Epaper_23-08-14 ISB

CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH ZEAL , FERVOUR

banners as part of the celebration of Independence Day

on the stalls

The day would be celebrated all across the country with flag-hoisting ceremonies, tributes to the national heroes and fireworks

People are purchasing national flags portraits of founding fathers posters and

In Islamabad, main avenues have been decorated with flowers and lights Different pictures have also been displayed dep i c t i n g d i v e r s e c u l t u r e s a n d p r o m i n e n t places of the country National flag would also be hoisted at all important public and private buildings National songs are being played to give the message that the whole nation is united Punjab Inspector General of Police

(IGP) Dr Usman Anwar has directed to ensure foolproof security and traffic arrangements throughout the province on the 76th Independence Day Islamabad Police have meticulously outlined a comprehensive security and traffic strategy for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations on August 14th Their plan entails deploying security personnel at vital installations and public spaces to ensure safety and order

MENGAL HITS OUT AT NAWA Z OVER K AK AR’S APPOINTMENT AS INTERIM PM

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R

BAP Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar ’s appointment as the interim prime minister has caused a “serious rift” between allied parties – the PML-N and Balochistan National PartyMengal (BNP-M) and the latter s chief has penned a letter to former premier Nawaz Sharif on Sunday, expressing reservations over the [appointment]

In his letter BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal expressed reservations over the coalition government s decision to choose Kakar without naming him as the interim premier without consultations with allied parties He also mentioned legislating for “in the dark” and expressed disappointment in the party’s actions stating that he had hoped for greater empathy after past experiences

Yesterday after weeks of deliberations, Kakar was named the caretaker prime minister after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader Raja Riaz reached a consensus over his “surprise” nomination

The initial positive reactions over his surprise nomination demonstrated how Kakar was acceptable to all political

parties especially those part of the ruling coalition headed by outgoing PM Shehbaz Sharif In addition, the BAP is thought to have the backing of the country’s establishment Many of the outgoing ruling coalition were surprised over Kakar s selection for the job and in fact even those who signed the summary of Kakar s nomination too were unaware about Kakar ’s name ” “Mr Kakar ’s name came from somewhere else and it had to be accepted by all stakeholders a politician of the ruling told Dawn com while responding to a question about the Sharifs failure to get their own man in the caretaker s saddle

Five of same family burnt alive as vehicle catches fire on Hazara Motor way

Five members of a same family were burnt alive after the vehicle they were travelling in caught fire on Hazara Motorway in Haripur on Sunday

According to Rescue 1122, the fire broke out in the vehicle near Jhari Kas Interchange in which five persons, belong to Bannu, were burnt alive On information a Rescue 1122 team reached the spot and shifted the bodies to the trauma centre

Meanwhile four people including a woman and children were killed and seven others injured in a pile-up involving multiple vehicles on Indus Highway at Spina Mor in Karak on Sunday

According to rescuers and police overturning of oil tanker caused slipperiness on road resulting in collision between an ambulance a mini-truck and a car

Iranian ambassador felicitates Pakistan on Independence Day

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Iran s ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam has congratulated the government and nation of Pakistan on the 76th Independence Day

A similar comment was made by PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah, who said no one was aware that Kakar would become the interim PM

In the letter written on Sunday Mengal lamented the actions of politicians to approach the establishment for every problem s solution instead of resolving them politically

He cited a letter written to Sharif last month on July 22, hoping the issues would reduce by now but instead, they increased He lamented that through the establishment s consultation rather than resolving them through political means Mian Sahib what has befallen us might be our fate, but what s surprising

is that you people after facing hardships haven t learned any lessons We remember the atrocities from General Ayub to General Musharraf But your party forgets the conspiracies and unconstitutional actions of Musharraf and Bajwa too quickly Once again you re weakening democratic institutions by legislating in the dark without involving allies, thereby strengthening undemocratic powers ”

The former Balochistan chief minister said: “Legislation contrary to human rights will probably be used against you in the future [we know] because we the residents of Balochistan have not been considered as human beings since day one

He said taking decisions without the confidence of allies will only perpetuate the mistrust between larger and small provinces Laws are made and broken to protect their interests and pave the way for their future government, but on the contrary, it is against the law for the people of Balochistan to cry for their loved ones “All this happened in the last two periods of government and we thought this time maybe after those bitter experiences your party would have realized now but it has failed us again like before

Pakistan ‘suspends ’ Russian crude oil impor ts: sources

Pakistan has suspended Russian crude oil imports allegedly due to limited benefits while Pakistan is also making arrangements for a long-term agreement with Russia for oil import at discounted rates, it was learnt on Sunday

Noteworthy the tall claims regarding the benefits of importing Russian crude oil have previously been emphasized by both the ruling Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) led by Prime Minister Imran Khan and the coalition government led by Shehbaz Sharif

However according to sources benefits of import of Russian crude oil have so far been limited to Pakistan, which allegedly has a higher furnace oil yield Russia has delivered its

second petroleum cargo to Pakistan the Karachi Port Trust said some two weeks after the arrival of the first one during the month of June 2023, said sources

Following the maiden delivery to Pakistan in June 2023, Russia’s second crude cargo received at the Karachi Port Trust two weeks after the first delivery Sources claim that the halt is only temporary but they also claim that Pakistan may consider restarting its imports of Russian crude oil if given a “special discount ” The Secretary of the Petroleum Division recognized the temporary halt when contacted for comment, but she highlighted that continuing plans are being made, indicating that things could change He denied reports that imports of Russian crude oil had completely stopped I n r e s p o n s e t o a

cargo and now we are making arrangement w h i c h r e q u i r e s t i m e H e , h o w e v e r, r e j e c t e d t h e i n f o r m a t i o n o f s u s p e n s i o n o f Russian crude oil import Dr Musadik Malik former Minister of State for Petroleum while addressing a press conference on 9th August 2023 said that the impact of Russian oil on the public is yet to be determined and it is expected in the near future Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Kuwait and United Arab Emirate (UAE) has not only been supplying crude oil but also Petroleum Products (POL) to Pakistan while Pakistan has first time imported around one lakh ton of Russian crude in the month of June 2023 to meet its fuel needs

No consensus yet on c aretaker CM in Sindh

The second consultative meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Leader of the Opposition in the now-dissolved Sindh Assembly Rana Ansar yielded no results as they failed to reach a consensus on the caretaker chief minister

two ambulances to the site of the incident

They further said that a medical team had shifted both the bodies to Timergara Hospital in an ambulance

The personnel informed that the firefighters used foam to completely douse the flames after battling them for one and a half hours

Besides that they disclosed that a seminary and two shops near the road had also caught fire which was also put out

RAWALPINDI

Six terrorists were killed, three injured and another was apprehended in shootouts that took place in Charmang of Bajaur

The meeting took place in Karachi on Sunday during which the names for the caretaker chief minister were presented by both The discussion focused on consulting party leadership regarding the proposed names for the position After consultations with their respective party leaderships, both sides will convene for another meeting Speaking to the media after the meeting Ansar stated that this was the second round of consultations on the appointment of a caretaker chief minister She mentioned that due to the multitude of names, more time is needed for deliberations

She remarked that several names have been proposed by CM Shah, which will be presented before the senior leadership of the party for consideration Decisions will be made following these consultations she added Ansar pointed out that while there is a possibility

of consensus on one of the suggested names in case an agreement is not reached by Monday the matter will be referred to the parliamentary committee

PPP leader Nasir Hussain Shah while talking to the media, said that numerous names have been put forward for the high-profile position but consensus has not been reached yet He said that another meeting will be held on Monday and until then there’s time for consultations aiming to reach a consensus on a suitable name

The names circulating within the media sphere for the caretaker CM in Sindh, include Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar, former chief secretaries Mumtaz Ali Shah and Siddique Memon, former bureaucrats Shoaib Siddiqui and Younus Dagha

In a message on the eve of the 76th Independence Day of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan he said “I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations to the government and honourable nation of Pakistan

The envoy said Iran was the first country that recognized Pakistan and with which established diplomatic relations “Since then, Iran and Pakistan’s historic relationship, based upon history-long commonalities and links has during the time strengthened and nurtured into a solid brotherhood Today we celebrate together the 76th year of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries I wish peace, unity, stability, security and prosperity for Pakistan,” he added

Maui wildfires deadliest in a centur y as death toll hits 89

HAWAII

A G E N C I E S

The death toll from the Maui wildfires reached 89 on Saturday, making it the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century and the total is likely to rise in coming days as search teams with cadaver dogs continue sifting through the ruins of Lahaina

The scale of the damage came into sharper focus four days after a fast-moving blaze leveled the historic resort town obliterating buildings and melting cars

The cost to rebuild Lahaina was estimated at $5 5 billion, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with more than 2,200 structures damaged or destroyed and more than 2 100 acres (850 hectares) burned Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned at a press conference on Saturday afternoon the death toll would continue to increase as more victims were discovered Dogs trained to detect bodies have covered only three per cent of the search area, Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said

Officials vowed to examine the state’s emergency notification systems after some residents questioned whether more could have been done to warn them before the fire overtook their homes Some were forced to wade into the Pacific Ocean to escape Sirens stationed around the island intended to warn of impending natural disasters never sounded and widespread power and cellular outages hampered other forms of alerts

The state s attorney general Anne Lopez said she was launching a review of the decision-making before and during the fire, while Green told CNN he had authorised a review of the emergency response

Officials have described a nightmarish confluence of factors including communications network failures wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour (130 kph) from an offshore hurricane and a separate wildfire dozens of miles away that made it nearly impossible to coordinate in real time with the emergency management agency that would typically issue warnings and evacuation orders “Over time, we’ll be able to figure out if we could have better protected people ” said Green He said the multiple fires and dangerous winds created extraordinarily difficult conditions

The death toll made the inferno which erupted on Tuesday, Hawaii s worst natural disaster, surpassing a tsunami that killed 61 people in 1960, a year after Hawaii became a US state

The latest figure exceeded the 85 people who perished in a 2018 fire in the town of Paradise California and was the highest toll from a wildfire since 1918 when the Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin claimed 453 lives Officials have secured 1,000 hotel rooms for people who lost their homes and are arranging for rental properties to serve as housing at no cost to families, Green said

More than 1 400 people had been taken in at emergency shelters Deanne Criswell the FEMA director said the agency had 150 people on the ground and that additional search teams and dogs would be arriving within a day or two Authorities began allowing residents back into west Maui on Friday, although the fire zone in Lahaina remained barricaded Officials warned there could be toxic fumes from smoldering areas and said search operations were continuing

Hundreds of people were still missing though a precise count was not clear At a family assistance center in Kahului, June Lacuesta said he was trying to locate nine relatives who had not been heard from since Tuesday

The consulate asked Pakistan to severely punish the perpetrators and take concrete and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects”

The statement said the Chinese consulate general has activated the contingency plan as soon as possible reminding local Chinese citizens, enterprises, and projects to be vigilant, upgrade security measures, prevent security risks and pay close attention to the security situation to ensure safety”

operation

on the reported presence of terrorists During the conduct of operation, intense fire exchange occurred between security forces and terrorists ” the military’s media wing stated

g PENS LETTER TO PML-N CHIEF TO EXPRESS RESERVATIONS OVER ‘LEGISLATING FOR IN DARK’

g AIMAL WALI SKEPTICAL ABOUT POLLS TRANSPARENCY UNDER KAKAR’S SUPERVISION

Exclusive photo of van that came under attack at Gwadar

I N H I S FA R E W E L L A D D R E S S , P M S H E H B A Z TA K E S

C R E D I T F O R ‘ S U C C E S S F U

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

IN his farewell speech Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif clarified on Sunday that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government faced a lot of difficulties after coming to power in April last year but it successfully averted the default threat through tough decisions

Apparently referring to the ouster of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)-led government through a parliamentary no-confidence vote, the premier said: We came to power through constitutional way and leaving [the government] in a constitutional way ”

He began his speech by announcing that he was handing over the responsibility of running the country to a caretaker government following the conclusion of his government s 16-month tenure The outgoing premier had come to power in April last year after the then-opposition ousted PTI Chairman Imran Khan from the top office through a no-confidence vote

We came [to power] through constitutional means, said Shahbaz, referring to the episode, adding that his government was contented at the end of its term that his government had not been dishonest in using the powers given to it

Referring to the selection of Balochistan

Awami Party Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar for the interim PM s slot, he congratulated him and said, He belongs to our great province Balochistan, and I am sure that he will ensure that free and fair elections are held in the country

The premier also expressed gratitude to the nation and leaders of other parties for showing confidence in him to fulfil the responsibility of the country s chief executive

“It is [also] a favour of God on us that he gave us the capability and courage to steer the country out of the worst economic political and foreign policy crises in history

Time and record will be a witness that we saved the country against possible default and consequent destruction, he said About a bailout loan agreement reached with the In-

ternational Monetary Funds in the last days of his government he said the deal had brought economic stability to the country

The prime minister then went on to list what he dubbed the achievements of his government and measures that put that country on the path to progress and financial independence

We tread a thorny and fiery path during the last 16 months It was clear soon after we came to power that Pakistan was facing extremely destructive circumstances

A delay of even a day would have caused irreparable damage to the state

Had we held elections immediately [after coming to power] we would have made political gains But the grave situation in the country did not allow us to make political gains We were not selfish and prioritised Pakistan’s national interests We made the most difficult of decisions and time proved that we made the right decision he added

The PM blamed the previous PTI government for inflation and said his government was compelled to make difficult decisions to save the country from default

Now he said the time had come to provide those resources to the impoverished and poor that were rightfully theirs The poor have given enough sacrifices It is now time for the rich to render sacrifices

PM Shehbaz expressed the hope that

Nation celebrates Independence Day with zeal, fervour today

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Utilizing sniffer dogs and cutting-edge security equipment, law enforcement personnel will meticulously search the green areas of Daman-e-Koh, Pir Sohawa, and Margalla hills Furthermore undercover police and intelligence agents will discreetly inspect sensitive areas within the city

To bolster security measures police checkpoints will be established on major thoroughfares, spanning from Faizabad to Pirwadhi Square at GT Road, covering all potential entry points into Islamabad The city has been divided into distinct security zones for effective coverage Additional contingents from Rangers Frontier Constabulary, and Islamabad Police will join forces to monitor these zones, along with heightened surveillance at entry and exit points Forest areas in the city will undergo thorough scanning using advanced security equipment while mounted security personnel will conduct patrols on horseback throughout the city Authorities have appealed to residents and visitors alike to carry valid identification documents, such as CNIC, while entering the city The Islamabad Capital Police (Traffic Division) have devised an elaborate traffic management plan to ensure seamless

15th National Assembly, a remarkable journey amid challenges, achievements: FAFEN

vehicular movement and safety across the city This includes deploying a substantial workforce comprising 550 officers and personnel A dedicated team led by a Superintendent of Police (SP) four Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), and 22 inspectors will supervise the operations Specially formed squads will be stationed at strategic points, equipped with roadblocks to maintain order and security during the celebrations on August 13th and 14th These squads will particularly target violations like one-wheeling vehicles with tinted windows, reckless driving, and noisy exhaust systems

“Additional personnel should be deployed to provide security to large public gatherings rallies and other events ” he said All operational units including Special Branch Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Protection Unit (SPU), and executive police should adopt a joint security plan for Independence Day celebrations ” he added

“The regional and district police officers should go out in the field themselves and review the security arrangements he directed Ensure the use of CCTV cameras, walkthrough gates and metal detectors for monitoring and checking of the people,” he added

“Coordinated arrangements should be made for the safety and security of women and children in parks highways and public places on Independence Day he emphasised Those who quarrel with families especially women, in public places will be dealt with sternly, he warned

The IGP also ordered to form special teams for action against those involved in one-wheeling aerial firing rioting and immoral acts Those who display arms in public and perform aerial firing will be arrested and punished he warned

To maintain the smooth flow of traffic, additional traffic police personnel should be deployed The chief traffic officers (CTOs) should be present in the field themselves ” he directed It is to be noted here that the nation will celebrate Independence Day tomorrow with a renewed pledge to work with the spirit of the Pakistan Movement to make the country a true Islamic welfare state The day will dawn with a 31-gun salute at the Federal Capital and a 21-gun salute at the provincial headquarters Special prayers will be offered in mosques at dawn for peace solidarity and prosperity of the country

The main feature of the celebrations will be a national flag-hoisting ceremony in Islamabad

Similar flag-hoisting ceremonies will also be held at provincial, divisional and district headquarters throughout the country

Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television will highlight the services of the heroes of the Pakistan Movement on the day and pay tributes to their extraordinary contributions to making Pakistan

Day

Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi has approved remission of 180 days for prisoners Under the announcement, complete remission has been granted to elderly male prisoners who were awarded life imprisonment and now are sixty-five years of age or above and have undergone one third of their jail term

The remission will also be given to those who are under eighteen and have undergone one third of their jail term Similarly, complete remission has been extended to those female prisoners having an age of sixty years or more and who have spent one third of their sentence in jail However special remission would not be extended to those prisoners who are on death row and convicted in major crimes including espionage, gang rape, murder, kidnapping, bank robbery and anti-state activities

Promotion of Pakistan Ideology ’s spirit need of hour: NPC

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Chairman Nazaria-i-Pakistan Council

vincible and prosperous for the next generations

businessmen and industrialists would share the burden of the poor and contribute to making the country financially independent, as they had done in the past

He maintained that if his government’s economic policies continued a significant reduction in inflation would be witnessed

Today the entire nation has agreed on a common narrative of financial independence, just like it had previously united on a narrative to counter terrorism,” he said, adding that the Special Investment Facilitation Council had been constituted to achieve financial independence under which projects worth billions of dollars were to be initiated in the coming months and years

He also lauded the armed forces for their sacrifices and bravery in protecting the country Near the end of his address he made an apparent reference to the PTI and urged the people not to let the party come to power again The way the dreams of progress were destroyed during the past four years don t let this blackness and destruction be foisted in the nation again ”

US Ambassador felicitates people of Pakistan on ‘Independence Day’

ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador to Pakistan

Donald Blome on Sunday congratulated the people of Pakistan on its 76th Independence Day In his statement issued by the U S Embassy in Islamabad, the Ambassador said that the past year has been a testament to the strength of our relationship He said “We worked together on health energy and climate to support the Pakistani people's recovery from last year s floods Looking forward the U S -Pakistan Green Alliance is a transformative initiative between our two countries that will address environmental challenges, and create new jobs, industries and livelihoods for our people, he added The envoy further added that the United States and Pakistan will work to create a more sustainable resilient and prosperous future Youm-e-Azadi Mubarak! (Happy Independence Day) a p p

Police arrest two professors of Ghazi Universit y in student rape case

ISLAMABAD: The 15th National Assembly showcased extraordinary resilience in the face of intricate political economic judicial and constitutional tests as it completed its tenure on August 9 2023 The assembly s unwavering commitment to upholding its authority and navigating complex pressures marked a significant chapter in Pakistan's legislative history, said a preliminary report issued by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on Sunday According to the details surpassing its predecessors in legislative productivity the outgoing Assembly s achievements were remarkable Despite 11 percent fewer sittings, it managed to increase its legislative output by an impressive 57 percent A total of 322 pieces of legislation were passed, compared to 205 bills in the previous term Private members' bills played a crucial role with over 30 percent of approved legislation initiated by nongovernmental members showcasing a collaborative spirit within the coalition government One of the most defining moments of the 15th Assembly was the successful vote of no confidence against a Prime Minister leading to a change in government a first in the nation s history This historic event underscored the Assembly s role as a robust pillar of democracy The legislative achievements were marked by a government-wise distribution, with 54 percent of legislation occurring under the PML-N led coalition government and the remaining 46 percent under the PTI government Notably the Assembly s focus extended to diverse areas including research and education, economic and financial matters, trade regulations, administration of justice, rights of marginalized groups, and significant reforms in public institutions Throughout its tenure the Assembly demonstrated a commitment to transparency and accountability despite facing challenges related to attendance and truncated legislative procedures The lawmakers' dedication to raising questions, moving attention notices, and participating in discussions highlighted their vigilance over the executive's actions The 15th Assembly's commitment to progress was further demonstrated through amendments to its Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business These changes aimed to uphold national values and enhance the functioning of the Assembly, including the mandatory playing of the national anthem and recitation of hadith before each sitting As the 15th National Assembly concluded its journey it left behind a legacy of resilience achievement and dedication to democratic principles The challenges it overcame and the milestones it achieved have set a precedent for future legislative bodies, reinforcing the importance of a strong and determined parliamentary system in Pakistan's democratic landscape app

(NPC) Mian Mohammad Javed emphasized promoting the ideology of Pakistan in real spirit urging the nation to follow the guiding principles of Quaidi-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah

In an interview in connection with the Independence Day being marked on August 14 he said: I belong to the generation who has witnessed the creation of Pakistan enthusiasm and countless sacrifices of lives, property and honour for the sake of the country Women and children were even part of this struggle who fearlessly used to raise the slogans

“Ley Key Rahain Gey Pakistan” and Ban Key Rahey Ga Pakistan

Mian Mohammad Javed said Independence Day is a perfect time to acknowledge the numerous sacrifices rendered by our forefathers who gifted this homeland, it is our utmost responsibility to make this country strong in-

He pointed out, One thing should be remembered that Pakistan was established through a mass movement under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as per the vision of Allama Muhammad Iqbal to enable Muslims to live with religious and ideological independence Pakistanis despite belonging to diverse communities and provinces as well as abroad dream to further strengthen the country’s ideology and make Pakistan an ideal country in the world It is heartening to see that still people have the same enthusiasm and patriotism about running our country according to the principles described by the founder of Pakistan in his speeches however the only need” he said Prof Javed said that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his speeches has always advocated the principle of equality and justice to ensure the basic rights and well being of humanity

Quaid-i-Azam s thoughts to implement an Islamic democratic system based on equality, justice and human values for all are the beacon of light for the nation”, he said “Our forefathers have sacrificed their lives to acquire this homeland on the basis of an ideology and now it is our responsibility to transfer this heritage and ideology to the future generations to make this country a prosperous country , he said

About the NPC activities, the chairman said that the council is diligently working on the promotion of the ideology of Pakistan through conducting programmes in educational institutions besides using social media networks in line with modern requirements NPC intends to project the image of our leaders and national heroes through educating the youth about their struggles and achievements to enlighten them The character building of youth is our national responsibility, as per Quaid s vision, without which we cannot make them a useful citizen”, he added

Turkish S aadet Par ty shows grave concern over increased human rights abuses in IIOJK

MIRPUR AJK a p p

Chairman Turkish Saadet Party Temel

Karamollaoglu voiced his deep concern over increasing human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019, while reaffirming his strong support for the Kashmir cause Speaking at a reception hosted in honour of a visiting Kashmir delegation from both sides of Line of Control (LoC) in Ankara late Saturday Karamollaoglu said

"The plight of Kashmir is a grave concern

The issue of Kashmir should be raised on the international stage alongside the Palestine question The unfolding events in Kashmir resonate as a pressing concern akin to global humanitarian crises says a message reaching and released to the media here on Sunday

Despite the UN's decision 76 years ago that the future of Kashmir is determined by the Kashmiris India does not implement this decision he said calling upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should assume responsibility at this point and protect Kashmir The delegation apprised the Turkish leader, in detail, of the intensified plight

f a c e d b y K a s h m i r i s i n t h e a f t e r m a t h o f the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A a m o v e t h a t h a s s i g n i f i c a n t l y e s c a l a t e d their challenges

They emphasized the critical importance of recognizing and acknowledging the Muslim majority of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir which must be embraced and supported by the broader Muslim Ummah The punitive measures imposed by Modi's government seemingly target Kashmiris for their religious identity, as they steadfastly advocate for their rightful freedom

Stressing the urgency of collective responsibility the delegation echoed that the Kashmir issue must transcend regional boundaries and resonate as a pivotal concern for the entire Muslim Ummah

In this context, Turkish parliamentarians and lawmakers were urged to leverage their influence by compelling the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to exert pressure on India to reverse the unilateral actions of August 5th, 2019

The process of conducting a plebiscite, a fundamental democratic right, was also emphasized as a means to resolve the longstanding issue and ensure the self-determination of the Kashmiri people

Undeterred in their pursuit of justice the Kashmiri delegation has embarked on

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Police have arrested two professors of Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan in connection with the rape case of a female student Another case has also been registered against the suspects on the complaint of girl s father for issuing him threats for registering a case against them The suspects forced the girl s father to convince his daughter to withdraw the case The FIR said that both the professors from the Physics Department had threatened to kill him if the rape case against them was not withdrawn The student has earlier alleged that both the teachers were also blackmailing her younger sister The varsity's spokesperson had said that it was an old issue and the university had taken action against the suspects “Both the teachers have been suspended and a departmental inquiry is also under way said the spokesperson The reputation of university is now at stake as the varsity s administration didn t take any stern action against the suspects The students from the Physics department had filed a complaint on the Pakistan Citizen Portal on Feb 4, 2023 against harassment by two professors A committee was also constituted by the university administration but the whistleblowers were victimized instead of going for launching the criminal cases against the suspects S ta f f R e p o Rt

a tireless mission to bring global attention to India s oppressive actions in Kashmir

Their visit to the Saadet Party Headquarters facilitated a robust dialogue with Chairman Karamollaoglu, focused on the imperative of amplifying their voices internationally Chairman Karamollaoglu expressed his satisfaction with the in-depth discourse which spanned approximately two hours

He reemphasized his steadfast commitment to advocating for the rights of Kashmiris and his unwavering belief in the necessity of highlighting the issue on a global platform drawing parallels with other pressing international humanitarian crises

The meeting between Saadet Party Chairman Temel Karamollaoglu and the Kashmiri delegation signals the escalating international concern for the Kashmiri situation It underscores the critical need for unified endeavors to address the humanitarian crisis and strive for a peaceful resolution that respects the rights and aspirations of the Kashmiri people

Earlier the Turkish leader welcomed a visiting distinguished delegation from Kashmir at the party s headquarters in Ankara on Saturday

The delegation led by Azad Kashmir Parliament Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, echoed the urgency of addressing

the dire situation in the region and garnering international support', says a message reaching and released to the media here Saturday

The delegation included eminent figures from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir and comprised such as Speaker of the AJK Assembly, Chaudhry Lateef Akbar; Convenor of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Mehmood Ahmed Saghar; Senior Member of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Altaf Ahmed Bhat; Former Member of Legislative Assembly of AJK Abdur Rasheed Turabi; and Senior Vice Chairman of Kashmir Diaspora Coalition, Dr Mubeen Shah, ex-President Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry Srinagar currently living in exile in Turkey since past many years

Drooping rupee

TH E rupee has been dropping despite the ending to the political uncertainty implicit in the end of the PDM-led coalition, and even after the nomination of a caretaker PM to head an interim government To be fair, the economic fundamentals have supported a decline After all, there has been a deline in remittances, with the $2 03 billion remitted in July down 7 3 percent over June, and the lowest in five months Then there has been a rise in international oil prices, which has meant larger oil payments, thus creating a greater demand for dollars However, the reason the rupee breached the Ra 300 mark on the open market, seems to have been what might be best called speculative activity One sign is that dollars are not available in the market Instead of being bought and sold according to the flow of international trade, investors are making purchases and then taking them off the market, and will probably hold them back until the rupee hits some higher figure

The IMF is all in favour of this, and at the moment, is calling the shots like nobody s business One of its red lines seems to be that borrowed money must not be used to defend the rupee Though Pakistan has accumulated foreign exchange reserves in recent times sufficient for avoiding the threat of default, this is mainly because of borrowed money, and includes deposits by foreign countries which cannot be used to pay for imports, let alone be let loose on the market to defend the rupee This IMF readiness, almost anxiety, for the rupee to sink even lower against the dollar, seems to ignore the inflationary effects of such a decline, particularly as it does not seem to take into account the chaotic effect this would have on an economy which is part of the globalised world, and which has already spent the last four decades and more pulling down various barriers and failsafes

There must be some means of intervention available to the state Bank of Pakistan, and even to the Ministry of Finance, to intervene to defend the rupee, not to maintain some notional value, but to prevent a freefall Such a mechanism is all the more necessary, now that speculation has set in It is not necessary to use that mechanism Knowledge that it exists will probably be enough to prevent speculators from going overboard

E x p e r i m e n t at i o n m u s t e n d

TR U T H has been buried the Constitution often trampled sham democracy in tatters and justice murdered many a times, over the chequered past of a beleaguered nation Pakistan’s history reminds one of the famous quote by an American social reformer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass – Where justice is denied where poverty is enforced where ignorance prevails and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe ”

The day may not be far away when peaceful protests are replaced by violence and bloodbaths and sins of the past will come to haunt the so-called elites And then the nation may reach a point of no return with everything falling apart Beware the Ides of March, Pakistan

Unfortunately, the truth was buried deep the day father of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah passed away Since Jinnah’s death in 1948 Pakistan’s history has been a sad and unfortunate story of continued self-inflicted wounds or rather 75 deep cuts to its body politic over 75 years of its miserable existence Pakistan s body is deeply wounded and its soul utterly exhausted But that has not stopped its elite tearing at its flesh and drinking its blood

The past 16 months are only a glaring example of how the rotten system of status quo is fighting tooth and nail to retain its control It is not just a battle but a war for Pakistan s soul and its continuity as a federation and a nation state

Whether Pakistan will regain and replenish its soul and stand tall as a nation in the coming years still seems a distant dream

For those who think that this is a battle between Imran Khan s PTI and the PDM or the system of status quo are grossly mistaken They need to realize that this really is a war between people of Pakistan for their rights against the system of status quo represented by elites of all sorts This war has been ongoing since the formation of Pakistan when foreign colonialists left and local colonialists took over Ever since then Pakistan has been wavering between democracy and dictatorship which has been made all the more complicated by its international relations and geopolitics

WE live in an increasingly challenging world of two existential threats: the climate change crisis and the likely Pandemicene phenomena Pakistan is reportedly among the ten top most climate-challenged countries, which puts great burdens on the country to make a quick green economic transformation while the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the deep cracks in the economic resilience of the country especially in terms of the public health sector and fiscal space to meaningfully meet health, stimulus, and welfare needs

Having said that, in line with the overall global trend, Pakistan has undergone an aggressive neoliberal assault during the last four decades or so which in the favoured mantra of market fundamentalism has reduced the leadership and regulatory capacity of the public sector to mainly fixing market failures and facilitation of the private sector This resulted in overall increasingly non-inclusive economic growth, along with weak capacity of the government to significantly influence economic growth to be appropriately diversified and resilient

One of the first resolutions that the public sector which otherwise is also looking to attract foreign investment, and increase exports, is to see a much greater role of government, away from the neoliberal tradition, and more on the lines of social democracy

This means the government should look to become an entrepreneurial state In her book T h e E nt re p re n e u r i a l S t a t e : D e b u n k i n g P u b l i c V s P r i v a t e

S e c t o r M y t h s internationally renowned economist Mariana Mazzucato pointed out about an entrepreneurial state as the State has been key to creating and shaping markets not only fixing them Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n a l p u b l i c i n v e s t m e n t s w e r e o f t e n fruits of ‘mission-oriented’ policies aimed at thinki n g b i g : g o i n g t o t h e m o o n o r f i g h t i n g c l i m a t e c h a n g e G e t t i n g g o v e r n m e n t s t o t h i n k b i g a g a i n about innovation is not just about throwing more taxpayer money at more activities It requires fundamentally reconsidering the traditional role of the State in the economy First, it means empowering governments to envision a d i re c t i o n for technologi c a l c h a n g e a n d i n v e s t i n t h a t d i r e c t i o n C r e a t i n g markets not only fixing them Second it means abandoning the short-sighted way public spending is usually evaluated [which] should be measured by its courage in pushing markets into new areas Third, it means allowing public organizations to experiment, learn and even fail! Fourth, precisely because failure is part of the trial and error ways for

Beware the Ides of March! But why? In the ancient Roman calendar the Ides of March was equivalent to 15 March and is famously mentioned in William Shakespeare s play Julius Caesar where a soothsayer warns Caesar of his impending assassination However, ancient Romans actually considered this day a deadline for settling debts Rest assured that in Pakistan ultimately all debts will be settled by the people in one way or the other whether it takes seven months or seven years Nation states cannot survive for long when there is no rule of law or where any person or institution is above the law

Unlike Egypt or Turkey where you have Egyptians and Turks that have an identity that goes back many centuries Pakistan and Pakistanis have a shared history dating back to only 75 years These 75 years are also filled with continued upheavals and tragic events There seems to be neither any foresight or insight demonstrated by the powers of status quo represented by PDM and the establishment Pakistan has no real future without rule of law and democracy – even if there is one then it will be that of unfulfilled potential and broken dreams One cannot separate authority or power from accountability and responsibility And that has been Pakistan s achilles heel where so called elected governments have the responsibility and are held accountable but do not have any real authority or power

For status quo powers it may be easier to deal with Imran Khan and PTI who still are operating within the framework of constitution and legality rather than a much younger firebrand popular charismatic leader to emerge in later years who may not believe in peaceful agitation or activism With Pakistan’s population explosion and demographics fundamentalism lack of tolerance and education increasing access to social media and technology and an

governments and taxpayers to reap some of the rewards from the upside, rather than just de-risking the downside ’ Moreover rather than leaving the economy primarily to the private sector and in turn mainly on the profit signals the government should provide a mission-oriented industrial policy which rather than picking one sector over the other, brings together various sectors of the economy towards achieving goals such as more diversified and productive domestic production along with more competitive exports base A 2019 IMF working paper The return of the policy that shall not be named: principles of industrial policy for instance highlighted the importance of industrial policy as Based on theoretical, empirical, and historical evidence we argue that the development paths of the Asian Miracles as well as Japan, Germany and the U S before them provide us with important clues to their success We contend that standard growth policy prescriptions are not sufficient We find strong commonalities in policies pursued by the Asian Miracles, and one cannot ignore the preeminent role of industrial policy in their development Not only did they succeed at catching up with the advanced world the Asian miracles’ economic model resulted in much lower market income inequality than that in most advanced countries

An important reform to increase the capacity of the government to deliver on the much-needed role as an entrepreneurial state, would require reforming the public service, which in turn could be another economic resolution this Independence Day Moreover given the polycrisis situation the country faces on the economic front– and exacerbated by the fastunfolding climate change crisis and the urgent need to prepare for a possible Pandemicene phenomenon–in terms of building up otherwise low foreign exchange reserves, creating debt sustainability, and a reducing an otherwise very difficult income inequality and poverty situation it is important approach policy reform and implementation in a mission-oriented way As an example it may help to learn from some ways in which mission-oriented approach has been adopted in the European Union (EU) to improve the capacity of the public sector, as pointed out in the chapter ‘Neoliberalism, innovation bureaucracies and the reinvention of missions’ from the book How to make an entrepreneurial state: why innovation needs bureaucracy published in 2022 as Thus we can see a typology of mission-oriented policies and practices emerging in the EU: [1] Top-down coordination approach to better align existing policy mixes for incremental upgrading this approach to missions is oriented towards stability and long-term agreements in investment strategies and other policy aspects [2] Sectoral coordination and implementation approach takes missions as a way to recharge essentially cor-

economy that is in shambles things are only likely to get worse Collective wisdom needs to prevail or else Pakistan will move from the socalled category of a failing state to a failed state

A number of potential disastrous outcomes can only be averted if (i) free and fair elections are held without marginalizing any political party or person (ii) rule of law is implemented both in letter and spirit and (iii) all institutions strictly remain within their original mandate and as per the Constitution

The continuous experimentation and meddling by the establishment have never helped in the past nor will it help in the future Direct and indirect military rule will only breed more and more discontent and discord given Pakistan s history even though short-term stability may be achieved temporarily by thwarting the Constitution and suppressing sections of the population Blame also lies with the politicians who never really united and stood together for upholding the rule of law and Constitution Divide and rule strategy of colonialism will continue until politicians develop a degree of maturity and wisdom and stand together as a united force for the right reasons There will surely come a time when the state will be unable to use any force and terror to enforce its agenda

There is always a tipping point beyond which injustices and economic disparities in a society lead to unimaginable outcomes Pakistan will never achieve long term sustainable economic growth and development or truly be a nation state until there is supremacy of the constitution, rule of law and political stability

The author is a senior international banker with degrees in economics and political science from University of Pennsylvania and Brown University

s a t i p p i n g p o i n t b e y o n d w h i c h i n j u s t i c e s a n d e c o n o m i c d i s p a r i t i e s i n a s o c i e t y l e a d t o u n i m a g i n a b l e o u t c o m e s . Pa k i s t a n w i l l n e v e r a c h i e v e l o n g t e r m s u s t a i n a b l e e c o n o m i c g r o w t h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o r t r u l y b e a n a t i o n s t a t e u n t i l t h e r e i s s u p r e m a c y o f t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n , r u l e o f l a w a n d p o l i t i c a l s t a b i l i t y

poratist or coordinated market economy type sectoral coordination mechanism In this iteration, missions as an approach enable the widening of sectoral policies to include non-traditional policy goals and stakeholders [3] Design-led approach reframes siloed policy goals and builds deeper civic and stakeholder engagement In this approach missions are a tool to build new capabilities within innovation agencies focused on rethinking the policy design process [4] Smart specialisation-based approach to missions is found in predominantly regional policies building on smart specialisation policies developed during the 2010s in many European regions Key to such missions is a focus on just transitions regions moving from carbon-heavy specialisation to a greener and more sustainable specialisation

In the light of the above, especially given the successes of for instance, China, and the Scandinavian countries of the public sector in implementing a meaningfully inclusive resilient and sustainable economy it is important that economic results should extend to seeing a more balanced role of the public sector in terms of the extent of the privatization process, and the running of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) The neoliberal mantra, over the years, of excessive privatization and weak regulation of the private sector has created deep cracks in terms of economic resilience especially when it came to preparedness to deal with existential threats like climate change and the Covid pandemic perpetuation of the profit-over-people mindset in the private sector, and increasing income and wealth inequalities

Another important resolution on the economic front and which flows from building the capacity of the public sector is to significantly reduce the p r a c t i c e o f o u t s o u r c i n g I n h e r b o o k 2 0 2 3 p u blished book The big con: how the consulting ind u s t r y w e a k e n s o u r b u s i n e s s e s , i n f a n t i l i z e s o u r governments and wraps our economies pointed out in this regard ‘Consultancies are often used by governments (as well as businesses) seeking to avoid blame for failures Of course the irony is that even if the reputational damage does land with the consultancy – which it often does not – the financial costs of failure remain the responsibility of the government And the greatest cost of outsourcing is that in the end it is much harder to learn from failures when they are the fault of third-party actions – the blame may be outsourced but so is the learning-by-doing The broader costs are similarly borne by the society A critical reform that follows from r e c o g n i z i n g t h e s t a t e a s a v a l u e c r e a t o r a n d r i s k taker would be to move away from all large-scale prime contracting altogether Eliminating the intermediation by consultancies that prime contracting creates also helps to ensure that governments are able to develop purposeful direct relationships w i t h b u s i n e s s e s a n d a r e a b l e t o r e c o g n i z e w h e n that partnership is no longer valuable

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

Issues faced by DHA residents

R E G R E T TA B LY the residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi, despite paying hefty taxes, are still deprived of basic amenities and facilities They do not get anything in lieu of the heavy taxes they pay They can only reproach the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) and DHA, but that does not resolve anything

They have a valid reason to complain taking into account the prevailing circumstances as well as past experiences in their so-called posh areas which these days are inundated with rainwater and are devoid of any basic rescue facilities, neither for the elderly, nor for the students going for their exams, etc Besides, the situation is further aggravated by K-Electric (KE) which carries out hours of loadshedding without giving any cogent reason Moreover, the sanitation as well as emergency staff of CBC just roam the area to show they are busy while doing actually nothing

Above all we the residents of DHA never get water through the lines However during torrential rains in monsoon we face sewage spreading all over causing waterborne diseases countless mosquitoes flies and weird insects that spread strange smell in the area

MAJID BURFAT KARACHI

Zero learning

I have seen and vividly remember a small fraction of huge sacrifices and a tragedy of great proportion by Muslims migrating from India 76 years ago at the time of the creation of Pakistan

During all these years I have been carrying a dream that during my lifetime, we will work hard and see a prosperous and developed Pakistan

Now looking back over all these years, barring some patches, Pakistan s history has been a tale of massive corruption, poor governance, and sheer greed by its leaders Over these years we have seen and watched many countries go past us to join the rank of developed countries or at least made great progress while we continue to stagnate or deteriorate It is this greed for power and corruption by our worthy leaders that hardly any elected government has been able to complete its term in office over all these years

We have learnt virtually nothing whatsoever from our turbulent history In fact, it was this greed and sheer mismanagement of our leaders that deprived us of half of Pakistan 51 years ago Now that we have just celebrated the 76th anniversary of our independence let us remember the huge sacrifices the Muslims of India made for creating Pakistan and vow to elect honest people of great integrity as our legislators If we have not learnt anything from our turbulent history and gross mismanagement we will all be responsible together for the events that may follow Pakistan Zindabad!

QUYUM KHAN LAHORE

Pakistan’s Bir thday

S H O U L D we celebrate Aug 14 as our Independence Day or the birthday of Pakistan? Pakistan did not exist before Aug 14 1947 As such it was never a country ruled by the British and consequently liberated or granted independence Although the name of Pakistan was coined early in 1933 by Chaudhry Rehmat Ali in a pamphlet Now or Never Pakistan cropped up as a sovereign state on Aug 14, 1947 It was born a free country from its very inception It was India that was ruled by the British and given independence by them, not Pakistan Pakistan was never under the rule of any foreign power It was created took its birth one minute before India was liberated at midnight the same night but as the date changes after midnight therefore India became independent on Aug 15 We should therefore celebrate Pakistan s birthday and not its Independence Day MAZHAR YOUSUF ANSARI HYDERABAD

I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y e c o n o m i c r e s o l u t i o n s

B e w a r e t h e I d e s o f M a r c h , P a k i s t a n

T h e r u l e o f t h e Te c h n o c r a t !

ment in the annual budget documents in the vain hope that the deal might get through or at least the payment be returned Neither happened until the Musharraf government settled the issue with the Bush Administration during the height of the War On Terror This was precisely the time when the PAF started looking towards the Chinese options; the development of the JF17

outgoing government in a desperate bid devalued the currency to the tune of 22 percent in the closing days of October 1996 and the forex reserves hit an all-time low, the debate for yet another technocratic set up drew strength again

AS this piece hits the stands on Sunday (today) a caretaker setup might be in place in Pakistan

In an already uncertain political atmosphere, there is already talk of an extended caretaker setup That suspicion is given credence by the fact that while at the time of dissolution of the houses every single name is sorted out; here the oddest instance has been observed by the bewildered nation

A ceremonial opposition leader is being involved in equally superficial discussion The whole scenario gives the going-off the look of a paranormal activity, this time in the corridors of power A setup it seems is contemplated which will not do the needful in the customary 90-day or three-month period as enshrined in the 1973 constitution It might go beyond A political system afflicted with bad experiences during the Zia years in the late 1970s, when the 90-day period never ended; such talk is likely to fuel suspicion about the ‘benign’ intent of the establishment in pushing the electoral process forward

The reasons for suspicion emanate from the fact that powers like the USA despite being critical of Zia during the early years preferred to look the other way when the Afghanistan project kicked off in early 1980 Today despite being a waning military power, the USA still seems to be embroiled in regional conflicts; a sort of proxy war Its anticipated conflict with Iran over the failed JCPOA is very much feared It is trying to buck up the Ukrainian defences without being in the conflict zone With reports in Twitter filtering out about the Ukraine war being a testing ground for Iranian drones on the Russian side and Pakistani multi barrel rocket launchers on the Ukrainian side, with Pakistani establishment-linked Twitter handles lovingly referring to the Ukrainian FM as from ‘brotherly country’ tells all Such a ‘brotherly country’ title is usually reserved for Muslim nation-states; with Ukraine a rare noble exception

Coming back to the on-ground variables which might influence the patterns in the governance and consequent public perception, it is important to have a look back at what has already been practised without success

The period between 1989 to 1993 has been characterized as an era when the Pakistani system was not engaged in any active war along with the USA That period was characterized by stringent IMF demands and no concessions on part of the USA either During that period Pakistan made payment for an additional lot of F16s, which were never delivered to the PAF During that time, the GoP Ministry of Finance continued to reflect that pay-

During that period, the bludgeon for the IMF was the swelling of the budgetary deficit by successive PPP and PML(N) dispensations Both the governments were forced to adopt the GST without homework which alienated the government from the business community

The political crisis in 1993 when the incumbent President and the PML(N) PM refused to work with each other, the establishment under COAS Gen Waheed Kakar tried successfully to defuse the crisis through timely elections in October 1993 At that point of time, though the elections were not delayed, a sort of technocratic experiment was played to correct the economic direction of the country The willingness of the succeeding PPP administration to go along with the IMF programme paved the way for the timely elections as well as the release of funds by the IMF to the new incumbents in Islamabad

Going forward the PPP government fared badly on the economic front to the extent that the haphazard formulation of the Finance Bill for the Budget 1996-1997 sealed its political fate A series of incidents like the murder of Murtaza Bhutto somewhat precipitated the unceremonious dismissal of the Benazir government in the wee hours of 5 November 1996 Given the fact that the

At that point of time the pro-business PML(N) assured the establishment as well as the IMF that it would steer the system out of the crisis That government, riding on the wave of engineered mandate as the result of February 1997 polls, was able to upstage the other power centres at a spectacular speed; until the Kargil fiasco

The Musharraf years soon to be overtaken by the 9/11 developments did not see any reason for the government of technocrats The 2008 2013 and the 2018 elections were held relatively in a relaxed atmosphere, where political forces as well as extra constitutional variables were allowed the manipulation of the outcome of the electoral exercise

As things stand on the top of the failed ‘hybrid’ experiment 2018-2022 the chief players seem to be pushing for a technocratic setup as they feel the state they manage is at peril if administrative intervention is not made urgently The concluding remarks of the outgoing foreign minister of the PDM setup, pointing an accusing finger at the older generation of politicians, is in fact a protest over the political forces losing too much space to the nonpolitical ones during the last 16 months

If the hybrid experiment precipitated that process the so-called political forces did little to stop that slide into political uncertainty Political forces are by nature

T h e s e l f - c o r r e c t i o n m i g h t t a k e a n u n d e s i r a b l e r o u t e , a p e r i l o u s o n e t o q u o t e , i f t h e p u b l i c a n g e r b o i l s o v e r G i v e n t h e f a c t t h a t t h e s e t u p i s p a s s i n g t h r o u g h u n c e r t a i n t i m e s , a c o n s e n s u s a c r o s s t h e s p e c t r u m c a n d e l i v e r t h e g o o d s b e t t e r t h a n a n e d i c t b a s e d o n a f e w  e m p t y h e a d s Ê T h e h o t c h - p o t c h b e i n g o b s e r v e d i n Pa k i s t a n i n t h e d o m a i n s o f e c o n o m i c a n d p o l i t i c a l m a n a g e m e n t c a n s t i l l b e m a n a g e d w i t h o u t d i s r u p t i n g t h e e l e c t o r a t e Ês r i g h t S t u d e n t s o f I M F p r o g r a m m e s k n o w w e l l t h a t t h e s t a g f l a t i o n - i n f l i c t e d Tu r k e y o f t h e m i d - 1 9 9 0 s d i d n o t f o r g o t h e e l e c t i o n s , e v e n i f i t s e l e c t e d E r b a k a n , a n I s l a m i s t S i m i l a r l y, t h e A S E A N m e m b e r T h a i l a n d , w h e n a f f l i c t e d w i t h t h e 1 9 9 7 c r a s h , d i d n o t f o r g o t h e e l e c t i o n s

the prime stakeholders of the electoral process The current politico-economic chaos, even if it warrants a national government composed of technocrats cannot be allowed for an indeterminate period As such open accommodation can only fuel further restlessness in the society and not to forget sane investment decisions which the establishment wants the foreign investors to take, yet dampening the environment in the first instance itself Here one needs to question the intent; if the intervention allows across the board reform Alternatively the technocrat set-up is only a ‘Vitamin booster ’ to enable a terminal patient to move as much to manage himself for a certain period That is a query which needs to be answered A superficial treatment which does not address the ills, but only manages them, will automatically benefit the old regime Such a situation will not endear the masses to such steps Rather, the electorate belonging to all the political groups will escalate their disapproval The future scenario might not be composed of only one party in the wilderness fighting the establishment shadows; rather it can be critically democratic versus the undemocratic The self-correction might take an undesirable route, a perilous one to quote, if the public anger boils over

Given the fact that the setup is passing through uncertain times a consensus across the spectrum can deliver the goods better than an edict based on a few ‘empty heads’ The hotch-potch being observed in Pakistan in the domains of economic and political management can still be managed without disrupting the electorate s right Students of IMF programmes know well that the stagflation-inflicted Turkey of the mid-1990s did not forgo the elections, even if it selected Erbakan, an Islamist Similarly the ASEAN member Thailand when afflicted with the 1997 crash did not forgo the elections

Dominance of nonpolitical forces and deviation from the clear constitutional roadmaps is like delivering the nation-state to chaos Whispering from the scions of dominant political families can be the writing on the wall that it can be counterproductive to push the system too much into the quasi-Pentagon settings Democratic politics is corrected democratically; failing which all is evaporated; Tehran 1979 Manila 1986; it is the power brokers choice!

The writer is a freelance columnist

Whither Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami?

Jamaat- e -Islami remains the largest Islamic fundamentalist par t y in B angladesh B ut it shares an interesting relationship with the Western countries, especially with the US and those in the European Union. At one point of time, Jamaat was even promoted as a moderate Islamic par t y

When Big Tech companies produce output from generative AI that was trained on public data, they would pay a tiny licensing fee, by the word or pixel or relevant unit of data Those fees would go into the AI Dividend fund. Ever y few months, the Commerce D epar tment would send out the entiret y of the fund, split equally, to ever y resident nationwide. That ’s it

businesses would be exempt from fees Only Big Tech companies those with substantial revenue would be required to pay into the fund And they would pay at the point of generative AI output such as from ChatGPT Bing Bard or their embedded use in third-party services via Application Programming Interfaces

Our proposal also includes a compulsory licensing plan By agreeing to pay into this fund AI companies will receive a license that allows them to use public data when training their AI This won t supersede normal copyright law of course If a model starts producing copyright material beyond fair use, that s a separate issue

Using today’s numbers, here’s what it would look like The licensing fee could be small, starting at $0 001 per word generated by AI A similar type of fee would be applied to other categories of generative AI outputs such as images That s not a lot but it adds up Since most of Big Tech has started integrating generative AI into products, these fees would mean an annual dividend payment of a couple hundred dollars per person

The idea of paying you for your data isn’t new and some companies have tried to do it themselves for users who opted in And the idea of the public being repaid for use of their resources goes back to well before Alaska s oil fund But generative AI is different: It uses data from all of us whether we like it or not, it’s ubiquitous, and it’s potentially immensely valuable It would cost Big Tech companies a fortune to create a synthetic equivalent to our data from scratch and synthetic data would almost certainly result in worse output They can t create good AI without us

Our plan would apply to generative AI used in the U S It also only issues a dividend to Americans

Other countries can create their own versions, applying a similar fee to AI used within their borders

Our proposal is simple and harkens back to the Alaskan plan When Big Tech companies produce output from generative AI that was trained on public data, they would pay a tiny licensing fee, by the word or pixel or relevant unit of data Those fees would go into the AI Dividend fund Every few months the Commerce Department would send out the entirety of the fund split equally to every resident nationwide That s it

There s no reason to complicate it further Generative AI needs a wide variety of data, which means all of us are valuable not just those of us who write professionally or prolifically or well Figuring out who contributed to which words the AIs output would be both challenging and invasive given that even the companies themselves don t quite know how their models work Paying the dividend to people in proportion to the words or images they create would just incentivize them to create endless drivel or worse use AI to create that drivel The bottom line for Big Tech is that if their AI model was created using public data they have to pay into the fund If you re an American you get paid from the fund

this plan, hobbyists and American small

Just like an American company collects VAT for services sold in Europe but not here each country can independently manage their AI policy

Don t get us wrong; this isn t an attempt to strangle this nascent technology Generative AI has interesting, valuable and possibly transformative uses, and this policy is aligned with that future Even with the fees of the AI Dividend generative AI will be cheap and will only get cheaper as technology improves There are also risks both every day and esoteric posed by AI and the government may need to develop policies to remedy any harms that arise Our plan can’t make sure there are no downsides to the development of AI but it would ensure that all Americans will share in the upsides particularly since this new technology isn t possible without our contribution

Barath Raghavan is a professor of computer science at USC and co-founder of INVISV Bruce

STAR

A N k I TA S A N yA l

IN June, a new party, the Bangladesh Development Party, applied for registration with the Election Commission of Bangladesh It has been known for some time that the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami – which was deregistered as a political party in 2013 since its constitution contradicts the Bangladesh Constitution – has been contemplating its political future by forming a new party There has been a debate since 2016 regarding whether the party should reincarnate itself as a new party since all its top leaders had been convicted of war crimes

In 2018 the EC decided not to ban the party but to cancel their registration following a 2013 High Court order that declared the party s registration illegal The party would have probably preferred a ban so as to justify the formation of a new party, and also because, if Jamaat is dissolved without a ban, it would essentially be confirming its negative role in the Liberation War The War Crimes Tribunal and the hanging of several top leaders of Jamaat after they were convicted has been contested by the party After 2008 it decided not to participate in the 2014 election following the decision of its alliance partner, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) It participated in the 2018 election under the BNP symbol, as part of the 20-party alliance Though there was reluctance to include Jamaat in the electoral alliance given its role in the Liberation War political expediency prevailed in the end

JAMAAT AND BNP: TACTICAL SEPARATION?

Prior to the 2018 election several leaders within BNP had urged the party to end its alliance with Jamaat This call for separation was also made by the European Union in 2015, as it was widely believed that Jamaat cadres were involved in widespread violence that had resulted in more than 100 people being killed Though there was some debate within BNP about its association with Jamaat in the end it was decided it would not cut off ties Jamaat-e-Islami head Dr Shafiqur Rahman in a meeting held in August 2022, said, The alliance has become ineffective In January this year, BNP and Jamaat held separate programmes Though some leaders within the BNP attributed Jamaat’s decision to go separate ways as “good riddance the fact remains that the BNP did not have the political courage to de-link with Jamaat Therefore this separation appears to be tactical

After a decade, Jamaat was allowed to hold a rally in Dhaka on June 10 The permission to hold the rally at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) was granted by overriding another request made by Jatiya Party’s youth wing Jatiyo Jubo Sanghati Some even speculate a possible understanding between Jamaat and the Awami League as it has been stated from the government s end that the permission was granted due to a political decision As of now, the two erstwhile allies are holding rallies separately while keeping their options open Jamaat has always been close to BNP, but seems to have realised that a tactical separation would help it to survive the political turmoil as Awami League remains focused on discrediting BNP

JAMAAT AND THE WEST: Jamaat-e-Islami remains the largest Islamic fundamentalist party in Bangladesh But it shares an interesting relationship with the Western countries, especially with the US and those in the European Union At one point of time Jamaat was even promoted as a moderate Islamic party Yet the US Department of State Country Report on Terrorism 2006 had indicted the Islami Bank which had several board members belonging to Jamaat for funding the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), a terrorist organisation

Similarly, it is also known that one of the former JMB leaders, previously Habiganj district head of Jamaat-e-Islami, Saidur Rahman was a rokan of Jamaat However Jamaat immediately distanced itself from him and argued that Saidur did not belong to the party and had left it a long time back In 2014 its student organisation was involved in violence against minorities Though Jamaat in the past has distanced itself from Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, which many believe is the armed wing of the party, most Jamaat leaders in their student days have engaged in politics through Chhatra Shibir The party has also been at the forefront of a campaign to declare the Ahmadiyya as non-Muslims

While the EU has been vocal in the past about Jamaat in several of its resolutions asking the BNP to sever its ties with Jamaat, the US has kept rather quiet regarding the party In a confidential note, as revealed by Wikileaks, the US Embassy in Dhaka in January 2010 wrote, “Mission Dhaka will continue to engage with Jamaat and Shabbir [Chhatra Shibir] and track their efforts to transform Bangladesh into a more Islamic state On July 24 the US ambassador met with the main party functionaries of Jamaat Meanwhile the European Union Parliament, following the 2007 violence, had urged the BNP to unequivocally distance itself from Jamaat-e-Islami and Hafezat-e-Islam, which are regarded as the main instigators of the violence, stressing that parties which turn to terrorist acts should be banned Jamaat-e-Islami as a party insists on Islamic values and maintenance of purdah Some of the writings that appear in the newspaper that is controlled by the party discourages mingling between opposite sexes, discourages women from working with men as it would lead to fitna, and argues that the prime responsibilities of women are taking care of their husbands children and doing household chores

However the question is while the Bangladesh Development Party (BDP) – which many think is a front organisation of Jamaat – is waiting for registration as a new political party, why does Jamaat want to display its political strength by organising rallies, instead of allowing the BDP to emerge? This brings us to another question: is Jamaat expecting the restoration of its registration by the EC? Since it is an established political party receiving votes in its name would rehabilitate the party in the country s politics especially post the war crime trials

Another relatively new party Amar Bangladesh Party which is headed by former Jamaat activist Mujibur Rahman Manju, has been denied registration by the EC AB Party projects itself as a reformist party that does not want to burden itself with the history that Jamaat inherited due to their role in supporting the Pakistan Army during the Liberation War In 2019 Barrister Abdur Razzak resigned from Jamaat citing the party s role in 1971 Such reformist moves within Jamaat are not new The party has so far dodged this issue by expelling those who have raised such questions and has survived as a prominent Islamist political party with ideological and monetary strength Not surprisingly, Jamaat has managed to surface with its cadres intact to take the opportunity that the upcoming national election provides For now it does not seem in a hurry to implement its larger Islamisation project But in its hurry to have a multiparty election minus BNP, the AL s flirtation with Jamaat may have serious implications for Bangladeshi society and politics

CARETAKER PM ANWA AR K AK AR RESIGNS AS SENATOR, BAP MEMBER

Sharif and Opposition Leader Raja Riaz and several days of speculation about the probable choice for the post

Sino-Pak companies join hands to facilitate Pakistani chili expor t to China

BA L O C H I S TA N Awami Party (BAP) Senator Anwaarul Haq

Kakar who has been appointed as the eighth caretaker prime minister of Pakistan, announced resigned as a member of the upper house of Parliament as well as his party Owing to the fundamental responsibility conferred upon me as the caretaker prime minister I have decided to surrender my membership of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and relinquish my Senate position,” the soonto-be interim PM said on X formerly known as Twitter Prayers requested from everyone he added

The announcement comes a day after the much-anticipated announcement of Kakar ’s selection for the interim PM’s slot, following two rounds of talks between outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz

Following his selection, a source in the Presidency told Dawn that Kakar would take oath as the caretaker PM in a day or two

The initial positive reactions over Kakar s surprise nomination demonstrated how he was acceptable to most political parties, especially those part of the ruling coalition headed by PM Shehbaz

However, soon after Kakar ’s appointment, PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah said his party which was an important ally in the ruling coalition led by Pm Shehbaz had proposed three names and they were better options

Later, Shazia Marri and Faisal Karim Kundi from the PPP dispelled the impression created after Shah’s statement that the party had reservations over Kakar s selection

Earlier in the day Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal conveyed to PML-N

supremo Nawaz Sharif who is said to have been closely involved in the selection of the caretaker PM that Kakar s appointment had widened the distance between allied parties PML-N and BNP-M

In his letter, Mengal expressed reservations over the coalition government’s decision to choose Kakar without naming him as the interim premier without consultations with allied parties He also mentioned legislating for in the dark and expressed disappointment in the party s actions, stating that he had hoped for greater empathy after past experiences

Some political observers have also expressed reservations over Kakar s purported closeness to the establishment Kakar was one of the founding members of the BAP, which is thought to have the backing of the country s establishment

Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz congratulated Kakar on his appointment as the interim premier and expressed confidence that he would ensure free fair and impartial elections which are most likely to be delayed following the ap-

proval of the 2023 digital census as a fresh delimitation which may take months has now become compulsory

A statement issued by the PM s Office today quoted the outgoing premier as saying that the “trust reposed by all parties in Kakar ’s name proves their proper choice as the upcoming caretaker PM is an educated person and a patriot He said that under a constitutional process, they agreed upon the name of a suitable person for the interim PM s slot and thanked the now-former opposition leader in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz for holding consultations with him for the selection PM Shehzab said his government had struggled to bring economic stability in the country during its 16-month tenure and hoped that the continuity of [this] process will be maintained”

“Ensuring progress prosperity and e c o n o m i c s t a b i l i t y i s c r i t i c a l f o r t h e p r o g r e s s a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e n ation the PMO statement quoted him as saying

KARACHI: In a development for Sino-Pak trade and agricultural cooperation Pakistan’s Dynamic Engineering & Automation and China s Qingdao Lulu Agri Equip Co Ltd signed an MoU here to carry out a project to processing chilies in Pakistan for export to China The signing ceremony was witnessed by Ghulam Qadir, Commercial Counsellor, Pakistani Embassy in China, Qamar Zaman, Joint Secretary, Pakistani Ministry of Commerce (Agri Division) and Wang Zihai Pakistan s Honorable Investment Counsellor to China reported China Economic Net (CEN) With China currently being the world s largest pepper producing and trading country, the MoU opens up new avenues for Pakistani enterprises to tap into the vast Chinese market It also provides a platform for research collaboration and exchange programs between the two companies fostering mutual learning and growth Under the terms of the MoU the two companies will jointly develop and coordinate work plans for the establishment of chilli production workshops, personnel management and technology transfer At the end of last month, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and former Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif jointly witnessed the signing of a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for the export of dried chilies showing the huge potential of Pakistan chili and provides a broader market opportunity for chili-related enterprises in the two countries S TA F F R E P O R T

Pak istan Nav y celebrating S even Decades of Independence

UBAID UR REHMAN

Pakistan surfaced on the global map during the time of the cold war between the USA a n d t h e U S S R D u e t o i t s s t r a t e g i c g e og r a p h i c a l l o c a t i o n a n d i t s r e l e v a n c e t o t h e main power objective of the USSR Pakistan was thrust into a pivotal position of choosing a geopolitical block As a newly formed nation, making choices on international and regional issues proved challenging since the goals and interests were specified but it was not viable for Pakistan to strategically align with existing powers as a newly established s t a t e R i g h t a f t e r o b t a i n i n g i n d e p e n d e n c e

Pakistan faced this challenge and thus opted for military alliances and agreements to protect its national interests Consequently, its r e l i a n c e o n m i l i t a r y c o o p e r a t i o n a n d c o ns t r u c t i o n o f f o r e i g n p o l i c y p o r t r a y e d P a ki s t a n a s a ' S e c u r i t y S t a t e ' u n d e r l i n i n g t h e significance of the Armed Forces

Being a state having multi-dimensional security threats, the Pakistan Armed Forces bore the enormous responsibility of protecting Pakistan's national interests Pakistan Armed Forces have always shown their professionalism from land to air to sea As a result of increased maritime diplomacy and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) the role of the Pakistan Navy has arguably expanded in recent years In this context, Pakistan Navy s vision of securing territorial waters and coastline, playing a constructive role in maritime security measures combating darkness of the sea and exploring special economic zones is truly commendable

At the time of independence the Pakistan Navy received a share of 4 frigates, 4 naval minesweepers, 8 motor minesweepers and a harbor defense vessel Initially, there was no established naval infrastructure and the naval headquarters was a one-room office in Karachi which was later moved to the West Wharf Building and later to Napier Barracks (Liaquat Barracks) Although it was a navy with extremely less resources, but the story of

success started from there With the resolution, commitment and tireless efforts of Pakistan Navy Officials, Pakistan Navy is now a commendable force possessing advanced minesweepers Submarines gunboats fast patrol crafts floating dock rotary wing aircraft submarine chasers fast attack crafts survey vessels, advanced missile systems and exclusive training ships etc In addition, the Pakistan Naval Shipyard provides domestic maintenance services and indigenizes through contracts and technology transfer from friendly countries The maritime cooperation with the Chinese Navy in the West and the recent naval agreement with Turkey are some examples in this regard

Besides, Pakistan Navy is effectively engaged in ‘Naval Diplomacy’ to further our bilateral relations with the world In this regard

bilateral Naval Exercises with several world navies are conducted on regular intervals to increase interoperability and promote bilateral relations Increasing the naval strength and self-reliance is highly mandated by PN to maintain effective operational presence in Indian Ocean Region The recently inducted type 054A Frigates PNS TIPPU SULTAN and PNS SHAHJAHAN marked the completion of project of four Chinese built Tughril Class Frigates followed by the launching of PNS Tariq at Karachi Shipyard indicates the momentous steps taken towards more powerful maritime defence Similarly, Pakistan is also attaining the capability of submarine construction with two Hangor Class Submarines under construction at KSEW with the help of China

At the coastal borders of Pakistan, Navy has come a long way to help nation building through development of the educational institutions coastal community building projects relief operations during previous year floods and rescue & relief operations during recent tropical Cyclone Biparjoy in the form of evacuation of affectees along the creeks area

A b o v e a l l , C o g n i z a n t o f t h e i n t e r n at i o n a l o b l i g a t i o n s a n d c h a n g i n g i n t e r n a -

tional scenario, Pakistan Navy redefined itself and has played vital role in securing the international w aters and ens uring regional peace The general area of this operation is the N o r t h A r a b i a n S e a i n c l u d i n g p a r t s o f t h e P e r s i a n G u l f a n d t h e G u l f o f O m a n P a ki s t a n i s p a r t o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l t a s k f o r c e s (CTF- 150 and CTF-151) and has done excellent job in international campaign against piracy drug and human trafficking Pakistan in conjunction with other coalition partners has carried out various successful operations and seized many ships Pakistan Navy also joined the US led coalition called Coalition M a r i t i m e C a m p a i g n P l a n ( C M C P ) i n t h e year 2004 The campaign, which is maritime c o m p o n e n t o f ‘ O p e r a t i o n E n d u r i n g F r e ed o m ’ ( O E F ) d e s i g n e d t o k e e p a c h e c k o n sea-borne terrorist elements

With declaration of regional fate changer project CPEC the responsibility of Pakistan Navy has increased drastically to ensure security of multi billion project To respond call of duty, Pakistan Navy raised a specialized Task Force to provide security to Gwadar Port and the projects under CPEC Henceforth undoubtedly Pakistan Navy is now an important component of the economic security of Pakistan

In a nutshell, Pakistan Navy started its journey with limited resources, but with the vision, resolution, commitment and tireless efforts of countries’ leadership and sacrifices of the Navy personnel Pakistan Navy is now a committed and professional sea arm that has proved its professionalism internationally Moreover, from security of coastal borders to the nation building efforts, Pakistan Navy has always come up to the expectations of the nation in these seventy years With the current vision to address sea blindness exploring natural resources in special economic zones and securing of gigantic economic opportunity, CPEC, Pakistan Navy is emerging as a significant economic component of the country

Chinese embassy congratulates Pakistani nation on Independence Day

ISLAMABAD: The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan has congratulated all the Pakistani people around the world on 76th Independence Day to be celebrated on August 14 The embassy in a message on social media platform X said “May the spirit of freedom always shine” “On the way to prosperity China will always stand with Pakistan China-Pakistan Dosti Zindabad Mr Shen Shiwei a political & economic analyst and journalist, also took to social media site, X, to congratulate Pakistani nation on the eve of Independence Day S TA F F R E P O R T

Eight-year-old orphan girl abducted, murdered in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: An eight-year-old orphan girl met a tragic end in Islamabad after being abducted while on her way to a madrasa (religious school) According to details the body of the young victim identified as Fatima Mazhar was found near Naswar Chowk within the jurisdiction of the Sumbal police station The little girl had gone missing in the evening the day before, triggering a search that ended in a heartrending discovery of her body The girl s body bore visible signs of torture, underscoring the brutal nature of the crime that had taken place The girl had recently visited her grandmother in Chiniot prior to the tragic incident The police sources suggested that the girl was strangled to death The body has been sent to a hospital for post-mortem examination Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari has formed a special team for inquiry and ordered the DPO to conduct a complete investigation and submit a report S T A F F R E P O R T

CORPORATE CORNER C H I N A V O W S ‘ F O R C E F U L ’ R E S P O N S E O V E R

S indh Governor reviews plan for Q afla- e -A zadi rally

K A R A C H I: Governor Sindh Kamran Khan

Tessori presided over a meeting to review arrangements for rally and public gathering on independence day The rally named as Qafla-eAzadi is scheduled to start at 5 pm from Karsaz 9th mile and would end at Mazar-e-Quaid where a cultural show fire works and balloting for participants would be held Governor Sindh appealed to masses to participate in the rally with their families in large members to show the world that we as a nation are united "We want to set a record of reciting national anthem so people are requested to come to Mazar-e-Quaid end recite the national anthem while holding flags in their hands ,he appealed Governor Sindh said that we must pledge to work for the solidarity and prosperity of the country “The incident of 9th May must be replaced with the celebrations of 14th August” he added PR

PM, D r Musadiq disc uss politic al situation

TA I WA N V I C E P R E S I D E N T ’ S U S V I S I T

CH I N A on Sunday vowed resolute and forceful measures over a weekend trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States adding it was closely monitoring the situation Lai the frontrunner in Taiwan s presidential elections next year is officially making only transit stops in the United States en route to and from Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of president-elect Santiago Pena Taiwan is part of China but US government time and again makes provocative statements about the island

China is closely following the development of the situation and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial

integrity a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday

On landing in New York on Sunday

Lai said on Twitter, now rebranded as X: Happy to arrive at the Big Apple, icon of liberty, democracy and opportunities,” adding that he was greeted at the airport by representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan the United States s de facto embassy for the island Looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programmes in New York,” he wrote Lai is expected to continue to Paraguay then stop in San Francisco on his way back China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region We firmly oppose any visit by Taiwan independence separatists to the US in any name or under whatever pretext, and we firmly oppose the US government having any form of

official contact with the Taiwan region said the foreign office spokesperson adding China deplores and strongly condemns the US decision to arrange the so-called ‘stopover for Lai Ching-te

The statement said that Lai Ching-te clings stubbornly to the separatist position for Taiwan independence

He is a troublemaker through and through The US and the Taiwan authorities arranged for Lai to engage in political activities in the US in the name of having a ‘stopover ’ This seriously violates the one-China principle gravely undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity the statement added

The fact once again shows that the fundamental cause of the continued tensions in the Taiwan Strait is the Taiwan authorities’ attempt to solicit US support for ‘Taiwan independence’ and that the US are bent on using Taiwan to contain

AA JM condemns continued house arrest of Mir waiz Umar Farooq

SRINAGAR

S TA F F R E P O R T

Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid (AAJM), Srinagar, has strongly condemned the authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) of keeping its chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under illegal and arbitrary house detention for more than four years

In a statement, the Anjuman said that was the 207th consecutive Friday when IIOJK's top religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was not

allowed to perform the important religious duty of offering Juma prayer or fulfill his official duties of delivering sermon at the grand mosque due to the continued house arrest The A njuman s aid the res triction on the pers onal and religious f r e e d o m o f t h e M i r w a i z i s t h e w o r s t v i o l a t i o n o f h u m a n a n d r el i g i o u s r i g h t s w h i c h i s n o t o n l y h i g h l y a l a r m i n g b u t a l s o a g a i n s t t h e d e m o c r a t i c v a l u e s T h o s e w h o b e l i e v e i n h u m a n , d e m ocratic and religious values should r a i s e t h e i r v o i c e a g a i n s t i t t h e

s t a t e m e n t a d d e d I t i s t o m e n t i o n h e r e t h a t t h e occupation authorities had placed the Mirwaiz under house arrest on A u g u s t 0 5 i n 2 0 1 9 w h e n t h e N a r e n d r a M o d i - l e d I n d i a n g o vernment repealed the special status of IIOJK T h e A n j u m a n u rg e d t h e i n t e rn a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y t o t a k e c o gn i z a n c e o f t h e g r a v e h u m a n r i g h t s s i t u a t i o n i n I I O J K a n d i nt e r v e n e t o e n s u r e t h e r e l e a s e o f M i r w a i z U m a r F a r o o q a n d o t h e r p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s

China the statement asserted

The Taiwan question is the core of the core interests of China the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués deliver on its commitment of not supporting Taiwan independence or two Chinas or one China, one Taiwan , stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan, stop conniving at and supporting ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and their separatist activities and stop fudging and hollowing out the oneChina principle the statement added China is closely following the developments of the situation and will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity ” it concluded

Governor Tessori visits route of Jashn-e-Azadi rally

L A H O R E: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was called on by former Minister of State for Petroleum

Dr Musadiq Malik here on Sunday During meeting they discussed the overall political situation and issues of mutual interest The prime minister appreciated the performance of the ministry led by Dr Musadiq in difficult economic conditions PR

ASEAN Community in K arachi celebrates ASEAN Family D ay hosted by Consulate General of Indonesia

Following the Indonesian Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2023 the Consulate General of Indonesia in Karachi marked the occasion of ASEAN Day by hosting an ASEAN Family Day on August 12th The event was organized in honor of the 56th ASEAN Day celebrated on August 8th The Indonesian Consulate General led by welcome dignitaries from ASEAN member states namely the Consul General of Thailand Mr Narut Soontarodom The Consul General of Malaysia Mr Herman hardynata Bin Ahmad, the Vietnam Trade Mission Ms Nguyen Thi Diep Ha, and the Honorary Consulate of Philippines

Dr Muhammad Imran Yousuf, Notably esteemed ASEAN external partners the Consulate General of Japan Odagiri Tashio and the Consulate General of Russia Mr Andery V Fedorov joined in the celebration PR

Hashoo Group, CDA join hands for ‘Greener Pakistan’

‘Pakistan will never abandon K ashmiris under any condition’

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiris in their freedom struggle and will never abandon the Kashmiris under any conditions

According to a report released by Kashmir Media Service on Sunday, Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of the partition of sub-continent and the Father of the Nation Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah rightly said Kashmir is a jugular vein of Pakistan

It said Kashmiris’ indigenous freedom struggle is part of Pakistan movement and Pakistan is committed to

support the Kashmiris’ struggle till freedom from Indian bondage It said Pakistan will raise Kashmir dispute at every international forum and will inform the world community about the Indian atrocities in the occupied territory The international community, it said, must recognize its collective responsibility towards the Kashmiris and help resolve the lingering dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions

The report said strong stable & economically powerful Pakistan is must for IIOJK s freedom from Indian yoke adding the hearts of Pakistanis and Kashmiris throb in unison and Kashmir is destined to become a part of Pakistan

MoHR, HelpAge Int ’l join hands to develop rules for IC T Senior Citizens Ac t

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) and HelpAge International have join hand to organize the second consultative meeting on the Rules and Regulations for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Senior Citizens Act, 2021 which is going to be a landmark legislation to protect the rights of elderly people living a less empowered social life The meeting was held here attended by stakeholders including retired government officials and representatives from relevant ministries and departments, said a news release issued on Sunday

The discussions focused on the

draft rules and regulations for three key areas of Senior Citizens Card Establishment of Old Age Homes, and Privileges provided to senior citizens under the Act: (20% discount on the medical facilities and retirement benefits for the older people)

The first meeting on the rules and regulations was held in June 2023 during which the Recruitment Rules for the Senior Citizens Council were finalized The second meeting is part of a series of consultative meetings that will be held to finalize the rules and regulations and ensure the implementation of the ICT Senior Citizens Act 2021 Director General (MoHR) Abdul Sattar who was chief guest on the occasion in his closing re-

marks said The MoHR and HelpAge International are committed to ensure that the rights of senior citizens are protected and that they have access to the services and benefits that they need The development of the Rules and Regulations for the ICT Senior Citizens Act is an important step in this process

The meeting was attended by retired government officials and representatives from civil society organizations who had worked to make the Act a reality Representatives from the relevant ministries including the Ministry of Health Planning Commission NADRA Bait-ul-Maal, and the MoHR, also attended the meeting and provided their recommendations and suggestions

Award-winning Miami firm comes to Pakistan for $180m Islamabad Development

ISLAMABAD

A G E N C I E S

Award-winning Miami design house Varabyeu is coming to Pakistan as partner of One Homes, a leading real estate development group for its new Islamabad development

further explained

“Like we do across the world, we will establish a self-sufficient hub that caters to both families and visitors Capitalising on the location we will blend city living with postcard-like landscapes, he added

K A R A C H I: Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori today visited the route of Jashn-e-Azadi rally which is scheduled to start at 5 pm near the head office of KW&SBC at Karsaz tomorrow The same would culminate near Mazar-e-Quaid Governor Sindh also visited starting and end points of rally named as Qafla e Azadi and inspected the proposed site of stage to be erected for cultural show and fire works at Numaish He directed administration and security agencies to ensure foolproof security arrangement during the rally and at cultural show Later, while talking with media at Mazar-e-Quaid Kamran Khan Tessori said that we would break the Indian record of reciting national anthem with the help of Karachiites PR

Sarsabz commemorates Pakistan’s 76th Independence Day with a message of hope

l A H o R e: While celebrating Pakistan’s 76th Independence Day, Sarsabz Fertilizer released a purposeful video with a special narration by the distinguished playwright Anwar Maqsood encapsulating the country s ongoing existing woes and the need for the entire nation to unite firmly and stay hopeful towards shaping a prosperous future The video also exemplified the unwavering spirit of a Pakistani farmer who works tirelessly in the fields and defeats all odds through the power of hope and commitment It is these farmers who continue to portray unyielding determination as the driving force behind progress PR

Tax Evasion in Tobacco Sec tor: Monitoring of GLT plants requires strong political will

The failure of tax authorities to effectively implement tax laws is a primary cause of the low proportion of taxes in Pakistan s GDP In the tobacco sector tax evasion is rampant with 52 illicit manufacturers controlling 48% of the market share Surprisingly, only 2 legal companies contribute 98% of the taxes collected from this sector The threshing season is yet to start and the government can still push the enforcement flag The illegal sales of tax-evading cigarettes are seriously damaging the economy and impeding the Government s efforts to control tobacco consumption To combat tax evasion in the tobacco industry, various laws have been introduced, including SRO 1149 (I) / 2018 under the Federal Excise Act 2005 This regulation focuses on monitoring tobacco processing for cigarette manufacturing and preventing illegal sales PR

Embassy of Syria confers syrian medal of braver y on

(r) S attar Alvi

In a symbolic gesture aligning with the spirit of Pakistan s Independence Day Hashoo Group the leading hospitality conglomerate collaborated with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to orchestrate a grand tree plantation drive on August 11th The event, attended by Mr Murtaza Hashwani, Deputy Chairman and CEO of Hashoo Group and Mr Noor-ul-Amin Mengal Chairman of Capital Development Authority along with executives from both sides marked a remarkable step towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly future by planting trees along the Srinagar Highway (Rest Area), Islamabad As the nation prepares to celebrate its 76th Independence Day Hashoo Group and CDA recognized the significance of nurturing the environment and giving back to the country that has nurtured them Mr Haseeb Gardezi, COO, Hospitality and Education Division, Hashoo Group, shared his thoughts on the occasion, stating, "Our tree plantation drive isn't just about planting saplings; it's a demonstration of our collective responsibility towards the environment PR

The collaboration will see Varabyeu as the lead design partners for One Homes recently acquired $180 million mega mixed-use development

The collaboration between One Homes and Varabyeu Partners represents a significant milestone in Pakistan s real estate industry One Homes is bringing in yet another global giant to Pakistan who will capitalize on their global experience to create a landmark in Pakistan Varabyeu Partners are a leading Miami based design house renowned for designing iconic lifestyle-centric destinations Their landmark architectural designs and sustainable practices have earned them numerous accolades worldwide including notable projects like Peninsula Vallarta Amancay Residences in Mexico Paradox Tower in Santa Fe Mexico Minsk

Art Centre in Belarus and Marriott International in Belarus

Commenting on the collaboration, Arseni Varabyeu from Varabyeu Partners said that starting a new project in a beautiful part of the world was fascinating

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the One Homes team to produce a new product for the high-end market The vision behind the project will be inspired by the beautiful city of Islamabad and the green Himalayan foothills surrounding the site Our goal is to minimize the impact on the land and create an icon in Pakistan whilst maintaining an organic and sustainable design he

One Homes have built a robust reputation for operating in Pakistan with international best practices of integrity innovation and commitment As a leading international real estate group they have brought numerous leading global giants to Pakistan including Kobi Karp, WATG, and Versace ceramics, setting new standards in the market

Founded by entrepreneur Zeeshaan Shah the One Group is a leading foreign investor in Pakistan with over $400 million worth of projects in the country, including recent projects One Canal Road in Lahore and One Serene Residences in DHA, Islamabad The group aims to build destinations that inspire and empower people to live better

Anticipated to be a landmark in Islamabad s cityscape this partnership reflects a shared dedication to excellence and elevates the concept of modern living

Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic has honoured PAF veteran Air Commodore Retd Sattar Alvi for rendering his services during the 1973 Arab Israel War On behalf of Syrian Arab Air Force and on the instructions of Syrian Government, Syrian Ambassador H E Dr Ramez Alraee conferred Syrian Medal of Bravery to Air Commodore Retd Sattar Alvi along with a Certificate

Pakistan Air Force braveheart then Flight Lieutenant Sattar Alvi etched his name in golden words by shooting down an Israeli Mirage aircraft while piloting a Syrian Air Force MiG-21 fighter jet The thirty second air combat of Flight Lieutnant Sattar Alvi showcased the bravery and skill of Pakistani pilots in defending the Syrian airspace PR

I N D E P E N D E N C E A N D PA K I S TA N N AV Y

As Pakistan prepares to celebrate the 76th Independence Day, it is vital to shed light on the event that changed the course of history in the subcontinent As Magna Carta laid the foundation stone of people s power in Great Britain, the independence made on 14th August 1947 gave the Muslims of the subcontinent a new home land and a new purpose to follow and struggle for The journey for independence was embarked under the leadership of Quaid e Azam He put forth the demand for a separate country for the Muslims, based on the concept of nationhood

It is because he knew that the Hindus and the Muslims were two distinct nations with different strategic culture that can never coexist Jinnah who pursued the dream of a separate country was aware of the fact that Muslims cannot live their lives in accordance with their religion in an independent India with a Hindu majority, being ruled by Hindu regime Pakistan thus came into being providing a secure and a promising political, economic social cultural future to the Muslims and providing them the way to live their lives in accordance with the principles of Islam

A few leaders have been indebted with farsightedness to precisely predict the course of future and the vigor to get ready for it and Jinnah had both Not only he won independence for the Muslims but also accurately predicted the dangers the infant state may have to face In his address to the officers of the Pakistan Navy on 23rd Jan 1948, he stated that Pakistan must be prepared for all eventualities and dangers The weak and defenceless in this imperfect world invite aggression from others The best way we can serve the cause of peace is by removing the temptation from the path of those who think that we are weak and therefore they can bully or attack us

Due to Pakistan s peculiar geostrategic location and the hostile neighborhood in East, Jinnah knew that the country needed strong security forces Among them he saw Pakistan Navy as an instrument to defend the maritime boundaries on which the newly established state s economy was dependent In his

aforementioned address, Jinnah outlined his vision for the Pakistan Navy by observing

“Pakistan is still in its infancy and so is its Navy and other branches of the armed forces

But this infant means to grow up and God willing will grow up much sooner than many people thinks You will have to make up for the smallness of your size by your courage and selfless devotion to duty for it is not life that matters but the courage fortitude and determination you bring to it People from all over the globe pass through Karachi and the eyes of the world are on you I trust that by your behavior and deportment you will never let Pakistan down, but would keep up the best traditions of the service and maintain high the honor and prestige of Pakistan as one of the greatest nations of the world ”

Pakistan Navy always espouses high standards of professionalism In the 1965 war

Pakistan Navy conducted successful operations aimed at strategic deterrence and gave a befitting response to adversary, a similarity of which is hard to find in the domain of naval warfare The act of valour displayed during the operation "Somnath" which caused irreparable damage to Indian Navy including the destruction of Indian Radar system, is an explicit example of Pakistan naval personnel's professional dedication and commitment involved

Moreover, Pakistan Navy apprehended the intentions of Indian Navy and deployed

Pakistan Navy Submarine Ghazi to establish patrol near to Bombay harbor to challenge Indian warships The psychological fear of Ghazi adversely affected morale Yet again in the 1971 war sinking of Indian naval warship Kukri brought an immense wartime casualty by Pakistan Navy Submarine Hangor, is the only incident after WWII so wherein any conventional submarine sank a Warship The detection of Indian Navy submarines during post-Pulwama and Uri military standoff by Pakistan Navy evidently portrays effective employment strategy coupled with superior professional acumen Having transcendence in operational preparedness, Pakistan Navy is no less at meeting its internal obligations by effectively engaging in the event of natural calamities to shoulder the government s efforts to mitigate the risks underway by such eventualities

Pakistan Navy extensively carried out rescue and relief operations during last year flash floods and evacuated thousands of locals through helicopters, boats and hovercrafts to safe places besides continuous supply of ration and medical aid It not only assisted the civil administration in the relief operations but also executed self-sustained nationwide humanitarian assistance program with the help of civil society which includes large number of donors, philanthropists and volunteers

To sum up Pakistan Navy has a greater role with increase and expansion in its operational scope countering sea-based global terrorism smuggling piracy providing land and sea-based security to shipping lanes But staying true to the Quaid’s words, Pakistan Navy has stood every test and trial Each year 14 August revives the essence of nationalism among common people of Pakistan As we breathe in a free country today tribute must be paid to the ones who sacrificed their present for us On this historic day, the Nation must be reminded of Quaid s words that defined the purpose and meaning of Pakistan The whole nation should cement the spirit integrity and dedication needed for the prosperity of Pakistan

By Muhammad Abdullah

Remembrance, Restoration, Renewal: Reflec tions around a Resolution

TO be in Lahore in March evoked ruminations about the related commonalities and contrasts between 1940 and 2023 For instance: severe polarisation in politics The present miasma plumbs dark new depths of viciousness and vitriol

Dangerous violence erupted on March 14 2023 between Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf workers and the police Almost coincidentally 83 years ago on March 19

1940 about 300 members of the Khaksar Tehreek of Allama Inayatullah Mashriqi violently clashed with police on the city s streets Killings occurred, and injuries were aplenty The Sikander Hayat-led Unionist Party which then ruled Punjab had covertly facilitated the rally as a timed distraction from the All-India Muslim League s (AIML) Convention set to open on March 21 all because Hayat strongly opposed the content of the draft Resolution approved earlier in February 1940 in a New Delhi meeting

Logistical arrangements for the about 25 000

AIML delegates who had travelled from across the region to the city were pointedly inadequate and discomfiting

The Khaksar clash spun out of control and greatly embarrassed Hayat He became a virtually silent spectator during the preliminary sessions of the various committees to amend the draft text His views were fundamentally different from the strategic approach of the Quaid-i-Azam and the Muslim League The Unionist leaders did not want a division of the subcontinent and no diminution of Punjab s importance compared to other Muslim-majority provinces or aspects affecting Muslimminority areas

Yet to secure unanimity and help Hayat avoid being openly condemned for violence against the Khaksar workers, Mr Jinnah dexterously postponed tabling the subject of the Khaksar episode in the convention

PNCA plans culture show, exhibition to mark Independence Day

Pakistan National Council of the Arts

(PNCA) to mark Independence Day with tradition zeal and fervor, has planned a series of cultural activities on August 14

According to Director General PNCA

Muhammad Ayub Jamali renowned artists from all four provinces including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir would perform in the grand culture show to be held at PNCA auditorium at 7:00 p m on the day The artists including Fazal Jutt, Wahid

Bakhsh Faqir Sajid Ali Liaqat Ali

Baloch Malangan Group Zafar Ali and team Bano Rehmat Mubashara Hafeez

Mesh Baloch Sunila Baig and Rizwana Khan would present National songs in the grand show National Performing Arts Group, PNCA will also present folk and regional dances in the show Meanwhile PNCA in collaboration with ForArtSake would present a painting exhibition by Ali Azmat curated by Amna Pataudi & Dr Rahat Naveed on August 14 The show is an ode to the Father of our Nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah on Pakistan’s 76th Independence

Anniversary The exhibition is a unique visual experience incorporating largerthan-life-size paintings and sketches by Ali Azmat The show will remain on display till August 20

sessions until after the Resolution was unanimously adopted on March 24 For the first time in the evolution of Muslim nationalism in South Asia the Lahore Resolution introduced a precise tangible framework within which such national aspirations could be peacefully strengthened and productively developed Chaudhry Rahmat Ali who invented the name ‘Pakistan’ in 1933 deliberately absented himself from attending the pivotal AIML sessions in March 1940 He had a radically different, quite eccentric vision for the future of Muslims in South Asia, compared to the ambivalent concept gradually being evolved by Mr Jinnah and his colleagues with differing views from across the region He chose to convene on the very same date far away in Karachi a meeting of the Pakistan National Movement, which he led In previous months, he absented himself from two scheduled one-on-one meetings with the Quaid It was ironic that such a wide gulf in perspectives separated the man who formulated the unique name for a new nation and the man who overcame formidable opposition to create a new nation-state named by the other man And though the Lahore Resolution was soon called the Pakistan Resolution in popular and media discourse the word Pakistan did not appear even once in its adopted text Without acknowledgement of the fact that Rahmat Ali had written the original words succinctly defining the distinctive separateness of Muslims and Hindus as the rationale for the Two-Nation Theory both Mr Jinnah and the Muslim League used the same words in their statements

POPULAR PERCEPTIONS

In early spring, and an early Saturday night in March 2023, this writer became an anonymous vagrant in the Greater Iqbal Park on

which is located the Minar-i-Pakistan erected on the site where the Resolution was moved on March 23 and adopted on March 24, 1940

One was in a fulsome company

Thousands of people including women with families single women in small and large groups children of all ages and male adults of all shapes and sizes milled and flowed in and out The Lucky Irani Circus beckoned with bright lights, loud music and sound Swings swept kids up and down, screaming with delight Local fast food stalls briskly handed over hot snacks and biryani Murmurs and movement meshed together in the shadow of a historical monument that silently surveyed the merry melee below In brief interactions with randomly accosted persons there and elsewhere, some questions arose within oneself Does remembrance require fine detail? Is the broad picture or even a vague notion good enough? Is respect for history about

exactitude?

Two women were seated on a roadside Joining them uninvited, fortunately, did not provoke resistance Razia, in her late 50s, a bit bedraggled, was selling glittery twirler sticks for children at Rs15 apiece Her friend Rashida sat next to her giving her company Razia had been gifted three boys and two girls by her late husband Both girls were married off One boy rather, young man was a drug addict The other two were beyond her daily reach She managed to survive by selling her wares When asked what the Minar means to her she seemed surprised at the banality of the question Pakistan she simply offered She did not know of any other facts, so the conversation was of a rather eloquent brevity She had an infinite dignity, a kind of resigned acceptance of her poverty and condition She tolerated my inane questions with patience Rashida s daughter Kainaat an eight-year-

The long road to Pakistan

The British made their first connection with India through the East India Company (EIC) which had been established in the early seventeenth century The company established its first trading post in 1612 at Surat, soon after it was granted a charter by Queen Elizabeth Eventually it began to expand taking control of Bombay in 1671

The initial purpose was to trade with India not conquer it by taking over political and administrative control However, the absence of a sovereign authority, a power vacuum created by the decline of the Mughal Empire weak local political leadership and the shrinking power structure of the local princes motivated the British to seize an opportunity

The power struggle between the EIC and local rulers intensified as their interests began to clash more extensively Their fights sparked several bloody wars, including the Battle of Plassey in 1757 from which Robert Clive emerged victorious He laid the foundation of the British Raj in India

Soon came the Regulating Act of 1773 under which the EIC was made accountable to the British parliament However, there arose a need for the EIC to take overall control of business and trade if it wished to benefit from the enhanced productivity brought about by the Industrial Revolution

The India Act of 1784 split powers between the EIC and the British government, giving the latter powers to oversee the company s functioning Thus, the exercise of absolute power by the company was protected by legal sanction from London

At the beginning of the nineteenth century the British took Delhi For

commercial and strategic reasons, they desired to annex several other parts of India as well However they remained unable to connect to the people whose lands they had conquered and struggled to bring about social change The machine-like character of the EIC administration was exposed by its inability to engage socially and provide justice In his memoirs, Keith Young explained how justice was done by the British in India including in Sindh “The prisoner was probably guilty but there was not a little evidence against him The sentence was hanging, and the poor wretch was executed The rope broke, and he asked for a drink of water and to be hung again immediately Poor devil, my blood ran cold when I read his trial and saw the evidence that convicted him Far better no trials at all It was a mere mockery of justice

Meanwhile the British also began to interfere in the religious affairs of the major

communities in India

In a bid to ‘religiously transform’ the subcontinent, they encouraged Christian missionaries to promote their beliefs and values This caused considerable resentment among the masses The abolition of religious rituals the westernisation of education, the transformation of communication and promotion of the English way of life, and the use of the English language to teach Western ideas and philosophies slowly turned the people against the British These innovations were considered by locals as mere tools of political domination and imposing imperial supremacy The British were seen to be producing a class of people to be Indian in blood and colour and English in tastes, opinions intellect morals and manners The British had complex reasons for their distrust of Indian communities and were confused too because for the most part, they did not think the indigenous

old with a charming face, walked up, curious to find out why a stranger was making small talk She did not go to school; probably never will The prospects for her life on the streets seemed ominous Callously presenting token gifts of cash for both ladies, I walked off with a twirler stick to look for new prey

At the virtual foot of the Minar three men visibly in their mid-30s clad in spotless shalwar kameezes each with cell phones serving as cameras responded to my queries They were farmers from Attock, holidaying in the provincial capital, and appeared to have completed at least an Intermediate level of education They affirmed that the Minar had something to do with the Qaraardaad-e-Pakistan but when I asked where the Resolution had been adopted they said they did not know Nor why the Minar was put up where it stands A short walk away, a young welder from Vehari, with two little daughters, a son and wife in tow Like his fellow countrymen from Attock he knew the context of the location to which they had come for an evening excursion He credited the Quaid-i-Azam (who died September 11, 1948) for constructing the Minar (built between 1960 and 1968) Yet, in one sense, he was right Mr Jinnah did construct the country The welder smiled upon being relieved of my intrusive company My anonymity was compromised when a young journalist from a leading Urdu newspaper recognised this suspicious interrogator As his three daughters smiled shyly and his hijab-covered wife kept a polite distance, the newsman clicked selfies and snapshots while we exchanged wise insights about politics and the economy

The writer is a former senator and federal minister and author of among other books Pakistan unique origins unique destiny?

cultures were worth preserving They also sparked considerable anger among the people due to a system of compulsory taxation

The empire was being built on the plenitude of native labour without considering the needs of the local population The cold superiority of the imperialist forces provided common motivation to all communities to join the ‘Great Rebellion’ of 1857 However, the uprising failed due to the inherent divisions within the Indian communities The freedom fighters were not properly guided motivated, and led by their leaders, and thus the British easily overwhelmed them There was dreadful violence and bloodshed brutal killing war crimes and massive destruction in the aftermath of the 1857 uprising The cruel treatment of Indians fostered a huge gulf between the British and the natives, which was never truly bridged till Independence After the 1857 uprising the British blamed the Muslims as the real troublemakers The Muslim community suffered cruel punishments It lost its status and position as Muslims were pushed out of traditional jobs in the army police judiciary and civil administration Amidst this decline, a Muslim thinker and leader Sir Syed Ahmed Khan began to work to improve the strained relations between the British and Muslim communities He attempted to bridge the differences through mutual respect and appreciation He wrote out the causes of the Indian revolt and outlined what he saw as the reasons for the uprising He argued that the British failed to acknowledge Indian culture and distanced themselves from their subjects who according to the British point of view, lacked steadfastness, fairness, courage and a sense of duty

Dr Shuja Ahmed Mahesar

I N D I A N S TAT E - S P O N S O R E D T E R R O R I S M ; S A B O TA G I N G C P E C

finances troubles in Pakistan using Afghan soil

The Spokesperson of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), Ehsanullah Ehsan, also revealed the connection between the two terrorist organizations and the Indian intelligence agency RAW as well as the role of the Afghan Security Agency in this equation

NEWS DESK

IT is not a cliché It is a proven fact that India is involved in state-sponsored terrorism Sabotaging CPEC is currently at the center of India s nefarious design

The arrest and confession of Indian

RAW Agent Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav

(also spelled Kulbhushan Yadav pseudonym Hussain Mubarak Patel) who was caught in Balochistan in 2016 has fully exposed India

His disclosures about the presence of Indian saboteurs sleeper cells in Pakistan and terror financing raise questions about the Western world’s engagement policy with India Pakistan’s dossier reportedly containing irrefutable evidence of Indian state backing for acts of terrorism in Pakistan may have become dusty in the United Nations records What issues of international concern should receive the United Nations attention and which should be left to rot is decided or influenced by which UN Member(s) is an open secret

It s not just Kulbhushan Yadav s confession but a person no less than Chuck Hagel the former US Secretary of Defence made

disclosure about how India

Analyzing the killing of innocent Chinese engineers and other officials involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in the backdrop of the facts about Indian state-sponsored terrorism and Indian open opposition to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its flagship project CPEC should leave no doubts about who could be behind terrorist activities against Chinese workers in Pakistan and incidents of terrorism in Balochistan Kulbhushan’s confession becomes more relevant

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative is part of China s concept of global governance and a community of shared human future

he BRI is an expression of China’s geoeconomic agenda that appears to be directed to foster a new type of international relations embedded in the principles of co-building sharing mutual consultation and inclusive development CPEC is a massive multibillion-dollar project that has transformative potential for both Pakistan and China China and Pakistan have successfully transitioned CPEC to its second stage of development to operationalize BRI which aims to establish a web of regional and global connectivity Besides this CPEC also holds immense strategic importance to China

It offers China a secure and shorter trade route compared to the Strait of Malacca and reduces China’s dependence on the South China

challenges due to the nature of the international structure in which different actors seek to undermine their rivals

Against this backdrop, the security and stability of CPEC are also subjected to geostrategic and political challenges India since the outset has opposed CPEC even though on several occasions China has endeavored to invite India to partake in it

Although apparently, India s discursive strategy for its opposition to CPEC is its claim that CPEC is passing through the disputed regions between India and Pakistan, India’s fervent antagonism to CPEC is due to its strategic and geopolitical ambitions

First the success of the CPEC is likely to frustrate India s regional hegemonic designs as CPEC allows China to play a meaningful role in South Asia In relation to this, CPEC’s transformative capacity for Pakistan means a counterbalancing force against India In this context India is actively attempting to undermine CPEC despite its normative discursive strategy

To begin with, the factor that exposes India s involvement in disrupting CPEC is its intelligence operations in Pakistan Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has established a special cell with an allocation of over 500 million dollars dedicated to undermining CPEC These apparatuses are involved in intelligence operations and gathering sensitive operations about CPEC besides fostering anti-CPEC activities

Similarly India is also fostering ethnic conflict in Balochistan to make it CPEC’s Achilles heel The province of Balochistan is a pivot of CPEC and it is geographically adjacent to Afghanistan Therefore, militancy and insurgency in Balochistan mean that it can endanger the entire project of CPEC So, India is fueling insurgency in Balochistan by offering Baloch ethno-nationalist separatists with

diplomatic resources funding and arms

These insurgents are involved in attacking Chinese workers, officials, development projects, and government infrastructure

Moreover, India has attempted to use the territory of Afghanistan to provide a haven and to train Baloch insurgents

India knows that Afghanistan is not only essential for the stability and security of Pakistan but also important to connect Gwadar to the ancient Silk route through Central Asian states Before the Taliban’s take over Afghanistan India sought to work in collaboration with the National Directorate of Security (NDS) to sponsor terrorist activities in Pakistan

For instance Ehsanullah Ehsan the former senior commander for Tahreek Taliban Pakistan said that India s intelligence apparatuses offered extensive help to TTP India via its proxies is attempting to sabotage and destabilize CPEC

In a similar manner Indian immoral acts are also well enumerated in the report launched by the European Union DisinfoLab in December 2020, called Indian Chronicles ”

It uncovered a massive network involved in targeting Pakistan and CPEC

These operations resurrected media outlets think tanks and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) whose main objective is to amplify content to undermine Pakistan

This indicates the magnitude and scale of the Indian campaign against CPEC

In relation to this India has also invested in developing an enormous perception crisis on CPEC through its extensive campaigns

This campaign is involved in the mass-level proliferation of misinformation against CPEC through social media networking sites including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube

Its anti-CPEC perspective focused on the audience especially in areas such as Gilgit Baltistan Ex-FATA and Balochistan Its

content amplifies misinformation that China is likely to take over Pakistan s areas such as Gwadar and Pakistan will be trapped in the Chinese debt trap The function of this campaign was to create mistrust and anxiety among the people of Pakistan to build an anti-CPEC narrative and instigate uprisings

Similarly India s antagonism to CPEC is also witnessed in the multilateral forums

During the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in July, the Indian Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar coached its opposition to CPEC in the discursive strategy by emphasizing the violation of India s sovereignty through BRI s connectivity project India s discursive response against CPEC is its diplomatic endeavor to develop a narrative in the international forums that will challenge the legitimacy of CPEC

Despite this the deconstruction of its strategic vocabulary and languages indicates a clear opposition to undermining the interests of China and Pakistan

In a nutshell, contrary to its discursive strategy, India s efforts to disrupt and sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor are evident It has heavily invested itself through efforts such as intelligence apparatuses misinformation campaigns proxy groups diplomatic efforts and alliances to weaken CPEC

This has exposed its distaste for CPEC New Delhi views the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC as strategic challenges to its hegemonic ambitions and geo-political challenges against which India is making efforts to undermine CPEC and China s interests

Mr Qaiser Nawab is a highly esteemed international expert on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Afghanistan and Central Asia He can be reached at qaisernawab098@gmail com

T H E E M B O D I M E N T O F I N T E G R I T Y, I N C O R R U P T I B I L I T Y A N D M O R A L I T Y

WILLIAM Shakespeare wrote in Richard II that the purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation; that away men are but gilded loam or painted clay” Sentiments and conduct put together represent character which develops not in solitude but in the full current of life and living It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties Great necessities call out great virtues wrote Abigail Adams in a letter to John Quincy Adams Slice his entire life and you find nothing but a flawless character that Mohammad Ali Jinnah had beyond doubt Character is what we are; reputation is what others think we are Both traits he possessed in abundance and in their fullness He possessed a placid exterior and persona Since he stood tall with nobility of purpose he fell for nothing less than his objective His character was of steel; resolute and non-malleable

The nightingale of India, Sarojini Devi Naido, in her impressions about Jinnah remembered him thus: “But the true criterion of his greatness lies not in the range and variety of his knowledge and experience but in the faultless perception and flawless refinement of his subtle mind and spirit in a lofty singleness of purpose and the lasting charm of a character animated by a brave conception of duty and an austere and lovely code of private honour and public integrity

At no point of his life there was any episode or incident where the two concepts of private honour and public integrity stood disturbed by either his word, action or even thought He was a millionaire who had not inherited wealth but had earned it with distinction Even in the 1930s he was a leading lawyer in London This is a distinction that neither Jawaharlal Nehru nor Mahatma Gandhi had He stood taller He spoke impeccable English and he was always dressed superbly and in doing so he spent only what he earned He never faltered in his financial dealings and uprightness

There can be common traits in any type of leadership, but all leaders also necessarily must have their own unique skills that must remain in alignment with their own journey and destination Attributes may be common, but the timing of using any of the traits is extremely important The windows of opportunity open and shut at a certain time in one s life Jinnah was cognizant of this aspect, and, hence, knew that the objective had to be achieved in a very short time

The Latin word destinare has the commonality of meaning from where the words destiny and destination are derived Destiny is destination and vice versa We identify the destiny and then give to it a lifelong commitment in order to reach the destination The journey to the creation of Pakistan had no parallels in history, and Jinnah had to carve out his own path, and then to lead a caravan down that path His march was unrelenting and he kept the masses galvanised with his impeccable character Jinnah was a man possessed inspired by his cause In doing so he did not let his otherwise dominant ego come in the way –the destination or the calling was, to him, beyond himself The sense of purpose made his effort for him both motivating and meaningful Jinnah’s vision for a separate homeland appealed to the Muslims of the subcontinent He was aware of the power that stems from the masses once they are engaged Jinnah created the chaos of the moment for the ultimate good Blessed with an amazing foresight, he knew that possibilities emerge in the most unexpected ways No length of protracted negotiations could make him renounce his ambition to carve out a Muslim state from within the subcontinent Jinnah possessed self-confidence and intellect that had no match His ambitions were linked with the dreams of the Muslims of India He was not into the game for personal fame or

distinction When Jinnah decided to part company with the Indian National Congress, he did so not to seek attention His pride in his integrity was not for posturing Jinnah later hewed the way for the Muslims of India and his clarity about his objective was visible in all his speeches and actions He did not permit his conviction to outweigh his strong sense of moral courage and personal integrity The entire leadership and the people of the whole region recognised Jinnah as a man who was straightforward honest and dedicated The most prominent trait in his repertoire of leadership skills was his unimpeachable sense of integrity

Post-independence, once returning from office he noticed in the veranda of the Flag Staff House a rocking chair that he had not seen before He asked his staff about the chair and was told that it had been purchased at the request of his sister Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah He headed straight to his study and wrote a cheque in the name of the federal treasury for a rather princely sum of Rs3 as the cost of the chair To achieve this scale on the integrity axis requires the will to do what seems to be generally beyond most of us It was Jinnah who taught us through everyday manifestations what character and integrity mean, and what it takes to avoid compromising an inch of personal integrity Jinnah’s mind was a workshop that had no rest holidays or stoppages He believed

Single -minded pursuit of politics of public ser vice

MANY believe that the politics of public service practised by Quaid-i-Azam

Mohammad Ali Jinnah is perhaps impossible and irrelevant in the present times The irony is that given the prevailing political realities it does seem like a valid observation

Few can doubt the fact that Jinnah adopted a constitutional approach to politics as his chosen path to move ahead It was impossible to lure him into any inappropriate proposition Offers options of power and positions and other incentives could not even cause a modicum of change in his struggle to meet his destiny and to arrive at the targeted destination; the acquiring of a legitimate space and framework for the Muslims of the subcontinent in the form of a nation state The present-day harbingers of change fall short when assessed on the strict yardstick of honesty and single-minded pursuit of public service The politics as practised today can at best be called an enterprise of extraction where political power and public office are overtly and covertly used to acquire rent-seeking privileges

Capable folks and there is dearth of them in the country usually stay away from practical politics Fears of persecution and animosity from powerful but clandestine hands keep many a worthwhile soul away from meaningfully contributing to the country s politics

Many believe that Jinnah was a tough nut to crack sitting across a negotiation table Viceroy

Mountbatten had long negotiations with Jinnah and later conceded that it was the latter ’s skills that eventually led to partition It is no wonder that one always observes the same old tried tested and discarded faces back into the arena of active politics

It appears that we may not see more Jinnah-like folks entering into the realm of active politics Despite such a situation, there are many useful lessons one can learn from Jinnah’s political life

Many believe that Jinnah was a tough nut to crack sitting across a negotiation table The last viceroy of India Lord Mountbatten had long negotiations with Jinnah during 1947 He attempted to influence or to convince Jinnah to give up the demand for a sovereign Pakistan, arguing in favour of having two self-governing units with a common centre Jinnah continued to say an emphatic ‘no’ to all the options and modifications that Mountbatten had to offer

In later conversations and interviews

Mountbatten conceded about the outstanding negotiation skills of Jinnah that eventually led to partition of the sub-continent According to him, Jinnah was the only stumbling block that stood in the way of keeping a unified India

At no point did Jinnah step back from his firm demand for a separate and sovereign homeland for the Muslims of the region He knew too well that anything less than a sovereign state would mean subjugation and eventual subordination to the Hindumajority rule For Jinnah, the near traumatic experience of

Congress ministries during the 1930s was very overwhelming Thus, when he engaged with his political adversaries, Jinnah never accepted any option where future security and fundamental rights for Muslims were potentially in any jeopardy

Whether in tripartite discussions including the Indian National Congress or in direct parleys with the viceroy, Jinnah displayed no flexibility in this regard

In his famous presidential address at the 28th annual session of the All-India Muslim League (AIML) on April 15 1941 in Madras (since renamed Chennai) Jinnah explicitly enunciated the scheme of the proposed Muslim states We want the establishment of completely independent states in North West and Eastern Zones of India, with full control finally of defence, foreign affairs, communications, customs, currency, exchange, etc We do not want in any circumstances a constitution of an All-India character with one government at the centre Lord Mountbatten rightly confessed that the creation of Pakistan can be attributed to the tough negotiating skills that Jinnah displayed during the crucial moments in that vital phase of history

Jinnah was widely recognised as an honest, upright but shrewd politician Even his staunchest critics would admit his uprightness According to Hector Bolitho one of Jinnah s biographers scrupulousness and uprightness were few of the several qualities that were acknowledged even by his adversaries Jinnah was often referred to as ‘painfully honest’, meaning that he never deviated from the prescribed rules and procedures under any circumstances Countless anecdotes are available that inform us that Jinnah spent from his own pocket for all the political activities that he conducted He was an extremely thrifty administrator during his unfortunately short stint as the governor-general Besides, he left a sizable portion of his personal wealth in the service of several educational institutions as part of his will

He proposed the same path for the nation in his maiden speech to the Constituent Assembly in August 1947 Jinnah stated: One of the biggest curses from which India is suffering I do not say that other countries are free from it, but I think our condition is much worse is bribery and corruption That really is a poison We must put that down with an iron hand and I hope that you will take adequate measures as soon as it is possible for this Assembly to do so In the same speech he mentioned a few forms of corruption including black marketeering nepotism and jobbery and cautioned the nation to stay clear of them on all counts Sadly though, our succeeding regimes and other ‘pillars’ of society seem to have forgotten this most vital precept emphasised by the father of the nation Our history is replete with examples where a completely opposite course of action was chosen by the powers that be for self-service personal gains and clan profits And our bureaucrats practise the right of entitlement to the full, and beyond Apart from frequent trips to chosen foreign destinations, luxury

in hard work and expected the same from those around him

He was impatient to timewasting activities

Self-accountability being his closest aide, he trained himself assiduously to keep a very high standard of propriety and professional integrity

While in public Jinnah displayed no emotion no anxieties His persona was devoid of excitement and the absence of fear was simply stark Many writers and biographers have talked of the man’s iron control over himself His public and private lives serve as an epitome of virtues and a grand paragon of grace His incorruptibility was matched equally with total lack of malice or ill-will towards others He could be against a thought , but never the ‘person’ He was not bitter, rude, crude or even arsenically humorous, taunting or sarcastic in his remarks rebuttals or rebuffs Jinnah ruthlessly defended his personal space and with equal willingness put to public scrutiny his uncompromising sense of integrity Honour to him was most important Nothing, absolutely nothing, could derail his character and strong sense of dependability

His life is a complete story of nonnegotiability over aspects of fair dealings and justice In many speeches and statements he warned his countrymen about the perils of corruption, bribery, nepotism and favouritism He neither took favours, nor gave favours; his impartiality remained singularly dominant in his actions

For his amazing disposition Jinnah

earned acknowledgment even from his detractors Dr Syed Hussain, a nationalist Muslim leader, publicly remarked: Though I am opposed to Pakistan, I must say that Mr Jinnah is the only man in public life whose public record is incorruptible He has not gained anything from the British He is not that kind of a man He had not accepted from the British benefit or title although Mr Gandhi did accept from Britain after the Boer war The Muslim masses know Jinnah is the only man who is not in need of money and who has no lust for power ” Sahibzada Yaqub Khan who served briefly as part of the bodyguard contingent of Jinnah till 1948 recording his impressions in the Jinnah Anthology, had a tale to narrate Stanley Wolpert s book on Jinnah was withheld for distribution by the authorities in Pakistan He (Stanley) was dismayed because he had refused to acquiesce to the request by the authorities to amend and alter some portions of his book Sahibzada recorded Stanley s conversation with him in the following words: During the course of his researches for writing Jinnah of Pakistan, he had lived so closely with the subject of his biography that some of the matchless traits of the Quaid s personality had rubbed off on him He could never betray that integrity which had enhanced his own strength of character as a person Recalling the Quaid s personality, Sahibzada ended his tribute thus: “ a luminous image suffused by integrity Indeed he gave to that abstract virtue a concrete splendour” Leadership demands capabilities of foreseeing events as they unfold and thence be able to skilfully navigate through the currents and have the grit to refuse being overwhelmed by them In 75 years of the nation’s murky and muddied history, we have lost that abstract virtue that was so visible in the Quaid’s personality and now lies permanently interred in the vault of forgotten values

What Lee Kuan Yew the great statesman of Singapore, said at the Shanghai Forum in 2005 and China and Chinese is just as applicable to Pakistan and Pakistanis “It is vital that the younger generation of Chinese [Pakistanis] who have only lived during a period of peace and growth in China [Pakistan] and have no experience in China s [Pakistan s] tumultuous past are made aware of the mistakes China [Pakistan] made as a result of hubris They [Pakistanis] have to be inbred with the right values and attributes to meet the future with humility and responsibility Any takers? Look around Don t be surprised if you find none

The writer is a Senior Banker & Freelance Contributor

The Forever Shining Idea Of Pakistan

vehicles expensive official accommodation and armies of servants all at the cost of the exchequer are not unusual sights in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and other locations Jinnah was a keen observer of international politics and changing trends across the globe In his daily routine he spent considerable time in acquiring information and analysis about global affairs It is not surprising that Jinnah had well-articulated views on the labyrinths of international political, social and economic relations that generated globalisation as an outcome

He was well aware about the construct of imperial policies by several world powers and the consequences on poor and colonised territories Much of these abominable practices had a direct connection with imperialist tendencies in the 20th century Jinnah was able to see through the real clandestine designs of existing and emerging imperial powers

The fabrication of baseless and undesired wars across the world was one instrument Jinnah abhorred wars and was good enough to call the ongoing World War II as “insane slaughter of mankind and the destruction of centuries old civilisation

Despite facing the heaviest of odds during convoluted negotiations with British imperialists and Congress leaders, he denounced conflict at every level of discourse In Jinnah’s perception, the tenets of foreign policy of Pakistan were all hinged around peace and peace alone On the occasion of the inauguration of the Pakistan Broadcasting Service on August 15 1947 he reiterated his resolve to maintain friendly relations with all neighbours and to abide by the prescriptions of the United Nations Charter in letter and in spirit Jinnah was clear on the count that peace was the first pre-requisite for economic progress of infant impoverished nations including Pakistan

THE idea of Pakistan today is not the idea that was created in the 1930s or 1940s or even 1947 in British India It has evolved over time Today as the country turns 75 years old the first Pakistanis in independent Pakistan are lucky to still be alive The average life expectancy of Pakistan today is barely above 67 years, compared with 70 in neighbouring India and 73 in Bangladesh, once part of Pakistan Many Pakistanis born in the first year of independence may well have passed on Yet Pakistan survives against all odds and if it makes the right choices it could survive beyond the fears and prognostications of many inside and outside the country and meet the challenges of the 21st century Some would say Pakistan s survival has been nothing short of a miracle, because the global map is forever changing As scholar Tanisha Fazal indicates in her seminal study entitled State Death half the countries on the face of the earth in 1816 do not exist today Nearer home in the mid-1700s just before the British incursions began in the area then loosely known as India there were more than 20 independent and autonomous states and entities on the map of greater South Asia, encompassing portions of modern Afghanistan and Iran and geographic South Asia Only a handful survive today The rest have disappeared as a result of conquests or mergers This should serve as a warning to those in Pakistan who think that the state of Pakistan is immutable and not subject to the laws of change that confront every nation It is not just because of invasion or occupation that countries disintegrate The rot that weakens their structure starts within societies and polities Disunity, indiscipline and selfish disregard for the common weal more often than not are the trigger for disintegration and disappearance of nations There is no immunity not even for God s chosen Land of the Pure URGE FOR FREEDOM

How did we get to where the Islamic Republic of Pakistan finds itself today? Let us go down memory lane and pause at some key milestones, so we cannot be accused of selective amnesia, a disease that sometimes appears to be endemic in the homeland and its leaders The bubbling urge for independence from British rule combined with the creation of representative government in British India arose in the early 20th century with an all-India conference of political parties in 1928 That conference was a response to a challenge from the British in the face of the boycott by Indian parties of the Simon Commission, composed entirely of Britishers, that was to examine the Government of India Act of 1919 The British alleged that the natives were incapable of coming up with a constitution on their own The major parties took up that challenge The all-parties conference included the All-India Liberal Federation AllIndia Muslim League, Sikh Central League and others The conference, on May 19, 1928, constituted a committee to draft the Constitution Some of the notable members of this committee were Motilal Nehru (chairman) Sir Ali Imam Tej Bahadur Sapru and Subhas Chandra Bose M R Jayakar and Annie Besant joined the committee later Jawaharlal Nehru Motilal s son was appointed the secretary

The writer was the first director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, January 2009 through October 2014 He is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Center He is the author of The Battle for Pakistan: The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood (Penguin Random House and Liberty Books Pakistan 2019 and Rowman & Littlefield 2020) and Crossed Swords: Pakistan its Army and the Wars Within (Oxford University Press 2008 and 2017)

T H E I N D I A N M U S L I M D I L E M M A

ways were inspired by Gandhi

It was not uncommon for Indians for example, to use the soap bar till it disappeared in their palms It is true their country was chaotic in its egalitarian promise But its political culture saw the narrowest social back lanes opening into the grand vista of a singularly grand democracy Frugality blended with morality Food would not be left on the plate to honour the memory of India’s Bengali compatriots who had faced the world’s worst famine Secularism was not discussed; it was taken for granted

The Perils O f Rejec ting Histor y

IN January 1956, Soong Ching Ling, a founding member of the Peoples Republic of China, visited Pakistan and gave a speech broadcast over Radio Pakistan She commented on the relative newness of the two nations both at the time created less than a decade ago as well the ancient civilisations that both had inherited She crucially linked the progress of the two nations to a general national awakening” and the “galvanisation of public spirit ” She stressed the importance of the study of “history as a science” so that the various superstitions and colonial distortions could be eliminated Colonialism is incompatible with peace and so she argued for the need for an anti-colonial project of history-writing

Still more was the vexed question of private papers and private libraries, and their relationship to the national urgency of archiving and preserving the past

After the creation of Bangladesh there was a new National Commission on Historical Cultural Research led by K K Aziz that was established in 1973 The commission held conferences in 1973, 1974 and 1975

There was now a new concern: how does one write the history of ‘modern’ Pakistan that is, post-1947?

SUPPOSE in the 75th year of independence the founders of Pakistan and India happened to be around It wouldn t be surprising if Mohammad Ali Jinnah patted himself on the back for the prescience with which he had foreseen the rise of Narendra Modi as India s ruler But his sense of elation at correctly calling the future would abandon him just as soon because his own country had lost its foundational purpose, too, shortly after coming into being

What would Jawaharlal Nehru or Mahatma Gandhi have made of the anniversary? Gandhi would have seen his killers being deified in a strange new India he could not recognise, and a contrite Nehru would be searching for words to say mea culpa to his fellow pandits from Kashmir and Muslim compatriots too for the hell their lives have become It is in the logic of their evolution in the 75 years as independent sovereign entities that India is being governed by Narendra Modi while Pakistan’s democratic destiny continues to hang by the proverbial thread There is a consolation for Pakistan if it helps Its masses never really elected a Modi as their leader, which is not to say that they did not have their Modi moment After all there must be a good reason that General Ziaul Haq is seen as an inspiration for India s Hindu right as Modi tightens control over a fabled democracy

It needs to be placed on record that before the sharp right turn in 2014 Indian Muslims carried a

swagger on a par with other Indians

They may have lacked the dapper trappings of their Pakistani cousins as did most other Indians, but they cared little about it Gunnar Myrdal described Pakistani diplomats as more convivial than their Indian colleagues and said they displayed a superior ability to raise the elbow at diplomatic conclaves

The post-1947 dilemmas present in the minds of India s Muslims today and ironically wonders as to what Jinnah, Gandhi and Nehru would have thought of them today

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s awami suit was eons away The nattily dressed middle classes emulated Jinnah s picky dress code Indians did not mind that They did not have to go to the extreme of adopting Gandhi’s loincloth, but seemed content with Nehru’s description of the Gandhi cap as a livery of freedom The brighter intellectuals became known as jholawalas after the cloth bag they wore with their coarsely woven cotton attire

Conversations in Muslim families fawned over their Pakistani cousins for being more westernised

But it was also not unusual for Muslims in India to regard their cross-border aunts and uncles and cousins who visited in summer holidays as parvenu consumerists who accepted a Faustian bargain with Ayub Khan’s military rule

A wizened lady returned from Karachi after a longish family wedding and seldom forgot to mention the ubiquitous new Lux soap bar she saw being placed on the washbasin in every home she visited For Indians this was an invaluable insight not least as their own Spartan

Babu Mistri the mechanic who repaired colonial-era old crocs in Lucknow had returned from Karachi where he found himself not fitting with the cultural mélange on offer A kindly Hindu lawyer got him a stay order from a Lucknow court against deportation and he lived cheerfully in India until he gave up his mortal coils in an ancestral home abutting the old quarter of Lucknow Shyam Benegal’s Mammo would face the heat of suspicion years later while trying to extend her visa in India

Indira Gandhi would have frowned She took particular care to open the doors to needy Pakistanis Poetess Fahmida Riaz and dissident journalist Salamat Ali, to name two, escaped Zia’s ideological terror and Mrs Gandhi arranged for their warm welcome in Delhi

LIFE DURING WARTIME

It was a time when Pakistan-India wars would quickly become passé for those involved in the conflicts of which the two major ones were fought in 1965 and 1971 and those watching casually from the ringside The wars came and went and left behind human ironies One such was contained in the image of Ayub Khan lending his shoulder to Lal Bahadur Shastri’s coffin in Tashkent Another had a young Benazir Bhutto accompanying her father to Simla Several pictures from the visit highlighted her as a modern woman in an assertive Western attire that left the Indians bewitched both women and men equally There was a perceptibly successful effort by the Congress leadership to shield Indian Muslims from nationalist animus that hostilities with Pakistan always induced The legend of Company Quarter-Master Havildar Abdul Hamid became handy in this regard

The writer is Dawn s correspondent in Delhi

The question of writing history had already become an urgent matter by 1956 When the British partitioned the subcontinent they were also meant to separate the colonial archives but that did not happen The records of the Viceroy went to London the records related to the princely states were burned and the imperial records of the colonial state, which were housed in Delhi, became the National Archives of India There was never a division of the records of the colonial state or other functioning archives in 1947 Pakistan was created with a deficit not only in funds armies bureaucracies but also in history

This was recognised at the first (closed) meeting of the Pakistan Historical Records and Archives Commission which took place in Karachi in 1948 At that meeting, a Central Directorate of Archives was created with the aim of streamlining and preserving the main repositories the Central Record Offices in East Bengal Sindh Balochistan and Punjab which were created and modelled on the already existing office in what at the time was the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) In 1954, a second meeting of the commission was held in Peshawar A survey was presented highlighting the severe lack of resources and infrastructure Not only was the new country without any historical or bureaucratic records to help guide it there was a lack of funds and a national vision for even undertaking such a project Pakistan s failure to formulate a vision or allocate resources to the writing of history since 1947 will have catastrophic consequences, argues historian Manan Ahmed Asif

While the new state made repeated claims to the government of India for sharing the indices or catalogues of the archives in Delhi they were rebuffed In 1955 the commission requested the government of Pakistan to create a new physical building to house the national records and archives This did not end up materialising until 1973 when the National Documentation Centre was set up Already, there were concerns about what records would be preserved or who could even access these records As early as the 1954 meeting it was clear that the Department of Defence would keep its own records

At the 1970 meeting of the commission in Dhaka historians complained that the records of the Pakistan Muslim League were seized by Field Marshal Ayub Khan and given to Karachi University, but the university would not give access to scholars from East Pakistan wanting to consult the records

Others mentioned the difficulties of knowing where papers of political leaders national poets or even the official legislature were to be made available to scholars

Aziz would summarise the problem facing the historians of modern period as lack of independence of thought and resources lack of institutional sources professional security and a general neglect for any consideration of historical truth Most critically Aziz produced a long list of individuals and organisations whose papers needed to be collected in the National Archives None would eventually make it there

Thus parallel to the crisis of the archives of Pakistan was the crisis of history-writing itself Where the question of the archives wrestled with current geography bureaucracy and repositories history-writing almost immediately looked to the early history of Islam and not to capturing the history of the newly founded state

The Pakistan History Society was founded in 1950 at the behest of Fazlur Rahman then minister for education and commerce It was meant explicitly to create translations of medieval Persian histories making critical editions and translations of Jaffar Aftabchi s memoir of Humayun, and Ibn Bajjah s Ilmul-Nafs

It began publishing the Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society in 1953 Fazlur Rahman introduced the journal and the work of the society as the task to start seriously the work of re-writing the history of Islam Notably not of Pakistan The focus was explicitly on early Islam, and Philip K Hitti was the guest of honour at the inauguration of the journal

This was a history meant to highlight “the glorious conduct of Muslim rulers under the guidance of Islam” outside of the subcontinent A quarterly in its first 12 issues there were 100 articles and only 12 were on the medieval period in Hindustan mostly on Emperor Akbar The vast majority were focussed on the Umayyad and Abbasid periods

Two further organisations concerned with historywriting, ominously divided, came into being after the Pakistan History Society The Asiatic Society of Pakistan in East Bengal was founded in Dhaka in 1952 with the aim of being akin to the Asiatic Society of Bengal in undivided India The Historical Research Institute was founded at the University of Punjab in 1960 It was the latter that would begin to publish the Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan (West Pakistan) in 1964 as a quarterly with the aim being “to be modern as well as earlier with special emphasis on West Pakistan This journal was chaired by S M Ikram Many luminaries published in this journal including A H Dani Yar Muhammad Khan Pir Hissamuddin Rashidi, Iftikhar Ahmad Ghauri, Muhammad Bashir Hussain, Nabi Bakhsh Baloch, M Kabir, S M Jaffar and others

The writer is a historian of Indian Ocean World focussing on the medieval and early modern period He teaches at Columbia University in New York USA