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CJP SAYS WILL NOT ALLOW ARMY TO TAKE UNCONSTITUTIONAL STEPS

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

CH I E F Justice of Pakistan

(CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday said the armed forces would not be allowed to take unconstitutional steps as a six-judge bench indefinitely adjourned the hearing on a set of petitions challenging the trials of civilians in military courts

The bench headed by the top judge comprised Justice Ijazul Ahsan Justice Munib Akhtar Justice Yahya Afridi Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Ayesha A Malik

A day earlier, the apex court had rej e c t e d a p l e a f i l e d b y s e n i o r c o u n s e l Faisal Siddiqi on behalf of civil society a c t i v i s t s t o c o n s t i t u t e a f u l l c o u r t f o r the case

During today s hearing, the CJP ex-

pressed regret and grief over the events of May 9 and stressed that he didn t want the army to raise their weapons against the people of Pakistan

He said armed forces should be praised for not opening fire on civilians despite the violence on May 9 recalling that people in Mianwali had broken into and attacked army installations However the military will not be allowed to take any illegal steps, he noted Justice Bandial further said the court was of the opinion that there was a further need to hear Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan s arguments but contended that the court would not be able to do so for at least two weeks due to the unavailability of judges AGP sahib, no military trials of civilians will be conducted,” he told Awan to which the latter responded in the affirmative and added that assurances were given over the same

In a major announcement, Prime Minister Shahbaz

Sharif said on Thursday that he would dissolve the National Assembly on August 9

The decision came after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif met with parliamentary leaders at a dinner in honour of the members of parliament where the country s political situation was thoroughly discussed

During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz sought their input and discussed the arrangements for the caretaker prime minister and the caretaker setup

This crucial step is part of the democratic process ensuring a smooth transition of power before the next general elections

On August 9, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will

Subsequently CJP Bandial said the Supreme Court s (SC) order on the provision of facilities to the suspects in custody will still remain applicable

It would have been great if everyone abided by the law and Constitution,” the chief justice stated “We respect those who cooperate with the court and also those who do not cooperate with us he added Fundamental rights can t be left to discretion of legislature During the proceeding, the AGP said the suspects were charged under Section 2-D(1) of the Official Secrets Act

Here Justice Akhtar said the trial of civilians in a military court was equivalent to having a parallel judicial system Meanwhile, Justice Afridi asked the AGP about his opinion on Article 175 and Article 175(3) of the Constitution, which refer to the establishment and jurisdiction of courts Court martial doesn t fall under the

send a formal advice to the President for the dissolution of the National Assembly

According to constitutional provisions the President must sign the advice within 48 hours to effectuate the dissolution If, for any reason, the President does not sign the advice, the Assembly will be automatically dissolved

Furthermore, Prime Minister Shehbaz assured that after three days of consultation with the opposition he will submit the name of the caretaker prime minister to the President

The aim is to reach a consensus between the government and opposition over the caretaker premier

However, if no agreement is reached, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will step in and nominate a candidate for the caretaker prime minister position from the proposed names Addressing the members of Parliament during the

jurisdiction of Article 175 Awan replied to which Justice Ayesha asked if there was any other provision in the Constitution on the basis of which the AGP was arguing “I am noting your questions,” Awan replied However Justice Ayesha asked if the former was deviating from her questions

Justice Akhtar maintained that fundamental rights could not be left to the discretion of the legislature

“It cannot be that House includes some offences in the Army Act while the other removes or adds others offences he asserted

The concept of fundamental human rights is such that the state cannot take them back even if it wants to, Justice Akhtar pointed out, adding that fundamental rights had been guaranteed by the Constitution

dinner the prime minister acknowledged the challenging circumstances under which he took over the government He emphasised that despite facing numerous obstacles and criticism his government worked diligently to steer the country out of turmoil

Our conscience is satisfied that we took the country out of the vortex by sacrificing politics,” he stated, acknowledging the efforts made by the coalition government to overcome various difficulties

Notably he highlighted the successful negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) underscoring the importance of economic stability for the nation s progress

Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed his commitment to creating a caretaker setup that would be acceptable to all stakeholders This move is aimed at ensuring transparency fairness and impartiality during the transitional period leading up to the next general elections

NA passes anti-money laundering bill to fulfill impor tant condition of FATF, IMF

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The government of Pakistan on Thursday fulfilled an important condition of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) when the National Assembly passed the National AntiMoney Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Authority Bill 2023 Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar moved the bill in the lower house of the parliament The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said this legislation is of immense importance and if enforced and properly implemented, it will make sure that Pakistan does not see the FATF’s grey list again Hina Rabbani Khar said the bill envisages the establishment of a National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Authority She said the Chairman of the authority will be appointed by the Prime Minister She informed that the authority will comprise

H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E S C H E M E F O R J O U R N A L I S T S , A R T I S T S P M ’ S H I S T O R I C S T E P : M A R R I Y U M

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e P o r t

FEDERAL Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum

Aurangzeb PM s Health Insurance

Scheme for journalists and artists

was a historic decision of Premier

Shehbaz Sharif

This was stated by her while addressing the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and State Life Insurance Corporation for the health insurance of journalists and artists here on

Thursday

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the prime minister took a historic decision for the health insurance of journalists and artists which was starting from today, for the first time in the history of Pakistan

She said that Rs 1 billion had been

allocated for each category of journalists and artists from all over Pakistan in the current fiscal year The prime minister had issued directives that the money allocated in the budget for journalists and artists should not be limited to announcements only but practical steps should be taken on this project, she added

The information minister said that the registration for health insurance was started two weeks ago for journalists and media workers and one week ago for artists

She said that the foundation of the health insurance card scheme was laid during the Nawaz Sharif tenure as prime minister She said that keeping in mind the experience of State Life Insurance Corporation, the Ministry of Information was going to issue health insurance cards for journalists and artists community Marriyum said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will issue health insurance

cards on August 7 to both journalists and artists She said that in a short period of 15 months the government had done important legislation for the welfare of journalists linking their minimum wages with government business She said that health facilities would be provided to journalists in the form of health insurance cards S h e s a i d t h a t v a r i o u s s u rg e r i e s including renal surgery, heart surgery and c a r d i a c s u rg e r y i n c l u d i n g i n d o o r a n d o u t d o o r m e d i c a l f a c i l i t i e s w e r e c o v e r e d u n d e r t h e h e a l t h i n s u r a n c e s c h e m e w h i l e ambulance service would also be provided u n d e r t h i s c a r d She said that many value additions have also been done by State Life Insurance in the scheme Marriyum Aurangzeb said that along with health insurance scheme the welfare of journalists and artists had also been arranged by the incumbent government She said that in a short period of 15

months, Rs 120 million have been recovered and paid to newspaper employees in the form of salaries while health insurance including job security of media workers has been started The federal minister said that in the last four years the country was facing serious economic crisis and important projects were delayed She said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif not only rescued these projects but also restored them and ensured their completion

The minister thanked the entire team of the Ministry of Information for making the health insurance scheme for journalists and artists a success Minister for Law and Justice Nazir Tarar,

Prime Minister ’s Coordinator for Economy and Energy Bilal Azhar Kayani Secretary

Information Sohail Ali Khan Principal

Information Officer Mubashar Hassan and Chairman State Life Insurance Corporation Shoaib Javed participated in the ceremony

PM expresses gratitude to President Xi for making 2nd phase of CPEC successful

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f c o r r e S P o n d e n t

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his powerful message of support and solidarity with Pakistan on completion of the Decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

In his message which was also read out by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at a ceremony marking 10 years of CPEC held here, President Xi had assured that China would always stand firm with Pakistan regardless of any change in international landscape

He had also emphasised that both countries would continue to improve overall planning and deepen cooperation

“Highly grateful to H E President Xi Jinping for his powerful message of support and solidarity with Pakistan on the occasion of the completion of the Decade of CPEC, Prime Minister Shehbaz wrote on a social media platform

He said that President Xi’s emphasis on building CPEC into an exemplary project of highquality Belt and Road Cooperation reflected his commitment to the well-being of the people of Pakistan

He said indeed CPEC had achieved many milestones over the course of last ten years in the fields of high quality infrastructure, energy, and socio-

Por tuguese tourist killed in traffic accident in Chagai district

economic growth

As the flagship project of BRI, CPEC matured into a story of transformation under the leadership of Mian Nawaz Sharif Pakistan is ready to share this story with our friends and partners around the world the prime minister remarked He said Pakistan would never be able to thank President Xi Jinping enough for his singular contribution to taking the ChinaPakistan Strategic Cooperative Partnership to new heights I am determined to work with more energy and passion to make the second phase of CPEC a resounding success,” he resolved

C abinet committee to determine price discover y mechanism for K arachi Por t development

The Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions (CCoIGCT) has constituted another committee to determine the price discovery mechanism and frame a commercial agreement to be signed between the nominated agencies of the UAE and Pakistan for the development of Bulk and General Cargo Terminal at West Wharf Karachi Port Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of CCoIGCT on Thursday Sources said that the federal cabinet on the

recommendation of CCoIGCT approved the signing of the framework agreement The next steps are to decide the price discovery mechanism framing of a commercial agreement and constitution of a committee to negotiate on the terms conditions and comparison mechanism for price discovery and place its recommendations before CCoIGCT for consideration and approval

KPT has asked to consider parameters including term of the agreement, cost of construction or reconstruction of terminal life span of terminal Max capacity to handle cargo length of quay wall royalty (per ton of fixed or gross revenue basis) land rent per square meter in bonded areas storage charges Dock labor charges up front payment, quantum and type of investment for carrying out

the comparisons for price discovery on outsourcing of the operation of the terminal

According to the finance division the CCoIGCT considered a summary of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs regarding Commercial Agreement between AD Ports UAE and KPT for Out-sourcing of the operations of Bulk and General Cargo East Wharf Karachi Port

The CCoIGCT after discussion approved the Price Discovery Mechanism in the light of discussion and constituted a committee to negotiate and frame a commercial agreement to be signed between the nominated agencies of the UAE and Pakistan for the development of Bulk and General Cargo Terminal at West Wharf, Karachi Port

Ahsan unveils ERC to revolutionize Pak istan’s education system

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e P o r t Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has unveiled a new Education Research Commission (ERC) to revolutionize the country s education system here in Islamabad on Thursday The commission, which will be comprised of experts policymakers educators and other stakeholders will embark on a comprehensive study to analyze the education system s performance since devolution of the education sector to provinces T h e c o m m i s s i o n ’s f i n d i n g s w i l l s e r v e a s a g u i d i n g l i g h t t o s h a p e

PPP gets ‘sword’ as electoral symbol

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e P o r t T h e E l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n o f P a k i s t a n ( E C P ) h a s a l l o t t e d s w o r d a s a n e l e c t i o n s y m b o l t o t h e P a k i s t a n P e o p l e s P a r t y ( P P P ) a f t e r o v e r f o u r d e c a d e s P a k i s t a n P e o p l e s P a r t y ( P P P ) S e c r e t a r y G e n e r a l N a y y a r B o k h a r i a p p e a r e d b e f o r e t h e E l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n o f P a k i s t a n a n d r e q u e s t e d t o a l l o t a ‘ s w o r d ’ s y m b o l t o t h e p a r t y U p o n B o k h a r i s r e q u e s t t h e E C P a l l o t t e d t h e s y m b o l t o t h e P P P I n h i s s t a t e m e n t a f t e r g e t t i n g t h e d e s i r e d e l e c t i o n s y m b o l B o k h a r i s a i d i t i s a m a t t e r o f h o n o u r f o r p a r t y c h a i r m a n B i l a w a l B h u t t o Z a r d a r i t o g e t t h e e l e c t i o n s y m b o l o f Z u l f i k a r A l i B h u t t o ’s p a r t y S w o r d w a s a m o n g t h e t h r e e s y m b o l s t h a t w e r e d e l e t e d f r o m t h e l i s t o f e l e c t i o n s y m b o l s d u r i n g t h e d a y s o f f o r m e r m i l i t a r y r u l e r G e n Z i a u l H a q a f t e r t h e 1 9 7 7 p o l l s t h e o t h e r t w o b e i n g p l o u g h a n d s c a l e s

e v i d e n c e - b a s e d p o l i c i e s a n d i n i t i a t i v e s a i m e d a t n u r t u r i n g a k n o w l e d g e a b l e , s k i l l e d , a n d f o r w a r d - t h i n k i n g g e n e r a t i o n I n h i s a d d r e s s , A h s a n I q b a l highlighted the need for urgent action to a d d r e s s t h e p e r s i s t e n t s h o r t c o m i n g s i n t h e e d u c a t i o n s e c t o r i n c l u d i n g t h e w i d e n i n g s a l a r y g a p b e t w e e n p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e s c h o o l t e a c h e r s t h e g o v e r n a n c e i s s u e s t h a t h a m p e r e ff e c t i v e e d u c a t i o n d e l i v e r y, a n d t h e l a c k o f d a t a - d r i v e n d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g

He also called for comprehensive reforms to attract and retain highly qualified teachers stressing the importance of stability of tenure in improving the quality of education A h s a n I q b a l a l s o a n n o u n c e d p l a n s

t o a d d r e s s t h e c h a l l e n g e o f o u t - o fs c h o o l c h i l d r e n b y a l l o c a t i n g f u n d s a m o u n t i n g t o R s 2 5 b i l l i o n , a n d u n d e r s c o r e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f e a r l y c h i l d h o o d e d u c a t i o n , s t a t i n g t h a t a s i g n i f i c a n t p o r t i o n o f t h e s e f u n d s s h o u l d b e d e d i c a t e d t o t h i s c r u c i a l p h a s e o f d e v e l o p m e n t

The minister called for urgent and collective action, emphasizing the need to expedite efforts during the upcoming caretaker government

He envisaged that the commission’s findings and recommendations would provide a ready-made roadmap for the incoming administration enabling swift and impactful improvements in the education sector

DALBANDIN S ta f f r e P o r t A t r a ff i c a c c i d e n t n e a r D a l b a n d i n i n B a l o c h i s t a n ’s C h a g a i d i s t r i c t c l a i m e d t h e l i f e o f a P o r t u g u e s e t o u r i s t o n T h u r s d a y T h e d e c e a s e d i d e n t i f i e d a s Vi l a o C a s t a n h e i r a h a d e n t e r e d t h e c o u n t r y f r o m t h e P a k i s t a nI r a n b o r d e r o n h i s m o t o r b i k e a d a y b e f o r e t h e i n c i d e n t U n f o r t u n a t e l y h e m e t w i t h a f a t a l a c c i d e n t i n t h e a r e a o f Ta l u a n d B a r a Ta g i z r i L a n d h i , n e a r D a l b a n d i n , w h e n h i s m o t o r b i k e c o l l i d e d h e a d - o n w i t h a h e a v y p i c k u p v e h i c l e T h e c o l l i s i o n a l s o l e f t a t l e a s t t w o o t h e r s i n j u r e d w h o w e r e t r a v e l l i n g i n t h e p i c k u p v e h i c l e a t t h e t i m e o f t h e a c c i d e n t F o l l o w i n g t h e i n c i d e n t r e s c u e o ff i c i a l s r u s h e d t o t h e s c e n e a n d t r a n s p o r t e d t h e d e c e a s e d s b o d y a n d t h e i n j u r e d t o t h e n e a r b y P r i n c e F a h a d h o s p i t a l F a t a l a c c i d e n t s a r e r a m p a n t i n t h e p r o v i n c e d u e t o d i l a p i d a t e d r o a d n e t w o r k s a n d s u b - s t a n d a r d b u s s e r v i c e s w h i c h l a rg e l y d o n o t c o m p l y w i t h w e l lp r a c t i s e d s a f e t y s t a n d a r d s a c r o s s t h e w o r l d T h e i n c i d e n t p r o m p t e d t h e m e m o r y o f a h o r r i f i c a c c i d e n t e a r l i e r t h i s y e a r i n L a s b e l a , w h e r e i n a b u s c a r r y i n g 4 8 p a s s e n g e r s p l u n g e d o ff a b r i d g e i n t o a r a v i n e , c l a i m i n g t h e l i v e s o f a t l e a s t 4 1 p e o p l e

Zardari, Bilawal begin consultation for caretaker set-up in Sindh today

KARACHI S ta f f r e P o r t

Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto will begin their consultations for interim setup in Sindh from Friday (today) According to sources Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and senior provincial ministers will share their points of view over Sindh caretaker setup with the People’s Party’s top leadership Sindh government sources said that the government has considered over three names for the caretaker chief minister s office and these names will be presented to the party leadership Moreover 18 prominent persons from various sectors have been interviewed for the caretaker cabinet of the province, according to sources The government will initiate talks over the caretaker setup with the MQM after concluding consultation within the ruling party

The leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly Rana Ansar and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah are expected to hold a meeting for talks over the interim setup next week It is mandatory under the constitution to decide about Sindh caretaker chief minister and the cabinet with consultations between the government and the opposition

PTI condemns If tikhar D urrani ’s ‘midnight abduc tion’

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e P o r t

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders Thursday strongly condemned what they called the midnight abduction of party s senior leader Dr Iftikhar Durrani, arguing that he had nothing to do with May 9 incident In a statement, the PTI leaders said that it should now be obvious that this ongoing oppression and clampdown against PTI had nothing to do with the events of May 9 but everything to do with the London plan to dismantle PTI T h e y r a i s e d a q u e s t i o n t h a t I f t i k h a r D u r r a n i h a d n o t h i n g t o d o w i t h M a y 9 i n c i d e n t b u t w h y h e w a s p i c k e d u p i n t h e m i d d l e o f t h e n i g h t w i t h o u t a n y a r r e s t w a r r a n t T h e y s t a t e d t h a t i t s h o u l d n o w b e o b v i o u s t h a t t h i s o p p r e s s i o n a n d c l a m p d o w n a g a i n s t P T I h a d n o t h i n g t o d o w i t h t h e e v e n t s o f 9 t h M a y b u t e v e r y t h i n g t o d o w i t h t h e L o n d o n p l a n t o d i s m a n t l e P T

said that PTI

leader Iftikhar Durrani was picked up from his residence in the wee hours of Thursday In a tweet, which included a video of Durrani’s house allegedly ransacked by law enforces posted on the party’s official Twitter handle the PTI stated that law

enforces broke into the house of the PTI leader without an arrest warrant

Former prime minister and party chairman Imran Khan also took to Twitter to voice his concern and questioned the development

Why has Iftikhar Durrani been picked

up in the middle of the night without any arrest warrant? He had nothing to do with the 9th May incident, he wrote He added that “the crackdown against anyone who has anything to do with PTI continues”

It should now be obvious that this oppression and clampdown against PTI has nothing to do with the events of 9th May but everything to do with the London plan to dismantle PTI,” said Imran

The unexpected chain of events targeting PTI leaders had unfolded days after a series of attacks on key civilian and military installations on May 9 following the arrest of the ousted premier in a graft case Since then, roughly two dozen leaders have announced quitting the party while others were expected to make their announcements soon

Though Imran sees this exodus as forced divorces at gunpoint political experts suggest that it s an attempt to factionalise the PTI just like the PML-N was converted into PML-Q overnight at the

A LWAY S H E L D M E ET I N G S W I T H A R M Y C H I E F S I N

P O L I T I C A L C A R E E R F O R C O U N T R Y ’ S I N T E R E S T : P M

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f r e P o r t

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday he had held several meetings with army chiefs during his 38 years in politics with the sole objective of making the country progress as he acknowledged that he can be seen as the establishment s man by his detractors

The only objective of those meetings was that politicians and institutions work together to turn the country into a Pakistan for which several Muslims laid their lives ” he reiterated during his address at the inauguration ceremony of Bhara Kahu bypass in Islamabad

The premier went on to say: People taunt me calling me the establishment s man But this doesn t bother me Why? Because [ ] I did not intend to get any personal gains ”

He mentioned it was said that he was very close to former army chief and president Pervez Musharraf

But did I get anything [out of it]?

Nawaz Sharif went to jail and so did I Nawaz Sharif went to Attock and so did I Nawaz Sharif went to the Landhi jail and so did I Nawaz Sharif was sent into exile and so were I and my family So what did I get? he said

The premier also urged the nation on the occasion to make determined and concerted efforts for making Pakistan regain its grandeur and stature and so that country was able to compete with the rest of the world

He highlighted that Pakistan s eastern neighbour, India, had progressed far ahead of it but at the same time said there would be nothing to worry about if the nation was resolved to work for the country’s progress

Bhara Kahu bypass project

He recalled that the Bhara Kahu bypass project began in October 2022

It has been executed by the NLC (National Logistics Cell) in nine months at a cost of Rs6 25 billion,” the premier said, adding that the bypass’ construction had removed a major bottleneck and reduced travelling time for those commuting to Murree Azad Kashmir and Galiyat

The project he said would ease difficulties for several travellers commuting to these destinations from Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa He also mentioned that one of the challenges faced in the construction of the project was a land dispute with Quaid-i-Azam University which was eventually settled through court

Had there been no such challenges the project s construction could have been completed within the three-

month period set by him initially he added

PM Shehbaz directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to plant a million trees around the bypass of which 70 000 have already been planted

Make Islamabad as beautiful as Baku in Azerbaijan, he told the CDA

The premier announced that environment-friendly electric buses were set to reach Islamabad following the opening of letters of credit PM worked day and night to provide relief to people

Speaking on the occasion Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif worked day and night to provide relief to the people of Pakistan She said stabilizing Pakistan’s economy is not less than a miracle Marriyum Aurangzeb said previous government could not complete a single project in the capital city

PML-N leader Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary in his speech said this project will not only facilitate people of Islamabad, but it will also facilitate tourists across Pakistan visiting northern areas

He said rural areas of Islamabad were ignored in past and all development projects were carried out in established sectors of the capital He said incumbent government introduced bus services for commuters Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary said multipurpose sports

Militar y trials of civilians: C JP says will not allow army to take unconstitutional steps

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Justice Ayesha also said here that access to justice was a part of fundamental human rights “If military courts are not courts of law then trials in them are tantamount to the denial of fundamental rights ” she added

For his part AGP Awan said military courts were similar to tribunals that dealt with people associated with the armed forces and defence institutions Court martial doesn t come under the courts formed under Article 175, hence, it doesn’t have a right to appeal,” he added Justice Bandial said “We are reviewing the constitutionality of trials of civilians for offences under the Army Act

We are now moving towards the constitutional procedure; how a case goes into military courts, the top judge said

Continuing his arguments, the AGP said that if a civilian committed a crime which was related to the armed forces they could be tried in military courts

But it is clearly written in the law and Constitution that this law is applicable to those persons who war with the armed forces, the CJP pointed out

At this, the AGP read a 2015 SC judgement out loud in court, highlighting that the verdict also mentioned attacks on military installations

“A parallel judicial system has been created for such people Justice Akhtar stated here Exclusive jurisdiction was given to military courts so that no one could say why anti-terrorism courts are not conducting trials

Meanwhile, Justice Afridi said his understanding of the AGP’s argument was that military courts didn’t fall under the category of courts

“Are you saying that the Constitution had to be amended in the past because the suspects were not related to the armed forces? the CJP then asked You are now saying that constitutional amendments are not needed because there is a connection between the suspects and the military

“This is a good explanation that you have given,” the top judge added

MoF grants up to 35% adhoc relief allowance-2023

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

In addition to the above the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgment in Civil Appeals No 1428 to 1436 of 2016 concluded that The Rules of Business, 1973 are binding on the Government and a failure to follow them would lead to an order lacking any legal validity” In view of this position it is binding upon all the administrative ministries/divisions of semiautonomous autonomous bodies/corporations to ensure that any changes in the pay allowances and privileges of executive/ supervisory staff of the semi-autonomous, autonomous bodies/ corporations working under their administrative control, are processed in accordance with the Finance Division’s O M No F 1(1)Imp/94 dated 26-6-1999 Therefore all ministries/divisions are requested to provide a list of autonomous/ semiautonomous bodies and corporations under their administrative control, along with details of their pay structure and whether they have sought the concurrence of the Finance Division for grant of Adhoc and other allowances, and their pay scales

Justice Bandial remarked “You want to make fundamental rights of people rigid through military courts He added that if a trial was to be conducted over connection with armed forces the court had to see its standard

He further stated that a hearing on the case could not be held tomorrow (Friday) due to the unavailability of a judge while some members of the bench had to soon go on vacation

We are working [on the case] since June and need to prepare a plan of action CJP Bandial stressed adding that the trials of civilians in military courts were not a parallel judicial system

“We were told by Aitzaz Ahsan sahib that the Parliament is in a hurry,” he said and asked the AGP about his view on the matter Awan replied that he would need 2 5 hours more for his arguments and contended that military courts were essential for action against anti-state elements and terrorists We have already taken the court into confidence regarding our decision

“There is no attempt to overturn the Constitution or the law ” he assured Awan said the events that took place on May 9 were in front of everyone and recalled that the army despite attacks on its installations did not open fire on any civilian Justice Naqvi asked why the military didn t open fire, to which the AGP replied that we don t want a situation in future where they [the military] is forced to do this”

“This is why we are conducting a trial and also giving assurances he added

However former minister and lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan contended here that the government s tenure was expiring on August 12 and raised questions on the credibility of its assurances to the court

He also requested the court to conduct a hearing on Sunday and take a decision on the case “Time is passing by very quickly and everyone can feel the tick-tock ” Ahsan lamented suggesting that the SC had an important responsibility on its shoulders and urged it to cancel the judges vacations

However, the CJP said every member of the current

bench had the right to take their time adding that some judges needed vacations over health concerns

SC urged to take suo motu on bill to amend Secrets Act

At the outset of the hearing, former minister Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, one of the petitioners in the case, came to the rostrum “I want to read out four lines in court ” he said “A new law has been approved in the Parliament which gives intelligence agencies powers to search anyone at any time without a warrant

Earlier this week the outgoing government quietly got the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 to amend the century-old secrets act approved by the National Assembly in a bid to grant blanket powers to intelligence agencies which will be able to raid and detain any citizen even under suspicion of them breaching the law

Yesterday the bill was presented in the Senate amid fierce opposition and was referred to the standing committee for discussion

Referring to the amendments during today’s proceeding Ahsan said “unlimited powers” had been given to intel agencies under the bill “without any legislation

He stated that six SC judges were sitting in front of him at the moment and urged the apex court to take a suo motu notice on amendments made to the Official Secrets Act

“There are martial law-like conditions in the country today ” Barrister Ahsan added

Here the CJP asked the lawyer if the amendments made to Officials Secrets Act were a bill or had become law

It is under discussion in the Senate the latter replied We don t have much information regarding the matter we have only read about it in newspapers,”

Justice Bandial said He also highlighted that a previous SC bench had ruled that the CJP could not take a suo motu notice alone

Fortunately the bill is still being debated in one of the Houses, the top judge remarked Let s see what the other House of the Parliament does

CPEC brought $25.4b FDI to Pakistan, created over 0.2m jobs: C hinese vice FM

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

The newly-built Faqeer Primary School adds more educational resources and provides much easier access to education for local children who now have a spacious, well-lit classrooms to learn in Their expectation for a better life and desire to change their future are no longer just dreams,” he added

Taking stock of energy projects under the CPEC Mr Sun Weidong said that energy is one of the most heavily invested fastest advancing and most productive cooperation areas under CPEC

Under CPEC, there are already 14 energy projects that have started commercial operation They have a total installed capacity of 8 020 megawatts accounting for one fifth of Pakistan s total and generate nearly one third of Pakistan s electricity at peak hours

Among them, the Sahiwal Coal-Fired Power Plant is one of the clean coalfired power plants with the largest installed capacity in Pakistan Its construction took only 22 months which is the fastest among all coal-fired power plants under CPEC The Pakistani government hails it as a miracle in the history of the country s power construction,” he added

He said hydro and wind power projects have also delivered good news and the Karot Hydropower Plant is the first hydropower investment project in Pakistan that uses Chinese technologies and standards exclusively “The Sachal Wind Farm is the first

thousand

kilowatts In the deserts in southern Sindh ground temperature often exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, and strong winds often hit construction sites with sand and rocks all of a sudden Despite the difficulties Chinese companies completed the construction of the Wind Farm in high quality he added

The minister said that CPEC has added 510 kilometers of highways in Pakistan and the Sukkur-Multan Motorway is the largest transport infrastructure project under CPEC

“With a total length of 392 kilometers the Motorway cuts travel time between the two cities from 11 hours to less than four Construction workers have performed their duty under extreme heat in the deserts, which is indeed a touching story During COVID-19 the completion of the Motorway would not be possible without the Chinese and Pakistani workers who had stood on their post and made selfless contributions Due to COVID protocols, a Pakistani worker was unable to return to his hometown in half a year But this is what he said: My Chinese brothers couldn’t go home either They had left their families to help us build roads Compared with what they re going through it s not such a big issue for us, he added

He said the Orange Line Metro in Lahore has opened up a new chapter for urban railway in Pakistan As one of the early harvests of CPEC it is Pakistan’s first metro line and the only one so far taking Pakistan to the metro era

Commuting time between both ends of the line has been reduced from 2 5 hours to 45 minutes

facility and parks will be established on the left and right side of the bypass

Speaking on the occasion PML-N leader

Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said Capital Development Authority executed over 150 billion rupees projects in Islamabad He 160 buses are ready in China to be delivered to Islamabad to facilitate commuters

Muhammad Hanif Abbasi appreciated Chairman CDA and his team for untiring efforts for development of the federal capital He said an Olympic Village will be established in Islamabad while a food street will also be established near 7th Avenue

He lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his commitment to uplift the economy of the country

In his remarks Chairman CDA Noorul Amin Mengal said the Authority has completed over 100 billion rupees project in Islamabad in last fourteen months He said over seventy thousand saplings were also been planted in the capital city

The Chairman CDA said development projects worth twenty billion rupees are underway in Islamabad and its adjacent areas

It is pertinent to mention that Bhara Kahu Bypass project includes 5 4 kilometer long bypass and 1350 meters long overhead bridge This bypass will facilitate people of Murree Galyat and Azad Jammu and Kashmir

PEF launches Shahr-e-Ilm project to provide education to out-of-school children

The Punjab Education Foundation (PEF) has launched the “Shahr-e-Ilm Project” across nine districts of Punjab This groundbreaking initiative falls under the umbrella of the Education Voucher Scheme (EVS) Phase 17 With this project, PEF aims to provide education to approximately 84,000 out-of-school children by enrolling them in PEF-affiliated schools A total of 23 union councils/wards of Lahore District, 38 of Bahawalpur 19 of Faisalabad 5 of Gujranwala 35 of Rahim Yar Khan 1 of Multan 30 of Muzaffargarh 4 of Rawalpindi and 64 of Sheikhupura will be participating in this initiative Private school owners from these areas are invited to apply for partnerships, and selections will be conducted solely based on merit Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications online by the deadline of August 12 Additionally applicants are required to send the signed printout of the online application along with attested copies of relevant documents through postal courier to the Director of the Education Voucher Scheme by August 16 For comprehensive information regarding the submission process for the “Shahr-e-Ilm Project,” interested parties are directed to visit the PEF website at www pef edu pk

TH E Prime Minister ’s saying that the coming polls will be held on the basis of this year ’s census means only one thing: the general elections for the National Assembly will not be held on time There is simply not enough time for the 90-day deadline to be met between a dissolution of the National Assembly and the election to be met At the moment there is a sort of limbo on the census as it has been conducted and while provisional results are available the final result has not been notified Until that notification takes place, the Election Commission of Pakistan cannot proceed to the delimitation of the constituencies of the various assemblies It is also more than possible that while a district gets allotted the same number of seats as before, the boundaries might change to accommodate shifts in population The process can only start once the Council of Common Interests approves the census results for notification If the present government attempts to hold a CII meeting so as to rush through the results, it is likely to face opposition from Sindh It also faces problems with coalition partners, with the MQM and PPP at daggers drawn on the issue

This seems to contradict the earlier decision of the Electoral Reforms Committee not to allow the results to be used for the coming election The last census was late being conducted in 2017 instead of 2009 and this census is early because they are supposed to be conducted at ten-year intervals making one not due until 2027

Even in 2018, the census results had not yet been notified (something only done by the PTI government after the federal government agreed to conduct a fresh census)

If the current government does not notify the census result the caretakers might The mandate of the caretaker government intended to allow it to take steps to allow it to perform the actions required by the IMF may be used to hold the CCI meeting and notify the census Once notified, fresh delimitations are not an option The ECP will have to carry them out, and thus provide the perfect excuse for elections to be put forward Already, the ECP has violated time limits and court mandates, first in the Islamabad local body polls, the in the Punjab and KP provincial polls It is to be hoped that no excuse is found to do the same for national polls

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M A Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Shambling towards elections

Whoever wins, it won’t be just the par ties

TH E Constitution is very clear that if the National Assembly or any Provincial Assembly, is not dissolved earlier, it will stand dissolved five years after it first meets following a general election That means that the current National Assembly and the Sindh and Balochistan Assemblies having met on 13 August 2018 will stand dissolved on that day The governments they have thrown up will stand dissolved, and caretaker governments will take over, and there will be general elections within 60 days Of course, if the PM or CMs advise a dissolution earlier, say on August 10 or 11 the elections will have to be held in 90 days

That is the constitutional scheme As was rather rudely shown in the case of the January dissolutions of the Punjab and KP Assemblies the process is not as inevitable as any constitutionalist would wish

Those two Assemblies were dissolved in January, but elections were not held to them In both cases, the CM advised the dissolution; in Punjab the Governor did not dissolve at once but allowed the CM’s advice to take effect in the constitutionally prescribed 48 hours; in KP the Governor dissolved the same day indeed at once on receiving the CM s advice This should have been followed by elections in 90 days, and caretaker governments were sworn in Instead, the caretaker governments have settled in There was a lot of legal back-and-forth and the end result was a massive judiciary-executive clash with the latter refusing to obey the former s order to hold fresh elections

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter it was shown that judicial orders could be disobeyed

That the Supreme Court could be seen as not observing neutrality, but favouring one political party did not help It ended up removing the one ‘honest broker ’ that could mediate between the various parties

The prospect multiply unwelcome is opened up by the Election Commission simply putting forward the date simply because it can

The dissolution of the two provincial assemblies was not the real gamechanger Nor was the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan It was the reaction to that arrest when the PTI engaged in attacks on military installations including burning the Corps Commander s House in Lahore Imran has denied that PTI workers were involved saying that the protesting crowds were penetrated by intelligence agency operatives acting as agents provocateurs That claim did not stop the implosion of the PTI, as leader after leader was arrested, then released from custody to hold a press conference in which that leader left the PTI condemned the May 9 attacks and declared devotion to the PTI Some added the flourish that they were leaving politics Two parties have since been formed from the wreckage, the Istehkam Pakistan Party of Jehangir Tareen, and the PTI-Parliamentarians of Parvez Khattak

The PTI was the party likeliest to win the coming

I n d i a ’ s P o l i c y o f B l u f f

TH E Republic of India has been advertised as the largest state practising democracy in the world and as an advocate of human rights at the international forum That bluff of India to call itself the protector of democracy and human rights has earned it an international reputation and voice

However all these claims could only be true in a parallel world The story is quite different from the one portrayed at the international level The streets of Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, and other victimized areas are eyewitness to the majoritarian politics of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) The rape victim women the democide of minorities and extensive torture and discrimination of Other Backward Classes (OBC) screams of the injustice being held out in a so-called largest democracy and advocate of human rights, but sadly their voices are not loud enough Policy of Bluff is a concept used by Hans J Morgenthau in his book Politics Among Nations where he defines the policy of bluff as a tool for states to gain prestige and power In this policy, a state exaggerates itself to get reputation and perks in the international arena The Modi regime has successfully executed this bluff of creating India as the largest democracy in this world and not letting any voice against this image in the international media The BJP Government s policy has rightly earned them perks and privileges in the shape of a voice at the international forums and huge economic opportunities in the state Whereas there remains a need to highlight the ground-level problems in Modi-led India

Being the largest democracy in the world India must have had public representation at all levels of government but unfortunately due to the large Hindu population and strong Hindu extremist narrative of BJP, the democracy of India is rather a Hindu Majoritarianism than a democracy Due to the many extremist Hindu supporters of the BJP there remains a sense of legitimacy in BJP s government to have a majoritarian approach in their socio-political landscape

The second component of democracy remains the protection of human rights without any racial, ethnic, or caste-based discrimination However, a state having a caste system embedded in its constitution with a discriminated class of OBCs Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes cannot be expected to be the advocate of human rights

This caste system has also led to castebased politics and riots having human rights violations While the bluff is played at the international level by the Modi regime to be the protector of human rights the story is parallel within India

Another bluff from the Indian government

is secularism whereas in reality the politics of the BJP stands on the extremist Hindutva narrative The narrative of the BJP that Hindu identity is Indian identity surely has led to many extremist events in the country with a lot of human rights violations

The concept of National Citizenship Register (NRC) introduced mainly in the Assam region shows the systemic exploitation and exclusion of as many Muslims as possible This technique has helped the Modi Government to call Muslims of Assam illegal immigrants to cast out them from the voting procedure and exclude them from India This shows the actual politics of India, which is based on Hindu superiority with the absence of any secularism in their approach

Another example is the socio-political and economic injustice in the Indian Occupied

election but is no longer That is because it no longer has the personnel that were given to it It is worth noting that some of those considered they may not be able to make their way back to their old parties, but it may be that they also see the PTI ticket as the path to success in their constituencies That gels with the common impression that, while May 9 more or less destroyed the PTI’s structure and put it against the establishment it did not affect its votebank or at least did not damage it enough to make it unviable for candidates The unviability of its ticket comes from another source

It is the same source that made that ticket so attractive in 2018; that not only would the candidate get the party’s supporters votes but also the help of secret forces which would enable the casting of votes in some constituencies (though a consistent fake-vote operation was last detected in the by-elections following the 1988 polls) There would also not be the pre-poll rigging where the PTI got the better candidates, the ones with the larger votebanks, the bigger war-chests

a Parliament s tenure that governments used to fall, with the Prime Minister being replaced by a new favourite Indeed, it was customary for a PM to ignore the election result and remain in office even if his party was defeated Only when he was defeated in the House would he then go to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation to the monarch As his last act in office he would advise the monarch as to who to invite to form the government: his opponent It is understood that the PM can do nothing except on the advice of the Prime Minister, not even appoint his successor Of course while British PMs have said much harsh about their opponents they have never called them thieves or dacoits

O n e r e s u l t i s t h a t i t i s

s h a p i n g u p a s a t h r e e - w ay r a c e . T h e r e w i l l b e a l o t o f

ex - P T I f i g u r e s c o n t e s t i n g a s

i n d e p e n d e n t s . T h e

p ro s p e c t s s e e m d i r e c t e d

t ow a rd s a h u n g Pa r l i a m e n t , w i t h o n e m a j o r p a r t y

c o l l e c t i n g t h e s m a l l e r

p a r t i e s a ro u n d i t

Incidentally the PTI did nothing to reform the party structure and continued the tradition of candidates funding their own campaigns One result has been the dominance of electables, and the fact that workers do not stand a chance The PPP in particular, though other parties also have faced this dilemma Electables are not loyal at least not to the party giving them a ticket Yet parties have to turn to them because workers are usually too poor to spend on elections

It should not be forgotten that Pakistan s elections are at the place where the UK s used to be in the 18th century, where the ‘establishment’ (the King and his courtiers) won In the 18th century the government always won the election; it was only in the middle of

Interestingly, whereas during the 1990s it was clear at every election that the next PM would be either Mian Nawaz Sharif or the late Benazir Bhutto now it is not so clear The PTI may enter the election with its candidate, Imran, disqualified, even jailed, while the PML(N) may not have enough time to clear Mian Nawaz Sharif The establishment is said to favour Mian Shehbaz while the PPP may offer either Asif Zardari or his son Bilawal One result is that it is shaping up as a three-way race There will be a lot of exPTI figures contesting as independents The prospects seem directed towards a hung Parliament with one major party collecting the smaller parties around it

The election now almost upon us is likely to be one in which the establishment is likeliest to get the results it wants: a hung Parliament where small groups which listen to it will hold the balance The problem is that the three largest parties the PML(N) PPP and PTI do not want neutrality so much as for the establishment to be firmly in its corner, delivering it electables, and making sure it wins

The writer is a member of staff

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

Why plastic bags should be banned

P L A S T I C bags remain one of the biggest environmental hazards because they are difficult and expensive to recycle Yet, they are part of our lives despite several bans having been imposed on their usage over the years Most plastic bags end up at landfill sites where they may take hundreds of years to photodegrade During that time they turn into toxic particles that contaminate the soil and groundwater More worryingly these particles enter the food chain when animals, like cows and buffaloes, ingest them These plastic bags cannot and should not be burned because that pollutes the environment Scientists have also discovered that plastic bags cause many deadly diseases such as cancer immune system disorders and asthma The authorities concerned should conduct surveys to ascertain the damage caused by plastic bags to human beings animals and the environment They should get all stakeholders on board and raise public awareness about the adverse effects of using these bags

MARYAM SAJID RAWALPINDI

Kashmir (IOK) after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution The socalled protectors of human rights had been the cruellest human rights violators with the atrocities carried out in IOK Mass killings, rapes, and unbearable torture is what the people of IOK have been facing for four years

The communal riots of Gujarat in 2002, also known as the Gujarat Massacre explains the level of brutality and extremism flourishing on the streets of India Large number of Hindu mobs targeted the Muslim community resulting in thousands of killings, women being sexually tortured, raped and murdered This incident was one of the most brutal depictions of human rights violations with targeted killings arson looting rape and brutal torture The present Prime Minister of the Republic of India the n the Chief Minister of Gujarat was highly criticized by the international community, but this neither changed the extremist mindset of the people nor did the communal based killings and human rights violations stop Manipur a northeastern state of India is also currently in the grip of communal violence and destroyed by the extremist Hindutva ideology of the Modi regime The Christian Kuki community is being tortured and humiliated by the Hindu Meitei community The basic violence is because of the caste system as well as religious superiority The latest video of two women being dragged into the streets naked and then raped shows the level of exploited extremist mindset of the Hindu mobs especially the BJP and RSS

The bluff of being the largest secular democracy and human rights protector by the Indian government has surely earned it prestige at the international level, but the ground reality completely differs The international community needs to examine the true commitment by India and ensure the principles of democracy and human rights be fulfilled Although the Manipur incident has been considered by the European Union and the USA, there remains a sufficient difference between weightage of actions and words by the international community

The writer is a freelance columnist

Conformit y vs Creativit y

A M E R I C A N linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky meticulously portrayed today’s schooling system especially in developing Asian countries particularly Pakistan when he said that the institutional role of the schools for the most part is just to train people for obedience and conformity

His words, grounded in reality, clearly depict our obsolete and fragile education system In our country, children are taught from the very beginning in a way that they are expected to be obedient and submissive to what is being imparted Asking questions is considered a negative trait among students As expressed by French philoso-pher Michel Foucault the central theme of a school is surveillance over children whether they nod their heads to the given instructions or think on their own Students are warned against thinking beyond what is being delivered, and are appreciated for being rote-learners and reproducers on the exam day In doing so, curiosity, inquisitiveness, creativity and critical thinking are compromised These are all indispensable skills for anyone planning to not just survive but to contribute something to the world The only way to get out of this mess is through efforts from individuals concerned Teachers have to work on their own on this model by encouraging students to ask questions think of ideas and bring something new to the table

FAIZAN RAZA

LARKANA

Thermal energy

T H E non-functional Sukkur thermal power station is located at the right bank of Indus River between Sukkur and Rohri The power station was shut down in 2005

At that time Pakistan had the capacity to generate ample electricity for domestic and industrial use

Today Pakistan is facing an acute shortage of energy and we have to put up with loadshedding for 12-16 hours which can be minimised because the Sukkur thermal power station has the capacity to generate 50-100MW of electricity According to a 2011 report, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) cannot afford to run this power station with unpurified domestic gas and therefore it should use unrefined natural gas available in nearby areas The electricity generated from the plant can meet the needs of Sukkur city and will considerably reduce the burden In the ongoing power crisis federal and provincial governments should take necessary and collective measures to manage the situation by ensuring that all nonfunctional thermal power plants, including the one in Sukkur, are functional

ShehbAZ RAjPeR

The bluff of being the largest secular democracy and human rights protector by the Indian government has surely earned it prestige at the international level, but the ground reality completely differs. The international community needs to examine the true commitment by India and ensure the principles of democracy and human rights be fulfilled.

After Kashmir, Manipur disproves the myth

C o p i n g w i t h c l i m a t e c h a l l e n g e s

emergency basis are undermined how can these rich nations can be trusted to provide financial support to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund

TH E latest scientific assessment of climate change systems has demonstrably changed on both global and regional scales since the preindustrial era The lives and livelihoods of billions of people around the globe are under severe threat of climate change disasters The masses are facing these issues every year now, last year in Pakistan and this year in India Last year saw various climate change-related calamities like floods in Pakistan China and South Africa droughts in Europe and China hurricanes in Canada and the Caribbean and heatwaves in Europe and Asia

The floods, heat-waves and tornadoes have once again alarmed the world to secure this globe In November 2022 Egypt hosted COP-27 to discuss challenges regarding climate change The participants of the conference reiterated that the global community would fulfill its commitments to cope with the challenges emanating from climate change The major and positive development of COP-27 was the consensus to establish a Loss and Damage Fund

The Loss and Damage Fund was a major success of COP-27 Pakistan played a leading role in bringing all the stakeholders onto the same page for the establishment of the Fund During the conference a few Western states seemed reluctant to finance countries who suffered because of climate change It has been eight months since the establishment of the fund Still, the fund is not fully operationalized

First of all the process to complete procedural matters for full functioning of the Loss and Damage Fund is being delayed Some deadlines have already been missed by committees responsible to give final shape to proposals related to designing mechanisms of financial support to be presented at COP-28 Such delays raise questions about the sincere efforts of rich nations to turn the Loss and Damage Fund into reality

Secondly rich countries are having various concerns about finance for poor countries The idea of collecting $100 billion for the Green Climate Fund annually to support projects on mitigation and adaptation fell short of achieving its goals Similarly, many countries mentioned ambitious targets to phase out fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emissions in their National Determined Contributions (NDC) but in reality they are not taking practical steps to achieve those targets According to UN Environment Programme Emission Gap Report 2022 updated national pledges since COP26 - held in 2021 in UK - make a negligible difference to predicted 2030 emissions and that we are far from the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C, preferably 1 5°C In such a scenario, where previous goals and commitments to tackle climate change on an

Developing states are still looking towards developed states to honor their commitments Likewise, developing a consensus on the mechanism of financial support will be another challenge for the global community Several questions need to be discussed and pondered while developing the final proposal for the Loss and Damage Fund to be presented at COP-28 What will be the criteria to fix the number of funds to be collected in this fund? One mechanism can be to collect funds annually equally gathered from rich nations If such a criterion is finalized, then rich nations with fewer carbon emissions can raise a hue and cry The second option is to collect funds from a developed nation directly proportional to the amount of carbon emission of that particular nation This option can also be deliberated while finalizing the draft of the proposal

If consensus is developed on this mechanism, then the next step will be to fix the exact amount to be donated against a mutually agreed measuring scale of carbon emission Another issue will be to allow or forbid any nation to directly invest in green projects of the country affected by climate disaster rather than depositing the amount in the Loss and Damage Fund If more than one developing or developed nation become a victim of climate disaster in a year then which country will be supported on a priority basis? What factors and ele-

T h e L o s s a n d D a m ag e F u n d i s a d i r e n e e d o f u n d e rd ev e l o p e d o r d ev e l o p i n g n a t i o n s t h a t a r e d i r e c t ly i m p a c t e d by t h e n e g a t i v e i m p a c t s o f cl i m a t e ch a n g e d e s p i t e t h e i r m i n i m a l c o n t r i bu t i o n t o g l o b a l c a r b o n e m i s s i o n s S ev e r a l q u e s t i o n s a r e r e q u i r e d t o b e d i s c u s s e d t o d ev e l o p c o n s e n s u s T h e p ro c e d u r a l d e l ay s a n d ch a l l e n g e s a h e a d a r e p u t t i n g a q u e s t i o n m a r k o n t h e t i m e wo r k i n g a n d a c t i va t i o n o f t h e L o s s a n d D a m ag e F u n d

ments will be taken into account to make such a decision? The second option can also be criticized if elements of empathy and human suffering are ignored just because the suffering nation could not develop solid plans due to lack of capacity or any other reason

Likewise, the priority should be given to rescue and relief missions such as food and medicine Moreover the fund can also be used for long-term plans of rehabilitation Similarly the modus operandi for the transfer of funds can also be discussed as to how the money will be given to vulnerable states In this regard, NGO and INGOs may take the lead to help climate- affected states and these organizations may be provided with money from the Loss and Damage Fund

In Pakistan climate change raises concern with its social environmental and economic impacts Pakistan is frequently exposed to natural hazards like floods droughts and cyclones These hazards when combined with vulnerabilities in shape of poverty, exclusion and inappropriate political decisions and actions, make people more susceptible to impacts of hazards The agriculture sector is most vulnerable to climate change and changes in cropping and productivity as a result of weather changes will affect the poor rural communities of the country Considering the tough facts Pakistani authorities should adopt immediate actions to combat detrimental effects of climate change

The heatwave and devastating floods in 2022 are a reminder that climate change-induced disasters can significantly set back Pakistan’s development ambitions and its ability to reduce poverty The damage to infrastructure assets crops and livestock has also been massive with more than $30 billion in damages and economic losses

Pakistan faces significantly higher average temperatures than the global average, with a potential rise of 1 3°C4 9°C by the 2090s over the 1986-2005 baseline according to a study which also noted that Pakistan had some of the highest disaster risk levels in the world ranked 18 out of 191 countries by the 2020 Inform Risk Index

Pakistan is a low-middle-income country with a pri-

Spor ting world must challenge India over 2023 cricket World Cup

and more visible”

It is not entirely unrealistic to make comparisons between the political exploitation by Modi of this autumn s World Cup in India and the notorious Berlin Olympics hosted by Adolf Hitler in 1936 Hitler ’s propaganda genius, Joseph Goebbels, saw the opportunity to turn the Olympic Games into a political event The rest of the world played along sending the message to the German population that Hitler was a figure respected on the world stage Bear in mind that Modi received his political education in the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), a paramilitary organisation with nearly 600 000 members Founded in 1925 and modelled on European fascist movements it is the main proponent of Hindu nationalism which is focused on the idea that Indian Muslims are a foreign threat

The BJP, in power today, is its political wing

brutal campaign of terror This anti-Muslim violence spreads to the cricket field Indian police arrested Muslims for allegedly supporting the Pakistani cricket team after Pakistan beat India in a T20 World Cup game two years ago In Indianoccupied Kashmir, criminal cases were filed against students in two medical colleges for celebrating Pakistan’s win Three Kashmiri students were even imprisoned on sedition charges for three months for sending WhatsApp messages in support of Pakistan

To be fair, India s cricketers behaved well When the only Muslim player in India s squad, Mohammed Shami, was abused on social media, India’s captain Virat Kohli bravely defended him “Attacking someone over their religion is the most pathetic thing that a human being can do he said

marily agrarian economy; however it is gradually industrializing and more than a third of the population currently lives in cities Agriculture continues to be a significant occupation for 42 percent of the population Irrigation from the glacier-fed River Indus and its tributaries supports about 90 percent of farmland Glacier melt has accelerated due to climate change increasing the likelihood of glacier lake outpouring floods (GLOF) and mudslides downstream

To cope with climate challenges Pakistan can implement a combination of short-term and long-term strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change and promote sustainability Following are some key points that Pakistan can take: -

Invest in renewable energy sources such as solar wind hydro and geothermal power to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions

Implement energy efficiency measures in industries buildings, and transportation to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions

Increase efforts for afforestation and reforestation to expand forest cover and enhance carbon sequestration This can also help reduce soil erosion and protect biodiversity

Climate change is one of the most important global environmental challenges facing humanity with implications for food production, natural ecosystems, fresh water supply, health, among others The harmful impacts of climate change are already manifesting themselves around the world in the form of extreme weather events like storms cyclones floods and droughts that are mounting in frequency and intensity

The Loss and Damage Fund is a dire need of underdeveloped or developing nations that are directly impacted by the negative impacts of climate change despite their minimal contribution to global carbon emissions Several questions are required to be discussed to develop consensus The procedural delays and challenges ahead are putting a question mark on the time working and activation of the Loss and Damage Fund

The author tweets at @asad355

SEX IN THE CIT Y IS KILLING NEW YORK

Permissive politicians are to blame

NEW YORK POST e d I to R I A l b oA R d

of its past

Though the election is not due to be held until April Prime Minister Narendra Modi s campaign will in effect be launched this coming October when cricket-mad India hosts the World Cup Modi, following in the tradition of other populist leaders, is determined to extract every last drop of political advantage from the sporting event

We know this because Modi recently ordered the world s largest cricket stadium where the World Cup s first game is set to be played renamed after himself This sent a message that the Indian cricket team represents his own political party - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - and not the nation as a whole Thus far the international sporting world has not dared to challenge Modi’s appropriation of Indian cricket It s high time it did so Cricket prides itself on fairness and decency

Yet Modi is not just the nemesis of India s democratic institutions and rule of law He is also the figurehead of a movement which has launched deadly attacks on India’s minorities Those who follow events closely speak of possible genocide against India’s 200 million Muslims There’s little reason to believe they are being alarmist

EARLY SIGNS OF GENOCIDE: In India, Muslims fear for their future In many areas they are subject to the arbitrary demolition of their homes and the constant threat of lynch mobs In eastern Assam nearly two million have had their citizenship taken from them leaving them stateless On Tuesday an imam was killed as far-right

Hindus attacked a mosque on the outskirts of New Delhi Such attacks are commonplace Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, under a longstanding Indian military occupation, was stripped of its autonomous status in 2019

Gregory Stanton president of Genocide

Watch predicted the 1994 Rwandan genocide five years before it happened Last year he said that the early warning signs of genocide are present in India Stanton further pointed to similarities between the situation in India and Myanmar before the killings there

A report by Georgetown University’s Bridge Initiative found that eight out of 10 stages of genocide are present in India with indicators of the ninth stage extermination becoming more

One prominent RSS figure, Madhav Golwalkar, approved of Hitler, suggesting in 1939 that Germany’s “purging the country of the semitic Race - the Jews” was “a good lesson for us in Hindustan [India] to learn and profit by Although in 2006 the RSS itself disowned one of Golwalkar s books today he is revered among RSS followers So, increasingly, is Nathuram Godse, the Hindu nationalist who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in January 1948

ANTI-MUSLIM VIOLENCE: At the 1936 Berlin Olympics although all the signs were there few had the imagination to look ahead to the Holocaust of the Jewish people, which would start in 1941 Now there are some of the same signs of a potential genocide in India This is a moral emergency and thus far nobody seems to have noticed US President Joe Biden supposedly the leader of the free world recently gave Modi a hero s welcome in Washington Britain has been no better As we showed earlier this year Prime Minister Rishi Sunak failed to stand up to Modi when the Indian government launched a tax raid, widely seen as an intimidation tactic, on the BBC after it aired a documentary detailing Modi’s role in the 2002 Gujarat anti-Muslim pogrom

The World Cup is just three months away The lack of any significant controversy over India s human rights record is all the more bewildering given the run-up to the Fifa World Cup in Qatar last year Media coverage was less about football, and more about Qatar and human rights

The BBC decided not to broadcast the opening ceremony live with its star presenter Gary Lineker lecturing TV viewers on Qatar s human rights record and Labour leader Keir Starmer boycotting the event It is certainly the case that Qatar has human rights issues But these pale in comparison to what is today taking place in India

ESCALATING BY THE DAY: The situation is escalating by the day In Gujarat last month Muslims protesting the possible demolition of an Islamic shrine were rounded up and publicly flogged Indian Christians are under attack Since May, Hindu nationalist militants have killed over 100 Christians in northeastern Manipur, destroying churches and displacing 50 000 people in a

Do we really want to help Modi turn a global sporting event into a political rally at a time when India, a global superpower, is turning virulently against its minority populations?

But India’s prime minister has not shown the same humanity His latest propaganda tool the Narendra Modi Stadium will host the opening and final games in the World Cup - as well as the muchanticipated India-Pakistan clash The stadium is in Gujarat, Modi s home state and the site of the brutal 2002 pogrom when he was its chief minister Modi hosted the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese at the Narendra Modi Stadium earlier this year to watch an India-Australia exhibition match before official talks between the two leaders They did a lap of honour around the pitch in a buggy and posed for photos with the team captains Modi was presented with a framed portrait of himself

The eminent journalist Gideon Haigh responded in The Australian with a powerful article asking “why are we tolerating the intolerant” and drawing attention to the way Modi s BJP had subverted Indian cricket governance

Moreover the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has often been accused of serving the BJP s partisan interests Indeed, its secretary is Jay Shah, son of Home Minister Amit Shah - and Ashish Shelar a prominent BJP politician is treasurer Shelar made sure to thank Modi and Amit Shah among others for their guidance when he secured the role in October 2022

As night follows day, the BJP government will use the Cricket World Cup to boost its popularity

Do we really want to help Modi turn a global sporting event into a political rally at a time when India a global superpower and the world’s most populous country is turning virulently against its minority populations? As the thrilling Ashes series draws to a close in England the attention of the cricket world is turning to the coming Cricket World Cup Now is the time to ask the question

Peter Oborne won best commentary/blogging in both 2022 and 2017 and was also named freelancer of the year in 2016 at the Drum Online Media Awards for articles he wrote for Middle East Eye

Imran Mulla has written for The Critic, Conservative Home Athwart Panoramic the Magazine and Traversing Tradition among others

SU N D AY S Post reported the latest degradation to befall Gotham: an open-air sex market along Roosevelt Avenue in Queens After a night-time visit, Mayor Eric Adams vowed a crackdown on what hookers dub the “Market of Sweethearts ” but it hasn’t happened yet and he’ll be fighting the progressives the whole way Locals are furious at the scores of scantily clad streetwalkers brazenly soliciting male passersby on sidewalks teeming with kids shoppers and legitimate shopkeepers Brothels are posting ads on YouTube and even recruiting kids to pass out flyers The police do nothing nothing!” fumed Anna Garcia, a clerk in a cellphone store The cops won’t bother because the politicians demand a permissive approach Lawmakers water down the laws; prosecutors won’t prosecute Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez stopped prosecuting persons arrested for sex work in 2020; then-Manhattan DA Cy Vance joined in the next year Queens DA Melinda Katz wants to target sex trafficking, which is fine enough but won t protect the neighborhood s quality of life The Legislature repealed the state law against loitering for the purpose of prostitution in 2021; now Queens state Sen Jessica Ramos has bills to decriminalize prostitution and even legalize the sex trade Queens City Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán is pushing to legalize sex work and ban landlord discrimination against hookers (sorry other tenants!) plus have taxpayers fund a sex-worker opportunity program And Gov Kathy Hochul just announced two state-funded programs to provide free health care for “sex workers ” Whether it’s rampant shoplifting that’s turned drugstores into war zones, dangerous madmen roaming the streets and subways or metastasizing open-air brothels New York electeds keep enabling the forces of disorder Voters who want to stop their neighborhoods from going down the toilet need to send radicals like Cabán and Ramos packing so the other pols finally get the message

CURBING FILM PIRACY

Stringent provisions a boost for the industr y TRIBUNE

PA S S E D by Parliament, the Cinematograph (Amendment)

Bill 2023 ticks the right boxes mostly for the film industry which has time and again flagged the issue of unauthorised recording and exhibition of films causing huge losses The crackdown on film piracy seeks to address these longstanding concerns Piracy will be a criminal violation inviting stringent fines and imprisonment The punishment can be up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 5 per cent of the production cost of the film or both There are also provisions to curb the transmission of pirated film content on the Internet The Information and Broadcasting Minister has asserted that piracy is like cancer and this legislation will uproot it However much would depend on the enforcement mechanisms that are put in place

The Bill expands the range of age ratings available to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which clears films for public exhibition The three new categories are recommendatory markers, meant for parents to consider whether children should view a particular film In its 2021 version the Bill allowed the Centre to make the CBFC re-examine films already cleared by it Following fierce resistance this provision has been omitted

The 10-year validity of censor board certificates has been modified for perpetuity

It marks the end of revisionary powers Curbing digital piracy of films remains a challenge Illicit copying and unauthorised downloading of content are rampant in the country Tackling the problem at its origin is the key for the film industry as is understanding the reasons behind the inclination towards piracy Studies indicate that it s a behavioural trait even as the cost factor plays a big role A plausible solution is offering legal content at reasonable prices, rendering piracy unappealing

With growing signs of genocide against Muslims, we cannot allow this event to imbue the countr y with global respec tabilit y

HINDU-MUSLIM RIOTS EXPOSE RISK AT MA JOR INDIAN BUSINESS HUB

PR OFIT

r e u t e r S

HINDU-Muslim clashes just outside the Indian capital this week have worsened religious fault lines in the region and exposed a booming business hub to threats of violence and disruption, authorities and analysts said

Seven people were killed and over 70 injured in rioting in Nuh and Gurugram districts of Haryana state after a Hindu religious procession was targeted and a mosque attacked in retaliation

T h e 4 8 - h o u r c y c l e o f v i o l e n c e w h i c h w a s p u t o u t o n We d n e s d a y h a s b r o u g h t t o t h e f o r e H i n d u - M u s l i m t e n s i o n s b r e wi n g i n t h e r e g i o n s i n c e 2 0 1 5 , a y e a r a f t e r t h e H i n d u n a t i o n a l i s t B h a r a t i y a J a n a t a P a r t y ( B J P ) c a p t u r e d p o w e r n a t i o n a l l y a n d i n H a r y a n a

The lynching of two Muslim men in the region earlier this year by suspected Hindu vigilantes and the failure to nab the main suspect had worsened tensions, with the main suspect saying on social media that he

would participate in the Hindu procession this week

Ultimately he did not show up police said

It has been shocking to see how distrust between two communities spilled onto the streets ” Haryana’s home (interior) minister

Anil Vij told Reuters Security has been restored bringing relief and social harmony will take time

Vij said, adding that authorities understand safety concerns of businesses in Gurugram Gurugram, formerly known as Gurgaon, is a city of over 1 5 million people that shares a border with New Delhi

A new urban centre with glitzy highrises luxury hotels malls and gated condominiums it is home to multinational firms large Indian corporates and start-ups, with 250 of the Fortune 500 companies having offices here

Among the multinationals with offices here are Google American Express Dell Samsung Ernst & Young and Deloitte Suzuki s main India plant is also located near Gurugram

Because of the violence, many compa-

nies allowed employees to work from home on Tuesday while schools and colleges were shut before resuming classes on Wednesday

PREVIOUS TENSIONS

In the past, Gurugram has witnessed tensions over Muslims holding Friday prayers in public spaces and meat sales during Hindu festivals which Hindu groups wanted banned to respect Hindu sentiment Clashes between India s majority Hindus and minority Muslims break out occasionally, but have been less frequent since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government took power in 2014 But tensions between the communities have risen with many Muslims saying they live in fear as Hindu activists have become emboldened by the BJP s politics Muslim men attacked the Hindu procession and killed many of our people, said Praveen Babbar, a leader of Hindu Yuva Vahini (Hindu Youth Force)

“Every action will have not just equal but sometimes even more brazen reaction he said Aftab Ahmed, Nuh s state lawmaker from the opposition Congress party, blamed

local police for not acting fast enough even though he had alerted them about “provocative statements” being made by Hindu leaders Haryana Police however said they acted swiftly and prevented riots from spreading, and that two of its men were killed in the violence Analysts said the violence is worrying for the message it sends to businesses at a

B a n k o f E n g l a n d r a i s e s b o r r ow i n g c o s t s t o

1 5 - ye a r p e a k , s i g n a l s r at e s t o s t ay h i g h

PR OFIT r e u t e r S

The Bank of England raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a 15-year peak of 5 25% on Thursday, and gave a new warning that borrowing costs were likely to stay high for some time

Unlike the U S Federal Reserve or the European Central Bank – which also both raised rates by a quarter-point last week – the BoE s Monetary Policy Committee gave little suggestion that rate hikes were about to end as it battles high inflation

The MPC will ensure that Bank Rate is sufficiently restrictive for sufficiently long to return inflation to the 2% target, the BoE said in new guidance about the outlook for rates

“Some of the risks of more persistent inflationary pressures may have begun to crystallise it added

British inflation hit a 41-year high of 11 1% last year and has fallen more slowly than elsewhere dropping to 7 9% in June the highest of any major economy Economists polled by Reuters last week forecast BoE rates would peak at 5 75% later this year The BoE s own forecasts were based on recent market assumptions – which have now eased somewhat – that rates would peak at over 6% and average nearly 5 5% over the next three years

Inflation hits the least well-off hardest and we need to make absolutely sure that it falls all the way back to the 2% target,” Governor Andrew Bailey said THREE-WAY SPLIT Policymakers voted 6-3 for the increase but were split three ways on the decision for the first time this year Two MPC members – Catherine Mann and Jonathan Haskel – voted for a half-point increase this month, while Swati Dhingra voted for no change, as she has all

this year, warning of overtightening Markets had seen a roughly one-inthree chance of a bigger increase to 5 5% which would have repeated June s outsize rise

T h e B o E f o r e c a s t i n f l a t i o n w o u l d f a l l t o 4 9 % b y t h e e n d o f t h i s y e a r –a f a s t e r d e c l i n e t h a n i t h a d p r e d i c t e d i n M a y This will relieve Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who pledged in January to halve inflation this year a goal which had looked challenging However, the BoE forecasts inflation will be slightly slower to fall from late next year Inflation does not return to its 2% target until the second quarter of 2025 three months later than it forecast in May T h e B o E s a i d i t w a s i n c o r p o r a t i n g m o r e o f t h e u p s i d e r i s k s t o i n f l a t i o n w h i c h t h e M P C s a w i n M a y i n t o i t s c e n t r a l o r m o d a l f o r e c a s t , d e s p i t e a b i g g e r- t h a n - e x p e c t e d f a l l i n i n f l a t i o n

i n J u n e Services price inflation – which the BoE said offered a signal on longer-term price trends – was projected to stay high and wage growth at the end of this year was expected to be 6% up from May s forecast of 5%

Wage rises had been a bigger driver of high inflation than companies’ profit margins the BoE said

The BoE which noted the economy s recent surprising resilience changed its growth forecasts little from three months ago, with the economy due to expand a meagre 0 5% in 2023 and 2024, and just 0 25% in 2025

The jobless rate is predicted to rise to 4 8% by late 2025 up from a forecast of 4 4% in May and 4 0% in the latest data Mortgage costs have hit their highest since 2008 weighing on housebuilding The BoE forecast housing investment would fall 5 75% this year and 6 25% in 2024

Female drivers to steer ‘women- onl y ’ pink buses in S indh

KARACHI

S ta f f

The decision was made during the tenth board meeting of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority in Karachi chaired by the Sindh Minister for Information and

Transport, Sharjeel Memon

The meeting emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment and gender equality and resolved to initiate a comprehensive training program for newly appointed female drivers The training will equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle the pink buses efficiently and cater to the specific needs of women passengers

According to Provincial Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon the first route for the Pink bus service will connect Model Colony to Tower with plans to expand it to routes 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the near future

The service is scheduled to run every 20 minutes during office hours and every hour after that ensuring women have reliable and convenient transportation options regardless of the time of day The Pink bus service

was inaugurated on February 1 in Karachi, under the management of the Sindh government’s transport department During the inauguration ceremony Minister Sharjeel Memon highlighted the importance of providing a conducive environment for women to participate in the workforce and contribute to the country s progress The fare for the pink bus service has been set at Rs50 Additionally the service is designed to accom-

China opposes any visit by ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists to US

BEIJING

ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t

S

modate the needs of physically challenged individuals, with two dedicated spaces available on each bus offered free of charge Furthermore children under the age of five will also enjoy free travel on the pink buses Each bus is equipped to seat 24 women, with an additional capacity for 36 standing passengers during rush hours

time New Delhi is seeking more investment under its “Make in India” campaign

“Official reaction was inexplicably slow said Tara Kartha distinguished fellow at the New Delhi-based Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

The commercial heart of north India was a target this time It should have been prevented ”

Niger junta says will not back down despite sanctions

NIGER ag e n C i e S

The self-declared new leader of Niger on Wednesday said the junta would not bow to pressure to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, intensifying a standoff with the West African bloc, which has threatened to intervene after last week’s coup The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed sanctions on Niger and said it could authorize the use of force if the coup leaders do not restore Bazoum s presidency within a week from Sunday, July 30 The bloc also sent a delegation to Niger on Wednesday to negotiate with the military officers who seized power, hoping to find a diplomatic solution before they have to decide whether or not to intervene “The military option is the very last option on the table the last resort but we have to prepare for the eventuality said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, on Wednesday as regional defense chiefs started a two-day meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja In a televised address, Abdourahamane Tiani said the junta “rejects these sanctions altogether and refuses to give in to any threats wherever they come from We refuse any interference in the internal affairs of Niger Tiani the former head of Bazoum s presidential guard, shut Bazoum in his palace last Wednesday and later declared himself head of state In a further sign of the mounting pressure on the junta the World Bank on Wednesday suspended disbursements to Niger until further notice Red Cross workers assist evacuated from Niger at the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport north of Paris, France, August 2, 2023

FOREIGNERS EVACUATED

CORPORATE CORNER A C E S U

Zong 4G VAS ensures connectivity for prepaid customers during emergencies

RAWALPINDI e j a z a r s h a d C h e e m a

TH E Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) has issued notice to Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on a complaint lodged by a local landlord who accused the officers of the civic body for helping owner of a private housing society in grabbing government-owned land in Mouza Kalri, informed sources said on Thursday

The notice was issued to RDA high ups by the Circle Officer (CO) Shahid Sharif of Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) Rawalpindi Region on complaint number 854-cc-2023 lodged by a local landlord, Muhammad Safeer Raja, they said

The RDA high ups, who are facing corruption charges and helping a notorious land grabber Raja Ishaq of Clifton Town will attend a hearing at the anti graft body today (Friday) sources said

According to sources Muhammad Safeer Raja, a resident of Kalri, appeared before CO of ACE Rawalpindi Region and lodged a complaint, stating a notori-

OGRA takes ac tion against violations at l P G plant in S heikhupura distric t

(OGRA) in collaboration with district administration Sheikhupura inspected several LPG plants to ensure compliance of safety standards and regulations in the LPG industry During the inspection the team identified a specific LPG plant which was being operated illegally without any permission The illegal plant was engaged in filling gas in sub-standard cylinders blatantly and disregarding the rules and security measures issued by OGRA to ensure safety and safe handling of the hazardous gases Moreover, it was also found that cylinders of other leading companies including PSO were being illegally filled at this LPG plant posing a serious threat to consumers Exposing these violations the plant was immediately sealed by OGRA with the help of the district administration to ensure the safety of the public by preventing further illegal activities OGRA has initiated legal action against the LPG plant and an FIR has been registered against the violators as per the law pr

S indh first province to record drastic reduc tion of more than 50 percent in child mor tality rate: S hah

K A R A C H I : Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad

Ali Shah has said that Sindh is the first province in the country to record drastic reduction of more than 50 percent in child mortality rate as every child in the province can receive emergency care within 30 minutes He was speaking at the ceremony of celebrating expansion of ChildLife Foundation s telemedicine network to more than 100 hospitals in all tehsils of Sindh at Dow University of Health Sciences on Thursday “We have established 9 emergency rooms and 106 telemedicine satellite centres with ChildLife under the public-private partnership model As a result UNICEF supported MICS survey 2021 reports that child mortality in Sindh reduced from 104 to 46 per 1000 live births over a 5-year period,” said CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah p r

EPC hosts ‘round-table of engineer parliamentarians c auc us ’ at PIPS

I S L A M A B A

D : The second event of the Engineer Parliamentarians Caucus (EPC) titled "Round Table of Engineer Parliamentarians Caucus was successfully held at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) in Islamabad The event commenced at 10:00 am and was organized by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) This round table was hosted by Engr Muhammad Najeeb Haroon, MNA, and Chairman PEC along with Engr Senator Rukhsana Zuberi Convener-EPC and former

Chairperson PEC

The Chief Guest for the occasion was Chairman Senate, Honorable M Sadiq Sanjrani Regrettably, he could not attend due to urgent official commitments The event witnessed the presence of esteemed members of EPC along with honorable Parliamentarians including Engr Senator Farhatullah Baber Engr Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani MNA; Engr Senator Muhammad Asad Ali Khan Junejo; Ms Shahida Rehmani, MNA/Secretary of Women s Parliamentary Caucus; Sardar Shafiq Tareen, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee of Science & Technology;Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro MNA/ Parliamentary Secretary alongside experts and professionals from diversified engineering fields p r

ous land grabber namely Raja Ishaq has launched a housing society named Clifton Town adjacent to Gulshanabad Housing Society on Adiala Road He alleged that Raja Ishaq had expanded his housing society by grabbing land that actually was owned by the government and the other local landlords

The accused has committed the crime of

land grabbing with connvance of officers of the RDA and Land Revenue Department Rawalpindi alleged the applicant He told the anti graft body that the land revenue officer (Patwari) had showed a piece of government-owned land measuring 24 kanals and 18 marlas, situated in Khewat Number 102 Khatoni Number 292 and Khasra Number 255 not

Islamic Relief turning climate rhetoric into reality

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

One year since Pakistan s worst floods, rich nations must do much more to compensate the people who are most affected by climate change

The 2022 floods affected 33 million people and submerged a third of Pakistan underwater The disaster killed over 1 700 people displaced 7 9 million people from their homes and cost $30 billion in infrastructure damage and economic losses

One year on, Islamic Relief

Pakistan held a national climate dialogue One Year On Since Floods

2022- Rhetoric To Reality in Islamabad on Thursday in which Mr Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary , Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives of Pakistan participated as the chief guest Her Excellency Leslie Scanlon High Commissoner of Canada to Pakistan was the guest of honour at the occasion

Other notables included United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr Julien Harneis, UNDP Pakistan’s Resident Representative Samuel Rizk Islamic Relief Worldwide s CEO Mr Waseem Ahmed and Islamic Relief Pakistan s Country Director Mr Asif Ali Sherazi Representatives of academia, media and government departments were present on the occasion

Giving the opening remarks Country Director Islamic Relief Pakistan, Asif Ali Sherazi welcomed the guests and urged all to carry the climate agenda forward

“Exactly a year ago in August 2022 we saw the worst floods in the history of Pakistan Islamic Relief was quick and agile in responding to the emergency with lifesaving aid Till now, we have reached 1 5 million affectees with the help of our donors, partners and supporters ”

“Rhetoric To Reality is a call to action We can t wait anymore for future disasters and leave our people at risk We are making efforts for a climate resilient Pakistan Chief Guest, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives of Pakistan congratulated Islamic Relief Pakistan for managing a crucial climate meeting

We all have witnessed the tragedy last year it was a dual tragedy of Pakistan where 30 billion losses was caused but importantly most marginalised community was hit where poverty rate was increased drastically We were able to initiate National Flood Programme designed for 10 years I appreciate all humanitarian organizations for managing post flood situation with pro-active capability that saved more lives then previous disasters"

Leslie Scanlon Canada’s High Commissioner to Pakistan emphasised on the need of joining hands for a safer tomorrow Disaster preventing preparedness for the moonsoon season with more innovative solutions can be time and cost saving Canadian government is aiming to overcome climate change through supporting numerous initiatives

Pak-Afric a business forum envisions Rwanda as gateway to continent

ISLAMABAD

G h u l a m a b b a s

In a bid to explore new trade horizons and strengthen economic ties the Pak-Africa Business Forum organized a High Tea in honour of the Pakistani High Commissioner nominated for Rwanda Mr Naeem Khan

The event was presided over by Mr Omar Shahid Butt, President of the Pak-Africa Business Forum, who highlighted Rwanda’s potential as a gateway to Africa for Pakistan, opening doors to the entire continent for Pakistani exports Distinguished representatives from major Pakistani export sectors including pharma textiles IT and electrical cables participated in the event

With their presence a comprehensive strategy was formulated to boost Pakistani exports to not only Rwanda but also other African countries like Congo

Addressing the attendees, Mr Omar Shahid Butt emphasized the significance of the Look Africa initiative a government endeavour to enhance Pak-Africa trade relations He underscored the need for support from the private sector to make this initiative a success and pledged his determination to contribute to the cause in the best interest of the country Highlighting Africa’s abundant mineral resources and raw materials, Mr Butt emphasized the potential benefits for Pakistan’s industries in importing these re-

sources and utilizing them to manufacture export products for the African market

Mr Naeem Khan, the Pakistani High Commissioner to Rwanda, shared insights into the promising opportunities in Rwanda’s textile and pharma industries, presenting Rwanda as an ideal hub for Pakistani export products He lauded Rwanda’s safe and peaceful environment for investors and encouraged Pakistani businesses to explore the potential of the Rwandan market Rwanda being a significant country in Africa with a thriving economy, holds vital importance in Pakistan s international relations Mr Khan expressed Rwanda’s eagerness to collaborate with Pakistan and invited the Pak-Africa Business Forum’s members to explore the business potential in Rwanda

Emphasizing the importance of the Pak-Africa Business Forum Mr Khan praised the forum for playing a pivotal role in enhancing bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Africa He also extended an invitation to Mr Omar Butt and other members of the forum to visit Rwanda and experience its business-friendly environment firsthand

The discussions at the event culminated in an agreement between Mr Omar Shahid Butt and the Pakistan High Commissioner to Rwanda to work together in coordinating efforts to open up Rwanda and neighbouring nations as potential markets for Pakistani exporters

Skardu’s first international flight to arrive from

ISLAMABAD G h u l a m a b b a s

The stunning valleys and majestic mountains of GilgitBaltistan are set to witness a historic moment as Skardu Airport prepares to welcome its first-ever international flight from Dubai on August 14

This exciting development marks a new era of progress and opens doors to exciting international collaborations in the region

For years, Skardu Airport had been limited to domestic flights due to the lack of a proper refueling facility for international aircraft However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Khakan Murtaza Director-General of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Mr Syed Muhammad Taha Managing Director & CEO of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in collaboration with the Federal Government, this long-standing obstacle has been overcome

The refueling facility is now ready to serve international flights and is set to be inaugurated on August 11

Khakan Murtaza expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders who played a pivotal role in turning this dream into a reality He highlighted that the availability of the

in the name of Raja Ishaq who is wanted by police in a series of criminal cases but also tempered with the land record

He said some officers of RDA had given approval to illegal expansion of housing society owned by Raja Ishaq against hefty bribes Muhammad Safeer Raja told the ACE Rawalpindi Region investigators that Raja Ishaq had also grabbed his piece of land located in Khasra Numbers 391/38/254/253/252 in Kalri with help of the land revenue department

He said that he had lodged a complaint with ASP/SDPO Saddar dated 24/1/2023 requesting to write a letter to Land Revenue Department for demarcation of land owned by him but it was not done so far due to Raja Ishaq s strong links in Land Revenue Department

The applicant appealed to the ACE Rawalpindi Region CO to hold inquiry against the RDA and officers of Land Revenue Department for helping Raja Ishaq in grabbing government-owned land Taking action CO ACE Rawalpindi Region Shahid Sharif issued a notice to RDA seeking the relevant record

Cardiovascular diseases considered to be main cause of deaths worldwide: Exper ts

Cardiovascular diseases are considered to be the main cause of death worldwide Pakistan is located in the region where the rate of this disease is the highest in proportion to the population There has definitely been a reduction to some extent but despite this heart diseases are still the cause of more deaths in Pakistan and around the world Chairman NCPC, Ex-President Cardiac Society Professor Mansoor Ahmed said that this disease is increasing rapidly in developing countries, while in developed countries, due to its preventive measures the rate of the disease has decreased to some extent complete abstinence from smoking control of diabetes blood pressure and especially cholesterol is very important, in our country, the use of unhealthy foods that cause heart diseases is high, while the version is even most of the schools do not have sports fields pr

Maulana Abdul Wasay terms timely, transparent elections inevitable

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

Federal Minister for Housing and Works Maulana Abdul Wasay has said that timely holding of transparent elections is inevitable the future of democracy is bright people will serve the people again if given a chance In spite of the situation steps were taken to complete government residential projects in a short period of time These views were expressed by the Federal Minister of Housing and Works Maulana Abdul Wasi on Thursday when he issued possession letters of 800 developed plots of the Bhara Kahu (Green Enclave I) project of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority Speaking at the distribution ceremony Federal Parliamentary Secretary Syed Mahmood Agha also spoke on this occasion and said that the 2009 scheme was completed in 2023 because the land matters were pending in the courts Earlier, Chief Engineer Nader Qayyum informed about the boundaries of Green Enclave Arbaa and Khud Khal while Project Director Azhar Hameed informed about the details of the project and said that the remaining development works of Green Enclave

Dubai on Independence Day

refueling facility would not only facilitate international flights but also boost the tourism sector, inviting travelers from around the world to explore the enchanting beauty of Gilgit-Baltistan The refueling system required to operate international flights will also be installed at Skardu Airport on August 11 according to Mr Murtaza

Mr Syed Muhammad Taha expressed his enthusiasm and emphasized the joint efforts of both government and private entities that made this crucial infrastructure project successful He stated that this development would foster economic growth in the region and create new opportunities for businesses and local communities

The upcoming international flight marks a turning point in the history of Skardu and Gilgit-Baltistan as a whole It is expected to attract foreign investment, promote cross-cultural exchange, and strengthen diplomatic ties The region’s natural wonders rich cultural heritage and warm hospitality are poised to captivate the hearts of international visitors

Skardu Airport known for its capability to handle larger airplanes, is the only airport in Pakistan s northern

region capable of accommodating wide jets like the Airbus A320 The airport was previously connected to Islamabad and major cities in Pakistan through PIA flights but the recent expansion work has made it capable of handling international flights

In December 2021 former Prime Minister Imran Khan declared Skardu Airport as international but the lack of a proper refueling facility hindered its full potential However, with the issue now resolved, the airport is prepared to welcome international flights and embrace a new era of global connectivity

Recent successes in the aviation sector have already been witnessed with 12 Airbus A320 flights connecting Skardu with major cities in Pakistan indicating a rise in tourism to the region

Additionally, the CAA has clarified that passengers traveling to and from Skardu do not require polio vaccination cards The CAA warns against falling for fake online offers claiming to provide such cards stressing that there is no such requirement Instead passengers are advised to inquire with airlines about the health policies of the countries they intend to travel to particularly regarding polio vaccinations

CPEC BROUGHT $25.4B FDI TO PAKISTAN, CREATED OVER 0.2M JOBS: CHINESE VICE FM

ISLAMABAD

m i a n a b r a r

CH I N A s vice minister for foreign affairs Mr Sun Weidong has said that CPEC projects have brought about a total turnaround for Pakistani economy by creating 2 36 000 direct jobs including 1 55 000 jobs for Pakistani employees

It is the numerous Pakistani brothers and sisters who participated in CPEC that drive it forward And in turn, CPEC projects have continued to benefit local people through job creation, internship, training and exchange programs It has become a cradle of talent in Pakistan

Over the past decade many Pakistanis have become professionals who played the underpinning role in key managerial and technical positions Primary, secondary and vocational schools brought by CPEC also lay the foundation for the development of talent Tens of thousands of young people enhanced their skills through vocational education and training, said the minister in an interview here during his visit to Pakistan to attend the completion of ten years of the CPEC

The Minister, who has an exclusive experience of serving as Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan and India said Thar Coal Power Plant has altogether provided training for more than 3 000 Pakistani truck drivers

Notably, more than 50 local women have been trained to become truck drivers, and are thus able to support their families Every Chinese engineer at the Thar Coal Power Plant is an experienced technician and every one of them can

Shehr

train a few Pakistani learners with different skills The Thar project team also took part in the building of more than 20 schools, and funded poor students to study in Chinese universities The project has built an oasis in the middle of the deserts Since the construction started it has received hundreds of thank-you letters from locals, all filled with deep affections toward Chinese workers and China,” he added

He said China will continue to step up cooperation with Pakistan in education training and people s well-being turn human resources to talent resources create more jobs and train more high-skilled talent

In this way, the Pakistani people can better enjoy the dividends of CPEC, he added

Referring to the visit of Vice Premier He Lifeng Sun Weidong said the visit by the Chinese leader this is the first visit Mr He Lifeng with a delegation abroad

since he took office as Vice Premier of the State Council “China and Pakistan need to deepen strategic cooperation, overcome challenges together and strive for common development China stands ready to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus of our leaders deepen strategic mutual trust, further our traditional friendship, and expand exchanges and cooperation, so as to promote our allweather strategic cooperative partnership and accelerate the building of an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era he added

The minister said this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by President Xi Jinping Under the BRI, CPEC is an allencompassing project that is the earliest and broadest and delivers the most visible benefits Ten years since its start 36

MoF grants up to 35% adhoc relief allowance-2023

projects have been completed or are now under construction “They have brought 25 4 billion US dollars of direct investment to Pakistan Many projects under CPEC, including Gwadar port and infrastructure, energy and industry projects, have important and positive impacts to Pakistan’s development,” he added

“Gwadar Port has turned from a small fishing village to a regional transport hub becoming the first ever port logistics corridor in the region Also at Gwadar, the Eastbay Expressway is already open for traffic, and construction of the new Gwadar International Airport will be fully completed Construction has already started for Gwadar Free Zone North Many livelihood and agricultural technology companies have started operation, and a convention, exhibition and trading center is already set up The number of ships docking at Gwadar Port continues to grow Their business includes agricultural products fertilizers and livelihood products he said

The minister said China has provided solar PV systems to the people in Gwadar, which has significantly improved their well-being The desalination plant, after put into use, will effectively alleviate local shortages of fresh water

The China-aided Gwadar Port hospital has provided much-needed healthcare and medicines to Gwadar The Gwadar Technical and Vocational Institute trains more than 1,000 technical professionals every year, providing boosts for the development of Gwadar and Balochistan

Cement despatches witness impressive growth

kets by despatching 425 336 tons of cement exhibiting a remarkable 57 84% increase over the 269 477 tons despatched during July 2022

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced that the executive/supervisory staff of autonomous/semiautonomous organisations and corporations will receive Adhoc Relief Allowance-2023 of 30 percent and 35 percent

The Finance Division issued a notification stating that following the approval of Adhoc Relief Allowance-2023, civil servants in Basic Pay Scale Scheme (BPS) 1-16 would receive grant at 35 percent of their basic pay while civil servants in BPS 17-22 would receive grant at 30 percent of their basic pay with effect from July 2023 The same relief allowance will also apply to the employees of autonomous/semi-autonomous bodies and corporations that have adopted the federal government’s Basic Pay Scales Scheme entirely The above orders, however, are not applicable to those public sector corporations and autonomous/semi-autonomous bodies which have adopted different pay scales For such organisations the Adhoc Relief Allowance-2023 at 30% and 35% of basic pay will be granted with the concurrence of the Standing Committee of Finance Division on the recommendations of the respective board of directors/governors Additionally the grant of Adhoc Relief Allowance-2023 will be dependent on the financial position of the organisation

The notification further clarified that autonomous/semi-autonomous bodies and corporations would submit cases of their executive/supervisory staff (only) along with their respective boards’ recommendations to seek approval from the Finance Division for granting Adhoc Relief Allowance-2023 at 30% and 35% of basic pay effective from 01-07-2023 Following the same procedure this benefit will also be extended to the non-executive/non-supervisory staff of these organisations with approval from their board of directors/governors

Shehryar Afridi as illegal and ordered to release Afridi from prison the PTI leader was rearrested by Police

Afridi was rearrested for record 10th time since his arrest, said his lawyer Mr Sher Afzal Marwat

#The state of the Rule of Law in Pakistan: On his release from Adiala Jail, 3 dozens Police force rearrested Shehryar Afridi 10th time in a New Town Police station case This arrest speaks how did the IG Punjab Police dodge the High Court on 20th June

See the HC order below he alleged

According to his lawyer Afridi was arrested as Police has named him in an FIR for alleged violence in New Town Cantt Rawalpindi

Earlier, the LHC also declared the detention of Shehryar Afridi’s brother Farrukh Afridi and PTI leaders Nadia Hussain and Shah Jahan also declared illegal The decision was handed down by Justice

Anwar-ul-Haq Pannu after hearing the petition filed against Shehryar Afridi s detention

The case under scrutiny was registered in Bahawalpur, and during the court proceedings, Justice

Anwar-ul-Haq Pannu approved the protective bail for Shehryar Afridi

The court subsequently declared his detention in Adiala Jail as unlawful a verdict that comes as a relief to the former PTI minister

Furthermore, the court also ruled that the detention of Shehryar Afridi s brother, Farrukh Afridi, was also illegal

The PTI leader was taken into custody on May 16 from his residence in Islamabad under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance

1960 This ordinance grants the government the authority to arrest individuals

Shortly after his release from prison in Rawalpindi on May 30, Afridi was rearrested under the same MPO law The city police officer accused Afridi of “instigating/planning to organise an unlawful assembly/commit violence delivering unlawful speeches to cause harm to human life and public/private properties

Although the Islamabad High Court (IHC) overturned the orders for his detention on June 6, Afridi allegedly remained confined in a death cell at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi

The cement industry in Pakistan experienced a significant boost in July 2023 with total cement despatches reaching 3 212 million tons marking a remarkable 57 44% increase compared to the same period last fiscal year Local cement despatches demonstrated a robust growth of 47 15% during July 2023, with the industry dispatching 2 776 million tons compared to 1 887 million tons in July 2022 The positive trend also extended to export despatches which surged by a staggering 183 91% with volumes escalating from 153 517 tons in July 2022 to 435,854 tons in July 2023

The regional analysis revealed that North-based cement mills achieved 2 473 million tons despatches during July 2023, registering a remarkable 46 54% increase compared to 1 688 million tons despatched in July 2022 Similarly South-based mills experienced a notable growth of 109 61% dispatching 739 376 tons of cement in July 2023 compared to 352,747 tons in July 2022

In the domestic markets, North-based cement mills delivered 2 351 million tons of cement in July 2023 showcasing a growth of 45 37% compared to 1 617 million tons despatched in July 2022 Likewise South-based mills contributed to the local mar-

Export quantities from North-based mills increased by 73 41%, reaching 121,814 tons in July 2023 compared to 70 247 tons in July 2022 Furthermore South-based mills experienced an impressive 277 13% growth in exports reaching 314 040 tons in July 2023 compared to 83 270 tons in the same month last year

While the start of the current fiscal year appears positive in terms of growth, the industry witnessed a slight decline in domestic despatches during July 2023 which were approximately 20 percent less than the figures in June 2023

A spokesman from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expressed optimism for the sector, citing expected investments in large-scale projects during the fiscal year However, he also raised concerns over rising production costs, which included increased rates of royalty electricity and fuel costs impacting the freight expenses T h e c e m e n t i n d u s t r y s p e r f o r m a n c e i n J u l y 2023 signals promising growth prospects for the s e c t o r, b u t i t a l s o u n d e r l i n e s t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f maintaining economic stability and favorable gove r n m e n t p o l i c i e s t o e n s u r e c o n t i n u e d s u c c e s s i n the coming months

Pakistan, Iran agree prosperity, development interconnec ted with peace and stability in region

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Pakistan and Iran have agreed to activate the remaining five border markets by the end of this year

Additionally both nations pledged to combat Islamophobia advance peace and stability in Afghanistan, and promote the welfare of the Afghan people Both countries also decided to repatriate all fishermen detained in Pakistan and Iran waive fines imposed on them and release their vessels

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, addressing a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian emphasized the complete agreement between Pakistan and Iran on matters of mutual interest recognizing that prosperity and development are interconnected with peace and stability in the neighborhood and the region Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed Pakistan’s support for

greater regional integration based on improved trade and connectivity To that end both countries agreed to prioritize the operationalization of the remaining five border markets by the end of this year

He also stressed the importance of advancing peace and stability in Afghanistan expressing commitment to the well-being of the Afghan people

Regarding humanitarian concerns, both nations decided to repatriate sentenced prisoners in accordance with existing agreements They also agreed to waive fines and release the ships of detained fishermen The exchange of prisoners lists will facilitate the implementation of these decisions

He said that the joint inauguration of the Mand-Pishin border market and the Gabd-Polan power project symbolized more than just infrastructure projects it represented the collective commitment of both nations to finding mutual cooperation for the betterment of

their countries Bhutto Zardari viewed this as the first step in strengthening their multidimensional cooperation, particularly in the economic field B i l a w a l B h u t t o Z a r d a r i s a i d t h a t h e a n d h i s I r a n i a n c o u n t e rpart Hossein Abdollahian signed s e v e r a l c r u c i a l d o c u m e n t s i ncluding the 2023-2028 five-year t r a d e c o o p e r a t i o n p l a n b e t w e e n Pakistan and Iran, the protocol of bilateral economic consultations, and the joint investment committ e e ( J I C ) p r o t o c o l T h e s e d o c um e n t s a r e e x p e c t e d t o p a v e t h e way for a long-term and sustaina b l e e c o n o m i c p a r t n e r s h i p b et w e e n t h e t w o c o u n t r i e s i n t h e coming months and years

Lastly, Bhutto Zardari expressed gratitude to the Iranian leadership for its unwavering support to the legitimate cause of the Kashmiri people reaffirming their commitment to countering Islamophobia and promoting unity among Muslims

Furthermore, it is pertinent to point out that paragraph (h) of sub-rule (1) of rule 12 of the Rules of Business 1973 provides that no Division shall without previous consultation with the Finance Division authorise the issue of any orders which will involve a change in the terms and conditions of service of government servants, on their statutory rights and privileges, which have financial implications

Pakistan links redressal of its securit y concerns with par ticipation in World Cup in India

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

Inter-provincial Coordination Minister Ehsan-urRehman Mazari on Thursday said Pakistan had linked its participation in the this year s 50-over World Cup and national cricket team s travel to India with redressal of its security concerns, adding that the matter would be raised with the International Cricket Council (ICC)

The decision was taken by a committee set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month and chaired by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

We have demanded that the ICC should provide us a guarantee for security, Mazari told media

He said the government also had some reservations regarding some World Cup venues and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would put these concerns in front of the ICC for a review Pakistan and India have played each other only in multiteam events at neutral venues over the last decade as bilateral cricket remains stalled between the South Asian neighbours due to soured political relations

In June, the ICC revealed the much-awaited World Cup fixtures with Pakistan scheduled to play archrivals India in a marquee clash in Ahmedabad in mid-October

The schedule for the tournament was released nearly two weeks after the draft schedule of matches was shared with the cricket boards of all participating teams However, immediately after the announcement, the PCB stated that it would still need government clearance for any tour to India including World Cup match venues

The PCB requires the government of Pakistan s clearance for any tour to India including the match venues, PCB Communications Director Sami Ul Hasan had said in a statement

“We are liaising with our government for guidance

This position is consistent with what we had told the ICC a couple of weeks ago when they shared with us the draft schedule and sought our feedback he had added

Shehbaz Sharif inaugurates ‘PM’s Digital Youth Hub Por tal’

of 57.4% in July 2023