Epaper_23-07-5 LHR

P K R S U R G E S B Y R S 1 5 A G A I N S T

U S D O L L A R F O L LO W I N G I M F D E A L

PURCHASE IN EXCHANGE COMPANIES

opportunity for some money changers to buy the dollar at rates ranging from Rs275 to Rs285 on Monday The first day of open market trading following Pakistan’s Standby Agreement (SBA) with the IMF for $3 billion brought a sense of economic stability and resulted in a better value for the rupee However due to the bank holidays, only a few exchange companies had cash rupees available, and even those were limited Most companies were unable to purchase dollars despite the high demand for selling Exchange companies reported a lack of buyers for dollars in the open market as many banks began purchasing dollars from the banking market instead of using exchange companies, following the State Bank of

g 3% ADVANCE TAX

TO BE LEVIED ON REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES WORTH RS5M AND ABOVE

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the alleged irregularities in aid of $3 billion received from international financial institutions during Covid-19 pandemic and allegedly distributed to 620 businessmen as interest-free loans during the PTI regime

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting held with Chairman Noor Alam Khan in chaired ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to investigate the matter

On the occasion, the PAC chairman revealed that under the Temporary Economic Refinance Facility (TERF) scheme the previous government provided interest-free loans for 10 years to 620 industrialists

This revelation sparked concerns among PAC members with Barjees Tahir emphasizing the need for determine where the money was invested In response, Mohsin Aziz, another PAC member, highlighted the positive outcomes of the scheme, stating that 3 2 million people gained employment and exports increased by $4 billion He also mentioned that similar facilities were provided in the past

During the meeting the PAC took decisive action by ordering the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit of the $3 billion aid Additionally, the FIA and NAB were instructed to initiate investigations into the matter Chairman Noor Alam Khan went a step further and directed the writing of letters to the Army Chief and Defense Secretary requesting that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) participate in the investigation

The PAC chairman expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Finance for failing to provide the names of the loan recipients, despite being instructed to do so on April 19 He demanded that the Governor State Bank and Secretary Finance present the list within 24 hours The Finance Secretary has also been summoned to attend the next meeting of the PAC, scheduled for Wednesday (tomorrow) Tensions ran high during the meeting, resulting in a heated exchange between Senator Mohsin Aziz and Member of the National Assembly Birjis Tahir The clash of opinions highlighted the gravity of the situation and the need for a thorough investigation

In addition to the aid distribution issue, the Secretary of the Power Division revealed during the meeting that the circular debt of the power sector had reached Rs2,370 billion by June The PAC chairman expressed concern over the prevalence of unannounced power load-shedding even during the Eidul Azha holidays He also criticised the Power Division for ongoing inquiries into electricity theft that had failed to produce any concrete results or hold anyone accountable

Rs 50 lakhs or more will be subject to an advance tax of 3% at the time of registration This is because though the Act does not explicitly delineate tax rates for EVs, it does stipulate that vehicles devoid of engine capacity and possessing a value of Rs 50 lakhs or more will be taxed at a rate of 3% This is a detail that might be overlooked by many when perusing the Finance Act if they are unfamiliar with the world of Pakistani automotives M i a n S h o a i b C h a i r m a n o f t h e A l l P a k i s t a n C a r D e a l e r s a n d I m p o r t e r s A s s o c i a t i o n , h a s e x p r e s s e d c o n s t e r n a t i o n a b o u t t h i s n e w t a x H e a r t i c u l a t e s , w i t h p a l p a b l e f r u s t r a t i o n t h a t E x c i s e d e p a r t m e n t s t h r o u g hout Pakistan determine registrat i o n f e e s f o r E V s b a s e d o n t h e p o w e r o f t h e b a t t e r y i n K W H T h e r e i s n o j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r i mp o s i n g a 3 % a d v a n c e t a x o n t h e m ” H e f u r t h e r a d d s “ O n o n e h a n d t h e g o v e r n m e n t i s i nc e n t i v i s i n g E V s b y i m p o s i n g l e s s c u s t o m s d u t y b u t o n t h e other hand, levying this tax will escalate the cost for consumers U l t i m a t e l y, t h i s w i l l d i s s u a d e t h e u s a g e o f E V s ” The intricacies of vehicle value determination T h e v a l u e o f a v e h i c l e i s a s c e r t a i n e d b y i t s i m p o r t v a l u e , i n v o i c e v a l u e , o r a u c t i o n v a l u e , c o n t i n g e n t u p o n w h e t h e r i t w a s imported locally manufactured o r a s s e m b l e d o r a u c t i o n e d I n c a s e s w h e r e t h e e n g i n e c a p a ci t y i s i n a p p l i c a b l e a n d t h e v a l u e o f t h e v e h i c l e i s R s 5 0 l a k h s o r m o r e , t h e t a x r a t e w i l l b e 3 % o f t h e i m p o r t v a l u e a s a u g m e n t e d b y c u s t o m s d u t y

s a l e s t a x a n d f e d e r a l e x c i s e d u t y i n c a s e o f i m p o r t e d v e h ic l e s o r i n v o i c e v a l u e i n c a s e o f l o c a l l y m a n u f a c t u r e d o r a s s e mb l e d v e h i c l e s How much more expensive will our

Why is the Government doubling down on vehicle registration taxes?

T h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s i n t r oduced new rates for advance tax on vehicle registration as part of t h e r e v i s e d b u d g e t r a t i f i e d o n June 26th These are part of the s t a g g e r i n g R s 9 4 1 5 a r a b t h a t the government plans to accrue t h r o u g h t h e F e d e r a l B o a r d o f Revenue this fiscal year The rev i s e d r a t e s f o r a d v a n c e t a x o n vehicle registration for vehicles with combustible engines are as follows:

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The government has announced to observe Yaum-eTaqaddus-e-Quran on July 7 (Friday) to hold countrywide protests demonstrations against the desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden and convene a joint parliamentary session a day earlier

The decision was made on in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here to discuss the issue of the desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden

It merits mention that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Jamat-i-Islami (JI) and other religious and political parrties have already announced to hold protest demonstrations across country on Friday

It was decided that protest rallies would be held on Friday across the country to condemn the act The prime minister appealed to the nation including all the political parties to participate in the protest to convey a united message to the mischievous minds

Besides, the government would also convene a joint session of the parliament on July 6 to formulate a national strategy on the issue and represent the nation’s sentiments and feelings through the parliamentary forum

The joint session would also adopt a resolution to condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran

The prime minister, also the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, instructed the party to participate in the Yaum-e-Taqaddus-e-Quran and hold countrywide rallies

He told the meeting that the sanctity of the Holy Quran was a part of the Muslims belief for which all of them were united

He said that the astray minds were toeing a nefarious agenda of fanning the negative trend of Islamophobia

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that nations and leadership believing in peace and co-existence should contain the violent forces infested by the Islamophobia and religious biases

He believed that the violent mindset targeting the religion, sacred personalities, beliefs and ideologies were in fact the enemies of the world peace

He said that the forces believing in peace and interfaith harmony should play their role at the international level to get rid of such negative trends

Urgent UN meeting

Meanwhile the UN Human Rights Council has called an urgent meeting on Quran desecration incident on Pakistan’s request

The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, which is meeting in session until July 14 will change its agenda to stage an urgent debate following a request from Pakistan

The UN Human Rights Council will hold an urgent debate to discuss the alarming rise in premeditated and public acts of religious hatred, as manifested by the current desecration of the holy Quran in some European and other countries’ ” council spokesman Pascal Sim told reporters citing the wording of the request

This urgent debate will be convened following a request of Pakistan sent on behalf of several members of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, including those that are members of the Human Rights Council

“The urgent debate will most likely be convened this week at a date and time to be determined by the bureau of the Human Rights Council that is meeting today

W ith IMF bailout secured, what will happen to Pakistan’s foreign reser ves?

g WHERE DO WE NOW STAND IN TERM OF DEFAULT SITUATION?

ments of $15 01 billion during the current financial year

In a bid to bolster its foreign exchange reserves and safeguard the national economy from external shocks, Pakistan has pledged to increase its reserves by $7 65 billion reaching $11 7 billion by the end of the financial year 2024 Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmed signed a Letter of Intent with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), assuring them of their commitment

The Desired Financing: To meet this target Pakistan plans to s ecu r e lo an s f r o m mu ltilater al an d b ilate r a l c r e d i t o r s , w i t h p r o j e c t e d d i s b u r s e -

Talking to a private news channel, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar stated that Paki s t a n i s e x p e c t e d t o r a i s e $ 5 6 b i l l i o n i n t h e m o n t h o f J u l y a l o n e T h i s a c c o r d i n g t o h i m e n t a i l s $ 3 b i l l i o n p a y m e n t s f r o m S a u d i A r a b i a ( $ 2 b i l l i o n ) a n d U A E ( $ 1 b i l l i o n ) w h i c h w e r e c o m m i t t e d t o t h e f u n d A p a r t f r o m t h i s , t h e s e i n c l u d e t h e p a y m e n t s f r o m I s l a m i c D e v e l o p m e n t B a n k ( $ 1 b i l l i o n ) Wo r l d B a n k ( $ 4 5 0 m i ll i o n ) A s i a n I n f r a s t r u c t u r e a n d I n v e s tm e n t B a n k ( $ 2 5 0 m i l l i o n ) a n d v a r i o u s

We are comfortable till December , s a y s I s h a q D a r r e s p o n d i n g t o a q u e s t i o n about the economic situation for the coming government Furthermore as per the letter of intent Pakistan intends to negotiate with bilateral p a r t n e r s i n c l u d i n g C h i n a S a u d i A r a b i a a n d t h e U A E , t o r o l l o v e r e x i s t i n g d e -

uled

on July 12, 2023, to consider Pakistan’s request for a $3 billion bailout package and a $1 billion tranche release The finance minister is also hopeful to maintain the surplus or breakeven position in the current account, which the government has been

o s i t s

G o v t ‘ q u i e t y ’ l e v i e s a d v a n c e t a x o n r e g i s t r a t i o n o f e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s

PAC orders probe into irregularities in ‘distribution of $3b aid’ during PTI regime

Desecration in Sweden: Nation to obser ve Holy Quran Day on Friday

I N T E R I M B A I L G R A N T E D T O P T I C H I E F I N S I X C A S E S

ISLAMABAD

S tA f f r e p o r t

INTERIM bail was granted to Chairman Pakistan Chairman Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in six different cases on Tuesday till July 10 According to details, the PTI chief secured interim bail in six miscellaneous cases till July 10

Hearings of these cases were conducted at the Judicial Complex Islamabad

The court extended interim bail of chairman PTI in a case registered at the Shehzad Town police station, whereas, he has been directed to join the investigation The case was heard by

Additional Sessions Judge Farrukh Fareed Baloch

In another case registered at the Margala police station, the judge of the sessions court heard the bail plea

The sessions judge remarked that the hearing would be fixed at July 19 if the PTI chief s counsel has a busy schedule on July 10 The judge added that the district court will be shifted and functional by July 19

The court extended PTI chief ’s interim bail till July 19 Additionally the court also registered the attendance of the PTI central leader Asad Umar and adjourned the hearing In another development, PTI

chief s wife Bushra Bibi got interim bail till July 13 from the accountability court in Toshakhana case

Moreover, the Supreme Court (SC), while hearing the lawyer murder case today rejected the interim bail plea of the PTI chief besides rejecting to issue stay order on the high court s verdict

The top court made the ruling while hearing a miscellaneous plea for stopping the proceedings of the lawyer ’s murder case against the PTI chief in Quetta Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan remarked that the ruling of today s hearing will be issued immediately and adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period

No peace in South Asia until Kashmir resolved as per UN resolutions, FM says

TOKYO

S tA f f r e p o r t

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has ruled out sustenance of peace in South Asia until the region s core dispute – the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir – is resolved through dialogue and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions and the principles of international law

In his remarks at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) on the topic Pakistan and Japan in the Asian context , the foreign minister said that while Pakistan and Japan were situated in different corners of the Asian continent, they shared important convergences in terms of their outlook and vision for the region Pakistan s position has always been

at Tokyo event

clear: there can be no peace in South Asia until the region s core dispute – the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir – is resolved through dialogue and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions and the principles of international law ” he stressed Pakistan has always been ready to work towards such a resolution he said adding tragically Pakistan did not have a partner for peace in South Asia

The foreign minister said India is in the grip of a form of religious hysteria that has closed out any space for dialogue and diplomacy ”

While this was expected given the ideology of India s ruling party what was surprising – and disappointing, he said, was the silence of the international community on India’s oppression in Kashmir and its provocations against a much smaller neighbor

Seven children die of malnutrition, common diseases in Tharparkar

THARPARKAR S tA f f r e p o r t

As many as seven children died of malnutrition and common diseases across Tharparkar, health sources reported on Tuesday According to sources, seven deaths were reported from Mithi civil hospital during 24 hours After recent deaths total numbers of deaths due to malnutrition across Tharparkar during ongoing year has climbed to 435 Meanwhile Cholera spread out in Karachiís Gadap Town claiming life of a woman and several others were hospitalized due to the disease Hospital sources said that over 300 people affected of

ECP directs political par ties to submit statement of accounts for F Y 2022-2023

Former National Assembly speaker and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser has claimed that the police attempted to arrest him from the Peshawar High Court (PHC) despite being granted bail in all cases registered against him following May 9 mayhem

across the country after the PTI chief ’s arrest in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 which led to the deaths of at least eight people and injured several others, prompting the authorities to arrest thousands of PTI workers

Rawalpindi

The military called May 9 Black Day and has decided to try the protesters under the Army Act with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir saying that the legal process in this regard has already begun

Rules 2017 thereof that they are required to file with the electoral watchdog their Consolidated Statement of Accounts for financial year, 202223 ended on June 30, 2023 on or before August 29 2023 It may be recalled that Section 210 of the Elections Act 2017 provides that a Political Party shall in such a manner as may be prescribed submit to the Commission within sixty days from the close of a financial year, a consolidated statement of its accounts audited by a Chartered Accountant on Form-D containing:(a) Annual income and expenses; (b) Sources of its funds; and (c) Assets and liabilities The statement to be submitted to the Election Commission shall accompany the report of a Chartered Accountant with regard to the audit of accounts of a political party and a certificate signed by an office-bearer authorized by the party Head stating that:- No funds were received by the party from any source prohibited under the Elections Act 2017 The statement of accounts contains an accurate picture of the financial position of the party The information given above is correct to the best of my knowledge and belief The above statement is audited by the Charted Accountant and detailed report thereof is annexed

MPs to discuss Justice Hilali’s elevation to SC

RAWALPINDI S tA f f r e p o r t A r m e d F o r c e s o f P a k i s t a n , C J C s S C & S e r v i c e s

C h i e f s p a y g l o w i n g t r i b u t e t o C a p t K a r n a l S h e r K h a n s h a h e e d N i s h a n - e - H a i d e r o n h i s 2 4 t h S h a h a d a t A n n i v e r s a r y t o d a y H i s s t e l l a r l e a d e r s h i p a n d c o u r a g e b e c k o n s u s t o d e f e n d P a k i s t a n a t a l l c o s t C a p t K a r n a l S h e r K a rg i l Wa r H e r o , w r o t e h i s t o r y w i t h h i s b l o o d d i s p l a y i n g u t m o s t v a l o u r, c o m m i t m e n t & u n w a v e r i n g a l l e g i a n c e t o d e f e n d t h e c o u n t r y a g a i n s t a l l o d d s C a p t K a r n a l S h e r K h a n s m a r t y r d o m a n n i v e r s a r y s e r v e s a s a p o w e r f u l r e m i n d e r o f t h e e x t r a o r d i n a r y s a c r i f i c e s m a d e b y t h e A r m e d F o r c e s o f P a k i s t a n t o d e f e n d t h e m o t h e r l a n d L e t u s r e m e m b e r t h e s e h e r o e s w h o h a v e l a i d d o w n t h e i r l i v e s i n d e f e n c e o f o u r m o t h e r l a n d T h e n a t i o n i s p r o u d o f i t s g a l l a n t s o n s

P a k - K a z a k h s t a n d i r e c t a i r f l i g h t o p e r a t i o n t o s t a r t f r o m J u l y 8 : E n v o y

ISLAMABAD S tA f f r e p o r t

Relief C J C s S C , s e r v i c e s c h i e f s p a y g l o w i n g t r i b u t e t o

Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan

Kistafin said on Tuesday that Pak-Kazakhstan direct air flight operation will commence on from 8th of this month which will be helpful in boosting economic social and cultural integration between the two countries Addressing a round table on ĹKazakhstan and Pakistan bilateral ties and way forward, he said that a direct air flight between Lahore and Almaty would start on July 8 and the direct air flights between the two countries were crucial for regional economic and trade integration in Kazakhstan and Pakistan Ambassador Kistafin said that duration of the direct flight between the two countries would be 2 hours which would promote mutual economic and trade relations and the possibilities of cooperation in the field of tourism would be brighter After success of direct flight operations in these two cities, such air service would be started between other big cities including Islamabad and Karachi he added The Kazkh Envoy said that just last week; there was a phone conversation between the President of Kazakhstan Kassim Takayov, and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif during which issues of mutual interest between the two countries were discussed The top leadership of both the countries was determined to strengthening and promoting of bilateral economic trade and diplomatic relations he added He said that Kazakhstan was currently a great destination for foreign investment which attracted $28 billion FDI this year

“Police failed to arrest me,” he said in a statement on Tuesday and added that the party leader Wazir Abdul Karim Khan had been taken into custody

The close aide of PTI Chairman Imran Khan said he has been appearing before the court for hearings in all “illegal” cases

“I have been granted bail in all cases registered against me he said adding that the police attempted to arrest him when he came for court hearings

A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted interim bail to Qaiser until July 13 in a case related to May 9 violent protests

The riots were triggered almost

During the protests the miscreants attacked the civil and military installations including Corps Commander s House (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in

A case was registered against the former NA speaker over the May 9 violent protests at Islamabad s Sangjani Police Station On June 21 the PHC granted transit bail to Qaiser until July 3 in the case

PESHAWAR S tA f f r e p o r t

The Parliamentary Committee on Judges Appointment has scheduled a meeting Tuesday (today) to discuss the potential elevation of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Mussarat Hilali to the Supreme Court of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD S tA f f r e p o r t

summery to grant up to 35% Ad-hoc Relief Allowance (ARA) 2023 to all the Federal Government Employees According to Finance division, the President has been pleased to sanction with effect from July 1st, 2023 and till further orders, an President gives thumbs up to 35% ARA 2023 for all federal government employees

for all the

If Justice Hilali is elevated to the Supreme Court the number of judges in the top court will increase to 16, out of a total of 17 positions Currently two of these positions have remained vacant for several months The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), on June 14, recommended the promotion of Justice Hilali to the Supreme Court based on the proposal of Justice Qazi Faez Isa the senior puisne judge who has been notified as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan During the meeting the committee will also address the JCP s recommendation regarding the extension of Justice Muhammad Anwar s term of service at the Federal Shariat Court Comprising four members from the Senate and four members from the National Assembly the parliamentary committee includes representatives from both the treasury and opposition benches Within 14 days upon receiving a nomination from the JCP the committee may confirm the nominee by a three-fourths majority vote Failure to do so within the stipulated time results in the JCP nomination being deemed confirmed If the committee – for reasons to be recorded – does not confirm a nomination, it communicates its decision to the JCP through the Prime Minister, and the JCP may put forth new nominations Once the committee confirms a nominee the name is forwarded to the Prime Minister, who subsequently sends it to the President for approval

KP sets Rs8.5b revenue target for current fiscal year

PESHAWAR A z z B u n e r i

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has set an estimated target of Rs8 5 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year Last year a similar target of Rs8 5 billion was set but the provincial departments fell short of achieving it Despite this, the government has maintained the same objective for the ongoing fiscal year

According to sources in the Finance Department the KP Revenue Authority Excise and Taxation local government and other departments have been tasked with collecting Rs8 5 billion by the end of the current financial year Thus far, these departments have collectively managed to collect Rs6 3 billion During the financial year 2021-22, these departments had collected Rs 6 14 billion resulting in an additional Rs1 6 billion being collected during the year However the target for that year was set at Rs8 5 billion The Finance Department stated that due to the failure in achieving the revenue target, the same objective has been retained for the ongoing fiscal year

S E C U R I T Y W A L L O F G W A D A R F R E E Z O N E

N O R T H 9 0 P C C O M P L E T E D

GWADAR S tA f f r e p o r t

THE construction of an eightkilometre-long security wall around the Gwadar Free Zone North (Phase II) is 90 percent completed, a landmark security project to secure the north and south sides of the Gwadar Free Zone North which covers over 2 221 acres of land

The 14-foot high security cement wall starts from the Gwadar Fish Harbour and ends at Koh-e-Mehdi, a famous mountain in Gwadar, approximately five kilometres from Gwadar Port

The wall runs alongside the six-lane Eastbay Expressway The ground-breaking ceremony for Gwadar Free Zone North Phase (II) was performed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan on July 5, 2021,

IPP to contest upcoming general election with full strength: Tareen

LAHORE S tA f f r e p o r t

Chief of Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP)

Jahangir Tareen has said that his party would contest the upcoming general elections with full strength and a proper preparation The party chief held a meeting with Secretary

General of IPP Amir Kayani and Additional Secretary General Awn Chaudhry and held discussion with them on various political issues It was agreed to increase the political activities of the party with issues ranging from the party’s registration in the Election Commission of Pakistan Jahangir Tareen hoped that the IPP would become the voice of the masses by raising the issues faced by the common citizen In the manifesto of the party, the solution to the challenges faced in the country will be proposed and the party will do constructive politics in the country,” said Tareen

Imran, wife summoned by NAB

ISLAMABAD

S tA f f r e p o r t

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has called upon Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Maneka as part of the investigations into the Toshakhana case and a £190 million British property Khan has been summoned by the NAB to provide records of all state gifts received during the Toshakhana investigation The notice reads that a total of 108 gifts were received by him from Toshakhana, and he has been instructed to bring the received gifts and their receipts

Additionally Maneka has also been summoned by NAB investigators in relation to the property She has been asked to bring the Al-Qadir Trust agreement and information about donors It is worth noting that both Khan and Maneka had previously provided written assurances to the anticorruption watchdog regarding their appearances However they had failed to appear during their last scheduled appearances before the NAB

Wheat cost surge gives rise to floor price in Punjab

LAHORE

S tA f f r e p o r t

As the prices of essential commodities including flour and rice persistently rise the recent surge in wheat prices has led to a rise in the cost of a 40kg bag of flour across Punjab According to the details the price of wheat in Punjab is steadily increasing and the price of a 40kg bag of flour in the open market has reached Rs 4 700 Flour mill owners have also increased the price of a 20kg bag by Rs 100 In the market across the province, a 20kg bag of flour now costs Rs 2,800, while a 10kg bag – after the hike of Rs 75 – is now priced at Rs 1450 It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) recently released figures for the prices of flour a few days ago indicating that the country has reached a record high flour prices

Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday In addition to the security wall, Gwadar FreeZone North Phase (II) will be equipped with all necessary services including telecom cabling sewerage pipes power transmission lines road networks and potable water supply lines

The Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) is responsible for providing these services up to the entrance of Gwadar Free Zone North Inside the premises China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) will execute the development

After the completion of the security wall, two under-construction factories, Agvon and Hang Geng, are expected to commence their formal operations Agvon is building a state-of-the-art Fertilizer Processing Plant on a ten-acre plot

Similarly Hang Geng is constructing a pharmaceutical factory that will produce

e e l h a v e also inked agreements Gwadar Free Zone Phase II is designed to cater to the unique needs of manufacturing trading and service industries

PMD anticipates monsoon rainfall across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD S tA f f r e p o r t

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted rain accompanied by strong winds and thundershowers with isolated heavy rainfall in several areas including Kashmir Gilgit-Baltistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, the Potohar region, and upper Punjab In contrast, the rest of the country can expect hot and humid weather conditions over the next 24 hours On Tuesday morning temperatures were recorded in major cities across Pakistan Islamabad and Muzaffarabad

reported temperatures of 24 degrees

Celsius, while Lahore and Peshawar recorded 28 degrees Celsius Quetta saw temperatures around 26 degrees Celsius Gilgit at 19 degrees Celsius and Murree at 15 degrees Celsius The weather forecast for the Indianoccupied Jammu and Kashmir indicates cloudy weather with a possibility of

rain, wind, and thundershowers in Srinagar, Jammu, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla, Leh, and Shopian Temperatures in the region were recorded as follows: Srinagar

Pulwama, and Baramulla at 19 degrees Celsius, Jammu at 25 degrees Celsius, Leh at 12 degrees Celsius, and Anantnag and Shopian at 18 degrees Celsius

Nation marks 24th death anniversar y of Captain K arnal Sher Khan today

LAHORE S tA f f r e p o r t

The Pakistani nation on Wednesday will observe the 24th death anniversary of “Lion of Kargil” Capt Karnal Sher Khan who laid down rendered his life in the icy inhospitable peaks in Indiaoccupied Kashmir, but his legacy continues to breathe life into the nation’s soul Even Indian talked of valour of Karnal Sher Khan when his body returned to Pakistan that how the young officer on a mission impossible did the honourable thing: fight to the very end Pakistan awarded its son of soil the Nishan-i-Haider The nation s history pages are lush with tales of his militarist agility and his faith in God The 23rd martyrdom anniversary of Sher Khan will be observed today across the country C a p t a i n K a r n a l S h e r K h a n w a s a c r u s a d e r f r o m t h e v e r y b e g i n n i n g a n d a v e r y f e a r l e s s o ff i c e r B o r n , i n

1 9 7 0 , t h e y o u n g m a n f r o m S w a b i

f i r s t j o i n e d P a k i s t a n Air Force (PAF) as an Airman but later joined Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer in 1992 On 14 October 1994 Khan was commissioned in the 27th Sindh Regiment of the Pakistan army – also known as the ‘Lion of Haider ’ because of its bravery He was named Karnal Sher Khan by his grandfather who as a volunteer w e n t t o K a s h m i r a n d f o u g h t a g a i n s t t h e I n d i a n a g g r e s s o r s u n d e r a

Pakistan’s UN envoy tipped as new ambassador to US

ISLAMABAD

S tA f f r e p o r t

Khalil Hashmi Pakistan s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, is reportedly a strong candidate to become the nation s ambassador in Washington, replacing Masood Khan, according to Geo News The government of Shehbaz Sharif is deliberating over the appointment of a new envoy to the United States prompted by the prime minister s request for a list of potential candidates to replace Khan who assumed the charge in February of last year According to Geo News, the government had conducted consultations regarding the recall of Khan, and upon the completion of the process, the foreign ministry was asked to provide a summary of the proposed names A decision on this matter is likely to be made after the return of Foreign Minister Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari who is currently on a state tour to Japan Khan has also served as Pakistan s permanent representative to the UN, and ambassador to China His nomination was aimed at projecting the Kashmir dispute at the international level He was appointed after President Joe Biden nominated Donald Blome his ambassador to Tunisia as his top diplomat in Islamabad

Nawaz to return before election campaign: minister

ISLAMABAD S tA f f r e p o r t

c o m m a n d e r c a l l e d C o l o n e l S h e r K h a n O n N o v e m b e r 8 1 9 9 2 w h e n

Sher arrived at the Pakistan Military A c a d e m y f o r t r a i n i n g , h e w a s n o s t r a n g e r t o t h e r u g g e d a n d t e s t i n g t r a i n i n g , b u t t h e h a r s h e r d a y s a n d n i g h t s w e r e g o i n g t o – i n t h e hindsight – going to prepare him for his final moments in the nation s war against the enemy His colleagues reminisce about their company with him and generously offer countless anecdotes about how he was always in the good graces of his seniors and had earned admiration for his courage perseverance professional competence and devout piety from almost everyone But that was not sufficient to satisfy his appetite for goals that slowly turned his military career into a pure enthusiasm for the defence of the country A few years later Sher expressed his desire to be sent to the infantry The infantry has the highest chance of fighting the enemy directly he once intimated

K arachi police thwar t smuggling bid of dead chickens

KARACHI

S tA f f r e p o r t

In a successful operation Karachi police intercepted a vehicle at the Somar Goth check post on Tuesday preventing the

delivery of dead chickens to a local hotel

The Steel Town police promptly took action, seizing the vehicle and discovering over 200 stomach-filled dead chickens intended for supply to the hotel A police spokesman confirmed that the driver identified as Rizwan was arrested for his involvement in the illegal transportation of deceased poultry A case has been registered against the suspect under sections 270 and 269 of the law

Upon inspection, authorities found that the vehicle contained more than 200 decaying chickens exhibiting severe contamination During the investigation, the suspect, Rizwan, admitted to delivering the dead chickens to the hotel He also mentioned another company as the intended recipient of the contaminated poultry The police have confiscated the vehicle and initiated a further investigation with the inspection team leading the efforts

APHC c all for strike on mar tyrdom anniversar y of Burhan Wani in IIOJK

Service, Burhan Wani along with two associates was martyred by Indian troops in a fake encounter in Kokernag area of Islamabad district on July 8 2016 During the period of mass uprising, 156 civilian protesters were martyred and thousands injured by the troops paramilitary and police personnel The APHC call has been supported by all profreedom leaders and orgaqnizatons The posters displayed

Burhan Wani and other Kashmiri martyrs have sacrificed their lives for a sacred cause and it is responsibility of the Kashmiri people to take their mission to its logical conclusion

The posters urged the Kashmiri people to observe complete strike on Burhan Wani s anniversary and also participate in the Tral Chaloo program on July 8 to express solidarity with the martyrs’ families

In an interview with a private news channel Deputy Minister for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik said that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) supreme leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return to the country before the election campaign Dr Malik emphasized that the party is fully prepared for the upcoming election and believes that Sharif is a capable leader who can address the current challenges faced by the country He highlighted that Pakistan has consistently made progress in various sectors under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif He expressed confidence that Sharif remains the most popular leader in Pakistan and is capable of guiding the country towards stability When asked about the government’s efforts to preserve economic stability Dr Malik explained that the PML-N-led government is actively working towards economic reforms and aims to promote growth

Naqvi, Zhao Shiren agree to promote mutual cooperation in various sectors

LAHORE S tA f f r e p o r t C o n s u l G e n e r a l o f C h i n a Z h a o S h i r e n m e t C a r e t a k e r P u n j a b C h i e f M i n i s t e r M o h s i n N a q v i i n L a h o r e o n Tu e s d a y D u r i n g t h e m e e t i n g , b o t h a g r e e d t o f u r t h e r p r o m o t e m u t u a l c o o p e r a t i o n i n v a r i o u s s e c t o r s i n c l u d i n g a g r i c u l t u r e l i v e s t o c k a n d i n f o r m a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y Z h a o s a i d C h i n a w i l l c o o p e r a t e i n s u p p l y i n g h i g h q u a l i t y s e e d s o f c o t t o n a n d r i c e t o P u n j a b

Weaponizing accountabilit y

nO t H i n g shows more clearly how accountability has become merely a cover for getting the opposition than the latest amendments to the national Bureau of investigation Ordinance, supposedly the cornerstone of the structure designed to keep holders of public office on the straight and narrow the members of the present government suffered from the Pti government s use of the naBO, particularly the provision for upto 90 days of remand among other things the remand period was scaled back to 14 days by the present coalition

When it took over the government the statute was challenged by the Pti, now in the opposition, but now the government has once again enhanced the remand from 14 days to 30 it also once again allowed the detention of someone wanted for an enquiry, on the basis of warrants issued by the Chairman this is about as clear a demonstration of ‘boot on the other foot’ as one can get it should be noted that Pti Chairman imran khan was arrested in a naB case on May 9 and the current ordinance seemed designed to hold him this time the problem is with the whole system of accountability which has been operated by governments as a weapon against opponents, rather than out of a genuine desire to punish the perversion of public office to private ends naBO was promulgated by a military regime, and was used also by the Pti against political opponents it is perhaps ironic that naB was not used by the Pti to pursue the kind of accountability that it had emphasized during its 2018 election campaign Ever since his government’s dismissal Mr khan has been attempting to throw the blame for its failures in accountability onto then COas gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, claiming that he had controlled the mechanism after more than two decades, it should be accepted that the experiment has not yielded results now that the present government has joined its predecessors in tweaking naBO for political ends, not for accountability, it is perhaps time to concede that the public exchequer should be spared its burden, and the ordinary legal processes of the justice system should be left to handle corruption One of the flaws naBO suffered from were the exceptions it made of the military and the judiciary that must also be kept in mind while discussing how to tackle corruption

Dedicated

Editor

La s t week i was afforded the opportunity to address a special United nations security Council session on Palestine the invitation had been extended by the UaE Un ambassador Lana nusseibeh, in her capacity as president of the security Council

My briefing which opened the session focused on the importance of addressing Palestinian human rights no concrete action has been taken to restrain israeli behavior during the 56 years of the occupation, resulting in tragic deformities that have transformed both the israeli and Palestinian political cultures israelis, operating with a sense of impunity, have become increasingly hardline and racist toward Palestinians Palestinians meanwhile are rejecting moderate leadership despairing of a peaceful resolution and increasingly supporting violence as the way forward Urging restraint from all sides, calling for negotiations, and reiterating support for a two-state solution isn’t enough i then proposed specific actions that can be taken by member states noting that “actions not statements will contribute to restoring Palestinian hope ending israel s sense of impunity and empowering those Palestinians and israelis who seek a peaceful future israelis need to know that there are red lines which, if crossed, have consequences and Palestinians need to know that they are not alone, and violence is not the answer Only after we’ve changed the political dynamic helping to cure the political deformities infecting both societies can a political horizon occur

Following my remarks the Un special Envoy on the Middle East Peace Process spoke, as did ambassadors representing all of the security Council s 15 member states several common themes emerged in their remarks: uniform condemnation of israel’s announcement of massive settlement expansion and the rampaging settler attacks on Palestinian villages which many called acts of terrorism and incitement several envoys also called attention to UnWRa s dire financial shortfall and appealed for greater funding for Palestinian refugees a few of the ambassadorial interventions were especially noteworthy the remarks by the Us envoy were more direct than expected and were roundly critical of israel s recently announced massive settlement expansion and the recent escalation of settler violence instead of beginning the recounting of the current

Universities as Climate Change Hubs

Pa k i s ta n is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impact of climate change the country is already experiencing the effects of climate change, including more extreme weather events rising sea levels and melting glaciers these impacts are having a devastating impact on Pakistan s economy environment and people in 2022 Pakistan experienced the worst floods in its history the floods killed over 1700 people and displaced millions more the country’s glaciers are melting at an alarming rate this is causing water shortages and increasing the risk of flooding sea levels are rising along Pakistan s coastline this is threatening coastal communities and infrastructure Extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, and cyclones, are becoming more frequent and intense the impact of climate change is having a devastating impact on Pakistan’s economy environment and people Climate change is costing Pakistan billions of dollars each year the floods of 2022 alone caused an estimated $30 billion in damage the agriculture sector which employs over 40 percent of the population, is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change

Climate change is causing widespread environmental degradation in Pakistan the melting glaciers are threatening the country s water supply and the rising sea levels are inundating coastal areas the country s forests are also being degraded, which is leading to soil erosion and flooding Climate change is having a disproportionate impact on the poor and marginalized in Pakistan these groups are more likely to be affected by extreme weather events and to lack the resources to cope with the impact of climate change

Universities can play a key role in helping Pakistan cope with the challenges of climate change Universities can conduct research on climate change and its impact on Pakistan Universities have the expertise and resources to conduct cutting-edge research on climate change this research can help to inform policy decisions and to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies

Universities can train the next generation of climate scientists and experts Universities are the training ground for the next generation of climate scientists and experts these experts will

The challeng e before the UN member states is clear.

words

violence with the June 20th Palestinian attack that took the lives of four israelis the envoys from France, switzerland, and Mozambique cited the June 19th israeli invasion of Jenin in which seven Palestinians, including two children were killed they and others noted that this assault violated international law and the principle of proportionality By far the most compelling intervention was made by the UaE ambassador who directly challenged those israeli officials who called for more settlements and the killings of Palestinians referring to these actions and comments as dangerous and irresponsible incitement to violence then after citing concern with israel’s incursions into Palestinian cities and the recent aerial bombardment in the West Bank the first in 20 years the ambassador stated that violence begets violence and security is ephemeral in the absence of justice, rule of law, and accountability ” after the security Council ambassadors spoke it was clear that israel was isolated both for its behaviour and for the actions of its extremist settlers Undeterred, the israeli envoy attempted to mount a defence that involved a bewildering contortion of reality He began with a compelling personal story of a young israeli girl murdered in a recent terrorist attack noting that no one in the chamber had mentioned her implying that the focus on Palestinians was somehow an insult to israelis the israeli envoy then challenged the case made by the other ambassadors that settlements are a violation of international law an obstacle to peace and an incitement to violence the land he claimed is

not occupied territories but disputed as there was never Palestinian sovereignty over that land in any case, the land in question is Judea and samaria, the ancient home of the Jewish people who therefore have a legal and moral right to live there Palestinians don’t hate us, he said, because we build on this land; they hate us because they are taught to hate us from birth and want to destroy us the source of the conflict he insisted, isn t what israelis have done to Palestinians it’s the existential “cancerous hatred which has poisoned their minds that is the root of the conflict (this by the way was the clearest example of the political deformities of impunity and bigotry i noted in my opening remarks ) then in a last ditch effort at deflection the israeli envoy attempted to pivot the discussion to iran arguing that country, not israel, was what the Council should be discussing as “the most pressing threat to global security ” the obvious response to the israeli ambassador is that of course the danger that iran and its allied militias pose to the region is real But it’s not either/or both israel’s and iran’s behaviours must be addressed as both pose threats to peace and regional security the challenge before the Un member states is clear their understanding of the illegality of israeli actions and the danger posed by increasingly out-of-control extremist settlers must be addressed by more than words as the UaE ambassador noted, there must be justice, rule of law, and accountability that requires more than statements of concern it requires action

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

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

How Pakistan’s Universities can help to build a resilient future

be essential for helping Pakistan to cope with the challenges of climate change Universities can work with governments and other stakeholders to develop and implement climate adaptation and mitigation strategies these strategies can help to reduce the impact of climate change and to build a more resilient future for Pakistan Universities can raise awareness of climate change and its impact on the public Universities can play a role in raising awareness of climate change and its impact on the public this awareness-raising can help to build public support for climate action in addition to these specific roles, universities can also help to build a more resilient future for Pakistan by promoting sustainable practices Universities can promote sustainable practices on their own campuses, such as using renewable energy, reducing waste, and conserving water they can also educate students and faculty about sustainable practices and encourage them to adopt these practices in their own lives Universities can incubate new businesses that are focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation these businesses can help to create jobs, stimulate the economy, and reduce Pakistan s reliance on fossil fuels Universities can engage with communities that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change this engagement can help to build resilience and to ensure that these communities are not left behind Universities can collaborate with other academic institutions government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry partners to address climate change these collaborations can involve joint research projects, sharing resources and expertise and developing solutions together Pakistani universities are also contributing

Universities can promote sustainable practices on their own campuses, such as using renewable energy, reducing waste, and conserving water

to providing valid data and solutions to the problems due to climate change For example the University of karachi is conducting research on the impacts of climate change on the indus River Delta this research is helping to inform policy decisions about how to protect the delta from flooding and sea level rise the national University of sciences and technology is training the next generation of climate scientists and engineers these students are working on projects to develop new technologies to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and information technology has also introduced and implemented modern agri technology in south Punjab for water preservation it is also working in collaboration with international organizations to identify the problems of agriculture due to climate change the aga khan University is working with communities in the khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to develop climate-resilient agriculture practices these practices are helping farmers to adapt to the changing climate and to reduce their vulnerability to drought and floods in conclusion, it is candid that climate change is a growing threat to Pakistan the country is already experiencing the effects of climate change, and these impacts are only going to get worse in the future Universities can play a key role in helping Pakistan cope with the challenges of climate change By conducting research training experts and raising awareness, universities can help Pakistan build a more resilient future

The writer is Vice Chancellor of the Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan

The ball of hope and happiness

L i t t L E acts of kindness can go a long way We think that they go unnoticed but they don t they have the potential to bring hope and happiness to people and make a big impact on their lives

i have witnessed the magic of a random act of kindness in an intensive care unit (iCU) where a young patient, Fatima, was admitted for a week she was struggling with sepsis and her body had become weak the constant beeps of machines and the sterile smell of the iCU had affected her mental health Fatima was slipping into delirium and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to put up with it all One day as she lay in her hospital bed a physiotherapist walked in carrying a small brightly coloured ball for her He handed over this ball to her in the hope that it would brighten up her day Fatima was reluctant to believe that a small ball would make her feel better But as soon as she held the ball in her hands, she felt a surge of happiness the simple brightly-coloured ball turned out to be a magical healer it was as if the ball had hope and joy stuffed inside it

Fatima began to play with the ball she loved to catch it and laugh at the silly sound it made when it bounced off the walls a simple ball had brought her so much joy she had forgotten about the intravenous (iV) line in her arm and legs soon, she was holding the ball tightly even while she was asleep Fatima s condition began to improve with each passing day Her fever broke, and she no longer slipped into delirium as often as was the case earlier the ball remained her constant companion, a source of happiness and hope in a place that was so scary for her When she was finally well enough to leave the iCU Fatima thanked the physiotherapist who had given her the ball she told him it meant the world to her as it gave her something to hold onto when everything else felt so uncertain Fatima left the hospital with an appreciation of the power of small acts of kindness and she knew that she would always carry the ball of hope and happiness with her; a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always some- thing to hold onto We simply have to focus on that DR NIDA RIZVI KARACHI

Plight of rural women

F O R the last two years i have been living in my native village close to Lodhran where i have taken up welfare projects related to local women, promoting their talents in a variety of areas, like hand embroidery and pottery the idea is to work towards their economic empowerment Part of my efforts has been to introduce the women i come into contact with to the world of online stores so that they may have access to platforms from where they may directly sell their wares

During the two years i have spent in my current surroundings i have been able to observe closely what our women in rural areas have to go through they earn much lower wages as seasonal hands than their male counterparts even though they carry greater workloads, have additional domestic responsibilities, and despite being more dependable in their work environment also their right to property is often challenged and even when they own some property they do not always control it in such an environment education is a luxury for young girls about which they do not even think themselves along with the social norms it is the failure of the state that is behind the lack of girls enrolment in schools the government should initiate livelihood-oriented courses for rural women who do not continue education beyond primary or even matriculation levels there has to be a mechanism to ensure that as small producers, women have fair access to and control over productive resources Furthermore harassment of and violence against women at home in workplaces and even in public spaces need to be addressed beyond the passage of laws away from any kind of social protection women continue to experience gender-based violence as an everyday norm Women in rural Pakistan are just as talented and hardworking as their counterparts in urban areas

Their understanding of the illegality of Israeli actions and the dang er posed by increasingly out-of-control extremist settlers must be addressed by more than

As the UAE ambassador noted, there must be justice , rule of law, and accountability

Dr MuhaMMaD SuleMan Tahir

HU M A N beings are the embodiment of the virtue, evil and prejudices that they exhibit in given situations It is probably because of the prejudices that they are infested with, that we come across ethnic racial social and political slurs that people hurl at each other While all other slurs are offensive and demeaning political slurs which are playful insults against political opponents with reference to the nature of politics that they pursue, are accepted as a normal part of politics These slurs, apart from their deriding aspects, sometimes are the true reflection of the conduct of the politicians in general and sometimes a particular politician

This discourse pertains to some of the political slurs that have been commonly used in the USA and Britain and have become part of the political dictionary They can conveniently be applied to politicians all over the world and hence the rationale for sharing them with the readers

A word that has been frequently used in the USA as a political slur is ‘squish’ It is a term used by Republican conservatives to denigrate the perceived lack of backbone possessed by the Republican moderates This word surfaced during the time of Ronald Reagan Squish has also been used more broadly to describe any liberal or conservative who avoids taking firm stands or doesn t stand for anything a politician who will sell out, who lacks conviction, who cares more about popularity than principles Another definition of a squish is someone who has difficulty in making up his mind who is too anxious to please too eager to compromise and who can be easily rolled

Flapdoodler is also a commonly used slur for a politician, for a speaker of portentous but empty words best described as a demagogue The term flip-flopper is used for a politician who is habitual in changing his or her opinion or taking a position on a particular issue ‘Pollywog’ denotes a politician who is considered untrustworthy because of his ever-shifting position on the issues at hand and whose track record corroborates the epithet Another political slur that is often used to denigrate a politician is Rent-a-Quote It is someone who might be relied upon by the media to provide a comment, especially one expressing a strong or contentious opinion either in any circumstances or when a particular issue is being discussed

A cursory glance at our political history would reveal that the foregoing political slurs can safely be bestowed upon our politicians who have recklessly indulged in politics of self-aggrandizement; lacked the heft and spine to stand up to the anti-democratic forces; have been even conniving with anti-democratic forces to destabilize

Political slurs and epithets

How t h e y a p p l y to t h e P T I c h i e f

democracy and democratic institutions for their personal gains; have been changing their political loyalties to swell their fortunes, and have been selling their souls to remain in the corridors of power

The end result is that the country has suffered enormously due to their shenanigans and most of the challenges confronting the country in one way or the other are linked to the misdeeds of the politicians They have failed to learn from the setbacks that the country has suffered They never tire of proclaiming their political credentials but continue to rally forces to destabilize the elected government of an opposing party and strengthen the hands of the forces inimical to democracy

The media as a representative of society is supposed to defend and promote democracy which is also imperative for its own freedom, but regrettably it is also highly partisan A section of it is feverishly engaged in strengthening the anti-democratic forces instead of criticizing and discouraging state institutions from interfering in the domain of others and standing up to anti-democratic forces It is acting as their flag-bearer It has no sense of proportion

The end result of building an antiestablishment mindset amply manifested itself on May 9 when the followers of Imran Khan attacked the military installations and monuments of the mar tyrs which by any definition was an anti-state act. Things did not stop at that. In the wake of those dastardly acts when some arrests were made by the law enforcing agencies and it was decided to try the accused under the Pakistan Army Act, the social media warriors of the par ty star ted to stoke the issue of arrests into a human rights issue

The political slurs mentioned above though can conveniently be applied to almost all the politicians of Pakistan barring a few exceptions, but in the current scenario, they can be safely applied to Imran Khan, Chairman of PTI who is solely responsible for the political and economic crisis the country is wading through at the moment The self-claimed revolutionary arrived in the corridors of power riding on the shoulders of the establishment which is now a proven reality and amply unravels the credentials of the man He was also part of the conspiracy to destabilize the PML(N) government of Nawaz Sharif and finally to manage his exit from power He introduced a culture of violence in politics

While in power he resorted to politics of political vendetta and failed to build working relations with the opposition parties which is vital in a democratic polity He ruled through the promulgation of ordinances, thus lowering the prestige of Parliament He propagated false narratives and took pride in taking U-turns on everything that he said taking it as a sign of a great leader He had no clue about governance and managing an economy like Pakistan s and consequently proved to be a failure in both the domains Disillusioned by his performance the forces that brought him into power distanced themselves from him which eventually helped the PDM to end his rule through a vote of no-confidence He was so baffled and shocked by his exit from power which he had started taking as his birthright that he like a frankenstein s monster started hitting back at his creators He built a false narrative about the involvement of USA in orchestrating his downfall in connivance with the establishment and the PDM parties After some time he backtracked on his narrative of US involvement and started solely targeting the establishment, particularly previous COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and some officials of ISI and even named some of them

The end result of building an anti-establishment mindset amply manifested itself on May 9 when the followers of Imran Khan attacked the military installations and monuments of the martyrs which by any definition

I n d i a , t h e U S a n d t h e g l o b a l b a l a n c e o f p o w e r

Fo l l ow i n g t h e b a s i c l o g i c o f b a l a n ce - o f- p owe r p o l i t i c s, I n d i a a n d t h e U S s e e m f ate d n o t f o r m a r r i a g e b u t f o r a l o n g - te r m p a r t n e r s h i p o n e t h at m i g ht l a s t o n l y a s l o n g a s b o t h co u nt r i e s re m a i n co n ce r n e d a b o u t C h i n a

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US President Joe Biden in the White House last month many observers saw the makings of an evolving alliance against China

But such expectations are overwrought As Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has made clear, a formal alliance is not in the cards, even if it is still possible to maintain long-term partnerships in a multipolar world of ‘frenemies’ India has a long history of post-colonial mistrust of alliances But it has also long been preoccupied with China at least since the Himalayas border war the two countries fought in 1962 While serving in President Jimmy Carter s administration, I was sent to India to encourage Prime Minister Morarji Desai to support a South Asian nuclear-weapons-free zone, lest the burgeoning nuclear race between India and Pakistan get out of hand As my Indian hosts told me at the time they wanted to be compared not to Pakistan in South Asia but to China in East Asia

After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 the United States and India began 20 years of annual track 2 talks between former diplomats who were still in close contact with those in government (The American delegation, for example, included figures such as Henry Kissinger and Richard Holbrooke ) The Indian participants shared their US counterparts concerns about al-Qaeda and other extremist threats in Afghanistan and Pakistan but they also made clear that they objected to the Americans tendency to think about India and Pakistan as linked by a hyphen

The Indians were also concerned about China, but they wanted to maintain the appearance of good relations and access to the Chinese market China has long been one of India’s largest trading partners but its economy has grown much more rapidly than India s Using market exchange rates China represented 3 6% of world GDP by the turn of this century, but India didn t reach that level until the 2020s

In the 2000s, as China s growth far outpaced theirs, the Indians in the track 2 talks worried not just about China’s support for Pakistan, but also about its increasing global power more broadly As one Indian strategist put it ‘We have decided we dislike you less than we dislike China and this was long before the 2020 skirmish on the disputed Himalayan border where 20 Indian soldiers were killed

The India–US alignment has since strengthened consid-

The end result is that the countr y has suffered enormously due to their shenanigans and most of the challeng es confronting the countr y in one way or the other are linked to the misdeeds of the politicians. They have failed to learn from the setbacks that the countr y has suffered

was an anti-state act Things did not stop at that In the wake of those dastardly acts when some arrests were made by the law enforcing agencies and it was decided to try the accused under the Pakistan Army Act, the social media warriors of the party started to stoke the issue of arrests into a human rights issue The party even alleged rape and torture of PTI women in jails This propaganda was exposed by none other than the incarcerated women who during their appearance in the court dismissed the notion of rape and torture

All this was done under instructions from Imran Khan as is now being revealed by the party leaders who have dissociated themselves from him after the May 9 episode Can a person like him be a politician and leader of a country? I would leave it to the judgment of the readers

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail com

W h a t C h i n a ’ s n e w f o r e i g n r e l a t i o n s

l a w m e a n s

B e i j i n g’s re ce nt l y p a s s e d l e g i s l at i o n i nte n d s to re t u r n r u l e o f l aw to t h e wo r l d w h e re a l l n at i o n s a re t re ate d e q u a l l y

erably A decade ago, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue meetings between US, Indian, Japanese and Australian diplomats were downplayed; now, Quad meetings are loudly publicised and held at the head-of-government level India today holds more joint military exercises with the US than with any other country But this arrangement is a far cry from an alliance India still imports over half of its arms from Russia, is a major buyer of sanctioned Russian oil (alongside China) and frequently votes against the US at the United Nations Indeed, India has still refused to condemn Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine just as it failed to condemn the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 For all of India s self-congratulation as the world s largest democracy it has not come to the defence of democratic Ukraine Its top priorities are to maintain its access to arms and oil, and to avoid pushing Russia further into China’s embrace Though Biden has invited Modi to both of his Summits for Democracy there’s no shortage of Western and Indian critics who have decried Modi s illiberal turn towards Hindu nationalism Recent statements about the two largest democracies shared values may sound nice but they too don t make an alliance The key to Indo-US relations is the balance of power with China, and India s place in it

In this respect, India’s importance is growing Earlier this year it surpassed China as the world’s most populous country While India’s population has grown to 1 4 billion China has been experiencing demographic decline with a labour force that peaked And India s economy is on track to expand by 6% this year faster than China s making it the world s fifth-largest economy If it continues at this rate, it could be the same size as the eurozone economy by mid-century With a huge population, nuclear weapons, a large army, a growing labour force strong elite education a culture of entrepreneurialism and links to a large and influential diaspora India will remain a significant factor in the global balance of power

But one shouldn t get carried away India alone can t balance China, which got a big head start in its development China’s economy remains about five times larger, and poverty is still widespread in India Of India’s 900 million working-age people only around half are in the labour force and more than a third of women and girls are illiterate For India s growing population to be an economic asset rather than a potential liability, it will have to be trained Though China s labour force has peaked, it rests on a higher average level of education

Despite the selective decoupling of trade in key strategic sectors India still doesn’t want to forgo access to the Chinese market While it participates in the Quad it also participates in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the periodic meetings of the BRICS (Brazil Russia India China and South Africa) Although it no longer speaks of non-alignment, nor is it interested in restrictive alliances Following the basic logic of balance-of-power politics, India and the US seem fated not for marriage but for a long-term partnership one that might last only as long as both countries remain concerned about China

CH I N A has recently passed a new foreign relations law The law which references an opposition to hegemony and power politics is a codification of Beijing s foreign policy goals and its mechanisms of reacting to Westernimposed sanctions and attempts to contain it But what exactly does this law mean? And what are the consequences for the US-China standoff?

THE CENTRALIZATION OF CHINA’S

FOREIGN POLICY: As the geopolitical climate has shifted, China’s foreign policy-making has been significantly centralized in response to growing insecurity and uncertainty triggered by efforts to contain it by the United States which has attempted to challenge the onus of the country s development and foreign relations Under Xi Jinping, this has led to a reassertion of the role of the Party as the political core of the state, bringing an end to years of decentralization in which the West hoped for an ideological transformation

In parallel to this move China has sought to increasingly entrench its legal system in order to facilitate rule of law more strongly into society

It continues to see this issue as a vital part of the country s process, as opposed to it being about raw power politics In this case, Beijing believes that its foreign policy is best served by a codified unification of all state and legal organs to meet the challenge of the US which can be undermined by factors such as disunity corruption or clashes of interests Of course this runs parallel to how the state has purposefully enacted regulatory crackdowns on certain business sectors and individuals The Party has reasserted its ideological role over the country

MULTIPOLARITY:

In understanding what this law aims to achieve one of its key components is that it legally enshrines China s own commitment to building a multipolar international order, drawing a contrast to US led unipolarity Beijing describes the multipolar world it envisions as “democratic ” meaning that states stand equally and work together as opposed to a group of states (such as the West) having excessive power over others The law describes China s vision for mult i p o l a r i t y a s g l o b a l d e v e l o p m e n t i n i t i a t i v e s , global security initiatives, and global civilizat i o n i n i t i a t i v e s a n d p r o m o t e s a n a l l - r o u n d m u l t i - l e v e l w i d e - r a n g i n g a n d t h r e e - d i m e nsional external work layout Calling for ref o r m o f t h e g l o b a l g o v e r n a n c e s y s t e m i t e x p r e s s e s i n t e n t i o n t o m a i n t a i n a n d p r a c t i c e

multilateralism through mechanisms such as

the United Nations but also those which China has proposed including the Belt and Road initiative (BRI)

The initiative emphasizes many other key points China has long called for, including respect for national sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs Most interestingly the law calls for a subjective interpretation of human rights in line with a country s own reality – rejecting the notion that human rights are a universalist, dogmatic western imposed ideological vision In China’s perspective, the West’s interpretation creates a power disparity in the international system in favor of those countries dismisses the economic realities of the Global South and of course challenges China s own development path

COUNTER SANCTIONS: The area of the law which has unsurprisingly gained most attention from the Western media is its call for countermeasures against those who impose sanctions or tariffs on it contrary to international law This is the aspect which is most misrepresented too with the US and its allies framing China s response to hostile moves against it as economic coercion, inventing new terminology for Beijing which conveniently omits the realities of their own actions against others

In truth the foreign relations law makes it very clear that China s use of countermeasures is not offensive or coercive at all, but defensive

As China Briefing notes: China does not state it will take the initial move in placing sanctions, and implies it would instead work through the existing established global dispute resolution mechanisms The China Risk here therefore does not emanate from China – the China Risk is dependent upon what lawmakers in the United States and Europe might do The fingers of China s responsibility as concerns sanctions therefore point directly back to Washington, Brussels London and others and are not of Beijing’s making ” The law also stresses that it will adhere to and strengthen the rule of law in the process and such measures will not be random indiscriminate or illegal

China s new foreign relations law is an administrative and legal entrenchment of the country’s own geopolitical struggle against the US, which strives to create a safe and stable environment for the country s own economic development amidst the challenges posed by an attempt to contain it In doing so the law centralizes and unifies foreign policy-making power, commitments to the creation of a multipolar world, and sets clear lines in the sand for retaliation against Western attempts to impose sanctions on it While the mainstream media will aim to misrepresent it as economic coercion a closer analysis helps us better understand China s situation intentions and the true picture

T

R E N D O F P E A C E , D E V E LO P M E N T, W I N - W I N

C O O P E R AT I O N U N S T O P PA B L E ; X I T E L L S S C O

Moscow s invasion of Ukraine

CHINESE President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said that the historical trend of peace development and win-win cooperation is unstoppable and the SCO should safeguard regional peace He said Beijing would oppose protectionism

Xi made the remarks when addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit via video link He called for efforts to safeguard regional peace and ensure common security

Achieving long-term regional peace and stability is our common responsibility, CCTV quoted him as saying Xi said China would “persist in the correct direction of economic globalization oppose protectionism unilateral sanctions and extension of national security concepts

The Chinese leader also pledged to promote political solutions to pressing international and regional issues, building a firm regional security barrier,” CCTV said

The eight-member SCO is headquartered in Beijing but the virtual summit is being hosted by India which holds its rotating chair with the leaders of Russia Pakistan and several Central Asian countries also participating Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the summit his first since a shortlived mutiny last month led by the head of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, with their strategic partnership having only grown closer since

According to Xinhua the President Xi said At this meeting we are going to welcome Iran as a full member and sign the memorandum of obligations on the membership of Belarus

This will manifest the vitality of our SCO family I offer my congratulations to the two countries

Ten years ago in view of the changes of the world of our times and of the trajectory of history I opined that mankind living in the same global village, are increasingly becoming a community with a shared future in which everyone’s interest is closely interlinked Since then the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind has gained extensive recognition and support from the international community and has been transforming from an idea to action and a vision to reality At the forefront of this trend is the SCO, upholding this very concept and the Shanghai Spirit to build an SCO community with a shared future

We have followed our fine tradition of standing together through thick and thin as passengers in the same boat should do, and we have firmly supported each other in standing up for our respective core interests We have become trustworthy partners on our paths to development and national rejuvenation

We have acted out the concept of common comprehensive cooperative and sustainable security, accommodated each other s legitimate security concerns, and responded to both traditional and nontraditional security challenges Together we have safeguarded peace and tranquility in the region and fostered a favorable environment for countries in the region to pursue development and prosperity, he added

China to restrict expor ts of chipmaking materials as US mulls new curbs

PR OFIT R e u t e R s C h i n a w i l l c o n t r o l e x p o r t s o f s o m e m e t a l s w i d e l y u s e d i n t h e s e m i c o n d u c t o r i n d u s t r y i t s c o m m e r c e m i n i s t r y a n n o u n c e d o n M o n d a y t h e l a t e s t s a l v o i n a n e s c a l a t i n g w a r o v e r a c c e s s t o h i g h - t e c h m i c r o c h i p s b e t w e e n B e ij i n g a n d t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s T h e c o n t r o l s , w h i c h C h i n a s a i d w e r e a i m e d a t p r o t e c t i n g n a t i o n a l s e c u r i t y a n d i nt e r e s t s , w i l l r e q u i r e e x p o r t e r s t o s e e k p e r m i s s i o n t o s h i p s o m e g a l l i u m a n d g e r m a n i u m p r o d u c t s T h e m o v e t o m a n a g e e x p o r t s o f t h e r a r e e l e m e n t s t h a t B e i j i n g c l a s s i f i e s a s s t r a t e g i c c o m e s a s Wa s h i n g t o n m u l l s n e w r e s t r i c t i o n s o n t h e s h i p m e n t o f h i g h - t e c h m i c r o c h i p s t o C h i n a , a c c o r d i n g t o m e d i a r e p o r t s T h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d t h e N e t h e r l a n d s a r e a l s o s e t t o d e l i v e r a o n e - t w o p u n c h t o C h i n a ’s c h i p m a k e r s t h i s s u m m e r b y f u r t h e r r e s t r i c t i n g s a l e s o f c h i p m a k i n g e q u i p m e n t , p a r t o f e ff o r t s t o p r e v e n t t h e i r t e c h n o l o g y f r o m b e i n g u s e d t o s t r e n g t h e n C h i n a s m i l i t a r y C h i n a s c o n t r o l s t o t a k e e ff e c t f r o m A u g u s t 1 w i l l a p p l y t o e i g h t g a l l i u m - r el a t e d p r o d u c t s : g a l l i u m a n t i m o n i d e g a l l i u m a r s e n i d e g a l l i u m m e t a l , g a l l i u m n i t r i d e , g a l l i u m o x i d e , g a l l i u m p h o s p h i d e , g a l l i u m s e l e n i d e a n d i n d i u m g a l l i u m a rs e n i d e T h e y w i l l a l s o a p p l y t o s i x g e r m a n i u m p r o du c t s : g e r m a n i u m d i o x i d e g e r m a n i u m e p i t a x i a l g r o w t h s u b s t r a t e g e r m a n i u m i n g o t g e r m a n i u m m e t a l g e r m an i u m t e t r a c h l o r i d e a n d z i n c g e r m a n i u m p h o s p h i d e

We have embraced the development philosophy of innovative coordinated green, open and shared growth, synergized our national development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, and nurtured new growth areas for our cooperation in economy and trade connectivity energy agriculture finance and innovation This has helped promote coordination in our economic development

We have carried forward the spirit of good-neighborliness, and advocated equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness between civilizations We have called for peaceful coexistence and harmonious development of different civilizations and expanded people-to-people and cultural cooperation We have enhanced the popular

support for our state-to-state relations

We have upheld international fairness and justice, and opposed hegemonic, highhanded, and bullying acts We have enlarged the circle of friends of our Organization and built partnerships featuring dialogue instead of confrontation cooperation instead of alliance This has strengthened the progressive forces for world peace and stability, he added

The world today is undergoing both transformation and upheaval; changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace; human society faces unprecedented challenges Unity or split peace or conflict cooperation or confrontation these are the questions raised again by our times My answer is this: the people s wish for a happy

life is our goal and peace development and win-win cooperation are the unstoppable trends of the times

The SCO has been growing stronger in recent years This means development opportunities as well as unprecedented risks and challenges

As the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore put it ‘The sea of danger doubt and denial around man s little island of certainty challenges him to dare the unknown

We must rise to the call of our times, keep in mind our founding mission, and stay in unity and coordination to bring more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development To this end I wish to make the following proposals:

X i s a i d t h e S C O s h o u l d k e e p t o t h e right direction and enhance solidarity and m u t u a l t r u s t S i n c e i t s f o u n d i n g o v e r 2 0 years ago, the SCO has withstood the test o f t h e c h a n g i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l l a n d s c a p e and kept moving in the right direction of promoting solidarity mutual trust development and cooperation

We have accumulated valuable experience, and achieved hard-won development gains Facts have shown that as long as we bear in mind the larger picture, shoulder our responsibilities and remain undisturbed by all sorts of distractions we will be able to protect and promote the security and development interests of our member states, he said

We should step up strategic communication and coordination, bridge differences through dialogue and replace competition with cooperation We should truly respect each other s core interests and major concerns and firmly support each other s endeavor for development and rejuvenation

Russia says Uk raine attacked Moscow with at least five drones

MOSCOW

Ag e n c i e s

Russia said on Tuesday that Ukraine had attacked Moscow with at least five drones that were all either shot down or jammed though one of the capital s main airports had to reroute flights for several hours

Four Ukrainian drones were shot down by Moscow air defences while a fifth was jammed and crashed into the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region the Russian defence ministry said No one was injured Russian news agencies reported that two drones were intercepted near a

village 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the Kremlin One drone was detected in the neighbouring Kaluga region Landings and takeoffs at Moscow s Vnukovo were restricted for several hours early on Tuesday before normal operations resumed after 0500 GMT A number of flights from Russia Turkey the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were diverted One drone was shot down in the area of the town of Kubinka, some 63 km (40 miles) west of Moscow, RIA reported A Russian air base is near Kubinka Russia’s foreign and defence ministries denounced the attack as terrorism

Afghan Taliban order women’s beauty parlours to shut

KABUL

A F P

Afghanistan s Taliban authorities have ordered beauty parlours across the country to shut within a month, the vice ministry confirmed Tuesday, the latest curb to further squeeze women out of public life Since seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban government has barred girls and women from high schools and universities banned them from parks funfairs and gyms and ordered them to cover up in public Women have also mostly been barred from working for the United Nations or NGOs, and thousands have been sacked from government jobs or are being paid to stay at home Mohammad Sadeq Akif Muhajir, spokesman for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice would not say why the new order had been given Once they are closed then we will share the reason with the media he told AFP

He said the businesses had been given time to close their affairs so they could use up their stock without incurring losses A copy of the order seen by AFP said it was “based on verbal instruction from the supreme leader” Beauty parlours mushroomed across Kabul and other Afghan cities in the 20 years that US-led forces occupied the country They were seen as a safe place to gather and socialise away from men and provided business opportunities for women A report to the UN’s Human Rights Council last week by Richard Bennett the special rapporteur for Afghanistan said the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan was among the worst in the world”

“The Kyiv regime’s attempt to attack an area where civilian infrastructure is located including the airport which incidentally also receives foreign flights, is yet another act of terr o r i s m , s a i d f o r e i g n m i n i s t r y spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

“The international community should realise that the United States Britain France – permanent members of the UN Security Council – are financing a terrorist regime, she said There was no immediate comment from Kyiv Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine

H i g h - p r o f i l e d r o n e a t t a c k s d e e p i n s i d e R u s s i a t h e w o r l d s l a r g e s t c o u n t r y h a v e i n c r e a s e d o v e r r e c e n t m o n t h s w i t h a t t a c k s o n t h e K r e m l i n i n M a y a n d o n R u s si a n o i l i n f r a s t r u c t u r e l a s t m o n t h A f t e r M a y ’s d r o n e a t t a c k o n t h e c a p i t a l P r e s i d e n t V l a d i m i r P u t i n s a i d U k r a i n e w a s t r y i n g t o s c a r e a n d p r o v o k e R u s s i a a d d i n g t h a t t h e c a pi t a l s a i r d e f e n c e s w o u l d b e s t r e n g t he n e d A t t h i s m o m e n t , t h e a t t a c k s h a v e b e e n r e p e l l e d b y a i r d e f e n c e f o r c e s , ” M o s c o w M a y o r S e rg e i S o b y a n i n s a i d o n h i s Te l e g r a m m e ss a g i n g c h a n n e l “ A l l d e t e c t e d d r o n e s h a v e b e e n e l i m i n a t e d

CORPORATE CORNER

Dec ade celebrations of CPEC held HVDC Conver ter S tation in Balloki

l a h o r e: Ministery of Energy (Power Division), State Grid Corporation of China and NTDC celebrated a special event to commemorate the completion of the ±660 kV HVDC Matiari-Lahore

Transmission Line marking a decade of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) The event took place at the HVDC Converter Station in Balloki, where distinguished guests and officials gathered to join in the celebration Engr Khurram Dastgir Khan, the Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division), graced the event as the chief guest In his address the Federal Minister highlighted the deep economic partnership between China and Pakistan which has transformed into an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership over the past ten years He emphasized that CPEC is a profound commitment by China for the development of Pakistan, solidifying the bond between the two countries as iron brothers PR

Alibaba.com launches VSM in Pakistan to help expor ters win trust of global buyers

l a h o r e: In conjunction with the World MSME Day, Alibaba com, a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, has introduced the Verified Supplier membership (VSM) in Pakistan to help eligible Pakistani exporters win the trust of global buyers when conducting online trade The move is Alibaba com s latest effort to support small businesses in Pakistan which account for nearly 90% of exclusive private businesses in the country [1]Offered in collaboration with SGS in Pakistan, Verified Supplier is the top membership tier on Alibaba com that provides on-site verification services to suppliers from a worldleading independent professional certification institutions P R

ICP initiate measures to ensu re peace during Muharram

i s l a m a b a d: In preparation for the holy month of Muharram-ul-Haram, the Islamabad capital police have taken proactive measures to maintain peace and security in the federal capital Instructions in this regard have been issued to all Zone DPOs to hold meetings with the organizers of Imambargahs On the other hand, an important meeting was held under the supervision of SSP Operations/ Investigation Malik Jameel Zafar, to assess the law and order situation, focusing on crime control and addressing the concerns related to professional criminals The meeting was attended by zonal DPOs SDPOs and all concerned officers from police stations P R

PMN announces appointment of newly elec ted C hairman

i s l a m a b a d: The Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) is delighted to announce the appointment of its newly elected Chairman Mr Kabeer Naqvi This accomplished individual brings a wealth of experience and expertise to lead PMN towards even greater heights in promoting financial inclusion and empowering underserved communities across Pakistan Mr Naqvi, also the President & CEO of U Microfinance Bank since 2015, has played a pivotal role in the remarkable turnaround and expansion of the bank He represents a new breed of bankers who have successfully driven the evolution of banking while remaining steadfast in their commitment to serving the underserved and excluded population of the country P R

JLI felicitates Pakistani contingent over remark able per formance at S pecial Olympics World G ames

k a r a c h i: Jubilee Life Insurance (JLI) proudly congratulated the Pakistani squad for their outstanding achievements at the Special Olympics World Games 2023 held in Berlin The athletes showcased their extraordinary talents and determination, securing a total of 80 medals, including 11 gold, 29 silver, and 40 bronze, placing Pakistan among the top-performing nations in the global event Jubilee Life Insurance extends its heartfelt congratulations to each athlete who participated in the Special Olympics World Games Their exceptional performances, unwavering spirit, and dedication have brought immense pride and joy to the nation The athletes have demonstrated that with commitment and perseverance, one can overcome any obstacle and achieve greatness P R

PAKISTAN, CHINA COLL ABORATE TO REVOLUTIONISE SIL AGE HARVESTING AND PROCESSING

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

CH I N A and Pakistan have agreed to intensify their collaboration in exploring a new approach to silage harvesting and processing in Pakistan

During a meeting held last Wednesday in Lanzhou, China, both sides expressed their commitment to advancing joint research and commercialisation efforts related to small and medium-sized silage harvesting equipment in China’s mountainous and hilly regions as well as in Pakistan

As part of China s support to Pakistan s livestock sector, several initiatives were announced during the meeting

China will establish a test and demonstration base donate agricultural machinery and equipment worth ¥1 5 million and provide training for a professional team dedicated to research and development (R&D) and design of silage harvesting and processing machinery

Additionally a group of technicians will be trained for the operation use and maintenance of the machinery in Pakistan

The project, led by Gansu Academy of Mechanical Sciences Co , Ltd , aims to enhance the mechanisation, efficiency, and economic benefits of Pakistan’s agricultural production as well as improve the export competitiveness of its silage Since its launch in 2018 the project team has focused on studying key technologies suitable for silage harvesting

and processing in Pakistan such as the sealing reliability of wrap film mechanical properties of wrap film and shearing characteristics of corn

Significant progress has been made, with the development of four types of harvesting and processing equipment designed for silage production under various conditions in both mountainous and plain areas of Pakistan These include silage harvesting equipment, mounted silage harvesters, efficient silage processing machinery, and silage strapping press balers Two production lines were designed to cater to small-scale silage production in mountainous and hilly areas as well as large-scale silage production in plain areas, aligning with the requirements of

RDF & RIU hold free medic al c amp in UC Ghari Afghana

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Rural Development Foundation (RDF), Pakistan and Ripah International University (RIU) jointly organized a free Medical Camp in Union Council Ghari Afghana

Tehsil Taxila The purpose of the Camp was to provide health services to those people who cannot have the approach to specialist doctors and cannot afford to purchase medicines More than 300 people got the benefit from this Medical Camp on 24t June 2023 Dr Azhar Halim a senior Dermatologist (Ripah International University) and Dr Abdul Ghaffar a Senior Urologist along with their

team of doctors specialized Pediatricians Gynecologists Dentists Physiotherapists Eyes and Medicines participated in the event and served poor community during extreme weather conditions Camp also included free sugar test and free Hepatitis Vaccination Brig ® Muhammad Aslam Khan President RDF along with

his team including Mr Zil Ur Rehman Qureshi Director Projects RDF Dr Zahid Mehmood MO RDF, Mr Khushkhal Khan Khattak Project Officer RDF, Mr Rasool Badshah rendered their services for Camp President RDF in end thanks to Dr Azhar Halim and his team for their wonderful job

TITAN – A TRAIL OF ERRORS & OMISSIONS

floating fishing nets

As the 96 hours’ limit of Oxygen supply onboard Titan was approaching the panic amongst the SAR forces started setting in After a hectic coordinated search the first breakthrough came around on Thursday at 11:48am when Canadian ROV found a trace of debris near Titanic wreck ROV discovered 5 major pieces of the Titan including its titanium tail-cone At 4pm, it was officially announced that five members of Titan were instantly killed in a ‘Catastrophic Implosion’ The debris pattern was also consistent with a catastrophic loss of pressure chamber At this point the SAR mission was called off and the focus was shifted towards accident investigation

AHMED SAEED

Owing to the inherent risks involved submarine service is generally perceived to be unsafe However keeping in view the stringent safety standards and oversights at all levels, submarining has been made very safe That s why, we rarely come across such occurrences i e sinking of Titan Although it was not a submarine rather a submersible constructed for limited undersea application i e tourism exploratory missions Owing to its compact size very few facilities are provided onboard These subs are operated in consort with a support ship (mothership) that provides launching/recovery, navigation, communication, logistics, and on-scene assistance in distress Prior to this Titan mission, OceanGate Company had conducted over 200 successful missions including 10 dives by Titan

The unfortunate incident of Titan that claimed 5 valuable lives on June 16 had its genesis in the inception of OceanGate Company, an American tourism company co-founded by Stockton Rush in 2009, operated on the basis of corporate commercialism psyche The company initially acquired a submersible Antipodes and later built two of its own: Cyclops 1 and Titan In 2021 OceanGate began taking paying tourists in the Titan to visit the Unsinkable Titanic s wreck The company had established well its credentials in the exotic maritime tourism industry As of 2022, the price per passenger on an OceanGate expedition had risen to US$250,000

The mothership MV Polar Prince sailed from St John s Newfoundland Canada on June 16 with four thrill seeker tourists; Hamish Harding Shahzada Dawood (a prominent Pakistani businessman and philanthropist), his son Suleman Dawood, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet The company s CEO, Stockton Rush, acted as the pilot

The next day the ship arrived at the wreck location of Titanic around 400 NM (740km) south of Newfoundland which is lying on the seabed of the North Atlantic at 3800m (12 460ft) depth since April 15 1912

On June 18, Sunday morning, the ill-fated submersible Titan initiated her descend at 08am ET (11pm PST) Dr Rush started steering Titan with the help of Logitech video game controller toward the Titanic wreckage With about 07 hours of mission duration

Titan was expected to be in visual range of the wreck in two hours But communication with Mothership was lost within the initial 1:45mins It did not raise alarm bells since it was taken a usual business due known fact of thrusters interference with communication systems Despite repeated communication failures in the past no efforts were made to rectify this anomaly

An uneasy situation started developing when Titan did not surface by 03pm ET on completion of the scheduled 7 hours of dive time After an unsuccessful search of 2:45mins, the mothership alerted shore authorities including US Coast Guard at Cape Cod, located about 900NM away from the dive position The disappearance of the submersible triggered extensive SAR efforts US and Canadian maritime forces swung into action for a very complex SAR operation with 10 ships and 4 aircraft; including 2 advanced long-range reconnaissance P-3C Orions Later, France also deployed ship Atalante with a deep diving Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) On Tuesday 20 June Canadian P-3C detected some banging sounds on its hydrophones at 30-minutes interval The available Canadian ROV was directed towards area of sound signals Meanwhile received signals were sent to US underwater sound experts, who later classified these as non-submersible By then, experts had started speculating about a major-scale accident onboard Titan with the probability of fire flooding power loss or entanglement with

Occurrences of this magnitude are usually caused by a series of unregulated practices, inactions, errors, and omissions attributable to human material or violations of SoPs In Titan’s case it was a combination of all three This mystery can be unplugged by identifying trail of errors committed at various tiers

Titan s cylindrical portion of the hull was made of carbon fiber material instead of titanium alloy, which was a risky proposition as it could not withstand the successive dives’ fatigues Reportedly, the carbon fiber material used in Titan’s construction had expired shelf life as well On completion of its test dives in 2020 Titan s hull had begun to show signs of cyclic fatigue

Yet another design flaw was that the Titan used to be bolted from the outside after passengers were slipped in with no possibility of opening the hatch from the inside contrary to the safe submarining practices Moreover Titan was not equipped with a locator buoy which is essential for localization in case of disability

David Lochridge the OceanGate Director of Marine Operations had shown his concerns about the non-conduct of NDT to ascertain hull integrity He also voiced reservations about the design limitations of the front viewport Unfortunately, he was expelled by the company CEO at short notice

Rush did not consider certification of Titan’s design from a renowned classification society despite advice from the US-based Marine Technology Society in 2018 Instead he used big names like NASA APL and Boeing, etc to authenticate his design credibility

To cut the cost, Rush used to prefer off the shelf components instead of military specs He was too possessive and complacent about the design of RTMS (Real Time Acoustic Monitoring System) He used to say if everything fails RTMS will bring the Titan to the surface Therefore he termed Titan s design as Invulnerable , something consistent with Titanic s Unsinkability Alas! Both Unsinkable and ‘Invulnerable’ are laying on the ocean bed, side by side at a depth of 3800 m

With all his intellect and professional acumen in engineering Rush had become overconfident and complacent with regard to safety standards He used to express his views about the US Passenger Vessel Safety Act of 1993 as "needlessly prioritized passenger safety over commercial innovation"

Generally, the specialized vehicles are piloted by a well-qualified crew Likewise the test pilots of newly developed vehicles are the best selected so as to effectively deal with emergencies In this case

Rush himself used to steer and didn t employ a qualified operator

Lastly, the role and responsibilities of countries and authorities to oversee Titan’s certification and safe operation have become highly questionable Their failure to exercise a comprehensive regulatory system is opined to be the contributory cause of the accident

This trail of errors and omissions could have been disrupted by the system

It can be safely concluded that the main cause of this occurrence was complacency on the part of CEO Stockton Rush He ventured into the unknown territory i e diving depths in access of Titan’s capacity and paid the price With all the media hype during the past week Titan incident has exceedingly highlighted the importance of adherence to safety standards, protocols, and regulatory framework at all levels So far, only preliminary analysis has been done on the

silage production

Muhammad Ismail an ecosystem specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), emphasised the benefits of agricultural mechanisation He said that mechanisation on farms reduces costs by enabling the efficient use of resources such as water seeds pesticides and fertilisers It also minimises spoilage and harvest losses

Following the meeting, Pakistani experts visited the agricultural machinery and equipment production base of Gansu Academy of Mechanical Sciences Co Ltd where they had the opportunity to view and learn about the agricultural machinery and equipment that will be demonstrated and promoted in Pakistan

InfraZamin, KF and Arif Habib Ltd launch first ‘AAA’ rated, PKR 2.5b ‘Gender Bond’ for bond capital market investors

I n f ra Za m i n Pa k i s t a n , a l i c e n c e d N B F I a n d c r e d i t g u a ra n t e e p r ov i d e r a n d Ka s h f Fo u n d a t i o n ( K F ) a S e c t i o n 4 2 c o m p a ny a n d l i c e n s e d m i c r o f i n a n c e i n s t i t u t i o n h ave s i g n e d a n a g r e e m e n t t o b r i n g Pa k i s t a n s f i r s t G e n d e r B o n d t o i n s t i t u t i o n a l c a p i t a l m a r ke t i nve s t o r s T h e G e n d e r B o n d i s a s u b s e q u e n t l y l i s t e d p r i va t e l y p l a c e d t e r m f i n a n c e c e r t i f i c a t e w h o s e p r o c e e d s w i l l g o t o wa r d s e n h a n c i n g Ka s h f ’s p o r t f o l i o t o wa r d s l e n d i n g e xc l u s i ve l y t o w o m e n t o d e ve l o p m i c r oi n f ra s t r u c t u r e w h i c h i n c l u d e s r u ra l a r e a s c h o o l c o n s t r u c t i o n f l o o d r e h a b i l i t a t i o n o f d a m a g e d h o m e s a n d e x p a n s i o n o f w o m e n - l e d m i c r o b u s i n e s s e s A s s u c h t h e G e n d e r B o n d f u l l y s u b s c r i b e s t o t h e G u i d e l i n e s o f G e n d e r B o n d i s s u a n c e b y S e c u r i t i e s a n d E xc h a n g e C o m m i s s i o n o f Pa k i s t a n ( S E C P ) w h i c h a r e b a s e d o n t h e U N S u s t a i n a b l e D e ve l o p m e n t G o a l s a n d U N Wo m e n ’s p r i n c i p l e s f o r w o m e n e m p o w e r m e n t A r i f H a b i b C a p i t a l s e r ve s a s t h e A r ra n g e r f o r t h i s b o n d P R

BankIslami achieves AARating, solidifies position as leading financial institution

i s l a m a b a d : BankIslami, Pakistan s leading Islamic bank, is delighted to announce that it has been upgraded to an AA- rating This prestigious rating reaffirms the bank's commitment to excellence sound financial management and its continued growth in the banking industry AA- rating is a high-grade rating, indicating that the bank has a very low credit risk and a very strong ability to meet its financial obligations

This is a testament to BankIslami’s robust business strategy prudent risk management practices and the unwavering trust placed in the bank by its valued customers The achievement highlights the bank s consistent performance and its ability to navigate through challenging market conditions while maintaining a strong financial position P R

B’desh Deputy HC interac ts with journalists of HPC

k a r a c h i : Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Karachi addressed the journalists of Hyderabad Press Club recently at the Press Club in Hyderabad Journalists of different print and electronic media in Sindh were present during the address meeting and interaction Mr Hameed-urRehman Secretary Hyderabad Press Club and Mr Jai Prakash Moorani, President, Hyderabad Union of Journalists and journalists of at least 20 media houses including print (daily and weekly) and electronic media were present Deputy High Commissioner S M Mahbubul Alam mentioned that Bangladesh and Pakistan have huge potential for mutually beneficial bilateral relationships He emphasized on the exploring the areas for wider cooperation between the two countries P R

PM SHEHBA Z URGES SCO TO FIGHT TERRORISM, RECESSION

dress climate-induced disasters

He mentioned Pakistan’s own experience with flash floods which resulted in significant loss of life and economic damages

PR I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif said China, India, Iran, Russia and central Asian countries should jointly fight terrorism and recession, and tackle global challenges such as climate change

Sharif was addressing the virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday as the Eurasian political and security group seeks to expand its influence by accepting Iran as a member

The virtual meeting was hosted by India which holds the presidency of SCO this year and attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders of four central Asian countries as well as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Sharif emphasised the importance of seizing the opportunity presented by the SCO to achieve shared goals for peace and prosperity in the region He stressed that regional connectivity and investment

should be prioritised as vehicles for promoting peace and stability

Highlighting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Sharif emphasized its potential to drive progress and development in the region

Addressing the issue of terrorism and extremism the prime minister called for a united front against these challenges

He urged all SCO countries to fight terrorism with vigour and determination condemning all forms of terrorism, including state-sponsored terrorism

Sharif underscored the importance of

avoiding diplomatic point-scoring and emphasized that all acts of terrorism should be condemned unequivocally

Sharif also highlighted the need for stability in Afghanistan, saying the country s stability is critical to achieving common objectives He drew attention to the dire humanitarian crisis and economic meltdown in Afghanistan emphasizing the urgency of corrective measures by the interim Afghan government and the international community Regarding climate change, the prime minister emphasized the need for global solidarity and immediate action to ad-

Gov t approves appointment of Hassan Raza as Managing Director Pak-China Investment Company

S h a r i f c a l l e d f o r p o v e r t y a l l e v i ation as a priority in the face of the economic recession

The prime minister also addressed the issue of Islamophobia stressing the importance of peace and communal harmony He urged adherence to UN Security Council resolutions to settle issues amicably emphasizing the need for timely action

Formed in 2001 by China and Russia, with former Soviet central Asian states as members and joined later by India and Pakistan the eight-member SCO seeks to counter Western influence in Eurasia

Iran is due to join as the ninth member on Tuesday and Belarus will sign a memorandum of obligations which will lead to its membership later When both countries, which have observer status and close ties to Moscow are accepted as members of the SCO it will expand the grouping s western flank in both Europe and Asia

I H C d i s m i s s e s To s h a k h a n a c a s e a g a i n s t P T I c h i e f

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday announced its reserved verdict providing relief to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief as it declared the criminal proceedings against him in the Toshakhana (gift repository) case inadmissible

ISLAMABAD

Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid Khan a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party was disqualified by the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court on Tuesday in response to a petition accusing him of obtaining a license from the regional body of lawyers based on a fraudulent degree A three-judge bench delivered the verdict after considering the petition seeking the disqualification of Khan

The petitioner Ghulam Shahzad Agha a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly had raised concerns about the authenticity of Khurshid s law degree and called for his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution Representing the petitioner, counsel Amjad Hussain argued that Khan’s degree had not been properly verified by the University of London and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had deemed it to be counterfeit

CJP’s salar y rises to Rs1.2m as Law Ministr y notifies raise in SC judges’ salaries

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Ministry of Law and Justice released a new order, revising the salaries of the Supreme Court of Pakistan judges with effect from July 1, 2023

The latest order is issued by Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani in the absence of President Arif Alvi who is currently in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj

According to details the President s Order No 02 of 2023 says the Chief Justice of Pakistan s monthly pay now stands at Rs1,229,189 while the remaining judges will receive Rs1,161,163

Earlier on June 28, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had defended the raise in the Supreme Court judges’ salaries saying “That’s magnanimity ” and added that there was no counter victimization directed towards the judiciary He was responding to a PML-N support who criticized the government for increasing the perks and privileges of judiciary despite going through a financial crunch, which, according to her, had stabbed in the back of the people in 2017

On November 22 last year the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sent the Toshakhana reference to the trial court for initiating criminal proceedings against the PTI chief under sections 137, 170 and 167 of the Election Act 2017

The reference was sent to the court a month after a four-member ECP bench unanimously declared that the PTI chairman had misled officials about the gifts he had received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as prime minister

On March 30 the trial was adjourned till April 29 in view of Ramazan and Eid holidays However on April 4 the election supervisor requested the court to set an earlier date for hearing the case and the court on April 8 decided to hear the ECP’s request on April 11

Meanwhile 10 cases filed in Islamabad local court against the de-

posed premier have been moved to the Judicial Complex

A notification in this regard has also been issued

Two cases filed in Shahzad Town and Tarnol police stations would be heard today Cases filed in Karachi Company, Kohsar, Ramna, Secretariat, Margalla and Khanna police stations would also be heard on Tuesday

Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presiding over the court delivered the verdict which had been reserved on June 23, in response to a petition moved by the chairman of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) party seeking to have the case declared inadmissible

The case centres on a government department known as Toshakhana which during the Mughal era referred to the treasure houses kept by the subcontinent’s princely rulers to store and display gifts lavished on them

Government officials must declare all gifts to the Cabinet Division but are allowed to keep those below a certain value

More expensive items must go to Toshakhana under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division but in some cases the recipient can buy them back at around 50 percent of their value

a discount Khan raised from 20 percent while in office

The ruling coalition of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties has for months alleged Khan and his wife, Bushra Maneka, received lavish gifts worth millions during trips abroad They included luxury watches, jewellery, designer handbags and perfumes Khan was indicted in the Toshakhana case on May 10 by Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who had dismissed objections regarding the case’s admissibility Subsequently, he approached the IHC which had temporarily halted criminal proceedings in the case until June 8

The hearing resumed in June and Justice Aamer reserved his verdict on June 23, stating that he would address the matter following the conclusion of Eid al-Adha

In his petition Khan raised objections to the filing of a complaint after a specified period His lawyer Khawaja Haris Ahmad, argued that a complaint could only be lodged within four months of submitting the return

However, a day prior to the verdict Khan submitted a separate petition to the court requesting Justice Aamer s recusal from the case

Govt grants ex tra powers to graf t body probing Imran: repor t

The government has issued a presidential ordinance granting extra detention powers to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which is currently investigating a case involving former prime minister Imran Khan media reported on Tuesday Khan who has faced a string of cases since being ousted from power last year, was arrested in a graft case in May, which led to violent protests across the country He was later released on bail

The legal tweaks involved granting the anti-graft body the ability to issue arrest warrants and detain suspects for 30 days if they did not cooperate with an investigation Geo News reported

The move came hours before Khan and his wife were set to appear before the NAB in Islamabad and at hearings in other cases The former premier left his home in the city of Lahore for Islamabad early on Tuesday his party said

The government can pass laws swiftly through a presidential ordinance when parliament is not in session but the assembly has to endorse the law within 90 days

Parliament was in session but was prorogued on Monday through a government notification uploaded on

in the southern region despatched 1 113 million tons of cement during June 2023 which was 6 60% higher than the despatches of 1 044 million tons in June 2022 In terms of domestic markets, the northern region dispatched 2 855 million tons of cement in June 2023, experiencing a decline of 30 75% from 4 122 million tons in June 2022 Meanwhile mills in the southern region dispatched 632 093 tons of cement in local markets during June 2023 reflecting a decrease of 26 23% compared to the despatches of 856,863 tons in June 2022 Ex-

its website The ordinance was issued on Monday night Government officials allege that Khan and his wife received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through a charitable trust Khan and his aides, as well as the tycoon, have previously denied any wrongdoing Khan and his party have faced a country-wide crackdown after the violence that followed his arrest which included the ransacking of government installations Hundreds of supporters and dozens of leaders were detained, and many have left his party

Supreme Cour t refuses to halt probe against Imran in murder case of law yer

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Supreme Court, in a ruling on Tuesday, dismissed a plea aimed at preventing the prosecution from taking action against former prime minister Imran Khan in connection with the murder of a lawyer in Quetta

The defence had objected to the nomination of their client in the murder case and requested a stay order from the court

However, a two-member bench comprising Justice

Ijaz ul-Ahsan and Justice Ayesha Malik declined the application challenging the non-bailable warrants issued for the accused

The bench noted that a two-member high court bench had already rejected the plea thus preventing the twomember Supreme Court bench from granting a stay

The murder case involves the assassination of Abdul Razzaq Shar, a Supreme Court lawyer who was shot, apparently over personal enmity, by unidentified individuals on Airport Road in Quetta The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds with 16 bullets striking various parts of his body

The victim s son filed a complaint leading to the registration of a case under the murder and terrorism sections

It is noteworthy that Shar was one of the petitioners in a treason case against Khan Lawyers Amanullah Kanrani and Shar had jointly submitted a petition to the Balochistan High Court (BHC) seeking action against the former prime minister under Article 6 of the Constitution

The hearing for this petition was scheduled for June 7

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar had previously declared that the PTI chief bore responsibility for the killing

Yo Y

ports from mills in the northern region decreased by 1 88% with quantities reducing from 97,163 tons in June 2022 to 95,333 tons in June 2023 However, exports from mills in the southern region increased by 156 78% to 480,976 tons in June 2023 from 187,308 tons during the same month last year For the fiscal year 2022-23 the total cement despatches (domestic and exports) were 44 579 million tons marking a 15 71% decline compared to 52 891 million tons dispatched in the previous fiscal year Domestic shipments accounted for 40 013 million tons a reduction of 16 00% from 47 635 million tons in the previous year Export despatches also decreased by 13 13% with volumes reaching 4 566 million tons during the fiscal year 2022-23 compared to 5 256 million tons in the previous fiscal year

In the northern region companies dispatched 32 776 million tons of cement domestically during the fiscal year 2022-23, representing a reduction of 16 89% compared to the despatches of 39 439 million tons in the previous fiscal year However, exports from the northern region increased by 17 41% to 1 069 million tons during the fiscal year 2022-23 compared to 911 065 tons in the previous fiscal year Overall total despatches by mills in the northern region decreased by 16 12% to 33 846 million tons during the fiscal year 2022-23 from 40 350 million tons in the previous fiscal year In the southern region domestic despatches by companies during the fiscal year 2022-23 amounted to 7 237 million tons showing a reduction of 11 70% from the 8 196 million tons dispatched in the previous fiscal

year Exports from the southern region declined by 19 53% to 3 496 million tons during the fiscal year 2022-23, compared to 4 345 million tons in the previous fiscal year Overall, total despatches by mills in the southern region decreased by 14 41% to 10 734 million tons during the fiscal year 2022-23 from 12 541 million tons in the previous fiscal year

A spokesperson for the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association emphasized the need for the government to facilitate export-oriented industries, as this will help regain momentum in the international markets and contribute to revival of the national economy Boosting exports will play a pivotal role in overcoming challenges faced during these difficult times The signing of a standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is also essential in this regard

Top GB cour t disqualifies PTI chief minister over ‘fake degree’