Epaper_23-08-5 KHI

Profit

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

PR I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan will continue to lend its unstinted moral political and diplomatic support to the rightful and just cause of the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people In a message on the Youm-e-Istehsal to be observed on August 5 2023 he said

It is Pakistan s abiding commitment and promise to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters that we will echo their voices, at every forum until the world takes action and urges India to end its egregious human rights violations and forcible occupation of IIOJK undo all unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5 August 2019 and take necessary steps to carry out a fair and impartial plebiscite in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions ”

“It has been four years since India

unilaterally and illegally revoked the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) on 5 August 2019 Since then, India has resorted to use of brutal force and violence to suppress the Kashmiri people It has also under-

taken a series of measures clearly aimed at altering the internationally recognized disputed status of IIOJK In particular India has tried to bring about demographic changes to undermine the right to self-determination of the Kashmiris The recent steps by India indicate its nefarious designs to disenfranchise

the Muslim majority population of Kashmir To this end it has carried out a selective delimitation of electoral constituencies issued fake domiciles to millions of non-Kashmiris and added hundreds of thousands of temporary residents to alter the existing voter rolls

PM convenes CCI meeting today

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting Saturday (today) The meeting will be headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at 12 (noon) Chief ministers of the four provinces and federal ministers will participate in the meeting A report regarding the new digital census recently conducted in the country will be presented during the meeting The provinces will present their stance on the digital census The prime minister has accepted a summary sent by Ministry of Planning and Development wherein the ministry had requested to convene a meeting for approval of digital census result The Bureau of Statistics has compiled the results after completing the process of census in the country and the same have been sent to the CCI seeking its approval If the CCI accords its approval to the new digital census results the general elections may be delayed by at least three to four months

Steel sector reels under strain of record high

energy prices

Large steel producers in Pakistan have issued a dire warning as electricity and petrol prices continue to skyrocket pushing the steel industry to a breaking point The steel sector is strongly protesting against the massive increase in costs, which poses a severe threat to its survival and jeopardizes millions of jobs

ECP failed to ‘appreciate constitutional authorit y’ in Punjab polls case: SC

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday regretted that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to appreciate its constitutional authority vis-à-vis the executive branch in the context of Article 220 of the Constitution in the Punjab polls case

The said article of the Constitution says that it shall be the duty of all executive authorities in the federation and provinces to assist the commissioner and the ECP in the discharge of his or their functions

The 25-page detailed judgment, authored by Justice Munib Akhtar, in a matter wherein a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial held that elections of the Punjab Assembly should be held on May 14 said:

It is a matter of regret that the Commission failed to appreciate Article 220 in its true perspective and did not fully understand its constitutional meaning and import The constitutional relationship between the commission and the executive authorities in the context of Article 220 unambiguously and unequivocally gives the upper hand to the former and not the latter The top court added that regrettably when the record is examined it appears that the electoral watchdog acted as though the constitutional position was the reverse

O R T

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim

Munir met with World Junior Squash Champion Mohammad Hamza Khan, at General Headquarters (GHQ) here on Friday, in a show of heartwarming display of support and encouragement

A c c o r d i n g t o a n I S P R r e l e a s e t h e m i l i t a r y ’s m e d i a w i n g d u r i n g t h e m e e t i n g G e n e r a l A s i m M u n i r c o n g r a t u l a t e d t h e y o u n g p r o d i g y f o r h i s r e m a r k a b l e a c h i e v e m e n t w h i c h h a s b r o u g h t g r e a t h o n o u r t o t h e n a t i o n

Mohammad Hamza Khan s spectacular triumph in the world of junior squash has not only made Pakistan proud but has also highlighted the vast potential that lies within the country’s youth COAS General Munir was quick to acknowledge the significance of nurturing and supporting such remarkable talents emphasising that they serve as a source of inspiration for the entire nation

“Talents like you make us all proud, and your great achievement also underscores the immense potential that this nation possesses ” said General Munir praising the young champion for his dedication and hard work that have led him to this glorious accomplishment

During the meeting, General Munir reaffirmed the commitment of the Pakistan Army to support and nurture the young talent in the country He assured Hamza Khan of full support in both his academic pursuits and sports career This gesture is a testament to the armed forces dedication to promoting excellence and recognising the importance of empowering the youth to achieve their fullest potential

“Our youth is the future of this country, and with focus dedication and hard work there is nothing that Pakistan cannot accomplish ” the COAS asserted inspiring young individuals across the nation to pursue their dreams and aspirations fearlessly Mohammad Hamza Khan s success story is a shining example of the talent and potential that Pakistan possesses in various fields His achievements not only bring glory to the nation but also serve as a beacon of hope for other aspiring athletes and youngsters who dream of making their mark on the global stage

Wajid Bukhari, the Secretary General representing the steel industry expressed deep concern over the colossal surge in the cost of key inputs which he sees as a betrayal to the sector The recent price hikes in electricity and petrol will not only escalate production costs but also push the industry to the brink of closure, endangering millions of livelihoods

“The sharp increase in electricity tariff and petrol prices will deliver another heavy blow to an industry already reeling from inflation soaring financial charges and relentless fuel price hikes said Bukhari The massive currency depreciation has exacerbated the financial crunch, and the recent electricity price surge is a further blow that we cannot sustain ”

Over the past year electricity prices have surged by over 78% from PKR 28/unit (with taxes) in June 2022 to approximately PKR 50/unit (with taxes) in July 2023 The recent hike of PKR 7 5/unit, constituting a 34% increase in the basic tariff, along with frequent upward adjustments in electricity rates will severely impact the steel industry which heavily relies on power

As one of the major power consumers the steel

industry will bear the burden of rapidly increasing electricity costs, which account for nearly 50% of the total production expenses The surge in power rates will further inflate production costs leading to an inevitable increase in steel product prices

The consequences of this drastic increase in electricity tariffs are grave, warned Bukhari We anticipate an additional PKR 8,000 to PKR 10,000 per ton increase in steel prices due to the hefty electricity bill When combined with the impact of financial charges transportation costs and currency depreciation the overall rise in steel prices may range from PKR 15 000 to PKR 18 000 per ton

The steel sector highlights a concerning trend, where the relentless surge in petrol and power prices continues without any respite Energy tariffs in Pakistan are now the highest in the world severely hindering the domestic steel industry Comparatively electricity prices in Pakistan are nearly 55% higher than Vietnam 45% higher than Bangladesh, 41% higher than China, 29% higher than Ukraine, and 21% higher than India

“The exorbitant energy tariffs in Pakistan are rendering the steel industry uncompetitive and inhibiting its growth potential ” said Bukhari “The disparity in energy costs hampers our ability to compete internationally and poses a serious threat to the future of the steel sector

In light of these challenges, the large steel producers urgently call upon the government to address these pressing concerns and find immediate solutions Failure to do so could have far-reaching consequences hindering the country s progress and impeding its ability to meet its needs and aspirations

NAB summons PTI chair man in 190 million pound scandal

“The impression created is not that of a constitutional organ robustly and muscularly exercising a constitutional power in relation to those on whom the Constitution has imposed an express duty in this regard The impression rather is almost that of a supplicant timorously approaching a superior, it maintained For example, in a recital appearing on the printed Page 6 of the impugned order, it is recorded that the commission “approached the federal government to provide necessary guidance

The judgment also noted that it is not for the commission to seek guidance or to make the best efforts This is a negation and inversion of Article 220 It is for the commission to exercise constitutional power and for the executive authorities to fulfill a constitutional duty ”

The judgment further noted that it could be asked what could the commission do if the executive authorities failed or refused to fulfill their constitutional duties under Article 220 The answer, on the constitutional and legal plane, is clear “It was not for the commission to (metaphorically) wring its hands and then bowed under the weight of its own professed inability to persuade or cajole the executive authorities to obey the constitutional command of Article 220 pass an unconstitutional order pushing forward the election by several months, the order added

The top court further noted that the legal path was clear It was for the ECP to speedily approach the SC for relief in the shape of a writ of mandamus

Any such petition would of course be decided on its own merits in accordance with law

The point here is that even if we focus only on the Commission s (legally erroneous) conclusion that it could not conduct the general election consistently with its duty under Article 218(3) there was a legal path Rather than being diverted into making an unlawful order in purported exercise of a power that did not exist on the constitutional plane the Commission ought to have pursued the legal remedy readily available, the order added

The judgment also stated that the electoral watchdog contends Article 218(3) does not impose a duty to merely hold elections; it requires that they be held honestly justly and fairly And that confers on or at least implies in the Commission a power even in relation to other constitutional provisions: the power to decide whether and when it can do so It is only when the Commission itself is so satisfied that it will act in the discharge of its constitutional duty and if that upends other constitutional provisions then so be it ” it further read During the course of arguments learned counsel for the commission was asked that if his stance be correct, then the ECP could withhold elections for an indeterminate period on the ground of an expressed inability to hold them honestly, justly and fairly “Would that be constitutionally permissible? To this question which in our view goes to the very root of the matter no satisfactory answer was with respect forthcoming There is an obvious reason for this: no satisfactory answer can be given, the apex court said

Senate committee recommends blacklisting Sinohydro and GOPA

The Senate Standing Committee on Power has recommended blacklisting Sinohydro and GOPA primarily due to their ‘poor capacity’ to operate a double circuit transmission line as well as strict action against the NTDC Board of Directors and officials of power division involved in keeping an eye on M/s Sinohydro and M/s GOPA s capacity Senator Saifullah Abro, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Power presided over a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Power at Parliament House on Friday The meeting thoroughly reviewed the construction of the 250 km long double cir-

cuit 765 kV transmission line from Dasu Hydropower Plant to Islamabad West Substation the tendering method of this project the current status of work done so far, the work order, the completion certificate, the experience of working firms, the number of companies participating in the bidding process and so on The committee s chairman stated that the committee has been reviewing these issues for 6 months The issues were thoroughly discussed ad addressed during yesterday’s committee meeting, and some documents were requested from the relevant institutions The standing committee was told that the documents requested had been delivered The committee will shortly get documents pertaining to Mansehra and

Islamabad

The committee was informed that the project was carried out in accordance with World Bank criteria World Bank documentation and an appraisal report have also been submitted in this regard The committee members stated that there has been a lot of discussion on these problems The Chairman Committee should give instructions to the relevant institutions regarding the matter

According to the Chairman Committee, Gopa lacked the capacity to work on this project and lacked the necessary experience He said according to the documents provided the company is not eligible for these works and as per the law there are separate documents for each lot of the project He said that the committee will not support

any form of corruption at all He said the Power Division should write to the World Bank to blacklist Sino Hydro and Gopa and take strict action against the board of directors of NTDC and other people of the ministry who are involved in this corruption according to the law The World Bank should retender this project to some other companies He said that things are clear in lot two also that those companies do not qualify The rest of the lots will also be examined in detail in the upcoming meetings

The Chairman Committee also said that the instructions given by the Standing Committee while reviewing the matters should be ensured In yesterday s meeting of the Standing Committee it was decided that there are ample evidence of irregularities

being committed by the erstwhile BoD NTDC and M/s GOPA

Therefore the committee directed the Power Division to take strict action against the alleged officials and recommended to refer the case to FIA or NAB and submit a report within a week Further the Standing Committee had unanimously decided and directed the Power Division to write to the World Bank to inform about the irregularities in awarding the contract Friday s meeting of the Standing Committee was attended by Senator Asad Ali Junejo Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Niazi Senator Fida Muhammad Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan and senior officials of related institutions including Power Division and NTDC

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C E , P R O S P E R I T Y, D E V E LO P M E N T

P P O R T U N I T I E S T O R E G I O N : A M B A S S A D O R H A Q U E

ISLAMABAD S ta f f C o R R e S p o n d e n t

Ambassador of Pakistan to China Moin ul Haque has lauded the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a game changer for Islamabad, saying that the mega project has brought peace prosperity and development opportunities not only to Pakistan but also to the entire region

T h e C P E C w h i c h i s f u l l y a l i g n e d w i t h P a k i s t a n s d e v e l o p m e n t a g e n d a , i s a n e x c e l l e n t e x a m p l e o f a n o p e n , c o o r d i n a t e d , a n d i n c l u s i v e d e v e l o p m e n t p a r a d i g m t h a t b e n e f i t s a l l p a r t s o f t h e c o u n t r y a n d a l l s e g m e n t s o f t h e s o c i e t y h e s a i d

The remarks by Ambassador Haque came as Pakistan hosted an event in Islamabad to celebrate the launch of the

CPEC a decade ago President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the event, reiterating Beijing commitment to building the CPEC into an exemplary project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation

Xi s message has been described by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif as a powerful message of support and solidarity with Pakistan which reflects his commitment to the well-being of the people of Pakistan

For Ambassador Haque the message speaks volumes about the time-tested bilateral friendship which he said is based on exceptional trust, understanding, strategic communication and practical

cooperation

It is so reassuring and heartening to receive President Xi personal support and commitment to working with Pakistan for building the CPEC as an exemplary

project, Ambassador Haque said He underlined the development of Gwadar Port as being central to the CPEC The port is now operational and is ready to serve as a hub for trade and investment Phase one of the Gwadar Free

Trade Zone has also been completed he said The CPEC has so far brought about $25 billion in investment to Pakistan, which has created over 200,000 employment opportunities including jobs for local residents A s t h e f l a g s h i p p r o j e c t o f t h e B e l t a n d R o a d I n i t i a t i v e C P E C h a s t r a n s f o r m e d P a k i s t a n s i n f r a s t r u c t u r e l a n d s c a p e a n d h a s p r o v i d e d a s o l i d f o u n d a t i o n f o r i t s f u t u r e g r o w t h a n d development, he said Going forward Ambassador Haque said that Pakistan remains hopeful that t h e s e c o n d p h a s e o f h i g h - q u a l i t y

development of the CPEC will usher in n e w d i v i d e n d s f o r t h e s o c i o e c o n o m i c d e v e l o p m e n t o f P a k i s t a n a n d o t h e r countries in the region

The new phase will also lend a renewed impetus to harvest the dividends of globalization by boosting bilateral and multilateral trade and foreign direct investment projects, he said Our two countries have now invited third-party cooperation to realize the optimum potential of the CPEC Many countries have expressed interest to invest in the CPEC and become part of this initiative He added that the BRI as espoused c o l l e c t i v e e ff o r t s f o r t h e s h a r e d prosperity, development and well-being of the international community Pakistan has been one of the earliest participants o f t h i s g l o b a l i n i t i a t i v e a n d p r o u d l y shared its vision and objectives

KP Tourism Dept fails to utilize allocated development funds

PESHAWAR a z z B u n e R

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Tourism Department has failed to utilise development funds allocated for projects under the annual development programme for fiscal year 2022-23

The provincial government had allocated Rs8 3bln for various projects of the Tourism Department under the annual development program for the fiscal year 2022-23 aimed at promotion tourism in the province

Out of the total amount, the Finance Department released Rs5 3bln for these projects The Tourism Department, from the released funds can spend 2 6 billion rupees within a year while the remaining funds were returned to the Finance

Department The

B a n k s m u s t r e m ove i n h e r e n t f l aw s i n s y s t e m s t o p r e ve n t o n l i n e f r a u d : P r e s i d e n t

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

President Dr Arif Alvi while directing United Bank Ltd (UBL) to refund defrauded amount along with profit to a fraud victim has asked banks to remove the inherent flaws in their systems to prevent online fraud and fraudulent transactions, and educate their customers about the pros and cons of online funds transfer facility before activating digital banking He urged banks to comply with the relevant rules and regulations of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regarding online funds transfer facility customer consent and authentication of transactions

The President also asked the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan (BMP) to approach SBP and other banks that on the rejection of a complaint of a bank customer about a disputed transaction the customer should be informed in a simple letter that they could approach the institution of BMP for relief The President gave these remarks while deciding upon a representation filed by UBL against the decision of BMP directing it to refund Rs 79,500 to Mr Abdul Rauf (the complainant), whose account was

fraudulently debited through the Inter-Bank Funds

Transfer (IBFT) facility

The complainant had received a call from a phone number similar to the bank’s helpline, and the caller introduced himself as the bank’s representative and asked for his banking details/credentials which he provided Later his account was debited with a total amount of Rs 79 500 through IBFT even though he had never activated the Internet Banking Facility

He approached the bank to retrieve his lost amount but to no avail Feeling aggrieved, he raised the matter with BMP, which passed the orders in his favour The bank, then filed a representation with the President against BMP’s decision

Before deciding upon the representation the President held a hearing of the case at Aiwan-e-Sadr in which the complainant and UBL s representative appeared UBL s representative contended that 16 transactions of multiple small amounts were conducted from the complainant’s bank account H e f u r t h e r s a i d t h a t t h e c o m p l a i n a n t s h o u l d h a v e kept his personal credentials secure and the bank could not be held responsible for the disputed transactions as

t h e c u s t o m e r h i m s e l f s h a r e d h i s b a n k i n g i n f o r m a t i o n with the caller T h e P r e s i d e n t p o i n t e d o u t t h a t t h e B a n k w a s confusing two different steps with each other as the first step was obtaining the customer ’s consent for availing

I B F T f a c i l i t y a n d t h e s e c o n d s t e p w a s t h e c u s t o m e r ’s

a u t h e n t i c a t i o n b e f o r e c o n d u c t i n g t h e b a n k i n g transaction H e s a i d t h a t t h e b a n k h a d o p e n e d t h i s c h a n n e l without the customer s consent, without informing him about the pros and cons of the facility, even though he w a s n o t f a m i l i a r w i t h d i g i t a l b a n k i n g H e a d d e d t h a t w i t h o u t t h e d e f a u l t o p e n i n g o f t h e I B F T f a c i l i t y t h e fraud would not have been possible President Alvi in his decision held that the Bank did not comply with SBP s directives which made it clear that customer consent had to be obtained, and non-compliance on UBL s part amounted to maladministration He, therefore, rejected the bank’s representation and further asked UBL to improve its system and provide information to customers at the time of opening the bank accounts He directed UBL to refund Rs 79 500 to the customer along with the profit within 30 days

S ta f f R e p o R t T h e E m e rg e n c y O p e r a t i o n s C e n t e r ( E O C ) i n K h y b e r P a k h t u n k h w a h a s a n n o u n c e d a p o l i o v a c c i n a t i o n d r i v e t h a t w i l l b e c o n d u c t e d f r o m A u g u s t 7 t o 1 0 i n s e l e c t e d d i s t r i c t s o f t h e p r o v i n c e D u r i n g t h e d r i v e o v e r 2 7 2 m i l l i o n e l i g i b l e c h i l d r e n u n d e r t h e a g e o f f i v e w i l l b e v a c c i n a t e d a g a i n s t p o l i o T h e d r i v e w i l l b e c o n d u c t e d i n e i g h t c o m p l e t e a n d n i n e p a r t i a l d i s t r i c t s o f t h e p r o v i n c e I n d i s t r i c t s P e s h a w a r a n d K h y b e r, f r a c t i o n a l d o s e s o f I n a c t i v a t e d P o l i o Va c c i n e ( I P V ) w i l l a l s o b e a d m i n i s t e r e d t o c h i l d r e n a g e d f o u r t o 5 9 m o n t h s T h e E O C h a s d e p l o y e d a t o t a l o f 6 9 4 7 t e a m s o f t r a i n e d p o l i o w o r k e r s t o i m p l e m e n t t h e d r i v e T h e s e t e a m s w i l l v i s i t h o m e s a n d o t h e r p l a c e s w h e r e c h i l d r e n a r e l i k e l y t o b e f o u n d t o a d m i n i s t e r p o l i o d r o p s I n o r d e r t o e n s u r e t h e s e c u r i t y o f t h e p o l i o t e a m s , 1 8 , 4 7 4 s e c u r i t y p e r s o n n e l h a v e b e e n d e p l o y e d i n t h e t a rg e t a r e a s T h e E O C h a s a p p e a l e d t o a l l p a r e n t s a n d c a r e g i v e r s t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e i r c h i l d r e n a r e v a c c i n a t e d d u r i n g t h e d r i v e T h e y h a v e a l s o u rg e d t h e m e d i a t o p l a y a r o l e i n s p r e a d i n g a w a r e n e s s a b o u t t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f p o l i o v a c c i n a t i o n

h a s f a i l e d t o

m e m b e r s t a t e , h e s a i d a d d i n g I n d i a s r e f u s a l t o g r a n t t h e K a s h m i r i s t h e i r i n a l i e n a b l e r i g h t t o s e l f - d e t e r m i n a t i o n had

serious implications for

The

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t P a k i s t a n Te h r e e k - i - I n s a f ( P T I ) o n F r i d a y t e r m i n a t e d m e m b e r s h i p o f i t s e i g h t S i n d h A s s e m b l y m e m b e r s o v e r v i o l a t i o n o f p a r t y d i s c i p l i n e T h e p a r t y m e m b e r s w h o w e r e e x p e l l e d b y P T I i n c l u d e d B i l a l A h m e d , K a r e e m B u x G a b o o l , M u h a m m a d A l i A z i z , R a b i a A z f a r, I m r a n A l i S h a h , S a n j a y G a n g w a n i S a c h a n a n d L a k h w a n i S a c h a l a n d U m a r O m a r i T h e t e r m i n a t i o n n o t i c e s t a t e d : Yo u a r e s e r v e d w i t h t h i s n o t i c e o f t e r m i n a t i o n o f y o u r b a s i c m e m b e r s h i p f r o m P a k i s t a n Te h r e e k - e - I n s a f Yo u r m e m b e r s h i p h a s b e e n t e r m i n a t e d e ff e c t i v e i m m e d i a t e l y I t s h o u l d m e n t i o n e d h e r e t h a t t h e t e r m i n a t i o n n o t i c e w a s s e r v e d t h r e e d a y s a f t e r p a r t y i s s u e d s h o w - c a u s e n o t i c e s t o i t s e i g h t d i s g r u n t l e d p r o v i n c i a l a s s e m b l y m e m b e r s f o r s u p p o r t i n g M u t a h i d a Q u a m i M o v e m e n t P a k i s t a n ( M Q M - P ) R a n a A n s a r s e l e v a t i o n t o t h e o p p o s i t i o n l e a d e r s o ff i c e i n S i n d h A s s e m b l y A c c o r d i n g t o s t a t e m e n t i s s u e d o n m i c r o b l o g g i n g w e b s i t e , t h e o p p o s i t i o n p a r t y s a i d t h a t i t h a d i s s u e d n o t i c e s t o M PA s S y e d I m r a n A l i S h a h S a n j a y G a n g w a n i S a c h a n a n d L a k h w a n i S a c h a l a n d R a b i a A z f a r N i z a m i f o r v o t i n g f o r S i n d h o p p o s i t i o n l e a d e r A d a y e a r l i e r, P T I t e r m i n a t e d t h e p a r t y m e m b e r s h i p s o f 2 2 l e a d e r s i n c l u d i n g f o r m e r c h i e f m i n i s t e r P u n j a b U s m a n B u z d a r I t i s p e r t i n e n t t o m e n t i o n h e r e t h a t e x p r e s s i n g c o n c e r n s o v e r M a y 9 v a n d a l i s m s e v e r a l P T I l e a d e r s a n d l a w m a k e r s i n c l u d i n g F a w a d C h a u d h r y S h i r e e n M a z a r i I m r a n I s m a i l A l i Z a i d i A a m i r M e h m o o d K i a n i M a l i k A m i n A s l a m M a h m o o d M o u l v i , A f t a b S i d d i q u i , F a y y a z u l H a s s a n C h o h a n a m o n g o t h e r s h a v e l e f t t h e f o r m e r r u l i n g p a r t y

P U N J A B P O L I C E C E L E B R AT E P O L I C E M A R T Y R S ’

D AY W I T H F E R V O R

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

THE Punjab Police on Friday

celebrated Police Martyrs Day with traditional enthusiasm and the day dawned with special prayers and presence of senior police officers at the graves of police martyrs across the province Floral wreaths were laid on their graves and senior officers met heirs of the martyrs and expressed solidarity

The main event of Police Martyrs Day was held at Al Hamra Hall Lahore in which Punjab IG Police Dr Usman Anwar distributed laptops to the children of 50 Police Martyrs for IT education Speaking on the occasion, the IG Police said that after taking over the charge as the Punjab IG the first order issued by him was for the recruitment of children of martyrs in the police department Rs6 5 million being spent on welfare of the force on a daily basis will be raised further, he added

On Police Martyrs’ Day, the IG Police gave away special gift to the heirs of police personnel martyred before 2017 An MoU was signed with the private estate developers

at the Central Police Office under the chairmanship of the IG Police

According to the MoU, the private estate developers of South Punjab will gift 68 plots to the families of police personnel martyred before 2017 in various districts These included 25 families of police martyrs from Vehari five from Bahawalpur 10 from Bahawalnagar three from Sahiwal As many as 10 and 15 plots are being given in Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh

The IG Police said that in the next phase, the department will provide all possible financial support to the families of the martyrs for the construction of houses

The IG Police also laid a floral wreath at the memorial of Police Martyrs at Central Police Office Additional IG Welfare Riaz Nazir Gara, Additional IG Establishment Raja Riffat Mukhtar, DIG Headquarters

Humayun Bashir Tarar, DIG Establishment-

I Dr Inam Waheed Khan DIG

Establishment-II Zeeshan Asghar DIG Training Munir Zia Rao Commandant PC

Imran Arshad and other senior officers were also present on the occasion Chaudhry Manzoor, father of the two constable brothers who were martyred in

Arfa Karim Tower blast Zainab Zafar daughter of constable Zafar Iqbal widow of martyred sub-inspector Manzoor Ahmed, were present as the special guests in the ceremony held in honor of the martyrs at Al Hamra Hall Families of police martyrs from different districts including Lahore and a large number of police personnel were present in the ceremony The ceremony started with the National Anthem The families of the martyrs were saluted Zainab Zafar, daughter of martyred Constable Zafar Iqbal, and Hadiya, daughter of martyred Inspector Mussadiq Hussain paid tribute to the sacrifices of the martyred police The IG Police while addressing the ceremony said that they will not hesitate to make any sacrifice to protect the life and property of the citizens IG Punjab further said that the promise of a house for the heirs of the martyrs before 2017 is being fulfilled As many as 800 recruitments have been made on martyrs claim Dr Usman Anwar said that 65 lakhs rupees are being spent daily on the welfare of martyrs and police force IG Punjab directed that in return for these welfare measures, give justice in the police station,

keep the police stations clean, provide traffic licensing facilities, give dignity and respect to the citizens We are providing data of 10 million people to Transparency International ask them about our services he said that we have to take care of every injured youth we neither accept defeat nor will we accept it Dr Usman Anwar further said that duties are performed in service centers, police stations, licensing centers, Katcha areas and roads, streets In the MoU signing ceremony at the Central Police Office IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar and Chairman of the private estate developer signed the MoU IG Punjab said that the agreement with the Punjab Police and the private construction group is of special importance The dream of providing a private roof to the families of martyrs who did not have houses before 2017 is going to be fulfilled Dr Usman Anwar congratulated RPO Multan and DPO Vehari for completing

Justice Naqvi claims Justice M asood ‘deliberately ’ delaying opinion over complaints against him

In another display of the division among Supreme Court judges Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi has accused Justice Sardar Tariq Masood of ‘deliberately’ delaying his opinion over the complaints of misconduct against him with ‘nefarious design’ I am fully justified in saying that the delay in forwarding the opinion by the said judge [Justice Masood] is intentional, deliberate and based upon nefarious design and there is every likelihood that the undersigned [Justice Naqvi] will not be treated justly fairly and in accordance with law wrote Justice Naqvi in his letter written to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial who is also the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) a constitutional forum for taking action over complaints of misconduct against superior court judges Justice Naqvi in his letter added that reportedly a number of frivolous complaints had been filed against him in the SJC in the recent past being part of a malicious campaign against the judiciary in general and him in particular In the complaints it has been alleged that Justice Naqvi had bought a property which was higher in price against its value declared in the revenue record and income tax returns

otherwise of the complaints

“Without touching upon the merits of the same I want to draw your kind attention that according to Para 7 of the Supreme Judicial Council Procedure of Enquiry, 2005, once any information/complaint in respect of enquiry into the conduct of a judge is received by the council it shall be presented to the chairman of the council who at the first instance will send it to any member of the council to look into the said information/complaint and to express his opinion in relation to sufficiency or otherwise of the information ” the letter read

“In the case of the undersigned according to press reports the complaints were referred to Mr Justice Sardar Tariq Masood on 29 05 2023 for expressing his opinion with regard to sufficiency or

Death toll from Sutlej boat accident rises to 4; search continues as 8 missing

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

The death toll in a boat accident in the swollen Sutlej River at Head Sulemanki in Okara district rose to four on Friday according to an update from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) The ill-fated boat with approximately 45 people aboard capsized in the river on Thursday due to unknown reason Eight of the passengers on the boat belonged to Okara, while 32 hailed from Bahawalnagar So far, 33 people including women and children have been rescued, the PDMA said, adding that the deceased included a fiveyear-old child According to an update issued by the PDMA s Okara district emergency operation centre today four bodies had been retrieved while eight people were missing It said a rescue operation was under way to find the missing persons with nine rescue boats, three scuba sets and three army boats deployed Resources from Pakpattan and Bahawalnagar districts were also participating in the operation Earlier the PDMA said all those rescued were said to be out of danger i e they do not have any life-threatening injuries The authority also warned against unnecessary travel in areas around the swollen rivers, adding that Section 144 should be imposed in the areas to prevent further loss of life

According to the Flood Forecasting Division, Sutlej river is witnessing a low-level flood with 76,000 cusecs at Sulemanki headworks

the historic task I also thank Chairman Private Estate Developer Rana Tahir Karim for contributing to the welfare of martyrs’ families Chairman of the private construction group Rana Tahir Karim and other officials were present in the ceremony IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar in a special message on the occasion of Police Martyrs Day, said that he pays tribute to the eternal sacrifices of the police officers and officials who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty Dr Usman Anwar said that the martyrs of the police sacrificed their lives today for the sake of the country to make the nation safe tomorrow I offer my greetings to the families of the great sons who achieved the great position of martyrdom As the chief of Punjab Police, the best welfare of the families of the martyrs is my first priority On every occasion of joy and sorrow the police department and the force will never leave them alone

Chairman FBR visits Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industr y

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

It is a matter of record that the said judge had written two letters dated 03 04 2023 and 26 04 2023 to the members of the Supreme Judicial Council and the undersigned showing his impatience and eagerness to initiate the proceedings before the Supreme Judicial Council ” it continued Justice Naqvi further wrote that the c o n d u c t o f J u s t i c e M a s o o d w a s n o t o n l y s u r p r i s i n g r a t h e r i t w a s

u n p r e c e d e n t e d a n d n e v e r e v e r a m e m b e r o f t h e S J C h a d a c t e d i n t h e

manner as mentioned earlier

“It is also worth mentioning that several complaints against sitting judges are lying with [the] secretary of the council but only the undersigned has been targeted, which reflects [the] wilful

mindset of the said judge against the undersigned, Justice Naqvi informed the CJP “It is quite contrary to the aforenoted conduct of the said judge while showing his anxiousness to initiate the proceedings now despite of referring the matter to him on 29 05 2023 by the Chairman [of the] Supreme Judicial Council for expressing his opinion, no opinion has been rendered by him even after [a] lapse of more than 43 days on the pretext that due to summer vacations he has preferred to take rest rather to perform his constitutional duty which clearly shows that the matter is being kept waiting wilfully with ill-design, the letter stated “In Para 9 of the Procedure of Enquiry it is mentioned therein that if the council decides to proceed against a judge a period of 14 days will be given to him to explain his position If the analogy from the same is drawn, the Hon ble Judge (Justice Sardar Tariq Masood) to whom the matter has been referred for opinion is under obligation to render his opinion within a reasonable time which may not exceed 14 days as mentioned for a judge who is to respond Justice Naqvi further wrote to the top judge Justice Naqvi observed that the courts of the world had been operating since centuries on the very basic principle that justice should not only be done but also be seen to be carried out

Weak decision-making deprived Pakistan of realizing ac tual economic potential: President

On the directives of the Prime Minister Mr Amjad Zubair Tiwana Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) visited Karachi today and held a meeting with the representatives of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) at KCCI House, Karachi Mr Tariq Pasha Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue joined the meeting via video link from Islamabad Chairman KCCI Mr Zubair Motiwala welcomed the SAPM and the Chairman FBR Mr Zubair Motiwala and other members of the KCCI conveyed their concerns regarding pending refund claims Chairman FBR assured his full cooperation and announced formation of a high-powered committee comprising members from KCCI and concerned Chief Commissioners – IR The committee will meet on regular basis and submit its proposals to FBR on operational and policy matters Chairman FBR also formed another committee to address the issues relating to Customs especially the revision of fixed rebate rates Chief Collectors of Customs Karachi have been nominated as members of the committee by the Chairman The office bearers and members of KCCI appreciated the visit of the newly appointed Chairman and the keen interest shown by the Government in resolving the outstanding issues of the exporters They assured that resolution of the concerns will address the issue of liquidity crunch for exporters and result in increased exports At the end of the meeting, KCCI also presented souvenirs to the Chairman FBR ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi has urged that the key issues of the business community should be addressed to facilitate them in business promotion that would help revive the economy He said that weak decision making as a nation has deprived Pakistan from realizing its actual economic potential

While addressing as Chief Guest of the ICCI Vice Presidents Awards Ceremony held at Aiwane-Sadr Islamabad on Friday Dr Arif Alvi said that South Korea adopted the economic plan of Dr Mehboob ul Haq and achieved fast economic growth, but Pakistan could not take benefit of it He urged the business community to play a role for uplifting the deprived segments of the society and economic empowerment of women

The President further said that 20 7 million children in Pakistan were out of school and emphasized that the business community should play a role to bring them to schools to make them productive citizens of the country He said that investment in employable sectors of the economy would create more jobs and reduce poverty He said that the private sector should provide jobs to the persons with disabilities to engage them in productive activities

Speaking on the occasion, , President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that the former Vice Presidents ICCI have rendered useful services for the business community and the purpose of organizing the award ceremony was to acknowledge their role He stressed that the

government should give awards to highest taxpayers to acknowledge their role He said that instead of putting more burden on the existing taxpayers the government should reduce high tax rates and expand taxbase to improve tax revenue

The ICCI President said that the IT export-oriented and tourism sectors should be given more focus to improve exports and tourism

He said that the President of Pakistan should play a role in the signing of a charter of economy by all the political parties to ensure consistency in economic policies

He said that ICCI was striving for a new industrial zone and expo center in Islamabad and stressed that the government should cooperate in materialization of these projects

Vice President ICCI Engr Azhar ul Islam Zafar highlighted the issues of real estate sector and small traders He stressed that the government should rationalize taxes on the real estate sector to save it from further troubles and

provide easy loans on low markup to small traders He said that the CDA should allocate a quota of plots for small traders to address their housing issues

Dr Arif Alvi President of Pakistan distributed awards amongst the former Vice Presidents of ICCI on the occasion The award recipients included Ahsan Zafar

Bakhtawari Engr Azharul Islam Zafar Yasir Sakhi Butt Khalid Chaudhry Faheem Khan Abdul Rahman Khan, Saifur Rahman Khan, Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, Nisar Mirza , Tahir Ayub, Sheikh Abdul Waheed, Ashfaq Chatta, Mirza

Muhammad Ali Shahid Zaman

Shinwari Syed Adil Anees Ishtiaq

Qureshi Abdul Ghaffar Chaudhry

Sohail Rabbani Musharraf Janjua

Hamid Miraj, Qazi Muhammad Ilyas, Rab Nawaz Malik, Chaudhry Gulrez Shahid, Ammad Bin Arif , Ch Zahid Rafiq Malik Muhammad Shabbir Muhammad Sakhi Butt (Late) Raza Khan (Late) Faiz Ahmad Faizi (Late) Muhammad Hussain and Khurshid Ahmad Qureshi

Imran’s sisters record statement before JIT regarding May 9 riots

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, have submitted their statements before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in four cases related to the May 9 vandalism Express News reported Insiders familiar with their appearance before the investigators today revealed that both of them disassociated themselves from the incidents of vandalism on May 9 They revealed that Uzma Khan acknowledged her participation in the demonstrations outside Jinnah House (the corps commander house in Lahore); however, she distanced herself from the destruction and chaos that ensued within the premises Aleema Khan also distanced herself from the events of May 9 in which damages were inflicted upon government and military properties In her statement, Aleema Khan stated that she was present at Lahore’s Zaman Park Imran Khan’s residence at the time of attack at Jinnah House The JIT team had summoned both the sisters to record their statements Earlier this month an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had granted interim bail till August 8 to Uzma Khan and Aleema Khan in the four cases The court ordered both sisters to submit surety bonds of Rs100 000 each for availing the relief besides asking them to join the investigations Uzma Khan and Aleema Khan had approached the court for bail after issuance of their arrest warrants in cases of attacking Jinnah House and setting ablaze a container at Kalma Chowk and PML-N office in Model Town during May 9 vandalism

COMMENT

n t y i n g t h e k n o t

TO D AY is the fourth anniversary of India’s repeal of Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution and thus of the special status of Indian-Occupied Kashmir but there sees no sign that this step has furthered any aims of the ruling BJP Most telling is the failure of the Centre to hold elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, which indicates that splitting the state has not worked India has got to deal with a colossal failure, that of making the Kashmiri people feel that they have a future within the Indian Union

It seems that they feel they have even less of a future now, with the BJP in power in the Centre, and engaged in making life miserable for all the non-Hindu minorities there are Kashmiris are repressed by the Centre as a species of Muslim However, there seems to be a seachange which allows a modicum of hope Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed it succinctly while addressing the summit on mineral development on Tuesday: the two countries cannot afford a war not with both being nuclear powers As it was war had not solved anything even though there had been four of them

However Mr Sharif ’s sentiments while realistic have not been reciprocated from across the border The BJP government is not just beating up on the country s minorities, but has also made a bristly posture against Pakistan a trademark, as it did in the last election Also, Mr Sharif is now a lame duck, for he has announced that the dissolution will take place on August 9, following which Pakistan will head for elections by November India too will head for polls next year, so it seems that both countries are heading for a clean slate Even if Mr Narendra Modi wins a third term, he may feel himself freed by this to do what he has avoided so far: talk

It should be clear to both Pakistan and India that the outstanding issues between Pakistan and India of which Kashmir may be the main but is not the only will only be solved by talking to each other purposefully and not by talking past each other The BJP may be difficult to talk to butr not impossible The BJP’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee talked to President Pervez Musharraf a military ruler because he realized that matters have gone on too long between countries which should have settled them long ago so that both countries can pay attention to their peoples

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

TH E issue of Taiwan is complex and multifaceted, and it has been a longstanding source of tension between China and the USAs for many years China asserts Taiwan is a part of its territory plans to eventually “unify” Taiwan with the mainland and will use force if necessary

Conversely the USA recognizes Taiwan as an independent country and has provided military and economic aid to the island China has stepped up its claims to Taiwan in recent years, while the USA has strengthened its military presence in the area to counter China’s actions This political tussle has contributed to escalating tensions between the two superpowers and has the potential to spark a larger conflict Thus, it will be useful to take a brief overview of the complex issue of Taiwan and the tension between the two superpowers over the island

Taiwan holds significant strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific region Its location in the western Pacific Ocean allows China to project its naval power farther east to compete against the USA Taiwan s proximity to China gives it the potential to act as a buffer or a forward operating base in case of a conflict Control over Taiwan could enhance China’s military capabilities and expand its influence in the region The USA has a long-standing policy of supporting the self-defense capabilities of Taiwan and has maintained close unofficial relations with the island China sees the

C

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

tral remained cut off from lower Chitral for four days

Many villages are under the implacable erosion of River Chitral due to the recent inundation in the river

The river had already eroded and swept away many agricultural lands in different places of upper and lower Chitral

A recent deluge in streams swept away bridges in three different places and demolished the infrastructure Because of the blockade of the road people who are employed in Chitral town couldn t proceed to their offices They remained besieged in their home until the road reopened for all kinds of traffic

Next before the present day, around four hundred years old plants, which were in the yard of the royal fort, were swept away by the river; these had historical importance; but the river not only swept away the trees but took out the history which was associated with these grandiose trees According to eyewitnesses the fort is near the encroachment of the river

If the inundation in the river rises, it will drag in and take away the fort

CL I M AT E change is a global problem and the world is cognizant of its dreadful impact Many conferences have been held internationally to deal with climate change Pakistan is one of those countries which are under the inexorable destruction of climate change The previous year s devastation of the deluge was not depleted, but yet another deluge this year has again started its annihilation

Like other areas of Pakistan, Chitral could not escape from the wrecking impact of climate change

In 2015 global warming and climate change made the first move to devastate Chitral Before 2015 I had not witnessed the devastation of a flood; however, my grandmother used to recount the havoc of the deluge in quondam time For the first time, in 2015, I witnessed the disaster of the gushing of the stream of my village

Since 2015 the nonstop demolition of torrent hass continued in Chitral Recent inundation in River Chitral swept away the Mastuj road and upper Chi-

Koghuzi stream was the unruffled and untroubled rivulet, it has been flowing tranquilly in its way for a long time; how long to bear the outrage of climate change? When the temperature of the world augmented year by year it got to be unable to bear it Finally this week with all of its anger it descended and swept away all the things which were in its way The shops, garages and cars were taken away by the torrent

Some agricultural lands were temporarily damaged; it was the source of remuneration for people

The irrigation canals were taken away; drinking water pipelines were swept away What do they do; should they contrive water for themselves or find water for their crops? Here, it is important to acknowledge the assistance of NGOs in providing relief for the people of the affected area Recent deluge in rivulets and inundation in the River Chitral caused irretrievable detriment to the p e o p l e o f C h i t r a l P e o p l e w h o w e r e n o t a ff l u e n t

T h e wo r l d w i l l h av e t o wo r k i n c o l l a b o r a t i o n , t o d e a l w i t h cl i m a t e ch a n g e , a n d t o b r i n g b a ck t h e wo r l d w h a t i t w a s . T h e wo r l d n e e d s t o wo r k t o c u r t a i l g r e e n h o u s e g a s e s a n d l e s s e n t h e e m i s s i o n o f c a r b o n d i ox i d e . T h e wo r l d s h o u l d o rg a n i z e c o n fe r e n c e s o n t h e t o p i c o f cl i m a t e ch a n g e d a i ly ; r u n a i d r e g a rd i n g cl i m a t e ch a n g e o n T V a n d d i f fe r e n t s o c i a l m e d i a p l a t fo r m s

Ta i w a n : A c e n t e r o f t e n s e p o l i t i c a l s t r i f e

presence of the USA on the island as a security threat and considers its independence a challenge to its territorial integrity so the Chinese government wants to establish control over Taiwan to eliminate this security threat and protect its maritime borders

The USA sees China’s growing influence in East Asia as a major threat to itself because it challenges America’s position as the world’s s u p e r p o w e r C h i n a s e c o n o m i c a n d m i l i t a r y g r o w t h w i l l a l l o w i t t o e x p a n d i t s i n f l u e n c e across Asia and this has led to concerns that China could one day replace the USA as the dominant global power If Beijing dominates East Asia, it would be in a very strong position to dominate not only the world but it will also have a controlling influence over roughly half of the global economy With this power it will undoubtedly ensure that it is the centre the prime beneficiary, and effectively the dir e c t o r o f t h e g l o b a l e c o n o m y A c c o r d i n g t o some experts, the Taiwan issue is one of several flashpoints in the US-China relationship and over the island the two superpowers are drifting toward war

The relations between Taiwan and China worsened quickly following a visit to the island by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, in August 2022 Beijing warned that Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has provocatively supported Taiwan’s sovereignty Beijing deemed Ms Pelosi s visit extremely dangerous as it shows a temper against Taipei Considering these circumstances China increased military activities in the region and is exerting diplomatic pressure on countries that maintain relations with Taiwan To maintain this war the USA has sold weapons and other military equipment to Taiwan and has maintained a military presence in the region The USA is con-

cerned that if China keeps exerting its power in Taiwan then there would come a time when its expansionism would extend to the western Pacific posing a threat to US military installations as far away as Guam and Hawaii However, China claims that its intentions are entirely peaceful

Ultimately Taiwan’s status is nothing but a scapegoat for the USA If US interests are put aside the USA will never come to help Taiwan because first the USA has a history of running away in such situations; second, China is a nuclear power that can retaliate against the USA and its bases in the Asia-Pacific by effectively using the effective countermeasures China has more recently developed The US views its alliance with Taiwan as part of its broader strategy to maintain a balance of power in the region China s rapid economic growth and military modernization have raised concerns among the US policymakers about its intentions and the potential implications for regional stability By supporting Taiwan the USA is seeking to counterbalance China’s growing influence and prevent any single power from dominating the region which could have significant implications for the US interests because there is a possibility that China s control of Taiwan could threaten the US security interests in the region and potentially destabilize the balance of power On the other hand if a war breaks out bet w e e n t h e t w o s u p e r p o w e r s o n t h e i s l a n d o f Taiwan then it might have disastrous effects on the global economy It is important for both China and the USA to find a peaceful solution to the Taiwan issue to avoid the risk of military conflict

The writer is Assistant Research Fellow at the Balochistan Think Tank Network Quetta

e n o u g h a n d w e l l - o ff c o u l d d e b u g t h e s e i m p a i rments They set up small businesses and shops in very difficulty after long years of drudgery Now in front of their eyes the torrent took away all their years of travail

The geography of Chitral is altering with the passing years, due to the erosion of the River Every year some new villages quarry the ruthless waves of the river and are eroded by the river in such an inexorable way that doesn t see what things come in front of it It erodes and takes away all the things around it: the agricultural lands homes forests and roads If this year you get a chance to see a house near the river, the next year you won t Nothing works, it seems like all have become impuissant in Infront of the ruthless waves of the river even the embankment Pakistan yells at the world to deal with climate change gravely In 2014 it was first launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to fight climate change, and this initiative remained so successful and restored 350,000 hectares of forest and barren land, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) In 2018, the former Prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan launched a billion-tree tsunami project all over Pakistan to cope with the detrimental impact of climate change and global warming The world will have to work in collaboration, to deal with climate change, and to bring back the world what it was The world needs to work to curtail greenhouse gases and lessen the emission of carbon dioxide The world should organize conferences on the topic of climate change daily; run aid regarding climate change on TV and different social media platforms, so everyone could be aware of global warming and climate change, and could work together to curtail the greenhouse gases and emissions of Carbon dioxide Before it is too late, the world should take it seriously

The writer is a freelanc columnist

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

Challenges of a bipolar patient in Pakistan

B E I N G a patient of bipolar disorder is challenging in Pakistan a country where anachronistic stereotypes and superstitions still prevail Bipolar disorder is one of the deadliest psychological disorders It is characterised by severe mood swings high confidence followed by depressive thoughts

Teenagers are most likely to develop this disorder The victims develop suicidal thoughts face insomnia lose appetite struggle to concentrate and live with a grudge Followed by depressive seizures, they face hypomania a condition in which the patients feel extremely energetic and confident This weird attitude often results in inducing misconceptions in the minds of people around them The victims are taken to the shrines instead of a psychiatrist Even though the disorder is a leading cause of growing suicides among young people it remains a taboo that society has yet to overcome It is believed that 14 3 per cent students between the age of 15 and 25 years suffer from this disorder in Pakistan without knowing it There are hundreds of psychiatrists available in hospitals A visit to a good psychiatrist is a simple solution to the problem A few counselling sessions and medication can take the victims out of their troubles, but that visit to the psychiatrist remains elusive KASHISH ALI KASHMORE

Rights of sanitation workers

C A L L it a major flaw or irony of our so-called ‘civilised society’ that those who keep it clean and liveable are from the most vulnerable and neglected section Sanitation workers are forced to live in deplorable almost subhuman conditions

Despite the fact that Article 25 of the Constitution clearly states that all citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection , they are abhorred to the extent that they are not even allowed to mingle with the rest of society Sanitation workers have no choice but to live in segregated slum-like colonies that further add to their misery as such colonies are the breeding grounds for various diseases due to unhygienic conditions

Children of this segment of society are not provided equal opportunities in terms of education and jobs due to the stigma attached to their existence and hence are forced to live a life that their forefathers had lived centuries ago They cannot even dream of pursuing any other career than their family profession There is nothing wrong in being a janitor, but everyone deserves to have options Majority of the sanitation workers are working without any affiliation with the relevant government department and are more vulnerable to exploitation as they are not provided with the relevant personal protective equipment (PPE) and are given meagre wages

They have to face social hatred They are deprived of their right to medical leave or vacations, some are denied leave even on their religious festivals, which is a blatant violation of Articles 14 and 25 of the Constitution dealing with inviolability of dignity of a person and equality of citizens Although the local government manages sanitation the working conditions on offer are comparable with that of informal sector They are usually classified as daily wagers and denied basic labour rights As most of this hazardous work is being done manually and without proper care, workers are constantly prone to risk of death or severe injuries

Most of the sanitation workers die or become handicapped during their work According to a report by the National Commission for Human Rights more than 65 per cent sanitation workers who died during job belonged to minority communities The government job applications specifically mention non-Muslim which is in contravention of Article 27 that deals with discrimination in services The government needs to take concrete steps to raise awareness among the masses about the dignity and equality of sanitation workers

The anniversar y coincides with elec tions that allow a fresh look at the Kashmir issue

Shahzadi irrum

Indian unfinished agenda of par tition

Today is the four th anniversar y of India’s absorption of O ccupied Kashmir

Since 1989 various forms of state terrorism have been part of a deliberate campaign by the Indian army and paramilitary forces against Muslim Kashmiris It has been manifested in brutal tactics like crackdowns, curfews illegal detentions massacre targetted killings sieges burning the houses torture disappearances rape breaking legs molestation of Muslim women and killing of persons through fake encounters

volunteers to be permanently stationed in the occupied Kashmir Indian forces have been also availing various draconian laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) the Public Safety Act (PSA) etc in martyring the Kashmiri people and for arbitrarily arrest of any individual for an indefinite period

The RSS chief receives the government’s VVIP security

The Slogan ‘Never Again ’ raised after the Holocaust still echoes throughout the world but that promise rings hollow as the international community remains largely silent on the Modi government s Hindu supremacists, and the growing marginalization and persecution of Muslims, and other minorities

TH I S year, 5 August is the fourth anniversary of India s revocation of the special status of the disputed territory of Indian Occupied Kashmir

On this very day, Kashmiris living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and their brethren in Pakistan including their sympathisers living in the rest of the world celebrate this day as black day Especially Pakistan will observe this day as Youm-eIstehsal-e-Kashmir (Day of Exploitation of Kashmir)

As regards the historical background, taking cognizance of the discriminatory treatment of Hindus with Muslims the Kashmiri leadership realized the need to form a political party Muslim Conference (MC) with a view to waging a struggle for their freedom Afterwards on 19 July 1947 MC passed a resolution to merge Kashmir with Pakistan, considering the geographical proximity, majority of population being Muslim (77 percent), language and cultural relations of Jammu and Kashmir

During the partition of the Subcontinent, the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir which comprised a Muslim majority decided to join Pakistan But thr Dogra Raja Sir Hari Singh a Hindu who was ruling over the state in collusion with the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Governor General Lord Mountbatten, joined India Indian forces invaded Srinagar on 27 October 1947 and forcibly occupied the state in utter violation of the partition plan

When Pakistan responded militarily on 31 December 1947 India made an appeal to the UN Security Council to intervene and a ceasefire ultimately came into effect on 1 January 1949, following UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir

On 5 February 1964 India backed out of its commitment of holding plebiscite Instead Indian Parliament declared Kashmir an integral part of the Indian union

On 5 August 2019, prejudiced Indian Prime Minister and leader of the BJP-led extremist government Narendra Modi abrogated Articles 35A and 370 of the India Constitution which gave a special status to the disputed territory of Indian-Occupied Kashmir The Indian government bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh both to be ruled by the federal government On the same day, strict military lockdown was imposed in Indian-Occupied Kashmir which continues unabated

New Delhi also issued an infamous map on 31 October 2019 which displayed this split and identifies the Pakistani side of Azad Kashmir as well as certain areas of Gilgit-Baltistan as an Indian territory

Besides Pakistan China also rejected the Indian malicious acts as unlawful and void , saying that India s decision to include some of China s territory into its administrative jurisdiction “challenged” Beijing’s sovereignty The border dispute between India and China which remains unsettled has increased tension between the two countries

However after imposing the military lockdown the deployment of more than 900,000 military troops in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, who have martyred tens of thousands of Kashmiris, including women and children through brutal tactics and fake encounters, while closure of mosques shortage of foods and medicines for the patients have further increased the plight of the Kashmiris

In order to hide human rights violations communication services have been cut off from the world and foreign journalists are not allowed to enter the Kashmir region

Meanwhile, under a well-planned hidden agenda, the Modi-led regime has intensified bringing about ethnodemographic changes in Indian-Occupied Kashmir on the Israeli model In this context various Indian moves such as introduction of new laws amendment of the laws to facilitate non-Kashmiris and outsiders in order to usurp the rights of the Muslim Kashmiris, issuance of domicile certificates to more than 800,000 non-Kashmiris, registration of almost 2 5 million new non-local voters in the IIOJK, failure of the fake drama to host the G-20 summit on May 22-24 this year in Indian-Occupied Kashmir might be cited as instances

The Modi regime has also sent gangs of RSS-BJP

Despite the use of chemical weapons like pellet guns and phosphorus bombs by the Indian military, Kashmiris have accelerated the war for liberation It is mentionable that Western media human rights groups and leaders of various countries and UNO have repeatedly condemned Indian illegal measures and human rights abuses which keep on going in Indian-Occupied Kashmir

In this regard, a year after India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, UN human rights experts on August 4, 2020 called on India and the international community to take urgent action to address the “alarming human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir to investigate all cases of human rights violations including extrajudicial killings enforced disappearances torture and arbitrary detentions

Amnesty International also said on September 29, 2020 that it is “stopping its work in India because the government has frozen its bank accounts” on September 10 for highlighting rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir” and the government had sought to punish it for that

In the recent past the UN Security Council in its meetings has thrice reiterated that the Kashmir issue requires to be settled in accordance with the principles of the UN charter and the related Security Council resolutions, as the world has refused to believe in the Indian story that its actions regarding Indian-Occupied Kashmir are its internal matter

Notably martyrdoms of Syed Ali Gilan Burhan Muzaffar Wani Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and some other leaders have given a greater impetus to the struggle of Kashmiris It is worth-mentioning that there are similarities between what the Nazi Party of Hitler had done with Jews and other non-Aryan races in Germany and elsewhere in Europe and what India’s far right RSS has been doing against minority populations like Sikhs Muslims and Christians There is an organized pattern of genocide in the process The Holocaust did not start with gas chambers It started after a sustained campaign of hate which included fear mongering and dehumanization of Jews, while Hitler called the Germans the superior race the Aryan race

Particularly Muslims in India are suffering the same type of otherness and demonization the Jewish population faced under the Nazi regime The Hindutva ideology of India s ruling party draws its inspiration from Nazi supremacist ideology India s equivalent of Nazi party, the RSS, applies this derived ideology in its teachings and actions Modi’s ruling BJP which is the political arm of RSS operating as a paramilitary organization

So, it is crucial that the international community must act to ensure that history does not repeat itself

Nevertheless Indian-Occupied Kashmir has become the world s largest prison and the most militarized zone on earth In this respect Pakistanis and Kashmiris living abroad also highlighted Indian atrocities and the continued struggle for the Kashmiris legitimate right of selfdetermination on various international forums, emphasizing that the Kashmir issue should be resolved in accordance with the related UN resolutions

In this context US House of Representatives member Terry Meza participated in a recent event organized by the Kashmir Global Council (KGC) and South Asia Democracy Watch in Frisco Texas Ms Meeza was the chief guest and the symposium was attended by well-known social activist Ms Beverly Hill, and various political leaders, academics US media including young students

Endorsing the freedom of Kashmir Terry Meza said that she wass against any form of oppression and stressed the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in keeping with the legitimate aspirations of the people of Kashmir

After a full day of discussion, discourse and deliberation during the symposium, a resolution was passed which stressed upholding the human rights of Kashmiri people and appealed to allow the UN Human Rights Commission to verify the report compiled by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2018-2019

Now, at the global level there is growing noticeable awareness regarding Indian s brutal acts and atrocities in Indian-Occupied Kashmir

While New Delhi has repeatedly accused Pakistan and its primary intelligence agency ISI of supporting Kashmiri freedom fighters with arms ignoring the fact that Kashmiris struggle is indigenous as Islamabad clarified several times that it gives diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris

Meanwhile, the Indian war-mongering policy with Islamabad, exemplified by its Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent threat to cross the LoC Indian cross-border terrorism in Pakistan and backing militant outfits to destabilize this country show the Indian unfinished agenda of partition still continues

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations and can be reached at: sajjad logic@yahoo com

Democracy and the artificial intelligence revolution

exacerbate this

issue The verifiability of digital artifacts will become increasingly challenging making it difficult to authenticate information

For instance, the advent of deep fakes and advanced image manipulation techniques such as generative fill-in programs like Photoshop raise concerns about the authenticity of digital documents The decline in trust in digital evidence will extend to social institutions in general

AMERICAN PURPOSE

m at h l d e Fa S t i n g

Mathilde Fasting: Twenty years ago, you wrote a book called Our Post-Human Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution How do you see the ability to modify human behavior or biology affecting liberal democracy?

Francis Fukuyama: In the late 90s, I was running a seminar on new technologies and their impact, focusing on both IT and biotech At the time, I believed that the biotech revolution could have more significant consequences and I still think that may be true While we have witnessed the downsides of social media and information technology in the interim the biotech revolution has the potential to affect human behavior and biology, thus influencing liberal democracy

The reason I believe biotech could have significant political effects is because it provides tools for certain individuals to control the behavior of others

Totalitarianism in the 20th century demonstrated the attempts of highly centralized governments to control the behavior of their populations using techniques like agitation, propaganda, re-education, and police state enforcement However, these methods proved insufficient in the long run, as seen with the breakdown of the Soviet Union and China’s struggles to control its population

Biomedical technologies particularly germline interventions that can alter heritable human characteristics could have a profound impact on our understanding of human rights Human rights are based on our implicit or explicit understanding of human nature, and the most crucial rights are those that respond to the core aspects of being human

Manipulating human nature through biotechnology could ultimately change the nature of rights

It s important to note that germline engineering is not the only technology with the potential to control behavior

Psychopharmacological interventions and the use of drugs to regulate mood and behavior have already revolutionized our ability to influence behavior

For instance we currently use drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Xanax and amphetamines such as Ritalin to control behavior in children These interventions will likely increase in the future

However, the IT revolution has had more noticeable short-term impacts, particularly in the realm of social media Initially, many of us believed that increased access to information would be democratizing and beneficial for democracy We thought that spreading power through increased information access would be positive While power has indeed devolved, we have also witnessed the elimination of hierarchical structures that certified and verified the quality of information As a result, a lack of trust permeates societies and we now struggle not only with disagreements about values but also with an inability to agree on simple factual information This lack of trust has fueled polarization as different factions hold contrasting understandings of reality In the United States, for example, there is a deep divide where one group believes that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump, and no amount of contrary information can sway their belief This polarization based on divergent understandings of reality poses a danger and the forthcoming AI revolution may

In the future this lack of trust and the increasing sophistication of interventions will pose challenges in various domains, including in legal proceedings Authentication of evidence, such as photographic proof in court cases, may be met with skepticism and accusations of manipulation or fabrication

MF: Can you say something about biotech and the post-human future? I remember that you wrote something about differences between the West and China when it comes to manipulating things, and I’d like you to elaborate a bit on that

FF: I think that one of the problems is in regulation If you look at the history of technology it’s always been this race between technological development and the ability of societies to regulate it And it always takes a long time for that to happen

Think of the printing press when Gutenberg invented movable type This had a great impact on the Protestant Reformation, for one thing, and the spread of different ideas or challenges to the Catholic Church That led to 150 years of religious warfare and eventually people reconciled themselves to printing You think about radio television their relationship to the rise of fascism and Stalinism These were technologies that allowed dictators to connect to mass audiences It took time, but we ve kind of figured out how to regulate and deal with those kinds of technologies

There’s going to be a lag between the time that the technology is introduced and the time that society can catch up with it With biotech it s very hard to regulate

I have a colleague at Stanford who works with high school students There s a kind of standardized biotech lab that can do different kinds of interventions using the CRISPR technology that fits inside a shipping container Many high schools are having competitions with their students that want to do this kind of genetic manipulation What my colleague does is to create a set of norms that these student groups will follow because it is impossible to monitor what they re doing So how do we regulate nuclear weapons and other dangerous technology? Well, we ve got overhead satellite photographs and we’ve got nuclear inspectors and so forth And because it requires a country to actually engage in that kind of industrial production of nuclear fuel we can pretty much monitor what s going on in North Korea Iran and this sort of thing With biotech it s impossible The technology does not require large facilities, it s very widespread, and the only way that you can hope to regulate it is through some kind of normative intervention that will give the researchers standards that they need to impose on themselves And a lot of the work that s being done is very scary I have another Stanford colleague who runs a biomedical research lab and has been really worried about this You re probably following the controversy over the Wuhan lab leak, which was dismissed by many people as right-wing propaganda But now there’s evidence that indicates that the whole COVID epidemic was the result of sloppy security at the Wuhan Institute of Virology We can expect further things: This colleague of mine has another scary briefing about how an American researcher downloaded the genetic code for a monkeypox virus that he created in his lab This wasn’t a virus that was created from another virus; it was simply digital information that was available to anyone on the Internet And he used this to create a completely novel variant of monkeypox that could be much more virulent than the existing one And what s going to

prevent the spread of this? The only way that you can monitor whether anyone in the world is doing this kind of research is to depend on the responsibility of the organizations and the individual scientists that are working on this sort of thing And it s very hard to know at what point somebody’s going to breach those norms and do very dangerous things

I spent a long time in the early 2000s thinking about how to regulate biotechnology One thing I observed and felt was that this stuff is going to happen in Asia long before it s going to happen in Europe or in the United States because, frankly, this is a cultural thing In countries with a Christian religious heritage, there is a belief in a fairly sharp dichotomy between human and non-human nature There is a belief that God endowed human beings with a certain degree of dignity that non-human nature doesn t have This belief forms the basis for our understanding of human rights or the universality of human rights But it also means a kind of downgrading of the natural world on the other side of this dichotomy

In most Asian cultural traditions this dichotomy doesn’t really exist There is a continuum from nonhuman nature to human nature and the ability to manipulate one spills over into the other In fact China was the first country where a germline experiment on a human embryo was conducted Although it was shut down, and the scientist involved was punished, I believe that these cultural inhibitions will be much stronger in Europe and North America than in other parts of Asia

So this is the larger problem of regulating technology of any sort You can decide to regulate it within your territorial jurisdiction but it s going to happen somewhere else This is also the problem with the idea of regulating AI If we do it in Europe or the United States, we still have competition with China and other big countries They might pull ahead and we’ll ask ourselves “Are we self-limiting this critical technology that will then be developed by somebody else and used against us? Unless we have a global regulatory scheme, we re stuck in this competition

MF: Previously, you wrote in American Purpose on the possible social impacts of AI Even if you say that it’s a fool’s errand to predict the long term, for instance, of social consequences of AI and technology, can you tell me what we know so far about the overall effect of social media the Internet and technology on democracy?

FF: If you think about the transformation that has occurred over the last fifty years with the rise of a whole class of information technologies, there’s a broad conclusion by economists that it has increased socioeconomic inequality There’s something to this because right now the main social divide in most countries most certainly in most advanced democracies is one that is really based on education And if you have a higher education, if you ve gone to the University of Oslo or you have a degree, you’re doing well, your income is much higher, and the gap between those people and people with just a high school education or less has grown enormously almost everywhere

There s no question that much of the current populism that we see around the world is fuelled by that division that people that vote for populist politicians are usually less educated people They don t live in big cities, they are not connected to a kind of larger global economy, and that is upsetting our democratic politics However one consequence that I don’t think people have recognized sufficiently is a massive decrease in inequality that was brought about by the transition from an industrial to a post-industrial economy, and that concerns gender relations The replacement of physical labor by machines and the shift in the nature of work from an industrial economy to a post-industrial one in which most people instead of working in factories or lifting heavy objects are sitting in front of computer screens all day in a service industry has had an enormous impact on the role of women in the economy

And so the consequences of technological change are complicated and hard to foresee The shift to digitization has had both positive and negative impacts But it s very hard to say that overall it s simply increased inequality

Audience member: Do you think that artificial intelligence will further accelerate democratic decline, or do you think that there’s light at the end of the tunnel?

FF: I think there are two clear challenges that the current generation of artificial intelligence poses for democracy Firstly there is the general dissolution of our certainty about the information we receive Deep fakes make it difficult to determine the authenticity of anything we see on the Internet However, there are AIbased authentication technologies that can be used to certify the provenance of a particular digital artifact Regulation needs to catch up with technology because once we recognize the general problem of mistrust we need technological means to verify the authenticity of digital content The solution is not to ban the technology but to use it for control and verification

The second challenge is an intensification of what already exists Social media has been effective at manipulating people through targeted advertising With artificial intelligence targeting can become smarter and more adaptive Once people realize they are being targeted, the manipulation can change automatically by machines, which poses difficulties in detection I ve observed this on Twitter, where the coverage of the Ukraine war shifted subtly after Elon Musk took over, showing less pro-Ukrainian content and more sympathetic content towards Russia This subtle manipulation can have cumulative effects over time

On the question of totalitarian control China s social credit system represents a new level of individual monitoring made possible by machine learning and large-scale data analysis With the integration of COVID monitoring and the general social control system China now has extensive knowledge of an individual s whereabouts social interactions and conversations While it is a powerful form of control, even such high levels of monitoring have not always yielded the desired outcome, as seen when people protested against zero COVID measures

It is challenging to predict the effectiveness of these technologies in undermining democracy In many cases using technology to counter the negative impacts of technology might be our best solution

Mathilde Fasting is a project manager and fellow at Civita a Norwegian think tank dedicated to liberal ideas, institutions, and policies based on individual liberty and personal responsibility

Sajjad Shaukat

C H I N A ’ S T O P P L A N N E R S AY

E C O N O M Y T O M A I N TA I N

S TA B L E , P O S I T I V E T R E N D I N 2 0 2 3

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

CHINA S economy will maintain stable and positive growth in the second half of this year, following a sustained recovery in the first half as a raft of policies have begun to take effect China s top economic planner said at a press conference Friday

Yuan Da director of the Department of National Economy at the National Development of Reform Commission (NDRC), highlighted positive changes in various economic indicators for July such as faster growth in power generation improving market expectations and a two-month rise in the manufacturing purchasing managers index

The government s policy mix effectively addressed the challenges that China s economy is facing, including an increasingly adverse impact of the international environment as well as intertwined cyclical

and structural issues, said Yuan Listing the country’s measures, Yuan said first of all China has taken steps to extend and strengthen favorable policies ranging from tax breaks for small firms to the exemption of the purchase tax for new energy vehicles This has boosted the confidence of businesses and created a stable policy environment for them

Secondly a string of targeted new measures were also rolled out including financing support for tech firms incentives for automobile and electronics consumption, as well as measures to bolster the private economy

In addition, in response to new economic changes in the second quarter another batch of measures which are aimed at bringing down interest rates stimulating consumption renovating urban villages in cities and expanding the issuance of real estate investment trust products in the infrastructure sector, is being put into force in a

timely manner, offering strong policy support for continued economic recovery, according to Yuan

Going forward policymakers will continue to plan and study a batch of more targeted and stronger reserve policies which will be rolled out when needed, he added

These reserve policies will focus on six major aspects, including expanding domestic demand spurring the real economy promoting technological self-reliance deepening reform and opening-up improving people s livelihood and defusing major risks

Specifically, efforts will be made to spur auto purchases and private investment, as well as to meet the housing demand of the people Small-and-medium enterprises will receive more fiscal and financial support Industrial upgrades will be accelerated while the focus will be given to fostering strategic emerging sectors More firms will also be encouraged to actively participate in crucial technological breakthroughs

WASHINGTON ag e n C i e S

The United States is preparing to deploy Marines and Navy personnel aboard commercial tankers transiting the Gulf as part of efforts to deter Iran from seizing ships a US official said Thursday

The security forces would provide a further layer of protection for the tankers in addition to the warships and planes operating in the strategically vital area, through which around a fifth of the world s oil passes There is an effort to employ security details composed of both Marines and Navy sailors on commercial tankers transiting in and near the Strait of Hormuz as an added layer of defense for these vulnerable ships,” the official informed on condition of anonymity

An invitation is needed to do so because the ships are private vessels but we are undergoing preparations to execute should final agreements be in place to do that, the official said

Asked if there are concerns that the deployment could lead to confrontation

between US and Iranian forces the official said that was effectively up to Tehran

There should be no interaction at all if Iran plays by the rules and follows international law,” the official said, adding:

“If they attack and we have forces on board we will respond as we should

India’s top cour t suspends Rahul Gandhi’s defamation conviction

NEW DELHI

ag e n C e S

The Supreme Court of India on Friday suspended opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a defamation case, an order that will allow him to return to parliament and contest national elections due next year Gandhi was convicted in March in a case brought by a lawmaker from the western state of Gujarat belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), over comments he made in 2019 deemed insulting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other people surnamed Modi, including the lawmaker Gandhi 53 scion of a dynasty that has given India three prime ministers was sentenced to two years imprisonment but the jail term was put on hold and he was granted bail He also lost his parliamentary seat following the conviction, since lawmakers sentenced to jail terms of two years or more are automatically disqualified Lower courts and the high court in Gujarat had rejected appeals by Gandhi to suspend the conviction causing him to appeal to the Supreme Court

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby both declined to confirm reports of the planned deployment ‘CRITICAL CHOKE POINT’ Kirby emphasized the importance of

Additionally efforts will be made to boost the private economy and advance institutional opening-up Fresh college graduates and key jobseeking groups will be given more assis-

the area saying the Strait of Hormuz is a vital seaway that has a huge impact on seaborne trade around the world I t s a c r i t i c a l c h o k e p o i n t i n t h e m a r i t i m e w o r l d , a n d w e h a v e s e e n t h r e a t s b y I r a n t o a ff e c t t h a t c h o k e point ” he added

The United States is boosting its forces operating in the region announcing last month that it would deploy a destroyer, F-35 and F-16 warplanes, as well as an Amphibious Readiness Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit comprised of some 3,000 personnel

The US military says Iran has either seized or attempted to take control of nearly 20 internationally flagged ships in the region over the past two years

Washington said its forces blocked two attempts by Iran to seize commercial tankers in international waters off Oman on July 5 while Tehran took control of a commercial ship the following day

In April and early May Iran seized two tankers within a week in regional waters, and Tehran was also accused of launching a drone attack against an Israeli-owned tanker in November 2022

There have been a series of such incidents since 2018 when then-US president Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic republic which Washington says Tehran has succeeded in evading

Islamic State confirms death of its leader, names replacement

Islamic State on Thursday con-

firmed the death of its leader Abu Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi and named Abu Hafs al-Hashimi alQuraishi as his replacement, the group’s spokesperson said in an undated recording published on its Telegram channel

It appeared to be the militant group s first official announcement on his fate since Turkey s President Tayyip Erdogan said in April that Turkish intelligence forces had killed him in Syria

Erdogan said the Turkish national intelligence organization had pursued Quraishi for a long time

Quraishi was killed during a gun battle with Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the main Islamist group that holds sway in the last opposition bastion in northwest Syria the spokesman said

The Sheikh (Quraishi) may God have mercy on him, was killed after they (HTS) tried to take him captive He clashed with them with his arms until he died of his wounds ” the spokesman said accusing the rival Islamist group of

acting as agents of Turkish intelligence Islamic State a shadow of the organisation that once ruled a third of Iraq and Syria gave no details about the new leader

The movement reached its peak in 2014 when its then head, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the territory it controlled a caliphate

It was beaten back by adversaries in both countries including a US-led coalition, and Baghdadi was killed during a US military operation in Syria in 2019

A b u H u s s e i n a l - H u s s e i n i a lQ u r a i s h i t o o k o v e r i n N o v e m b e r

remaining thousands of militants have in recent years mostly hid out in remote hinterlands of both countries though they are still capable of carrying out hit-and-run attacks

The US-led coalition alongside a Kurdish-led alliance known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is still carrying out raids against Islamic State in Syria

tance and the social security net will be strengthened Risks and problems in the real estate sector local government debts and finance will be effectively managed in an effort to diffuse any potential systemic risks

Umar Farooq Zahoor wins Presidential award for bringing investment to Equatorial Guniea

DUBAI ag e n C i e S

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea has given the Medal of Honour to Dubai-based business tycoon Umar Farooq Zahoor for bringing in direct foreign investment to the country in the tune of over $55 million

The award has been given to the Pakistani origin businessman by the President of Equatorial Guinea at a ceremony attended by dignitaries from local as well as Middle Eastern countries Umar Farooq Zahoor is Liberia s Ambassador-at-Large for Middle East & South East Asia Obiang Nguema Mbasogo the President of Equatorial Guinea, a country on the west coast of Central Africa, praised the efforts of Umar Farooq Zahoor for bringing investment to the minerals rich country with an area of 28 000 square kilometres and population of nearly 1 5 million The Presidential Office issued a statement saying that Equatorial Guinea and the United Arab Emirates have strong relations that began in 2017 with the construction of a 36-megawatt Diesel power plant The awards were given at the inauguration and commissioning ceremony that took place on August 2 in the City of Peace Djibloho The President of the Republic Obiang Nguema Mbasogo at the ceremony also awarded Commander and Knight medals to Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktuum a member of the ruling family of Dubai The Presidential Office said the plant was built in 24 months on BOOT basis with a total cost of 55 million dollars, just over 32 billion CFA francs The statement said: “It has an installed capacity of 36 megawatts spread over a total of 20 1 8-megawatt Caterpillar-brand generator sets so it could cover the supply of electricity in the provinces of Djibloho Wele Nzas Kie Ntem and Central South It is a plant that will serve as support and relief to the Djibloho Hydroelectric Plant during maintenance work or at times of high demand For the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energies Pelagio Engonga Mba this investment is a sign of the leadership and political pragmatism of HE Obiang Nguema Mbasogo who intends to develop energy self-sufficiency in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, especially in the national electricity sector The official communication said that Mr Zahoor has played a major role in bringing in the investment and executing it Umar Farooq Zahoor, who is based in Dubai came to prominence around two years ago that Imran Khan s government registered several fake cases against him to target him in a conspiracy made by Khan s advisor Shahzad Akbar and Farooq s former wife Sophia Mirza Last year, Umar Farooq Zahoor produced evidence that he had purchased the rare Graff watch – called Toshakhana watch – from former prime minister Imran Khan via Farah Gogi and Shahzad Akbar Zahoor bought the expensive Graff wristwatch worth at least Rs2 billion and other items given by the Saudi Royal family to the former Pakistan PM

Ten years on, China’s free trade zones spearhead in trade, opening-up with impressive results

BEIJING

In October 2022, U S specialty chemicals giant Albemarle Corp invested $200 million to set up a new company near the Port of Qinzhou in the Guangxi Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) after the acquisition of a local new energy material manufacturer in south China s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

The location has become one of the major reasons for the investment according to Zou Ling a production director with the new company named Guangxi Albemarle Lithium Company Limited

Facilitated by an integrated transportation system connecting the railway and the sea in the FTZ, Zou said the company can export its products to Vietnam, Thailand and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries without changing containers at the port which greatly assists the company in expanding into overseas markets The FTZ also strongly supports enterprises in taxation, investment and talent resources, Zou said

“Within a day it helped us settle the accommodation for employees resolving the

issue said Zou

In the last two months of 2022 the new company produced 2 022 tonnes of lithium hydroxide, realizing an industrial output of 1 billion yuan (about $140 million) CONTRIBUTORS TO FOREIGN TRADE S i n c e t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f t h e f i r s

Since its operation in August 2015 a total of 1 213 export trips have been made by the China-Europe (Xiamen) freight train, carrying 100,009 TEUs of goods, including electronics, machinery, daily necessities, biomedicine, and new energy vehicles, with a value of over $4 5 billion So far it has launched three freight routes linking China with Europe Asia and Russia forming seamless international logistics channels which speed up transportation from Xiamen to neighboring countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, from about 30 days to within 20 days

The Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu southwest China s Sichuan Province July 15 2023 /CFP The Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, southwest China s Sichuan Province, July 15, 2023 /CFP

U S a i m s t o d e p l oy t r o o p s o n t a n ke r s t o d e t e r s e i z u r e s by I r a n

CORPORATE CORNER

U S C O M PA N I E S H O A R D I N G

W O R K E R S E V E N A S E C O N O M Y C O O LS

PR OFIT

R E U T E R S

WH E N storms hammered California s farms last winter, Kevin Kelly knew his small factory outside San Francisco would soon see demand wilt for the plastic bags it churns out for pre-cut salads and other produce

In the past he would have swiftly chopped 10% of the workers that run his bag-making machines, or about 15 people

Sindh govt gifts 10 ambulances to people of Shaheed Benazirabad

The government of Sindh has donated 10 state-ofthe-art Rescue 1122 ambulances to the people of Shaheed Benazirabad This gift of

Lucky Core Industries announces results for year ended

30, 2023

Morinaga (Private) Limited (NMPL) The said transaction was successfully completed in January 2023

Accordingly as per IFRS 5 – Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations the investment in NMPL was classified as discontinued operations prior to the divestment of the aforementioned shares Subsequent to the divestment, it is classified as an ‘Associate’ PR

S audi Fund for Development officially inaugurates King Abdullah Campus of A JK University

But after struggling to fill jobs during the boom triggered by the COVID19 pandemic he didn’t this time “I knew it would be hard to find people when business came back let alone train them said Kelly the CEO of Emerald Packaging So he held on to his employees and found ways to curb their hours, including cutting overtime

Employers across the U S are making a similar calculation Faced with the tightest job market in decades many have become less trigger-happy with layoffs even in the face of a cooling economy Indeed, a monthly report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas on Thursday showed that announced layoffs hit their lowest level in nearly a year last month as companies were weary of letting go of needed workers

It s unclear whether this strategy –dubbed labor hoarding by economists –would endure if the economy slipped into a deep recession, as some have predicted it would after the Federal Reserve embarked last year on an aggressive

campaign to raise interest rates to curb high inflation

But, so far, the economy has continued to grow, albeit more slowly, and the job market has powered onward The U S jobless rate edged down to 3 5% last month the Labor Department reported on Friday up only slightly from more than a half-century low of 3 4% earlier in the year

‘HOLD

o a r di n g w o r k e r s

Speaking to investors last December Alan H Shaw the CEO of Norfolk Southern, said part of a larger strategy aimed at making the railroad company more competitive with trucking would be to avoid the cycle in which workers are furloughed during downturns and then rehired when the economy improves Shaw said difficulties bringing back workers hurt the Atlanta-based firm s ability to serve customers during the pandemic boom

The strategy is being put to the test now as rail volumes have fallen back to earth after that boom ended But we re continuing to hire Shaw told Reuters this week because we have confidence in the U S economy and the U S consumer While many companies aren t hiring at the heated pace they were a year ago, they’re also not yet rushing to thin the ranks U S job openings fell to the lowest level in more than two years in June according to the monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, released by the Labor Depart-

ment this week but they remained at levels consistent with a tight labor market Layoffs and involuntary separations hit a six-month low

“There’s a lot of hoarding going on – and still lots of hiring in industries that are experiencing strong demand said Dana Peterson the chief economist at the Conference Board in New York

The group s latest survey of CEO confidence, done in conjunction with the Business Council and released on Thursday found that while business leaders continue to prepare for a downturn the fight for workers remains fierce Forty percent of the CEOs said they plan to increase hiring in the next 12 months, while another 40% intend to maintain the size of their workforces

The survey showed most CEOs expect the next downturn to be short and shallow If that s the case said Peterson it makes sense to hold onto your labor force

LAYOFF REGRETS

Arnold Kamler, the CEO of Kent International, learned that the hard way Demand for the bicycles that the company imports and manufactures at a small factory in South Carolina was insatiable during the pandemic But as lockdowns eased, bike sales evaporated, and inventories piled up in the company’s warehouses and even in corners of its factory

He laid off 60% of the workers at the company s South Carolina plant at the end of last year but now regrets it

I thought that when we went to rehire in March, we would have no prob-

Majid Al Futtaim increases investment in Pakistan to PKR 12 billion with Carrefour Store opening

ISLAMABAD P R

Majid

Al Futtaim owner and operator of Carrefour in Pakistan, has further increased its investment in Pakistan’s retail sector to PKR 12 billion with the inauguration of its eleventh Carrefour store in the country The store which opened its doors to customers in the prime vicinity of D-12 Markaz in Islamabad, will offer more than 7,000 products for the residents of the capital city

Majid Al Futtaim remains at the forefront of driving shopping innovations with the introduction of their cutting-edge Smart Cart facility, ensuring a seamless and technologically advanced shopping experience for its customers The facility allows customers to effortlessly locate and scan desired products using a smart tablet mounted

on the trolley

Commenting on the opening, Umer Lodhi, the Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan, stated: "We are excited to announce yet another chapter in our local journey in Pakistan with the opening of our first Carrefour supermarket in Islamabad This strategic development is a testament to our commitment, not

only towards the local ecosystem but also to the customer base that we ve built in the country, continuing to provide great moments for everyone, everyday With each new store opening across the nation we are steadily expanding our retail footprint allowing us to better serve our valued customers and with utmost convenience "

Foc us: Key trade loophole keeps cheap C hinese produc ts flowing to US

PR OFIT

R E U T E R S

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) officially inaugurated today the King Abdullah Campus of Azad Jammu and Kashmir University (UAJK) in Pakistan The King Abdullah campus was funded through a generous USD $90 million grant provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through SFD

The project was inaugurated by SFD s Director General of Asia Operations, Dr Saud bin Ayed AlShammari, in the presence of the President of the State of Azad Jammu & Kashmir H E Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry Also attending the inauguration ceremony was the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Professor Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, alongside other officials from both sides PR

JS Bank wins ABF Corporate & Investment Banking Awards 2023

I S L A M A B A D: JS Bank, one of the fastestgrowing banks in Pakistan, wins the Asian Banking and Finance (ABF) Corporate & Investment Banking Awards 2023 for Green Deal of the Year

This recognition is a testament to the Bank s commitment to championing sustainable business practices and driving the adoption of renewable energy through innovative financing solutions and impactful awareness campaigns JS Bank is the first and only commercial bank in Pakistan to have been accredited by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) the world’s largest dedicated fund helping developing countries respond to climate change With the mission to promote environmentally friendly practices, the Bank acquired approval for the Pakistan Distributed Solar Project (PDSP), to promote the use of renewable energy to the masses through awareness campaigns and enable individuals SMEs and businesses to positively impact the climate PR

The meteoric rise of shopping platforms selling Chinese-made goods including Shein and Temu has been fueled by a decades-old loophole that allows cheap products like $10 dresses to land in U S mailboxes tariff-free This happens thanks to a “de minimis” rule exempting packages valued at $800 or less from tariffs as long as they re addressed and shipped to individuals The exemption is open to all retailers but is most heavily used by Shein and PDD Holdings’ Temu, and potentially by TikTok’s new e-commerce business

A June report published by a House of Representatives committee estimated that Shein and Temu likely account for more than 30% of all de minimis shipments into the U S

Its publication reflected growing congressional scrutiny of the provision which critics say is allowing the companies to evade higher tariffs on Chinese goods and customs inspections under a law banning products made from forced labor Shein has become an especially high-profile target as it weighs a U S initial public offering

The China-founded company told Reuters it has been compliant with U S tax and customs laws since entering the market in 2012

Its Global Head of Strategy, Peter Pernot-Day told Reuters that Shein is not dependent on the exemption for its success Instead he attributed it to the company s practice of monitoring online trends and ordering small initial batches of apparel from its manufacturers They only increase production if the styles sell well allowing it to avoid expensive excess inventory Pernot-Day said Shein sent a letter to the American Apparel and Footwear

(AAFA) in late July

calling for de minimis reform but did not make specific policy recommendations Its U S Senate disclosures show it has lobbied lawmakers on “trade and tax related matters” in recent quarters Temu which launched in the U S in 2022 did not respond to a request for comment TikTok owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment Data from U S Customs and Border Protection shows that de minimis shipments into the U S rose to 685 5 million in 2022 up nearly 67% over 2018 That equals roughly two to three million packages a day, Robert Silvers, Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security told lawmakers in July

A bipartisan group of U S lawmakers in June introduced bills that would ban de minimis shipments from China upon enactment

The fact that Chinese goods and China-founded companies are benefiting from de minimis has frustrated some lawmakers Republican Representative Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, described the provision as a “free trade agreement for China” during a May hearing UNFAIR ADVANTAGE? Rival U S retailers also have grown increasingly concerned about the exemption as Shein and Temu have gained market share Senate records show that more than a dozen retailers have lobbied on the exemption since 2018 from Tapestry the parent company of Coach to Mercari a Japanese ecommerce marketplace Some retailers and industry groups, including Columbia Sportswear and the AAFA, support maintaining the $800 threshold while allowing retailers sending merchandise from distribution centers in U S foreign trade zones to also use the exemption

lem ramping up he said But only about a third of the workers returned and the company is now scrambling to find and train new employees The factory currently has 85 workers but Kamler would like 110 Julia Pollak chief economist at ZipRecruiter in Los Angeles said employers tell her they are retaining workers they wouldn t normally keep because of concerns they will have problems ramping up But she sees a limit to this

“I don’t think it’s the case that many businesses are holding onto workers who are idle she said

Thomas Simons senior U S economist at Jefferies, has argued for months that at some stage the need for businesses to recapture margin will outweigh the argument for retaining under-used staff as a hedge against the difficulty of later rehiring But that view is becomingly increasingly difficult to defend he said last week after data showed weekly new claims for unemployment benefits hit their lowest level since February Data released on Thursday showed weekly jobless claims rose slightly in the latest week

Meanwhile at Emerald Packaging business has recovered from the slowdown caused by the winter storms

We re actually making more money now than when demand was skyrocketing ” Kelly said because surging prices for raw materials such as plastic resins cut into profits during the boom And for now the company is continuing to hire We re still 15 to 18 (people) short, he said

NH&MP IG presides over Police’s ‘ Youm- e -S huhada

D ay ’ ceremony

i s l a m a b a d: Inspector General National Highways and Motorway Police Sultan Ali Khowaja was the chief guest at National Highways and Motorway Police s Youm-e-Shuhada ceremony in Islamabad today He addressed families of the martyred and distributed certificates of honor In his address, the IG, NHMP recognized the sacrifices of 47 martyred National Highways and Motorway Police officials including one lady officer who sacrificed their life in the line of duty IG Sultan Ali Khowaja thanked families of the martyred and emphasized the role of shuhada in the development of NHMP as an island of excellence The IG remarked that our martyrs are our proud assets who have presented a practical example of courage and bravery He expressed solidarity with the families of the martyrs of NHMP PR

Others would like to see the cap lowered or eliminated entirely, while some who regularly use the provision don’t want to see it changed at all

The House committee report released in June said H&M and Gap respectively paid $205 million and $700 million in import duties in 2022, while Shein and Temu, whose packages ship directly to customers under de minimis paid nothing

Steve Story whose firm Apex Logistics International helps retailers and other companies ship goods under de minimis, said the exemption is available to everyone “If you don’t want to save money and take advantage of this e-commerce paradigm shift then you re losing out he said DUTY FREE Traditional retailers typically import merchandise in bulk by ocean freight, paying duties once the goods arrive at port, then move it to warehouses and ship it to stores or individuals who place online orders

In the U S the small shipments covered by de minimis aren t subject to duties, and often sidestep customs inspections, too They’re typically handed off to UPS FedEx or other carriers for delivery Goods can also be shipped over the ocean from China and arrive in bulk at bonded warehouses in Mexico or Canada Once a customer places an online order, the products are individually packaged and driven into the U S duty-free The de minimis rule has been in place since 1938 and was originally intended for low-value gifts mailed from abroad and souvenirs brought back by Americans traveling overseas In 2015 Congress raised the cap on de minimis shipments to $800 from $200 making the U S threshold one of the highest in the world

First Sino-Pak feature film’s premier held at PNCA ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

BA TIE GIRL, the first Sino-Pak feature film based on friendship between the people of Pakistan and China premier held here at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) Parliamentary Secretary for National Heritage and Culture Sardar Muhammad

Irfan Dogar was the chief guest on the occasion

The colourful event was also attended by Hunerkada Film and Media Jamal Shah, China Embassy Cultural Councilor and Cast of the film were present on the occasion In his brief remarks, Parliamentary Secretary said that said the Pak China artists have proved to be the true ambassadors of peace imparting the real image of two friendly countries and its rich cultures He appreciated Hunarkada Film for its effort to produce first ever co production film

Speaking on the occasion, China Embassy Cultural Counselor said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a way to establish people to people contact of both countries

He said that both governments of Pakistan and China are taking bold measures for the success of the mega project He said support of people of the two countries is inevitable for the success of the CPEC project and promotion of cultural ties

Addressing the ceremony Jamal Shah said that while Pakistan and China are celebrating the first decade of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) BA TIE

GIRL the first Pak-China co-production film released in the cinemas He said that BA TIE GIRL is the first Sino-Pak feature film based on friendship between the people of Pakistan and China Jamal said that the film is coproduced by China Film Administration & Hunarkada Films of Pakistan featuring Wang Jia Jia Shaiza Chana Suraj Arman Khan Yue Ye Asif Shah and others BA TIE GIRL which means Dost Larki in Urdu is a story of a young, passionate girl from a small village of Pakistan with dreams and talent for football It is a story of empowerment of the young girl brought on by a woman from another nation A nation (China) Pakistan has put its trust and friendship in for decades Their story much like the Pak Cheen Dosti is perfused with compassion and progression

In the film, football has been used as a stimulus for social change Sports have always brought entire cities, provinces and nations together

Mr Musarat Ejaz Khan Chairman All Pakistan Realtors Federation , Mr Mirza Ishtiaq Baig, Chairman Baig Group and Muhammad Nadir Oza, CEO Cosmos Realtor at a function

S E N AT E PA S S E S B I L L F O R S ET T I N G

U P F I N A N C I A L C R I M E A U T H O R I T Y

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

TH E upper house of Parliament

on Friday passed a bill to set up a new authority to counter money laundering and terror financing despite opposition from some Senators, a day after the legislation was rushed through the National Assembly

The bill, titled “National AntiMoney Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Authority Bill” was tabled in the Senate by State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar

According to the draft the proposed authority will be headed by a chairman and will consist of the federal secretaries for finance, foreign affairs and interior; the State Bank of Pakistan governor; chairpersons of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan National Accountability Bureau and Federal Board of Revenue; directors general of the Federal Investigation Agency, Anti Narcotics Force and Financial Monitoring Unit; national coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta); and chief secretaries of all four provinces Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan

It may be mentioned that most of these officials were also part of Nacta, formed in 2008 The authority set up to improve coordination on counter-terrorism efforts remained dormant for years as it could not convene its meetings because of the non-availability of members

According to the new legislation, the proposed authority can convene meetings on the requisition of the chairman or half of its members

As per the objectives of the draft bill Pakistan is required to cooperate with international organisations for anti-money laundering countering financing of terrorism and targeted financial sanctions by way of promulgating requisite legal and regulatory framework ”

Shortly after tabling the bill Khar attempted to “explain” the need for the legislation saying that it appeared dangerous due to its title

In my eyes this bill is actually an effort by the government of Pakistan for the continuation of the great work that the state has done to get Pakistan out of not only the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list but now ensuring that the continuation of that work must happen in an institutionalised manner she said

Marriyum castigates PTI gov t for strangulating media freedom

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum

Aurangzeb stated on Friday that some persons were now delivering speeches on freedom of expression though they themselves had kept the ‘media corner ’ in the Parliament House closed banned programmes by journalists and strangulated freedom of media during their four-year stint in power

Talking to the media outside the Parliament House on a question about the economic crisis, inflation and violation of the IMF agreement, she said the PTI chief just manoeuvred to shift the blame from his economic team and his cabinet for the theft of 190 million pounds

Castigating the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman she said the person arrived in courts covering his face with a bucket box or canister as he could not face the masses and had no answer for theft allegations

We suffered censorship for four years but we did not put buckets, boxes or canisters on our faces and faced the odds bravely with our heads high,” she added

The minister said the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023 was a serious piece of legislation and on her request the bill was referred to the Senate s Standing Committee which should give a constructive opinion about it The bill had already been passed by the National Assembly

He said an incompetent, inefficient, corrupt and fascist group” remained in control of the legislature and the government for four years which kept the media corner closed in the Parliament and today they were talking about freedom of press and freedom of expression

She said 12-month long consultation was held on the PEMRA bill All the representative organizations of the media, including the Parliamentary Reporters Association, provided their professional input and guidance for which she was grateful to them The bill would further strengthen the freedom of expression in the country she added Marriyum said while tabling the bill in the Senate today she briefed the House about the amendments being made in it In the amended bill the difference between misinformation and disinformation had been defined, besides providing the margin of error

As per the bill, powers, after taking back from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chairman had now been given to the Council of Complaints which had representation of the media as well she added The minister said the bill was drafted in consensus of all media organizations and unanimously passed by the National Assembly after thorough discussion by its Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting However, she wished that the senators should also have their opinion on the bill as it was a serious legislation

I do not want to make it controversial so I requested the Senate chairman to send the bill to the Senate s Standing Committee, she added There were enough members in the House to pass the bill, but the government wanted to complete the process and did not object to sending it to the committee, the minister said Taking a jibe on the PTI chief she said today was not the era when the programmes hosted by journalists were banned On the contrary the prime minister got the title of a media predator as journalists were kidnapped, arrested, beaten and imprisoned during his government, she added

PTI’s Shehr yar Afridi re-arrested shor tly after Rawalpindi cour t’s release orders

Khar also gave a rundown of FATF s history She said that it was created in 1989 by G7 countries with the primary goal of countering money laundering She said that in 2001 countering terrorist financing was also included in taskforce s mandate Khar further said that later, the United Nations Security Council recognised FATF as a “global norms setter” with regard to anti-money laundering, terrorist financing and controlling proliferation And we have seen how FATF s role has increased over the years And we have seen the effects of this too she said She said that the monitoring of money laundering and terror financing could not be confined to one area She said that the financial monitoring unit was set up under the Ministry of Finance while Nacta was also set up So this bill basically is proposing to set up an authority she said adding that the chairperson would be appointed by the premier Khar said that the authority will ensure that it is able to bring all the work that is happening within the government of Pakistan and the provinces at one place so that we can monitor our

progress, and if there are any loopholes, we can connect them and stop them before we run into serious problems”

T h e s t a t e m i n i s t e r r e q u e s t e d t h e H o u s e t o p a s s t h e b i l l a s “ q u i c k l y a s p o s s i b l e Senator Yousaf Raza Gilani then said that this was an issue which concerned the whole country, terming it to be important” Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar asked Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to get a “sense of the House noting that complaints had arisen that the treasury benches were bulldozing legislation The law minister said that this was a matter of national interest , saying that Pakistan was a sovereign state that needed to fulfil the commitments it had made to exit the FATF grey list “We should take care [but] we never leave politics out of anything he said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar then said that this was a sensitive subject and had a long history I dealt with this issue In 2013, Pakistan was virtually on the black list ” the minister said adding that Pakistan had to take so many actions to become virtually grey in 2014

Turkish ac tivist launches song depic ting voices for Kashmiri freedom struggle

The corridors of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University reverberated with emotions as the poignant melody of Jails of Kashmir filled the air

Jointly launched by the senior leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM), the soul-stirring song penned by Turkish lyricist and author Turgay Evren marked four years since the illegal and unconstitutional annexation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) state by the Indian government Amidst a charged atmosphere, the heartfelt song served as a moving tribute to the incarcerated leaders of Kashmir, who have been steadfast in their pursuit of freedom The song’s bilingual rendition in English and Turkish showcased the universality of the Kashmiri struggle resonating with a global audience

The gathering witnessed the presence of prominent figures, including Prof Sami Al-Arian, Abdur Rasheed Turabi, Mahmood Ahmed Sagar, Dr Mubeen Shah, Faheem Kayani, and Turgay Evren, who came together to lend their unwavering support to the Kashmir Freedom Movement

The event was further graced by the attendance of esteemed human rights activist Mejbel Al-Sharika from Kuwait along with an assembly of enthusiastic students and attentive journalists

The song s emotional verses paid tribute to the illustrious leaders of the Hurriyat movement, who have faced unjust imprisonment in their struggle for justice and self-determination The names of Yasin Malik

Khan, and others were memorialised, ensuring that their sacrifice remains etched in the collective memory of those fighting for the cause

A l t a f A h m e d B h a t s e n i o r A P H C l e a d e r a n d

J K S M C h a i r m a n e x p r e s s e d p r o f o u n d a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r Tu rg a y E v r e n s a b i l i t y t o a r t f u l l y c o n v e y t h e plight of oppressed Kashmiri prisoners through the s o n g H e b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e e m o t i o n a l r e s o n a n c e o f “ J a i l s o f K a s h m i r ” w o u l d t r a n s c e n d b o r d e r s a n d a w a k e n t h e w o r l d ’s c o l l e c t i v e c o n s c i e n c e g a r n e ri n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l s o l i d a r i t y f o r t h e K a s h m i r i p e op l e s s t r u g g l e

Bhat further envisioned a future where the people of Kashmir and their Turkish brethren would celebrate the Independence Day of Kashmir together in the iconic Lal Chowk of Srinagar Such a dream symbolises the unity of nations in their quest for freedom and justice The event highlighted the unwavering support extended by the government and people of Turkey to the cause of oppressed Kashmiris The solidarity exhibited in times of adversity has earned Turkey a special place in the hearts of Kashmiris, who consider it a beacon of hope and a champion of their aspirations for freedom

As the last notes of Jails of Kashmir faded away a resolute alliance of voices emerged unified in their commitment to stand with the Kashmiri people The song s message of hope, courage, and determination echoed through the hearts of all present, reaffirming the international support that stands firmly with the Kashmiri Freedom Movement

Af ter IHC order, trial cour t summons Imran K han in Toshakhana c ase today

ISLAMABAD

Following a short order issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) a district and sessions court in the federal capital on Friday summoned former prime minister Imran Khan in his personal capacity today (Saturday) in the Toshakhana case

The trial court in Islamabad resumed hearing the Toshakhana reference filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) chairman as the IHC set aside the sessions court s previous ruling in the case today In his short order IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq instructed

the local court to decide the matter again after hearing the case

At the outset of today s hearing, the local court s judge Humayun Dilawar asked Barrister Gohar Ali Imran Khan’s counsel about updates on the case in the high court

After approving the plea relating to the maintainability matter, the high court again sent the case to the sessions court,” replied the lawyer

He pleaded with the court to grant an exemption to his client from personnel appearance Meanwhile Election Commission of Pakistan s (ECP) lawyer Amjad Parvez said that the trial court had issued notices to the relevant parties in the reference filed

PTI leader Shehryar Afridi was arrested for the second time this week as the Rawalpindi police on Friday detained him under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) shortly after an anti-terrorism court ordered his release

According to the PTI the former minister and his lawyers were also tortured by the Punjab police outside the court premises

A video posted by the party on X showed Afridi in torn clothes, breathing heavily, as his lawyers offered him water In another clip, the PTI leader could be seen surrounded by a large contingent of police outside the court

Earlier today the Rawalpindi ATC had directed authorities to release the former minister in a case registered at the New Town police station pertaining to May 9 violence

However, the PTI leader was re-arrested immediately after his release on detention orders issued by Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema under Section 3 (power to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the MPO ordinance Afridi was subsequently taken to the Adiala Jail

This is his second arrest in a week and 11th time in total A day earlier, Afridi was picked up by the police after the Lahore High Court s Rawalpindi bench granted him bail

Talking to the media shortly before he was arrested the PTI leader lamented that he was unaware of the case he was being re-arrested in Afridi also stressed that he was a law-abiding and responsible citizen Meanwhile, his lawyer said that following his client s release today, the police informed them about a “fresh MPO order”

He added that Afridi “respected the law” and therefore was surrendering to the “illegal” arrest

The counsel vowed to challenge the detention order in the high court

Earlier in the day along with ordering Afridi s release, the ATC also issued show-cause notices to the investigation officer (IO), the senior superintendent of police (investigation) and the relevant superintendent of police seeking a response by August 7

In the order ATC judge Hamid Hussain noted that it was incumbent upon the IO to gather incriminating material against Afridi but he had not done so The IO had sought a 30-day physical remand of Afridi Observing that malafide of the police is apparent on the record”, the judge ordered that the PTI leader “be released forthwith if not required in any other case”

Imran Khan denounces torture rearrests of Afridi Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Friday strongly condemned the countless unaccountable times re-arrest of PTI senior leader Shehryar Afridi after having his arrests suspended by the Courts

PTI Chairman made it clear that the police and government officials responsible for these acts of vandalism would be held accountable for these crimes and orders from above would not keep them out of prison Imran Khan made it clear that these tactics would not break the resolve of Pakistanis or deter their spirits for Haqeeqi Azadi, but it was fracturing the relationship between the State and its citizens Reacting to the re-arrest of Shehryar Afridi PTI Chairman said: I ve lost count of the times Shehryar Afridi has been rearrested by the authorities, after having his arrests suspended by the Courts

He said that the people of Pakistan were watching the injustice their public representatives were being put through only because they refuse to renounce PTI or become approvers against me Public will respond to this blatant fascism on the polling day InshAllah he vowed

by the election watchdog for the trail of the deposed prime minister who was removed from the office via a no-confidence motion in April last year next week, adding that the IHC did not issue stay order over the matter

The PTI chairman s requests for transfer of case has also been rejected, Parvez added In addition to this, directions have been given to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding the fake Facebook posts he said

And what about those who have floated fake Facebook posts? the judge asked

You fall in love with those who wave Facebook posts, the ECP counsel quipped, leaving the court filled with laughter

Dar announces Rs2m compensation for each Bajaur attack victim

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Friday announced that the government would pay Rs 2 million as compensation to the families of each martyr from the Bajaur Suicide

Attack During a Senate session, while speaking on a Point of Order, the Minister of Finance and Revenue mentioned that the seriously wounded individuals of the suicide blast would receive Rs 700 000 each and Rs 500 000 would be given to each wounded victim as compensation

PM Shehbaz for projec ting Pak istan’s scenic beaut y

ISLAMABAD S TA

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that being rich with immense scenic beauty, particularly the Northern Areas, Pakistan could turn the resources into a great opportunity

The prime minister was addressing the launching ceremony of the “Salam Pakistan” brand and e-portal that would help promote tourist attractions across the world and guide tourists He said Pakistan was a great place for promoting tourism and cultural heritage

He instructed his Advisor on Tourism Awn Chaudhry to do maximum efforts to promote tourism though the government was about to complete its term very soon

Prime Minister Shehbaz instructed the advisors as well as the government officers not to interact merely with their counterparts but also those from other countries which had excelled in tourism, cultural heritage and other fields

“Allah Almighty blessed our country with great natural resources of scenic beauty all over Northern Areas which can be con-

verted into a great opportunity,” he remarked

In his address Advisor to Prime Minister of Pakistan on Tourism and Sports Awn

Chaudhry said to promote the soft image of the country worldwide the PTDC had developed a well-coordinated strategic approach for best utilization of the available resources with focus on building the image of Pakistan as one of most tourist friendly countries in Asia

He said the launching of Tourism Brand for Pakistan was an important step in achieving the goal

The name SALAM PAKISTAN is selected as Tourism Brand for Pakistan

The objectives of Tourism Brand of Pakistan include building the image and perception of Pakistan as a safe, secure, friendly and hospitable nation promoting the country as an attractive tourist destination especially for international tourists projecting recreational mountaineering adventure cultural religious, historical, cuisine, geographical and other tourism related aspects of Pakistan and highlighting diversities of the provinces, regions cities etc variety of food accommodation travel communication and infra-

structure facilities etc The portal contains information about the top 20 tourist destinations of Pakistan including K2 Gwadar Ziarat Valley Uch Sharif Deosai National Park Kalash Valley Takht Bhai, Hingol National Park, Shandur Pass, Kambhar Lake, Fairy Meadows, Ratti Gali, Lahore Fort, Makli Graveyard, Derawar For Rohtas Fort Kumrat Valley Hunza Valley and Mohenjo-Daro

It guides the tourists about the beaches and waterfalls nature and landscape festivals, spiritual tourism and eco-tourism Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran Sayyed Ezzatullah Zarghami and Ambassador of Iran Reza Amiri Moghaddam and diplomats from different countries also attended the ceremony

(NASTP)

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, he appreciated the leadership of Pakistan Air Force for initiating the project which augured well for activities related to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)

Chief Executive Officer of NASTP Air Commodore Dr Liaquatullah, in his briefing, told the participants that the PAF had achieved numerous successes in the field of aerospace technology He said the institution had established research and development centers for the capacity building of new generation This is a project of national and strategic importance and will provide ecosystems, besides providing multifaceted benefits ” He said the project, which had been completed in record time would prove to be a milestone for the country s self-reliance in aerospace technology

He said the Pakistan Air Force was pursuing the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to achieve self-reliance

The project comprised three campuses with the first one housing private sector companies second one featuring cyber AI

and IT companies, and the third one was meant for aircraft space sensors and Expo center he added Dr Liaquatullah said all of the NASTP had been declared a special zone and would enjoy several key benefits including subsidies, tax/customs duty exemptions, besides acting as platform with great networking opportunities The Air Chief had already directed to launch the second phase to establish the facilities at city and university levels he added

The National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP) was an integral project of the Aviation City Pakistan and would provide eco-system of essential elements required to nurture design, research, development and innovation in the aviation space IT and cyber domains

NASTP was a pioneer organisation in the country that was approved by the Government of Pakistan as a project of strategic national importance led by the Pakistan Air Force in creating opportunities for joint work by industry academia and the government turning it into a technology ecosystem

Shabbir Shah, Asiya Andrabi, Masarrat Alam Bhat, Zafar Akbar Bhat, Dr Abdul Hameed Fayyaz, Naeem Ahmed