Epaper_23-08-8 ISB

T E R R O R I S T S M U S T S U B M I T T O W R I T O F

S TAT E O R G ET D E C I M AT E D : C O A S G E N A S I M

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Afghan nationals ’ involvement in terrorism in Pakistan

b e r t y o f a c t i o n e n j o y e d o n A f g h a n s o i l

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS also met with tribal elders from the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) of K-P as well as notables from all walks of life

During an interactive session General Munir paid rich tribute to the supreme sacrifices of the brave and resilient tribals of Pakistan and appreciated their indomitable resolve for standing shoulder to shoulder with the security forces in defeating the menace of terrorism

at Fort Bala Hisar, the headquarters of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Frontier Corps (FC) Upon arrival COAS was received by the Commander of the Peshawar Corps

With the unflinching resolve of the nation Pakistan is successfully countering terrorism to enable a stable and peaceful environment for socioeconomic development in the area, COAS remarked “Terrorism has no place in Pakistan and the involvement of Afghan nationals in ter-

Over 6,000 marble factories in KP face closure amid surging electricit y prices

In the aftermath of recent electricity price hikes following IMF agreements more than 6 000 marble factories in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) find themselves on the brink of closure President of the Marble Mines Industry Development Association, Sajjad Khan, disclosed that the lamented escalation in electricity costs has intensified the challenges confronting the marble industry within the province This dire situation has resulted in the shuttering of a significant number of factories Khan revealed that despite the 18th Constitutional Amendment which mandates that a province producing surplus electricity must first meet its own requirements before supplying other provinces, KP struggles to adequately provide its own industries with power despite its electricity surplus He further highlighted that KP’s hydroelectric power generation capacity of around 6 000 megawatts greatly overshadows the province s actual demand of 2,700 megawatts Despite this surplus, the province grapples to deliver a mere 1,500 megawatts to support its industries Adding to the woes, Khan mentioned that despite producing costeffective electricity through hydropower KP faces unlawful collection of billions of rupees under the guise of Fuel Price Adjustments (FPA) Despite a 2014 Peshawar High Court ruling against FPA collection from consumers in KP, a resolution remains elusive even after nearly a decade In a bid to avert potential industrial closures, the government has introduced a special package to alleviate electricity costs for industries in KP mirroring a similar initiative in Punjab

rorist incidents in Pakistan is detrimental to regional peace, stability and deviation from the Doha peace agreement by the interim Afghan government,” he reiterated The army chief also expressed concerns over sanctuaries available to banned outfits and the liberty of action they enjoy on Afghan soil Pakistan will spare no effort to dismantle terrorist networks and protect its citizens at all costs, he added According to the ISPR, the tribal elders assured that the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its ideology will never b e a c c e p t a b l e t o a n y t r i b e a n d t h e y w i l l c o n t i n u e t o s t a n d w i t h t h e s t a t e d u r i n g thick and thin

The COAS emphasised the potential of NMDs and ongoing efforts in uplifting the socio-economic growth under the umbrella

of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) General Munir also expressed his views that KP province is blessed with huge reserves of mines and minerals, adding that it

PML-N, PPP make divergent claims over consensus on Hafeez Shaikh’s name

ISLAMABAD

M a n a b R a R

Ruling coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have made divergent claims over reports of consensus on the name of former finance minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh to be appointed as caretaker prime minister PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari on Monday denied consensus on former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh’s name for the caretaker prime ministership says in media reports Rana Sanaullah should have not talked about Hafeez Sheikh s name the PPP leader said reacting to the statement of the minister

Earlier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh was among the candidates shortlisted for the slot of the caretaker prime minister Shaikh s name was among those earlier reported to have been included in a list of five finalised by parties in the ruling coalition for the caretaker prime minister

The purported list was also said to have included former chief justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani Bokhari observed it’s not the prerogative of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to comment on the names of the caretaker prime minister candidates Commenting on the recently okayed digital census results the PPP stalwart said a constitutional amendment is needed to increase the number of seats according to the new census

It may be noted that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has hinted at the possibility of dissolving the National Assembly (NA) on August 9

Earlier Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah says the names of ex-finance minister Hafeez Shaikh and a former Supreme Court judge have been shortlisted among others for the caretaker Prime Minister (PM)

He said name of the caretaker premier would turn

up by Tuesday, adding Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi are not in the run Hafeez Shaikh had served as the finance minister the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) led federal government However he was removed from this slot in March 2021

The PTI pitched Sheikh against the former PM and senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party Yousaf Raza Gillani for Senate seat, however, Sheikh lost the contest During an interview with a local news channel Rana Sana said a ‘neutral’ person would be the caretaker prime minister having no political association

also has beautiful areas for tourism which will certainly change the destiny of the area for the good of the people

SIFC approves projects to attract investment in key sectors

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Some

DOWN RAIL TRACK RESTORED A DAY AFTER FATAL HAZARA EXPRESS DERAILMENT IN NAWABSHAH

NAWABSHAH

S ta f f R e p o R t

Aday after the fatal incident of the Hazara Express derailment near Nawabshah in which 34 passengers were killed and over 80 others got injured the railways authorities restored the down track for traffic on Monday

The authorities have completed the identification of 29 dead bodies and handed them over to their heirs

Seven bodies have been dispatched to Tando Adam two to Sadiqabad two to Multan and 18 bodies sent to Sindh All the dead bodies have been salvaged from the ill-fated train bogies

According to rail authorities, the down track has been restored while work on the up track restoration is underway The Pakistan Army and Rangers officials participated in the rescue efforts The helicopters of Army Aviation also took part in the rescue operation Several carriages of Hazara Express train derailed on Sunday near Sirhari railway station, situated between Nawabshah and Shahzadpur

This is quite a big accident Minister of Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique told reporters Rafique said at least 1 000 passen-

President accords approval to four different bills

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday accorded approval to four different bills 2023 under Article 75 of the Constitution The president approved National Logistics Corporation Bill 2023 which provided establishment of the Corporation said a press release by President Secretariat Press Wing Separately the president also approved Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Bill, 2023 The objective of the legislation was to improve investigations into air accidents and travel incidents Similarly, approval was also granted to Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terror Financing Bill 2023 Under the legislation National Anti Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Authority would be established President Alvi also sanctioned his approval to the Gun and Country Club Bill, 2023 The legislation would pave way for establishment of Gun and Country Club Islamabad and its management and arrangements

gers were aboard the train when it derailed on a section of track where no faults had been reported

Senior police officer Abid Baloch said 30 bodies had been recovered and more than 60 people were injured, some critically He said the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue Images posted to local media show dozens of people at the site with some smashing windows to help passengers climb out of the twisted carriages and at least one coach overturned There were chaotic scenes at the Nawabshah Trauma Centre as ambulances and private cars ferried the injured for treatment

One man leapt from the back of an am-

Anti-polio drive kicks off in 17 KP districts

PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t

A comprehensive anti-polio campaign has been launched across 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as authorities intensify efforts to shield young lives from the debilitating grip of polio The campaign initiated in collaboration with the Emergency Operation Center (EOC), aims to immunize a staggering 2 million children against the crippling disease This critical initiative spanning areas including Peshawar Bannu Charsadda Hangu Khyber and Kohat will see the deployment of 6 947 dedicated teams each charged with the task of delivering the lifesaving drops to homes and communities

Overseeing this monumental effort are 1,598 area in-charges who will ensure the smooth execution and monitoring of the campaign In a move that underscores the gravity of the mission more than 18 000 vigilant police officers have been strategically positioned to safeguard the dedicated polio vaccination teams The paramount concern for the safety and success of the drive has prompted this robust security deployment Health officials at the Anti-Polio Emergency Center have underscored the urgency of this initiative revealing that two cases of polio have already been reported in Bannu earlier this year The focus on these high-risk areas is a testament to the dedication and commitment of health workers and authorities to eradicate polio from the region Dr Nasreen Khan Director of the Anti-Polio Emergency Center expressed her optimism about the campaign s impact Every child counts, and this drive reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child is protected from the dangers of polio

We are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to reach every doorstep every child and provide them with the immunity they deserve

bulance clutching a child his clothes soaked in blood while a woman moaned in pain as she was carried in on a stretcher

We don t know what happened, we were just sitting inside, said one dazed woman At the accident site outside Nawabshah dozens of cars tractors rickshaws and motorcycles could be seen parked on a road that runs alongside the track Volunteers were wading through a canal that separates the road from the railway line to help, and lifting the injured to get them assistance

The Hazara Express is a daily passenger train that leaves the port city of Karachi in the south and takes around 33 hours to

reach Havelian in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province some 1 600km (994 miles) north

The Railways authorities have confirmed the death of 30 people and released a list of names of some of the dead persons

The dead included: Razia Bibi r/o

Tando Adam, Syedan Bibi, Mrs Saira, Soha, Raheem Ghulam Sughran Haseena Syeda

Nasreen r/o Rahim Yar Khan Parveen r/o Hyderabad Shazia Aneela Ayan r/o Benazirabad Alia Sharifan Bibi r/o Shahdadpur, Yasir s/o Rehman, Yasir s/o Danial, Mir Chand r/o Ghotki, Sughra Mai, Noor Din r/o Sadiqabad, Mansoor r/o Multan, Yasir r/o Sanghar Sahib Khan Muhammad Sharif Shoaib Khan Khair Muhammad Naila d/o Muhammad Nasir and r/o Dadu and Naila w/o Muhammad Kashif

Accidents and derailments occur frequently on Pakistan s antiquated railway system In June 2021, two trains collided near Daharki in Sindh, killing at least 65 people and injuring about 150 others

In that accident an express derailed onto the opposite track and a second passenger train crashed into the wreckage roughly a minute later At least 75 passengers burned to death in a fire aboard the Tezgam express train in October 2019, while a two-train collision at Ghotki killed more than 100 people in 2005

Rizwana torture case: Somia Asim arrested after court rejects bail plea

The Additional District and Sessions

Judge (ADSJ) Farrukh Farid Baloch on Monday rejected the bail plea of Somia

Asim, the wife of a civil judge, for her alleged involvement in torturing a poor 12 years old housemaid Rizwana in her house located in a private housing society

The court ordered Islamabad police investigators to arrest the accused upon which Somia Asim was arrested by lady cops of capital police from court premises Humak police booked Somia Asim under multiple charges including attempted murder after she placed a poor housemaid Rizwana Bibi under severe torture and detained her in a room of house illegally According to details, the accused Somia, wife of judge Chaudhry Asim Hafeez, appeared before the court of ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch after expiry of her pre arrest bail awarded by the court earlier

A team of investigators of Hukam police produced the case record before the judge Advocate Rana Adil Imdad, the counsel for victim housemaid Rizwana, also appeared before the court When the court assumed hearing in the domestic female worker case Advocate Nazar Niazi who was representing accused Somia Asim sought time from court till 10am which was granted to him by the judge

After the pause in hearing, the defense counsel argued before ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch that his client had appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT) formed by IG Islamabad to probe the case and had expressed her innocence He told the court that police mentioned in record that the accused Somia Asim did not inflict torture while she repeatedly asked to send the maid back to Sargodha

He said that the victim s mother had been summoned by the JIT also and it

would be better to wait till the evening when the JIT investigation is completed The defense lawyer alleged that the IO of case had not probed all aspects of the case Even the police had not obtained the CCTV footage of the crime scene said Advocate Nazar Niazi

In response, ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch remarked that none of arguments of defense lawyer are sufficient for granting an extension in pre arrest bail to the accused

Advocate Nazar Niazi replied that the FIR is based on lies on which the judge remarked that he would only hear arguments on the suspect s bail plea and nothing else The defense counsel pleaded the court should send his client to jail once the JIT declared her guilty

However the judge rejected the plea of the defense and asked the counsel to continue his arguments on the bail application Advocate Nazar Niazi added that investigators had not obtained the CCTV footage of crime scene saying a three-hour clip of the victim at a bus stop was available The CCTV footage may expire in a day or two he said On this the court ordered the investigating officer (IO) of Rizwana torture case to obtain the video and make it part of case record “Police investigators are responsible for collecting evidence from both sides observed ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch

Meanwhile the video of the 12 years old maid Rizwana was then played in the courtroom on a laptop in whic both the teenager and Somia Asim can be seen at the bus stop

Advocate Nazar Niazi said that it showed the victim getting out of a car herself and she can be seen safely sitting at the bus stop for two hours He said the applicant alleged that the housmaid was found detained in room of a house of Somia that too in injured condition He also highlighted that the victim’s

IHC fixes for hearing

PTI chairman’s appeal to restore right of defence in Toshakhana case

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

medical report was dated July 24 whereas the case was registered on July 25 He said that Somia was being roped in a bogus case while media trial is also adding worries to his client

The judge asked the police officers of Humak police station if they had the call detail record in the case On this lawyer of Somia added that the police wanted to create a one-side story that supported their narrative and had therefore not investigated other aspects of the case He also stated that Somia had three witnesses who could testify that they had seen the teenager in good health at her residence

Advocate Rana Adil Imdad, who was contesting case on behalf of housmaid argued that no one including the court could dictate the IO and asked on what basis was Somia seeking an extension in her bail

He questioned will a woman commit any sin and be granted bail? He said that the defense counsel wanted to implicate the parents of victims in the case

He said that on the other hand the judge is offering the parents bribe for not pursuing the case against his wife

He told court her poor client was tortured by the wife of judge not once but time and again and was not taken to hospital for medical treatment

Meanwhile the Special Public Prosecutor Waqas Haral said the victim had sustained 14 injuries as per her medical report issued by the doctors Mother of Rizwana burst into tears in the courtroom when Prosecutor was arguing about MLR of the victim

The prosecutor said why the wife of judge is not lodging a complaint with police against parents of Rizwana it they are blackmailing her After completion of arguments of both parties, ADSJ Farrukh Farid Baloch has rejected the pre arrest bail of Somia Asim and ordered police to handcuff her

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed for hearing the request to restore the right of defence to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman in the Toshakhana case Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Amir Farooq will hear the appeal on August 10 to restore the right of defence to the former prime minister The court has issued a notice to the Election Commission in this regard seeking its response It should be remembered that the trial court had terminated the right of defence of PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case the trial court had declared the list of witnesses on behalf of PTI chairman irrelevant The PTI chairman had filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court seeking permission to produce witnesses The Supreme Court Bar Association reacted on Saturday to the arrest of PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case In a joint statement the President and Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar said that it was unfortunate that the court gave its verdict without giving the accused a fair opportunity to be heard, deciding the case in haste in the absence of the PTI chairman’s counsel

Constable mar t yred, two cops injured as police mobile attacked

PESHAWAR

S ta f f R e p o R t

A police constable was martyred while two were injured when terrorists attacked a police mobile van here in the provincial capital According to details terrorists attacked a police mobile van while it was on routine patrolling in Bahaber area of Peshawar As a result of firing, Constable Yar Muhammad embraced martyrdom while two cops sustained injured The body and injured cops were shifted to hospital The police cordoned off the area after the attack and launched search operation for the attackers

Couple killed in Nor th Waziristan suicide blast

MIRANSHAH ag e n C e S

Two people, including husband and wife, were killed in a suicide blast in North Waziristan, police said on Monday According to DPO, a suicide bomber blew himself near bomb disposal vehicle in Syedagi area of Ghulam Khan As a result of explosion two passerby husband and wife were killed on the spot The security forces cordoned off the area after the incident and launched search operation

Pak-China Friendship Hospital Gwadar unveils 37 job openings

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pak-China Friendship Hospital Gwadar has unveiled 37 job openings

Pak-China Friendship Hospital in Gwadar is a state-of-the-art medical facility that not only provides free and highquality treatment for the local residents but also offers employment opportunities to the coastal community

The hospital extends an invitation to individuals driven by excellence and guided by vision to join its team, contributing to the advancement of this noble endeavor

The hospital has unveiled 37 vacancies across various departments encompassing roles such as senior consultants registrars specialists and junior technicians

Gwadar Development Authority (GDA)’s Pak-China Friendship Hospital is a state-of-the-art health facility under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) serving the people of Gwadar and Balochistan Indus Hospital & Health Network (IHHN) operates tertiary care facilities at the hospital through a public-private partnership with the Government of Balochistan Departments offering employment opportunities are gynecology pediatrics & neonatal medicine and family medicine

This strategic focus highlights the hospital s dedicated commitment to prioritizing the well-being of women and children, ensuring specialized care tailored to their unique needs According to the official website of CPEC the hospital is planned

on 68 acres of land

As per the plan, the hospital consists of medical blocks, nursing and paramedical institutes a medical college central laboratory and other allied

Kumon launches its second branch in L ahore

adapted to the digital way of teaching with Kumon Connect

facilities

Before the currently offered jobs, the hospital had already created 35 jobs for the locals as per the website

model and the untapped Pakistani market Having Rabia on board as a strong partner made the venture more feasible and promising,” Mr Kimihide told Pakistan Today He also stated that he is happy to be a small piece of the jigsaw puzzle to bring the Kumon model here along with Rabia in fostering a substantial educational change within Pakistan

The fusion of the well-established Kumon model with Pakistan’s vast population and potential marked a turning point in grassroots education The vision of seeding

hundreds, possibly thousands, of Kumon centres across the nation reflects the transformative potential within the Pakistani educational landscape he stated Not only that as of now there are about 24 500 Kumon learning centres in more than 50 countries and regions around the world In this era of technology, Kumon has

While talking to Pakistan Today, Kumon Pakistan President Daisuke Kodama told us more about Kumon Connect a technological advancement that enhances the traditional Kumon method While the core worksheet content remains consistent, Kumon Connect provides instructors with in-depth insights into students’ progress Instructors can monitor completion times problem-solving approaches and scores enabling a deeper understanding of each student s learning process This information empowers instructors to provide personalized and effective guidance, tailoring their support to individual students,” Mr Kodama stated, adding that this technology is available in all Kumon Centres worldwide for students parents and tutors

Rabia, who was the founding instructor at Kumon Pakistan Centre had set clear expectations of what one should expect from the programme and she understood each student individually fostering motivation and growth This contributed majorly to the success of the first branch which then led to the opening of this new branch

The selection and training of instructors are critical components of this success The main requirements for instructors are passion and an open attitude towards learning ensuring a mindset that continuously adapts and improves instructional skills Mr Kodama stated Lastly, the Kumon Pakistan President stated that enrollment for the Upper Mall branch will begin by the end of the month and they are all set to launch a centre in Karachi as well in November

PLEA SEEKS SUPREME COURT INTERVENTION AGAINST MASSIVE ELECTRICIT Y TARIFF HIKE

Realtors proposes abolition of tax on deemed income from immovable proper t y

LHC seeks reply from home secretar y on plea of Par vez Elahi’s wife

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has sought reply from the additional home secretary on the request of Qaisara Elahi, wife of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, for a meeting with her incarcerated husband Justice Raheel Kamran on Monday heard the petition and issued a notice to the additional home secretary and ordered him to submit a reply on Tuesday The justice remarked that detention is not a punishment The court would not allow the state to usurp the rights of the masses State rules allow meeting of family with a person in jail Justice Kamran questioned the public prosecutor how a meeting of a wife her husband would endanger the government The judge asked him to review the rules The public prosecutor claimed that the petitioner did not apply for a meeting with her husband Later, the court adjourned the hearing for Tuesday

Pakistan, China committed to enhance cooperation under CPEC: FO

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra

Baloch said that Pakistan and China are committed to enhance cooperation under CPEC At a weekly media briefing here on Monday, she said CPEC has brought huge dividends to Pakistan as manifested in the creation of over 200,000 jobs, addition of 8000 MW power to national grid, building of 510 kilometers of highways and 932 kilometers of road network and a 820-kilometer long optical fiber line Mumtaz Zahra said that Pakistan and China stood firmly to develop further cooperation under CPEC and build it as a connectivity project for the region The area of Phase-II of China Pakistan Economic Corridor includes rural revitalization agricultural development industrialization green development and science and technology

Another consignment of relief goods dispatched to merged districts

PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday dispatched another consignment of relief goods to district administrations in Bajaur South Waziristan and Malakand in view of monsoon rains An official communiqu issued here said that the relief supplies include family-size tents, sandbags, emergency searchlights, kitchen sets, pedestal fans first-aid boxes hygiene kits buckets mosquito nets jerry cans solar lamps etc DG of PDMA Jannat Gul Afridi said that the relief goods would be provided immediately to the flood affectees and victims in case of any emergency or calamity He said, The relief goods have already been sent to other districts of the province while focal persons have been deputed for immediate coordination and response in 14 sensitive districts including Peshawar Nowshera Swabi Swat

Abbottabad Mansehra Charsadda DI Khan

Shangla Dir Upper Chitral Upper Chitral Lower, Kohistan Upper and Kohistan Lower

ISLAMABAD S h a h z a d pa R ac h a Federation of Realtors Pakistan has proposed abolition of tax on deemed income from immovable property

The President Federation of Realtors Pakistan Sardar Tahir Mehmood proposed this in a meeting with Chairman Fbr held to address and resolve taxation issues concerning real-estate transactions

In Today s meeting Realtors delegates emphasised the need to rationalize taxation of immovable property in the backdrop of poor health of the economy

They stressed that the real estate sector has been the major source of domestic and foreign investment in the past however deteriorating economic conditions have pushed people away from investment in this sector

They also asserted that taxation measures on immovable property introduced through Finance Act, 2022 & Finance Act, 2023 have created a discouraging environment for investment in the real estate sector The delegation proposed abolition of tax on deemed income from immovable property They also requested that there be either no revision of the valuation table of the properties for the time being, or increase, if any must be made, at fair level after consultation with the stakeholders Chairman FBR assured the participants that their concerns will be addressed and best possible facilitation will be ensured for removing difficulties arising on account of implementation of tax laws He directed his team to ensure proper coordination and consultations with the Realtors in this regard

C a b i n e t c o m m i t t e e a p p r o v e s i n c l u s i o n o f P I A i n p r i v i t i z a t i o n l i s t

The Chairman further pointed out that under the Stand-by Arrangement with the IMF, any new tax exemption, concession or preferential tax treatment may not be possible at this time

It is pertinent to note that the Minister for Finance and Revenue during the 90th meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue held on 4th August, 2023 gave directions to Fbr to hold a meeting with Realtors Realtors had informed the committee that the registries have decreased by up to 95 percent along with the closure of transfers across the country This surge in taxes has increased sufferings of the local investor as well as overseas, as the capital has started transferring abroad Resultantly, the overseas investors are reluctant with their investments in Pakistan

Caretaker PM: PML-N, PPP make divergent claims over consensus on Hafeez Shaikh’s name

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Name of former chief justice of Pakistan

Tassaduq Hussain Jilani is circulating in the media among those persons those are being considered as caretaker PM Rana Sana hinted that elections could be delayed by 120 days as constituencies would now have to be redrawn under the new census and it was demand of all political parties and provinces that coming general elections should be held according to the new census There will be no harm if the elections date is extended for a month or two There is no problem if polls are held in February-March next year the minister said

During a meeting on August 4 the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and other coalition partners put their faith in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in nomination of the caretaker prime minister

The government has paced up consultation to finalise the caretaker setup as it has decided to prematurely dissolve the National Assembly on Aug 9

A day earlier PM Shehbaz told the allies at a dinner hosted by him in the federal capital that the assembly would be dissolved on Aug 9 He added that the decision about the caretaker prime minister would be taken in consultation

with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and before that he would consult all allied parties

Sources said the premier chaired a meeting of the allied parties wherein they reposed trust in him for finalisation of a name for the caretaker PM slot

They said the prime minister could nominate any suitable person for the slot The ruling coalition also asked him to hold consultation on the names recommended by the opposition leader for the position

Meanwhile the names of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi independent lawmaker from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani and Hafeez Shaikh are making the rounds as candidates for the caretaker prime minister

Terrorists must submit to writ of state or get decimated: COAS Gen Asim

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Pak Army stands with our tribal brothers and will never leave them alone as over the years they have given innumerable sacrifices for the peace and prosperity of the motherland It’s time to develop all tribal areas and concentrate on youth ” COAS remarked The army chief reiterated the resolve of the Pakistan Army Frontier Corps and other law enforcement agen-

cies in their fight against terrorism until the elimination of this menace from the country He showed resolve to finish the peril of narcotics which is becoming a lifeline for these TTP “khawarij“

The surge in terrorism in recent past is a futile effort on the part of terrorists to get the talks re-initiated; However, there is no option for these terrorists except to submit to the writ of state of Pakistan before they are decimated if they persist on their wrong

Tributes paid to Maj Tufail Muhammad Shaheed

RAWALPINDI: Armed Forces of Pakistan, CJCsSC & Services Chiefs

pay glowing tribute to Major Tufail

Muhammad Shaheed Nishane-Haider, on his 65th Shahadat

Anniversary today Major Tufail Muhammad the second recipient of Nishan-eHaider embraced Shahadat while fighting gallantly at Lakshmipur sector in East Pakistan in 1958 Major

Tufail Muhammad s martyrdom anniversary serves as a powerful reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the Armed Forces of Pakistan to defend the motherland Let us remember these heroes who have laid down their lives in defence of our motherland The nation is proud of its gallant sons

path Gen Asim Munir reiterated that propaganda by inimical forces against the armed forces of Pakistan will be dealt with as per the law

Paying tribute to the brave tribesmen officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, FC, Levies, Khasadars and police, the COAS vowed that the sacrifices of the martyrs will not go in vain and complete peace will return to Pakistan

Pakistan’s population soars to 241.49m in digital census 2023

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Its remarkable 4 10% annual rise in population further solidifies its reputation as a city of continuous growth and transformation L A H O R E: Lahore, a city steeped in history and culture, has breached the 2 27 million mark showcasing a consistent yearly expansion rate of 2 72% This growth is a reflection of the city s enduring allure and its unwavering place within Pakistan s narrative

Q U E T TA: The population of Quetta has flourished, reaching an impressive 42 59 lacs, providing a testament to growth and development within the region This surge in numbers reflects the city’s ongoing expansion and progress R AWA L P I N D I: Rawalpindi’s population has showcased an upward trajectory with a population now exceeding the 1 14 million mark This impressive increase highlights the city s potential and its role as a vital center of growth

I S L A M A B A D: The federal capital, Islamabad, has firmly etched its presence with a population of 2 36 million Its unique character and significance are mirrored in this population figure reaffirming its role as the heart of the nation

Imran being kept in distressing conditions, morale high: law yer

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s lawyer Naeem Haider Panjotha claimed on Mon-

claimed on Sunday they were not allowed by the jail administration to meet the PTI chairman

nally allowed to meet the PTI chairman The meeting lasted an hour and 45 minutes Narrating his conversation with Imran in a media talk, he said: I asked Khan sahib about the situation in jail after his arrest He said he is being kept in a dark small CClass chakki wala [manual labour] room He said there is an open washroom there which does not have a shower He said the jail has flies in the morning and insects in the evening, Panjotha said “Khan sahib said he was being given the usual daal and saag but he said he had no issue in this regard Along with this he also said that he was prepared if they moved him

to a D-Class jail Khan sahib directed me to tell the media that he will never accept slavery, Panjotha stated, adding that the PTI chief also paid tribute to party workers and top leadership for their “steadfastness”

“Khan sahib also said that his house was attacked for the third time and attempts were made to break the door of his bedroom the lawyer said, referring to Imran s arrest on Saturday Panjotha said the PTI chief directed the party’s legal team to take legal action against those who “attacked” Zaman Park and “kidnapped’ him He also said that the PTI core commit-

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCoP) has given approval to include Pakistan International Airlines Co ltd (PIACL) in the privatisation progarmme Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of CCoP today The CCoP considered the proposal of Privatisation Commission regarding inclusion of Pakistan International Airlines Co ltd (PIACL) in the privatisation progarmme The CCoP after deliberation decided to include Pakistan International Airlines Co Ltd (PIACL) in the list of active privatisation projects of the ongoing privatisation programme following an amendment in the law by the Parliament Privatisation Division presented a summary on detailed update regarding privatization of Roosevelt Hotel The CCoP after discussion gave concurrence to the Privatization Commission for hiring of Financial Adviser to process/structure transaction of Roosevelt Hotel New York an asset of PIA Investment Limited (PIA-IL)

Over 6,000 marble factories in KP face closure amid surging electricity prices

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Khan appealed to the government to extend this relief to the marble sector emphasizing that as per the constitution the primary right to preferential electricity rates should be granted to the province s citizens and industries Khan also underscored that the marble sector bears the brunt of a nationwide construction industry slowdown As long as construction remains sluggish he noted the marble market will struggle to find buyers The prospect of raising marble prices by factory owners is hampered by the ongoing halt in construction activities Employing hundreds of thousands of individuals across various districts such as Mardan, Risalpur, Buner Swat Jehangira Peshawar Abbottabad Mansehra and others the marble industry in KP contributes significantly to the economy through tax revenues Despite this, it lacks substantial government relief, a fact that remains unchanged despite its substantial economic contributions

SIFC approves projects to attract investment in key sectors

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Last month the SIFC had approved 28 projects worth billions of dollars that would be offered to Gulf countries for investment including the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam and mining operations at Reko Diq in Balochistan s Chagai district The list of the approved projects suggests that if all the schemes are picked up by countries including Qatar Saudi Arabia the UAE and Bahrain the quantum of investment under the SIFC banner can be greater than the $28 billion under the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Initially, the approved schemes are in the food, agriculture, information technology, mines and minerals, petroleum and power sectors They include cattle farms; the $10 billion Saudi Aramco refinery; explorations of copper and gold in Chagai; and the Thar Coal Rail connectivity scheme The Diamer-Bhasha dam has also been offered to China for investment under CPEC

tee will decide the way forward ‘in consultation with me’ ‘no decision will be taken by a single person The lawyer also quoted Imran as saying that the public should continue their peaceful protests and continue this war against slavery Panjotha further claimed that Imran was not allowed to meet or talk to anyone over the phone “I am the only person who has met him since the arrest Khan sahib the lawyer continued also expressed the difficulties he faced in offering prayers because of the small cell But at the same time he said he was determined despite and would never bow before slavery,” Panjotha added In response to a question on Imran’s heath the lawyer said the PTI chief was clad in trousers a t-shirt and joggers when he met him

Procedural democracy

No excuse to delay the polls

WH E R E A S the principled supporters of the democratic process in this country were upset at the incumbent government not adhering to democratic protocols when it came to the elections of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, they had assumed that there would be no such brazen break from norm for the general elections to the National Assembly Yes, a party might be picked away at by the powers that be and its leaders hounded into hiding or defection but the ticking of the boxes of the procedural democratic process, warts and all, being the low bar that it is, was just assumed

Yet w ith th e Council of Commo n Interes ts u nanimous ly ap prov ing the 20 23 cen s us on S atu r day, there is n ow a mor e than dis tin ct p o s s ibility that even the N atio nal as s embly electio ns w ill not b e held on time

With the approval of the latest census the Election Commission of Pakistan is bound to conduct fresh delimitations, an arduous process that even experts conservative estimates say will go on till early 2024

Since the caretaker setup is expected to take office this week, the latter ’s 90-day mandate is almost certain to be crossed

There is a consensus amongst objective - and saneobservers that there should be no delay in the polls and that no constitutional norms should be violated, but the incumbent political parties do not seem ready to play ball and stick by the same rule book they were all too fond of quoting from during their own political winter not too long ago

The political government needs to be held accountable not just by the polity at large but also by its own ideological support base It needs to give a clear and exact schedule for elections, about which it will give an unequivocal assurance

Whereas it is correctly believed that the nation s political class has been blamed more for its failures than it should have been the bulk of the blame lying on the shoulders of non-representative forces, these particular transgressions are squarely on the politicians The political class needs to do better by the people it claims to represent

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

DE P E N D I N G on their temperaments and backgrounds Wow! or You must be joking! are two common ways people are likely to react if you tell them the SSC and HSSC results of any given year For each year, the ‘topper ’ invariably scores 98% or more on aggregate; others (separated merely by fractions of a percentage) following closely on his heels with numerous students ending up with 95% or more This is the story of all boards of secondary-school education across the country Of course one can be shocked only so many times: those who have had occasion to be involved in the university admission process (their own or a dear one’s) know that such high percentages are fairly commonplace There is no denying that some of the kids appearing for these exams are exceptionally gifted Add to it the awareness levels being what they are these days, and the fact that many of them manage to put in consistent, well-directed effort into their studies, and it should be no surprise if it results in a 100 out of 100 in something purely logical like mathematics

In subjects such as chemistry and physics as well if the exam papers are shorn of all theory (although there is much to be said against the quality of such kind of evaluation), one can still understand how somebody could score 95% or more But 98% in languages, Islamic Studies and Pakistan Studies! That is beyond comprehension; and it is obvious that something somewhere is seriously wrong Languages and descriptive subjects are supposed to test an examinee not only regarding facts and the correctness of any information in his responses but also on how well he expresses himself; the grammatical and rhetorical competence on display; the skill demonstrated in argumentation; and the syntax of the language employed Even if one assumes that all answers are ‘correct’ a 98% means that the syntax is all but perfect and the expression could not have been any better Surely unless these candidates are all William Shakespeares and Bertrand Russells, this makes no sense at all One need not be more than an interested bystander to realize that much

H o w A r t i f i c i a l I n t e l l i g e n c e i s c h a n g i n g o u r l i v e s

creased According to a report by Goldman Sachs generative AI is expected to increase the annual global GDP by 7% over ten years It could predict financial crises, thus helping to make economic decisions accordingly But with the advancement of AI, millions of human jobs could be replaced World Economic Forum estimated that 85 million jobs will be lost between 2020-2025 but at the same time 97 million new jobs will be added by 2025 However these new jobs will require necessary skills and technical knowledge, which is another challenge IBM recently announced that they have paused hiring for jobs that AI could do AI is not a job killer but a job category killer Furthermore AI threatens creative jobs such as Graphics designing which takes a lot of creativity and effort However, with AI tools, complex graphic works could be done in seconds by just giving a simple command

If I may say so myself, my own observations on the issue are anything but those coming from a mere bystander I have had the pleasure (or displeasure) of teaching the best products the country’s high-schools system has to offer for more than twelve years now For most of that period my students were brilliant enough to have made it to the most sought-after engineering discipline in the country, which required being placed at the very top of the merit list Believe me, and I take no glee in saying it, quite far from there being no room for improvement in the students written expression most of them (including those who are extremely adept at math and numbers) cannot write even one paragraph without making the reader cringe They have no clue how to start how to put one thought on top of another where to end the sentence and start a new one, and where the shift in thought warrants a new paragraph They do not even know how to punctuate a sentence

Leaving skills of rhetoric and composition aside for a moment, all one needs in order to learn the basic syntax of any language is to carefully read a few books But therein lies the rub: Nobody (including the best student) is willing to read anything anymore The results seldom fail to amuse: spaces before periods and commas, arbitrary capitalizing of letters in a sentence sentences without an end in sight one sentence merging into another without any warning whatsoever, the subject suddenly metamorphosing into the object, the voice changing from active to passive (and back) inside the same sentence, and so on I therefore find it impossible to accept that these kids have reached the pinnacle of powers of expression and composition which an unsuspecting person would be forgiven for assuming based on their grades in languages, religious and social studies

Although they manage to make it into the top universities, our high school stars are fully aware of this shortcoming on their part University instructors may insist all they want that they must hand in their original

writings, but they are apt to invariably turn to the internet to get the dreaded task over with This is admission of their conviction that they will not be able to do it no matter how hard they try Most of our high school graduates would rather die than write a page of original prose and more often than not they do This is the context in which the 98% results need to be seen

Here, I am reminded of an unresolved puzzle that is somewhat related to the topic at hand Will you, reader, be good enough to demystify it for me? I was negligent enough not to do the done thing by enrolling my son in school at the ripe age of two Actually it was not carelessness but my belief that two-years-old was too young an age for any child to be away from home for so many hours at a stretch Two and a half years later when I finally started looking around for schools, I had some interesting conversations with ladies managing admissions at the various establishments The common ‘concern’ was that having missed two grades –Playgroup (PG) and Kindergarten (KG) – he would not be able to cope with the rigours of studies of Prep It was explained to me that the toddlers were supposed to know thismany number of words by the time they entered Grade 1 where they would start making simple sentences; so that come Grade 2, they were well equipped to step into the exciting world of simple composition I told more than one of the principals that the learning trajectory they were outlining was most impressive but it had left me perplexed because when these whiz-kids, these masters of exposition, arrived as freshmen years later at the university, they seemed to have mysteriously forgotten all the composition skills they had mastered all those years ago in their primary years None of the lady principals happened to have the answer to the riddle I would greatly appreciate it if any of my readers has

The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed

Ed 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

Bags not tools

Another harmful implication of AI in our lives is the various scams on the internet such as voice-based scams According to research b y M c A f e e , a c o m p u t e r s e c u r i t y c o m p a n y, there are various free AI tools available on the i n t e r n e t t h a t m a k e c l o n e a u d i o , w h i c h r equires only three seconds of audio Astonishingly the cloned voice will match up to 85% of the original voice The scammers use such tools and may use them to extract money and other information

NO T H I N G is constant but change Technology is evolving rapidly, making our life easier Nevertheless every technology has a cost and affects negatively as well One such technology of the current time is the rise of Artificial Intelligence, which has brought a revolutionary change in every sphere of life, such as sports, medicine, academics, and the military AI can perform arduous and time-consuming tasks in no time with high efficiency It has brought a new tech revolution; many experts say AI revolution However this time the threats that come with the technology are even bigger and disastrous

Dr Geoffrey Hinton, known as the godfather of AI, resigned from Google to spread awareness against the dangers of AI In an interview, he said he regrets making major contributions to the development of Artificial intelligence Many other prominent names such as Sam Altman CEO of Open AI in a US Senate Committee hearing, mentioned the dangers of AI and called for AI regulations Elon Musk thinks AI could be far more dangerous than nukes

Artificial Intelligence is changing the dynamics of politics economies academics and the military domain The AI tools often result in spreading misinformation on social media causing political distrust Recently, an image showing a bomb explosion at the Pentagon circulated on social media, causing panic in the public However, later, it came to know it was an AI-generated image Deep fakes are another concern because they could mislead the masses and even result in religious unrest as deliberately spreading fake information using AI could charge masses against each other without verifying the source, especially in India and Pakistan Character assassinations of politicians and their families could be easily done using AI tools available on the internet which hinders the political system Till now some tools can detect AI-generated images and deep fakes but with time the advancement of AI will make the detection more difficult

In terms of the economy, the positive thing is that by using AI, productivity could be in-

The rise of Open AI’s Chat GPT a text generation and analysis tool and Google’s Bard has made many time consuming writing-related tasks such as writing essays blogs and professional emails easy Such work can be done in a matter of seconds Chat GPT is like a brain on demand However, AI content in academia generated using tools like Chat GPT and Bard is a threat to academic integrity Students use these tools to complete assignments and other research works killing creativity and thinking ability Many researchers use these tools for their research work

The question arises about the originality of the thought

The security domain is no exception from the advancement of Artificial Intelligence

However integrating AI in the military sphere and warfare gives an edge regarding military capabilities such as surveillance and data gathering using AI-powered drones AI could be used to make strategies and deadly weapons Nevertheless, giving life and death decisions to machines raises ethical and legal questions There are concerns about human-machine relationships in the military Misinformation and cyber warfare could result in a shift in the balance of disadvantages over advantages

There are various other consequences as well, such as the possibility of biological warfare in the future The trauma of COVID-19 is still fresh in our minds The biological virus created using Artificial Intelligence could be used against a specific population to wipe them out However, it would be an exaggeration to say with certainty that such things will happen, but the chances are there Technology is evolving and will keep on modernizing However we must keep pace with the flow of technology by using it smartly It would be unwise to turn away from AI foreseeing its harmful implications, but certain guidelines and regulations are needed to use such technologies safely Stanford University’s 2023 AI Index mentioned that around 37 bills have been passed into law globally regarding AI but these bills regulate limited aspects of AI A more comprehensive framework and forward-looking regulations are needed Countries must work in collaboration for a global framework and comprehensive regulations

Moreover, most importantly, awareness is needed about Artificial intelligence It is the moral obligation of all those who understand AI to spread awareness about artificial intelligence

With verifying crucial information must be shared Richard Baldwin, an economist and professor at World Economic Forum, said AI will not take your job, but a person knowing AI will Thus, we all need to equip ourselves with basic AI knowledge to get the advantages of AI Otherwise the risk of being replaced is much higher

The writer is a freelance columnist

A C C O R D I N G to Wikipedia, Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally physically socially or morally harmful ” Knowing the consequences of child labour UNICEF declared 12 June as “World day against child labour Still in our country child labour is quite common Children who are the future of Pakistan are holding tools instead of bags According to a survey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Statistics and the National Child Labour, approximately 19 million children below 14 years of age are working as child labourers in Pakistan due to poverty They are deprived of their due rights along with education If our youth is going to be uneducated and engaged in work how will the country progress? The government must make sure that every child must be a student rather than a labour

WHO warning

I T ’ S an horrifying fact that the sheesha smokers are not well perceived about the damaging effects of “sheesha” to the health It is proved that smoking of sheesha is worse than cigrattes In a hour long session of smoking sheesha contain 200 puffs while cigrattes contain only 20 When one smokes it, it not only effect him but also the people around him gets terribly effected without even smoking it The world health organisation (WHO) had published a report in 2005 mentioning that smoking of sheesha is hazardous for health Sheesha cafes must have been banned but still there’s no action took regarding this But now one must understand that a health is above all and sheesha is a silent killer

What a day in Karachi

A F T E R meeting and touching situation of Karachi, A sudden accident or natural disaster wreaked havoc the whole joints of Karachi There is a multitude of people who faced the music Especially those penury people who unable to survive their live in this hot and heavy issue I may say a natural disaster is a benediction from Almught Allah but to sort out this dilemma is responsibility of All people, whether they are in the government sector or private sector The whole political leaders as well as ministers of Sindh have carte blanche to overcome this hit potato which has been hocked a person of Karachi This terrifying gloom is not only faces of middle-class neighbourhood but also elite class

Furthermore this monstrous world already has been faced the music due to covid-19 a dozen of people has lost their lives at the drop of hat it was a setback to this world most of the sudden an incident can be occurred to you at any time same as natural disaster which is an inevitable

Recently, I have seen the whole enchidela of the of cities where Rainwater was stagnant on road of each city of Pakistan especially Lahore and Karachi Regarding this natural occurrence Everyone has arisen heap of cinders regarding CM Sahab Some of them defamed his reputation in writing words servely We know that CM is final and absolute authority to wipe out all daunting tasks from the city, but It is a not only dilemma of Karachi to spick and span the water from the roads but also the others cities are still remaining This monstrous society is plenary of pompous ass people We always see our interests and benefits We take up-turned and some time we depart from our right principles

In subjects such as chemistry and physics as well, if the exam papers are shorn of all theory (although there is much to be said against the quality of such kind of evaluation), one can still understand how somebody could score 95% or more But 98% in languages, Islamic Studies and Pakistan Studies! That is beyond comprehension; and it is obvious that something somewhere is seriously wrong.

Zafar Hassan

Itip my hat to every single Israeli demonstrator, the heroes who converged onto the streets for 30 consecutive weeks to protest the government’s sinister design to “reform” the judiciary They know full well the dire implications to the country that these reforms the first stage of which has just passed at the time of writing, will have It is no secret that the government wants to usurp the power of the impartial Supreme Court, the crown jewel of Israel’s jurisprudence that ensures the democratic nature of the country, and place it in the hands of biased and corrupt elected officials who put their self-serving interests and lust for power above the national interest

The opposition parties rightfully claim that the passage of the first legislation of reasonableness will allow the government to exercise unchecked power, removing the safeguard that shields the rights of the individual and minorities In addition it will dangerously further polarize the country between secular liberals and ultra-religious messianics and create a permanent schism that could lead to widespread violence between the two sides a prospect that will destroy the country s remarkable achievements in all fields of life, which were earned through the hard work and dedication of many Israelis, and pave the way for a creeping dictatorship

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s disingenuous statement that the judicial reform will in fact strengthen rather than erode Israel s democracy flies in the face of what democracy is all about as it is largely practiced in the Western hemisphere But Netanyahu, who is totally self-consumed by his inflated ego, his authoritarian design, and his radical ideological bent, forgot what a democracy stands for Let me remind him

Democracy is not merely limited to fair and free elections where the majority of voters elect a representative government In a true liberal democracy everyone is granted equal rights under the law, and to secure equality, an independent judiciary becomes a prerequisite In a democracy, there is a clear separation between the state and religion and there is no discrimination on the basis of race religion ethnicity language or culture Freedom of speech and the press are sacrosanct in a democracy

Finally albeit not exhaustively the state budget should benefit all segments of the population equally

Israel is on the brink of a disaster.

Will histor y repeat itself?

The other false claim that Netanyahu and his cohorts assert is that the majority of Israelis voted for his government which gives it the mandate to govern as it deems fits

To begin with whereas the current government did win the election, it was essentially a tied vote 2 36 million eligible voters voted for the pro-Netanyahu bloc, and roughly 2 31 million voted for the opposition parties approximately 39 percent versus 38 9 percent of eligible voters Over 1 3 million eligible voters did not vote in addition to 3 05 million Israelis under the age of 18

Thus to suggest that a government that was voted in by less than half of the population can usurp the power of the Supreme Court enshrined in the basic law by a simple majority is absurd, as it runs completely against the will and the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people In addition it will impair the future of Israelis under the age of 18 one-third of the country s total population who may well end up living under a dictatorship with catastrophic implications Tens of thousands of young people will leave the country, causing a dire brain drain that will have a crippling effect on just about every economic and scientific sector in the country

Beyond efforts to severely undercut the judiciary from the moment the current Netanyahu government was formed the onslaught on democracy began with a vengeance as each of the coalition partners wanted to secure their share of power and the financial largess that comes with it

The creation and distribution of new superfluous ministries like candy with appropriations of hundreds of millions of shekels only to satisfy the egos of various party leaders is sick and alarmingly damaging to the well-being of the country The funds appropriated for these utterly unnecessary ministries, such as the Ministry of National Security headed by a thug, Itamar Ben-Gvir, could have been spent on the poor and the needy the tens of thousands of children who live in poverty go to sleep hungry and live in squalor This is not a democracy; this is hypocrisy and a criminal waste of the country s resources

When there is no clear separation between religion and state, democracy is inherently compromised as it directly infringes on the right of every non-religious person to live as they see fit But this government has even expanded the religious party’s authority Other than their traditional control over marriage divorce and rites of passage such as bar mitzvahs circumcisions and burials they now want complete a prohibition of El Al fights on Shabbat and to prevent the courts from intervening in

cases of human rights violations which adversely impact LGBTQ persons Arabs and other minorities And on top of that they refuse to enlist their children to serve in the army while demanding and receiving full subsidies from the government This is not a democracy; this is a theocracy and a blatant breach of the separation between religion and state

When demagogues and criminals including Netanyahu who is indicted for bribery fraud and breach of trust Ben-Gvir who was sanctioned for his bigotry and extreme views and Smotrich who wants to burn down every Palestinian village control the levers of power only to further their interests and to hell with the country, they make a mockery of Israel’s democracy Indeed, a true democracy is a system of governance that puts the well-being and safety of the people first but this government is all about power grabs that do nothing but undermine Israel s reputation abroad and destroy its social fabric at home

When a country is an occupying power and applies two sets of laws one for Israeli Jews living in the West Bank and one for the Palestinians that regularly violate the Palestinians’ human rights and subject them to a harsh and ruthless occupation it cannot be a democracy But then leave it to this wicked government to manipulate public opinion leading them to believe that the Palestinians pose a real and present danger to Israel s national security, and must be dealt with firmly with an iron fist The

occupation has been eroding Israel’s democracy from day one and as long as this authoritarian government remains in power and gets its way by subjugating the judiciary to its whims it will move to annex much of the West Bank and bury what s left of Israel s democracy

It is appalling and shameful that the reasonableness legislation has just passed But this disastrous, wanton act should become the catalyst for continuing the battle against this government and preventing it from passing further legislation that will completely cripple the Supreme Court and the appointment of judges who will be beholden to the ideology of a dangerous messianic cult

This government must be toppled by the people not only to prevent it from destroying the last vestiges of Israel’s democracy, but to save Israel from self-destruction

Every demonstrator who held the Israeli flag so high must not allow history to repeat itself and bring about the destruction of the third temple because of internal disputes disunity rivalries and a morally bankrupt and irredeemable government

Beware, Netanyahu The real battle for Israel’s soul has just begun, and you will be remembered as the despicable pharaoh who brought Israel to the brink of disaster

Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies alon@alonben-meir com

W

i l l o i l p r i c e s h i t $ 1 0 0 b y y e a r ’ s e n d ?

While S audi Arabia needs oil at $90 per barrel to suppor t its ambitious Vision 2030, high prices could undermine demand and trigger a boomerang effec t unwanted by OPEC members

world are on the decline

Before, global oil and fuel inventory levels did not have much of an impact on international oil prices but this has now changed because of Western sanctions on Russia JP Morgan analysts said this week The reason: more oil and fuels are being traded in currencies other than the U S dollar

China is not an existential threat to the US

GLOBAL TIMES

AF T E R a period of icy relations between China and the US worldrenowned US political scientist who coined the term soft power former dean of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and former US assistant secretary of defense, Joseph S Nye Jr (Nye), said signs of efforts to resurrect China-US cooperation are emerging in an exclusive interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Li Aixin As he talks reports show that the two countries are opening new lines of communication to tackle contentious issues The real existential danger is if the US and China “blunder into war ” However that would be “very unlikely Nye said adding that the pendulum of the bilateral ties will swing back GT: In an interview with the Global Times in 2014, you said Chinese culture is its soft power Are you still attracted to Chinese culture today?

is that the yard expands So far I think the Biden administration is trying to keep the yard restricted

GT: Do you think Kissinger ’s China trip will make a difference to the US’ China policy?

Nye: It helps The more contacts at all levels the better It s even more important as President Xi and President Biden agreed in Bali last year - to have more contacts of officials But having former officials like Henry Kissinger and having students and tourists make it less likely that the two countries will misunderstand each other Henry s visit was useful But I think it s even more important to have contacts between serving officials

GT: You have been stressing that China does not pose an existential threat to the US, a rational point of view amid current political atmosphere Are you optimistic about a return of more rational voices in US political circles?

OILPRICE COM I r n a s l av

OPEC is producing less oil thanks to the Saudi voluntary cuts and a suspension of crude oil loadings at Nigeria s Forcados terminal due to a leak risk The figures vary depending on the source, but a Reuters survey has suggested the group pumped 840 000 bpd less in July than in June

And they are not showing any signs of reconsidering

The results are already visible: oil prices are up and rising, with Brent topping $85 per barrel earlier this week while WTI climbed closer to $82 per barrel The question now is how high they will reach before OPEC begins to roll back the cuts The other question: will it be able to boost production fast enough if necessary?

Analysts have previously said that Saudi Arabia needs oil at $90 per barrel to continue with its ambitious public spending plans that make up the Vision 2030 diversification program Yet if prices are left to climb too high it would begin to sap demand and have a boomerang effect that neither the Saudis nor their fellow OPEC members would want to experience

Still, this might be just the beginning of a rally because while Saudi Arabia has been cutting production deliberately Nigeria and Angola have been unable to produce as much as their OPEC quota states And Libya s output has been disrupted yet again while production growth in the U S shale patch slows down

If all the demand projections that have been instrumental in driving this latest rally materialize this means oil could hit $100 again before the year s end That prospect becomes especially plausible in light of reports that crude oil inventories in some parts of the

With that currency diversification the level of actual physical supply of the commodities traded has grown in importance as a factor affecting their prices And demand has now returned to the spotlight of traders

Both OPEC and the International Energy Agency estimate the annual demand growth pace for 2023 at over 2 million barrels daily OPEC sees it at 2 4 million bpd The IEA sees demand growing by 2 2 million bpd, although it has warned oil demand growth will slow “significantly” over the medium term T h e l a t e s t i m p o r t a n d i n v e n t o r y figures from China confirm the sense of robust oil demand with the country seen by virtually everyone as the single largest oil demand driver globally I m p o r t s a r e r u n n i n g a t n e a r- r e c o r d levels, and oil in storage is rising fast Th is w o u ld als o g iv e C h in a lev er ag e o v e r p r i c e s i f t h e y c l i m b t o o h i g h w i t h a n a l y s t s s u g g e s t i n g t h a t o n c e Beijing becomes uncomfortable with p r i c e s i t w o u l d s t a r t s e l l i n g c r u d e from storage in what would basically be a repeat of President Biden s SPR release last year It would all depend on how long Saudi Arabia is willing to stick to its voluntary cuts The latest GDP figures suggest its economy slowed down in the second quarter as oil prices declined Now that prices are on the rebound, so will probably be the Saudi economy, giving Riyadh good reason to continue capping oil output

the first half of the year was 6 6 % higher than planned and 8 6% than the amount drilled over the first half of 2022 This means potential additional supply that could serve to temper prices the way record Russian oil exports to China helped to temper them earlier this year With Russia and Saudi Arabia firmly in one camp, however, this supply may well remain potential for as long as the two OPEC+ leaders see fit

Nye: Yes if one looks at traditional Chinese culture it’s very attractive to many people I always think back to the Expo 2010 Shanghai which was a marvelous display of traditional Chinese culture I think anybody who went to that exposition has to be attracted to China Traditional Chinese culture is quite different from modern culture where there are more problems in terms of the control of information and the limitations on artists Traditional culture still provides a great deal of soft power

GT: In your new book, Soft Power and Great-Power Competition: Shifting Sands in the Balance of Power Between the United States and China, you said, the USChina relationship should maintain a cooperative rivalry As we witness more rivalry and less cooperation and hear more voices from the US which want pure competition and no cooperation, can the current China-US relationship be counted as “cooperative rivalry”?

Nye: You’re correct that we spend too much time on the competition and not enough time on the cooperation But I think what you are seeing are some signs of efforts to resurrect cooperation This can be seen on the issues of climate, with US Climate Envoy John Kerry’s visit this summer You can see it with the visit and the speeches by Janet Yellen the treasury secretary talking about the stabilization of the world economy You can see it when it comes to issues like the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons These are all areas where we can cooperate even while we compete

GT: Increasing high-level visits are cooperative signs Meanwhile, we are also seeing an increase in policies and moves of containment and decoupling from the US China is concerned that the US talks the talks but does not walk the walk Do you think it’s understandable that China has these concerns?

Nye: Total decoupling of the US and Chinese economies is something that would be so expensive for both countries as well as for the world economy That s not at all realistic What sometimes is called selective decoupling in areas which affect national security is likely

Nye: The danger I see in Washington is what I might call demonization of Chinaseeing only the bad aspects and not having a balanced view However, among the experts in the more moderate politicians there’s still an understanding of what I said that China is not an existential threat to the US The only way in which we would become existential threats to each other would be if we blundered into a war If we have a major war between the US and China, it would be devastating to both countries That’s when we would make the mistake which would turn a competitive relation into something that I call an existential threat

GT: How likely is it that China and the US will blunder into a war would you say?

Nye: Very unlikely The leadership in both countries realizes the enormous costs this would be involved and are going to be cautious when it comes to other types of events that could trigger off a war It doesn t mean it couldn t happen Human history is full of mistakes that we all make, but I would say that the probability of this happening is very low

GT: We have seen the pendulum of the US policy on China swinging, and antiChina sentiment for some time has been growing When and to what extent could the pendulum swing back?

Nye: It s interesting If you take a long enough historical view, let’s say since 1949, when the Communist Party of China came to power there have been several swings which have generally taken about 20 years

In the 1950s and 1960s you had the two countries going to war with each other in Korea Then after Nixon s visit in the early 1970s, you had almost two decades of cooperation against the Soviet Union And then following that you had almost two decades of engagement economically And then since about 2015 or so the pendulum has swung the other direction more toward the competition I don t know whether it s going to take 20 years, suggesting it would be 2035 before we see this swing back But human history is not that predictable Certainly there has been a swing in the pendulum as you said How long will it take before it swings back? I don t know but I think it will swing back when the US and China realize the benefits of cooperation, whether it’s in areas such as

climate pandemic non-proliferation or dealing with new technologies like artificial intelligence There may be more things which will symbolize the benefits of cooperation Also when people become more realistic about the fact that China is not a threat and in China the US is not a threat that makes the conditions for cooperation improve, but how quickly that happens is hard to tell

Having projects that we can work on together helps to counter the view that everything is conflict and competition That would suggest that we do more together in areas like climate or world health and other areas I d like to see more of that to balance out the competition The competition is going to continue But we should not forget that there’s also an important value in cooperation

GT: US culture and value are still attractive Yet observers are also puzzled when seeing US political infighting and a former president being indicted on criminal charges Do you think political polarization has weakened US “soft power”?

Nye: To some extent, yes If you look at the events of January 6 and the aftermath this made the US less attractive as a model of democracy The political polarization that we re going to see increasing as we approach the 2024 election, will probably remind people of that

Nevertheless, a good deal of American soft power comes not from politics but from culture and civil society Those are things like the university system the role of foundations and Hollywood I don t think they have been diminished much by the political situation

There’s some loss of soft power because of political polarization But there are other sources of soft power that may be more important than politics

GT: Trump wanted to Make America

Great Again ” Biden vowed to “Battle for the Soul of the Nation ” Which takes priority, if the US wants to maintain the leading position in the world?

Nye: Having a healthy economy and society at home is probably the most important thing There is a problem of political polarization but the economy has been quite healthy despite the aftermath of COVID Keeping a healthy economy, which is innovated and open to the rest of the world is the single most important thing that we can do After that maintaining our support for alliances and international institutions is important for international leadership But it has to be based on the bedrock of a healthy society at home

It is ver y unlikely that China and the US will blunder into a war

Joseph S Nye Jr, the world-renowned US political scientist is a former dean of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and former US assistant secretary of defense

CHINA URGES US TO RESPECT ITS MARITIME RIGHTS

THE Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday urged the U S side to stop supporting the Philippines on the violation of Chinese sovereignty according to a statement released on its website

On August 5, in disregard of China s repeated dissuasion and warning, the Philippines sent two vessels that intruded into the adjacent waters of Ren’ai Jiao and tried to deliver construction materials for overhauling and reinforcing the grounded military vessel

The U S State Department later issued a statement criticizing China for obstructing Philippine vessels and indicating U S support for “the Philippines’ lawful maritime operations ”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry voiced firm opposition against the statement The ministry s spokesperson pointed out the U S statement, in disregard of the facts, attacked China’s legitimate and lawful actions at sea aimed at safeguarding its rights and enforcing the law

The statement also voiced support for the Philippines unlawful provocative behavior, the spokesperson added

The spokesperson reiterated that Ren ai Jiao has always been part of China s Nansha Islands The historical context of the issue

of Ren’ai Jiao is very clear ”

The statement said the Philippine side s action violated China s sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)

The China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels stopped them in accordance with law and warned them off through appropriate law enforcement measures the spokesperson noted adding the CCG acted in a professional and restrained way which is beyond reproach

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also said, for some time, the U S has been inciting and supporting the Philippines’ attempts to overhaul and reinforce its military vessel that was deliberately grounded on Ren ai Jiao The U S even sent over military aircraft and vessels to assist and support the Philippines, and repeatedly sought to threaten China by citing the U S -Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty “The U S has been brazenly bolstering Philippines as it infringes upon China s sovereignty but those moves will not succeed the statement read Calling the South China Sea arbitration a political farce manipulated by the U S in

Indian opposition leader R ahul G andhi restored to parliament

NEW DELHI ag e n C i e S

India’s main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was restored to parliament on Monday after the supreme court last week suspended his defamation conviction over political comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Gandhi s disqualification has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements ” Utpal Kumar Singh secretary general of the lower parliament house said in a statement

The 53-year-old Congress party leader was sentenced to two years imprisonment in March in a case that critics flagged as an effort to stifle political opposition in the world’s largest democracy

The conviction stemmed from a remark made during the 2019 election campaign when Gandhi had asked why all thieves have Modi as (their) common surname His comments were portrayed as a slur against the Indian prime minister and

against all those with the same surname, which is associated with the lower rungs of India’s caste hierarchy

Anyone sentenced to a custodial term of two years or mre is ineligible to sit in India s parliament forcing Gandhi s expulsion from the body in March

He was turfed out of the legislature as a result but stayed out of jail while ap-

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday stressing that China and Russia are reliable friends partners to each other Wang also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, noted that since March, the two countries have made new progress in both strategic collaboration and practical cooperation with bilateral trade reaching a new high energy cooperation steadily proceeding and people-to-people exchanges resuming rapidly He pointed out at present, the most important work of the two sides is to continue to implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, and to promote bilateral comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era to continue to maintain a high level of development

In the international and multilateral arenas Wang called on the two sides to work closely and strategically to promote the process of multi-polarization of the worl d and democratization of international relations, and to safeguard the basic norms of international relations In terms of the development of BRICS Wang said China is ready to work with its BRICS partners including Russia to support South Africa in organizing the upcoming BRICS leaders meeting and to promote the healthy and dynamic development of the BRICS mechanism

pealing the case at the Supreme Court in New Delhi Congress head Mallikarjun Kharge called it “a welcome step” and called on the government to concentrate on “governance rather than denigrating democracy by targeting opposition leaders F e l l o w C o n g r e s s p a r t y M P S h a s h i T h a r o o r w e l c o m e d t h e a n n o u n c e m e n t

o f G a n d h i s r e i n s t a t e m e n t w i t h e n o rmous relief

He can now resume his duties in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) to serve the people of India and his constituents A victory of justice and for our democracy ” he said India s top court on Friday suspended Gandhi s defamation conviction and said that the initial trial had failed to justify imposing the maximum sentence for his campaign rally comments four years ago

“The order of conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication ” Justice B R Gavai said in his ruling Gandhi is the scion of India s premier political dynasty and the son grandson and greatgrandson of former prime ministers, beginning with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru Congress was once the dominant force of Indian politics but Gandhi himself has lost two elections to Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party after being cast as a princeling out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Indians

Four Syrian soldiers killed in Israeli strikes near D amasc us

DAMASCUS ag e n C i e S

Four Syrian soldiers were killed and four others wounded in Israeli air strikes near the capital Damascus early Monday, state media said, citing a military source

“At 2:20 am (2320 GMT Sunday) the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan targeting areas in the vicinity of Damascus state news agency SANA reported The attack killed four soldiers and wounded four others”, it said, reporting unspecified material damage and adding that Syrian air defences intercepted some of the missiles

During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions

While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria it has repeatedly said it will not allow its archfoe Iran to expand its footprint there

On July 19, Israeli air strikes near Damascus killed three pro-government fighters and wounded four

others, a war monitor said at the time SANA had reported two soldiers were wounded in those strikes

It quoted a military source as saying the bombing targeted certain positions in the vicinity of Damascus S y r i a s f o r e i g n m i n i s t r y h a d c o n d e m n e d t h a t a t t a c k “ i n t h e strongest terms”

In a statement carried by SANA it called on the United Nations and the Security Council to take immediate action to oblige Israel to desist from these criminal policies

Early last month, state media said Israel had carried out air strikes near

the name of the law with the U S pulling strings behind the scenes the spokesperson stressed the arbitration violates international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is illegal and null and void Vo w i n g t o f i r m l y s a f e g u a r d t e r r i t o r i a l s o v e r e i g n t y m a r i t i m e r i g h t s a n d i n t e r e s t s i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e l a w t h e C h i n e s e F o r e i g n M i n i s t r y u rg e d t h e U S t o s t o p utilizing the South China Sea issue to sow c o n f u s i o n a n d d i s c o r d b e t w e e n r e g i o n a l c o u n t r i e s a n d t o r e s p e c t C h i n a s t e r r i t or i a l s o v e r e i g n t y a n d m a r i t i m e r i g h t s a n d i n t e r e s t s i n t h e S o u t h C h i n a S e a a s w e l l a s t h e e ff o r t s o f r e g i o n a l c o u n t r i e s t o m a i n t a i n p e a c e a n d s t a b i l i t y i n t h e S o u t h C h i n a S e a T h e P h i l i p p i n e s g r o u n d e d a w a r s h i p near the Ren ai Jiao in the South China Sea in 1999, prompting immediate and serious r e p r e s e n t a t i o n s f r o m C h i n a T h e P h i l i pp i n e s h a s r e p e a t e d l y p r o m i s e d t o r e m o v e t h e g r o u n d e d w a r s h i p b u t t i l l n o w n o t o n l y h a s t h e s h i p n o t b e e n r e m o v e d b u t there have also been attempts to repair and reinforce it, aiming for permanent occupation of the Ren ai Jiao

CORPORATE CORNER

Naveed Khalid Butt appointed as President of TOA management committee

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e p o r t

Group Chief Regulatory Officer PTCL & Ufone

4G Naveed Khalid Butt has been appointed as the President of the Management Committee of the newly formed Telecom Operators Association (TOA) With all major Pakistani telecom operators aboard, the association aims to help foster digitization of national economy by advocating policy and regulatory interventions in the telecom and broadband industries During the maiden meeting of the association top leaders of Pakistan s telecom industry including Naveed Khalid Butt were appointed as the office holders He brings along a wealth of experience in management and regulatory affairs in Pakistan’s technology and telecommunications industries His vast knowledge and experience will really help achieving the mandate of the newly formed association empowering the body to work in close coordination with the government regulatory bodies and other important stakeholders Commenting on his new responsibility, Naveed Khalid Butt said, “Pakistan’s telecom operators have shared goals and responsibilities and a collaborative approach is crucial for achieving the same The association was a long time coming and efforts were underway to coordinate common objectives for required policy and regulatory interventions We hope that the association will serve as an effective platform for streamlining and amplifying our efforts for accelerating digitalization

Rehmat Ali Hasnie appointed as President of NBP

the government-held city of Homs

The Israeli army later said it struck an anti-aircraft battery after rocket fire

On June 14 Israel carried out air strikes near Damascus wounding a soldier, according to SANA

Previous Israeli strikes have put both Damascus and Aleppo airports out of service

And in late March and early April Israel stepped up its strikes on Syria with four raids on governmentheld areas in less than a week, targeting positions of Syrian government forces and pro-Iran groups

The Federal Government has appointed Mr Rehmat Ali Hasnie as the President of National Bank of Pakistan Mr Hasnie has served as the Acting President of National Bank of Pakistan since May 2022 and in this period the Bank has grown to become Pakistan’s largest and strongest bank He has been with NBP since 2010 and has headed investment banking corporate banking and priority sector lending He has over 25 years of work experience in economics research, capital markets, investment banking, treasury and credit markets at various institutions in Pakistan He is a financial markets professional with MA Degree in Development Banking from The American University (USA) and represents NBP on Board of Pakistan Mortgage Refinance Company (where he is the Chairman) He has also served on the Boards of Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited, First National Bank Modaraba, First Credit & Investment Bank, Agritech Ltd, and Fauji Akbar Portia Marine Terminals as a nominee director of NBP

S audi Arabia launches visa-free scheme for UK , Ireland nationals

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) officially launched a special e-visa waiver scheme that would apply to all nationals

Wang Yi says China, Russia are each other’s reliable friends, par tners

CORPORATE CORNER

PA K I S TA N I C H I L D R E N AT ‘ E X T R E M E LY H I G H R I S K ’

O F C L I M AT E - C H A N G E I M PA C T S , WA R N S U N

UNITED NATIONS s ta f f r e p o r t

KARACHI: Atif R Khan CEO of LMKT and Dr Chiara Spina, Assistant Professor of Entepreneurship at INSEAD, talk about the launch of the XSeed Incubation Program

Dawlance ‘RAGS-TO-BAGS’ sustainabilit y initiative promising great results

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Dawlance is Pakistan s leading producer of innovative home appliances In line with its vision for sustainability, it combines technological leadership with the preservation of nature This resourceful enterprise has collaborated with the Hunar Foundation for the “Rags2Bags” initiative to produce Tote-bags by using recycled Panaflex-skins acquired from billboards These bags contribute in multiple ways: they Protect the environment provide income for impoverished students of Hunar Foundation (HF) and supply durable bags for daily usage Promotional materials are usually printed on PVC sheets – a non-biodegradable material that causes long-term pollution RAGS TO BAGS will prevent almost 400 to 500 square feet of PVC from being thrown away Young women and HF students hailing from low-income households will be engaged to recycle the promotional plastic waste and convert it into reusable Tote-Bags this initiative in its first year will continue to empower underprivileged women besides reducing waste and pollution

THREE-QUARTERS of children in South Asia are already facing dangerously high temperatures the highest level worldwide, as the impact of climate change grows, the United Nations warned Monday About 460 million children are exposed to extreme heat in South Asia or 76 percent of children compared to a third of children globally, the United Nations children s agency said “With the world at global boiling, the data clearly show that the lives and well-being of

millions of children across South Asia are increasingly threatened by heat waves and high temperatures, said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia

The UN warns children in Afghanistan Bangladesh India Maldives and Pakistan are at extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change, defining extreme high temperatures as 83 or more days in a year over 35 degree Celsius (95 degree Fahrenheit) Children cannot adapt as quickly to temperature changes and are not able to remove excess heat from their bodies Young children simply

cannot handle the heat added Wijesekera Unless we act now, these children will continue to bear the brunt of more frequent and

Germany’s Consul General visits Martin Dow Group state of art plant

The German Consul General H E Dr Rudigar Lotz visited Martin Dow’s state of the art plant in Quetta

He was accompanied by the Honorary Consul of Germany Mir Murad Baluch They were welcomed at the plant by Mubashir Hussain Chief Operating Officer - Technical & Supply Chain of the company

The Consul General while appreciating the healthy environment of the plant said, “The attention of Martin Dow’s leadership to even minute details have been instrumental in achieving company goals surpassing the expectations of the customers

Expressing his gratitude about the achievements of Martin Dow he further said I sincerely appreciate Martin Dow s commitment to the expansion of Pakistan’s healthcare industry by providing extraordinary healthcare services to the masses, and even beyond the borders positioning Martin Dow as one of the major healthcare groups of Pakistan

The Consul General also appreciated Martin Dow for creating employment opportunities for the people of Quetta in particular and the entire province of Balochistan This indeed will go a long way in bringing progress for the least developed province of the country and above all will bring prosperity for the people of Balochistan ” He remarked

Referring to the Pak-German relations he said that in recent years the Germany Pakistan trade and science relations had developed greatly with Germany investing in and trading with Pakistan He further elaborated that Germany is actively involved in Pak-

more severe heatwaves in the coming years About 1 2 degrees Celsius of global warming since the late 1800s driven by the burning of

fossil fuels has made heatwaves hotter longer and more frequent as well as intensifying other weather extremes such as storms and floods July was the hottest month ever recorded globally with searing heat intensified by global warming affecting tens of millions of people in parts of Europe, Asia and North America Scientists say the world will need to adapt to the heat and other impacts already caused by emissions and that carbon pollution must be slashed dramatically this decade to avoid worse in the future

istan's socio-economic development and is an active member of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum Welcoming the honorable guest Mr Hussain highlighted the strong bilateral ties between Pakistan and Germany and emphasized that both the countries were enjoying close and diverse relations since 1951 and a good number of German companies were successfully operating in Pakistan

Mr Hussain also informed the Consul General that Martin Dow was the first Pakistani pharmaceutical company to be recognized as a Global Growth Company (GGC) of the World Economic Forum in 2013 Over 370 companies are a part of this community – indeed a big accomplishment – and Germany also deserves credit” He added

Furthermore Martin Dow recently held their annual internship program “Martinship” in which they provided university students with firsthand knowledge about the working environment

GFS, Sindh Premier League jointly organize Karachi Ghazi's Team franchise signing ceremony

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

GFS Builders and Developers and Sindh Premier League jointly organized the Karachi Ghazi s Team franchise signing ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Karachi

Speaking on the auspicious occasion Chief Guest Minister for Local Bodies, Nasir Hussain Shah said that SPL would provide opportunity to the youth of the province

Steps

will be taken for improvement , development of KIHD

KARACHI

s ta f f r e p o r t

Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that the Karachi Institute of Heart Disease will be improved on the model of the National Institute of Cardiovascular disease, KIHD is providing medical and diagnostic facilities for the treatment of heart diseases to the citizens of Karachi especially the residents of the Central District Steps will be taken for the improvement and development of this institution in the future better and modern facilities will be available to patients affected by heart diseases, which will solve another long-standing problem of the people of this area He said this while presiding over the introductory meeting of the governing body of Karachi Institute of Heart Disease on Monday

On this occasion Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad Deputy Parliamentary Leader City Council Karachi Dil Muhammad Executive Director Karachi Institute of Heart Disease and members of the governing body were also present Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the chest pain unit established at the Karachi Institute of Heart Disease is affiliated to the National Institute of Cardiology by which the patient can be transferred to the National Institute of Cardiology for further treatment after providing first aid, he said that heart diseases are life-threatening and time is of the essence when a heart attack occurs Therefore, it is important to have a hospital close to the residence for timely medical assistance so that valuable time can be saved and the patient can get medical assistance as soon as possible he urged the doctors and surgeons to treat heart diseases in an Improved manner and continue to benefit from the latest research from around the world and use the international forums online in this regard

Celebrating Pakistan’s Culinar y Legacy: ‘Oxford companion to Pakistani cuisine’ book launches

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

A culinary celebration unfolded here earlier today as Shanaz Ramzi, CEO of Starlinks, a trailblazing figure in the realms of PR and Event Management and renowned author proudly launched Pakistan s first culinary encyclopedia of sorts Oxford Companion to Pakistani Cuisine with the help of co-sponsor National Foods and publisher Oxford University Press The book launch featured a stimulating panel discussion and speeches by prominent personalities and was attended by a large number of guests from all walks of life

After a bustling Red Carpet the programme commenced with the host Shahzad Abdullah inviting Arshad Saeed Hussain MD Oxford University Press to welcome the guests

Next to be invited to speak was the celebrated author and intellectual, Senator Javed Jabbar who had earlier reviewed the book as well Speaking in his quintessential eloquent style Jabbar held the guests captivated with his glowing appreciation of the contents of the book The host then invited Faraz Noorani son of senior journalist and contributor to the book

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza

Wahab has said that the traffic accident on the Northern Bypass is a great tragedy we share the grief of the dead and injured in this accident and pray for the forgiveness of the dead and early recovery of the injured All possible medical assistance is being provided for treatment to the injured in this accident

He said while condoling with the families of those who died in the traffic accident on Northern Bypass

Asif Noorani who could not attend the launch owing to ill health to read a message he had sent for the occasion The touching message paid warm tribute to the editor of the book

The highlight of the evening was the panel discussion moderated by ace host Sidra Iqbal, who introduced the eminent panelists comprising Karachi-based contributors to the Companion – Yasmeen Lari Zarnak Sidhwa Lal Majid Sibtain Naqvi Shaha Tariq and Shanaz Ramzi herself The questions posed by Iqbal and the ensuing discussion presented an insightful look into the contents of the book and the culinary legacy of Pakistan

and while visiting the injured along with Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad on Monday at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab reached the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital as soon as he got the information about the accident met the relatives of the people who died in the accident and advised them to be patient over the accident and said that the purpose of my coming here was to to share in the grief of those died and injured in the tragic acciden, he obtained information from the

doctors present in the trauma center of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital about the treatment of the injured and directed the medical superintendent of the hospital to provide medicines, operations and other medical services to them and every effort should be made that these people recover as soon as possible and go to their homes 30 people injured in this accident were brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, in which four people were brought dead at the hospital while the 28 injured were provided with immediate medical aid

Omani militar y chief of staff visits NHQ

There is no dearth of talent in our province, we just need to nurture them CEO of GFS Builders and Developers Irfan Wahid is doing a great job and we hope he would do the same in SPL Addressing the ceremomy CEO of GFS Builders and Developers Irfan Wahid said that Karachi Ghaziz is now GFS team and this team will be the winner of the league It is GFS commitment to provide opportunities to the youth in the province of Sindh Advisor for Sindh Sports Arbab Lutfullah also appreciated the the efforts of GFS and hoped that GFS would provide opportunity in future to promote the talent of youty in Sindh

Diplomats visit Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Sunday August 6th was an eminent day for Naya Nazimabad as Honourable Diplomats of Morocco Yemen Mozambique and Ethiopia visited Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana Mr Ishtiaq Baig, Honorary Consul General of Morocco; Mr S Khalid Tawab, Honorary Consul General of Mozambique; Mr Jemal Beker Abdullah, Ambassador of Ethiopia; Mr Sardar Yasin Malik Chairman Hilton Pharma Group of Companies; Mr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig Honorary Consul General of Yamen & Chairman Baig Group of Companies; Mr Abdul Haseeb Khan, Ex-Senator & Chairman Brooks Pharma and Mr Ibrahim Tawab, Founder of Bazar not only visited the newly built futuristic Gymkhana facility but also delightedly became members of the Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana All the honourable guests admired the state of the art and advance facilities of Gymkhana

They appreciated the vision and efforts of Mr Arif Habib towards the development of such a wonderful project and transforming Naya Nazimabad into a piece of Heaven Worthy guests enjoyed and spent quality time at Naya Nazimabad

S I Global Solutions Upgrades Cranes in Deep-Sea Container Por t

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

S I Global Solutions has achieved unprecedented success by upgrading cranes at Deep Sea container port with a state-of-the-art advanced surveillance system and the latest technology to bring efficiency in port operations such as cargo and shipment handling The project will enhance the accuracy of container movement from large-sized vessels at the terminal to its cargo storage and reduce the time of overall operations significantly The project will also reduce the time of container loading and offloading from the vessels at Deep Sea Container Port On the accomplishment of this project CEO S I Global Solutions Noman Ahmed Said stated The upgradation of the RTG cranes at Deep Sea Container Port is the testament that the port sector in Pakistan is highly strategic and advanced on the technology front He stated that S I Global Solutions is the Pakistani company to have achieved this task at international standards which shows the potential and capacity of the local company in the technological area This was the first ever project of its kind in Pakistan and more projects are likely in the near future

N o r t h e r n by p a s s i s a g r e at t r a g e d y, we s h a r e g r i e f o f d e a d, i n j u r e d : Wa h a b

ISLAMABAD

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday assured the Chinese investors to further simplify the procedures for the companies working in Pakistan especially under the umbrella of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and implement them in letter and spirit

He said under the CPEC, the two countries were entering into a new era of cooperation therefore the government was further streamlining and simplifying the procedures to facilitate the Chinese companies and investors working in the country PM Shehbaz assured the Chinese investors that the difficult time for them was now over saying “We are going to do this under one umbrella as a one window operation and this I mean in letter and spirit not just words but true implementation

Addressing an award ceremony here, Shehbaz Sharif said that the Chinese government and companies had contributed towards Pakistan s industrial promotion in various areas and their contribution had not only led to creating job opportunities and industrial production but also further strengthened the bilateral economic ties

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz

Sharif conferred awards upon the prominent Chinese companies for their valuable services in fostering China Pakistan Economic Corridor and other development projects in Pakistan

The Prime Minister said Chinese investment changed the entire economic landscape of Pakistan He said the Chinese companies made more than thirty billion dollars investment in different development projects in Pakistan, which is highly commendable

He said it is a moment of great pleasure for him to meet Chinese companies’ representatives who contributed immensely towards Pakistan s industrial promotion in various walks of life The Prime Minister said the cooperation extended by the Chinese companies not only led to providing job opportunities to and industrial production, but also further strengthened brotherly economic ties with China

He said the Chinese companies under the leadership of President Xi Jinping transformed our economic landscape

The Prime Minister said we are entering the second phase of CPEC, with focus on which green corridor, innovation, IT corridor, agriculture and Special Economic Zones He also lauded the Chinese companies role and their hard work in the development of Pakistan

The Prime Minister said the government of Pakistan recently launched a

Joint Sitting of Parliament passes two bills

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f r e p o r t

The Joint Sitting of the Parliament on Monday passed the Trade Organizations Amendment Bill 2023 and the Trade Dispute Resolution Bill, 2023 The bills were moved by Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar With regards to the Trade Organizations Amendment Bill 2023, the Minister for Commerce said the purpose of this bill was to extend the tenure of chambers of commerce and Industry and their apex body Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry from one year to two year He said the elections of these chambers will be held this year The Trade Dispute Resolution Bill 2023 provides for the establishment of a comprehensive regime in Pakistan for the swift and effective resolution of disputes relating to the export and import of goods and services including through E-Commerce

great initiative of establishing SIFC under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir for the cause of Pakistan He said SIFC will safeguard the entire CPEC mechanism and will be a propeller of Pakistan’s industrial-agri progress

Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his gratitude to Chinese Charge d Affaires for her personal commitment not only for CPEC, but for China Pakistan friendship

In her speech, Chinese Charge d Affaires in Pakistan, Ms Pang Chunxue said we are fully convinced that after ten years’ successful cooperation of CPEC China and Pakistan will continue to move forward side by side to meet risks and challenges jointly promote the high quality development of CPEC and China Pakistan community with a shared future CHINESE COMPANY SELECTS

PAKISTANI PARTNER FOR RED

CHILLI EXPORT

Litong Food a Chinese company chose Guard Agricultural Research and Services Pakistan as its partner under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for the export of red chilli cultivated in Pakistan with Chinese collaboration on a buyback policy

This decision follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the protocol of phytosanitary during a visit by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to Islam-

Toshakhana case: PTI challenges Imran Khan’s conviction in Supreme Cour t

abad said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guard Agricultural Research and Services Shahzad Ali Malik

The collaboration aims to encourage the cultivation of high-yielding hybrid chillies in the regions of south Punjab and interior Sindh Gwadar Pro reported on Monday

The two companies will sign a deal for technical collaboration on hybrid chilli and the subsequent export to China during an upcoming international food and agriculture expo in Karachi from August 10-12, where Guard, Longping, and Litong Food will be exhibiting Peppara Seeds China will provide the hybrid chilli seed along with technical support for commercial cultivation and the buyback of dried chilli for export to China will be conducted by Litong Food

This agricultural collaboration between Pakistan and China holds significant benefits for both countries as hybrid chilli offers higher yields compared to traditional varieties

After successfully promoting the sowing of hybrid rice in Pakistan which brought prosperity to the farmers and enhanced the crop size, we will join hands with another Chinese food giant Litong Food to encourage the cultivation of highyielding hybrid chillies in Pakistan in the areas of south Punjab and interior Sindh Malik added

Journalists ’ protest compels govt to withdraw Pemra Amendment Bill 2023

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f r e p o r t

Following the protest of journalists Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday announced to take back the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 The minister made the announcement during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information

Speaking in the meeting, Marriyum Aurangzeb said the government wanted to abolish the ‘black laws’ of PEMRA and added she respects the reservations raised by the journalists’ community on the few sections of the bill

The minister said PML-N respects the right of expression and no compromise will be made on the freedom of expression and constitutional rights of the masses Ms Aurangzeb said the bill was prepared with consultation of the stakeholders while being in opposition

Earlier, Minister for Information and Broadcasting

Marriyum Aurangzeb moved amendments in the Pakistan

Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which were passed by the National Assembly

An amendment in clause 2 proposes to ensure fair, transparent and independent rating to the broadcasters for their TV channels ” Through an amendment in Section 4 a new sub-section was added after sub-section (3) that proposes the Authority by registering rating companies shall ensure that fair transparent and independent forums shall issue rating to the licensees The minister suggested substituting clause 8 of the bill as reporting by the standing committee by following

“8 Amendment of Section 20, Ordinance XIII of 2002 - In the said Ordinance in Section 20 “ (a) in clause (e) the expression and such content will be in addition to preamble and the licensee will also submit an annual compliance report to the is effect or as and when required by the Authority; shall be added

Pakistan’s population soars to 241.49m in digital census 2023

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

The much-anticipated digital census results for the year 2023 have been officially disclosed, providing a comprehensive snapshot of Pakistan s evolving demographic landscape The figures released in a gazette notification revealed that the nation’s population has surged to a staggering 241 49 million further highlighting the complexities and vibrancy of Pakistan s society

A nationwide annual growth rate of 2 55% has been observed, underlining the dynamic nature of the population

Intriguingly the results encompass a detailed breakdown of each province’s population offering a glimpse into the diverse and multifaceted makeup of Pakistan: Emerging as the most populous province, Punjab has witnessed a remarkable surge in its populace, reaching an impressive 127 68 million This growth is underscored by a growth rate of 2 53% reflecting the province s continued signif-

icance and influence SINDH: The province of Sindh has left an indelible mark on the nation’s population, contributing 55 69 million individuals Sindh’s growth rate of 2 57% underscores its ongoing transformation and its pivotal place within Pakistan s social fabric KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: A significant contributor to the nation s demographic tapestry, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa boasts a robust population of 40 85 million The province has experienced a growth rate of 2 38% further solidifying its role in shaping

Pakistan s evolving identity BALOCHISTAN: Known for its resilience, Balochistan has recorded a population of 14 89 million The province’s standout growth rate of 3 20% signifies its enduring spirit and its potential for future development KARACHI DIVISION: The iconic megacity of Karachi continues to be a hub of activity and development, now home to over 2 38 crore residents

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f r e p o r t

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Monday moved the Supreme Court asking it to declare Additional and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar s verdict in the Toshakhana case null and void

The petition was filed under Article 184(2) of the Constitution and sought to have the Toshakhana case be heard again on the grounds that the PTI chief had not been given a fair trial A fundamental right under Article 10A

The Right to a Fair Trial has been denied to Mr Imran Khan the former Prime Minister of Pakistan in relation to his conviction in the Toshakhana case, the petition read Khan was arrested and shifted to Attock jail on August 5 after the district and sessions court in the federal capital convicted him for corrupt practices related to the state gift depository allegations which he denies ADSJ Dilawar sentenced Khan to three years in jail along with a fine of Rs100,000, while issuing an arrest warrant for his immediate arrest The petition argued that not only was the judgement passed in haste, it was also declared in Khan’s absence and was “in complete disregard” of the directions of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) That order of the Honourable Islamabad High Court dated 04 08 2023 distinctly remanded back the issue of maintainability to the learned Additional Sessions judge with the directions to decide it afresh However, undermining this directive, the Learned judge bypassed any fresh decision-making and dismissed the application in violating haste and without objective evaluation of the case subverting principles of natural justice the petition read Earlier today the party also approached the IHC petitioning that Khan be moved to Adiala jail and be provided better or A-Class facilities, since he was “accustomed to a better mode of life ”

Imran Khan moves IHC seeking ‘A class’ jail facilit y

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f r e p o r t

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) who is currently under arrest in connection with the Toshanakhana criminal case has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) with a petition requesting A class jail amenities and essential rights during his incarceration The plea, submitted by Imran Khan s legal representative Naeem Haider Panjutha, outlines a series of demands aimed at ensuring dignified treatment and access to legal resources Imran Khan’s legal team has urged the IHC to grant the PTI chairman the privileges associated with A class jail facilities Among the key requests highlighted in the petition are the right for family and legal representatives to visit Imran Khan during his time in custody It was also requested that meetings with lawyers and family members are fundamental rights that should be upheld without exception Naeem Haider Panjutha the lawyer representing Imran Khan also suggested that his client should be transferred to Adiala Jail where A class facilities are reportedly available The plea further calls for Chairman PTI Dakar Faisal Sultan to be granted permission for softer treatment while in custody Speaking about the urgency of the situation Panjutha revealed that the jail superintendent had requested Imran Khan’s signature indicating a potential delay in addressing the demands laid out in the petition Panjutha expressed his concern stressing that any delay could potentially hinder the legal process and the pursuit of justice

NA passes bill to amend O fficial S ecrets Ac t 2023

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e p o r t

The National Assembly on Monday passed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill 2023 after making some alterations to the original draft just like the Senate had a day earlier The most significant alteration made in the now adopted bill was the removal of a clause that would have granted intelligence agencies the power to arrest suspects or conduct searches without warrants This amendment was made by a Senate committee during the bill s vetting process Another change was made to clause 5 of t h e b i l l , w h i c h e a r l i e r s t a t e d : [ A ] p e r s o n may be presumed to have been in communic a t i o n w i t h e n e m y o r a f o r e i g n a g e n t i f h e has either within or without Pakistan visited the address of a foreign agent or consorted o r a s s o c i a t e d w i t h e n e m y o r a f o r e i g n agent Following the amendments, the word knowingly has been added to this clause which will now read “ if he has either within or without Pakistan ‘knowingly’ visited the address ”

Last week the bill encountered strong opposition from both sides in the Senate and was consequently referred to the relevant standing committee of the house for further deliberation The committee had suggested amendments to the bill and sent it back to the upper house for approval which took place on Sunday

It is worth mentioning that the outgoing government had originally got the bill passed in the National Assembly (NA) on August 1 but due to vociferous opposition from certain lawmakers, the bill was sent to the relevant committee of Senate for vetting

to become a law

The original amendments in the secrets act have broadened the definitions of military installations and bring digital and modern means of communication into the law’s ambit According to experts this could bring vloggers and bloggers within the ambit of the law as well T h e d e f i n i t i o n o f a d o c u m e n t h a s b e e n w i d e n e d a s i t n o w i n c l u d e s a n y w r i tt e n , u n w r i t t e n , e l e c t r o n i c , d i g i t a l , o r a n y o t h e r t a n g i b l e o r i n t a n g i b l e i n s t r u m e n t r el a t e d t o t h e m i l i t a r y ’s p r o c u r e m e n t s a n d c ap a b i l i t i e s

Likewise the definition of enemy introduced in the proposed law states: Any person who is directly or indirectly intentionally or unintentionally working for or engaged with a foreign power, foreign agent, non-state actor, organisation, entity, association or group guilty of a particular act prejudicial to the safety and interest of Pakistan ”

Experts term this section against the principles of natural justice as it treats unintentional contact at par with planned espionage

The proposed law is going to empower the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) to raid and arrest a citizen over the suspected breach of official secrets while simply disclosing the name of a secret agent will also be considered an offence T h r o u g h a n a m e n d m e n t i n S e c t i o n 11

the lower house gave vast powers to officials of intelligence agencies as they would be allowed to “at any time, enter and search any person or place, without warrant, and if necessary by use of force and seize any docum e n t s k e t c h o r l i k e n a t u r e o r a n y t h i n g w h i c h i s o r c a n b e e v i d e n c e o f a n o ff e n c e committed or suspecting of been committed under this act

An amendment in Section 6 proposes a penalty on a citizen with a prison term of three years for disclosing the “identity of the members of the intelligence agencies or the informants or sources

Moreover clauses related to prohibited areas have also been amended and it would be an offence if someone access, intrude, approach or attack any military installation, office, camp office or part of building”

At present the offence is restricted to such movement during the time of war only however the proposed legislation has expanded this to peacetime as well

Section 3 is being renamed from penalties for spying to offences

With slight amendments to the existing offences, it has also added the photography through drone cameras of prohibited areas as a crime

The amendments in Section 4 also term a visit to the address of a foreign agent within or outside Pakistan as an offence T h e p r o p o s e d l a w e m p o w e r s t h e F e de r a l I n v e s t i g a t i o n A g e n c y ( F I A ) a n d t h e o ff i c i a l s o f i n t e l l i g e n c e a g e n c i e s t o i n v e s t i g a t e s u s p e c t s f o r v i o l a t i o n o f t h e O ff i c i a l S e c r e t s A c t

It says: An investigating officer under this act shall be an officer of the Federal Investigation Agency not below the rank of BPS-17 or equivalent The said officer shall be designated by the Director General [of] FIA for the purpose of investigation If the Director General [of] FIA deems necessary he may constitute a joint investigation team convene by such officer and consisting [of] such other officers of intelligence agencies as he may appoint

The JIT is supposed to complete the investigation in 30 working days and the challan would be submitted to the special court through public prosecutor

The law also deals with the admissibility of the evidence and states: All material collected during the course of inquiry or investigation, including electronic devices, data, i n f o r m a t i o n , d o c u m e n t s , o r s u c h o t h e r r elated material which facilitates the commission of any offence under this act shall be admissible