he said the nefarious forces seeking to create chaos and divisions have been defeated The prime minister recognized the martyrs as the pride and invaluable asset of Pakistan emphasizing their honour and dignity During the visit the prime minister laid a wreath at the monument dedicated to the martyrs and offered prayers Gen Munir along with highranking officers from the provincial government and the commander of the Peshawar Corps, received the prime minister on this occasion

PRESIDENT URGES TOLERANCE, UNITY

President Dr Arif Alvi expressed his confidence in the power of tolerance unity and glory to shape new chapters while acknowledging that history cannot be rewritten In his Eid greetings to the nation and Muslims worldwide, he emphasized the importance of Pakistan, as the fifth-largest country, playing a significant role in the international community On his Twitter the president shared that he had recently completed his second Hajj after a span of 30 years He offered prayers primarily for Pakistan and its people, beseeching Allah to guide the nation towards progress, prosperity, and a way out of their challenges President Alvi invoked the names of Allah Al-Ghafur (The Forgiving) and AlRaheem (The Merciful) seeking their acceptance of his supplications and prayers He highlighted the exemplary forgiveness of the prophet towards his adversaries and urged everyone to follow suit, adding that he had made efforts in this regard The president humbly requested forgiveness from anyone he may have knowingly or unknowingly hurt through his actions

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The last tranche had been successfully managed by former finance minister Miftah Ismail in August 2022, after which he was replaced by Senator Ishaq Dar It was after this that things took a turn for the first and the next tranche of $1 1

The IMF noted that the parliament had approved the FY24 budget in line with the goals of supporting fiscal sustainability and mobilising revenue, which will enable greater social and development spending

On June 15, the government had announced that the prices of petroleum products would remain unchanged for the next 15 days However Pakistan’s oil consumers were expected to get a relief of Rs6 48 per litre in the price of petrol for the first fortnight of July

It was also anticipated that the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) may surge by Rs13 84 per litre, which would have widely impacted its consumers as HSD is primarily used in transport and agriculture sectors

Any upward revision in the price of diesel sparks inflationary pressures owing to the increase in freight rates for goods transportation and rise in the cost of planting crops On the other hand the expected reduction in the price of petrol, which is considered an alternative to compressed natural gas (CNG), was expected to provide some relief to the motorists and bikers

With the failure of Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) to clinh import contracts the provision of LNG to the CNG retail outlets especially in Punjab has encountered obstacles Therefore car owners are mainly dependent on

petrol Industry sources had indicated that the proposed changes in petrol and diesel prices are based on current rates of petroleum levy and general sales tax (GST) The petroleum levy has been fixed at Rs50 per litre for both petrol and HSD

Earlier this week oil fell giving up earlier gains as worries over further interest rate hikes and slowing demand offset support from an industry report showing a larger-than-expected drop in US crude inventories Benchmark Brent crude prices are down over 15% this year as rising interest rates hit investor appetite while China’s economic recovery has faltered after several months of softer-than-expected consumption and other data At 1348 GMT Brent was down 43 cents or 0 6% to $71 83 a barrel, while US WTI crude slipped 12 cents, or 0 2%, to $67 58

“For now, the market remains stuck with demand concerns weighing,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank “OPEC production cuts have helped prevent a deeper setback Meanwhile the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) has cautioned the government that imports on foreign suppliers account through the customs bonded storages pose a significant threat to the local refineries, leading to potential economic repercussions not only within the oil industry but also for the overall economy

Politic ally-motivated Amarnath yatra begins in IIOJK

SRINAGAR N P

In an attempt by the Modi regime to show heavy presence of Hindus everywhere in occupied Jammu and Kashmir the 62day-long annual Amarnath Yatra commenced on Saturday to the cave located at Pahlgam in Islamabad district

of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir According to Kashmir Media Service the first batch of yatris was launched from the Nunwan Base camp, a small village three kilometers away from Pahlgam towards Chandanwadi at Pahlgam amid intensified restrictions Ahead of the Amarnath Yatra additional 85 Central Reserve Police Force

companies were inducted into occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the name of ensuring safety to the yatris Amid multi-layer security, the first batch of more than 3,400 pilgrims left for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake the onward journey to the 3 880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the south Kashmir

Sri Lanka is asking international bondholders to take a 30% haircut and is seeking similar concessions from investors in its domestic dollardenominated notes Implementing the domestic debt plan is also crucial to push forward negotiations with bondholders and key bilateral creditors China, Japan and India Sri Lanka aims to finalise debt restructuring talks by September

How damaging was Dar’s eight month delay?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The govt and regulators have opted for administrative controls such as prioritising imports limiting repatriation and securing roll overs explains Amreen Soorani of JS Global From here the IMF expects Pakistan to stick to the budget approved and take required steps to address energy related challenges, especially circular debt ” “The delay has been very damaging but it is good that this deal has come through It clears the looming uncertainty about what will happen when the country is in the hands of a caretaker set up and preparing for elections while the forex reserves are falling, says senior journalist Khurram Husain However, he warns that there is very little room for missteps “What we simply cannot do again is renege on the commitments made to the IMF” In the days to come the country will have to make some difficult decisions Elections need to be called the IMF s board needs to approve the agreement and a new government must enter a new IMF programme as soon as it comes to power What we cannot afford any more of is chest thumping and playing with the fate of the economy for political expediency

PPP intends to see Bilawal being prime minister: Khurshid Shah

SUKKUR S ta f f R e P o R t

recovery? We have a habit of deferring economic pain without realising delaying the inevitable only makes it come back stronger There are also expectations that the agreement will result in better market results According to Ahfaz Mustafa, the equity markets will take the development positively by the foreign exchange markets are harder to call “The euro bonds will undoubtedly rally the local debt market may wait to see if there are any prior actions needed i n t h e i n t e r i m s u c h a s a n e l e c t r i c i t y p r i c e h i k e o r a n y o t h e r i n f l a t i o n a r y s t e p s I t i s m o r e t r i c k y w i t h t h e f o r e x markets There will be a strengthening effect due to the potential inflows but t h e r e w i l l a l s o b e i n s t a n t p r e s s u r e t o clear pending Imports and open imports in general so its best to let the market f i n d i t s o w n e q u i l i b r i u m w i t h o u t intervening at all

The Pakistan People s Party (PPP) like every other party intends to see its leader elevated as the Leader of the House , Syed Khurshid Shah said on Saturday Talking to media here, Khurshid Shah, a PPP veteran, claimed that the party gave its election manifesto in 2008 and implemented it “It was the first time after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto that a party had implemented its manifesto Shah said This time we will unveil our manifesto before the election as the PPP will contest election with arrow as its election symbol, he said

IMF deal comes through af ter eight months of will-they-won’t-they. What happens now?

Will the breathing-space this deal gives, be used?

THE IMF and Pakistan have reached a staff-level agreement at last on a new nine-month bailout package of $3 billion, after the current bailout package of $6 5 billion ended on Thursday with Rs 2 5 billion still undisbursed As a result, all threats of a default should now stop, at least for the coming financial year The deal still needs formal approval in the July meeting of the IMF Executive Board but its effects will be felt immediately Among other things, the effect on the local money markets will be positive enough to notice The rupee should rise almost at once, as speculators begin to unload their holdings and exporters repatriate the proceeds they have been hanging on to The stock market has been buoyed for the last week on the prospect of an agreement, it should rise further now that an agreement has actually been reached Another major benefit is that all those bilateral donors who had tied disbursement of loans to an IMF package will now loosen their purse-strings H a s t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f P a k i s t a n m e r e l y k i c k e d t h e c a n d o w n t h e r o a d , o r w i l l i t a c t u a l l y u s e t h e b r e a t hi n g - s p a c e t h e e c o n o m y h a s g a i n e d t o c a r r y o u t t h e c h a n g e s n e e d e d t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e c o u n t r y i s n o t p l a c e d i n t h e p o s i t i o n i t h a s f o u n d i t s e l f i n o n t h e v e rg e o f d e f a u l t a n d n e e d i n g a n o t h e r I M F b a i l o u t t o s u r v i v e ? R e f o r m s h a v e t o b e d i r e c t e d i n a f a s h i o n t h a t t h e n e x t f i n a n c i a l y e a r s h o u l d s e e f o r e i g n e x c h a n g e i n f l o w s s u ff i c i e n t t o f i n a n c e t h e c o u n t r y s d e b t w h i l e c o n t i n u i n g t o p a y f o r i m p o r t s I t i s a l s o n o t a l l c l e a r w h o w i l l b e i n c h a rg e o f e c o n o m i c d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g a t t h a t p o i n t w h a t w i t h e l e c t i o n s d u e s o o n a n d e v e n i f t h e y a r e m o v e d f o r w a r d s o m e h o w, i t s e e m s l i k e l y t h a t t h e e n d o f t h e p a c k a g e w o u l d s e e a n e l e c t e d g o v e r nm e n t i n p l a c e W h i l e t h e r e m i g h t b e a f e w m e a s u r e s w h i c h c a n b e t a k e n o v e r t h e f i s c a l y e a r i t h a s t o b e a c c e p t e d t h a t t h e r e i s n o q u i c k f i x , a n d t h a t a s o l u t i o n m e a n s i n v o l v i n g s e v e r a l g o v e r n m e n t s N o w i s t h e r i g h t t i m e f o r a C h a r t e r o f t h e E c o n o m y, a n a g r e e m e n t b y a l l p a r t i e s o n c e r t a i n o u t l i n e s o f e c o n o m i c p o l i c y, f r o m w h i c h t h e r e s h a l l b e n o d e v i a t i o n I t w o u l d s h o w t h a t t h e c o u n t r y i s t r e a t i n g t h e c u r r e n t a g r e em e n t n o t a s a g o a l i n i t s e l f , b u t a s t h e b r e a t h i n gs p a c e i t a c t u a l l y i s

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

AFTER subduing the Pakistan Tehrik Insaf (PTI) the next is the turn of the media both print and electronic According to the grapevine certain commentators and opinion writers would be entwined into fake cases to quiet their voice

The fake cases could be concocted police cases bordering on the Bhens Chori ka Muqadma (cow theft case) Any commentator or a writer can be nominated in a First Information Report for a cooked-up case to blackmail them into silence The State finds this method easier and quicker to mute the dissenting voices The cause of dissent is the army’s policy The point is simple: when civilian courts are available to try and punish a civilian malefactor the rationale for trying the offender in an army court is incomprehensible It is not what the army desires it is what the constitution enshrines O n J u n e 2 6 , i n a n a n s w e r t o a q u e s t i o n i n a p r e s s c o n f e r e n c e , t h e D G I S P R r e v e a l e d t h a t t h e army did not respond deliberately to the advance of the protesters on May 9 The reason given was t h a t t h e A r m y w a n t e d t o f o r e s t a l l a n y c h a n c e f o r t h e p o l i t i c a l p a r t y s p l a y i n g a v i c t i m c a r d a f t e rwards That is the Army did not protect its assets just because, in case of a clash, some demonstrators would have suffered physically, permitting the P T I t o c a s h i n o n t h e s i t u a t i o n I t m e a n s t h a t t h e A r m y ’s w i t h d r a w a l w a s n o t n o m i n a l i t w a s a b -

solute What wisdom!

On 30 September 2004 India had comfortably completed fencing the LoC in the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region After 15 years, on 5 August 2019, India announced to merge its occupied part of Jammu and Kashmir into the mainland, demonstrating it as the atoot ang (inseparable part) of India Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor is said to have masterminded the merger Article 370 was abrogated and Article 35-A was dissolved Pakistan s intelligence agencies failed to calculate the next step of India – engulf Kashmir Doval s office remained impenetrable Pakistan’s Foreign Office remained short of claiming that Pakistan let August 5 happen deliberately to expose the true face of India to the world

That is if Pakistan had resisted the move physically the world would have reproached Pakistan By the same token of wisdom , Pakistan made an intelligent move and did not let India play a victim card Certainly Pakistan narrowly escaped from becoming an aggressor Nevertheless ask Pakistan s former COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and he would lay bare the real reason Hamid Mir and Naseem Zahra shared General Bajwa s thoughts with the audience in their respective talk shows By the way, can anybody tell how August 5 will be mourned?

After the elapse of around four years in 2023 there are no signs of Kashmir regaining its sovereign status Hopes are now lost The merger is perhaps permanent Despite its heavy presence in Pakistan the Army cannot do anything It can just patrol the border and play politics internally This year from May 22 to 24 to the utter consternation of Pakistan India hosted the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar Pakistan’s Foreign Office remained flabbergasted and that is it T h e e r a o f l a u n c h i n g S i a c h e n a n d K a rg i l w a r s t o h i g h l i g h t t h e K a s hm i r i s s u e i s o v e r T h e d e s i r e o f l a t e L t G e n H a m e e d

G u l t o r e s o r t t o n uc l e a r b r i n k m a n s h i p o n t h e i s s u e o f K a s h m i r h a s a l s o b e e n b u r i e d i n a n e a r b y g r a v e O n the loss of Kashmir P a k i s t a n s F o r e i g n O ff i c e b o r e t h e m a i n b r u n t o f e mb a r r a s s m e n t , l u c ki l y w i t h o u t v e n t i n g f u n n y e x c u s e s T h e A r m y ’s d e s i r e t o r u n t h e f o r e i g n p o licy has rendered the F o r e i g n O ff i c e i ne ff e c t i v e a n d m o s t l y u n p r o d u ct i v e T h e r e a r e n o w m o s t l y d i p l o m a t i c r o b o t s w h o r e a d o u t t r i t e s t a t em e n t s t o p a n d e r t o t h e p s y c h o - e m o t i o n a l n e e d s o f t h e a u d i e n c e N o w t h e A r m y w a n t s t o r u n c o u r t s a n d t h a t i n t h e y e a r w h e n g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n s a r e r o u n d t h e c o r n e r A n y o p p o s i t i o n t o t h e i n t e n t i s b e i n g s u pp r e s s e d a n d o p p r e s s e d D i s s e n t i n g c o m m e n t a t o r s a n d o p i n i o n w r i t e r s a r e t h e t a rg e t O n l y t h o s e

US-India New Folly: Implications for the Region

c o m m e n t a t o r s a n d w r i t e r s a r e t r e a s u r e d w h o s e e ey e to eye w ith th e w is do m o f lay in g a tr ap f o r the P T I o n M a y 9 T h e s n a r e p e r s o n i f i e s t h e s u c c e s s o f t h e p r o j e c t e n t i c e m e n t : A c c e p t t h e r e w a s a t r a p a n d a d m i r e t h e t r a p s t r i u m p h A d e n i e r m u s t b e b o o k e d i n a c o w t h e f t c a s e

The DG ISPR cannot show his indifference to the phenomenon of one’s getting dry cleaned after holding a press conference censuring the PTI, as has been done by dozens of PTI politicians recently No blinders are sold in the market The DG ISPR s parrying a question alluded to the phenomenon before the press was a howler His prevarication made him the butt of a joke In principle, an army general who is trained for fighting and not trained for facing the media should not hold a press conference He cannot handle the press The past policy of the Army to use a colonel (or a near-retirement brigadier) to deal with the press and hold press conferences was better That policy must be revived

Unfortunately, instead of dissociating itself from civilian matters, the Army is plunging into the civilian domain. The PTI workers are political workers who got misguided or misconstrued into constituting May 9. Let the dirty job of trying civilians be done by civilian courts (including anti-terrorist courts), and stop pushing the police into establishing cow theft cases against commentators and writers The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech

The baseline is that May 9 does not permit the State to dismember or ban the PTI It is unwise to reach such an extreme end even in a bout of anger and anguish Doing so in the election year would have severe political repercussions and the first of them would be the uncertain legitimacy of the elections Over and above, trying the PTI workers in the army courts is bound to cultivate a wave of sympathy for the party On top of it, Pakistan is reeling under a substantial debt Pakistan has to pay around $2 billion a month for three years to come out of the debt overload The Army s insistence to try political workers in Army courts is bound to compound the political and financial crisis U n f o r t u n a t e l y, instead of dissociating itself from civilian matters, the Army is plunging into the civilian domain The PTI workers are political workers who got misguided or misconstrued into constituting May 9 Let the dirty job of trying civilians be done by civilian courts (including anti-terrorist courts) and stop pushing the police into establishing cow theft cases against commentators and writers The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech

The writer can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo com

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

Labour unrest: a different view

THIS is with reference to the letter The leftists and the labour movement (June 12), which lamented that the labour movement of 1972 had been oversimplified and that the significance of the struggle had been overlooked” Besides, it argued that workers “under the banner of the PPP” had played a decisive role in the restoration of democracy in the country The fact is that it was not the workers’ support alone that had brought a landslide victory for the Pakistan People s Party (PPP) in the 1970 general elections; it was the masses across the then West Pakistan who had rallied behind the call given by a leader who was seen as charismatic at the time

WASHINGTON has made an enormous bet in the Indo-Pacific It always has trusted India as a key geostrategic partner in its geopolitical rivalry with China, from George W Bush to the current president of the USA The USA has always treated India as a key partner against the rising power in South Asia Joe Biden s Administration has taken this relationship one step forward Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit to the USA has opened new horizons to further deepen defence cooperation and grant access to cutting-edge technologies; for this a new bloc named Quad includes India Japan Australia and the USA for regional strategy

Some analysts believe that Washington s current expectations of India must be revised as India is frightened of China and will never be a reliable partner for the USA India will never involve itself in a confrontation with China for the USA's sake

Suppose India takes any step against China owing to USA s hegemonic power In that case it will put itself at security risk and be threatened by other regional states The USA has tested India to condemn Moscow's aggression in Ukraine, but India remained silent India knows that if it condemns Moscow against Ukraine it will de-track itself in the ongoing multipolar race within this region India has always betrayed Washington in its strategic partnership with Russia India has always worked with all major powers for tangible benefits and has no concern for other powers’ common threat, such as China

In the view of US policymakers a partnership between the two biggest democracies cannot help one another but shows the world that they are nations with a common interest But both are united to counter China in this region

Whenever US policymakers travel to India, they sing paeans to the beauty of Indian politics

They have always been dubious strategies Policy analysts in the other states believe that the two states partnership is based on shared values Internally even after becoming Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has made the democracy of India suspect in the world's eyes

As India has been blamed for the upsurge in vi-

olence directed at its Muslim minorities still Modi shows himself as the messenger of peace in the region

However, fewer scholars in India believe that the current relationship between the two states is evolving around China as Beijing has warned Washington for its hypocritical diplomacy with China that hampered Chinese trade with Western countries Washington has brought New Delhi close to show Beijing muscle For Washington, India is a more pivotal power in Asia It can counter China in its land border with China Still, in the eyes of India, the USA is the world s strongest democracy with advanced technology that could help India in education and investment Still on the other side India has close ties with Moscow that could hamper their arms deal But many scholars believe India is more open than ever to buying weapons from the West instead of Moscow

The key members of India s elite believed that the USA was not a reliable partner for India during the Cold War as the U S had no permanent foes and friends in their policy It can use Pakistan in the days to come

However, scholars worldwide believe India currently neither has the domestic military capabilities for internal balancing nor external balancing to guarantee its security interests. But most believe that the current ties between both states are to control Chinese hegemonic power in the region

The USA has supported Pakistan in the War on Terror and ignored India The Trump Administration finally called Pakistan's bluff and terminated all military aid The USA can deal the same way with India when it becomes closer to Pakistan in the future Since the withdrawal from Afghanistan the Biden Administration has proposed a limited strategic

relationship with Pakistan; however few Washington policymakers give more weightage to Pakistan than India India desires to sustain its supremacy in the neighbourhood that other states in the region cannot challenge; still it gets frightened of China As Beijing is a thorn between both powers the USA and India and they do not allow interference of another state to challenge its supremacy A few bloody skirmishes broke out sporadically between China and India in 2019; since then, India has been frightened by the Chinese incursions from its northern border China and Pakistan exchange military and intelligence information occasionally; India has reservations that close ties between China and Pakistan will further raise its security risks Policy analysts argue that the USA has three interests in its r e l a t i o n s h i p with India; first the USA wants to see India as a liberal democracy The second is to make India stronger in the multipolar order in Asia and the third is to make India prosper in deepened economic ties across the board H o w e v e r scholars worldwide believe India currently neither has the domestic military capabilities for internal balancing nor external balancing to guarantee its security interests But most believe that the current ties between both states are to control Chinese hegemonic power in the region

A book entitled Zara Rehguzar Tou Dekho, based on the interviews by Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed of veteran labour leader Karamat Ali, who was among the founders of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) describes in detail the events related to industrial relations situation especially in the industrial areas in Karachi The book mentions the death of 10 workers during the intense protests (Pp 117 118)

The public humiliation of many mill-owners by the agitating workers is in the knowledge of people associated with the manufacturing industry during that era However, one incident mentioned in the said book needs to be quoted here (p 113) It relates to a silk mill in the Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) that was owned by Ashraf Tabani and his elder brother Habib Wali Muhammad who was also a famous ghazal and playback singer Habib had allocated a room in the factory for his riyaz The protesting workers approached him and broke his favourite harmonium which left Habib who was quite a noble and gentle person otherwise seriously bitter I had started my career in industrial relations in the same eventful year of 1972, from a state enterprise in Kot Lakhpat, Lahore I am witness to the unfolding of many incidents of industrial unrest Despite introducing a progressive and unprecedented labour policy tilted towards workers’ welfare the government had to create and deploy the Federal Security Force (FSF) to control the law and order situation in the country The first managing director (MD) of the state enterprise where I worked had reached a wise and competitive settlement with the union of the factory Instead of appreciating the initiative and ensuring peace within the factory, the workers overpowered the MD s office and tried to pressure him to agree to their unlawful demands

It was unfortunate that no harmony could be developed among the three stakeholders of the industrial and commercial establishments i e the workers the employers and the government Had the workers and their unions availed of the opportunities made available in 1972 and the employers had acted responsibly it would have developed a solid base for congenial labour relations and industrial progress in the future

In marked contrast to the hyperactive 1972, currently the labour federations are maintaining a low profile, and the tripartite labour conference has not been held at the federal level since a long time

PARVEZ RAHIM KARACHI

Issues and politeness

WITH increasing economic challenges people tend to lose their composure earlier than when they are in a stable frame of mind More than ever before there is a need to consciously make an effort to be courteous, kind and amiable towards each other While these acts may appear trivial, they can be highly significant in making ourselves and others around us happy I once greeted a shopkeeper warmly, and he refused to take payment He considered me his guest and worthy of honour even though I was a stranger to him Just imagine the power of politeness and kindness With sincerity and warmth even a smile can make someone s day Collectively it leads to a better society Of course it cannot solve our issues but it can help us deal with them with less frustration and more courage By showing courtesy and warmth to everyone we come across, we may make this positive change contagious Optimism is the need of the hour in our collective effort to make Pakistan more progressive, prosperous and positive

All Quiet on the Internal Front!

T i m e s re v e r s e f o r Pa k i s t a n a s w o r l d m o v e s f o r w a rd

n a Q i a k b a R

THE Supreme Court seems to have adjourned for a long time the proceedings on key cases; presumably under the influence of the environment prevailing in the country since the second week of May 2023 Likewise the expected general elections; which were supposed to be held in August 2023 for which the required dissolution of the assembly and the caretaker government was an imperative; is nowhere to be found in the expected timeline of the country’s political calendar

The scene in the country s political economic and social landscape can be best encapsulated as the title of a movie with a slight twist; it is All Quiet on the Internal Front Such political stalemate is unique in the history of the country, where a mix of a political quagmire and the clash of egos has set the country on a path a suicidal path Such quagmires have been the part and parcel of many nation-states the world over with Pakistan no noble exception Referral to the constitutional document has been the first and the last resort for problem solving

Further, the quagmires have always emanated from personality clashes clashes of interest and so on

The current stalemate or quagmire; whichever word we may use to describe the situation, is unique on the count that no institution has tried to solve the issue so as to move towards a greater interest of the state and the society In fact the various players feel it safe to play by their respective egos; even violate the oath to take sides; yet claim that they are apolitical

To begin with the hybrid arrangement simulated after the 2018 general elections was disrupted before time with the help of new bedfellows by the established order In the pre-hybrid days when there was no one-page doctrine in force such proverbial change of spouses was not felt by the departing spouse as to the extent witnessed in the post April 9, 2022 period

Consequently, the dismissal of the first hybrid partner was not followed by mute

murmuring in the media only; but a series of demonstrations of street power long marches and intense asymmetrical social media campaigns was unleashed in a manner to unnerve the establishment It was the first and may be the only instance in Pakistani political history, when the top intelligence man was brought in by the military media wing to speak on behalf of the institution

For many cynical analysts it was presumably the issue of who was to be selected as the top soldier The bad luck for the established order dawned in a manner that first it must deal with the estranged ‘one-page’ partner and over that look at the prospect of who was to be the next head of the forces so that the damage control exercise may be executed

To the bad luck of the estranged fellows as well as the incumbent bedfellows the change of guard, instead of settling the issues in an amicable manner, precipitated the crisis further up to the limits never seen before The winters and the spring of 20222023 saw the political heat going to limits not seen before The polarization was to such an extent that individuals in top institutions did not shy away from taking political sides and demonstrating through their public stances and decisions as to where their political preferences or loyalties lay In a constitution, where the book clearly advises a neutral caretaker setup the two provinces where the caretaker setups had to be installed; these setups brought to the memory of the political historians the bitter memory of late Jam Sadiq Ali days in Sindh during the autumn/winter of 1990/1991

2023 was already on fire courtesy the social media-backed awareness even if a faulty narrative based was enough to set any destructive process in motion

That thing precisely happened when the leader of the opposition in the political landscape of the country was first hooked up in case after case In one such case instead of the LEA backed by the concerned province or the federal territory the paramilitary forces were deployed to capture the abovementioned leader In a political discourse, coincidently encouraged by the established order a decade ago helping to build a personality cult close to that of a saviour any such foolish move by the paramilitary units was bound to create a chain reaction Whether one side calls it a near coup , the other calls it a reaction , it was a foregone conclusion for the independent political watcher that the incidents of that day resembled in a way the incidents that took place exactly 70 years ago in another land: not so far off the emerging nation state of Iran On August 19 1953 a mix of disinformation, crowds unguided in general and a few agents provocateurs guided by the concerned vested interests in Tehran re-

Proverbially we live among the ‘silent lambs’ yet a few lambs need to have horns like the Zodiac sign of Aries to make the point heard. Invariably the country has the potential to rise impressively provided the minds are set free proverbially and in hard truth. Pakistan needs to say ‘farewell’ to the regimented style of governance for good

Such a transgression of the mandate stipulated by the constitution could not have been possible, without the backing of the established order That political reality has been tolerated by the people of Pakistan long enough with muted response Pakistan of

stored the otherwise fleeing monarch to his throne The restoration was followed by extreme regimentation and transformation of the political system into an effective ‘police state’ in the process The two dates in 1953 and 2023 restored a receding system again The exercises of the two days were undoubtedly conducted and

Narendra Modi’s genocidal policies

Fo r a s l o n g a s M o d i i s h a i l e d a s a “g re at l e a d e r ” by t h e l i ke s o f A m e r i c a n Pre s i d e nt B i d e n , h e w i l l re m a i n i nt ra n s i g e nt i n p u r s u i n g B J P ’s g e n o c i d a l p o l i c i e s, o f w h i c h h e i s t h e c h i e f a rc h i te c t

CHR ONICLE

PALESTINE

Q b a l J a s s at

IT is not uncommon for Modi to publicly make bizarre Islamophobic statements that inevitably spill over into disastrous antiMuslim riots In one such callous speech, he linked India s historic Muslim icons to current-day ‘terrorism’

As South Africa grapples with the conundrum of hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the forthcoming BRICS summit much less attention has been placed on India s notorious Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Apart from Modi’s role in the horrific Gujarat Massacre which led to the brutal slaying of thousands of Muslims by gangs of extremist Hindus during his reign as Chief Minister of Gujarat his leadership of the ultra-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to terrorize Non-Hindus

Shockingly, though human rights violations and bloody attacks on Muslims Dalits and Christians have intensified Modi s rule is romanticized as a hero in typical Bollywood-style fanfare Surely a lack of critical appraisal of his hate-filled policies is an injustice to his victims

Since coming into power, India under Modi has instituted a culture of impunity against opponents that has escalated with no end in sight Though India is ostensibly a multiparty democracy, Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP have presided and executed discriminatory policies and a rise in persecution of Muslims

And despite the constitution guaranteeing civil liberties including freedom of expression and freedom of religion, harassment of journalists, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and critics of the government, has become a frightening reality Discrimination akin to apartheid has resulted in the marginalization of Muslims Dalits and Adivasis Modi s reign has cast a huge shadow over India s modern history

While it is true that the Biden administration and America’s capitalist elites do not care about the extreme violations of human rights India’s glorious past as a pivotal part of anticolonial struggles and a leading light in opposing South Africa s apartheid state, has been severely compromised under Modi Having abandoned Palestine’s freedom struggle by cozying up to the set-

tler colonial regime of Israel Modi has trashed the values of freedom and liberty that India proudly upheld since overcoming British imperialism In fact, by extending and entrenching India’s domination of Indian Occupied Kashmir instead of complying with UN Resolutions that seek to allow the indigenous Kashmiri population self-determination Modi has followed Israel s outrageous practice of defiance and non-compliance Such anti-democratic policies relegate India’s status under Modi to that of a settler-colonial regime

Incidentally with the approach of the BRICS summit during August annually since the 2019 unilateral change of Kashmir s special status through the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi regime, the 5th of August is commemorated as a “day of disempowerment”

The consequences of it have been disastrous for Indian Occupied Kashmir

It saw dramatic changes in the demography – not by accident but by design Thousands of Indian settlers have been moved into Indian Occupied Kashmir, taking forceful control of key levers of power A replica of Zionist settler-colonialism in Palestine is playing out in Kashmir with zero or totally inadequate media coverage and hardly any outrage in Western capitals

The impunity associated with Modi’s conduct to disempower Kashmiris was evident in the brazen plan outlined by his US-based consul-general Sandeep Chakravorty In November 2019 at a private event in New York, he announced that India will build settlements in Indian Occupied Kashmir modeled after Israel

Though the issue of Kashmir’s quest for independence dates back to 1948 successive Indian governments have allowed it to drag on at a huge cost to the lives and liberties of Kashmiris

Modi s reign has intensified military control and suspended civil liberties including curtailing media freedoms As in Israel where occupied Palestinian people are subject to subhuman treatment so too is the reality in Indian-occupied Kashmir: discrimination, imprisonment, and torture

With a fresh application to South Africa’s National Prosecution Authority (NPA) by the Muslim Lawyer ’s Association (MLA) and the SA Kashmir Action Group (SAKAG) to investigate charges of war crimes against Modi and to secure his arrest when he lands here for the BRICS summit, one wonders whether the ANC-led government will review its foreign policy on India

After all given that a number of international human rights organizations have documented how Israel is an apartheid regime and that similar racist practices are perpetrated on Kashmiris by Modi s India, it is reasonable to expect South Africa to adopt a more pro-

stance in defense of Indian

Kashmir

India today is gripped by BJP s ultra-nationalist agenda in a headlong march to entrench right-wing Hindutva as a dominant force by obliterating all traces of Islamic civilization Muslims as indeed other minorities are viewed as both a threat and an impediment to Hindutva and thus extremely vulnerable as victims of hate and racist rage

It is not uncommon for Modi to publicly make bizarre Islamophobic statements that inevitably spill over into disastrous anti-Muslim riots In one such callous speech, he linked India’s historic Muslim icons to current-day terrorism Al Jazeera columnist Apoorvanand who teaches Hindi at the University of Delhi commented that Modi s speeches imply that Muslims should be held responsible and punished for the alleged crimes committed by their “ancestors”

“Today far-right Hindu nationalists with the support and at times encouragement of the government and local authorities are making it clear to Muslims that they are no longer seen as equal citizens in their own country Their dietary habits and religious rituals are being attacked and even criminalized Muslim women are being humiliated and harassed just because they are Muslim Muslim livelihoods are under threat Calls are being made for the genocide of Muslims It is no longer safe to be Muslim in BJP’s India”, wrote Apoorvanand And neither is it safe to be Christians in India under Modi s emboldened right-wing reign Reports reveal that laws banning conversion are being enacted in state after state and Christians are being blamed for forcibly converting poor Hindus and tribals This is turning public opinion against Christian communities Christian Sunday prayers are being disrupted repeatedly churches are being attacked priests are being beaten up observed Apoorvanand

While speculation abounds on whether Russian President Putin will be traveling to South Africa for the BRICS conference given the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court it will be equally interesting to see how the NPA responds to the complaint against Modi

Sectarian violence and majoritarian tyranny against vulnerable minorities in India are evident from extensive investigations by courageous journalists as well as civil rights movements That they do so at great peril to expose BJP s violent practices is admirable and needs to be applauded For as long as Modi is hailed as a “great leader” by the likes of American President Biden he will remain intransigent in pursuing BJP’s genocidal policies of which he is the chief architect

Iqbal Jassat is an Executive Member of the South Africa-based Media Review Network He contributed this

to The Palestine Chronicle

planned in a scientific manner: down to the minutest details T h e t i m e l i n e o f t h e q u a g m i r e a n d t h e political analysis of the same brings to the f o r e f r o n t a f e w t a k e a w a y s f o r t h e s e r i o u s a n d i n d e p e n d e n t s t u d e n t s o f p o l i t i c a l s c ie n c e T h e r e c e d i n g s y s t e m , o n c e b a c k i n t h e d r i v e r s e a t , n e e d s l e g i t i m a c y t h r o u g h a f e w a c t s w h i c h c a n b e n e f i t t h e c o m m o n m a n T h e q u e s t i o n o f e c o n o m y i s o n e s u c h d o m a i n w h e r e s u c h s y s t e m s o f g o v e r nm e n t t r y t h e i r b e s t t o m a k e a n i m p r e s s i o n i n t h e m i n d s o f t h e c o mm o n m a n A s s a i d i n a n e a rlier analysis last week t h e e c o n o m i c w e l f a r e o f t h e m a s s e s i s p r es u m a b l y b a s e d o n a ss u m p t i o n s w h i c h c a n b r i n g q u i c k s e t solutions but no long-term benefits either to the economy nor to the stability of the political system at work The emerging scenario might witness cosmetic steps like investment promotion along the beaten trajectory, price control measures synonymous with dictatorial styles

of government, and a few adjustment loans from dost mumalik (friendly countries) or even IMF to keep the show going (such arrangement seems to be finalized) or through the sale of few combat jets trainer jets or multibarrelled rocket launchers; but the economy in general might not be the priority for the key policy makers With the internal environment increasingly being put in the ‘mute’ mode; the role of intelligentsia is critical to influence the mighty heads without content That process can be long term; something like what the media wings call zehan sazi (building minds) That process cannot be avoided even for the short-term results either With an ineffective constitutional document and a docile and defeated polity, the students of economics and political science might have a task greater than getting good grades; that of questioning the prevalent economic philosophy P r o v e r b i a l l y w e l i v e a m o n g t h e ‘ s i l e n t l a m b s ’ y e t a f e w l a m b s n e e d t o h a v e h o r n s l i k e t h e Z o d i a c s i g n o f A r i e s t o m a k e t h e p o i n t h e a r d I n v a r i a b l y t h e c o u n t r y h a s t h e p o t e n t i a l t o r i s e i m p r e ss i v e l y p r o v i d e d t h e m i n d s a r e s e t f r e e p r o v e r b i a l l y a n d i n h a r d t r u t h P a k i s t a n n e e d s t o s a y f a r e w e l l t o t h e r e g i m e n t e d s t y l e o f g o v e r n a n c e f o r g o o d

French police killed Nahel because French racism enabled it

P re s i d e n t M a c ro n k n o w s t h e k i l l i n g i s n’t ‘ i n e x p l i c a b l e’, b u t u n t i l F r a n c e a c k n o w l e d g e s i n s t i t u t i o n a l r a c i s m , n o t h i n g w i l l c h a n g e

AL JAZEERA

C R ys ta l M F l e M i n g

THIS week French police brutally killed a 17-year-old in broad daylight during a traffic stop Police initially lied and accused the youth of trying to run over an officer And, as is often the case, national media reported police fabrications as facts until cell phone video from a bystander showed the devastating truth

By now people across the globe have seen the horrific images of French police brandishing rifles and menacing the occupants of a yellow vehicle in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre before summarily executing the teenage driver with a bullet to the head as he pulled away Contrary to false claims by the police no officer was standing in front of the car or physically threatened by the youth driving away Images of the shooting have produced what the classical French sociologist Émile Durkheim would call a “shock to the collective conscience” Protests have erupted across the country only to be met with the deployment of thousands of police officers tear gas and promises to restore public order Unfortunately it comes as no surprise that Nahel, the French teen whose life was cut tragically short by police, was of Algerian ancestry France has a long and sordid history of colonial racism and violence against people racialised as non-white stretching from Haiti Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean to Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, North and West Africa as well as Vietnam, among many other populations France has ruthlessly oppressed Algerian people in particular – including those who are French citizens Indeed French colonisation of Algeria dates back to the early 1800s and involved the widespread use of brutal violence and mass killings to establish French rule During the Algerian war for independence (1954-1962), hundreds of thousands and possibly more than 1 million Algerian people were slaughtered and systematically tortured by the French regime in a desperate attempt to maintain their colonial empire in the name of liberté egalité et fraternité freedom equality and brotherhood Police violence has also historically targeted A r a b a n d B l a c k p e o p l e i n F r a n c e I n 1 9 6 1 , French police killed more than 100 French Arabs who were peacefully protesting in Paris Tens of thousands of people had been marching in supp o r t o f A l g e r i a n i n d e p e n d e n c e a n d i n p r o t e s t against a curfew that had been imposed to quell dissent In response, police killed French Algerians in the streets, even drowning protesters in the river Seine The youngest documented death was that of another teenager 15-year-old Fatima Beda In an era well before smart phones F r e n c h a u t h o r i t i e s e n g a g e d i n a b r a z e n a n d l a rg e l y s u c c e s s f u l c o v e r- u p t h a t l a s t e d f o r

decades It took more than 50 years for a French president to even acknowledge what happened Even now, there’s been no official apology The historical context of colonial racism and policing t h a t l e d t o t h e k i l l i n g o f N a h e l i n N a n t e r r e i s l a rg e l y a b s e n t f r o m d o m i n a n t a c c o u n t s f r o m w h i t e F r e n c h p o l i t i c i a n s a n d m e d i a p u n d i t s a l i k e D e s p i t e t h e f a c t t h a t p o l i c e k i l l i n g s i n

r a c i s m i n F r a n c e i s r o u t i n e l y a n d a g g r e s s i v e l y denied by French authorities under the twin veils of colorblindness and cultural arrogance White French people in particular are more c o m f o r t a b l e i n t e r p r e t i n g t h e e x e c u t i o n o f a French North African youth in 2023 as resulting f r o m i n t r a c t a b l e p r o b l e m s o f i m m i g r a t i o n a n d p o v e r t y i n t h e s u b u r b s ( k n o w n a s t h e b a nlieues”) or the consequence of one poorly trained police officer pulling the trigger – the proverbial “bad apple” In the wake of massive protests French President Emmanuel Macron called the killing inexplicable But this, too, is yet another French fabrication and a form of persistent denial Nahel’s death is not an unsolvable mystery – it was the result of systemic racism

Studies have long demonstrated extensive racial bias in French policing targeting Arab and Black people in particular In 2020 France s own human rights ombudsperson found that young men who are racialised as Arab or Black are 20 times more likely to be profiled and stopped by police

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance has long warned of racial discrimination perpetrated by French police and communities on the ground frequently acknowledge the heavy toll of being demonised and harassed as a result of racist ideology The names of racialised minorities who have fallen victim to police violence in France over the past two decades Zyed and Bouna Adama Traoré Théo among others have left an anguished record of police impunity

When these kinds of police killings happen i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a s t h e y s o f r e q u e n t l y d o there is often generally acknowledgement in the media and among liberals and leftists that racism i s a f u n d a m e n t a l c a u s e I n F r a n c e , l i b e r a l s a n d leftists often join forces with right-wing extremi s t s t o d e n y t h e e x i s t e n c e o f F r e n c h r a c i s m I n fact as I argue in my book Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France the global reputation of the United States as an especially racist society is a key factor that enables France and other European nations to mini m i z e a n d d e n y t h e i r o w n r a c i a l b i g o t r y a n d discrimination M a n y p r o m i n e n t A f r i c a n A m e r i c a n w r i t e r s a n d i n t e l l e c t u a l s w h o m o v e d t o F r a n c e d u r i n g t h e e a r l y t o m i d - 2 0 t h c e n t u r y a l s o f u e l l e d t h e myth of French colorblindness James Baldwin w as a notable exception to the rule Reflecting on his experience in France, he wrote: “I lived m a i n l y a m o n g l e s m i s é r a b l e s a n d i n P a r i s les misérables [were] Algerian ” Today the miserable ones those who find themselves targeted b y r a c i s m I s l a m o p h o b i a a n d p o l i c e r i f l e s a r e still Algerian

The time has come for France to move beyond the familiar cycle of state violence and denial to an honest acknowledgement of systemic racism as well as a commitment to implementing policies to address widespread discrimination and biases in policing employment education and politics The real violence at stake isn t merely the burning of buildings and destruction of property it s the very real human cost of victims like Nahel adding to the body count produced by centuries of French oppression

Crystal M Fleming is Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Stony Brook University and the author of Resurrecting Slavery: Racial Legacies and White Supremacy in France

P O L I C E A R R E S T 1 , 0 0 0 I N F R A N C E

R I O T S A H E A D O F T E E N ’ S F U N E R A L

NANTERRE A F P

VI O L E N C E and looting hit France in a fourth night of protests as massively deployed police made nearly 1,000 arrests and the country braced for more riots ahead of the funeral Saturday of the teenager who was killed by an officer during a traffic stop

The government said the violence had lessened compared to previous nights but the interior ministry still reported 994 arrests nationwide overnight, and 79 injuries among police and gendarmes

This is more than on any night since the protests began Tuesday sparked by the death of 17-year-old Nahel by a police bullet Provisional ministry numbers released early Saturday also included 1,350 vehicles and 234 buildings torched, and 2,560 incidents of fire set in public spaces

The clashes continued despite France deploying 45 000 officers the highest number of any night since the start of the protests backed by light armoured vehicles and elite police units

They were unable to stop looting in the cities of Marseille, Lyon and Grenoble, with bands of often-hooded rioters pillaging shops

Despite the rain pouring down on

Paris and its suburbs since the small hours of Saturday rioting also flared up there with close to half the nationwide arrests 406 made in and around the capital a police source told AFP

But during a visit to Mantes-la-Jolie west of Paris on Saturday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin maintained that the night’s violence had been of “much less intensity

E X C E P T I O N A L D E P L O Y M E N T: Darmanin had announced an exceptional deployment of police and gendarmes to deal with the riots over the death of Nahel, who will be buried on

Inabilit y to implement Kashmir, Palestine resolutions diminishes UN credibilit y: Pakistan

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram, addressed the General Assembly expressing his disappointment with the Security Council’s inability to secure the implementation of its resolutions on Palestine and Kashmir

He emphasised that this failure to enable the exercise of self-determination for the peoples of Palestine and Kashmir were the “greatest failures” of the 15-member body, eroding its credibility

Ambassador Akram specifically highlighted India’s occupation of Kashmir observing that it continues through a reign of terror imposed by an occupying army of over 900 000 troops

He lamented that despite the Security Council s resolutions calling for a UN-supervised plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, India’s occupation persists, with significant human rights violations He criticised the fact that leaders responsible for such atrocities are “entertained in the halls of the champions of human rights

The envoy expressed his dissatisfaction with the Council s annual report, describing it as a mere ritual lacking substantive content and consisting primarily of unedifying enumerations of meetings

He called for a report that not only highlights emerging threats to international peace and security but also outlines the Council s efforts to settle disputes and prevent conflicts

Ambassador Akram raised concerns about the Council s practice of holding substantive discussions and making decisions in closed meetings, which he argued erodes transparency and accountability He pointed out that this approach contradicts the Charter ’s requirement for the Council to act on behalf of all UN member states

Furthermore he urged the Counter-Terrorism

Committee to address new and emerging threats including right-wing fascist Hindutva terrorism, rather than solely focusing on Muslim groups He emphasised the importance of distinguishing terrorism from selfdetermination struggles

In response to Akram’s remarks an Indian representative defended India s position on Kashmir

However a Pakistani delegate immediately rejected India s claim that Kashmir is an integral part of India stating that repeating the wrong position will not make it acceptable at the UN forum Pakistan called on the Security Council to recognise India’s intransigence and make a concerted effort to implement the resolutions that have been awaiting action for over seven decades

Ambassador Akram emphasised that the failure to secure the implementation of these resolutions not only erodes the Security Council s credibility and legitimacy but also poses a constant threat of conflict between Pakistan and India

Saturday in the Paris suburb of Nanterre where he lived and died

Dozens of police vans were positioned not far from the entrance to the Vieux Pont district of Nanterre which was the epicentre of the unrest, and nine people had been arrested for carrying Molotov cocktails and petrol canisters

The French national football team joined calls for an end to the clashes

The time of violence must give way to that of mourning dialogue and reconstruction, the team said in a statement posted on social media by captain and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian

Mbappe Les Bleus said they were shocked by the brutal death of young Nahel” but asked that violence give way to “other peaceful and constructive ways of expressing oneself

A R S E I L L E C L A S H E S: The southern port city of Marseille was again the scene of clashes and looting from the centre and further north in the long-neglected low-income neighbourhoods that President Emmanuel Macron visited at the start of the week Marseille police said the rioters and looters were very mobile young people who often wore masks A major fire linked to the riots broke out in a supermarket, according to a police source Marseille mayor Benoit Payan called for law enforcement backup from the central government to cope Looting and clashes between hooded protesters and police also occurred in parts of Grenoble, Saint-Etienne and Lyon Buses and trams in France have stopped running after 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) after several were destroyed in recent days and the sale of large fireworks and inflammable liquids has been banned

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne also announced the cancellation of large-scale events across the country, which included two concerts this weekend by hugely popular singer Mylene Farmer at the Stade de France venue

Pakistan urges respect for process as next UNGA session to address SC reform

The General Assembly of the United Nations has decided to continue intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) on expanding the Security Council during its upcoming 78th session

The decision was made following positive momentum and measurable progress achieved during the current session The extension aims to enhance transparency, inclusivity, and institutional memory within the reform process

Csaba Koroi the president of the 193-member Assembly expressed satisfaction with the progress made, saying the IGN had engaged in constructive discussions on all five interlinked clusters of issues related to Security Council reform Pakistan s Ambassador Munir Akram echoed Koroi s assessment, highlighting the broadening areas of convergence and the reduction of divergences

Full-scale negotiations on Security Council reform began in 2009 focusing on five key areas:

categories of membership the question of veto regional representation size of an enlarged Security Council and working methods of the council and its relationship with the General Assembly While there is general agreement on enlarging the council member nations remain divided over the details

The Group of Four (India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan), which seeks permanent seats on the Council, has been unyielding in its push for a 10-seat expan-

Over 130,000 refugees will require re-settlement in Pakistan: UN

Around 134,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, almost all from Afghanistan, will require settlement in Pakistan a UN refugee agency (UNHCR) report said

In the “Projected Global Resettlement Needs

Assessment for 2024 UNHCR anticipates a 20 per cent increase in global refugee resettlement needs for the next year Pakistan, the third-largest refugee-hosting country, have been significantly expanded in 2022 Apart from Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, and Malaysia, are the largest refugees hosting countries throughout the Asia-pacific region and have repeatedly highlighted the need for responsibility-sharing and tangible contributions to the refugee response

The latest assessment in the report shows that while resettled refugees from host countries represent a sliver of the total population and needs, engagement by third countries to support and receive those most in need among the population is recognised and appreciated by host governments and opens space for UNHCR to engage on broader protection issues

Currently, 5 2 million individuals from Afghanistan live as refugees or in a refugee-like situation in the region The report says they reside in major host countries, Pakistan and Iran, driven by the deteriorating human rights situation at home and the number may increase by the end of 2023 Pakistan is providing refuge to three million Afghans

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan is not a signatory to the 1951 Convention nor its 1967 Protocol and does not have a national asylum system

However, Pakistan’s provision of protection and assistance to Afghan refugees is generally under international standards and Pakistan’s international human rights obligations

sion with six additional permanent and four non-permanent members

Conversely the Italy/Pakistan-led Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group opposes additional permanent members and proposes a new category of longer-term non-permanent members with the possibility of re-election

Currently the Security Council consists of five permanent members (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States) and ten non-permanent members serving two-year terms

The principle of non-refoulement and the right to asylum is largely respected and UNHCR s role is recognized in the Cooperation Agreement of 1993 UNHCR Pakistan says there are high numbers of women-at-risk and single-parent households that lack adequate protection and the means to support themselves

Female-headed households are particularly at risk and struggle to be self-reliant given the overall protection environment, lack of access to the formal labour market, and limited family or community support While gender-based violence (GBV) is underreported, female GBV survivors who do report are often placed in safe houses to avoid retaliation from alleged perpetrators or the wider community There is also a significant number of children at risk including those who work daily to support their families and can therefore not attend school This exposes them to exploitation, and physical risks and impedes their cognitive and emotional development

Brazil’s B olsonaro barred from public office

BRASILIA

A F P

Brazil’s ex-president Jair Bolsonaro vowed Friday to appeal a court ruling barring him from public office for eight years over unfounded attacks he had made against the country s voting system

The ruling renders the 68-year-old ineligible to stand in the next presidential election in 2026 opening the contest for a new leader for Brazil’s political right Bolsonaro was tried by the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) over claims he made in a televised meeting with foreign diplomats in July 2022 during which he claimed electronic voting machines in use since 1996 compromised election transparency

He gave no proof for the claims he made just three months ahead of his election defeat to leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Prosecutors say Bolsonaro’s claims contributed to a violent invasion of the presidential palace Congress and Supreme Court in January by supporters angry about his electoral loss

In a verdict that stretched over several days five of the seven judges of the TSE in Brasilia voted to censure Bolsonaro for alleged abuses of power Two found in his favour

The former president told journalists the TSE decision was a “stab in the back” and he would appeal to the Supreme Court

“I’m not dead we’re going to keep working ” Bolsonaro told journalists in Belo Horizonte in Brazil s southeast far from the court in Brasilia

This is not the end of the right in Brazil he insisted ‘C O L L E C T I V E PA R A N O I A’: The lead judge on the case, Benedito Goncalves, had ruled Tuesday to convict Bolsonaro, saying he had used “violent speech and lies” that “endangered the credibility” of Brazil’s electoral system

Goncalves said the 2022 meeting served to incite a state of collective paranoia about elections at a time Brazil was deeply polarized

He instigated a belief that there was a real threat that the results of the 2022 election would be adulterated ” said the judge “It was extremely harmful to the

democratic environment Judge Floriano Marques was another to vote for conviction saying Bolsonaro had acted with electoral objectives to intentionally convey the idea that Brazilian elections are not clean Justice Minister Flavio Dino on Friday stressed that “lying is not a legitimate tool for the exercise of a public function ” Democracy in Brazil he added “passed the toughest stress test in decades

Thousands of Bolsonaro s supporters stormed the halls of power in Brasilia on January 8 trashing offices vandalizing artworks and calling for the military to intervene to oust veteran leftist Lula inaugurated just a week earlier

The scenes drew widespread comparisons to the January 6 2021 riots in Washington when supporters of ex-president Donald Trump Bolsonaro s political role model invaded the US Capitol building in a failed bid to overturn his election loss

Nearly half the electorate voted for Bolsonaro in a runoff round of elections last October, but it was not enough for a win

Nuclear weapons investment surges beyond $82b in 2022

C Y

As the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) marks its 55th anniversary, disagreements over nuclear armament continue, magnified by $82 billion channeled into this sphere of investment just last year

NPT was opened for signature on July 1 1968 to avert the danger of nuclear war and entered into force in 1970 In 1995 at the Review and Extension Conference, states parties to the NPT unanimously agreed that the NPT should continue in force indefinitely

Currently, the US, Russia, China, the UK, France India Pakistan Israel and North Korea are the countries with nuclear weapons Among these countries Russia the US and China are seen as the dominant power in terms of the number of nuclear weapons

Russia leads the way with 5,889 nuclear warheads followed by the US with 5 244 and China with 410 France has 290 nuclear warheads the UK has 225 Pakistan has 170

India has 164 Israel has 90 and according to estimates North Korea has 20 warheads

According to a 2023 report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) although the number of nuclear warheads in the world continues to decline this is primarily due to the US and Russia dismantling retired warheads Global reductions of operational warheads appear to have stalled, and their numbers are rising again,” the report added The report noted that both the US and Russia “have extensive and expensive programs underway to replace and modernize their nuclear warheads their missile aircraft and submarine delivery systems and their nuclear weapon production facilities Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his address to the nation in February, announced that Russia had suspended its participation in the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

(New START) The New START Treaty signed in 2010 limited the number of strategic nuclear warheads deployed by Russia and the US to a maximum of 1 550 Putin said in June that his country had deployed the first batch of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus and that the arms transfer would be completed by the end of the summer

It is reported that the nuclear tactical weapons sent by Russia to Belarus were three times more powerful than the nuclear weapons used by the US against Japan in 1945 China s number of nuclear warheads, which was thought to be 350 in January 2022, rose to 410 in January 2023 SIPRI’s report underlines that China’s nuclear power is not fully known and that a significant part of its assessments is based on data from the US Department of Defense Investments in nuclear weapons rising The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) published a report titled Wasted: 2022 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending which focuses on the investments

made by nine countries with nuclear weapons in the development of nuclear weapons in 2019-2022

According to the report worldwide nuclear weapons investments amounted to $72 9 billion in 2019, $72 6 billion in 2020, $82 4 billion in 2021, and $82 9 billion in 2022 The investments increased by $10 billion in four years

“Nine countries spent $82 9 billion on nuclear weapons of which the private sector earned at least $29 billion in 2022 the report said, adding that The United States spent more than all of the other nucleararmed states combined, $43 7 billion Russia spent 22% of what the U S did, at $9 6 billion and China spent just over a quarter of the U S total at $11

“ T h e n o n - n u c l e a r m e m b e r s o f N ATO have varying stances on nuclear weapons ”

Topychkanov said explaining that some c o u n t r i e s s t o r e t h e U S t a c t i c a l n u c l e a r weapons on their territory and are willing to p a r tic ip a te in N ATO n u c le a r mi s s io n s , while others do not allow the deployment o f n u c l e a r w e a p o n s o n t h e i r l a n d a n d d o n o t p a r t i c i p a t e i n s u c h m i s s i o n s T h i s d iv e r s i t y o f v i e w s r e s u l t s i n a v a g u e N P T policy for NATO

Noting that since the implementation of the NPT, significant progress seen in reducing nuclear weapons in both the USSR/Russia and the US, he said: “The latest bilateral treaty, the New START, has brought the number of operationally deployed nuclear warheads down to 1 550 units resulting in a significant reduction compared to the Cold War era However issues between Russia and the West, as well as the growth of nuclear arsenals in China and non-NPT countries like DPRK (North Korea), India, and Pakistan, could lead to an increase in global nuclear weapons he added

Sindh Minister inspects power supply restoration work near Garhi Yaseen

KARACHI

Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh on Saturday visited the site of restoration work of High Power transmission towers near Garhi Yaseen (Shikarpur), on the instructions of former President and Co-chairman of PPP Asif Ali Zardari

Talking to the journalists he said that he is under his supervision to solve the power crisis from five days in Shikarpur Larkana Kamber-Shahdadkot and other areas

Imtiaz Shaikh said that the work of the high power transmission poles was reviewed Due to the severe storm, more than 9 power poles of the high tension line fell to the ground, he added Sindh Minister for Energy said the SEPCO staff are working hard day and night to restore the electricity despite the intense heat

He said that Electricity supply will be ensured on a permanent basis till tonight Imtiaz Sheikh announced a big relief for the suffering of the citizens due to nonsupply of electricity The restoration orders have been given to the CEO SEPCO

He also said that the people suffered due to the collapse of the 132 kV high tension poles due to the heavy storm in the area for which they apologize to the people

On this occasion along with Sindh Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, CEO SEPCO Saeed Ahmed Dawich, Chairman BoD SEPCO Lal Bux Pathan, Chief Engineer Manzoor Soomro, MPA Sardar Zulfikar Ali Kamario Union Leader Nisar Ahmed Sheikh and others were present

Governor announces health cards for people with low income

KARACHI

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Sindh Governor Mohammed Kamran Khan

Tessori on Saturday announced the issuance of freeof-cost health cards to the people with low income

He said that the people would be provided with health insurance up to Rs0 5 million

He said that the people who had Rs30000 to Rs40000 income would be issued health cards after Eidul Adha

The Governor said that these health cards would be issued in cooperation with the philanthropist

He said that the people would be able to receive treatment in good hospitals through these health cards

Large number of arms, ammunition recovered by Kohat Police

KOHAT STAFF REPORT

A large number of arms and ammunition were recovered from a motor car during the operation on Eid-ul-Adha under the supervision of DSP Sadar

Circle Yousuf Jan here on Saturday morning

Two arms smugglers were detained during the Indus Highway checking operation The arrested smugglers Abdul Majeed and Ehsan Khan along with a motor car full of arms and ammunition, belong to Lakki Marwat

The seized arms and ammunition include 1 Kalashnikov 18 pistols and 18 700 cartridges of different bores

As a result of the successful operation a case was registered against the detained arms smugglers at the Mohammad Riaz Shaheed Police Station DPO

Kohat Farhan Khan said

He said the operation against anti-state elements continues and the Police have taken immediate action against all the suspects involved in various crimes all across Kohat District He said no one would be allowed to play with the peace in the district

CPC’S 102ND FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY: XI CALLS FOR MORE ACHIEVEMENTS IN PART

Y’S THEORETICAL INNOVATION

XI Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee called for more achievements in the Party s theoretical innovation while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Friday, a day ahead of CPC’s 102nd founding anniversary which falls on Saturday Xi said the understanding of the Party s theoretical innovation must be continuously deepened It is the solemn historical responsibility of today s Chinese Communists to open new frontiers in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times Xi said Chinese analysts said the remarks show that the CPC understands that in the next stage of its journey toward the goal of the Chinese modernization and the great rejuvenation of Chinese nation, there is no precedent from which the Party can learn, meaning the CPC needs to forge its path and renew or update its theories through its own innovation and practices

An article by Xi also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been published on Saturday in this year s 13th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee In the article the general secretary called on young officials to grow into people capable of shouldering the mission of the times

The article urges young officials to be-

come people who remain loyal and worthy of the trust of the Party and the people

The healthy growth of young officials has a bearing on the cause of the Party and the people, which must be carried forward by future generations, the article noted, urging young officials to be loyal to the Party and dedicated to the cause of the Party and the people

The article stresses the importance of firming up the faith in Marxism and striving for the great ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics The article warns young officials to guard against corruption and moral decline noting that corruption is the most serious problem facing the Party easily leading to subversion of political power

Across the nation, there are many young officials and Party members who were born after 1985 and in 1990s who have been appointed to crucial positions at both the grass-root level and key sec-

tors and these young Party members have been well-educated and are able to explore and innovate with new thoughts and ideas experts noted

Guided by a sense of mission and giving them trusts to let them have space to practice and innovate are the key for the Party to receive new strengths and impetus from the new generations including those who born in 1980s 1990s and even 2000s analysts added

Shi Jiacheng, a graduate student at Shanghai Jiaotong University who became a probationary Party member in March this year, told the Global Times that young Party members in this new era share at least one thing in common with their predecessors – we all fight for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the realization of Communism

Shi also said that in the past century, older generations of the CPC members are fighting for the survival of the Party the establishment of the People’s Republic of

Hong Kong celebrates return to motherland, eyes recover y with growth target

ISLAMABAD S TA F F C O R R E S P O N D E N T

and marine police vessels paid tribute by spraying water opposite the Convention and Exhibition Center

tested repeatedly in practice and there is no reason for us to change such a good policy, and we must adhere to it in the long run

China and the development of the country

Over the past century China has played a role of chasing other developed countries, but in next two to three decades, when the people of my generation play key and leading role of the country China may become one of the leading countries in the world so we must explore a more reasonable and fairer global governance system, and to take responsibility to guide and contribute to the joint development of mankind This is an unshakable duty and obligation ” Shi noted

The CPC saw the number of its members grow to 98 041 million as of the end of 2022 the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee announced on Friday

The number of CPC members increased by 1 4 percent from 2021 according to figures released by the department ahead of the 102nd founding anniversary of the CPC the world s largest Marxist governing party Yang Xuedong, a professor of political science at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times that the CPC is now a large party with significant number of Party members and that it needs to keep playing a leadership role and act as a vanguard to lead China s 1 4 billion people in overcoming unprecedented challenges amid a volatile global landscape The Party must also realize great historic goals over the coming decades All of these require the Party to innovate and explore and find new strengths from new upcoming generations

5 to 5 5 percent in 2023

3

At 8 am on Saturday the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government held a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square, with the national anthem being sung by all present

The HKSAR government Chief Executive John Lee and former CE Carrie Lam as well as Leung Chun-ying and Donald Tsang Yam-kuen attended the flag-raising ceremony, in addition to officials from key central government institutions in Hong Kong Hong Kong disciplinary forces performed Chinese-style foot drills at the ceremony Several helicopters from the Flying Service hung the national and regional flags, flying over Victoria Harbor Fire boats

During his speech at the reception to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland following the flag-raising ceremony Lee said that the government is leading Hong Kong out of the shadow of the pandemic and is moving at full speed on a path to normalization

“Hong Kong has overcome economic contraction with economic growth of 2 7 percent in the first quarter of this year reversing four consecutive quarters of decline

The number of visitors to Hong Kong in the first five months has already exceeded 10 million, and the tourism and consumption sectors are driving the normalization of Hong Kong s economy Lee said

During his speech Lee also mentioned the key points referenced by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visited Hong Kong at the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to the motherland Xi stressed that one country two systems has been

Although Hong Kong’s imports and exports are still relatively weak and there are still uncertainties in the external environment the country s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) the Greater Bay Area development, and the Belt and Road Initiative all provide Hong Kong with endless opportunities Lee expects that this year’s economic growth will return to positive territory estimated to be around 3 5 to 5 5 percent

As part of the HKSAR government s major policies, the city has stepped up efforts in attracting more talent from the mainland and the world over the past year Lee anticipated that that the annual goal of attracting 35 000 talents will be met The investment promotion department has assisted over 180 domestic and overseas companies in establishing or expanding their businesses in Hong Kong over the first five months of this year representing a 30 percent increase compared to the same period last year

CS reviews pace of work on S hahdara Flyover projec t

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P

O

in every way He said that special care should be taken for the convenience of the citizens during the construction work The chief secretary said that the Shahdara Chowk flyover would facilitate the movement of as many as 300 000 vehicles per day He added that the completion of the project would solve the long-standing problem of traffic on the main entrance and exit route of the city Commissioner Lahore Division Muhammad Ali Randhawa, Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider Chief Engineer LDA (Lahore Development Authority) NESPAK (National Engineering

Talha Mehmood pays condolence visit to ministr y official's home

MAKKAH MUKARMA

S TA F F R E P O R T

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Senator Talha Mehmood here on Saturday visited the Makkah residence of the deceased ministry official Azam Chandio to offer condolences to his sons on their father s demise

The minister offered Fateha and expressed his sympathies to the bereaved family praying to Almighty Allah to shower His blessings upon the departed soul

He also prayed for patience and strength for the bereaved family members to bear this irreparable loss with equanimity

Additional Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Syed Attaur Rehman Director General Hajj Abdul Wahab Soomro were also present Assistant Private Secretary of Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs Azam Chandio died while dressed in Ihram in Arafat Plain after suffering a heart attack on Youm-e-Arfa

206 582 pilgrims lost during Hajj season; Saudi Scouts

Services Pakistan) officers and contractors were also present The officials of the construction company working on the project gave a briefing about the progress on the project to the chief secretary They said that the construction work on Shahdara flyover was going on 24 hours a day and the timelines regarding the project were being implemented

Earlier the chief secretary also visited the DHQ Hospital and Darul Amaan in Sheikhupura and reviewed the cleanliness and other arrangements He asked the staff about the availability of free medicines and provision of medical facilities at the hospital

Association

Statistics from the public service camps of the Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association in Makkah and the holy sites revealed that a total of 206,582 pilgrims were reported lost during this year s Hajj, of which 12,589 were guided by the scouts to the headquarters of their countries’ Hajj missions while 193 993 of them received guidance via smart applications

The statistics also showed that the service camp scouts carried out 3 732 missions in Makkah and the holy sites, SPA reported

The Vice President of Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association and general supervisor of the service camps, Abdullah Bin Sulaiman Al-Fahd, said that the achieved success was the result of the support and encouragement the scouts received from the President of the association Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Banyan the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah

WASHINGTON A F P

Long time no speak: NASA has re-established contact with the intrepid Ingenuity Mars Helicopter after more than two months of radio silence the space agency said Friday

The mini rotorcraft, which hitched a ride to the Red Planet with the Perseverance rover in early 2021, has already survived well beyond its initial 30-day mission to prove the feasibility of its technology in five test flights

from billions of years

outcrop

the Perseverance team is interested in exploring It’s not the first time Ingenuity has experienced downed communications The heli was scouring an ancient river delta when it went missing for around six days in April an agonizingly long time chief engineer Travis Brown wrote in a

ancient microbial life Ingenuity is designed to take care of itself when communication gaps like this occur, but we all still had a sense of relief finally hearing back ” Data so far indicates that the heli is in good shape If further health checks also come back normal Ingenuity will be all set for its next flight westward toward a rocky

CHINA ENACTS NEW L AW TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN EXCHANGES AND COOPERATION WITH PAKISTAN

to promulgate the laws Zhao Leji chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting, the spokesman added

“Lawmakers adopted a decision to establish a deputies affairs commission of the NPC Standing Committee and a decision to designate Aug 15 as National Ecology Day

They also ratified the Ninth Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union and the Protocol Supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft

The session also approved the State Council’s final accounts for 2022 and adopted personnel-related bills

Addressing the closing meeting Zhao said the foreign relations law is of great significance to enhancing the rule of law in foreign-related work better safeguarding China s sovereignty, national security and development interests, providing support for building a strong country and national rejuvenation, and building a human community with a shared future

Lauding the law on developing barrier-free environments Zhao said the law will help address the concerns of people with disabilities and the elderly

He praised the decision on designating National Ecology Day, noting that it will raise public awareness on promoting the harmony between humanity and nature

Attack on Quetta station leaves policeman injured

QUETTA

S TA F F R E P O R T

CH I N E S E Embassy on Saturday reiterated its willingness to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan, and jointly push forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan under its new law adopted by the Standing Committee of the 14th National People s Congress (NPC) in its third session held in Beijing on Wednesday

We would like to share that the Law on Foreign Relations of the People s Republic of China, adopted at the Third Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress on June 28, has come into

ECP seeks applications from political par ties for allocation of electoral symbols

force today [on July 1, 2023] That China is always committed to promoting world peace and development and building a community with a shared future for mankind has been written into the law a spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan told daily Pakistan Today in an exclusive chat

We are willing to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan, and jointly push forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan ” the spokesman added The spokesman said that at the closing meeting on Wednesday June 28 2023 the Chinese lawmakers voted to adopt the law on developing barrier-free environments and the law on foreign relations President Xi Jinping signed two presidential orders

Zhao also called for efforts to use the establishment of the deputies affairs commission as an opportunity to support lawmakers in better fulfilling duties

Zhao chaired a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee before the closing meeting and presided over a lecture for lawmakers after the closing meeting

After the closing meeting, Zhao also granted lett e r s o f a p p o i n t m e n t t o m e m b e r s o f t h e s i x t h - t e r m Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Spec i a l A d m i n i s t r a t i v e R e g i o n o f t h e N P C S t a n d i n g Committee and new members of the fifth-term Committee for the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the NPC Standing Committee

P M t o a t t e n d , d e l i ve r s p e e c h a t

S CO s u m m i t v i a v i d e o l i n k

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T S h e h b a z S h a r i f w i l l p a r t i c i p a t e i n a m e e t i n g o f t h e C o u n c i l o f H e a d s o f S t a t e ( C H S ) o f t h e S h a n g h a i C o o p e r a t i o n O rg a n i s ation

(SCO) nations via videoconf e r e n c e o n J u l y 4 t h e f o r e i g n m i n i s t r y s a i d

The invitation to the prime minister was extended by his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, who currently chairs the SCO New Delhi announced in May that it would hold the event in a virtual format

Defence and foreign ministers of the bloc attended in-person meetings in India this year

This meeting, being the highest forum of the SCO, will provide an opportunity for leaders to discuss significant global and regional issues and determine the future direction of cooperation among SCO member states

Notably, this year s CHS will also mark the inclusion of Iran as a new member of the organisation, further expanding its reach Prime Minister Sharif s participation in the CHS highlights Pakistan s strong commitment to the SCO as a vital platform for regional security, prosperity, and increased engagement with the region his office said

this Act shall be eligible to obtain an election symbol for contesting elections for Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) Provincial Assemblies or local government on submission of certificates and statements referred to in sections 202, 206, 209 and 210

It may also be clarified that those political parties which submitted applications for allotment of symbols for Punjab and KPK Assemblies General Elections in February / March-2023 shall apply afresh

FM

At least one officer sustained injuries during an attack on the Civil Lines police station in Quetta According to local authorities unidentified attackers targeted the station by throwing a hand grenade fleeing the scene soon after The assailant who was riding a motorcycle, hurled the grenade towards the station located in the White Road area of Quetta The explosive device detonated upon impact, resulting in a powerful explosion Constable Abdul Saboor who was on duty at the time suffered injuries as a result of the attack

The entire incident was captured by the police station s closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras

The footage reveals the entrance of the police station and shows the grenade being thrown into the building, followed by the subsequent explosion

The explosion caused a fire to break out, and an official inside the police post also sustained injuries due to the impact of the blast

This incident is part of a disturbing trend of attacks on law enforcement agencies throughout the province in recent months Just last month, a suicide blast in the Turbat district resulted in the death of one policeman, while a female constable sustained injuries Authorities are actively investigating the attack on the station aiming to identify and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for this act of violence

Punjab suspends hear t ailment treatment on Sehat card at private hospitals

Starting from July 1, heart surgeries, including the placement of stents, under Sehat healthcare card have been temporarily suspended at private hospitals in Punjab This suspension will continue until a determination is made regarding deserving and needy individuals who require these procedures the government announced

Media reports indicate that the relevant insurance company has issued a notification stating that all treatment provisions at private hospitals in the province are halted Heart patients will not be eligible for any form of treatment on healthcare cards at private hospitals

The SCO is a political and security union of countries spanning much of Eurasia, including China, India and Russia

Formed in 2001 by Russia China and former Soviet states in Central Asia the body has been ex-

panded to include India and Pakistan, with a view to playing a bigger role as a counterweight to Western influence in the region Kazakhstan will take over the presidency of the SCO after the July summit

Pa k i s t a n , I n d i a exc h a n g e p r i s o n e r l i s t s i n a cco rd a n ce w i t h 2 0 0 8 a g re e m e nt

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan on Saturday followed the provisions outlined in the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access by submitting a list of 308 prisoners (comprising 42 civilian prisoners and 266 fishermen) from India to its embassy in Islamabad In reciprocation the Indian government handed over a list of Pakistani prisoners incarcerated in Indian jails to the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi

The list accounted for a total of 417 Pakistanis, including 343 civilian prisoners

and 74 fishermen In a press statement a spokesperson of the Foreign Office emphasized that New Delhi has been urged to release and repatriate all Pakistani civilian prisoners and fishermen whose sentences have been completed and whose nationality has been confirmed Under the agreement, Pakistan and India exchange lists of prisoners in each other s custody on the 1st of January and 1st of July every year This exchange of information aims to facilitate consular access and ensure the rights of the prisoners are upheld

Bilawal in Tokyo for ‘revival of leadership -level contac ts’

Moreover the Punjab government has recommended that heart patients be charged 30 percent of the treatment cost The suspension of cardiac services on health cards will remain in effect until deserving individuals in Punjab are identified The notification reads that private hospitals providing treatment for heart ailments after Saturday will not be compensated in a decision that has raised concerns about the accessibility of necessary medical care for heart patients ISLAMABAD

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday reached Tokyo on a four-day visit to Japan following an invitation from the Japanese government

Upon his arrival, he was received by Pakistan’s ambassador to Japan, officials from the Japanese foreign ministry and members of the Pakistani community in Tokyo according to the Foreign Office (FO)

Ahead of his visit the FO said in a statement that the foreign minister s visit signals the revival of leadership level contacts with Japan after a considerable hiatus”

During the visit, Bilawal is set to hold delegation-level talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi He will also be meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Also on the schedule is a meeting

with Japanese National Security Adviser Takeo Akiba

He is also expected to interact with senior officials and executives representing prominent business houses and entities related to the import of Pakistani manpower to Japan the statement said

Furthermore, the foreign minister will be delivering a talk at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), a think tank of Japan

“Pakistan and Japan enjoy a long-standing time-tested relationship characterised by warmth cordiality and commonality of views on issues the FO said Bilawal s trip comes four days after Foreign Secretary Dr

Asad Majeed Khan held Bilateral Political Consultations with his Japanese counterpart Shigeo Yamada in Tokyo on Tuesday

A statement issued by the FO after the meeting said all interlocutors of the Japanese foreign secretary had expressed goodwill and

warm wishes towards the people and government of Pakistan, underlining that the Japanese side was looking forward to the upcoming visit of the FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

Diplomatic ties between Japan and Pakistan were established in April 1952 and in October 2019 when President Arif Alvi attended the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo, according to the FO website Earlier that year then-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had also visited Japan and both sides had agreed on exploring the possibility of cooperation in human resource development, IT, tourism, and automobile sectors

In 2011, the then-president and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, had also visited Japan During the trip the two countries had signed the Joint Statement on Japan-Pakistan Comprehensive Partnership