Epaper_23-07-31 LHR

Profit

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g FC, POLICE AND RESCUE 1122 CARRY OUT RESCUE, RELIEF OPERATION; ARMY CHOPPERS SHIFT CRITICALLY INJURED TO PESHAWAR

BAJAUR/ISLAMABAD

S A L E E M J A D O O N

aT least 44 people were killed including JUI-F Tehsil Navagai General Secretary Maulana Hameedullah Haqqani and Khar Tehsil Emir Maulana Ziaullah Jan, while over 100 were wounded in a suicide blast at a workers’ convention of Jamiat Ulema

Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Bajaur district on Sunday

The explosion occurred when more than 400 JUI-F members and supporters gathered under a tent near Dubai More (Shindai) in the town of Khar, near the border with Afghanistan

KP Health Minister Riaz Anwar told AFP that 44 people had been confirmed killed and over 100 wounded in the suicide attack

It was a suicide attack with the bomber detonating himself in close proximity to the stage, he added

Footage of the site after the blast showed panic-stricken people gathering as ambulances arrived to move the injured to hospitals Afterwards a large police contingent cordoned off the area

Bajaur District Emergency Officer Saad

Khan confirmed that Maulana Ziaullah Jan, JUI-F emir in Khar tehsil, was also killed in the blast

Speaking to the media later at night, KP Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan said 10 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast

He said ball bearings and other explosive materials had been collected from the site

Investigation is underway and culprits will soon be arrested,” the provincial police chief promised

Meanwhile

KP caretaker Information

Minister Feroze Jamal Shah said hospitals across Bajaur and neighbouring areas had been put on high alert We are trying to move critical patients to Peshawar and other hospitals through helicopters,” he said while speaking to Geo News

“Our utmost priority right now is to provide medical treatment to the injured The blast site has been cordoned off Pakistan

Army and other institutions are assisting us in the operation, he added

Separately, Bajaur District Health Officer Dr Faisal Kamal said more than 150 in-

g PM, PRESIDENT, US EMBA SSY, LEADERS OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES CONDEMN SUICIDE ATTACK

CM Khan also visited the Combined Military Hospital in Peshawar where he met and inquired about the health of injured persons He also expressed his best wishes for the speedy recovery of the wounded and directed the administration to provide them with the best medical facilities

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast so far

The Caretaker Provincial Minister Taj Mohammad Afridi condemned the blast and expressed grief over the horrific blast in Khar, Bajaur headquarters The caretaker Provincial Minister is with the bereaved families in this hour of grief Instructions have been issued to the relief department officials to take the necessary steps in time

chinese vice pM he lifeng reaches pakistan on three-day visit

ISLAMABAD

Chinese Vice Prime Minister (PM) He Lifeng has arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit as part of high-level engagements and dialogues between Pakistan and China

Upon arrival Chinese Vice PM He Lifeng was received by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal upon arrival

During his visit, PM Lifeng will hold meetings with the Pakistani leadership Lifeng’s visit is part of highlevel engagements and dialogues between Pakistan and China

The federal government finalised the preparations for a central event following the completion of a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project

An event will be organised in Islamabad tomorrow over the completion of 10 years of CPEC project titled From vision to reality in which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Vice PM He Lifeng will be the special guests

The event will be attended by federal ministers, lawmakers from the National Assembly (NA) and Senate, secretaries and the business community Pakistan and China had launched the CPEC project on July 5 2013 with an investment of over $25 billion

The officials said that CPEC created employment for millions of people and Pakistan started generating 8,000 MW of electricity via the projects

Under the CPEC, Pakistan started several economic development projects with the collaboration of China

jured people had been brought to the Bajaur District Headquarters Hospital

“Over 35 people have been referred to the Timargarh hospital while 15 critically injured persons have been sent to Peshawar via a Pakistan Army helicopter he added KP Governor Ghulam Ali also confirmed the 30 deaths in the bomb explosion JUI-F central leader Hafiz Hamdullah said that he was also going to attend the workers convention but he did not join the public event due to his busy schedule While condemning the bombing incident Hafiz Hamdullah said that it is terrorism and chaos

In a statement issued in the evening, KP caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan sought a detailed report on the blast from police

The miscreants and anti-peace elements will be dealt with strictly, the caretaker provincial minister said in a message Rescue 1122 teams are being engaged in rescue operations at the accident site said the Caretaker Minister Relief Rehabilitation and Resettlement As soon as the information was received ambulances of Rescue

1122 reached the spot, Taj Mohammad Afridi said

The staff was alerted to the blast in Bajaur LRH Asim Khan Spokesperson LRH told APP Emergency is fully operational all staff are present Asim Khan said adding after transferring the injured from Bajaur to Peshawar, all kinds of treatment will be provided Emergency ICU and other wards are also ready, he added

I n e f f i c i e n c y, c r i m i n a l n e g l i g e n c e o f P T I ’ s g o v t c o s t c o u n t r y d e a r l y : P M

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday lambasted the criminal negligence and inefficient performance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf s (PTI) government led by former prime minister Imran Khan Niazi, saying that the country paid heavy price for their blunders and political vendetta

The prime minister expressed these views after performing the soft launching of various development projects which included Rs50 billion Medical City, Rs52 billion National Health Support Programme and Rs30 billion Population Welfare Programme

On the occasion PM Shehbaz Sharif also broke grounds for SL3 Lahore Ring Road project, Shahdara to Kala Shah Kaku Metro Bus extension project and inaugurated 1 263 MW Punjab Thermal power plant in Jhang with a capacity of generating 10 billion inexpensive units annually

Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said Imran Niazi had neglected the completion of gas-fired Haveli Bahadur Shah power plant due to his animosity with the PML-N leadership and the country had to pay an additional whopping amount of Rs77 billion besides, its original cost of Rs74 billion at that time due to non-functionality

He said the project was to be inaugurated during 2019 but it was stalled due to criminal negligence of Imran Niazi and lack of interest of the previous government

A huge amount of the nation went down the drain causing huge

loss for the poor country, he opined, adding it was one of the worst examples of PTI’s bad governance Who will be held accountable for such blunder? It is the continuation of a saga of 75 years for which they were all responsible,” he quipped Why the judiciary did not take suo motu notice of such negligence the prime minister question and maintained that he had no intention of victimization and did not want injustice with anyone, but there should be a transparent accountability of all those responsible for such failures whether it was done in a dictatorship or democratic regime justice should be dispensed without any victimization, he said With such accountabilities, the nations in the world moved forward, he added

The ceremony was attended by Punjab Governor Caretaker Chief Minister federal and provincial ministers parliamentarians and the relevant authorities

The prime minister said these were the facts which the nation must knew about the four years’

rule of Imran Niazi who played havoc with the national economy

The prime minister said that they felt ashamed while carrying begging bowl due to those failures of the past government

It was a huge mishap of our history (PTI’s government) which is already strewn with such unpleasant incidents If we do not change the attitude we cannot aspire to to achieve anything he regretted

Citing example of China, he said it had now become the world’s second largest economy Japan and Germany bounced back economically from the destruction of World Wars owing to commitment devotion and determination, he added Let us gird up loins and work hard for the country’s progress as peeping into past would be useless If they failed the public will not forget them Let us wash away the blots of the past the prime minister stressed He also expressed the resolve to revive country’s economy by eliminating poverty and unemployment

choppers started a relief operation by airlifting the injured person to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Peshawar Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) and Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) Hospital, which are kept on emergency The Army choppers are being used to airlift the injured from district headquarters Khar to Peshawar wherein so far 44 have been killed as a result of the heavy blast during the ongoing JUI-F Worker Convention in Dubai Mor (Shindai Mor), Bajuar and more than 100 other injured P a k i s t a n a r m y h e l i c o p t e r i s b e i n g p r o v i d e d f r o m K h a r t o P e s h a w a r f o r s er i o u s l y i n j u r e d p e o p l e a n d I G F C M a j o r G e n e r a l N o o r Wa l i r e a c h e d B a j a u r t o s up e r v i s e t h e a c t i v i t i e s Rescue operations are underway by security forces and other law enforcement agencies as well The area was cordoned off and the investigation was started Security forces continue to donate blood to the injured a doctor at Bajaur Hospital told APP

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded a high-level inquiry into the Bajaur bomb blast in which a large number of party workers lost their lives and over 200 got injured JUI-F supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed sorrow over the bomb explosion and demanded the prime minister and caretaker KP chief minister conduct a high-level inquiry

Fierce opposition prompts Senate chairman to ‘drop’ violent extremism bill

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Sunday dropped a bill aimed at curbing violent extremism after fierce opposition from lawmakers, including those from the ruling coalition

According to the agenda for Sunday’s session Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was supposed to table the bill titled The Prevention of Violent Extremism Bill 2023 However many parliamentarians including those from the ruling coalition, opposed the bill The bill said that those calling on others to show or use force, propagating and publishing extremist material using all kinds of media for radicalisation or manipulating people s beliefs or provoking sectarian strife would be guilty of violent extremism PTI s Mohammad Humayun Mohmand said that he did not know why the bill was being tabled on Sunday

Is there an emergency in Pakistan that we come and do this on Sundays, on public holidays?”

He went on to say that if such legislation was passed by following the due procedure then it would only add to its credibility If we do something in haste just because the government thinks little time remains then haste makes waste, he said Climate Minister Sherry Rehman tried defending the holding of today s session and said that in the past sessions had been called on Sundays and Saturdays She also commented on the statements by other parliamentarians questioning why the bills on the agenda were not being referred to the relevant committees

Perhaps they don t know that when the National Assembly (NA) completes its term, the bills that originate from there [ ] the rule is that they become infructuous the day the assembly’s term ends,” she said Sherry said that the Senate could also introduce amendments to bills after the assembly’s term ended No one likes hasty legislation she said PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui then said that as a member of the ruling party, there was perhaps a compulsion that they would vote for the bills, adding that they would do so

At the same time he said that several of the bills on today’s agenda were “important” Talking about the prevention of violent extremism bill he said that it covered vast areas

Dar pledges to raise foreign reser ves to $15b in 7 weeks

ISLAMABAD

Minister for Finance and Revenue, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, on Sunday, pledged to increase the country’s foreign exchange reserves from $14 billion to $15 billion in the next seven weeks

Speaking on a Point of Order in the Senate, Dar mentioned that the past 11 months had been challenging due to predictions from rating agencies about Pakistan’s potential default The country faced pressure to pay a significant sum of 3 billion dollars

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said China has extended the loan duration of $2 4 billion for two years This month, Pakistan, facing financial constraints, received a total of $4 2 billion, which comprised $2 billion from

Saudi Arabia $1 billion from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and $1 2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The IMF approved $3 billion for Pakistan as part of a Standby Arrangement (SBA)

Dar revealed that Pakistan received $300 million from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to strengthen the country s foreign exchange reserves

He said the irresponsible statement of former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar caused a loss of Rs70 billion to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

He emphasized that the timely legislation will result in the finalization of PIA’s flight operation to the United Kingdom by October next

The finance minister criticized the PTI government, expressing concern about Pak-

istan’s economy which dropped from the 24th to the 47th ranking

He stressed the importance of joint efforts to regain the lost position Additionally, he proposed creating a charter of the economy involving all political parties to promote economic growth

The Finance Minister said in his speech in the Senate that Pakistan would fulfil all its international responsibilities

The agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be completed, and all the payments will be made on time

All preparations are complete ” he said “Foreign exchange reserves are improving over time The world wanted us to default Forecasts were made about the default of the country Alhamdulillah! The country has escaped default, he stated

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r 1 0 0 i n j u r e d a S S u i c i d e b l a S t r i p S t h r o u g h j u i - F c o n v e n t i o n i n b a j a u r

PGF 2023 ADOPTS RESOLUTION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF STAR GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

TH E two-day Pakistan Governance Forum 2023 (PGF), organized by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives has adopted a resolution calling for the immediate implementation of the Stable Transparent Agile and Responsible (STAR) Governance system in the country

The resolution was adopted during the conclusion of the two-day PGF 2023 held in Islamabad aiming to develop a roadmap for a stable transparent agile and responsible governance system in the country

The forum saw participation from hundreds of prominent figures from across diverse sectors, political leaders, experts, and representatives from civil society, who highlighted crucial aspects of governance

PGF 2023 committed to upholding a governance framework that embodies the principles of STAR This commitment under-

scores the resolve to promote peace, enhance transparency and ensure public accountability while focusing on improved service delivery embracing innovation and technology and adapting to emerging challenges

According to the resolution, stability entails the continuity of inclusive, consultative, and evidence-based policies fostered through collaborative working relations between all organs of the state – including the Legislature Executive and Judiciary; the Federal Provincial and Local tiers of government; as well as the political leadership, bureaucracy, and military Effective measures should be taken to promote harmony and teamwork among state institutions within the constitutional framework

Ensuring stability necessitates incorporating the views and aspirations of all segments of society, especially under-represented groups such as youth, women, and diverse religious and ethnic communities This inclusivity must be institutionalized within all tiers of govern-

Sh Rashid sees August a month of make or break

RAWALPINDI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Awami Muslim League chief and former federal interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Sunday that the first week of August will be very important as political course of the country will be set Taking to social media website Twitter, they [PDM] are stuck and finding no way out Rashid said that the government did nothing during its 15-month reign “What miracles will it do in the last week ” he questioned Despite getting a diplomatic passport for his brother he [PM Shehbaz] could not bring him back in 15 months God knows in what condition he [Nawaz Sharif] is, and when he will be back, he added The former federal minister said that the speed with which Ishaq Dar was launched [as finance minister] was a trailer and the film was not approved by the censor board Now they have given five names [for the office of caretaker prime minster] but the censor board will not approve them Raja Riaz can also play his part, he continued Rashid said in August the 85-member cabinet will be gone September will be cruel Political parties who have been undergoing wear and tear will remain directionless he stated The former minister castigated Premier Shehbaz Sharif for organising the Juma Bazar of new projects in the last week of his rule He said he [Shehbaz Sharif] is inaugurating more than a dozen projects in a day just for a photo shoot The government neither has funds nor time to carry out the projects nor can it befool the masses Now people have become conscious, they know the reality and who is pretending, he maintained Rashid said the people will vote for self-respect, principle, truth and reality; no votes for swindlers and pretentiousness He said that the [PDM] will be annihilated after defeat [in elections]

People are conscious The [PDM] parties are aware of their disappointing fate Rashid said if he were alive, celebrations for independence day will be commence on August 13 at 10 pm outside Lal Haveli with the same zeal the day was marked the previous year There will be a spectacular display of fireworks at 12 midnight he concluded

ment through affirmative action and adopting an all-of-government approach as emphasized by the resolution in highlighting the key feature of stable governance

Furthermore the resolution stressed the need for establishing peace within the country and the region, ensuring law and order, and upholding the rule of law to create a conducive environment for good governance It called for resolving conflicts along political ethnic religious and other lines through peaceful means unequivocally rejecting violence

Regarding transparency in governance, the resolution underscored the importance of enhancing transparency to eradicate corruption and strengthen public accountability at all tiers of government Utilizing advancements in technology particularly in prudent and responsible spending of public money, offers unprecedented opportunities to increase transparency in all government functions The resolution stressed the importance of making data accessible

to the public through digital formats and ensuring the enactment and enforcement of right to information laws

The principle of agility as per the resolution necessitates placing effective and efficient service delivery at the core of the government s function This involves making incremental but consistent improvements to public service delivery through refining administrative structures and processes and transitioning from an output to an outcomes-oriented approach The resolution further emphasized the need for structural and forward-looking reforms in public sector management, particularly civil service reforms It said that overhauling public servants’ recruitment induction training administrative structures performance management compensation and retirement benefits is vital in this regard

Additionally, politically, administratively, and financially empowered local governments must be established in all federating units to ensure efficient service delivery and grassroots inclusion Furthermore the resolution highlighted that the needs interests and aspirations of Pakistan s citizens must be the primary focus, prioritized over narrow or short-term political interests of individual stakeholders

It called for efforts to forge consensus on a minimalist set of core national interests in the domains of the economy foreign policy and security through meaningful and inclusive deliberations among all stakeholders It said that political stability must also be maintained by adhering to the rules of political competition and upholding the Constitution

Schools, colleges to remain closed in capital as Chinese VP arrives on three-day visit

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Islamabad administration has announced that schools colleges and offices will remain closed for two days on July 31 and August 1 (Monday and Tuesday) on account of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng visit to Pakistan

“All public and private schools colleges and universities will remain shut on Monday and Tuesday District Magistrate Irfan Nawaz Memon said in a notification issued here

Moreover, all private entities, companies; all markets/shops; all commercial banks will remain closed, the notification stated

Chinese Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng will visit Pakistan on July 30 to attend the 10th anniversary celebrations of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said the foreign ministry spokesperson on Saturday

A member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist

Party the vice premier will also call on President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit

Lifeng will be the chief guest at an event celebrating the decade of CPEC during his visit from July 30 to August

1 added the spokesperson

The vice prime minister has played a prominent role in China s international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project As the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (2017-23) he was instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan

“The visit is part of regular highlevel exchanges and dialogue between Pakistan and China It reflects the imp o r t a n c e a t t a c h e d b y P a k i s t a n a n d

C h i n a t o f u r t h e r d e e p e n t h e i r A l lWe a t h e r S t r a t e g i c C o o p e r a t i v e P a r tn e r s h i p , e n h a n c e e c o n o m i c a n d f i n a n c i a l c o o p e r a t i o n , a d v a n c e h i g hquality development of CPEC, and ex-

Cheema seeks Judicial Commission to probe into IUB scandal

BAHAWALPUR S ta f f R e p o R t

p l o r e n e w a v e n u e s f o r s t r e n g t h e n i n g trade and investment ties between the t w o c o u n t r i e s C h i n a i n v e s t e d c l o s e t o $ 3 0 b i l l i o n i n 1 0 y e a r s m a i n l y f oc u s i n g o n e n e rg y a n d i n f r a s t r u c t u r e p r o j e c t s T h e s e c o n d p h a s e o f C P E C e n v i s a g i n g s p e c i a l e c o n o m i c z o n e s has been initiated and work on different projects has been started China bailed out Pakistan at a crucial juncture when Islamabad was on the verge of a sovereign default Beijing rolled over and refinanced loans that helped Islamabad keep its foreign reserves to a level where it could avoid a default The Chinese vice premier will also meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi during the visit, according to the FO

The Chinese official will also be the chief guest at an event celebrating a decade of CPEC Lifeng has played a prominent role in China s international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project, the FO said

CM Naqvi inspec ts construc tion work on Gujranwala link projec t

The CM told the media persons that the project would be completed in the stipulated period of time despite rains Holding elections is the job of the Election Commission of Pakistan, he replied to a question He said a shuttle service had been started between both hospitals of Gujranwala The shortage of HR would soon be fulfilled in the hospitals

LAHORE

Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday directed the authorities concerned to expedite work on link-road project linking Gujranwala with Lahore-Sialkot Motorway saying high quality construction work should be ensured on the project

“Additional resources should be utilised to complete the project in the stipulated period of time” Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said while inspecting work on Gujranwalalink project here on Sunday Mohsin Naqvi also visited the under-construction roads of Gujranwala

Motorway-link road project He issued necessary directions to the officials concerned to complete the project in the stipulated time period

The CM was informed during the briefing that issues causing obstructing in early construction of the project worth Rs 11 billion had been resolved amicable The dual carpeted road stretching 15 2-km long will provide excellent access to the motorway All resources are being utilised to complete the project within 90 days, he was informed With the latest travel facilities time and fuel will be saved along with lessening of traffic rush on the GT Road The officials of FWO gave a briefing to CM Mohsin Naqvi about the project

C lashing with the judiciar y in Israel

SO M E of the mystery of Israel’s fascination with human rights in Pakistan expressed in its expression of concern about the violation of PTI supporters human rights in their trials by military courts, by the recent passage of a judicial reforms package Israel does not have a constitution, and judicial reforms can be carried out by a simple parliamentary majority One thing the Israeli government is worried about is making sure that the judiciary is not supreme over Parliament

If Prime Minister Benjamin Netamyahu is accused of corruption, and if the law is changed to save him, then the Supreme Court must respect the will of the people One wonders why Netanyahu is so concerned about the PTI because its chief is so much against corruption Admittedly Ne-

tanyahu has sold no watchees nor received any land for a university but he has favoured a media mogul over his rivals There is a military component as well, as one of the means of protest has been the refusal to answer call-ups Remember, the Israeli armed forces consist of conscripts and could soon be dysfunctional if conscripts don t show up It s a bit like the May 9 attacks So we ve got a government engaged in a clash with the judiciary, and an opposition which is going head-to-head with the military too The big difference is that everybody knows the name of the COAS over here but no one knows the name of the Israeli Chief of General Staff and Commanderin-Chief of the Israeli Defence Forces who is a lieutenant-general, not a full general I just hope he knows what name he has Now, if the Supreme Court strikes down a law if the Knesset repasses it it can’t be struck down I’m sure our Parliament would like to have this tool of parliamentary supremacy Of course we are stuck with a Constitution, which Israel doesn t have

That wasn t the only change in the world Twitter removed the familiar bird logo and replaced it with an X Now that was a jarring change, and more noticeable than the declining support in Sweden for a ban on Quran burning It seems the Swedes want to make a fight of it I mean they’ve abandoned neutrality and applied to join NATO To abandon freedom of speech and the consequent right to burn any book they please, seems a bit much

Another thing that appeared much as the proposal to make Ishaq Dar caretaker PM That would compromise the neutrality of the election and would make people wonder why Hamza or Maryam couldn t be caretaker CM (the one who would be dropped after the election) Well, the requirement

Federal Minister for Food Security Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema on Sunday demanded the government to establish Judicial Commission to conduct an inquiry into Islamia University Bahawalpur s (IUB) scandal Talking to media persons, he said that he had written a letter to the Punjab’s Caretaker Chief Minister to establish a Judicial Commission comprising more than one judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to conduct an inquiry into IUB s scandal Wali Dad Cheema the son of the Federal Minister, Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema was also present in the media talk Cheema criticized his political opponents for levelling allegations against his son Wali Dad of being involved in IUB’s scandal “It is a conspiracy hatched by my political rivals to air propaganda against me and my son on the pretext of IUB s scandal, he said I will get my son out of my home if he was found guilty in the inquiry to be conducted into IUB’s scandal,” he added He said that his family never remained involved in IUB’s affairs adding that but his political opponents were behind the propaganda to defame him on the pretext of IUB s scandal I and my son are ready to appear before any inquiry committee or commission that would conduct an inquiry into IUB’s scandal,” he said He warned that he would file a defamation case against those who had been making false and baseless propaganda against him He said that he never made any phone call to District Police Officer Bahawalpur over IUB s affairs He said that he had nothing to do with Ehsan Jutt case Ehsan Jutt had left Bahawalpur two and half years ago and I had nothing to do with his matter ” he said The Federal Minister supported the police action over IUB s scandal He demanded punishment for those involved in the scandal

Islamabad securit y put on high aler t ahead of Chinese vice premier visit

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

The initial investigation into the Islamia University Bahawalpur incident had been completed and those responsible would be given stern punishment If needed, then judicial inquiry would also be conducted he said The police had been empowered fully he added Provincial Minister Bilal Afzal Chief Secretary Commissioner Gujranwala division, RPO Gujranwala, Secretary C&W, Deputy Commissioner, DPO and other officers were also present on the occasion CM Mohsin Naqvi also took an aerial view of Gujranwala Motorway link road project CM Mohsin Naqvi also took an aerial view of 15 KM long link road from Wandu Interchange up to Benazir Chowk and witnessed various sections of under construction Gujranwala Motorway link road project CM issued directions to Secretary C&W on the spot in this regard Provincial Minister Bilal Afzal and Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman also accompanied him

The Police in Islamabad have been put on high alert as Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is all set to arrive in Pakistan today on a three-day visit According to the Capital police spokesperson 50 additional cameras have been installed on the route leading to airport from red zone Moreover all the security measures will be monitored from the CCTV cameras Chinese premier due in Pakistan Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will arrive in Pakistan today on a three-day visit to attend a ceremony planned to mark 10 years of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project A statement issued by the FO said that the Chinese vice premier will be in Pakistan from July 30 (today) to August 1 (Tuesday) at the federal government s invitation to attend a ceremony celebrating a decade of CPEC as the chief guest The Chinese vice premier will also meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi during the visit according to the FO Lifeng has played a prominent role in China s international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project, the FO said As the chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (2017-23) he was instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan as per the FO The visit is part of regular high-level exchanges and dialogue between Pakistan and China It reflects the importance attached by Pakistan and China to further deepen their “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”; reaffirm support on issues of each other s core interests; enhance economic and financial cooperation; advance high-quality development of CPEC; and explore new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries,” the spokesperson further added

‘DECADE OF CEPC CELEBRATIONS’ GET OVERWHELMING RESPONSE

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

TH E government has received an overwhelming response over the 10-year celebrations of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) across the country particularly after the two-day international conference held in the federal capital last week

The event brought together esteemed participants with diverse expertise to delve into the socioeconomic impact of the CPEC a news release said on Sunday

The two-day international conference titled Decade of CPEC and Belt & Road Initiative (BRI): From Vision to Reality, organized by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan concluded on July 25 with the pledge to continue implementing CPEC for the country s prosperity

The key objective of the conference was to bring together policymakers, scholars, practitioners, and other stakeholders to ex-

Ahsan Iqbal highlights

CPEC achievements, Sino-Pak deepening ties

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday highlighted milestone achievements made under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during the last 10 years and the deepening relations between the two countries also known as Iron Brothers with each passing day Addressing a news conference here ahead of the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of China in connection with CPEC’s 10-year celebrations, he signified the CPEC agreements signed in 2015 which transformed Pakistan s profile from a security state to an investment destination He lauded Chinese President Xi Jinping s role in elevating Pakistan's image globally as an attractive investment destination, fostering economic cooperation and development The minister highlighted that in the span of three years CPEC saw the successful completion of numerous projects worth around $25 billion These projects encompassed various sectors including power generation, infrastructure development, education and more, he said adding the Thar coal project stood out as a monumental achievement harnessing Pakistan's vast coal reserves for power generation making it a significant contributor to the country s energy needs Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that CPEC provided opportunities for Pakistani workers and engineers to acquire training in modern technology and project management Additionally, he said, the collaboration between China and Pakistan in the education sector facilitated thousands of Pakistani students to pursue higher education in China

The minister expressed gratitude to President Xi Jinping for China's unwavering support and investment in Pakistan during challenging times He stressed that China's investment of billions of dollars in CPEC projects illustrated its status as Pakistan s most reliable friend and a key partner in economic development Talking about the current government s approach to CPEC, the minister said the revival of CPEC initiatives under Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's leadership demonstrated Pakistan's renewed commitment to economic growth and collaboration with China Ahsan Iqbal acknowledged the positive turnaround in Pakistan s economy indicating renewed global interest in the country

He cited examples of significant improvements in Gwadar Port's handling of cargo and the completion of pending projects that had been stalled for years during the tenure of the previous government

Regarding the upcoming visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of China Ahsan Iqbal mentioned that the event aimed to commemorate the ten-year journey of CPEC

He anticipated that the visit would lead to further progress in business-to-business links industrialization and cooperation in science and technology between China and Pakistan

The minister also shed light on the ML-1 project, expressing optimism that its technical parameters had been agreed upon, paving the way for its implementation soon

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

He pointed out that the bill had 33 articles and 100 sub-clauses adding that these were applicable to all including politicians and the common man Siddiqui pointed out that the bill did not come from the NA and had come directly to the Senate After coming to us directly, it is our responsibility to thoroughly look at it before sending it to the NA We agree with its aims and objectives but we fear that if this bill is approved as it is without going to the committee [ ] then it may perhaps be difficult to escape its clutches in the future, he said Subsequently, Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan tabled the bill on behalf of the interior minister “Is it opposed?” asked Chairman Sanjrani to which senators said it was Should I send it to the committee or take it to passage? he then asked PTI s Mohmand then said that this was an important bill that would have an effect on people s lives But when I was perusing the bill, it seemed as if Rana Sanaullah [named] the bill to prevent violent extremism but maybe he wanted to prevent PTI from taking part in the next elections He said that each clause reeked of targeting the PTI He pointed out that members of the

change ideas and insights related to economic social environmental and geopolitical impacts of CPEC and BRI

Hundreds of participants from across the world particularly from China took part highlighting the achievements of the 10-year celebration of CPEC

The conference revolved around the socioeconomic impact of CPEC, opportunities for industry relocation regional connectiv-

ity, technology transfer, cooperation for security geopolitical implications and maximizing synergies in CPEC and BRI initiatives and people-to-people connectivity

Over the decade, the two countries known as Iron Brothers have developed strong bonds in diverse fields CPEC effectively helped Pakistan in improving its energy security as well as trans-

port networks from north to south and laid the foundation for a resilient infrastructure including ports airports roads and railway

The platform provided an opportunity to review CPEC s achievements in fostering economic growth and cooperation between China and Pakistan over the past decade

A high-level delegation from China has arrived in Pakistan on his two-day official visit which is part of the CPEC s celebrations

It is noted that since the incumbent government came into power in April 2022, CPEC projects have been revived which remained shelved by the previous government Prime Minister Shahbaz already reiterated his full commitment to complete CPEC projects and in this regard the premier visited China when he took charge as a PM

Under the conference different technical sessions were held which include SocioEconomic impacts of CPEC, Prospects of Regional Connectivity Through Gwadar Port Opportunities for Industrial Relocation and Export s; Green Technologies and Development; Security and Geopolitical Implications; Innovation Technology and Global

PPP al ways foc used on well-being of people: NA S peaker

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf reaffirmed on Sunday that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s top priority is the progress of the nation and people s happiness

He conveyed these thoughts while addressing the participants of a public meeting held in Chhapar village, a Union Council Kori Dolal Provincial Assembly candidate Khurram Pervez Raja was also present on the occasion

The speaker emphasized that the PPP had always focused on the wellbeing of the people He further stated that the party had relentlessly worked towards the nation’s development and will continue to sacrifice anything for the prosperity of the people in the future

On this occasion a significant number of people from Union Council Kori Dolal announced their formal joining of the PPP, saying goodbye to their previous parties

Among those who joined were Raja

Muhammad Irfan Raja Muhammad

Yasin Raja Shahid Mahmood Raja

Muhammad Nauman Raja Muhammad

Sufian, Raja Wasim, Raja Abdul Wahab, Raja Umair Farooq, Raja Faisal, Raja Manzar, Raja Majid, Khalid

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

He prayed for eternal rest for the departed souls and the early recovery of the injured workers He appealed to the JUI-F workers to stay peaceful and immediately reach the hospital to donate blood for the injured persons He also demanded the federal and provincial government to provide best medical facilities to the wounded persons

Moreover Maulana Fazlur Rehman telephoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and expressed serious concerns over the Bajaur bomb blast He demanded PM Shehbaz Sharif to provide a helicopter for shifting the wounded persons to Peshawar The JUI-F spokesperson said that the premier directed to provide a helicopter The spokesperson said the JUI-F supremo decided to return to Pakistan after cancelling his private visit to a foreign country

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday strongly condemned the explosion in the workers convention of Jamiat Ulema e Islam (F) in Khar Bajaur

The prime minister expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives

He condoled with the chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leaders and workers over the unfortunate incident

coalition were also opposing the bill and urged the Senate chairman to send it to the relevant committee as the bill would have far-reaching effects If you want to do this then it is better to impose martial law or partial law Why are we sitting here in Parliament?” he said Senator Kamran Murtaza of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) then said that any such legislation required taking allied parties into confidence You are cutting off your own hands with this legislation You don’t realise it [ ] but where fundamental rights are being curtailed and you want to do legislation in this manner in this haste and during the holidays then I as a coalition senator voice my opposition He said that the bill would become a problem down the line for all So please don t do this kind of legislation which is offending the articles of the Constitution,” he said National Party (NP) Senator Tahir Bizenjo said that unfortunately two political parties the PPP and the PML-N were making all the decisions He took issue with the PMLN, saying that they had not taken anyone into confidence over the legislation carried out over its tenure He said that the current bill was an “open attack” on democracy adding that he was “strongly opposing the bill” “If it

Mahmood Raja, Raja Israr, Raja Sajjad, Raja Adeel Raja Sajid Raja Atif Raja

Abid Chohan Raja Riaz Chohan Raja

Javed Raja Khizer Hayat Raja Azhar

Mahmood Raja Majid Raja Sarfraz

Raja Naseer, and other individuals

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf warmly welcomed all those who joined the party and expressed gratitude to them for showing confidence in the party leadership

He mentioned that under the guidance of the party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari, the party was tirelessly working for the betterment of the people day and night

He expressed the hope that in the

upcoming elections, the PPP would achieve significant success

He assured that every possible means would be employed to ensure the happiness of Pakistan s people especially in Gujar Khan The speaker stated that they were well aware of the challenges and hardships faced by the people and taking effective measures to provide them with necessary facilities

He acknowledged the trust and confidence the people of Gujar Khan had placed in him by electing him as their representative in the parliament

He pledged to continue raising their issues on every platform without any hesitation

He sympathized with the bereaved families over the martyrdom of Amir of JUI(F) Khar Maulana Ziaullah Jan and other office bearers and workers He said the terrorists targeted those who advocated the cause of Islam the Quran and Pakistan

Terrorists were enemies of Pakistan and they would be eliminated he said adding the elements involved in the incident would be meted out strict punishment He sought a report from Minister of Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the incident PM Shehbaz strongly condemned the blast at the JUI-F convention He said terrorists targeted those who advocated the cause of Islam, the Holy Quran and Pakistan “Terrorists are enemies of Pakistan and they will be eliminated,” he asserted in a statement released by the Prime Minister s Office adding that elements involved in the incident would be meted out strict punishment He also sought a report of the incident from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Later in a tweet PM Shehbaz said attacks on political parties showed that the enemies were against Pakistan s democratic system Those responsible will be identified

is tabled we will stage a token walkout he said In his remarks JUI-F Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said that their coalition partners did not realise what would happen in the future He also questioned the need for calling a session on Sunday and voiced the party’s opposition to the bill Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmad said that he had submitted his amendments to the bill which he thanked the Senate chairman for including He said that the 24-page bill was not only against the PTI but against all political parties “This will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of democracy ” he said “Non-elected forces want that democracy is laid to rest through Parliament he said as he opposed the bill He also expressed surprise at the fact that the government had not taken its allies into confidence over the bill “Today you are [introducing] a bill to target a party But tomorrow it will become a noose around PDM parties which is why I reject it Senate Chairman Sanjrani then said that the bill was a routine matter and today s session was called because it was decided in the business advisory that the days needed to be completed and three holidays would not be counted “I drop this bill whether or not the gov-

Value Chains; Challenges to Regional Connectivity and Integration Artificial Intelligence and Labour Market Dynamics

With an overwhelming response to the call for paper the conference also showcased the extensive research and panel discussions featuring distinguished experts aiming to encourage candid conversations and seek solutions to the challenges CPEC presents fostering an inclusive and respectful environment that paves the way for future growth and excellence

The call for papers received an overwhelming response, with 435 extended abstracts from over 85 national and international institutes Rigorous evaluation led to short-listing 310 abstracts and 110 were accepted for full paper submissions 62 authors were invited to present their research during eight sessions of the conference

The Planning Ministry appreciated cosponsors including the Chinese Embassy Islamabad and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan scientific and organizing committees for their efforts in holding the conference

Inefficiency, criminal negligence of PTI’s gov t cost country dearly: PM

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The prime minister also regretted that due to PTI’s sits in at D-Chowk during 2014 President Xi s visit to Pakistan was postponed

He said under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the PML-N government had initiated Haveli and Baloki power plants with power generation of 1200 MW each besides 1150 MW Bhikki project in Punjab

The prime minister on the occasion said the Medical City project would be completed with all the allied facilities and would be at par with the world s renowned health projects like the PKLI was ranked best among the Asia’s top institutes He said the federal and provincial governments would jointly execute the project About the 8km SL-3 Lahore Ring Road the prime minister said the one part of the ring road was left out adding now its completion would facilitate huge number of commuters by removing the vehicular congestion The extension of Metro bus project would serve thousands of commuters on daily basis he added and directed for its completion within three months Governor Punjab Baligh ur Rehman also highlighted the performance of the coalition government during the past fifteen months in which mega projects of public interest were launched

and punished The Pakistani nation law enforcement agencies and our protectors will never allow such cowardly tactics of the enemy to succeed The entire nation, including me, is an equal participant in the grief of the families of those who were martyred in the incident ” he added

Meanwhile President Arif Alvi prayed for eternal peace for the departed souls and commiserated with the bereaved families He also wished speedy recovery for the injured and emphasised the timely provision of medical assistance to them In a tweet Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah vowed to bring the perpetrators of today s attack to justice The cowardly acts of terrorists cannot dampen our spirits In a statement on the PPP Media Cell, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned the blast and extended condolences to the bereaved “The federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments should bring the patrons of terrorists to justice he said stressing that terrorists and their planners should be eliminated

Former president Asif Ali Zardari said terrorists were everyone’s enemies “Like Swat the entire country needs to be cleansed of the nurseries of terrorism ” he stated PTI Chairman Imran Khan said he was saddened to learn about the blast and ex-

ernment does he said Sanjrani later remarked that the bill had been dropped but would be taken up on the next working day

The session was later adjourned for 3pm on Wednesday (August 2)

‘F R I G H T E N I N G B I L L’ Before the Senate session began PTI’s Sania Nishtar questioned implications of the bill “Wide discretion and sweeping indemnity for the government No independence of review process Curbs on individual freedoms Offences are non-bailable, cognizable and noncompoundable,” she said “What are the implications for human rights right to fair trial freedom of expression and chador aur char diwari values? she asked Senator Mushtaq Ahmad said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government was presenting a bill on violent extremism “This is a frightening bill which will not end violent extremism but will instead increase it ” he said Sections five and six of the bill are draconian This is a bill for banning the PTI he said He said that trying to eliminate a political leader or political party through such means was wrong He said that the government should send the bill to the committee and should not reduce Parliament to a “rubber stamp”

tended condolences to the families of the victims The rise in terror incidents across Pakistan particularly in KP, calls for an urgent need to reconsider our priorities, he said, adding that the authorities should focus on eliminating terrorism

Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed also condemned the blast and extended his condolences over the deaths

The federal and provincial governments, forces, intelligence agencies and civil administration have completely failed to protect the people ” he tweeted “The return of terrorism proves that the government s security plan/policy has failed and tribal districts of KP are in the middle of this fire, the JI senator said and demanded that a joint in-camera session of the Parliament should be called to address the issue of rising terrorism

The US Embassy in Islamabad also extended its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims who lost their lives in the blast in Bajaur district

We strongly condemn this heinous act of violence, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and caused harm to many others Such acts of terror have no place in a peaceful and democratic society We stand in solidarity with the people of Pakistan during this difficult time, it said

The bill states that anyone found to be guilty of committing violent extremism may be listed in the Second Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 (ATA) or in the First Schedule in the case of an organisation

The First and Second Schedules pertain to the proscription of organisations and persons found to be involved in terrorist activities and those listed in them are to be kept under strict observation

The bill defines that a person would be guilty of violent extremism if he supports, encourages, promotes, instigates, foments advocates justifies commits or threatens to commit the show or use of force or violence or any hostile action not permitted under the law for resolution of any ideological belief, or any political, sectarian, social, racial, ethnic and religious issue

Detailing the measures that would be taken against any person listed in the Second

Schedule the bill states that the government could impose a restriction on the person s access appearance or use of the print electronic or mass media including social media and FM radio stations It further states that the person s movement, visit, entry or transit to any public or private place or territory of Pakistan or abroad” could be restricted as well

44 killed, over 100 injured as suicide blast rips through JUI-F convention in Bajaur

Bajaur blast

The attack threatens the coming elec tions

TH E bomb blast at the JUI(F) worker ’s convention in Khar of Bajaur district killed at least 35 people and injured over 200 more has raised spectres of previous elections when targeted parties were not able to campaign for fear of terrorist attacks While no election date has been announced, the impending dissolution of the National Assembly will take place next month, and cause elections The workers’ convention could thus be described as part of the pre-campaign activities that all parties engage in A JUI(F) leader billed to appear Hafiz Hamdullah did not do so and thus can be accounted to have had a lucky escape While no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, there has been a noticeable uptick in TTP attacks ever since the Taliban took power in Kabul

Earlier in the month, an attack on military personnel in Zhob had led to Pakistan demanding that the Taliban government stop providing the TTP safe havens That had not happened

One of the salient features of this attack is that the TTP and the JUI(F) both belong to the same subsect

However, there is a major difference, in that the TTP does not accept electoral politics, while the JUI(F) does There is also the possibility that the Daesh, or Islamic State may be behind the attack Though it has not even been active in Afghanistan recently it has a presence usually of local groups within Pakistan and consists of local groups affiliated with the TTP The prospect of infighting among militant groups at the very time the whole country is about to enter an election campaign only means that the law and order situation will be disturbed That is even if there is no campaign against the elections by any group

Even though the JUI(F) has got a share in KP’s power structure having not just done well in the local body polls, but also the Governor, it now has to face the challenge of creating an atmosphere where candidates are able to campaign, and the polls to be held in an atmosphere free of pressure and coercion If the situation is not controlled in KP there is every prospect of the disorder spreading all over the country It should not be forgotten that the provincial assembly elections in KP and Punjab were postponed after the intelligence agencies received reports that terrorism was rife The time since has not been used effectively; at least that is what the Bajaur blast shows

Climate change and austerit y

gard in Paris titled Summit for a New Global Financial Pact , President Macron of France reportedly indicated that rich, advanced countries would fulfill their commitment to provide $100 billion annually to developing countries He reportedly pointed out in this regard: ‘During this Summit we obtained very concrete things We finalized the long-awaited $100 billion climate finance pledge Here it needs to be mentioned that according to this commitment rich advanced countries had committed to provide the said amount starting 2020, but are yet to come good on this

‘Global temperatures are likely to soar to record highs over the next five years driven by human-caused warming and a climate pattern known as El Niño forecasters at the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday The record for Earth s hottest year was set in 2016 There is a 98 percent chance that at least one of the next five years will exceed that, the forecasters said, while the average from 2023 to ’27 will almost certainly be the warmest for a five-year period ever recorded – An excerpt from a May 17 New York Times published article Heat will likely soar to record levels in next 5 years new analysis says

CL I M AT E change crisis, which for a number of years has been fast-unfolding, requires not only shifting towards a green economy with a clean source of energy and production and consumption decisions that put carbon emission on a downward trajectory but doing it in a much high-paced way This is because global warming levels already reached– average annual temperatures have already risen 1 1 C over the pre-Industrial Revolution age– have been producing strong and frequent heatwaves in turn creating serious dangers for life but if they exceed the threshold of 1 5 C will most likely put global warming on an irreversible trajectory; where the window of opportunity to avoid this catastrophic eventuality is fast closing, and by majority scientific consensus this may just most probably take another decade if serious policy course-correction is not adopted That policy requires moving away from the fossil-fuel based economy especially by rich advanced countries which mainly requires greater climate-related investments, or climate finance, along with more purpose-driven governments, multilateral spirit, and domestic and international economic institutional quality Two things need to happen mainly, and the 28th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP28) to be held in Dubai Expo City (UAE) during November 30–December 12 this year should be used appropriately for this First there needs to be unanimity of voice by countries in terms of sound commitment to reduce fossil-fuel reliance at the earliest Secondly, the global financial architecture is reformed accordingly In the recently held global conference in this re-

A global architecture based on mainly neoliberal precepts and within it primarily market fundamentalism and austerity policies has reduced economic resilience– due to investments following mainly profits, and short-termism– and increased income and wealth inequality Hence the diminishing role and capacity of government over the last four decades or so– a time period during which the neoliberal assault got mainstreamed into public policy–has resulted in a weak buildup of sectors like health and overall weak public sector service delivery and fewer opportunities for more inclusive growth, which have put the public in a very vulnerable position to deal with the existential threats like climate change– and meaningfully generating from it the significant phenomenon of Pandemicene

The lack of a proper debt relief/moratorium initiative by major bilateral and multilateral creditors, and inadequate provision of climate finance , has also put a greater burden on countries to adopt deep austerity policies, which is not the right way to go, especially for highly climate vulnerable countries like Pakistan

Although there has been a significant backlash to neoliberal, and austerity policies in the wake of Global Financial Crisis 2007-2008 and more recently in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic the across-the-board practice of monetary tightening by major central banks, and followed quite fervently by developing countries, not to mention the over-reliance of policy prescribed by IMF on a neoliberal and austerity thought process has resulted in inadequate climate budgets especially in the case of developing countries

Moreover the rising frequency and intensity of global heat waves including the formation of heat domes has all the more placed focus on greater climate-related investments, but a weak spirit of multilateralism– seen glaringly in the less than optimal way of covid-19 vaccine production and distribution decisions during the pandemic and lack of provision of climate finance by rich countries– and fighting inflation through primarily monetary and fiscal policies has left little fiscal space for especially highly climatevulnerable developing countries, like Pakistan

Injustice leads to more atrocities

J u s t i c e h a s n o w b e c o m e a n e c e s s i t y

CO N F L I C T S and clashes have always been a part of life at the international as well as the geographical level It is also a fact that the wise people always do their best to settle differences through talks and negotiations It is a daylight fact that even the worst conflicts and severest clashes could be resolved through table-talk and negotiation but the most important ingredient of all that process is the will to resolve the issues Where there is a will there is a way; it is an old saying

Recently, in the last few weeks, two incidents of burning of the Holy Quran have been reported; one in Sweden and the other one in Denmark Though it is unfair to hold the whole community responsible for the misdoings of an individual these two incidents prompted widespread anger throughout the Muslim world and resultantly widened the breach between the Muslims and the rest of the world T h a n k f u l l y, t h e r e a c t i o n t o t h e a c t i o n o f burning the Holy Quran was wisely pacified by those who desire to see this world conflictand clash-free but such issues need no doubt a permanent solution The most effective way of putting things in a peaceful order is to convince all stake-holders through table-talk and m a k e t h e m r e a l i z e t h a t t h i s w o r l d o f o u r s c o u l d n o m o r e a ff o r d s a i l i n g i n s e l f - c r e a t e d troubled waters I n t h e f i r s t i n c i d e n t S a l w a n M o m i k a a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee in Sweden was reported to be the person who burnt the pages o f t h e H o l y Q u r a n i n f r o n t o f S t o c k h o l m s l a rg e s t m o s q u e o n J u n e 2 8 I t i s s o m e t h i n g very unfortunate that before doing this crimi n a l a c t i v i t y, S a l w a n w a s a l l e g e d l y g r a n t e d o ff i c i a l p e r m i s s i o n t o d o s o C o n d e m n i n g Sweden s decision of granting permission of b u r n i n g t h e H o l y Q u r a n t o a n e x t r e m i s t I r a q s F o r e i g n M i n i s t r y i n a n o ff i c i a l s t a t ement said that such acts simply inflame the f e e l i n g s o f M u s l i m s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d a n d represent a dangerous provocation’ A c c o r d i n g t o S w e d i s h m e d i a r e p o r t s i t was a

is an Iraqi Christian who had fled to Sweden f r o m I r a q s e v e r a l y e a r s a g o , a f t e r b e i n g c h a rg e d w i t h m u l t i p l e l e g a l c o m p l a i n t s , i ncluding deception Earlier, Iraq has officially asked Sweden to repatriate him in order that he be prosecuted according to the Iraqi penal code In spite of a very sensitive criminal hist o r y t h e S w e d i s h P o l i c e h a d g r a n t e d h i m a permit for the protest in line with free-speech protections in the country say media reports A c c o r d i n g t o t h e N e w A r a b N e w s , M o m i k a was “an opportunist” seeking public fame but had failed even to gain support from his Christian community in Iraq T h e S w e d i s h S e c u r i t y S e r v i c e i s a v e r y well organized, skilled and competent organization, it must be aware of Salwan Momika s mysterious and secretive past As pointed out in different,reports, he had remained attached with several militia organizations in the past President of the Future Foundation Washington DC Entifadh Qanbar blamed in a tweet that he had allegedly been a very active memb e r o f I r a q s P o p u l a r M o b i l i z a t i o n F o r c e ( P M F ) R e p o r t s s a y t h a t w h e n h e a r r i v e d i n S w e d e n , M o m i k a v o l u n t e e r e d t o w o r k a t a r i g h t - e x t r e m i s t S w e d i s h p a r t y k n o w n f o r i t s h o s t i l i t y t o w a r d s m i g r a n t s M u s l i m s a n d Arabs The main agenda of this party has been running a campaign to deport Arab migrants from the country In response to Momika s loathsome act, all over the Muslim world, a very serious reaction was observed Different Muslim organizations raised their voices against this atrocity and even the UN was asked to intervene in the matter for a justice-based solution to the issue

According to the Aljazeera the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) approved a resolution on religious hatred and bigotry in the wake of burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden that has led to protests across the Muslim world but the motion was opposed by the USA and the European Union They said the motion conflicts with their positions on human rights and freedom of expression The stance of the USA and the European Union on the issue in the United Nations Human Rights Council was seriously criticized, rather condemned by the Muslims world Indonesia s Foreign Minister Retno Mar-

sudi said in a statement, “Stop abusing freedom of expression Silence means complicity ” It is something very positive that some of the Non-Muslim activists also condemned the approach adopted by the USA and the European Union Volker Turk the UN human rights chief, said in his address to the UNHRC that inflammatory acts against Muslims, as well as other religions or minorities, are “offensive, irresponsible and wrong” The government of Sweden also discouraged the incident but maintained that the country has a constitutionally-protected right to freedom of assembly expression and demonstration

It was simply the result of that constitutional freedom of expression’ that another incident of the same nature was repeated in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Denmark s capital Copenhagen in the last week of July 2023 According to media reports this criminal act was performed by a far-right ultranationalist group called the Danish Patriots It is being apprehended that such type of hatecrimes would keep on being repeated time and again if the world powers don’t make sincere efforts to put an end to them

Every act of injustice based on prejudice p a r t i a l i t y a n d d i

j u s t i c e , b a s e d o n p r e j u d i c e , p a r t i a l i t y a n d d i s c r i m i n a t i o n l e a d s t o m o r e c r u e l t i e s , m o r e a t ro c i t i e s . B e i t D e n m a r k , S w e d e n o r t h e I l l e g a l ly I n d i a n O c c u p i e d K a s h m i r, fo r a l o n g l a s t i n g p e a c e a n d h a r m o ny, t h e o n ly t h i n g r e q u i r e d i s j u s t i c e .

In addition high interest rates have also put greater pressure on domestic financial resources of countries and that is through increasing externaland domestic debt burdens of countries both generally but especially of those developing countries like Pakistan, which were already debt distressed before the recession-causing and greater welfare-needs generating covid-19 pandemic Moreover the lack of a proper debt relief/moratorium initiative by major bilateral and multilateral creditors and inadequate provision of climate finance has also put a greater burden on countries to adopt deep austerity policies, which is not the right way to go, especially for highly climate vulnerable countries like Pakistan

They on the contrary need to make high level of climate resilience-creating investments and where anyways greater monetary austerity is a misplaced policy option even when seen in the traditional sense– not to mention all the more in the wake of a global supply crisis since the heydays of the pandemic and accentuated by the war in Ukraine– given inflation being at least equally a fiscal governance-related supply-sided phenomenon The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona and previously worked at International Monetary Fund Prior to this, he did MSc in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom) and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan) among other places He is author of Springer published book (2016) The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth He tweets @omerjaved7

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

Rights and wrongs

I T is strange that the opposition leaders in their statements and during their appearance on television talk shows avoid catching the bull by the horn In contrast politicians are ridiculed every day several times a day

It is funny to watch that instead of answering a question put to them they involve themselves emotionally to talk about past accusations and present them as if they are universal truths One fails to understand as to how one can take refuge or hide behind the cover of the so-called corruption or wrongs of others It is a globally accepted norm of justice that one is innocent unless proven otherwise The above modus operandi of selfdefence is beyond comprehension How can a thief tell and argue before a judge that he cannot punish him till all the thieves are apprehended and punished? This argument is in fact the acceptance of guilt and should be processed as per the law of the land so that law could take its own course without fear or favour The other argument of the supporters of the opposition party is that a popular leader can never be punished Is a popular leader a holy cow, or does not fall into the ambit of the law of the land? This is highly unfair from those whose party stands for justice

Notwithstanding the above it is difficult to understand the logic behind hurling threats to the state by some opposition leaders about the consequences of arresting their chief or disqualifying him They are at full liberty to defend their leader as much as they can or want But antagonising the state and challenging the state authority is actually a disservice to the party and its leadership which could land both the party and the leadership in serious trouble This I say because in our history we see adverse effects of such adventurism

There is another point to ponder Is it being done out of enthusiasm and loyalty towards the party and its leadership or is it a calculated move to create a vacuum that may provide someone an opportunity to fill it?

LT-COL (RETD) SYED IFTIKHAR AHMED KARACHI

Useless extravaganza

W E are a nation that takes pride in wasteful extravaganza, no matter how needlessly it drains our coffers both individually and collectively If we develop a habit of cutting down on such wasteful expenditure we can be better off as an individual a family and a nation

The country s faltering economic situation does not simply allow wastage of precious money Whenever a disaster strikes Pakistan our leaders start visiting devastated areas, perhaps out of compulsion that not doing so would dent their political weight, and not out of any affection for the crisis-stricken people

These visits are arranged at the expense of taxpayers’ money The money spent thus particularly on visits carried out through helicopters can better be spent on mitigating the misery of the affected people

The recent floods have amply demonstrated this where our rulers have gone on conducting visits to the affected areas mostly on helicopters Several individuals at the helm of national affairs have conducted numerous helicopter sorties, and the fuel costs and other logistics were worth tens of millions If they are really pained by the agony of the floodhit people they can best demonstrate this through ensuring provision of adequate and speedy relief to the affected people

On the one hand people hit by deluge are starving for food and craving for water but on the other huge money is drained on arranging visits to the flooded areas We launch flash appeals for arranging the much-needed funds to provide relief and rehabilitate the affected people, but indulge in wasteful practices at home just for the sake of gaining political mileage So, can we afford to indulge in such wasteful expenditure when Pakistan is mired in multiple crises? Absolutely not Our leaders must avoid wasting taxpayers’ money and ensure routing such funds for alleviating the sufferings of the flood-hit people The nation deserves better

AS the sun rises on a new day in Pakistan, the digital landscape is poised on the precipice of a transformation

A transformation heralded by the recently approved Personal Data Protection Bill 2023

In essence this landmark legislation s primary objective is to safeguard users personal information and data, ensuring that companies, institutions, and even the government handle it responsibly

It champions the user ’s right to decide who can access their data and under what conditions a decision that resonates with the global call for stricter privacy laws

To ensure compliance and address grievances a new entity the National Commission for Personal Data Protection (NCPDP) will be established, functioning essentially as a civil court for privacy matters

However, the Bill’s current form has raised significant concerns primarily from the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) This group which includes global digital giants has been vocal about issues such as stringent limitations on cross-border data flows and mandatory data localisation According to the AIC, these conditions could negatively impact foreign internet companies operations in Pakistan and hinder the country’s economic recovery

Furthermore, local companies might lose access to costefficient global cloud services potentially increasing their operational costs and reducing their competitiveness

These concerns although pointed and valid need to be viewed through the lens of a broader global conversation about privacy rights and data protection My experience as a technology law professional, having drafted over a thousand privacy policies and helping companies comply with global regulations like GDPR and CCPA has provided me with a nuanced understanding of these challenges

The balance between data localization and the global nature of the digital world is a delicate one, requiring careful thought and negotiation Striking this balance is key to ensuring that while we protect individual privacy, we do not isolate ourselves from the digital global village in which we live and work

For years I have been advocating for the implemen-

T h e D i g i t a l G a m e c h a n g e r

tation of robust cyber laws in Pakistan

Our digital landscape has evolved at an exponential rate, and the lack of comprehensive data protection laws has long been a glaring gap in our legal infrastructure

The passage of the Personal Data Protection Bill is a step in the right direction

However the concerns raised by AIC and others need to be seriously considered not just for their potential impact on foreign and local businesses but for their implications for Pakistani users We must remember that this Bill, above all else, is designed to protect the individual As we seek to safeguard personal data, we must also ensure that we do not stifle the digital freedoms and conveniences we have grown accustomed to

In the end the Bill s approval necessary as it is will only be the beginning of our journey It is a dynamic process, one that will require ongoing engagement, review, and refinement The voices of all stakeholders–users, businesses, regulators, and legal professionals–need to be heard in this conversation As a nation, we must learn adapt and evolve just as the digital world around us does

Navigating the road ahead will require flexibility open-mindedness and the willingness to learn from global best practices

It s important to note that many countries have grappled with these same challenges as they developed their own data protection laws For example the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) both aim to strike a balance between protecting consumers privacy rights and enabling free trade and innovation Their development was informed by intense discussions and negotiations with various stakeholders

I believe we can draw valuable lessons from these precedents without compromising the unique context of Pakistan’s digital ecosystem For instance GDPR’s ap-

proach to cross-border data transfer mechanisms or CCPA’s consumer-centric provisions can serve as inspirations Both regulations while ensuring robust privacy protections provide companies with frameworks to transfer data internationally under certain conditions addressing concerns similar to those raised by the AIC

Yet, while we look to international models for guidance, we must ensure that the Bill is not simply a copypaste job Pakistan’s digital landscape has its unique challenges and opportunities that require locally tailored solutions My advocacy for data protection laws in Pakistan has always been underpinned by this belief The adoption of a new legal framework must resonate with the realities of our society, technology, and market conditions

Moreover, the proposed National Commission for Personal Data Protection (NCPDP) is an exciting development, but it should be properly empowered and equipped to handle its significant responsibilities It

We mu s t r e m e m b e r t h a t l aw s a r e n ev e r s t a t i c ; t h ey evo l v e i n r e s p o n s e t o s o c i e t a l ch a n g e s I t i s a t e s t a m e n t t o t h e r e s i l i e n c e a n d a d a p t a b i l i t y o f o u r l e g a l s y s t e m . A s t h e B i l l e n t e rs i n t o i t s n ex t p h a s e o f r ev i ew a n d a p p rova l , l e t Ês t a k e t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e f i n e a n d e n h a n c e i t , s h a p i n g a l aw t h a t s t a n d s t h e t e s t o f t i m e a n d s e r v e s t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t s o f Pa k i s t a n Ês d i g i t a l f u t u r e .

Is Saudi normalization with Israel possible?

“Netanyahu’s ruling coalition of Jewish supremacists and religious ex tremists would have to answer this question: You can annex the West Bank , or you can have peace with S audi Arabia and the whole Muslim world, but you can’t have both, so which will it be?”

and Palestinians will be resolved Third, comes the aspect of the additional Saudi demands that have been reported since late 2022 As mentioned in this column last March a fair and just solution for Palestinians has always been the Kingdom s first priority

However let us suppose Israel takes serious and satisfactory steps toward a solution, and suddenly a Saudi-Israeli normalization and peace treaty becomes a potential reality What, then, would the subsequent consequences be?

If such a treaty were signed then the US should have no more concerns about a Saudi nuclear program (which was always meant to be peaceful anyway) nor should it have any reservations about putting its verbal commitments to protect the Kingdom in writing Indeed, although Israel has never been a security threat to Saudi Arabia a peace treaty with Israel would mean that the only real threat to the Kingdom would be from Iran and the Houthis Given that the first refers to the US as the Great Satan and the latter s official slogan is Death to America, then the Biden administration should really have no reservations committing to a signed treaty with the Kingdom, be it in the form of a “major nonNATO ally” or something else (This of course is assuming Iran doesn t abide by the China brokered peace treaty with Riyadh)

Before I go on, allow me to shush conspiracy theorists who will jump to the conclusion that Saudi Arabia has “sold out” the Palestinian cause They will argue that proof of this theory is that the discussions if they occurred happened in secret which in itself is reason for them to believe that something dodgy was cooking Well with all due respect to the intellect or, rather, the very little intellect of those who propagate such views, the norm for any talks of this nature is that they happen in secret and are announced only when/if successful Just ask the Palestinians or watch the film Oslo

Second Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that actually practices what it preaches Unlike Tehran, Riyadh s position has never been ideological in the sense that we never preached or to be more precise pretended to preach throwing Jews into the sea (while secretly getting weapons from Israel during the war with Iraq as Iran did in the 1980s) In fact since the Madrid conference of 1991 Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of trying to achieve a peace deal that puts Palestinian rights first, while at the same time offering Israel the recognition and guarantees it needs

As a reminder it was actually the late King Abdullah who offered Israel the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Arab League in 2002

More recently Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Atlantic magazine last year that the Kingdom sees Israel as a potential ally

“We don’t look at Israel as an enemy; we look to them as a potential ally with many interests that we can pursue together ” he said in remarks carried by the official Saudi Press Agency But we have to solve some issues before we get to that, the crown prince added, saying that he hopes conflicts between Israelis

In fact apart from the deeply rooted multifaceted 80-year relationship between the two countries, it makes perfect sense for the US to safeguard the oil wells from any attack that would cause a supply shortage which would in turn ultimately cause a huge increase in price something any junior economist would be able to point out to cynics

Apart from that, this would be a huge foreign policy win for the highly criticized Biden administration before a crucial election year although pushing such a decision for Congressional approval will require an enormous effort by the White House despite some bipartisan approval as demonstrated by Republican Sen Lindsey Graham giving it a public endorsement last April Last but not least, this might be a muchneeded double-edged instrument which could both rein in the far-right lunatics in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government and also guarantee Palestinians a state once and for all

As our respected colleague Thomas Friedman eloquently wrote in The New York Times: Netanyahu s ruling coalition of Jewish supremacists and religious extremists would have to answer this question: You can annex the West Bank, or you can have peace with Saudi Arabia and the whole Muslim world but you can t have both so which will it be?

Once again none of this is official but even the prospect is a huge step forward for Palestinians, Israelis, and indeed for Saudi Arabia, which has embarked on a new, remarkable foreign policy that safeguards not only the huge prosperity Vision 2030 has achieved but also aspires to be a force for good across the region and the world

should have the capacity to function as an effective watchdog, ensuring that the law is adhered to and users’ grievances are adequately addressed

Public engagement and education are also crucial in this transition Our citizens should be aware of their rights and understand how the law protects them This will enable them to make informed decisions about their data and how it is used, fostering a culture of digital responsibility and awareness

Ultimately the passage of the Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 represents an opportunity for Pakistan to affirm its commitment to data privacy align with global standards and boost its digital economy However in doing so, we must ensure we address valid concerns raised by stakeholders like the AIC

We must remember that laws are never static; they evolve in response to societal changes It is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of our legal system As the Bill enters into its next phase of review and approval let s take this opportunity to refine and enhance it shaping a law that stands the test of time and serves the best interests of Pakistan s digital future

As we step into this new era of digital privacy, let s make sure it’s a well-thought-out step, acknowledging the tremendous potential of the digital world while respecting and protecting the privacy rights of individuals

After all this is not just a storm to weather but a wind of change that could lead us to clearer skies and a more robust digital world

The writer is an Advocate of the High Court He specializes in Cyber and Technology Laws advising various local and international tech firms government ministries and international organizations He can be reached at advocatehc adam@gmail com

Frozen conflicts, flashmob militants and the end of the gunpowder state

SY R I A Libya Yemen and now Sudan Sudan has the unhappy potential to become the next of the intractable conflicts that have unfolded over the past decade These multisided struggles involving a cocktail of militaries militias and mercenaries drag on year after year producing destabilizing waves of refugees flourishing criminal cohorts and a plague of outside meddling Explanations abound: neglect from the outside world, interference by the outside world, weak states, overpowered states, a need for military training an excess of military training and the perennial favorite of West-centric analysts: the historic legacy of something It doesn t matter what is demonized: culture, religion, colonialism, or some other trait the key is that chaos is attributed to vestiges of an undead past

But what if the foreign policy imagination has been looking at these wars the wrong way? What if these wars can tell us more about the future than the past?

Transformations emerge at the margins of systems, but are seldom recognized by those invested in existing paradigms 19th-century leaders in Vienna, for example dismissed nationalist movements as delusional yet the nation-state replaced empire as the political norm within a few decades

The frozen conflicts of today are similarly misunderstood These wars aren’t vestiges of the past but portents of transformation

THE STATE IS NO LONGER THE PRIZE IT ONCE WAS: Negotiations repeatedly fail to end these conflicts because they remain fixed in 20th-century assumptions of power Negotiators proceed by rounding up “principals” who are bribed or bullied into political compromise with opposing sides and who are then expected to enforce the agreement within their base in return for a share in state access Every piece of this model is broken today The assumptions that control of the state is the prize that principals control subordinates and that there are sides and not a constantly changing constellation of armed factions are all based on yesterday s Weberian model of the state (centralized, with a monopoly on violence)

Let’s start with the reductionist portraits of “sides” and “principals” in the wishful thinking that passes for analyses

What appear on maps as political blocs (Islamists versus democrats government versus opposition national armies versus paramilitaries ) in reality are constellations of occasionally cooperating, more often competing, micro-militia warlords making better fortunes amidst the collapse of the state than they could realistically access with its return Human trafficking antiquities smuggling kidnapping and other illicit business thrives amidst the chaos Humanitarian aid intended for civilians feeds conflict as well: roadblocks function like cash machines The few marketing themselves as “principals” to the outside world pursue their own variety of graft They score travel to peace conference venues diplomatic swag like immunity for past crimes and a façade of decorum that bolsters their political stock, yet these principals ultimately lack the ability to restrain their supposed subordinates The problem is the radical collapse of hierarchical control For the last several centuries those who controlled territory had resources non-state challengers lacked that allowed them to fund, arm, and field militaries This idea of the “gunpowder state” evolved over the centuries to include navies air power missiles and the satellite technology that tied it all together across the planet Weaker actors who couldn t produce these tools themselves allied themselves with state sponsors who did That era officially ended on September 11, 2001 Osama bin Laden was the first to act on the realization that the new communications revolution freed small groups from the need to capture or ally with a state to act globally He could raise and move funds, recruit cohorts with proselytizing videos and free media coverage of Al Qaeda attacks, and shop the black market to acquire the kinds of tools once reserved for states Bin Laden’s model had its parallel in evolving criminal enterprises like drug cartels piracy or human trafficking which had also once been dependent on state allies to coordinate and protect their enterprises Emerging weapons like digital surveillance, Artificial Intelligence and cyber and germ warfare will change the picture even more radically in the years ahead as none require traditional bases of state power

But what these actors also have in common is the tendency to fracture Just as extremist or criminal organizations were freed from reliance on state sponsors subordinates have been liberated as well Confronted with criticism from Al Qaeda for his brand of violence bin Laden ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi chose not to conform but to launch his own brand, Al Qaeda in Iraq, precursor to ISIS And beneath the apparent success of the ISIS “state” were a multiplicity of franchise militias Criminal enterprises have also lost control over subordinates driving ferocious competition and violence in places like Mexico, Haiti or Central America These too are the frontiers of political innovation Peace negotiations of today fail because they are locked into assumptions of power hierarchies based on outdated vi-

sions of the centrality of the state and the belief that key actors control the landscape of violence by controlling access to resources This strategy will be no more successful than the Global War on Terror s repetitive drone strikes atomizing leader after leader even as terror organizations proliferate The 21st century is a landscape of dispersed empowerment which will require new strategies for peacemaking WARLORDS AND CORPORATE RAIDERS: Modern warlords are often depicted as the antithesis of the contemporary state ideal, but they can also be understood as the bastard offspring of the neoliberal mindset that has remade the state and security industry in recent decades Why should we be surprised that warlords pursue profit with military tools theoretically reserved for the defense of public interests within the state? How different are they from the private military and security industries which have pivoted from providing extra military muscle for their own states to behaving like any other market-seeking business? They hire talent and pursue clients based on profit potential, not national interests

Likewise the weapons industry prioritizes its own bottom line when it lobbies for programs and policies that grow its own business but maybe not the public good The state hasn t fared much better as a role model during the last thirty years as privatization in obeisance to capitalist efficiency gutted the idea of social good Only the pieces of the state that can aid profits such as the judiciary which can criminalize opponents the laws that protect property and investment over local land and water rights, and trade and investment regulations that benefit distant investors over local production, survive Warlords are the corporate raiders of conflict zones They strip off the easy lucre and eschew the expense of public service Why should we expect anything different?

THE WORLD AFTER THE WEBE-

RIAN STATE: The erosion of the gunpowder state and the state-centric system doesn t necessarily sentence the future to chaos The dispersal of power and the expanding frontiers of communication have benefits as well New networks of transnational sympathy already shape human imagination and capabilities in disaster relief human rights campaigns environmental activism and health initiatives

Humans have reinvented social forms multiple times over the past millennia and our inability to imagine alternatives to the present system doesn t mean they won’t emerge Just a short two centuries ago genocidal eradication of inconvenient populations went unquestioned by the powerful humans controlled other humans as property and the right to devastate landscapes through exploitation was undisputed Perhaps in the future we will look back at today’s disdain for distant lives with the same disbelief we reserve for those who practiced human sacrifice in the past

RUSSIA ACCUSES UKRAINE OF NEW DRONE ATTACK ON MOSCOW

MOSCOW R E U T E R S

RU S S I A s Defence Ministry said it had brought down three Ukrainian drones early on Sunday that had been trying to attack Moscow

Nobody was hurt and there was only minor damage to the facade of two office buildings in the Moskva-Citi business district Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said

The area several miles from the Kremlin, is known for its modern highrise towers and one of the buildings damaged was home to three Russian government ministries as well as residential apartments Russian media reported

The fact that hostile drones have begun reaching the heart of the Russian capital in recent months even if they do not inflict serious damage, is uncomfortable for the authorities who have told the public that Russia is in full control of what they call its “special military operation” against Ukraine

The incident followed what Russia said was a similar Ukrainian attempt to attack Moscow with two drones last Monday, one of which was brought down close to the headquarters of the de-

fence ministry

It spoke at the time of taking harsh retaliatory measures against Ukraine

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said after Monday’s attempted attack that there would be more drone strikes There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to the latest incident

There were no casualties or injuries,” Sobyanin, the mayor, said in a short statement on the incident

Flights to and from Moscow’s

India using ever y brutal tactic to muz zle Kashmiris’ voice for freedom

SRINAGAR: India is using every brutal tactic to muzzle the Kashmiris’ voice for freedom in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir According to Kashmir Media Service the political experts and analysts in their interviews and statements in Srinagar said fascist Modi regime is stifling the Kashmiris voice of freedom by using all draconian measures They said Indian troops are conducting widespread raids in the occupied territory to arrest innocent people and stop them from demanding freedom from India They deplored that Kashmiris were being mercilessly killed tortured and humiliated for demanding their right to self-determination The Modi regime is using its probe agencies like National Investigation Agency (NIA) and State Investigation Agency (SIA) as a weapon to silence Kashmiris demanding their birthright to self-determination, they added The political experts and analysts said the world’s so-called largest democracy is denying basic rights to IIOJK people but India must remember that popular movements could not be defeated by oppression

They urged the world community and international human rights organizations to take notice of the Kashmiris’ plight as India is subjecting the IIOJK people to collective punishment for demanding the UNmandated plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir

They said India cannot stop the Kashmiris march for freedom by using its military might and the global community must put pressure on India to let the Kashmiris speak what they

At least 9 killed as firecrackers explode at warehouse in Thailand

BANGKOK: At least nine people were killed and more than 100 others injured when firecrackers kept in a warehouse exploded in southern Thailand on Saturday officials said The firecrackers exploded and set off a fire at the unauthorised warehouse at the Muno market in Sungai Kolok district in the southern province of Narathiwat bordering Malaysia, Narathiwat s governor Sanan Phongaksorn told Reuters

Joining China’s Belt and Road was an ‘atrocious’ decision: Italy minister

regime using unmanned aerial vehicles against targets in the city of Moscow was foiled,” the ministry said in its statement Separately it said it had also successfully thwarted an overnight attack on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 by 25 Ukrainian drones which it said it had either shot down or forced to crash Nobody had been hurt and no damage done in the Crimea episode it said

u s ” d e c i s i o n

Vnukovo airport were briefly suspended due to the incident, the TASS news agency reported The Defence Ministry said two drones had crashed in the Moskva-Citi district after being brought down using radio-electronic equipment Air defences had shot down one more in the air over the Odintsovo area in the Moscow region, it said “On the morning of 30th July, an attempted terrorist attack by the Kyiv

young woman who gave her name only as Liya described the Moscow incident My friends and I rented an apartment to come here and unwind, and at some point, we heard an explosion and it was like a wave, everyone jumped,” she told Reuters And then there was a lot of smoke and you couldn t see anything From above you could see fire Some glass panels in one high-rise building were blown out and glass and debris littered part of the pavement below according to a Reuters reporter on the scene which had been cordoned off by police and emergency services

Two drones reached the Kremlin in May in the most high-profile incident of its kind

China says US military aid to Taiwan will not deter its will to unify the island

TAIPEI

A G E N C I E S

China accused the United States of turning Taiwan into an ammunition depot after the White House announced a $345 million military aid package for Taipei, and the self-ruled island said Sunday it tracked six Chinese navy ships in waters off its shores

China s Taiwan Affairs Office issued a statement late Saturday opposing the military aid to Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory

“No matter how much of the ordinary people s taxpayer money the Taiwanese separatist forces spend, no matter how many U S weapons, it will not shake our resolve to solve the Taiwan prob-

lem Or shake our firm will to realize the reunification of our motherland ” said Chen Binhua a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office Their actions are turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot, aggravating the threat of war in the Taiwan Strait ” the statement said

China s People s Liberation Army has increased its military maneuvers in recent years aimed at Taiwan, sending fighter jets and warships to circle the island

On Sunday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it tracked six Chinese navy ships near the island Taiwan s ruling administration, led by the Democratic Progressive Party, has stepped up its

weapons purchases from the U S as part of a deterrence strategy against a Chinese invasion

China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949 and Taiwan has never been governed by China s ruling Communist Party

Unlike previous military purchases, the latest batch of aid is part of a presidential authority approved by the U S Congress last year to draw weapons from current U S military stockpiles so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales

While Taiwan has purchased $19 billion worth of weaponry much of it has yet to be delivered to Taiwan Washington will send manportable air defense systems intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles to Taiwan

Denmark to look for ‘ legal tool ’ to prevent Holy Q uran burnings

COPENHAGEN

A G E N C I E S

The Danish government will seek to find a legal tool that would enable authorities to prevent the b u r n i n g o f c o p i e s o f t h e H o l y Q u r a n i n f r o n t o f o t h e r c o u n t r i e s e m b a s s i e s i n D e n m a r k , F o r e i g n

Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told the national broadcaster DR on Sunday

“The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on Rasmussen said separately in

a statement

“ T h e D a n i s h g o v e r n m e n t w i l l t h e r e f o r e e xplore the possibility of intervening in special situa t i o n s w h e r e f o r i n s t a n c e o t h e r c o u n t r i e s c u l t u r e s a n d r e l i g i o n s a r e b e i n g i n s u l t e d a n d where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security,” he said Denmark and Sweden have found themselves in the international spotlight in recent weeks following anti-Islam protests where the Holy Quran has been damaged or burned offending Muslims around the world

h e n i t j o i n e d C h i n a ’s B e l t a n d R o a d I n i t i a t i v e ( B R I ) f o u r y e a r s a g o a s i t d i d l i t t l e t o b o o s t e x p o r t s I t a l i a n D e f e n c e M i n i s t e r G u i d o C r o s e t t o s a i d i n a n i n t e r v i e w p u b l i s h e d o n S u n d a y I t a l y s i g n e d u p t o t h e B R I u n d e r a p r e v i o u s g o v e r n m e n t , b e c o m i n g t h e o n l y m a j o r We s t e r n c o u n t r y t o h a v e t a k e n s u c h a s t e p C r o s e t t o i s p a r t o f a n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n t h a t i s c o n s i d e r i n g h o w t o b r e a k f r e e o f t h e a g r e e m e n t T h e B R I s c h e m e e n v i s i o n s r e b u i l d i n g t h e o l d S i l k R o a d t o c o n n e c t C h i n a w i t h A s i a E u r o p e a n d b e y o n d w i t h l a rg e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e s p e n d i n g C r i t i c s s e e i t a s a t o o l f o r C h i n a t o s p r e a d i t s g e o p o l i t i c a l a n d e c o n o m i c i n f l u e n c e “ T h e d e c i s i o n t o j o i n t h e ( n e w ) S i l k R o a d w a s a n i m p r o v i s e d a n d a t r o c i o u s a c t ” t h a t m u l t i p l i e d C h i n a s e x p o r t s t o I t a l y b u t d i d n o t h a v e t h e s a m e e ff e c t o n I t a l i a n e x p o r t s t o C h i n a C r o s e t t o t o l d t h e C o r r i e r e d e l l a S e r a n e w s p a p e r T h e i s s u e t o d a y i s : h o w t o w a l k b a c k ( f r o m t h e B R I ) w i t h o u t d a m a g i n g r e l a t i o n s ( w i t h B e i j i n g ) B e c a u s e i t i s t r u e t h a t C h i n a i s a c o m p e t i t o r, b u t i t i s a l s o a p a r t n e r ” t h e d e f e n c e m i n i s t e r a d d e d A f t e r a W h i t e H o u s e m e e t i n g U S P r e s i d e n t J o e B i d e n o n T h u r s d a y I t a l i a n P r i m e M i n i s t e r G i o rg i a M e l o n i s a i d h e r g o v e r n m e n t h a d u n t i l D e c e m b e r t o m a k e a d e c i s i o n o n t h e B R I , a n d a l s o a n n o u n c e d s h e w o u l d s o o n t r a v e l t o B e i j i n g I n a n i n t e r v i e w o n S a t u r d a y w i t h t h e T G 5 I t a l i a n n e w s p r o g r a m m e M e l o n i s a i d i t w a s a “ p a r a d o x ” t h a t e v e n i f I t a l y i s p a r t o f t h e B R I i t i s n o t t h e G 7 c o u n t r y w i t h t h e s t r o n g e s t t r a d i n g l i n k s t o C h i n a T h i s s h o w s t h a t y o u c a n h a v e g o o d r e l a t i o n s a n d t r a d i n g p a r t n e r s h i p s e v e n o u t s i d e o f t h e B R I , s h e a d d e d

F r e n c h e m b a s s y i n

N i g e r a t t a c k e d a s

p r o t e s t e r s w a v i n g

R u s s i a n f l a g s m a r c h t h r o u g h c a p i t a l

N I A M E Y

AGENCIES

Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup this week marched through the streets of the capital on Sunday denouncing the country’s former colonial power and lighting a door at the French Embassy ablaze before the army broke up the crowd Black smoke could be seen across the city from the burning of the door, which was captured on video by The Associated Press

The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighboring Mali and President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country’s influence in the region The new junta s leaders have not said whether they would move toward Moscow or stick with Niger s Western partners French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that attacks on France and its interests would not be tolerated Anyone who attacked French nationals, the army diplomats and French authorities would see an immediate response he said Niger a French colony until 1960 had been seen as the West s last reliable partner battling jihadists in Africa s Sahel region France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens The United States and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops At an emergency meeting Sunday in Abuja Nigeria the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger and authorized the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week

The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger s first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960

Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa’s Sahel region

Some leaders of the mutiny said they overthrew Bazoum because he wasn t able to secure the nation against growing jihadi violence But some analysts and Nigeriens say that was a pretext for a takeover driven by internal power struggles “We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there s no social political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power Prof Amad Hassane Boubacar who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press

He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Tchiani Tchiani, who also goes by Omar was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor and that sparked the problems Boubacar said Niger s dire security situation is not as bad as that in neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali which have also been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group Last year, Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict

Location & Event Data Project

Some taking part in Sunday s rally warned outside bodies to stay away

CORPORATE CORNER

IESCO notifies power suspension programme

to 12:00 Noon, Islamabad Circle, Highway, Zia Masjid, Service Road East, Iqbal Town Feeders Rawalpindi City Circle Fazahia Nogzi Bajnyal Azizabad People's Colony Feeders Rawalpindi Cantt Circle Rahmatabad-1feeder Chakwal Circle Chakaral

Sarkal Latifal Feeders Jhelum Circle Express Mangala, Madu Kals Feeder, Attock Circle, Pind Pran, Valley, Gulshan Sehat, Sangjani, Shahullah Dutta, AWT 4, MVCHS, MPCHS B-17, Paswal, Sarai Kharboza Feeders and surrounding areas

AIOU commences final examinations from S ept 1

ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) is conducting examinations of open courses, certificate courses, Matriculation, FA, and ICom programs offered in the spring 2023 semester from September 1 2023 to October 5 2023 throughout the country

The date sheet is available on the university website www aiou edu pk, said the press release issued by the AIOU Roll number slips are being uploaded to students' CMS portal and will be dispatched to the students at their addresses as well

AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Nasir Mahmood has instructed the examinations department to ensure transparency and provide all facilities to the students during the conduct of examinations

Examination centers are being established across the country in nearby and easily approachable vicinities of the students for their convenience

Special teams will make surprise visits to the exam centers to eradicate the element of cheating and will check the identities of students PR

Pakistan faces another crisis to deal with human trafficking: sharmila

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sindh MPA Ms

Sharmila Farooqui said on Sunday that besides the challenges of economic and political uncertainty

Pakistan also has another crisis to deal with human trafficking

"We must also enhance cooperation and coordination among law-enforcement agencies, non-government organizations and relevant stakeholders to combat human trafficking effectively Such collaboration can ensure a comprehensive response to the issue " she said in a statement on the eve of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 being observed today

Provincial governments must train police, labour inspectors, and social services to systematically and proactively identify trafficking victims, she maintained Sharmila said that the time to act against human trafficking is now so that the people could be to rescued protected and empowered By uniting against human trafficking we can pave the way for a brighter and more better future Let us stand as one against this scourge, dismantling the shadows and illuminating a path towards freedom, she added Sharmila said: "As the country grapples with one challenge after another its vulnerable citizens find themselves at the mercy of ruthless traffickers

Unstable economies and corrupt systems turn these vulnerable people into defenceless prey

She said that with rising poverty, unemployment, and inequalities, Pakistan has become a breeding ground for modern-day slavery People’s desperation urges them to conceal the horrors they face and continue to live a life of exploitation

This is especially so for women and children

She said that the escalating risks of trafficking in Pakistan are evident from an increase in trafficking victims In 2022, the government of Pakistan reported a staggering 35,309 trafficking victims, compared to 21 253 victims in 2021 – a significant increase of over 14 000 victims Traffickers continue to thrive here due to corruption and lax enforcement by lawenforcement agencies Sharmila added

PML-N’s PoLitics revoLves arouNd Masses, deveLoPMeNt of PakistaN: MuqaM

and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general

tried to politically destabilize the country

aD V I S E R to the Prime Minister, Engr Amir Muqam has said that the politics of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) was revolving around the welfare of the masses and the development of Pakistan

Addressing a big public gathering here in the Dandai area after the inauguration of various projects including the Kabalgram bridge, Engr Amir Muqam said Hazara Motorway constructed by Nawaz Sharif Govt has brought positive changes in the lives of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa especially of Hazara division

He said the distance between Shangla and Islamabad has been significantly reduced after the construction of Hazara Motorway which promoted trade, business and tourism in Hazara in particular

Engr Amir Muqam, who is also the President of PML-N KP, said that his party vision was uniform development of Pakistan people’s socioeconomic welfare and resolution of problems at their doorsteps

The Prime Minister s aide said that Besham-Khwazakhela Expressway was cleared by Central Development Working Party and approved by ECNEC which would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs80 billion

Upon its construction he said the distance between Shangla Swat Dir Mardan and Peshawar districts would be reduced significantly besides making the entire Malakand Division a hub of trade and investment

He said the coalition government has saved the country from economic default and brought the economy back on track

He said the previous government has destroyed the country s economy and

Engr Amir Muqam said that May 9 vandalism has exposed the negative designs of a leader, who deceived the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the name of change Amir Muqam said that all the ill designs of the previous ruler that deceived the people of KP about the name change for 9 years and tried to make the country bankrupt have been foiled by the coalition government

He said that saving the country from bankruptcy and economic default after the agreement with IMF was a big achievement of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and his financial team Engr Amir Muqam said that PMLN leadership had stood with the people of Khyber in all difficult circumstances whether it was the 2005 earthquake 2010 and 2022 floods and terrorism and addressed their problems

He said that Prime Minister Muham-

Air Chief holds key meetings during his visit to China

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu called on various dignitaries during his visit to China In these meetings the Air

Chief called on Chinese Defence Minister and State Councilor General Li Shangfu, People’s Liberation Army Air Force Commander General Chang Dingqiu Chief of Equipment Development Department General Xu Xueqiang and Director General Bureau of Military Equipment and Technical Cooperation (Bometec) Major General Fan Jianjun

During the meetings matters pertaining to mutual interest and regional security situation were discussed The dignitaries also discussed the evolving geo-political environment and regional developments having significant implications for both the countries

During this historical engagement between the highest level military leadership of the two nations Chief of the Air Staff said that Pakistan values its strong diplomatic and defence ties with China which are based on convergence on all important issues related to regional peace and security while reiterating strong strategic partnership in the face of shared challenges

A smartly turned out contingent presented guard of honor to Chief

of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force on his arrival at the PLAAF Headquarters Beijing China The PLAAF Commander expressed his admiration for the professionalism of the Pakistan Air Force personnel and praised the remarkable progress made by the Pakistan Air Force through indigenization The Air Chief reiterated his unwavering commitment to enhancing the existing bilateral ties in military-tomilitary cooperation strategic alliance and the training domain

Later, during two separate meetings between the Air Chief and General Xu Xueqiang Chief of Equipment Development Department and Major General Fan Jianjun Director General Bureau of Military Equipment & Technical Cooperation (Bometec), several key points on exploring opportunities for technology transfer and col-

laborative development of advanced military hardware were also discussed Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force also met the Industrial heads of Chinese Defence Industry The meetings were focused on defence acquisitions and technology collaboration between the two sides Highlighting the significance of the longstanding partnership between the two countries the Air Chief said that PAF leadership wishes to further deepen the existing aviation cooperation and exchanges with China in the fields of human resource and technology so as to jointly address shared security challenges

The visit of Chief of the Air Staff to China is a testament to the strong commitment of both nations to further enhance their strategic partnership through continued dialogue and military collaboration

Turi reiterates govt's suppor t for Shipbreak ing Industr y

Decent Work Program for shipbreaking and mine workers

mad Shehbaz Sharif had visited all floodhit areas of KP last year including Swat and Kohistan and disbursed billions of rupees among flood victims Engr Amir Muqam said that despite several attacks on his life he stood with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and raised their problems at all forums

He said that PMLN after coming into power would continue development projects and address people’s problems at their doorsteps On this occasion eminent political workers including Nazeerzada Zayad Khan Subhanullah Sher Dil Shamsur Rehman and others resigned from other political parties and joined PMLN They expressed full confidence in the leadership of Engr Amir Muqam and vowed to utilize all their energies for strengthening the party Amir Muqam welcomed the new entrants in the party fold and assured full support to them

exper ts stress societ y free from abuse of children, child labour

LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T

Experts on Sunday called upon all concerned including the media government and private organisations to play du role in making institutional and non-institutional sectors free from child abuse and child labour

It is a social stigma and a gigantic problem in both developing and industrialised countries and lowincome communities they said Ms Munawar Sultana National Project Coordinator Asia Regional Child Labour (ARC) project said that around 160 million children aged 5 to 17 years were engaged in child labour in 2020, with 79 million children involved in hazardous work About 3 3 million of Pakistani children are trapped in child labour, who are deprived of their childhood, their health and education she said

Hameed Alam an elderly social activist told APP here that children in all provinces of the country are being exploited physically morally socially and mentally

He said that hundreds of millions of girls and boys around the world are affected due to the child abuse and child labour menace They are forced to spend a life of poverty and harassment the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed in its recent report To prevent child labour global organisations like the International Labor Organisation (ILO) and SPARC must work jointly to save children from the curse of child abuse and child labour, he stressed Child abuse is a serious problem in Pakistan that often goes unpunished; however, there are laws in place that offer severe penalties for those who are convicted of abusing children he added

A total of 160 million children – 63 million girls and 97 million boys – are in child labour globally accounting for almost one in 10 of all children worldwide Peter Buwembo, officer-in-charge, ILO Country Office, stressed in a statement the importance of reliable data on child labour He mentioned that an ongoing child labour survey in Pakistan would generate updated and accurate evidence for programme and policies

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and HRD Sajid Hussain Turi visited e Gaddani shipbreaking yard and had a detailed meeting with various stakeholders, including Jan Sher Bazenjo, Chairman Municipal Corporation Gaddani Zulfiqar Ahmad Secretary Workers Welfare

Fund, Tariq Qamar, Secretary Labor Balochistan Wali Kakar Chairman Balochistan Development Authority Capt (Rtd) Javed Director BDA Rizwan Dewan Chairman Shipbreaker Association and representatives of workers and different organizations This visit was a continuation of his engagements in Geneva during ILC regarding Occupational Safety and Health and

During the meeting, Sajid Hussain Turi assured that the government of Pakistan will ratify the Hong Kong Convention and address Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and other related problems in the shipbreaking industry The safety and health of shipbreaking workers are a top priority for the government, and they are taking measures to provide facilities in line with international standards and ILO conventions He said that Bilwal Bhutto Zardari and other leadership of PPP PM Pakistan prioritize health and safety of workers All stakeholders actively participated in the discussion Various issues and challenges faced by the shipbreaking industry were discussed and Chairman BDA informed that the Hong Kong Convention is awaiting approval in the cabinet Sajid Hussain Turi pledged efforts to facilitate its approval

Pia loses rs19b due to cancellation of scheduled flights in one year

ISLAMABAD

S

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has lost Rs19 billion due to the cancellation of scheduled flights in one year According to the PIA figures, four thousand and three hundred and five domestic and foreign flights were canceled The figures revealed that PIA lost Rs19 billion due to the cancellation of flights during one year in 2021

This loss to PIA was due to the cancellation of more than four thousand flights During the 2021 audit of the Flight Operations Department, it was seen that PIA’s domestic and foreign scheduled flights were 23 thousand 636 Out of 23 thousand 636 4 thousand 305 flights were cancelled which is 18 percent of the total scheduled flights Most of all 538 flights were canceled in May 2021 Due to lack of proper planning, the corporation incurred a loss of Rs over 19 billion This matter was reported to the management in November 2022

CPEC model of two nations adherence to joint construction, sharing of high-quality resources: Chinese scholar

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a model of the two nations’ adherence to joint construction and sharing of highquality resources which has promoted the socioeconomic progress of Pakistan Li Yong a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade said on Sunday Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, acting as the special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, kicked off an official visit to Pakistan on Sunday to attend the Decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) celebrations

The two countries all-weather strategic cooperation partners, have enhanced comprehensive cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during the past 10 years

The CPEC is a flagship of the BRI which has helped improve Pakistani people s livelihood and created many jobs for locals

experts said noting that Western countries disparaging CPEC won conceal Chinese enterprises contribution to Pakistan nor hurt the iron-clad friendship of the two neighbours

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that China hopes that He Lifeng’s visit will be an opportunity to implement the important consensus reached between leaders of the two countries continue to build on past achievements and upgrade the development of the CPEC

The country also hopes that the visit will consolidate and deepen the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic partnership, advance the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era and contribute to the development and prosperity of the region

Before the launch of the CPEC, a signature project of the BRI envisaged by China, Pakistan was striving for economic survival, languishing in an energy crisis, with poor infrastructure and financial challenges As a silver lining the CPEC came to the rescue

Within 10 years the initiative was transforming Pakistan and bringing prosperity Yasir Habib Khan president of the Institute of International Relations and Media Research, told the Global Times

As of 2022, the CPEC had brought $25 4 billion in direct investment to Pakistan and created about 236 000 jobs there It helped Pakistan generate 8 000 megawatts of electricity and build 886 kilometres of national core transmission grid according to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan While China and Pakistan have kept on promoting high-quality development of the CPEC Western media use debt trapsť and unqualified projects to smear the BRI project Facts speak louder than the smearing rhetoric The achievements over the past 10 years in the construction of the CPEC are the best response to the debt trap and other discrediting smears, Li told the Global Times

One of the watershed developments during the 10 years was the high-octane operation of Gwadar Port the crown jewel of the

CPEC

Gwadar was once an old fishing town and now it is on a high tide of success with tangible socioeconomic progress, including the establishment of free trade zones there, the Eastbay Express Way, and the inauguration of the New International Gwadar Airport according to Yasir Zhang Baozhong chairman of China Overseas Ports Holding Co told the Global Times that with the improvement of local ports and infrastructure including hospitals, airports and schools, Gwadar has now been transformed into a modern seaside city with a permanent resident population that grew from 80 000 in 2013 to 220 000 in 2023

Zhang said that his company aims to build Gwadar into a smart port city by 2050 with a total population of more than 1 7 million and an annual GDP of $30 billion

The Peshawar-Karachi Motorway (PKM), the largest transportation project under the CPEC was completed in 2019 The project gave priority to hiring Pakistani

employees providing more than 23 000 local jobs according to a statement China State Construction sent to the Global Times

The PKM project has also helped propel the development of services industries such as catering, retailing and transportation, indirectly creating more than 45,000 jobs

Danish a manager of Power-China’s construction project group in Pakistan told the Global Times that in the field of green energy Pakistanis are impressed by the technology accumulation and construction efficiency of Chinese companies

Power-China has completed the construction of 22 wind power projects in Pakistan with a total installed capacity of 1 14 million kilowatts

In connection with the 10th anniversary of CPEC, the CPEC Industry Chain Cooperation Platform was launched to kick-start a comprehensive services system covering key industrial cooperation in new energy, smart manufacturing and the digital economy between China and Pakistan

F I V E N A M E S S H O R T L I S T E D

F O R C A R ETA K E R P M : S H A H

PA K I S TA N People s Party leader Syed Khurshid Shah said that five names have been shortlisted for the caretaker Prime Minister (PM), elaborating on that it has been decided the assemblies will be dissolved on August 9

While talking to media persons after visiting the site of the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme K-IV project at Keenjhar Lake on Sunday, he said that they were making all-out efforts to complete the project by 2024 or at the start of 2025

The PPP leader said that member of a political party cannot become caretaker prime minister, adding that he has no information about who came forward with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar ’s name as a caretaker prime minister

He said a Committee of all parties finalized these names The shortlisted candidates for Caretaker PM were neutral and they were not associated with any political party

Replying to a question over the delay of the K-IV project which was expected to complete in 2018, he said, ‘Where there is a will there is a way ’

He said that their Will was that they had to complete this project whether two months before or two months later

He said that an investigation should

be carried out to know about the responsible for the project’s design, and who become the cause of the failure of the first project

He further said that the delay was a big tragedy

K h u r s h e e d S h a h s a i d t h a t t h e d es i g n o f t h e p r o j e c t h a d b e e n f i n a l i z e d while keeping in view the failure of the first project

Replying to another question, he said that the water of the K-IV project would be supplied through pressure pumps

While expressing his concerns over the non-availability of infrastructure to supply water to the K-IV project he said that talks with the Sindh government were underway over the issue and he

In presence of Bilawal, wax figure of Benazir Bhutto unveiled at Madame Tussauds museum

A wax figure of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was unveiled at the Madame Tussauds museum in Dubai on Sunday the first of a Pakistani personality at the museum’s Dubai location The photo shows former prime minister Benazir Bhutto when she was sown in as the premier on Dec 2 1988

It features the former -premier in a green shalwar kameez and white dupatta, the outfit she donned when she was sworn in as the first woman prime minister of Pakistan on December 2, 1988

Benazir ’s son and Foreign Minister Bilawal BhuttoZardari attended the unveiling of the figure along with other dignitaries and diplomats

Speaking at the ceremony Bilawal said his mother was a symbol of democracy, freedom and equal rights for women across the world and portrayed the progressive face of Pakistan

“We have a close attachment to this city and country

We are immensely grateful that the memory of our mother Benazir Bhutto is being honoured here in the form of this wax statue he added Bilawal landed in Dubai earlier today on a one-day official visit

During his visit, the foreign minister would also discuss the entire spectrum of bilateral relations between Pakistan and UAE in a meeting with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al

Nahyan the Foreign Office said

He would also offer condolences to the UAE leadership on the demise of Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed brother of UAE President HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also undertook a trip to the UAE to condole the death of Sheikh Saeed In a statement issued a day earlier, the FO had said that Bilawal’s trip “reflects Pakistan’s robust engagement with the UAE and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two brotherly countries

Both countries are committed to steadily strengthening fraternal ties and deepening mutually rewarding economic partnership, it had added

COAS Gen Asim Munir condoles with UAE president over brother’s demise

hoped that the provincial government would look into the matter immediately

He said that the funding for the project was being provided

Answering a question on additional water he said that the KB Feeder project would be started this year and that would be based on a 50 per cent share each by the federal and Sindh governments

The caretaker prime minister will be able to continue working on the elected government’s projects but he cannot work on or launch new projects he added F u r t h e r m o r e h e s a i d t h a t t h e f i n a l d e c i s i o n w i l l b e m a d e b y t h e P D M a s s t a t e d b y t h e J U I c h i e f M a u l a n a F az l u r R e h m a n

I t i s p e r t i n e n t t o m e n t i o n h e r e t h a t r e p o r t s t a r t e d m a k i n g r o u n d s t h a t I s h a q D a r i s l i k e l y t o b e c o m e c a r et a k e r p r i m e m i n i s t e r ( P M ) a s P a k i s t a n M u s l i m L e a g u e - N a w a z ( P M L - N ) b ec o m e s a c t i v e t o c o n v i n c e c o a l i t i o n p a r t i e s i n t h i s r e g a r d Ishaq Dar is the current finance minister and is considered to be a close ally of the former prime minister and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif However, the ruling coalition parties including Pakistan People s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) have rejected to receive any suggestions from PML-N regarding Ishaq Dar for caretaker prime minister s (PM) slot Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led JUI-F and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP rejected such reports regarding their agreement on appointing Ishaq Dar as the caretaker PM On the other hand Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar that he will accept any decision the leadership takes about the caretaker Prime Minister Dar said that the discussion regarding the caretaker prime minister is premature at this time The coalition government and PDM will decide on the caretaker premier he added The finance minister said that without increasing the powers of the caretaker prime minister the country cannot run but the caretaker government needs 90 days instead of 60 days

‘King making’ CSB to consider promotions of officers from August 1, 2023

The Central Selection Board under the chair of Capt (r) Shahid Ashraf Tarar will consider promotion cases of grade 20 and 21 officers belong to different occupational groups of civil service of Pakistan scheduled for August 1 to 4

According to Establishment division, a 17 member CSB including parliamentarians (Senator Saadia Abbasi Senator Kamran Murtaza Senator Saleem Mandviwala Muhammad Aslam Bhootani Usama Qadri) 5 Grade 22 officers (Imdad Ullah Bosal, Saleh Farooqi, Dr Kazim Niaz, Pervaiz Junejo and Ghais Uddin Ahmed) 6 Ex-officio members ((Secretary Finance Cabinet and Chief Secretaries of Punjab Sindh KP and Balochistan) and Secretary Interior as co-opted members for PSP besides secretary as well as DG IB, DG ISI (personal) of each division shall consider cases of Pakistan Administrative Service Police Service of Pakistan Office Management Group Inland Revenue Service Pakistan Customs Foreign Services of Pakistan, Commerce and Trade, Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service and ex cadre and other group officials Sources said that the CSB meeting ahead of the departure of the present federal government disseminates a message that these promotion meetings are largely to shower “favours on civil servants” considered loyal to government of the day and award punishments to those who fall in disfavour due to one reason or the other Sources said that this largely like and dislike promotion strategy has eroded the very foundations of good governance and an efficient public service delivery

The subjectivity in promotions in the civil service has continued to grow even in the face of court interventions and continued judicial scrutiny of the misuse of discretion in the promotion process

A proforma for assessment constitutes the basis of awarding or denying promotion to any civil servant This proforma titled objective assessment form has hardly anything objective in it to base the promotions thereon

The proforma contains all sub-

jective criteria to grant or deny promotions The CSB members have no device to make even a subjective assessment for a promotion within the limited time available to them In this situation, they have to place major reliance on the input furnished by the departmental representative The departmental representatives usually find the CSB meetings as an opportune time to translate their likes and dislikes of subordinate civil servants into a bitter reality which the disliked subordinates are invited to taste murdering merit in the process

A few years back superior courts used to be flooded with litigation after every CSB calling in question the CSB s wild discretion in awarding or denying the five integrity marks to grant or refuse promotion to any civil servant

The courts intervened in the matter However instead of the trend in civil service promotions getting reversed towards greater objectivity, the CSB came to wield even greater subjectivity in the promotion process Most paradoxical of all even after court interventions to cut down subjectivity in the promotion process CSB s discretionary and subjectively awarded marks have been increased from 10 marks to 30 marks

A threadbare examination of the CSB’s minutes of meetings of the past promotion meetings makes it evident that the CSB’s 30 discretionary marks have been at times used to award promotions to those who stood favourites but who had earned overall poor ratings in their performance evaluation reports and training evaluation reports Others who had fared better in PERs and TERs were denied promotions by withholding from them a greater part of the CSB s discretionary 30 marks

As if all this subjectivity in the promotion process was not

enough the prime minister has now made the promotions conditional on a civil servant earning good intelligence agency reports, thus adding one more layer of subjectivity to the already subjectivity laden promotion process

Sources revealed that with the addition of agency reports as a condition for promotion the influential and well connected civil servants come in a position to win promotions at the cost of those with no connections and networks to help them sail across the I-report condition

The impression that socially stronger civil servants have better wherewithal to manage and meet the I-report condition is strengthened by the fact that some civil servants involved in big scams and scandals have won promotions to the higher grades defeating the Ireport condition

Another important yet little appreciated aspect of the I-report condition is that the lower level agency officials reportedly gather information for these reports at times choosing not to confront the concerned civil servant with the stuff likely to adversely affect that civil servant s promotion prospects

Ironically one implication of the condition of I-reports to win p r o m o t i o n i n c i v i l s e r v i c e h a s been so far little appreciated The i m p l i c a t i o n i s t h a t t h e I - r e p o r t c o n d i t i o n i m m e d i a t e l y s e t s t o naught the credibility of scores of supervisory officers of the department who write PERs, the senior members and staff of the training institutions who write TERs and also redials to zero the credibility of chairman federal public servi c e c o m m i s s i o n a n d o t h e r m e mbers of the central selection board who award 30 marks for promot i o n w h i c h h a v e b e e n p l a c e d a t the CSB s discretion

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on

Sunday visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

where he offered condolences to United Arab

Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed AlNahyan over the demise of his brother Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan

The UAE Embassy in Pakistan tweeted that UAE

President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received COAS Munir

H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, receives General Syed Asim Munir, COAS of Pakistan Army, who offered condolences on the death of late Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the tweet read

On the occasion the COAS expressed grief over the death of Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and prayed for peace and rest of the departed soul

On the other hand, Foreign Minister Bilawal BhuttoZardari also visited to the UAE

High officials of the UAE and Ambassador of Pakistan to the Emirati state Faisal Niaz Tirmizi received the foreign minister at the airport FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will offer condolences to the UAE leadership on the sad demise of the brother of President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed

In Dubai, the foreign minister will participate in the unveiling ceremony of wax figure of the first Pakistani personality Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto at Madame Tussauds

Earlier on Friday Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condoled with the UAE president over the death of Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan

The premier visited the palace on his one-day visit to the UAE UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan warmly welcomed PM Shehbaz

On the occasion PM Shehbaz expressed his grief and sorrow over the death of his brother on behalf of the Pakistani nation

The UAE president expressed his gratitude to PM Shehbaz over his visit to the UAE He also pointed out the strong diplomatic ties between the two countries

PTI issues notices to Sindh MPAs over voting for MQM-P leader of opposition

KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued show-cause notices to party MPAs in Sindh for violating the party policy according to a notification issued on Sunday

As per details, the notification was issued after the approval of PTI secretary general Omer Ayub It stated that a show-cause notice was issued to the Sindh MPAs for violating party policy and voting for the MQM-P opposition leader

The MPAs include Umar Umairy Imran Ali Shah

Sanjay Gangwani Sachind Lakhwani Rabia Azfar

Muhammad Ali Aziz Kareem Bakhsh Gabool and Bilal Ahmed

All the members who received show-cause notice are bound to submit explanation within three days and if their response is found unsatisfactory the party will take action against them

It is pertinent to mention here that MPA Raana Ansar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) was elected the Leader of Opposition in the Sindh Assembly to replace PTI s Haleem Adil Shaikh Raana Ansar bagged 39 members support from 69 opposition members, including 20 MQM-P, 10 GDA members and nine PTI dissidents Sindh Assembly’s Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani while felicitating the new opposition leader said You are the first woman who has been elected as the leader of this house

New opposition leader thanked the party and Speaker Sindh Assembly “A woman feels the agony of Sindh

The people of Sindh have elected me to this house, we have required water gas and infrastructure” she said Earlier a day ago the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) terminated the membership of 22 leaders including former KP chief minister Mahmood Khan

The development came after Khattak formed the breakaway faction, PTI parliamentarians Other leaders who had been expelled from the party were Shafiq Afridi Ziaullah Bangash Ishtia Urmar Iqbal Wazeer Yaqoob Sheikh and Wilson Wazeer

The notice was issued by PTI secretary general Omar Ayub Khan to the defected members Earlier this month, Khattak formed his own political party after parting with the original party

The party had been named Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Parliamentarians), and Khattak will be its head

The party membership of Khattak had been revoked For not responding to the show-cause notice the PTI had taken action against Khattak Khattak s basic membership was terminated according to a notification from PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan

Earlier, the PTI issued a show-cause notice to Khattak for allegedly inciting members to leave the party

S enate passes ‘ Toshakhana Regulation and M anagement Bill 2023’ unanimously

The Senate on Sunday unanimously passed a bill (The Toshakhana Regulation and Management Bill 2023) proposing heavy penalties for officials who fail to declare state gifts and refuse to deposit them in Toshakhana (state gift repository)

The Upper House also unanimously passed the Pakistan Airports Authority Bill, 2023, with the aim to enhance airport administration, operation, and the overall development of airports and air transport services

As per the bill s provisions the president prime minister chief ministers governors parliamentarians bureaucrats officers of the armed forces, members of the judici-

ary and their family members are required to promptly declare and deposit any gifts received in the Toshakhana

Non-compliance with this requirement could lead to heavy penalties: five times more than the assessed market value of the gift

The scope of the bill will extend to government officials and private individuals included in official delegations and those employees exempted from the law will be from Grade 1 to Grade 4 who receive cash gifts

The Toshakhana – a repository under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division which stores precious gifts given to rulers parliamentarians bureaucrats and other officials by heads of other governments and foreign dignitaries – has been at the center of attention in recent times due to

high-profile cases involving the concealment of gifts by public office holders The issue has notably been brought to the forefront in recent months after accusations against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly concealing such gifts during his tenure as prime minister The government bill comes as a response to address gaps and deficiencies in the current system aiming to establish clearer regulations governing the reporting and depositing of gifts received by government officials

According to the bill, violation of the rules regarding gifts will result in a penalty equivalent to five times the value of the gift Government officials or private individuals will be required to submit the gifts following the prescribed procedure and within

the specified time After federal government approval detailed regulations concerning Toshakhana will be established

Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously passed the Pakistan Airports Authority Bill, 2023, with the aim of enhancing airport administration operation and the overall development of airports and air transport services

The bill presented by State Minister of Law and Justice Shahadat Awan was accepted by the upper house after a comprehensive clause-by-clause examination and the inclusion of required amendments

The bill is presented to fulfil international requirements indicating the country’s commitment to enhancing its aviation sector and ensuring the smooth functioning of airports in line with global practices

According to the statement of objects and reasons In order to improve efficiency and comply with international standards, Pakistan s Civil Aviation Authority should be divided into two separate entities

One entity, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) will focus on regulating civil aviation activities in the country

The other entity the Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) will be responsible for providing civil aviation services and developing aviation infrastructure, specifically handling commercial and operational aspects of airports This division will streamline operations, enhance services and ensure compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization s (ICAO) standards and recommended practices (SARPs)