Epaper_23-09-10 KHI

POWER DIVISION TAKES ON CORRUPT OFFICIALS TO PREVENT ELECTRICIT Y THEFT

PO W E R Division has launched a comprehensive operation to root out the corrupt officers of power distribution companies (DISCOs) who allegedly aided and abetted power theft

According to sources in power division, a major operation was launched against the corrupt officers who were allegedly involved in power theft They said that a total of 1914 officers faced the crackdown during the operation and strict legal action has been taken against them They said during the operation, a departmental inquiry was started against 351 officers of LESCO 138 of GEPCO 195 of FESCO 219 of ISCO 314 of MAPCO 299 of PESCO 112 of HESCO 86 of SEPCO 165 of QESCO, and 35 officers of TESCO Similarly, during the operation, 248 disreputable and ill-reputed officers were transferred to different areas without any recommendation said sources They added that a series of crackdowns against those responsible for power theft continues, and it has also been announced to tighten the legal proceedings against all corrupt officials

It is also learned from sources that more than 2199 cases of electricity theft by various distribution companies have been reported out of which FIR has been registered against 1955 and 21 arrests have so far been made

Distribution companies (DISCOs) have been fined for stealing four million units and they were fined for 164 million Pakistani rupees of which 11 million Pak rupees have been recovered, said sources, adding, that prevention of power theft is very important to provide relief to the public while operations and crackdowns will continue to bring all the responsible to justice as

soon as possible Secretary of the Power Division, Rashid Langrial, disclosed that a total of over 1 900 officers have been reassigned as part of efforts to disrupt collusion associated with power theft nationwide

In a statement posted on X he stated that a crackdown has been launched against the corrupt officers of distribution companies to prevent the electricity theft He said that it is the beginning and it will become much more relentless and unforgiving He said 2000 plus cases of electricity theft worth four million units detected: 21 arrested, PKR 164 million imposed as fine and 11 million recovered He said 248 officers with bad repute have been relocated to the headquarters Additionally a reassignment of 1 914 SEs XENs and SDOs across the country has been carried out without any safarish

Providing specific details, he said a total of 1,914 officers underwent reassignments encompassing 91 SEs 533 XENs and 1 290 SDOs Simultaneously 248 officers with unfavorable records were relocated to less significant roles across all 10 discos

He noted that a comprehensive reshuffling affected a total of 351 officers within LESCO Additionally 17 officers were assigned to less critical positions Within LESCO 24 SEs 89 XENs and 238 SDOs were subject to reassignments

In the case of GEPCO, a total of 138 officers underwent reshuffling, which includes 8 SEs, 42 XENs, and 88 SDOs Additionally 13 officers with a questionable reputation were placed in less critical roles Likewise within FESCO a total of 195 officers were relocated, comprising 13 SEs, 53 XENs, and 130 SDOs Additionally, 14 officers with questionable records were reassigned to less significant positions

In IESCO a comprehensive reshuffle affected a total of 219 officers en-

Demarche issued to Afghanistan over Chitral attack: FM Jilani

Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Saturday confirmed that a demarche was issued to the Afghan charge d’affaires in the wake of the terrorist attack on two military posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lower Chitral district On Wednesday at least four security men embraced martyrdom while more than 16 fighters were killed as militants attempts to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan were foiled by troops deployed along the border with Afghanistan Militants had attacked two security checkposts in the southern part of the district Responding to a question in an Islamabad press conference today about whether the matter was taken up with the interim Afghan government the foreign minister said: Pakistan registered a strong protest over the incident summoned the Afghan Cd A in Islamabad yesterday and handed over a protest note (demarche) to him FM Jilani said the Chitral incident was “very unfortunate” and said Pakistan was taking the recent rise in terrorism very seriously

It is the responsibility of the Afghan government that if attacks are occurring in Pakistan from their soil then it should stop them So our expectation from the Afghan government is that it suppresses all such elements, whether it is the TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) or others ”

He said Pakistan was in continued engagement with Afghan authorities

It will be our demand from the Afghan government that it ensures that such incidents don t occur again, Jilani added Similarly, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said it was the expectation of Pakistan and the world from the Afghan Taliban authorities that they would honour the Doha agreement and not allow Afghanistan s soil to be used for schemes against other countries

compassing 10 SEs, 61 XENs, and 148 SDOs Additionally, 21 officers with unfavorable reputations were reassigned to less significant positions In MEPCO a significant reshuffling saw 314 officers relocated comprising 13 SEs 85 XENs and 216 SDOs Additionally, 34 officers with unfavorable reputations were reassigned to less critical positions Within PESCO, a total of 299 officers underwent transfers involving 8 SEs 93 XENs and 198 SDOs Furthermore 68 officers with questionable records were posted to less significant roles At HESCO, 112 officers experienced transfers, involving 2 SEs, 20 XENs, and 90 SDOs Additionally, 19

officers with unfavorable reputations were reassigned to less critical roles Within SEPCO, a total of 86 officers were relocated encompassing 6 SEs 29 XENs and 51 SDOs Furthermore 25 officers with questionable records were posted to less significant positions Within QESCO, a comprehensive reshuffle impacted 165 officers, which included 7 SEs, 50 XENs, and 108 SDOs Additionally 29 officers with unfavorable reputations were reassigned to less critical roles In TESCO 35 officers underwent transfers consisting of 12 XENs and 23 SDOs Furthermore, 8 officers with questionable records were posted to less significant positions

FBR to launch countr ywide crackdown on tax evasion

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to launch countrywide crackdown against tax evasion sources said on Saturday The taxation authority has prepared a list of 11 000 persons from major cities including Lahore and Karachi, sources said The list included industrialists, mill owners, traders, property dealers and wholesalers according to sources The grip will be tightened against tax defaulters and they will also be arrested sources said

The FBR s list of tax evaders included people from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan “We have substantial evidence against tax defaulters ” FBR sources said They have to produce documents within one week s period after tax notice, FBR sources added

A global market research firm in a survey report in June disclosed staggering 956 billion rupees tax evasion in Pakistan Ipsos the third largest market research firm in the world made the sensational disclosure after its survey of five industrial sectors including real estate, tea, cigarette, tyres, oil and pharmaceutical sectors

The research report pointed out massive 500 billion rupees tax evasion in a year in the real estate sector of the economy Tax theft by cigarette traders is causing Pakistan a loss of Rs240 billion annually

The research report pointed out annually 45 billion tax evasion in tea business and 65 billion tax theft in pharmaceutical sector of the national economy Moreover, tyres and oil sector inflicting 106 billion rupees revenue losses to the economy annually, according to the report

WB to disburse $2b to Pakistan during cur rent fiscal year 2023-24: Countr y Head

World Bank has indicated to disburse US$2 0 billion amount to Pakistan during the current financial year 2023-24

According to details, Country Director of World Bank Najy Binhassine called on Caretaker Minister for Finance Revenue Economic Affairs and Privatization Dr Shamshad Akhtar and reviewed the overall performance of the World Bank ongoing portfolio in Pakistan They discussed different options to further expand collaboration in different priority areas to help boost the economic activities in the country Dr Shamshad Akhtar while welcoming the World Bank team, reiterated that Pakistan values its development partnership with World Bank She appreciated the efforts of the World Bank management especially the country team in Islamabad in the economic development of Pakistan

WB Country Director Najy Binhassine, while briefing the Finance Minister on ongoing portfolio indicated that the World Bank Management in collaboration with Ministry of Finance Revenue Economic Affairs and

Amid ‘across board accountabilit y’ rumours, Zardari arrives in Karachi, Nawaz to land back next month

Amid rumours of across the board accountability in the country, former president and co-chairman of Pakistan

People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari on Friday reached Karachi after concluding Dubai visit

Asif Zardari reached Karachi from Dubai through a private plane He was in Dubai for the past few days where he underwent medical check-up along with some high-profile political meetings

According to sources, PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain also returned to Karachi from Dubai along with Asif Zardari

Meanwhile the PML-N sources claim that former premier and PML-N leader is also returning to Pakistan next month after spending four years in exile as the country grapples with economic turmoil and political uncertainty with the date for fresh general elections yet to be decided

It was Nawaz himself who ended months of speculations after he confirmed his return plans during a meeting with party leaders and workers in London albeit without revealing the exact date Sharif had reached London on November 19 2019 as he fell critically ill in prison However, later this ailment proved false as Sharif did not consult any hospital nor he underwent complete checkup

His return, however, is considered critical to the chances of PML-N winning the upcoming elections as the party dented its own chances thanks to skyrocketing price hike during the 16-month stint of the Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government

Privatization, is making efforts to not only improve the implementation performance of the ongoing portfolio but also to maximize the volume of disbursement of foreign resources He indicated that the joint efforts are targeting disbursements of around US$2 0 billion during the current financial year i e 2023-24 On the occasion the Finance Minister shared the reform agenda of the government and the ongoing efforts to stabilize the economy She also informed that the Government of Pakistan is cognizant of the fact that implementation of reforms in the priority sectors particularly in the energy sector, will allow Pakistan to unleash the growth potential,

therefore introducing Policy Reforms in this sector will remain the prime focus of the Government of Pakistan The Country Director briefed the Finance Minister on the progress under the RISE-II Development Policy Financing Program, which has recently been negotiated by the World Bank with EAD

The Finance Minister commended the immediate support of the World Bank during the 2022Floods However, considering the enormous post flood rehabilitation and reconstruction needs of the country the Finance Minister asked the Country Director for extending further World Bank support to better cope with the emergency needs of the country

Earlier, it was reported that the PML-N had decided to employ an aggressive strategy in the next general elections, as party sources said the responsibility “to carry out attack” against his adversaries had been mainly assigned to Maryam Nawaz – the PML-N vice-president known for her hardline stance and considered the ultimate crowd puller after her father who will also be following this approach Under this strategy, the PML-N election campaign will evolve around exposing the conspiracies hatched and vendetta faced by the party leaders and targeting some important personalities while sharing secret audio recordings and other documentary evidences

The purpose of this is to explain the factors behind the conspiracies against the elder Sharif and her daughter who doesn t mince words while explaining her point of view – the factor differentiating their politics with that of Shehbaz who believes in a conciliatory approach

On the other hand Shehbaz and his son Hamza Shehbaz –who enjoyed a brief stint as the Punjab chief minister –will focus to handle the ties with the establishment and share the development work carried out by the party during its government tenures, the sources said Meanwhile, a comprehensive campaign would be launched on mainstream and social media before and after the return of elder Sharif who is now scheduled to fly back home in October

As far as the cooperation with other political parties is concerned, any decision about alliance or seat adjustment would be made by the elder Sharif

Toll from Morocco’s deadliest ear thquake in decades rises to 1,037

MARRAKECH, MOR OCCO

A G E N C I E S

The death toll from Morocco s deadliest earthquake in decades has risen to 1,037, it was reported on Saturday, causing widespread damage and sending terrified residents and tourists scrambling to safety in the middle of the night

The state television further quoted the interior ministry as saying that more than 1,200 people were injured in the quake in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night

The 6 8-magnitude quake struck the mountainous area 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of tourist hotspot Marrakesh at 11:11pm (10:11pm GMT) on Friday, the US Geological Survey reported

Strong tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira

“We felt a very violent tremor and I realised it was an earthquake Abdelhak El Amrani a 33-year-old in Marrakesh told AFP by telephone

I could see buildings moving We don t necessarily have the reflexes for this type of situation Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there

People were all in shock and panic The children were crying and the parents were distraught The power went out for 10 minutes, and so did the (telephone) network, but then it came back on, he added Everyone decided to stay outside ” ‘U

Faisal Baddour an engineer said he felt the earthquake three times in his building

People went out into the street just after this total panic, and there are families who are still sleeping outside because we were so scared of the force of this earthquake,” he said “It was as if a train was passing close to our houses ”

Frenchman Michael Bizet 43 who owns three traditional riad houses in Marrakesh s old town, told AFP that he had been in bed at the time of the quake

“I thought my bed was going to fly away I went out into the street half-naked and im-

mediately went to see my riads It was total chaos, a real catastrophe, madness, he said

The 43-year-old shared video of piles of rubble from collapsed walls in the streets

Footage on social media also showed part of a minaret collapsed on Jemaa el-Fna square in the historic city

An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people flocking to the square to spend the night for fear of aftershocks, some with blankets while others slept on the ground Houda Outassaf a local resident told AFP he was walking around the square when the ground began to shake It was a truly staggering sensation We re safe and sound, but I m still in shock, he said

“I have at least 10 members of my family who died I can hardly believe it as I was with them no more than two days ago ” Fayssal Badour another Marrakesh resident told AFP he was driving when the earthquake hit I stopped and realised what a disaster it was The screaming and crying was unbearable,” he said The interior ministry said authorities

have mobilised all the necessary resources to intervene and help the affected areas

The regional blood transfusion centre in Marrakesh has called on residents to donate blood for those injured

In the town of Al-Haouz, near the epicentre of the quake, a family was trapped in the rubble after their house collapsed, local media reported

G O V T M O V E S S C T O S E E K R E V I E W O F V E R D I C T O N

R E V I E W O F J U D G M E N T S A N D O R D E R S A C T 2 0 2 3

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

THE Ministry of Law has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict on Review of Judgments and Orders Act 2023

Seeking a 15 days time for submission of additional documents, the law ministry has pleaded with the apex court to review its August 11 verdict

The Supreme Court Registrar Office granted the plea

The apex court had nullified the Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act on August 11, 2023

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar had declared the legislation as

void in its verdict Justice Munib Akhtar had also written an additional note in the verdict on the legislation

The Supreme Court in its short verdict remrked that the parliament had no power to enact such legislation An affected party had given right to appeal against court decisions of the cases under Article 184 (3) of the Review of Judgments Act

The Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Act was challenged by Advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi and others pleading with the court to declare the new act of law as void According to the petitions the Supreme Court Review of Judgments and Orders Act 2023 contravenes the Constitution

A r t i c l e 1 8 8 o f t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n e m p o w e r s t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t s u b j e c t

Bound to follow Zardari on family matters, not political: Bilawal

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal

Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday distanced his party from his father former president Asif Ali Zardari s statement backing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold polls after the delimitation of constituencies is completed Earlier in the day, PPP Co-chairman Zardari expressed full confidence in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) saying that fresh delimitation under the census 2023 was mandatory However the PPP after a central executive committee (CEC) meeting on August 25 demanded that polls be held within 90 days as obliged by the Constitution During a press conference in Badin, PPP chairman Bilawal was asked about the difference in his and Zardari’s stance on elections At this Bilawal told the reporter to ask Zardari about what he meant with his statement He recalled the PPP s CEC meeting, headed by him and the former president, where the forum considered both opinions regarding the time of elections and all the party’s legal experts told the meeting that the Constitution makes it clear that elections have to be conducted within 90 days of the dissolution of assemblies I am bound to [follow] President Zardari on our family matters but as far as political matters, Constitution and party policy are concerned, I’m bound to [follow] my workers’ and my party’s central executive committee’s decisions ” said Bilawal while taking to the media in Badin Today Zardari came to the defence of the ECP asserting that a fresh delimitation exercise has become obligatory following the notification of the new census Zardari s statement, conveyed by the PPP through its social media accounts, emphasised the electoral authority’s mandate to conduct elections in accordance with the Constitution Zardari’s statement followed calls from various PPP leaders including party chairman Bilawal urging the ECP to announce the date for general polls and adhere to the constitutional requirement of holding elections within 90 days The party reiterated these demands during its delegation’s consultative meeting with members of the ECP

UNCERTAINTY AROUND POLLS

The decision to hold the consultative process came after uncertainty emerged on when the polls will be conducted The Shehbaz Sharif-led government dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, while Sindh and Balochistan assemblies were also prematurely dissolved to allow the electoral authority to hold elections in the country within 90 days instead of 60 days if the legislature completed its constitutional tenure

t o t h e p r o v i s i o n o f a n y A c t o f M a j l i s - eS h o o r a ( P a r l i a m e n t ) a n d a n y r u l e s m a d e b y t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t , t o r e v i e w a n y j u d g m e n t p r o n o u n c e d o

CAP fears early closure of markets to cause Rs3.5tr loss to retailers

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Chainstores across the country while opposing the government s decision of early closure of markets, has proposed alternative measures to ensure balanced energy conservation, as the reduction in retail peak hours will reduce revenue by 30% resulting in sale loss of Rs3 5 trillion besides total GST and Income Tax collection loss of about Rs300 billion against electric saving of less than Rs62 billion annually

In a letter, written simultaneously to Federal Minister for Energy & Power

Muhammad Ali Federal Commerce

Minister Gohar Ijaz and Provincial Industries Minister SM Tanveer Chairman of the Chainstore Association of Pakistan

(CAP) Tariq Mehboob Rana stated that recently announced decision by the government is based on an unfounded claim of annual savings of Rs62 billion

He said that this measure will rather counterproductively cause a significant plunge in revenues of up to 30 percent for retail businesses of which Tier-1 retailers are connected with the FBR-POS system Such a sharp dip in sales will amount to several hundred billion of rupees of national economic loss across the domestic economy and a proportionate drop in tax collection while indirect

impact to domestic economy is estimated to be much larger

On behalf of the entire retail community we request a review of the facts and our proposals before making a final decision regarding timings of retail activity Moreover it is proposed that a committee be formed with representatives from all stakeholders, including the Provincial Department of Energy, APTMA, and the Chainstore Association (CAP) to examine the issue from all perspectives and reach a truly balance solution

In order to save a claimed $ 279 million per annum as estimated by the Federal Power Division, the impact of excessive timing reductions is expected to yield a much bigger loss to the domestic economy of over $15 billion and a drop in overall tax generation by over Rs300 billion

O n b e h a l f o f t h e e n t i r e r e t a i l t r a d e , e s p e c i a l l y o rg a n i z e d a n d c o m p l i a n t retailers, we are writing to you in support o f e n e rg y c o n s e r v a t i o n a m i d s t t h e c u r r e n t e c o n o m i c e n v i r o n m e n t

However based upon the previous round of energy conservation measures in mid2 0 2 2 w e w o u l d l i k e t o s h a r e o u r c o n c e r n s a n d p r o p o s e d s o l u t i o n s regarding the matter under consideration b e t w e e n t h e F e d e r a l a n d P r o v i n c i a l G o v e r n m e n t s w i t h t h e i n t e n t i o n t o

restrict retail timings to Maghrib

He said that the 50% of retail sales occur during winter months and closure at 7/8 pm will lead to a collapse of retail sector with domino effect on domestic economy and tax revenues With recent devaluation of PKR against USD its an opportunity for local commerce to create import substitution and help reliance on import going further and even export to global supply Pakistan has warm weather and energy consumption is higher in the day for commercial vs night time due to requirement of AC most retail has energy efficient lighting and cooling The CAP Chairman said that the domestic economy, which relies heavily on the retail sector, generates PKR 1 69 trillion and PKR 1 53 trillion in sales tax and income tax as per FBR figures It is expected that 30% reduction in retail activity will impact 10% of the total tax generation across the value chain, i e over PKR 300 billion

He said that the retailers to move to single shift cause a loss of jobs of 35% of work force (3-4M people will become jobless) He said that Organized and tax complaint retail is severely impacted due to this decision Costs have increased nearly 40% due to rupee devaluation and resulting inflation He said the 8 to 10pm are peak hours for sale as our local retail is reliant on local consumer who reaches

NAB repor t finds Per vaiz Elahi ’s ex-secretar y involved in ‘corrupt prac tices’

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

Details of the allegations against Muhammad Khan Bhatti, principal secretary to former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, have emerged on Saturday According to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) report on kickbacks allegedly received by Bhatti Elahi and Moonis Elahi Elahi s son in connivance with other suspects in the case, got illegal development schemes approved, and in order to receive commission got contracts for these schemes awarded to

his favourites

The report further says that Bhatti has been found involved in corrupt practices and has caused loss to the national exchequer Similarly, the report further claims that the former

principal secretary got benefits by getting his blue-eyed boys posted in Gujrat Bhatti is presently in the NAB’s custody on five-day judicial remand

An accountability court (AC) has already sought a report from the NAB on the investigation done in the case so far An AC had on Friday handed over Muhammad Khan Bhatti, principal secretary to former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi who had been taken into custody five days ago to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on five-day physical remand in the case of receiving kickbacks in development projects

Toll from Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades rises to 1,037

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE LIKELY

“We heard screams at the time of the tremor a resident of Essaouira 200km west of Marrakesh told AFP

People are in the squares in the cafes preferring to sleep outside Pieces of facades have fallen

The USGS PAGER system, which provides preliminary assessments on the impact of earthquakes issued a red alert for economic losses saying extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response, according to the US government agency Internet connectivity was disrupted in Marrakesh due to power cuts according to global internet monitor NetBlocks

Moroccan media reported it was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country to date The earthquake was also felt in neighbouring Algeria, where the Algerian Civil Defence said it had not caused any damage or casualties In 2004 at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured when a quake hit Al Hoceima in northeastern Morocco, and in 1960 a magnitude 6 7 quake in Agadir killed more than 12,000

The 7 3-magnitude El Asnam earthquake in neighbouring Algeria in 1980 was regionally one of the most destructive earthquakes in recent history FO REACHES OUT

RABAT Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: The people and Government of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the Kingdom of Morocco and express

their heartfelt sympathies and condolences at the tragic loss of lives in yesterday s

earthquake

She added that Pakistan has also conveyed our offer of assistance to Morocco” and that “our embassy in Rabat has reached out to the Pakistani community to inquire about their safety”

As per initial reports all Pakistani nationals are safe she added We will continue to monitor the situation to facilitate them in the wake of this tragedy

The Pakistani embassy in Morocco said in a post on X that Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan officers staff and the Pakistani community there expressed their deepest condolence and were ready to assist in any manner required Khan, Pakistan s diplomat there, also reiterated Baloch s statement: Thus far Pakistanis in Morocco are reported safe amidst devastation claiming over 800 lives

“The Government of Pakistan stands by ready to assist as required he added

CONDOLENCES POUR IN

Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said Our hearts ache for those affected by the severe earthquake in Morocco Pakistan extends its hand in unity and support to Morocco in this trying time President Arif Alvi also expressed his condolences on the natural disaster and solidarity with the affected people of Morocco He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured Caretaker Human Rights Minister Khalil George also sympathised with the affected families for the loss of lives and property He stated that he is with the government and people of Morocco in this hour of trial Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-

Zardari said My heart goes out to brotherly people of Morocco affected by the devastating earthquake

Extending his deepest condolences to the victims and their families , he called for the people to stand “together in solidarity with Morocco and support those in need”

US President Joe Biden expressed his sympathy for the victims adding the United States was ready to provide any necessary assistance I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Morocco,” he said in a statement “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible hardship “

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a similar message of condolence to Morocco state media reported joining a chorus of international support for the North African country in the wake of a devastating earthquake “On September 9, President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to King Mohammed VI of Morocco over the severe earthquake in Morocco official broadcaster CCTV said

I am shocked to learn that a strong earthquake has occurred in your distinguished country, causing great casualties and property damage,” said Xi, according to CCTV “On behalf of the Chinese government and people I would like to express my deep grief for the victims and sincere condolences to the families

I trust that under the leadership of His Majesty the King, the Moroccan government and people will be able to overcome the impact of this disaster and rebuild their homeland at an early date he added

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed similar sentiments and said in a message to Morocco s king, We share the

home from work around 7pm to 8pm and then visits retail However, if retail is closed at 8pm we will suffer a loss in sale of over 30% while all costs will remain Unlike foreign countries where we seek examples from we do not have international tourism and associated retail revenues

Market timing was only effectively implemented on organized tax compliant retailers where as local markets continue to remain operational whereas businesses that contribute to tax collection are forced to shut down

He asked the government to allow retail to remain operational until 10pm opening timing could be changed to 12 noon to save 20% energy without comprising on commerce or tax collection

Allow tax-compliant retailers (integrated with POS and/or sales tax registered) to stay open without any restrictions to incentivize tax-paying businesses and force non compliant ones to become complaint

Implement permanent daylight-saving timings across the country which will translate to annual saving of upto US$ 447 million as per I-UMS-IPRI report

Organized retailers shall voluntarily run energy conservation campaigns to achieve 15% reduction in total electricity usage resulting in potential saving of US$ 50 million as per NEPRA statistics

Eight women injured in Lahore Metro bus accident

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

As many as eight women were injured when Metro bus met with accident near Janazgah station on Saturday According to details the Metro bus running between Gajumata and Shahdara collided with the detached iron rod of the paling hanging over the track, got out of control and rammed into the paling Eight women were injured in the accident who were shifted to Mayo Hospital for treatment The mega transport project of Lahore has been in the grip of various technical faults as engine of various buses either went out of order or facing technical complexities Out of total 64 buses of Gajumata-Shahdara route 23 were out of order due to technical faults and during last one year, 28 incidents of technical faults in buses of the said route came to light

thinking about the victims and their families in a message on X

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also offered support to Morocco after this devastating earthquake” “We will support our Moroccan brothers in every way in this difficult hour he said in a message on X

pain and the mourning of the friendly

Moroccan people

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible earthquake in Morocco last night

Foreign Minister James Cleverly said they will help Morocco “in whatever way we can ” “Devastating news of a substantial earthquake just outside Marrakesh Morocco he said in a post on X We stand ready to help our Moroccan friends in whatever way we can German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also offered his condolences

Terming it as bad news for the country, he said “In these difficult hours our thoughts are with the victims of the devastating earthquake Our sympathy goes to all those affected by this natural disaster

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was pained by news of the quake

In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco ” Modi said “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones May the injured recover at the earliest India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered his condolences on Saturday to relatives of the victims of the “terrible” earthquake “All my solidarity and support to the people of Morocco in the wake of this terrible earthquake Spain is with the victims of this tragedy and its families he wrote on X

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron said We are all devastated after the terrible earthquake in Morocco France stands ready to help with first aid”

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna expressed solidarity with the North African country as well France s top diplomat added she was

The head of the African Union Commission also expressed great pain over the devastating earthquake I learnt with great sadness of the tragic consequences of the earthquake that hit the kingdom of Morocco ” Moussa Faki Mahamat said expressing his “sincere condolences to the king the Moroccan people and the families of the victims Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she learned with the grief of the tragic toll from the quake and pointed to Italy’s willingness to support Morocco in this emergency”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed sympathy with the Moroccan people in the face of the terrible earthquake while top EU diplomat Joseph Borrell said the bloc is ready to provide Morocco the assistance it wishes

Swiss President Alain Berset expressed his condolences

The country’s foreign ministry said it activated a crisis cell and is evaluating sending aid Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country stands by Morocco in these difficult moments Ukraine s President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his “deepest condolences to HM King Mohammed VI and all Moroccans for the lives lost in the horrible earthquake Ukraine stands in solidarity with Morocco during this tragic time he said on social media

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed all government bodies and forces to provide any necessary assistance to the people of Morocco including the preparations for sending an aid delegation to the area a statement from his office said It is the latest show of support in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw Israel normalise ties with a number of Arab countries, including Morocco

F B R N I C KS O N E P R A L , T H R E E O T H E R P E R S O N S

I N V O LV E D I N R S 1 1 . 6 9 2 B F LY I N G I N V O I C E S S C A M

ISLAMABAD S h A h z A d PA R Ac h A

FEDERAL Board of Revenue Inland Revenue (IR) Intelligence and Investigation Directorate Karachi has arrested one PRAL and three other persons involved in fake/flying invoices scam worth Rs11 692 billion

According to details I&I IR Karachi has busted an interprovincial gang of fake /flying sales tax invoice mafia and arrested four suspects involved in the scam causing revenue loss to national exchequer of Rs11 692 billion In a criminal case registered in the recent past in the Court of Special Judge Custom &

Taxation Karachi, the IR Intelligence team arrested the first accused from Faisalabad on the basis of technical information who was filing fake sales tax returns of various dummy firms from his house

The second accused connected with the scam has been arrested from PRAL Call Centre, Islamabad who while working as facilitation officer at PRAL was found involved in providing user ID/Password of inactive sales tax registered units to fake invoice mafia agents against financial benefit T h e d a y w h e n I n t e l l i g e n c e t e a m o f I & I - I R K a r a c h i p i c k e d h i m f o r i n v e s t i g a t i o n , o ff i c e r s r e c o v e r e d R s 1 , 6 0 0 million fake output tax data from accused official PRAL computer which he prepared

for supply to a mafia person through FBR e - f i l i n g s y s t e m ( I R I S ) b u t c o u l d n o t b e e x e c u t e d d u e t o I & I r a i d Later on his disclosure another mafia agent/broker belongs to Karachi who was traveling in the nearby vicinity of Marree/Islamabad also arrested on a technical tip off with the active assistance of another intelligence agency

The fourth accused of the episode was taken into custody again from industrial city Faisalabad who was also an ex-employee of PRAL Faisalabad but dismissed from service in 2014 due to his wrong doings who later became advocate and presently member of District Bar, Faisalabad

Interestingly, all accused were in contact through mobile/WhatsAppcommunication

and used to share data of fake input/output tax on excel sheets for demand and supply of fake input in the supply chain

All four accused after investigation and completion of physical remand in I&I custody are presently under judicial custody at central prison Karachi

Sources close to the anti-fraud wing of inland revenue FBR have confirmed that this is the first time that a whole gang has been smashed by the Directorate of I&I-IR

Karachi

Authorities have reiterated that the time has come to eliminate menace of fake/flying invoices from country which has caused billions of rupees loss to national exchequer, however, authorities focus has now shifted

PTI defeats PML-N, PPP in GBL A-13 A store -1 by- elec tion

ASTORE

S tA f f R e P o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate

Khurshid Khan won the by-election to Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly s seat GBLA-13 Astore-1 held here on Saturday

As per details, PTI candidate

Khurshid Khan secured 6 219 votes

PML-N s Rana Farman Ali took 5 225 and PPP candidate secured 4 079 votes in the by-election to GBLA-13 Astore-1

There were at least 14 candidates, including nine independent candidates in the run for the GBLA-13 by-election

The main contestants are: Khurshid

Ahmed Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Rana Farman Ali of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Abdul Hameed Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Similarly, Inayatullah Mir contested the by-election

on the ticket of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) while Attaullah was the candidate of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan

The seat fell vacant after GilgitBaltistan’s former chief minister Khalid Khurshid was disqualified in a fake degree case The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has denotified Khalid Khursheed as Chief Minister of GilgitBaltistan and declared the seat as vacant

Earlier, the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court had disqualified Chief Minister Khalid Khursheed Khan in a fake degree case The petitioner had argued that Khursheed s law degree was fake and he should be disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 Khursheed claimed to have received a law degree from London but it could not be verified Khalid Khursheed was in office since December 2020 and has been a close aide of PTI chairman

It is pertinent to mention here that

Caretaker FM to chair Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Meeting in London

ISLAMABAD

S tA f f R e P o R t

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani will chair the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Meeting (CYMM) beginning from Tuesday next in London The theme of the meeting is Aim

Higher: Delivering More for Young People in the Commonwealth” It aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Radio Pakistan reported Four core areas of education employment, engagement and environment identified in the Prime Minister ’s Youth Programme (PMYP) will be extensively discussed in the meeting While in London FM Jalil Abbas Jilani is also expected to meet the participating Ministers and high-ranking officials of the Commonwealth Earlier it was reported that Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar is likely to attend the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which opens on September 5 Caretaker PM Kakar will apparently be the first interim prime minister to represent Pakistan at the UN General Assembly He will be addressing the UN summit on September 22 and he will return the same day after delivering his speech

Governor directs Interim Home Minister to control street crime

KARACHI A P P

The Caretaker Sindh Home and Prisons Minister

Brigadier (Retd ) Haris Nawaz called on the Sindh Governor Mohammed Kamran Khan Tessori at the Governor House here Saturday and discussed the host of issues including law and order situation, peace measures in Sindh province, elimination of street crime from Karachi, installation of CCTV cameras and other matters of mutual interest The Governor told the caretaker minister that all possible steps should be taken to protect the lives and properties of the people He said that an effective strategy was necessary to eradicate street crime from the metropolis by increasing the police patrolling

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) collected major victory on three out of a total four provincial seats in Lahore during the Punjab by-polls in July last year

The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 33 378 of which 18 231 are men and 15 147 women Tight security arrangements were made for the by-polls and 363 officials were deployed to deal with any unwanted situation PML-nominee Rana Farman Ali is a former provincial minister and had contested as a candidate of PML-N in the last three general elections from the constituency out of which he was defeated in the 2009 and 2020 elections, but he won with a large margin in the 2015 elections and was appointed Minister of Local Government

The PPP has fielded Abdul Hameed an old player of Gilgit-Baltistan politics Abdul Hameed Khan was previously a council member for the first time in the

1994 elections and re-elected in the 2004 elections to the Legislative Council and continues to perform his duties as adviser on tourism The PTI has fielded retired judge Khurshid Khan the father of former Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister Khalid Khurshid for a nerve-shattering contest The PTI has taken this decision on the wish of former GB chief minister Khalid Khurshid

In the general elections of GilgitBaltistan Assembly held in November 2020 the candidate of the PTI from this constituency Khalid Khurshid won by obtaining 5 297 votes Among his rival candidates, Rana Farman Ali of PML-N with 4,033 votes was at the second number While Abdul Hameed Khan of PPP secured third place with 3 545 votes Around 16 298 votes were cast in this election which was 49 percent of the total vote

PHA L ahore launches tree plantation drive at G ajju M atta

we are involved in horticultural efforts in nearby regions

to otherstack- holders/partners in supply chain of the instant scam who have claimed illegal input tax against bogus invoices

The department has however decided to strictly follow guidelines of apex Courts in various judgements regarding recovery of evaded amount of tax and prosecution of beneficiaries/partners insuch supply chain scam Arrest of more culprits in the scam is expected soon as the Court has issued arrest warrants of many accused who have reportedly gone underground but authorities as part of ongoing national drive against fraudsters and smugglers are putting all out efforts in collaboration of other law enforcement and intelligence agencies to apprehend fraudsters

Shakil Shaikh, other officials suspended over alleged irregularities

ISLAMABAD S tA f f R e P o R t T h e P a k i s t a n C r i c k e t B o a r d ( P C B ) h a s a p p o i n t e d a n a d - h o c c o m m i t t e e t o i m m e d i a t e l y s u s p e n d e d S h a k i l S h a i k h a n d o t h e r o ff i c i a l s o f t h e R e g i o n a l C r i c k e t A s s o c i a t i o n I s l a m a b a d ( R I C A ) i n v o l v e d i n a l l e g e d i r r e g u l a r i t i e s o n t h e e l e c t i o n a ff a i r s A c c o r d i n g t o t h e n o t i f i c a t i o n i s s u e d b y t h e P C B S h a k i l S h a i k h a n d N a s i r I q b a l h a v e b e e n s u s p e n d e d f r o m t h e i r p o s t s w i t h i m m e d i a t e e ff e c t a s a r e s u l t o f t h e i n q u i r y c o n d u c t e d o n t h e c o m p l a i n t o f P r e s i d e n t s o f c r i c k e t c l u b s o f I s l a m a b a d a g a i n s t t h e e l e c t i o n p r o c e s s o f R e g i o n a l C r i c k e t A s s o c i a t i o n I s l a m a b a d , w h i l e t h e a ff a i r s o f t h e I s l a m a b a d r e g i o n h a v e b e e n t r a n s f e r r e d t o a t h r e e - m e m b e r c o m m i t t e e T h e a d - h o c c o m m i t t e e h e a d e d b y M u h a m m a d J u n a i d A k h t a r w h i l e t h e m e m b e r s i n c l u d e A b d u s S a m i a n d A j m a l S a b i r P a k i s t a n C r i c k e t B o a r d h a s d i r e c t e d S h a k i l A h m e d S h a i k h t o i m m e d i a t e l y h a n d o v e r a l l t h e r e c o r d s o f r e g i o n a l c r i c k e t a s s o c i a t i o n I s l a m a b a d t o t h e n e w l y f o r m e d a d - h o c c o m m i t t e e a s t h e y a r e a u t h o r i s e d t o r u n t h e d a y t o d a y a ff a i r s f o r t h e p e r i o d o f 3 0 d a y s

The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) of Lahore on Saturday initiated a tree-planting campaign in Gajju Matta near Ferozepur Road

This area was noticeably less green compared to the rest of the city

PHA Marketing Director Aamir Ibrahim and a senior official from the Bank of Punjab (BoP) which donated 5 000 saplings for the purpose officially launched the campaign by planting saplings at a local site Mr Ibrahim explained the campaign’s goals, saying: “Our aim is to promote tree planting in open areas including parks Additionally

He emphasized that the government s vision is to make Lahore, often referred to as the “City of Gardens ” a greener and cleaner place Mr Ibrahim also urged citizens to not only protect existing flowers and plants but also to contribute their suggestions for further enhancing the city s greenery and freshness

The BoP official echoed this commitment stating that a green and clean Lahore is a shared vision between the PHA and the bank T h e e v e n t a l s o s a w t h e p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f M a r k e t i n g D i r e c t o r A a m i r I b r a h i m a n d o t h e r s f r o m t h e P H A T h e a u t h o r i t y i s

t a s k e d w i t h e n h a n c i n g t h e b e a u t y o f p a r k s a n d g r e e n b e l t s a c r o s s t h e c i t y T h e p r o v i n c i a l c a p i t a l b o a s t s 8 1 3 p a r k s a n d g r e e n b e l t s t h a t c o v e r a v a s t e x p a n s e o f 3 , 0 0 0 h e c t a r e s A n n u a l l y i t a l l o c a t e s b i l l i o n s o f r u p e e s t o w a r d s t h e i m p r o v e m e n t o f L a h o r e s b e a u t y a n d a e s t h e t i c a p p e a l

The authority has also initiated a crackdown on illegal tree felling i n L a h o r e , a c r i m i n a l a c t i v i t y I n 2 0 2 1 , t h e L a h o r e H i g h C o u r t ( L H C ) i n s t r u c t e d t h e g o v e r n m e n t to levy a heavy fine on individuals e n g a g e d i n t h e u n n e c e s s a r y removal of trees According to an official, the fine for cutting down a single tree amounts to Rs500,000

Swat admin seizes 14,000 bags sugar during crackdown

SWAT S y e d S h A h A b u d d i n

At least 14,000 bags of 50kg of sugar hoarded in three different godowns were recovered by the district administration at Khwazakhela of Swat district on Saturday

According to Swat Deputy Commissioner Irfanullah Wazir, operations are ongoing on behalf of the district administration to stabilize the prices of sugar and prevent hoarding across and in this context

Assistant Commissioner Khawazakhela Idrees Khan raided three different godowns

All the three godowns have been sealed and a total of 14,000 bags have been recovered

According to the market rate the value of exported sugar is more than Rs130 million and three persons who

were stockpiling sugar have been arrested and remanded and formal cases have been registered against them The Swat DC said that the exported sugar was not disclosed to

the market committee and after investigation, the commodity would be old at the official rate He warned that strict action will be taken against those who hoard sugar in the district

Exper ts talk impor tance of clinical trials to counter surge in communicable diseases

LAHORE S tA f f R e P o R t Covid-19 has not left us and we are seeing many cases with some still suffering symptoms from the last attack known as Long-COVID, stated by Caretaker Provincial Minister for Health & Social Welfare Dr Javed Akram at media roundtable, while speaking on “COVID-19 still a public threat and importance of clinical trials

Prof Akram further added that due the climate change global warming and imbalance in environment all over the world including Pakistan viruses can be the biggest threat to human life as these

elements contribute to breeding of different viruses Pakistan being a nation of 250 million and with 2 9% annual increase in population has pushed to live in close proximity which also becomes the cause of increase in communicable diseases He also explained different types of vaccines which are being used around the world including Pakistan to fight against various diseases

Although COVID-19 cases have reduced, but at its peak it claimed 30,000 plus lives and infected more than 1 58 million people in Pakistan WHO has not downgraded the threat of COVID as many variants are still prevalent in different parts of the world including

Pakistan However in most countries clinical research and trails have played major role in finding different medicines and vaccines, which have offered patients and the general public medical cover against the menace of this pandemic Dr Muhammad Ahmad of Central Park Teaching Hospital and a leading Pulmonologist shared his views about the Impact of clinical trials on a country and the current clinical trials’ misconception ” He explained that in Pakistan there is a misconception attached with clinical trials and the medicines being tested; one being that the administration of any trial medicine will make the participant impotent This

is just a myth there are always strict protocols which are to be followed, most of these are standardized by FDA (US Federal Drug Authority) which is a benchmark for all clinical trials supported in many countries’ own rules and procedures e g going through different levels of ethics committees Aazar Ayaz of FINN Partners thanked the media for participating in the roundtable, in his closing remarks he said that this is going to help in disseminating knowledge and facts about clinical trials and will also create awareness among the media and through them in the general public about the importance of clinical trials

Army troop mar t yred in Nor th Waziristan terrorist attack

RAWALPINDI S tA f f R e P o R t

Fire exchange took place between security forces and terrorists in general area Mir Ali, North Waziristan District on Saturday, leaving Lance Naik Jamshed Khan martyred According to military’s media wing, ISPR, fire exchange took place between security forces and terrorists in general area Mir Ali North Waziristan District on Saturday Own troops effectively engaged terrorists location However during intense exchange of fire Lance Naik Jamshed Khan (age 28 years, resident of District Upper Dir), having fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat, the statement said Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area “Security Forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve the statement added

Five football players kidnapped in Dera Bugti

QUETTA n e w S d e S k

In a distressing incident that unfolded on Saturday afternoon, five football players were abducted in the Sangsila area of Balochistan’s Dera Bugti district The incident occurred as the players were en route to Sibi to participate in the Chief Minister Balochistan Gold Cup tournament with armed militants forcibly taking them into captivity A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he lacked authorisation to address the media, confirmed the abduction, emphasising the volatile security situation in the Sangsila area Security measures have been escalated in response to the kidnapping of these football players Saleh Muhammad Nasar the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of Balochistan, disclosed that a search operation has been initiated in the area However, due to the darkness and the heightened sensitivity of the situation, the operation was temporarily suspended Nasar reassured the public stating The operation will be resumed at first light and we remain hopeful that the abducted football players will be recovered promptly

KP releases Rs 2 bln for Sehat Card Plus Programme

PESHAWAR

A P P

T h e K h y b e r P a k h t u n k h w a F i n a n c e D e p a r t m e n t o n S a t u r d a y r e l e a s e d R s 2 b i l l i o n f o r t h e S e h a t C a r d P l u s P r o g r a m m e , H e a l t h A d v i s o r D r R i a z

A n w a r s a i d h e r e T h e f a c i l i t y o f f r e e t r e a t m e n t f o r t h e p o o r a n d m i d d l e c l a s s r e m a i n s o n t h e h e a l t h c a r d R i a z A n w a r s a i d a d d i n g h e a l t h c a r d t r e a t m e n t f o r p o o r p a t i e n t s h a s n o t b e e n s t o p p e d n o w T h e t r e a t m e n t o f s a l a r i e d e m p l o y e e s u p t o R s 3 2 , 0 0 0 i s f r e e , h e a d d e d The

In an official statement released by the Chief Minister s Secretariat it was revealed that CM Domki has instructed the local administration to redouble their efforts to ensure the safe and unhurt recovery of the kidnapped football players

A sif Zardari ’s and B ilawal B hutto Zardari ’s opposing views on the elec tion date could drag down the par t y

INSTEAD of the PTI, it is the PPP Is this the moment of implosion? It is not another May 9, for no one in the PPP is accused of anything but there is a very public clash between PPP chief Asif Zardari and his son and co-Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, where the former has supported the ECP by saying that delimitations must take place before elections and the latter has said that while he was bound to the former in home matters, he was bound to the party and the Constitution in political matters The younger Mr Zardari has thus made clear that he supports the demand that elections be held within the 90 days stipulated by the Constitution, delimitations or no delimitations

This adds to the confusion which has been created by the Election Commission of Pakistan which first announced that it would complete delimitations in December, and then said it would do so by November 30 This did not satisfy those demanding polls within 90 days while giving the impression that the delimitation process could be completed so as to allow the polls to be held on time Perhaps more significant is the ECP s failure to announce a poll date Coupled with the statements emanating from members of the caretaker government who are taking a much longer view of how long they will be in office than is justified by the Constitution, the caretaker government does not seem to have any intention of pressing the ECP to stick to the timeframe sanctioned by the Constitution

While the political scene presents an unedifying spectacle at the moment, the dispute coming into public between father and son raises uncomfortable memories of dynastic struggles within the PPP before There was the struggle between the younger Mr Zardari s late mother, Benazir Bhutto, and her own mother, Nusrat, for the control of the PPP There was also the sibling rivalry between Benazir and her brother Murtaza which only ended with the latter’s assassination So far, the arrangement whereby Mr Zardari controlled the party in trust for his son, seems to have worked

However it seems to be breaking down If so it can hardly be a worse time for the party as it heads into a general election THere is also the aspect of the struggle for the soul of the party; is it to remain committed to the constitutional path, as the younger Mr Zardari wishes or is to to join hands with the establishment as the elder seems to want?

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

Iwas 11 (in 2007) when I first time heard my father saying He is a [Afghan] refugee while pointing toward a boy The boy seemed of my age and a local Pashtun had hired him to wash his dishes and serve plain potato rice to his customers The cart was located near the Russian Market at Masjid Road, Quetta I did not bother to ask my father what a refugee is I heard this term many times over the years These refugees have brought black money here; these refugees have started buying the properties of our ancestors; these refugees have penetrated every field, and yes, they should go back

I thought the same way that these Afghan refugees should immediately go back until I encountered an Afghan teenage bike mechanic Bashir in Winter last year While tuning my motorcycle Basheer shared how his father got martyred in the USA s War On Terror when he was only five He shared that his father was a sympathizer of the USA against the Taliban and he was most probably killed by the Taliban He was not certain about the murderers of his father Then his maternal uncle along with his family took Bashir his mother and younger brother and came to Pakistan His uncle intended to find a job in Karachi but they could not manage to go to Karachi They lived in Chaman for some time then in Kuchlak, and then finally settled in Quetta He shared that his younger brother works in a bakery on Zarghoon Road Both brothers do not remember anything about their home and both can neither read nor write In short Bashir and his family have no hopes of a better life back home that is in Afghanistan For them Quetta is their world

There are millions of such people with millions of such stories that the world has not heard about, as the total number of displaced people globally has reached 100 million

A great majority of these 100 million do not see any positive prospects back home

The recent data reveals the unwelcoming sometimes inhuman behaviour of the host communities with these refugees For instance one in five women refugees experiences sexual violence However, if given basic education and market-required skill set, women refugees alone can contribute over $1 4 trillion to the global annual GDP

Overall there are some one million forced Myan-

Ghost Teachers: A Threat to Education in Pakistan

mechanisms to combat it remained frail Remote areas with minimal infrastructure and oversight became hotbeds for ghost teachers

mar refugees in Bangladesh, over 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, 1 4 million registered Afghan refugees and almost the same number of undocumented Afghan refugees living in Pakistan Approximately 800 000 Afghan refugees are hosted by Iran; and Lebanon a war-torn country itself hosts around 1 5 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees These numbers are horrifying as even developed states like the USA and the UK are reluctant to accept refugees beyond a certain number each year How then is it expected from the developing nations to share their resources with more people when they are already struggling to justly distribute resources among their own population? There is a need to have a better and long-term mechanism to equip these refugees with basic education and marketrequired skills so that they can contribute to society In the meantime, efforts should be made to restore stability and peace in the conflicted areas so that these refugees can go back home and help improve things there too

For these refugees to contribute to the host and then home communities, their documentation should be made easy, and their refugee identity cards or such types of identity documents should get renewed every 12 months This process can immediately start in developed countries; however developing states can take some time to initiate the issuance of such cards

for further studies or learn a skill

Third, they should also be given market-required skills for online as well as offline modes of earning Polytechnical institutes English coaching centres and computer learning institutions should be promoted in host communities especially in areas where a great number of refugees are settled

Their rights and inclusivity can be ensured by first and foremost certifying their existence by providing them with legal documents in host countries The provision of basic facilities, education, and proper skills will not only assure their inclusivity in any society in the world but will also empower them to contribute to the reconstruction of their homeland once the dust starts settling there

People with such cards or documents should be provided basic incentives and free basic medical facilities with the help of INGOs and NGOs to ensure their physical mental and financial well-being Second they should be given at least basic education They should at least know how to read and write Their basic degree should be matric if not more than that This will ultimately empower them to either go

Fourth, inclusivity is necessary for such refugees who hardly manage to make ends meet A great majority of them learn skills to earn a respected livelihood and contribute to society They should be seen as assets and not liabilities They should be backed by the governments of host communities as well as by INGOs and NGOs to support them in mastering their skill sets Still, things may not remain steady as a great number of host communities are already struggling in many ways Therefore in the meantime, efforts should be made to bring negative peace in conflict or war-torn states In sum the 11-year-old kid serving plain potato rice to his master s customers Bashir and his younger brother, who work on daily or weekly wages, have hardly anything left behind at home Their inclusivity in the social structure of the host states can give them hope away from home Their rights and inclusivity can be ensured by first and foremost certifying their existence by providing them with legal documents in host countries The provision of basic facilities, education, and proper skills will not only assure their inclusivity in any society in the world but will also empower them to contribute to the reconstruction of their homeland once the dust starts settling there

The writer is a Research Assistant at Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan Today 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y

Immediate action

IN a small village in the heart of Sindh young kids eagerly put on their school bag every morning, full of hope and big dreams in their eyes But each day, when they walk into the old school building, they only find silence and an untouched blackboard There wasn't a teacher there to help or someone to make them love learning

However just a short distance away in the town center, a man got paid every month for 'teaching' at this school Some people quietly called him a 'ghost teacher because, even though his name was on the list, he never showed up to teach This isn t just one kid's story; it's sadly the same for many children in Pakistan waiting for a teacher who might never come

In Pakistan s education system there are parts that, when looked closely at, show some big problems The idea of 'ghost teachers' is one of them All over Pakistan, from big cities to far-off places there are teachers who are listed and get paid but no one ever sees them teaching This isn t just a small mistake; it s a big issue that could stop Pakistan from reaching its education goals Pakistan's education system, riddled with the anomaly of 'ghost teachers', bears testament to a larger issue of systemic mismanagement and corruption To fully understand the reasons behind this phenomenon it is essential to delve into its historical and sociopolitical dimensions

After independence in 1947 Pakistan was tasked with the mammoth job of developing an education system from the ground up The massive nationalization drive during the Bhutto era in the 1970s which saw the state taking over numerous private educational institutions exacerbated the situation This initiative though well-intended to democratize education swelled the public education sector without the requisite administrative overhaul As a consequence, the system became susceptible to manipulation and inefficiency The state caught in the labyrinth of managing countless schools often overlooked teacher attendance and performance

By the 1980s evidence was mounting of an escalating issue Positions within the educational sector, particularly in rural regions, became instruments of political patronage In many instances these were rewards for political loyalty rather than merit-based appointments Favouritism and political involvement in the education system along with bureaucratic failures of oversight made the issue worse

Fast forward to recent times, the National Education Policy of 2009 noted the grim reality of teacher absenteeism across the country However despite acknowledging the issue the

The most direct consequence of ghost teachers is the grave educational void they leave behind As these teachers fail to show up, students, especially in remote areas, remain deprived of their basic right to education This neglect leads to alarming rates of illiteracy According to a UNICEF article Pakistan has the second-highest number of out-of-school children globally, with the ghost teacher phenomenon significantly contributing to this statistic

The ripple effect of this is the widening educational disparity where urban areas with better oversight progress while rural regions affected more by the phenomenon fALL even further behind Ghost teachers, while absent from classrooms, continue to draw salaries from the public coffers This misuse of taxpayer money leads to millions, if not billions being wasted every year Instead of these funds being channeled into improving school infrastructure or investing in e d u c a t i o n a l technology they are siphoned off unproductively In a country like Pakistan, with constrained resources such wastage exerts additional pressure on an already strained economy The longterm societal impact of the ghost teacher predicament is profound A generation of students not receiving adequate education means a workforce illprepared for the challenges of the modern world This has a cascading effect on the nation s potential for innovation technological advancement and competitiveness in the global arena Pakistan's commitment to various international conventions, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 which aims for inclusive and equitable quality education is undermined by the ghost teacher issue

Across the globe many countries have faced challenges similar to Pakistan s ghost teacher conundrum However their methods of resolution can offer insight In India, for instance, the introduction of biometric attendance systems in certain states has curtailed teacher absenteeism Although there has been recent development in Pakistan it also requires sheer vigilance and monitoring In Nigeria the Kaduna state implemented a competency test for teachers which not only identified unqualified teachers but also ensured those employed were genuinely committed These international examples underscore the need for both technological solutions and policy reforms to address the issue effectively

Localized control and community involvement can be instrumental in combating ghost teachers Communities that are directly involved in their schools are more likely to monitor and report absent teachers The introduction of stringent oversight mechanisms such as surprise inspections digital att e n d a n c e systems, and p e r f o r m a n c e evaluations can be instrumental Robust legal f r a m e w o r k s that punish absenteeism and corruption can deter potential ghost teachers

While the problem of ghost teachers in Pakistan is deeply rooted, solutions exist By taking cues from international successes and aligning with global commitments, Pakistan can chart a way forward, ensuring every child has access to dedicated and genuine educators The journey ahead demands collective will, resilience, and unwavering dedication to the nation's future. After all, an educated populace isn't just a marker of progress; it's the backbone of a nation's aspirations, dreams, and its place in the global tapestry

The persistent problem not only dents its international image but can also affect potential educational grants, partnerships, and collaborations from international bodies

E n g a g i n g with international educational bodies can provide Pakistan with not only financial support but also valuable expertise Such c o l l a b o r a t i o n s can lead to the development of solutions tailormade for the country's unique challenges While the problem of ghost teachers in Pakistan is deeply rooted solutions exist By taking cues from international successes and aligning with global commitments Pakistan can chart a way forward ensuring every child has access to dedicated and genuine educators The journey ahead demands collective will, resilience, and unwavering dedication to the nation's future After all an educated populace isn t just a marker of progress; it s the backbone of a nation s aspirations dreams and its place in the global tapestry

HAZARDOUS particulate matter nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are among the contaminants that are present at high levels in our air

This is causing heart diseases respiratory illnesses etc Children the elderly and people with pre-existing diseases are vulnerable groups that are particularly in danger Although several initiatives have been taken to reduce air pollution, more needs to be done Steps towards lowering pollution levels include tighter emission regulations for cars and other sectors as well as more funding for green technologies and public transport In addition raising awareness of the problem might inspire people to make ecologically responsible decisions in their daily lives Government agencies environmental groups and citizens must work together to adopt sustainable practices For instance, avoiding cutting trees, and promoting laws that prioritise the environment Different industries should be held responsible for their practices and must be incentivised to adopt clean energy and reduce chemical emissions As concerned citizens, it is our moral responsibility to call for prompt action to protect the environment for present and future generations Let s work together to confront this pressing issue and breathe new vitality into our cities We must act now to ensure a clean and healthy future HUMNA KHAN LAHORE

Shor tage of hospitals in Larkana

DESPITE being the third largest city in Sindh Larkana is deprived of many basic amenities including proper healthcare facilities Most hospitals lack doctors, nurses and other medical staff to assist patients Hospital pharmacies and emergency wards face consistent shortages of life-saving drugs and injections leaving patients in critical condition

Intensive care units (ICU) and other wards often run out of beds to accommodate patients putting lives at risk Patients and attendants have to wait in unhygienic and uncomfortable conditions as waiting areas lack proper seating and ventilation The hospital premises are seldom cleaned or refurbished Photos and videos showcasing the poor standards of these hospitals go viral on social media, but the authorities turn a blind eye as usual The provincial government and healthcare department must act against officials responsible for the poor conditions of the hospitals Hospital buildings should either be refurbished or shifted elsewhere Adequate staff should be hired and hospitals must be equipped with basic facilities The relevant authorities should ensure that everyone has access to affordable and effective healthcare facilities

IMRAN ALI BROHI LARKANA

Labyrinth of joblessness

OUR talented youth armed with academic excellence are trapped in a labyrinth of joblessness The disconnect between their qualifications and the industry s demands is a major deterrent This gap between academia and realworld skills is widening The ever-evolving job landscape requires theoretical brilliance and practical expertise The absence of vocational training and career-oriented guidance has exacerbated the problem As a result graduates are grappling with the mismatch between what they were prepared for and what the job market requires We need to understand the root causes of this disarray Rapid technological advancements have made certain job skills obsolete and rendered many traditional roles redundant Additionally, industries are struggling with their own economic challenges, which have restrained their hiring capacities A lack of investments in new businesses and startups further limits avenues for young job seekers Educational institutions government bodies and industries should unite to bridge the skill gap through comprehensive training programmes Entrepreneurship must be nurtured with tailored support mechanisms We must empower our youth by aligning their skills with market dynamics By doing so, we can pave the way for a prosperous Pakistan driven by a workforce ready to take on modern challenges

SOCIETIES grow economically, socially and politically in a setup where the basic individual and collective rights of a populace are guaranteed by the Constitution of that land In the case of Pakistan, the first 10 articles of the 1973 Constitution, now practically in abeyance, guarantee these rights and spells out punishment for the entity or entities interfering with these guarantees

However the ground realities seems to be to the contrary even after the formal promulgation of the Constitution in 1973

In various nation-states, the social development in the political and economic domains has been gradual towards opening up

The leaderships of these nation-states have tried to make things easier for the development of a culture where people feel free to speak debate and disagree without being picked up, banned or thrown out of the jobs

To investigate these trends in the Pakistani context, treading a very dangerous path any student of political economy needs to see how these experiments as spelt out in the headline of this article were executed and the public at large was made to feel that it is normal or it is business as usual That paradigm of development and the era referred for an investigation of the same is usually regarded as constituting the golden years of Pakistani development experience

Economists celebrate that period based on the growth rates experienced during that period Business managers churned out by the IBA are nostalgic about the period, as the groups they were employed by grew astronomically However, few have the bones to see what was the outcome of the development paradigm which was faulty right from its onset

The development paradigm discussed before many times and being viewed from yet another angle; was based on a regimented social setup, with controlled prices, controlled democratic access and controlled media Likewise, the banking system in place during the period and later strengthened in the course of time was more suited to offer credit to the elite than to a vendor To date the banking sector finds it hard to encourage the SME

cottage or informal sectors, despite the claims and calls of the banking system for so-called ‘financial inclusion’ Such a system was best suited for a zombie set-up like North Korea Kemalist

Turkey Pahalvi Iran pre-1979 or a post-1979

Iran ruled by conservative administrations

Except for the North Korean experience, the other two societies sensed the gravity of the need for change and made tactical withdrawalS from the scene The Turkish Islamists’ ascendency since 2002 in Turkey the coming to terms with the grass root sentiment in Iran despite calls from rigid ele-

families

Practically, the growth rates were actually the growth of fortunes of the 22 families With the collective bargaining mechanisms faulty from the onset, where the public sector and private sector managements with the support of the hybrid Ayub model ready to suppress dissent; the safety valve within the system was simply absent to say the least

The so-called seven sins of economic planning culminated in social unrest which in fact buried the paradigm of growth until the next unconstitutional intervention in the country The relevance of the system regretfully lay in the short-term bonanzas these development paradigms were able to offer The

With the dialogue between the political forces and the common average person in complete disarray, the responsibility of bringing in awareness seems a hard road ahead Pakistan, without mincing words can ill afford the ‘Egyptian’ roadmap Traditionally, a democratic entity, whose inception was the outcome of 1946 elections, whose constitution was the outcome of an assembly elected in 1970; such a country is best served with adherence to the book The ever changing and fast paced political developments shun away any positive vibes or hopes It seems a long tunnel ahead, better understood metaphorically

ments within the Iranian clerical establishment to be assertive; trends indicate an adjustment to the realities

Back to the Pakistani scenario; at the time of celebration of the ‘Decade of Development by the then Ayub hybrid model everyone was happy in their governor s offices and so in the chief secretary s office or any office in the cantonment, except for the common Pakistani That Pakistani felt alienated That alienation was further heightened when the then ‘hybrid’ system’s chief economist the late Dr Mehbubul Haq honestly confessed that the decade of development as spelt out in his paper The seven sins of economic planning was nothing but the accumulation of wealth in a few hands or read

public opinion failed to see through the smokescreen that the bonanzas were managed shows and not the outcome of the natural working of the system as is witnessed in the case of India where the military establishment despite being embroiled in fight against separatist insurgencies, is not allowed access to political or economic planning infrastructures

The stable price paradigm during the Ayub era the Gulf remittances bonanza during the Zia years the Paris Club space and the smoke screen of consumer financing mode of banking during the Musharraf years all created an impression of false financial inclusion , that Pakistan was economically incompatible with the democracy based economic growth Few

T h e P M i s ke e n t o s h o w I n d i a a s t h e ‘m o t h e r o f d e m o c r a c y ’ , b u t t h i s i s o n e o f t h e m o s t u n d e m o c r a t i c p e r i o d s i n i t s h i s t o r y

Earlier this year dozens of rallies took place across the state of Maharashtra, attended by leaders from Modi s BJP, demanding laws against inter-religious marriages

GUARDIAN

R a n a ay y u b

OVER the last few months billboards across India, especially in the capital, New Delhi, have been plastered with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi The hoardings welcome international delegates to the G20 summit with the words “Mother of Democracy to host G20 On the eve of the summit which begins on Saturday the prime minister has penned an article citing the diversity of the Indian democracy He writes: For India, the G20 presidency is not merely a high-level diplomatic endeavour As the mother of democracy, and a model of diversity, we opened the doors of this experience to the world ”

Over the past year through his much-publicised state visit to the United States and through his much talked-about international trips including the G7 meetings, Modi has extolled the virtues of democracy, of a secular and inclusive nation, paying obeisance to Mahatma Gandhi at every available opportunity But this grandstanding is, in fact, a diabolic facade The ugly reality of present-day India is that minorities are under relentless attack

Let me tell you just some of what has happened in India this year alone On 31 July a railway police constable, Chetan Kumar Singh, opened fire on board a longdistance train, first killing his senior officer then proceeding to kill three Muslim passengers After shooting them he stood by a profusely bleeding corpse and invoked Modi and his Hindu nationalist ally Yogi Adityanath in a rant during which he said: If you want to live and vote in Hindustan [India] I am telling you it s only Modi and Yogi, these two people

To those who are not familiar with the everyday reality of India, this might feel like an aberration, but for many, it is simply a gruesome expression of a new reality in a country where hatred against Muslims is the easy route to win elections and gain popularity and acceptability in a society suffering from an imagined victimhood Singh went on a shooting spree venting his rage against Muslims against the backdrop of hate rallies organised by far-right organisations across the country His terror was unleashed within days of the chief minister of the north-eastern state of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma blaming Muslim vegetable vendors for inflation in the state

Through the first week of August against the hum of G20 preparations, communal riots took place an hour from Delhi, in which a Hindu mob burned down a mosque As foreign delegates across the world travelled to India to meet their counterparts in the run-up to the G20 summit calls for a social and economic boycott of Muslims were made in Gurgaon the satellite city of Delhi by far-right Hindu nationalist organisations

When they are not being lynched over the accusation of eating beef or smuggling cows, Muslims are accused of waging a war against their Hindu counterparts through a fantastical conspiracy called “love jihad”, whereby men are accused of seducing Hindu women into marriage and then abandoning them

As I went around the city, reporting and documenting these rallies, I witnessed the same hostility towards Muslims that I witnessed in Gujarat in 2002 when Modi was the state s chief minister and more than 800 Muslims were killed under his watch At the rallies I witnessed young children holding placards calling for the elimination of traitors, showing the Abduls their place, asking for young women to watch out for the trap laid out by the ones wearing beards and skull caps Muslims in India are not just humiliated on the streets they are being demonised and vilified on the big screen Modi has praised and defended two films that have been criticised as deeply Islamophobic The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story, in his election rallies Some state governments even exempted the films from certain entertainment taxes

With the culture saturated with imagery that portrays Muslims as anti-Indian traitors it is little surprise that a day after India s feted moon-landing the country found itself watching a teacher in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh asking her pupils to take turns in slapping a seven-year-old Muslim student in front of the class In the video, which went viral, the boy stands there, crying, waiting for a comforting hand, isolated in a room full of hate and indifference

The teacher was eventually booked by police under non-cognisable offences which cannot lead to an arrest without further judicial processes Controversially local police also charged a Muslim journalist, Mohammed Zubair, for allegedly disclosing the child s identity by sharing the video online

What of accountability? During Modi’s visit to the US earlier this year he took part in his first proper press conference When he was asked about India s human rights record he resorted to using the word democracy more than a dozen times in his unconvincing answer A day later, his question was answered for the world The Wall Street Journal reporter who had posed the question to the prime minister was brutally trolled on the internet by the Indian right wing and shamed for her Muslim-ness forcing the White House to issue a statement in solidarity with the journalist Modi has two languages: speaking eloquently and inclusively of Gandhi and democracy when the world is watching; and another language of silence as his country descends into violent, Hindu-nationalist majoritarianism I have closely followed Modi and his political style over the last 15 years and the most striking feature is what you might term the art of looking away But what happens now that Modi is actively courting the world s gaze to felicitate his country s achievements?

The prime minister is projecting himself as a vishwaguru (global leader) through India s hosting of the G20 The craven mainstream news channels in India project him as the only leader with the solution to the Ukraine crisis and other global issues – without questioning his inability to fix the civil unrest in India In the week of the G20 summit when India needs to project itself as an inclusive plural democracy, the discussions are now focused on renaming it Bharat , to allegedly break free of colonial chains The undercurrent to this discussion is, of course, the political right’s desire to restore “Hindu glory” to the nation

Foreign nations that buy into the PR blitzkrieg calling India the world s largest democracy out of commercial and geostrategic interests or lazy naivety are complicit in the accelerating decline of democratic values in India

For now, the host of the G20 summit is reeling under one of the most un-democratic periods in its history

u j a r a t F i l e s : A n a t o m y o f

people saw through the fact even recorded in the Kissinger Memorandum for President Nixon dated 28 April 1971 (available in the George Washington University National Security Archives) that Pakistan, apart from being confronted with insurgency in the Eastern wing, was also on the verge of default The reason why a left-wing government under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had to devalue the Rupee by 131 percent was the baggage the country s economy accrued courtesy the development paradigm followed by the Ayub-led system, which favored liberal imports for the compliant industry leaders, even if it meant widening of the current account deficit

Likewise the closing Zia years were punctuated with budget deficits

However all the pressure on budgetary discipline on part of the IMF was on the successive civilian setups under the PPP and PML(N) The end of the Musharraf- USA honeymoon too culminated in the calls for budgetary discipline which were implemented in the form of withdrawal of subsidy on POL by the succeeding PPP government under Gillani

All the scenarios were created during the Bonanza years yet the cost was paid for by the democratic and constitutional setups For a common person not having the time to go deep into the background a general impression was created that democracy brings in misery, while dictatorship brings bonanzas

Quite recently, the hybrid experiences involving all the three political parties since 2018, seems to have emboldened the apologists for these bonanzas These apologists, working overtime, seem to convince an equally bewildered public that good days are ahead, courtesy a few surgical strikes, while the ailments and the causes for the ailment are never removed nor any serious effort

demonstrated to undo the same As things stand despite the fact that Pakistan seems to be governed by the 1973 Constitution, much of the day-to-day steps, the so-called bold initiatives, create more questions based on the dictates and oaths as written down in the constitution Transgression into the domains not recommended based on lack of aptitude has already landed the country into trouble since its inception Treatment of a political quagmire with a military response in 1971, cost the federation half of the federating unit another separatist movement was given a fillip by another foolish act in 2006 when a respected leader was eliminated unceremoniously In the same manner the business houses are mandated by the Directorate of Trade Organizations to provide advisory services in the form of budget proposals’ These inputs are best inserted in the Finance Bills at federal and provincial budgetary exercises Seeking solutions beyond the mandate along with other ‘unauthorized’ stakeholders have already cost the country too much

With the dialogue between the political forces and the common average person in complete disarray, the responsibility of bringing in awareness seems a hard road ahead Pakistan without mincing words can ill afford the Egyptian roadmap Traditionally, a democratic entity, whose inception was the outcome of 1946 elections, whose constitution was the outcome of an assembly elected in 1970; such a country is best served with adherence to the book The ever changing and fast paced political developments shun away any positive vibes or hopes It seems a long tunnel ahead better understood metaphorically

The writer is a freelance columnist

India should quit the Brics

needs support from the International Monetary Fund to ensure any semblance of macroeconomic stability, and even Saudi Arabia and the UAE are living on borrowed time: A concerted global push on climate change will leave them stranded with devalued hydrocarbon assets

In short Brics+ comprises a bunch of economic has-beens The big exception is India, which is still growing rapidly, with long-term prospects that have improved markedly in recent years Since it no longer has much in common with the other Brics members, it should consider leaving both for symbolic and practical reasons

That brings us to the second big issue: politics The new Brics+ shows every sign of becoming more political, and in ways that pose serious problems for India

PR OJECT SYNDICATE

a Rv i n d S u b R a m a n i a n a n d j o S h F e l m a n

THE world s most powerful leaders will soon meet in New Delhi heralding the culmination of India s G20 presidency While the G20 has delivered very little since its early successes following the 2008 global financial crisis, there are two reasons why the group’s coming summit still matters for India

First Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned the G20 presidency into a major domestic issue by involving all of India in the preparations G20 posters featuring Modi are plastered across the country, signalling his intention to present India as a key player on the global stage The more that Indians are persuaded their country is a vishwaguru (teacher to the world) the greater the ruling party’s chances in upcoming state elections and next year s national elections

Second India now faces a big strategic choice following the Brics (Brazil Russia India China and South Africa) decision to add Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Until recently, the Brics was anomalous in design and ineffective (and thus harmless) in operation

But Brics+ is more political in focus more Chinacentric in leadership and more anti-West in motivation Its composition is shaping its character The question for India, then, is whether it still makes sense to belong to such a grouping

That answer is “probably not”, for three reasons

First consider the economics The attraction of the original Brics (South Africa joined in 2010) lay in its members economic dynamism Back in 2004 Brazil

Russia India and China were booming But today the Brics risks becoming a collective of fading stars To be sure, many of the Brics still have high levels of wealth

In particular, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE still have the resources needed to partner with and donate to poorer countries But wealth alone is no guarantee of global economic influence Just look at Japan Developing and emerging economies aren t particularly interested in a potential partner s glorious past; they want to align with countries that are on the rise

There is no doubt that the Brics of 2023 is much less dynamic than it was two decades ago Gone are the days when China could effortlessly achieve 10 per cent annual growth The economic model that produced those spectacular results has broken down such that most analysts now expect secular growth of 3 per cent or less Meanwhile, Russia has been in terminal decline for years and now its war of aggression will enfeeble it further Though Brazil is currently enjoying a boom on the back of higher commodity prices, it remains to be seen if its fortunes can be sustained

As for the others Argentina is teetering yet again on the edge of financial collapse and South Africa remains saddled with astronomically high unemployment and profound governance and fiscal challenges Egypt

For starters, its increasingly China-centric, anti-Western orientation runs counter to India’s longstanding principle of non-alignment Maintaining equidistance from rival power blocs has always been a central tenet of Indian foreign policy which it has upheld even in the face of Russia s war on Ukraine

To Modi s enormous credit, India has managed to move closer to the United States and Japan while also maintaining its relations with Russia; it has also deepened its ties with Israel and forged better relations with Egypt Saudi Arabia and especially the UAE Is India prepared to jeopardise this success just to remain a member in good standing within the enlarged Brics+?

Moreover apart from Argentina and Ethiopia the new members are all autocracies, and this fact matters now that the group is becoming more political Does India really want to belong to an authoritarian club? Notwithstanding its own political backsliding under Modi it still counts democracy as its international calling card

The third reason to quit the Brics concerns global governance There is no longer any doubt that the US and G7-led international order is unfit for purpose

After all, multilateral financial institutions do not give nearly enough voice to rising powers; multilateral trade institutions have been undermined through unilateral protectionist measures; and interdependence itself has been weaponised in the name of US national security

But even if India would prefer a new world order its vision would not coincide with that of China Russia or Saudi Arabia Among other things, the other Brics members aspire to dethrone the US dollar as the world s dominant currency, and to provide alternative development resources and emergency funding to poorer countries But these objectives imply that a better world would be based on renminbi dominance Belt and Road Initiative-type lending and a greater reluctance among official creditors to write off debts when poor countries face crises

These solutions are not obviously better than the status quo, and from India’s perspective, they are almost certainly worse How would India benefit from replacing US dominance with Chinese dominance? By lending its weight to Brics+ it would become complicit in supporting China s geopolitical aspirations

Since India already eschewed membership in the China-centred Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, it would be rather odd for it to align with China in a quasi-political grouping The feeling appears to be mutual: Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly intends to skip the G20 summit

That should make India s choice easier The G7 is outdated, and Brics+ is no alternative Tedious and performative though it has become, the multilateralism of the G20 remains a sliver of hope in navigating a new world of fragmented disorder As an assertion of its emerging strength India should leave the Brics And as a signal of its commitment to constructive alternatives it should strive to make the G20 a success

Arvind Subramanian is a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics Josh Felman is a principal at JH Consulting

What Modi won’t show the G20: Muslims killed, harassed by the police and abused in school

CHINA THINK TANK SAYS INDIA IS ‘SABOTAGING’ G20 FOR ITS OWN AGENDA

IN D I A has been trying to take advantage of its role as the host of the G20 Summit to promote its own agenda and harm China’s interests a Chinese think tank affiliated with the country s top spy agency said on Saturday

The harsh criticism by the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, which is under the Ministry of State Security, comes as G20 leaders began their annual two-day summit in India’s capital New Delhi with Chinese President Xi Jinping not attending

The think tank accused India of bringing geopolitical private goods onto the global stage, which it said would not only help the country to fulfill its responsibility as the host of G20 but also create further problems India held two earlier G20 meetings in disputed territories one in Arunachal Pradesh that China also claims and another in

Kashmir, contested by Pakistan

“In addition to causing diplomatic turmoil and public opinion turmoil India’s actions in hosting meetings in disputed territories have also stole the spotlight sabotaging the cooperative atmosphere of the G20 meeting and hindering the achievement of substantive results ” the think tank said in a commentary published on its Wechat account

China, S.Korea should expand common interests, maintain stable supply chains: Chinese premier

JAKARTA

A G E N C I E S

China and South Korea should expand their common interests jointly maintain the stable and smooth operation of industrial and supply chains continuously make the pie of cooperation bigger and seek mutual benefit and win-win results

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said during a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on the sidelines of the leaders’ meetings on East Asia cooperation held in Jakarta

China is willing to work with South Korea to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries uphold the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations and enhance political mutual trust, eliminating interference and moving toward each other, said Li China is ready to push forward the development of China-South Korea relations in line with the times to better benefit the people of both countries and promote peace stability and prosperity in the region

Li noted China and South Korea should respect each other s core interests and major concerns, safeguarding the overall situation of China-South Korea relations

China has always supported reconciliation and cooperation on the Korean Peninsula and has always stood for peace and stability according to Li

The South Korean president wished success for the Hangzhou Asian Games South Korea-China relations have made tremendous progress in the past 30 years, benefiting people from both countries, Yoon said

South Korea is willing to work with China to strengthen communication and dialogue at all levels deepening exchanges and cooperation in economic trade cultural and other sectors practicing multilateralism and free trade and pushing forward stable and healthy development of bilateral relations, as well as world peace and prosperity

South Korea is ready to strengthen coordination with China to advance trilateral cooperation between South Korea China and Japan Yoon said

Musk says he refused Kyiv request for Starlink use in attack on Russia

as fragile and dangerous Since 2020, New Delhi has also ramped up scrutiny of Chinese businesses and investments Last Sunday reacting to news that Xi would not attend the G20 summit U S President Biden said he was disappointed but would get to see him

WASHINGTON

E S

A G E N C I

The remarks may shed some light on Xi’s absence from the summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Chinese officials have declined to explain the absence Premier Li Qiang is representing China instead The two Asian neighbours have been searching for ways to ease simmering military tensions along their vast border, but New Delhi has described the situation

The think tank also said India has been trying to use the issue of debt restructuring to attack China, and has frequently cooperated with the United States and the West in hyping the “debt trap theory when Beijing has offered loans to poorer countries to build needed infrastructure likes ports or roads India s move could further create differences and rifts, hinder the international community from reaching consensus and substantive results and will ultimately cause damage to its own international image and global development interests the think tank added Xi, during a tour to the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, has promised to take more steps to revive the flagging northeast state media said on Saturday

Biden, Macron recognize what ’s going on in India but won’t talk: Arundhati Roy

NEW DELHI

A G E N C I E S

Renowned Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy has deplored that the leaders of G20 nations attending the 18th Summit of the grouping like the US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron know what s going on in India but they won t talk about it due to the interests of their countries

Arundhati Roy in an interview with Al Jazeera said all these Western leaders who speak about democracy know exactly what s going on in India She said, they know that Muslims have been massacred, that Muslims who protest have their homes bulldozed which means all the public institutions – courts magistrates the press – collude in that

They know that Muslims in certain towns have X marks on their doors and are being asked to leave They know that Muslims have been ghettoised And that now people who are accused of actually lynching murdering Muslims are leading so-called religious processions through these ghettos They know that vigilantes are out

there with swords calling for annihilation, calling for the mass rape of Muslim women They know all this, but that doesn’t matter because as always with certain Western countries it’s like “democracy for us and you know dictatorship or whatever else it is for our non-white friends It doesn t matter, she said

Arundhati Roy, who is a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s treatment of minorities – mainly its 200 million Muslims since it came to power in

2014, said she doesn’t think anybody really cares about that because everybody is looking for an opportunity a trade deal or a military equipment deal or a geopolitical strategic understanding She said, in countries like the US and the UK and France, the mainstream media has been so critical of what’s happening in India but the governments have a different agenda altogether So I don t think one needs to be naive enough to believe that that is an issue at all for the people coming here, she said To a question Arundhati Roy said that it would be foolhardy for you to think that a process in which a country of 1 4 billion people that used to be a flawed democracy – and is now falling into a kind of, well, I can only use the word fascism – is not going to affect the rest of the world, you’re extremely wrong She said there was a moment in time in 2002 after the anti-Muslim massacre in Gujarat – in which intelligence reports by countries like the UK actually held Modi responsible for what they called ethnic cleansing She said, Modi was banned from travelling to the US but all of that is forgotten now

Opposition alliance India wins 4,

NEW DELHI

A G E N C I E S

In a big boost for opposition alliance INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) ahead of the general election next year, members of the bloc scored four wins in by-polls to seven seats across six states on Friday The BJP had victories on three seats In the by-polls INDIA’s constituent party Congress emerged victorious in Kerala s Puthuppally constituency Bebi Devi of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – a constituent of the INDIA – won the Dumri seat Mamata Banerjee s Trinamool Congress wrested the Dhupguri seat from the

BJP in West Bengal Similarly In Uttar Pradesh s Ghosi constituency Akhilesh Yadav s Samajwadi Party backed by INDIA, registered victory BJP won Boxanagar and Dhanpur seats in Tripura and Bageshwar seat in Uttarakhand

The polling for the by-elections on seven assembly seats in six states was held on September 05 The by-poll results are seen as a test for the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc against the BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) ahead of the five state assembly elections scheduled later this year and the crucial Lok Sabha polls in 2024

Elon Musk said he refused a Ukrainian request to activate his Starlink satellite network in Crimea’s port city of Sevastopol last year to aid an attack on Russia s fleet there saying he feared complicity in a major act of war

The billionaire businessman made the comment on his social media platform X after CNN cited a excerpt from a new biography of Musk that says he ordered the Starlink network turned off near the Crimean coast last year to disrupt the Ukrainian sneak attack In the post on X – formerly known as Twitter – late on Thursday Musk said he had no choice but to reject an emergency request from Ukraine to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol He did not give the date of the request and the excerpt did not specify it “The obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor ” Musk wrote “If I had agreed to their request then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict

escalation Russia, which seized the strategic Crimea peninsula in 2014, bases its Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol and has used the fleet in a de factor blockade of Ukrainian ports since its full-scale invasion in 2022

The Russian fleet fires cruise missiles at Ukrainian civilian targets and Kyiv has launched attacks on Russian ships using maritime drones

According to CNN, Walter Isaacson s new biography

Elon Musk, to be released by Simon & Schuster on Tuesday, says that when Ukrainian explosive-laden submarine drones last year approached the Russian fleet they “lost connectivity and washed ashore harmlessly

It said Musk s decision which left Ukrainian officials begging him to turn the satellites back on, was driven by an acute fear that Russia would respond to a Ukrainian attack with nuclear weapons

CNN said that according to the biography, this was based on Musk’s conversations with senior Russian officials and his fears of a mini-Pearl Harbor

In August a Russian warship was seriously damaged in a Ukrainian naval drone attack on Russia s Black Sea navy base at Novorossiysk, the first time the Ukrainian navy has projected its power so far from the country’s shores SpaceX through private donations and under a separate contract with a US foreign aid agency has been providing Ukrainians and the country s military with Starlink internet service a fast-growing network of more than 4,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, since the beginning of the war in 2022

The Pentagon said in June that SpaceX’s Starlink had a Department of Defense contract to buy satellite services for Ukraine

Commenting on the reports on Ukrainian national television Vadym Skybytskyi an officer in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry s Intelligence Directorate GUR, did not directly address whether Musk had declined Ukraine’s request But he said it was necessary to investigate and to “appoint a specific group to examine what happened ”

A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on Musk s decision but said The Department continues to work closely with commercial industry to ensure we have the right capabilities the Ukrainians need to defend themselves

BJP 3 in by-polls

China’s CPI reverses negative growth in August due to ongoing economic stimulus

ISLAMABAD

China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key indicator of inflation witnessed a turnaround in August in line with market expectations This reversal of negative growth seen in the previous month underscores the nation s ongoing recovery in the consumer market amid a mix of economic stimulus measures implemented following a top leadership meeting in July

With domestic demand steadily rising it is expected that domestic CPI will register a higher year-on-year increase in the coming months, experts said, refuting Western claims that a deflation crisis is gripping the world’s second-largest economy

CPI rose by 0 1 percent on a yearly basis in August while the factory-gate prices of bulk commodities posted a narrow decline according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Saturday Pork prices, a significant factor influencing food prices decreased by 17 9 percent year-on-year in August narrowing 8 1 percentage points from the fall in July

The price of eggs rose by 3 0 percent, reversing a negative trend seen in the previous month

Among non-food items, air tickets, tourism products and hotels all registered double-digit price growth in August

building upon the gains in July thanks to a summer holiday spending peak Core CPI deducting food and energy prices rose by 0 8 percent year-on-year maintaining a stable trajectory In month-on-month terms, the consumer index increased by 0 3 percent, 0 1 percentage point faster than the growth in July, reflecting a continuous improvement in the relationship between demand and supply as the consumer market maintains a recovery momentum NBS statistician Dong Lijuan said in a statement An increase in pork and fuel prices, along with expansion in the services sector in the summer holiday, mainly drove the CPI up in August from a bottoming

out in the previous month, Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International told the Global Times on Saturday

Predicating a 0 1 percent increase for the CPI in September, Wang said the current phenomenon of low product prices will continue throughout the remainder of the year, “which means following-up stimulus measures to boost consumption would become more pronounced Wang said

In early August China s top economic planner rolled out a range of measures to boost consumption, vowing to stimulate spending on a wide range of items and services, including new-energy vehicles home appliances electronics

catering cultural and tourism sectors as well as in rural areas

Weak price data since the start of the second quarter has raised market concerns about deflation that could potentially harm the nation s economic recovery

However, Wang said there are no fundamental signs suggesting that China is facing a deflation risk on a full-year basis

Deflation usually means a decline in money supply, prolonged low prices and economic recession The temporary low prices in China shouldn’t be directly equated with deflation he said NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui said previously that there were multiple reasons for the weak CPI including a complex and severe international environment, a sluggish world economy, insufficient domestic demand and a relatively high base throughout the previous year He stressed that the weakness is temporary

The NBS also announced on Saturday that the August Producer Price Index (PPI), a main gauge of factory prices, fell by 3 0 percent year-on-year, narrowing 1 4 percentage points from the decrease in the previous month This marks the second consecutive month to witness such contraction In June PPI hit its lowest point since 2016 with a decline of 5 4 percent

CORPORATE CORNER

OMI Hospital, JLI join hands to elevate healthcare access for jubilee health cardholders

GOVT PERSUADES BANKS TO RESUME LENDING MONEY TO PIA

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

TH E R E are chances of improvement in the financial condition of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) as on the government’s intervention private banks have decided to start giving loans to the airline again

As per instructions given to banks funds will be released to the PIA, which is grappling with financial constraints because of the inability to repay interest let alone the principal amount

It is being hoped that the release of funds which is expected to start next week will help better the balance of payment by the national flag carrier

Caretaker federal minister for human rights expresses grief and sorrow over loss of life in Morocco ear thquake

Caretaker Federal Minister Khalil George expressed his deep sorrow over the terrible earthquake in Morocco The federal minister said that he is with the government and people of Morocco in this hour of trial Khalil George further said that he sympathizes with the affected families for the loss of life and property It is to be remembered that this catastrophic earthquake occurred last night in the southwestern region of Morocco with a magnitude of 6 8 recorded PR

Baligh, Tessori disc uss cooperation between Punjab, S indh

K A R A C H I: Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman during his visit to Karachi called on Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori on Saturday During the meeting, cooperation between two provinces exchange of delegations steps to increase industrial development and other issues of mutual interest came under discussion Speaking on the occasion Kamran Tessori emphasized need to take advantage of experiences of each other in different sectors of national economy Baligh Ur

Rehman lauded the public welfare initiatives of Sindh Governor and said his initiatives could be beneficial for the industrialists of the country INP

Commissioner reviews anti-narcotics operation in Q ila Abdullah, Pishin

QUETTA A P P

Commissioner Quetta Division Muhammad Hamza Shafqat on Saturday visited Qila Abdullah and Pishin districts and reviewed the ongoing antinarcotics operation in the area Deputy

Commissioner Pishin, Jameel Ahmed Baloch briefed Commissioner Quetta regarding the mega anti-narcotics operation The security forces have launched a grand operation to eliminate drug production and drug factories in the Qila Abdullah and Pishin districts of Balochistan Hamza Shafqat has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the levies other law enforcement teams, and administrative officers in the anti-drug operation He said no effort would be spared to crash the elements involved in the narcotics business and their hideouts On the instructions of Corps Commander Balochistan the Pakistan Army FC Balochistan AntiNarcotics Force, Levies and other law enforcement agencies are participating in the operation Some 9 narcotics manufacturing and processing factories were demolished, and manufactured and stored drugs worth millions of rupees were also eradicated The operation was finalized in a meeting held on August 28 at Headquarters 12 Corps in which all stakeholders were agreed On August 30 a jirga was also organized in Qila Abdullah under the Anti-Drug Campaign In the Jirga, the local elders demanded the abolition of drug factories to stop the production of drugs in Qila Abdullah and Gulistan and assured security agencies of their full support

The airline s management has decided to spend the amount on the purchase of spare parts for planes and other purposes Three days ago, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar had called for drawing up a detailed plan for the restructuring of struggling flag carrier as soon as possible

Once formed, the plan will then be presented to the country s Economic Coordination Committee The government’s plans to privatize the PIA have not been received by the airline s employees well Union leaders have argued that any privatization of the state-owned carrier would lead to poorer working conditions for staff members and a lower standard of service for passengers

KARACHI P R Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tessori has said that every steps must be ensured to protect life and property of common man throughout the province and this should be to priority of Provincial Home department

This he said while talking with caretaker provincial Home Minister Brig( R) Haris Nawaz here today at Governor House Overall law & order situation in the province,strategy to control street crimes in Karachi, installation of CCTV cameras and other related issues were discussed in detail on the occasion Governor Sindh lauded the security measures of law enforcement agencies during Muharram and Chehlum gatherings and proces-

sions throughout the province A viable strategy to control street crime in Karachi should also evolved to protect the citizen from this menace, he added He said that street crimes could

also be controlled by enhancing police patrolling in affected areas and installation of CCTV cameras Caretaker Home Minister briefed Governor Sindh about the working of his department in detail

C aretaker CM stresses need for enhancing power generation c apacity

PESHAWAR

A P P Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister, Muhammad Azam Khan here Saturday stressed to increase power generation in KP saying completion of ongoing power generation projects would not only add electricity to the national grid but also help increase the income of the province He was chairing the 13th policy board meeting of the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) The meeting was attended by caretaker minister for energy Ahmad Jan Additional Chief Secretary Zubair Asghar Secretary Finance Ayaz Khan

Secretary Law Shagufta Naveed Secretary Energy Tashfeen Haider , Chief Executive Officer PEDO, Engr Naeem Khan and concerned officials

On the occasion, the Chief Minister presented the annual report of PEDO for the year 2022-233 Caretaker CM expressed satisfaction over PEDO's performance expressing hope that PEDO would ensure timely completion of energy generation projects to enhance the energy generation capacity of the province

President condoles with families of mar t yrs of Gwadar helicopter crash

ISLAMABAD

I N P

President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday telephoned the bereaved families of shuhada who were martyred during a helicopter crash in Gwadar on September 4 and paid tribute to their sacrifices

During telephonic conversations with the bereaved families of late Lt Commander Jawad Ali Shah and Hamza Abid he expressed his condolences with them President Alvi also condoled with the family of shaheed Hasnain Haider, technician He said that the nation would always remember the sacrifices of shuhada and their families

He also prayed for the high ranks of the martyrs and for their families to bear the losses with fortitude

CM Naqvi orders to upgrade police stations across Punjab

LAHORE A P P

and provide cheap electricity to people The meeting also approved the current budget estimate of PEDO for 2023-24 and reviewed the budget for 2022-23

The meeting was told that revenue of Rs 47 billion has been generated by energy projects of PEDO and seven hydropower projects of 162 MW have been completed under PEDO while five power-generating projects are in the final stage of completion

The meeting was informed that work is in progress on the 13 5 MW Chappari Charkhel project and 6 9 MW Mujabdeen hydropower projects while work has been started on the 300 MW Balakot Hydropower project with financial assistance from Asian Development Bank The work would soon start on the 88 MW Gabral Kalam project and 157 MW Madayn hydropower project

Participants of the meeting were briefed that the Civil Secretariat CM House and CM Secretariat have been converted to solar power while 8000 schools 187 Basic Health Units and 4000 mosques have also been converted to solar power PEDO has also converted 300 mosques of merged districts to solar power It was told that 356 mini micro hydropower projects are completed in Phase I while work is underway on 291 power projects under Phase II

Pakistan, S audi joint Naval exercises commence at Jubail, KSA

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

The Joint Naval Exercises between Pakistan Navy (PN) and Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) titled Naseem Al Bahr-XIV and Deraa Al Sahil commenced at Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia The exercises were aimed to consolidate bilateral relations and enhance interoperability between the two navies and Special Ops Forces The maritime drills included range of naval operations covering traditional & non-traditional warfare domains

For participation in exercises, PN Flotilla comprising Pakistan Navy Ships SAIF HIMMAT DEHSHAT and MUHAFIZ reached Al Jubail port of Saudi Arabia The ships were warmly welcomed by senior RSNF officials

and Pakistan s Diplomatic Staff at Saudi Arabia In addition to Naval Ships, Special Operations Forces & Marines of both the navies helicopters and aircraft of Royal Saudi Air Force are participating in the exercises During the harbour phase, both sides exchanged views on professional subjects and finalised the planning of sea exercises Harbour phase activities included workshops on tactical pro-

cedures, seminars, simulators training, exchange visits and coordination meetings prior conduct of exercises at sea Exercise Naseem Al Bahr is biennial naval exercise that has evolved over three decades The exercise is a manifestation of PakSaudi strategic relations and mutual resolve to enhance cooperation in naval domain to jointly deal maritime challenges

Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi during a meeting at his office on Saturday, reviewed the up-gradation and design of police force

He ordered to repair and upgrade the police stations across Punjab besides repairing of motorbikes of Dolphin Police and vehicles of the Police Response Unit

The CM said that high quality front desk investigation room, waiting area and washrooms would be available in the up-graded police stations

He directed the authorities concerned to get repaired motorbikes of Dolphin Police and vehicles of Police Response Unit within one month along with taking a building on rent as a prompt relief so as to establish new police stations CM Mohsin Naqvi stated that a lot of time and money would be spent on making new police stations, adding that police stations would be built by taking buildings on rent according to need Mohsin Naqvi directed to provide maximum facilities to the visitors in the police stations along with providing an excellent friendly environment He ordered to improve the standard of cleanliness in the police stations, saying that police personnel deputed on duty at the front desk should be in uniform Inspector General of Police (IGP) briefed the meeting about matters related to up-gradation and design of police force Chief Secretary, Additional IG Special Branch, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) CCPO Lahore Secretary Finance, Secretary Communication and Works DIG Operations and officials concerned attended the meeting

Lalika's funeral prayer offered

BAHAWALNAGAR

A P P

The funeral prayer of ex-provincial minister Mian Shaukat Ali Lalika was offered on Saturday at his native village Chak Amir Lalika

According to details the car of Mian Shaukat Ali

Laleka and his wife met with an accident yesterday

As a result of the accident Mian Shaukat Ali Lalika and his wife could not survive due to their injuries

People from different walks of life participated in the funeral prayer

Exper ts for achieving regional energy security through building its trade mechanism

ISLAMABAD

external shocks like Russian-Ukrainian War and dollar exchange rate fluctuations She said that energy was a lifeline f o r S o u t h A s i a n e c o n o m i e s a n d t h e issue of high energy bills was a shared r e g i o n a l c o n c e r n a n d n o t l i m i t e d t o P a k i s t a n a d d i n g t h a t s t r u c t u r a l c h a llenges in the regional energy landscape and combined with demographic shifts h a m p e r e d s u s t a i n a b l e e c o n o m i c growth Senior Advisor and Research Fellow SDPI Dr Hassan Daud Butt said that regional energy challenges were common and collaborative integrated approach for sustainable equitable renewable energy transition was the way forward amid

rising costs and socio-economic disparities which calls for amplifying efforts for regionally acceptable solutions

He stressed for bolstering regional co-operation beyond political conflicts, making responsive energy policies to tackle evolving economic challenges and global trends as means to uplift marginalized and vulnerable communities and ensuring inclusive access to clean energy in South Asia Head of Energy Unit, SDPI, Ubaidur-Rehman said that reliance on imported energy sources had created vulnerability to energy supplies and price fluctuations for South Asian countries as apparent from the impacts of the ongoing regional turmoil

Research Fellow (Renewable Energy) Ahsan Javed highlighted the untapped regional energy trade potential which must be leveraged to boost energy security through regional grid Regional trade of surplus electricity can also increase revenue generation for economic growth he stressed Lead Researcher Energy Unit SDPI Dr Khalid Waleed discussed the energy profiles of South Asian countries and charted the way forward for energy cooperation by overcoming political-economic barriers removing tariffs promoting energy networks exploring joint financing avenues joint platform for energy planners and sharing energy and

S indh Governor says ever y steps must be ensured to protec t life

C A N G O V T ’ S I N J E C T I O N H E L P P I A

B U I L D O N I T S G A I N S I N 2 0 2 3 ?

g COMPANY CONFIDENT IT CAN BUILD ON SUCCESS IF DO SOMETHING WITH ITS STOCK OF DEBT

ON Saturday Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced via social media platform X that the Government of Pakistan had intervened to alleviate its financial woes The government facilitated the release of vital funds through banking channels providing a much-needed lifeline for the beleaguered airline PIA refrained from disclosing specific figures but confirmed that these funds would be allocated to settle longstanding dues These encompass payments for aircraft and engine leases spares support and handling payments at foreign stations The airline also hinted at ongoing restructuring efforts, indicating a strategic approach to surmount their financial challenges

“PIA is ensnared in a web of financial challenges stated Abdullah Khan the Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at PIA These challenges are, however, not due to elevated administrative costs, he continued, but because of financial obligations that have snowballed over the last two decades

“Even during the first half of the

year, PIA has managed to post an operational profit, Khan unveiled However, due to the colossal costs of repaying principal and interest on liabilities amounting to a staggering Rs 742 billion it inevitably slips back into the red he concluded with a note of finality

Glancing at PIA’s financials

The question of whether the government s financial injection can serve as a panacea for PIA’s financial ailments remains a contentious issue Yet one can hardly fault Khan for his exuberance PIA is currently basking in a rare moment of glory having managed to pivot from a six-year losing streak to an operating profit this year

However, as Khan astutely observes, these gains have not translated into a net profit for PIA The national carrier has found itself in the red with losses amounting to Rs 62 billion just halfway through 2023 These losses Khan points out, can be traced back to PIA s burgeoning finance costs, which skyrocketed to Rs 37 billion in June

To put this into perspective, PIA’s finance costs for the entirety of 2022 stood at Rs 50 billion a record high over the past six years Yet barely halfway into 2023 PIA has already incurred a staggering 74% of this cost In

NAB prosecutor general quits job over ‘personal engagements’

National Accountability Bureau s (NAB) Prosecutor

General Justice (retd) Syed Asghar Haider has resigned from his post citing “personal engagements” on Saturday According to sources the Prime Minister ’s House has received the resignation of Asghar Haider whose term of office was due to end in February 2024

The sources revealed that the NAB had completed its investigation into the 190 million pounds scandal and a reference in this was due to be submitted in court this month But now the NAB cannot file the reference without prosecutor general’s approval the sources added Without the prosecutor general the holding of executive board meeting and approval of cases were also now hanging in the balance The prosecutor general s nod was also a must for restoration of cases following striking down of NAB amendments law by the Supreme Court It may be recalled that the previous PTI government had granted three-year extension in service to Asghar Haider through promulgation of an ordinance

Non-bailable warrants issued for Arshad Sharif’s wife, producer

ISLAMABAD

M O N I T O R I N G R E P O R T

A district and sessions court issued non-bailable arrest warrants on Saturday for murdered journalist Arshad Sharif ’s wife Summaiya Arshad and producer Ali Usman The warrants were issued after the two reportedly failed to appear despite summons from the court Sharif a prominent anchorperson had fled the country in August 2022 to avoid arrest after he was slapped with multiple cases, including sedition charges, over an interview with PTI leader Shahbaz Gill during which the latter had made controversial comments Gill served as a special assistant to the then-prime minister during PTI s term in government from 2018 to 2022 Alleging threats to his life Sharif had moved to Dubai in August and later relocated to Kenya In a killing shrouded in mystery, Sharif was shot dead on the outskirts of Kenya’s Nairobi city on October 23

Kenyan Human Rights Commission’s (KHRC) Senior Programme Adviser Martin Mavenjin has said that the murder investigation conducted by local authorities hinted at an inside job and implied Sharif was under surveillance for a while

A separate case is in ongoing in the Supreme Court after soon-to-retire Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial took suo moto notice of the investigative journalist’s investigation in December 2022

At the last hearing held in July 2023 the top court rejected Sharif s mother s plea to include five persons who the family believes have knowledge regarding the conspirators and perpetrators behind the assassination, in the scope of the investigation

PIA s defence, its soaring borrowing costs can be attributed to the State Bank of Pakistan’s decision to hike the policy rate to unprecedented levels in 2023

However this does not account for why PIA has consistently racked up such exorbitant borrowing costs over the past six years

A closer look at PIA s debt composition reveals a stark contrast between its short-term and long-term debt The former has consistently outstripped the latter each year for the past six years

If we factor in PIA s advances from its subsidiaries and deferred liabilities (including pension obligations and vehicle redelivery expenses), its long-term liabilities do surpass its current liabilities However, when it comes to the structure of PIA’s debt short-term debt takes precedence over long-term debts

This is noteworthy because ideally debt should not be structured in this manner

The longer the maturity term of the debt, the lower the interest rate that is subsequently attached to it This presents PIA with a potential silver lining The more funds it can allocate towards reducing its short-term debt currently standing at Rs 448 billion the more it stands to gain from reductions in borrowing costs

However not everyone shares PIA s optimism about its turnaround strategy

A public with no faith left

Every time PIA registers a deficit, it s akin to daylight robbery Its debt structure is inconsequential; the sheer magnitude of the total debt stock renders it insurmountable It’s a veritable abyss for taxpayer money and borrowed funds a burden our future generations will be saddled with proclaims Yousuf Farooq, the Director of Research at Chase Securities He adds, In its current state of operation, PIA is a sinking ship, leaving lenders in a quandary The citizens of Pakistan are left with no choice but to bankroll this debacle until privatisation ensues

This then segues into the second facet of the debate concerning PIA s profitability There s no denying that PIA has achieved the unthinkable by managing to turn an operating profit Whether PIA can sustain its winning streak for the remainder of the year remains a mystery However this presents a conundrum akin to the chicken and egg problem

Is it necessary for PIA to generate a net profit before taxpayers can finally concede that the national flag carrier has the potential to be profitable? Or does it necessitate this current financial infusion to safeguard any glimmer of hope for a profit this year from being extinguished especially with the spectre of another policy rate hike looming ominously on the horizon?

SIFC Apex Committee vets effor ts to improve business, investment climate

Ministers and high-level government officials Ministries presented comprehensive plans covering milestones timelines and solutions to overcome major challenges

The committee unanimously decided to take all decisions in the larger interest of the Country and deal with the menace of smuggling, hoarding and market manipulations with iron hands through an elaborate enforcement mechanism

Dr Yasmin Rashid, Khadija Shah remanded in police custody

LAHORE S TA F

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore granted the police further physical remand of former Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and designer Khadija Shah on Saturday in separate cases pertaining to May 9 riots

The court was informed that new charges related to sedition and inciting mutiny have been added to the rioting and hate speech case in connection with rioting and vandalism at Sherpao Bridge

The investigation officer (IO) sought further custody of Dr Yasmin Rashid who was part of ousted prime minister Imran Khan’s cabinet

The ATC directed the police to produce Dr Rashid in court on September 14 in the case registered at Sarwar Police Station Rashid has been arrested multiple times in connection with May 9 protests against Imran’s arrest

Meanwhile, the police produced Khadija Shah before the ATC in a case pertaining to arson at Askari Tower and sought further physical remand based on additional provisions included in the case

The ATC accepted the request and granted the police further custody of Shah

In another case related to the May 9 riots and vandalism, the ATC sent six others on judicial remand Accused Arbaz, Abdul Hafeez, Faheem Qaiser Tahir Khan Muhammad Gul and Ghulam Abbas implicated in a case registered at Shadman Police Station were produced before the court

The court denied the police s request for physical remand and sent the accused on judicial remand Thousands across the country, with most hailing from Punjab, have been behind bars for months in various cases pertaining to protests that broke out nationwide after Imran’s arrest on May 9 At least 102 suspects have been detained in the military s custody pending trials under the Army Act

The second session was arranged to seek input from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Information Technology & Telecommunications, National Food Security & Research and Water Resources for improving the business and investment climate in the Country

The meeting was chaired by the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Federal Cabinet, Provincial Chief

The Prime Minister directed the ministries to optimally utilise the short interim period for a positive contribution while also initiating medium and longterm policy interventions

Chief of Army Staff pledged unwavering support of Pakistan Army to backstop the government’s efforts for economic revival of the country

imran Khan moves top cour t against army ac t, O fficial Secrets ac t amendments

Former prime minister Imran Khan challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday amendments made to the Official Secrets Act and Pakistan Army Act Advocate Shoaib Shaheen filed a petition against recent amendments to Army Act 1952 under Article 184 of the Constitution of Pakistan on behalf of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairperson The petition contends that the new clauses are in violation of human rights President and PTI member Dr Arif Alvi the Government of Pakistan and the National Assembly have been listed as respondents in the petition which prays the court to declare amendments in both laws unconstitutional and annul the same It mentions that Dr Alvi has stated on social media that he did not give his approval for both these laws to be passed C

C L A U S E S : The Pakistan Army Act 1952 and Official Secrets Act 1923 were amended last month after passing through the lower and upper houses and reportedly the President s Office Among other clauses Official Secrets (Amendment) Act 2023 renders a person guilty of an offence if they intentionally create a problem of public order or act against the state They will also be liable to punitive action if they attack or

damage a “prohibited place” with aim to “directly or indirectly benefit the enemy” Those implicated will be tried in a special court and a decision will be taken after completing the hearing within 30 days under the amended law

Meanwhile, Army Act (Amendment) Act 2023 includes provisions related to retired military personnel among others

Under the amended law no military personnel can participate in any political activity for up to two years after retirement, resignation or dismissal”, while military personnel or officers performing duties related to “sensitive nature” cannot participate in political activities for five years after termination of service A retired army officer found guilty of violating Army Act 2023 may be imprisoned for a term of up to two years

Moreover, if any serving or retired army personnel scandalises or ridicules the army on digital or social media he can be punished under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) According to the said law, any serving or retired officer who “causes defamation of the army” or “spreads hatred against the institution will be punished with imprisonment of two years and fine under the Army Act

I

Elahi’s wife moves SC for her husband’s release

the Senate, National Assembly and finally assent by the President

It mentions Dr Alvi’s tweet posted on X formerly Twitter on August 20 2023 wherein he explicitly states his contention with the amendments enacted into law and denies having signed the two bills

“As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws I asked my staff to return the bills unsigned within stipulated time to make them ineffective I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned & was assured that they were However I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command As Allah knows all, He will forgive IA But

I ask forgiveness from those who will be effected,” wrote Dr Alvi

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Central President

Parvez Elahi’s wife on Saturday filed a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) against the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision of disposing of a plea seeking the release of her husband following his rearrest In her petition, she made the caretaker Punjab government, Punjab interior secretary and the provincial inspector general of police respondents Elahi’s wife prayed the apex court to annul the LHC’s Sept 6 decision The LHC had disposed of a plea seeking its order for the production and release of the PTI president after terming it infructuous

Elahi s wife pleaded the top court to release her husband, saying that the LHC did not examine the facts related to his arrest

M R A N’S P E T I T I O N: The petition filed before the apex court on behalf of the PTI chief lists out the process for a bill to be enacted into law which requires the approval of

The tweet came hours after news broke of the two laws being enacted Based on Dr Alvi s statement on social media the petition argues that the passage of these laws was unconstitutional and moves the court to expunge said amendments as due process was not followed It further draws the court’s attention to amendments introduced in the Official Secrets Act which empower secret agencies to raid and detain any citizen or enter and search any person in any place without obtaining a search warrant from any court of law,” terming them “unethical” and in violation of the Constitution

The plea also sought the SC’s restraining orders against his possible rearrest in any undisclosed case registered against him She requested the top court to issue orders for Elahi s production before the court Elahi s wife apprised the top court that despite the LHC s restraining order against his possible arrest, her husband was rearrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order by the Islamabad police shortly after being released by the National Accountability Bureau and subsequently he was put under house arrest in Adiala Jail for the next 15 days

She stated that her husband was 77 years old and had fought for the betterment of the country throughout his life

The petition stated that the Anti-Corruption Department had registered a case under the charge of receiving bribe in a road project

“The Additional Anti-Corruption Department DG raided our house

The behaviour of the police was as if they were conducting an operation against terrorists in the Kacha tribal area of Rahim Yar Khan

US, India, S audia, EU unveil rail, por ts deal on G20 sidelines

NEW DELHI

A G E N C I E S

Global leaders announced a multinational rail and ports deal linking the Middle East and South Asia on Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi

The pact comes at a critical time as US President Joe Biden seeks to counter China’s Belt and Road push on global infrastructure by pitching Washington as an alternative partner and investor for developing countries at the G20 grouping Biden said it was a real big deal that would bridge ports across two continents and lead to a “more stable, more prosperous and integrated Middle East ” He said at an event announcing the pact that it would unlock

endless opportunities for clean energy clean electricity, and laying cable to connect communities

I n d i a n P r i m e M i n i s t e r N a r e n d r a

M o d i s a i d : “ To d a y, a s w e e m b a r k u p o n s u c h a b i g c o n n e c t i v i t y i n i t i a t i v e w e a r e s o w i n g t h e s e e d s f o r f u t u r e g e n e r a t i o n s t o d r e a m b i g g e r

The deal will benefit low and middle-income countries in the region, and enable a critical role for the Middle East in global commerce, Jon Finer, the US deputy national security adviser told reporters at the bloc’s annual summit in New Delhi It aims to link Middle East countries by railway and connect them to India by port helping the flow of energy and trade from the Gulf to Europe, US officials have said,

by cutting shipping times costs and fuel use

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the deal was set to be signed by the European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the US and other G20 partners Linking these key regions we think is a huge opportunity said Finer No immediate details of the value of the deal were available T h e m o v e c o m e s a m i d U S e ff o r t s f o r a b r o a d e r d i p l o m a t i c d e a l i n t h e M i d d l e E a s t t h a t w o u l d h a v e S a u d i A r a b i a r e c o gn i s e I s r a e l From the US viewpoint Finer added the deal helps turn the temperature