Epaper_23-09-16 KHI

SC OrderS tO reStOre ALL COrrUPtION CASeS AGAINSt PUBLIC OffICe-hOLderS

IN a 2-1 majority verdict the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered to restore the corruption cases against public office holders that were withdrawn after amendments were made to the country’s accountability laws

The reserved verdict was announced by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s 2022 petition challenging amendments made to the accountability laws

CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan declared Imran s plea to be maintainable while Justice Shah disagreed with the majority verdict, according to which not just the corruption cases but also the inquiries and investigations were directed to be restored The bench announced the verdict by 2-1 majority with third member of the bench, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah wrote note of dissent

The bench appeared to be visibly divided over the issue during 53 hearings on the former prime minister ’s petition Justice Shah consistently questioned the maintainability of the petition whereas CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan remained critical of some of the amendments made to the NAB law by the Pakistan Democratic Movement government

The court also declared some amendments to the accountability laws to be contrary to the Constitution These included one which limited the National

Accountability Bureau s (NAB) jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs500 million and one which allowed the accused to claim the amount of plea bargain deposited after being acquitted

The court also declared the verdicts issued by the accountability courts in light of the amendments made to the laws were declared null and void The court directed NAB to send the record to the relevant courts within seven days

In June 2022 the former premier had moved the apex court against amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022 The amendments made several changes to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 including reducing the term of the NAB chairman and prosecutor general to three years, limiting NAB s jurisdiction to cases involving over Rs500 million, and transferring all

pending inquiries, investigations, and trials to the relevant authorities

In his petition the PTI chief had

claimed that the amendments to the NAB law had been made to benefit influential accused persons and legitimise corruption

In recent hearings, Justice Shah had repeatedly urged for a full court to hear the case citing the frozen Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) law However CJP Bandial had opposed it noting that his retirement was near and the matter had already been pending before the court for a considerable time since at least July 19, 2022

The SC had reserved its verdict in the case on September 5 after 53 hearings with the members of the three-judge bench debating the power of parliament to enact legislation with retrospective effect Making a reference to the judgement, the bench had said something “short and sweet” would be released soon

Inquir y against caretaker PM Kakar closed on ‘merit’: NAB

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday clarified that an inquiry launched against caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar in connection with assets was closed on merit after a thorough investigation into the allegations The clarification came hours after a three-member bench of the Supreme Court in a majority 2-1 verdict ordered restoration of graft cases against public office-holders which were withdrawn after amendments were made to the NAB laws According to NAB authorities the charges against the incumbent interim premier could not be proved as no concrete evidence came on the record during the inquiry Complaint against the caretaker PM had nothing to do with the NAB amendments, the officials said NAB sources said that the anti-graft watchdog had launched an inquiry against PM Kakar in connection with his assets in Quetta but the allegations could not be proved and subsequently, the inquiry was dropped on “merit” The well-placed sources also said that the “matter” had been cleared before he was named as the caretaker prime minister

Giving election date beyond mandate of interim set-up: PM

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday said that announcing the election date was beyond the mandate of the interim government

Speaking at a press conference after a high-level meeting at the PM House today PM Kakar once again ruled out the prospect of declaring the poll date

Gov t announces biggest hike in POL prices

ISLAMABAD

The caretaker government on Friday night pushed through another hike in the prices of petrol by Rs26 02 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs17 34 per litre

The increase brings the price of petrol to Rs331 38 per litre while HSD is Rs329 18 per litre the Ministry of Finance said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) after midnight

It added that the decision was taken owing to the increasing trend of petroleum prices in the international market

No revision was specified in the rates of kerosene or light diesel oil

The price increase comes on the heels of an already massive hike on Sept 1 when the interim government raised fuel prices by up to Rs18 per litre That jump in petroleum prices had come after similar hikes by the interim government on Aug 15 The price hike is based on existing tax rates and import parity prices, mainly because of currency fluctuation and a slight increase in international oil prices

No ban on anyone’s entr y into Pakistan: Sar fraz Bugti

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Thursday confirmed that the caretaker federal cabinet’s subcommittee on the Exit Control List (ECL) recommended putting the names of former first lady Bushra Bibi s trusted friend and confidante Farah Gogi and that of her husband among others on the no-fly list but clarified that there was no ban on anyone s entry into Pakistan

The announcement means that Meezan

In response to a question, he said, If I were to announce elections, I would be engaging in an unlawful act and as a journalist you should be aware that if you steer us towards illegal actions and pose questions that might tempt us to break the law, then what should my response be?

Earlier this week, the premier had made similar remarks when he stated that it was the Election Commission of Pakistan s (ECP) responsibility to decide on election date, adding: We have no intention to prolong the tenure of the caretaker government ”

point of the recent crackdown has been to rein in the open market and strengthen governance internal controls and compliance culture in the sector As part of these reforms, leading banks actively engaged in foreign exchange business would establish wholly owned Exchange Companies to cater to the legitimate foreign exchange needs of the general public Additionally the minimum capital requirement for Exchange Companies has been increased from Rs 200 million to Rs 500 million, free of losses

Concerns on the poll timing have arisen from the ECP ruling out elections this year It reasons its decision to push elections beyond November 9 on the basis of the notification of results of the new digital 2023 census and Section 17(2) of the Elections Act which states:

“The commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published ACTIONS AGAINST CROSSBORDER SMUGGLING: The PM also stated that an effective management plan was actively being implemented to curb cross-

border smuggling We have zero tolerance for those involved in the smuggling industry and the law will take its course ” he asserted Kakar further mentioned that extensive discussions had taken place regarding the Afghan transit trade agreement and the reopening of the Torkham border He noted that the commerce ministry had taken a lead role working in collaboration with border management authorities including customs to revise policies governing the allowance or restriction of trade items

Furthermore, the premier dismissed the notion that cracking down on smuggling would deprive the local population along the bordering areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan of their livelihoods He emphasised that these provinces deserved a legitimate and thriving trade environment not smuggling The caretaker PM expressed the determination to a relentless campaign to deal with the issues of power pilferage, hoarding and smuggling

The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction over the actions taken against smuggling, hoarding and power pilferage over the last few days He appreciated the efforts of the provincial chief secretaries and Inspector Generals of Police in this regard He also noted an increased vigilance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces against smuggling and highlighted the intervention of the Intelligence Bureau in addressing areas of concern The Prime Minister emphasized the need for gradually improving the performance of civil institutions to better deal with governance related challenges

Asked about the involvement of Afghan refugees involved in cross-border smuggling, Kakar said an effective policy in this regard had been agreed upon

He categorised Afghans living in Pakistan into three types: those registered with the government aliens with no justification to reside , and those with identity theft

To a question about what purpose would it serve when the names of Gogi and her husband Ahsan Jamil Gujjar were already on the ECL the caretaker interior minister said that legal formalities had to be fulfilled when the investigation agencies including NAB, anti-corruption, intelligence agencies and other law enforcement agencies, sought placing individuals names on the list “To be frank, the discussion was not focused on individuals but on their cases and the necessary action which was required to be taken ” Bugti stated The committee has to ensure that no one is treated differently

To another question if Gogi and her husband were already cooperating with the authorities concerned, what were the chances of their return to the country, Bugti said that he had no knowledge if they were in touch with the authorities adding that they could return anytime if they wanted as there is no ban on anyone s entry into Pakistan

He explained that the committee had also recommended removing the names of several people who were no longer required on the ECL He added that no discussion took place regarding Bushra Bibi or any other high-profile people saying most of the people whose names had been recommended to be placed on the ECL were nonpolitical and not that famous Another official, who requested for anonymity, also shared that the discussion mostly focused on the cases rather than the individuals, saying that the minister ’s approach was simple – deal everything on merit give relief if one deserves and no one should be discriminated The details emerged after the subcommittee s meeting which was attended by the caretaker Federal Minister for Railways Capitan (retd) Shahid Ashraf Tarar, officials of the interior ministry and other institutions

The committee reviewed and deliberated upon different cases The official statement said that the sub-committee recommended placing names of 17 individuals on the ECL that were sent by different departments and agencies

Af ter nine-day closure, Torkham border reopens to all types of traffic

The Torkham border the central trade route connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan, on Friday officially reopened to all types of traffic after closure of nine days

Khyber Deputy Commissioner Abdul Nasir Khan confirmed on Friday that the border crossing was reopened to all type of traffic

The route was closed following confrontations between border security forces from both countries

Thousands of travellers and hundreds of trucks laden with goods were stranded last week by the closure of the Torkham border crossing at the western end of the fabled Khyber Pass

It s opened for pedestrian and vehicular traffic, Khan told Reuters Pedestrian movement has resumed at the

border, with a significant influx of travelers heading to the immigration section for entry into Afghanistan

Assistant Commissioner Khyber district

Irshad Khan Mohmand confirmed that truck clearances are underway and Afghan citizens are entering Afghanistan after completing clearance and immigration procedures

Speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, a security official in Torkham said that the border ’s reopening f o l l o w e d a s e r i e s o f t a l k s b e t w e e n P a k -

i s t a n i a n d A f g h a n o ff i c i a l s r e s o l v i n g t h e underlying issue Thousands of loaded vehicles had been stranded on both sides of the border during the closure, causing disruptions to trade and commerce Pakistan asserted that the Taliban administration had attempted to encroach upon its territory by constructing an unlawful structure They also accused Afghan forces of

indiscriminate firing Conversely, the Taliban foreign ministry alleged that Pakistan security forces had fired on their troops while they were repairing an old security outpost near the border This border closure had significant implications as it was a key entry point for landlocked Afghanistan Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained at times, primarily due to border disputes and Pakistan’s claims of militant attacks originating from bases in Afghanistan which Afghan authorities consistently deny

The recent understanding to reopen the border was reached during a meeting between Acting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and the Head of the Pakistan Mission in Kabul, Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani

During the meeting Afghan authorities assured Pakistan that Afghan soil would not be used against Pakistan

The border closure, which occurred on September 6, led to a backlog of trucks laden with goods due to clashes between security forces from both countries Reports indicate that the closure followed clashes between Pakistani and Afghan Taliban forces prompting local officials to investigate the cause of the confrontation

Torkham border serves as the Primary transit point for travelers and goods moving between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan The closure had severe repercussions with hundreds of trucks carrying fruits vegetables and other goods stranded resulting in significant financial losses for traders The disruption also affected the loading of goods at the southern port of Karachi The border disputes along the 2,600kilometer (1 615-mile) border have remained a long-standing source of contention between the two neighboring countries

In a separate incident near the Afghan border, Pakistan s military reported the loss of four soldiers in clashes in Chitral district, with 12 militants also losing their lives The Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility stating that their fighters had engaged in confrontations with security forces in the region over the past two days

The Pakistani military reiterated its call for Afghan Taliban authorities to prevent the use of Afghan territory for militant attacks after the Chitral clashes The Afghan Taliban however maintain that security concerns within Pakistan are an internal issue for Pakistani authorities, denying any involvement in supporting militants Attacks attributed to the TTP have increased in Pakistan in recent years While the TTP has pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban it is not directly affiliated with them

L H C O R D E R S O N - S P O T F I N E I M P O S I T I O N O N V I O L AT O R S

O F T R A F F I C R U L E S A M I D S M O G C O N C E R N S

LAHORE S ta f f r e P o r t

50pc gas price hike proposal re-submitted to cabinet

expressing its deep concern over the execution of development projects amid the looming smog season The court issued an order imposing an on-the-spot fine of Rs 2,000 for violation of one-way traffic regulations within the city Expressing its displeasure over the initiation of development projects across the city during the impending smog season the court questioned why the construction projects scheduled between September and to address these issues Lahore Development Authority (LDA) spokesperson stated that 500 cement barriers has been handed over to the traffic police, while submitted a report on the

January the peak period for smog T h e c o u r t e m p h a s i z e d t h a t i s s u i n g f i n e s t o s m o k e - e m i t t i n g v e h i c l e s w a s i n s u ff i c i e n t , s u g g e s t i n g t h a t a s e c o n d v i o l a t i o n s h o u l d r e s u l t i n t h e i m p o u n d m e n t o f t h e v e h i c l e In a collaborative effort implementation of Section 144 The Commissioner of Lahore submitted a detailed report outlining the progress in implementing court orders Additionally, the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) issued notices to 79 commercial buildings as well as 60 restaurants for parking violations and issued directives to resolve the parking issues within a day or two According to the reports, a district smog

committee has been established to take proactive measures in preventing smogrelated problems Moreover, a substantial allocation of Rs 120 million has been made for projects aimed at improving traffic flow and expanding roundabouts across the city In a significant environmental move the LDA has entered into an agreement with a private university to plant one million trees contributing to efforts to combat air pollution

Pak istan’s employment-to -population ratio falls to 47pc in 2023: repor t

g Minister says raising gas rates before winter necessar y to address Rs2 7 trillion circular debt

PR OFIT M o n i to r n g d e S k The Petroleum Division has re-submitted a proposal for a 50 percent increase in gas sale prices to the interim cabinet aligning with IMF demands As per reports the interim cabinet is expected to approve the revised gas prices for 12 consumer categories this month (September) The proposed increase follows OGRA’s recommendations for a 50 percent hike in Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) prices and a 45 percent increase in Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) prices on June 3 2023 The previous government did not implement this increase, potentially violating OGRA Ordinance 2022 Interim Minister for Energy Muhammad Ali stated that raising gas rates before winter is necessary to address the gas sector ’s circular debt which stands at approximately Rs2 7 trillion The most recent gas tariff adjustment occurred on February 13 2023, with a price hike of up to 113 percent The IMF has suggested implementing the weighted average cost of gas (WACOG) to recover Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) prices from domestic consumers Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) aims to recover Rs245 billion from RLNG diversion to the domestic sector from 2018 to 2023

According to OGRA SNGPL s average prescribed price will increase by 50 percent while SSGC s will rise by 45 percent, primarily due to increasing gas costs

PM constitutes committee to address housing facilities to retired, ser ving gov t employees

g 5 6 m Pa k i s t a n i s a r e e x

PR OFIT

n e w S d e S k

5 6 million Pakistanis are expected to be unemployed this year marking a concerning increase of 1 5 million since 2021

The International Labour Organization (ILO), in its recent employment outlook report highlighted Pakistan’s employment-to-population ratio for 2023 which stands at a historic low of 47 6 percent

The report indicates that Pakistan s recovery from the pandemic and economic catastrophe remains incomplete, with an estimated 5 6 million people expected to be unemployed in the current year marking a concerning

increase of 1 5 million since 2021

These projections are in line with the International Monetary Fund s (IMF) forecast of an 8 5 percent unemployment rate for 2023 a notable increase from the 6 2 percent rate recorded in 2021

The report also underscores persistent gender disparities in unemployment with consistently higher rate of females without work, which could potentially rise to 11 1 percent

The ILO’s estimates suggest that Pakistan’s employment-to-population ratio for 2023 is at 47 6 percent falling below the pre-crisis trend-line and lowest in decades Concurrently the number of jobless individuals is projected to reach 5 6 million, marking an increase of 1 5 million since 2021

The report raises concerns about the

potential long-term setbacks to Pakistan s pursuit of decent work standards due to stagnant job growth and escalating

unemployment

These labor market challenges reflect the cumulative economic stress experienced by Pakistan exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis the 2022 floods and recent macroeconomic instability

To address these issues, Pakistan reached an agreement with the IMF in July 2023, securing a $3 billion standby arrangement (SBA) aimed at averting a debt default and bolstering investor confidence However the SBA and associated constraints on public financing may exert additional pressure on labor market prospects, at least in the short term Geir Tonstol ILO Country Director

Speakers stress progress and move for ward with innovative ideas

PESHAWAR

S ta f f r e P o r t

Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) through its Research for Social Transformation and Advancement (RASTA) program successfully concluded its 3rd RASTA conference According to a press release issued here on Friday, the conference, was held at the Gun & Country Club in Islamabad encompassed a wide array of research themes, including Urban Development and Industry, Law and Judiciary, Human Capital and Opportunities Sludge and Dead Capital Education and Technology and Public Finance Management and Financial Inclusion

These sessions provided an extensive and multifaceted examination of their respective topics, thereby contributing significantly to a deeper comprehension of the pertinent issues The conference witnessed enthusiastic participants presenting their studies within these overarching themes offering localized solutions to pressing challenges Distinguished contributors represented various esteemed institutions such as the University of Illinois Chicago USA Government College University Faisalabad, NUML Islamabad, Government College University Lahore, Jamal and Jamal Advocates and Legal Consultants Islamabad, University of Peshawar, BUITEMS Quetta, University of Punjab and Lahore College for Women University Lahore This gathering of diverse minds underscores RASTA s steadfast commitment to nurturing collaborative

research aimed at positively influencing Pakistan s policy landscape Dr Nadeem ul Haque, Vice-Chancellor of PIDE and Chairman of the RASTA Research Advisory Committee (RAC), emphasized that RASTA represents an evolving process He stressed the importance of conducting local research and finding tailored solutions to local issues while acknowledging the value of global research that aligns with local needs and requirements The 3rd RASTA Conference continued its intellectual journey on its second day, featuring a compelling lineup of presentations that explored various facets of Pakistan’s economic and legal landscape Esteemed speakers from academia and research circles engaged in thoughtprovoking discussions on pressing issues

In the first session Saad S Khan examined the Critical Appraisal of Legal Institutional Structure of Revenue Courts in Pakistan: Minimizing Sludge in Agricultural Property Cases, shedding light on the complexities within the legal system In the second half, Muhammad Ahmad Barula explored “Taming the Leviathan towards Public Sector Resources Efficiency: Fiscal Federalism or Fiscal Decentralization in Pakistan addressing governance and resource allocation The second day of the RASTA Conference was characterized by rich discussions, robust debates, and the exchange of ideas among experts and attendees alike The conference continues to serve as a pivotal platform for intellectual exploration and the exchange of knowledge

Four of a same family die as c ar plunges into stream SWAT S y e d S h a h a b u d d i n

for Pakistan stated Pakistan faces a range of challenges that are taking a toll on its labor market, resulting in increased informality and out-migration The ILO, through its Fourth Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), is committed to addressing the difficulties faced by workers and enterprises and seeking solutions to enhance livelihood security during these challenging times

In 2023, Pakistan s employment-topopulation ratio is projected at 47 6 percent, a decline of approximately two percentage points from the pre-crisis ratio in 2019 When compared to a scenario without the Covid-19 crisis employment figures for 2022 are estimated to fall short by 1 8 million jobs, with the jobs gap expected to widen to 2 4 million in 2023

In tandem with the 2022 floods and the ongoing financial crisis, Pakistan’s economy is grappling with negative growth and mounting inflationary pressures posing increasing challenges for both businesses and households

Quaid’s sculpture unveiled at Beijing Jintai Ar t Museum

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f r e P o r t

ISLAMABAD S h a h z a d Pa r ac h a

Prime Minister has constituted a seven member high powered secretaries committee for provision of housing facilities to federal government employees Sources said that the PM has approved a committee comprising of Cabinet Secretary Kamran All Afzal Establishment Secretary Inamullah Khan Dharejo, Secretary EAD Dr Kazim Niaz, Secretary Commerce Sualeh Ahmed Faruqui, Secretary Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Shakeel Malik, Secretary Law and Justice Raja Naeem Akbar and Secretary Interior Division Secretary to PM Dr Touqeer Shah has issued an order for provision of housing facilities to the federal government employees The Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) and Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) are mandated to provide housing facilities to the Federal Government employees Both the organizations are undertaking projects which are marred with significant delays Resultantly the Federal Government employees are not being facilitated with reference to their housing entitlements in a timely and effective manner In view of the above, the Prime Minister has been pleased to constitute a Steering Committee consisting of Federal Secretaries to oversee the projects being undertaken by both the entities in order to ensure their timely completion The Committee shall hold its meeting on monthly basis, whereby the secretary of housing and Works as well as both the Director General FGEHA and Managing Director PHAF would brief the updated status of the ongoing projects being undertaken by both the entities and seek the Committee s advice to materialize the entitlements of in-service and retired employees of Federal government

Four members of a same family including a woman and her son were killed when a car went out of control and fell into a stream near Bisham area in Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa B e s h a m P o l i c e S t a t i o n S H O B a k h t Z a h i r c o n f i r m e d t h a t t h e i l l - f a t e d f o u r m e m b e r s o f f a m i l y b e l o n g i n g t o B i s h a m Q i l a a r e a w e r e o n t h e w a y t o S w a t i n a c a r o n F r i d a y R e a c h i n g L a h o r e N u l l a h driver lost control of the car due which to it skidded off the road and fell into a deep stream As a result t h i r t y - f i v e - y e a r- o l d S a r a n Z e b , s o n o f M a r u f , h i s

mother sixty-year-old Khamo Bibi, and four-year-old girl Huria, daughter of Muhammad Haleem, died on the spot, while Attaur Rahman, son of Omar Zeb, was seriously injured According to the police after the incident the rescue personnel reached the spot and took out the dead bodies and the injured youth with the help of locals from the car Ataur Rahman was being taken to Saidu Sharif Hospital in critical condition but he succumbed to his wounds on the way Later, the four bodies were brought to their house On the other hand shock and grief prevailed in the area after four funerals of the same family were offered They were laid to rest in the local graveyard

Peshawar Riaz Ahmad and IT expert

PESHAWAR a z z b u n e r i

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting president Ijaz Khan

Afridi urged the government and Federal Board of Revenue to take further steps to simplify the taxation system Addressing at a awareness seminar on ‘Tax Management System and E-filing of Returns

jointly organised by SCCI and Regional Tax Office (RTO)

Peshawar, FBR here on Friday, Ijaz

Afridi called for broadening of existing tax base and bringing more people under net instead of further burdening the taxpayers

He viewed traders are backbone for the country s economy so they should be facilitated especially simplifying the taxation system for them, which would help to achieve the set revenue collection for the

fiscal year During the training session Deputy Commissioner

RTO officials said prosperity and development of the business community was a guarantee of economic stability

They added that the country could only run through support of the business community therefore possible steps being taken to facilitate them and brought simplification in the taxation system Riaz Ahmad said FBR was an earning institute for the country, which has conducted actions for collection of taxes under the relevant laws

He clarified that it doesn t mean that FBR took actions to add to the miseries of the taxpayers

The senior official said RTO Peshawar was providing services to taxpayers under a one-window

operation Riaz Ahmad said the country s economic prosperity depends on collection of revenue through taxes Therefore, he urged the participants that they should create awareness about FBR that this institution only carried out actions for tax-collection according to relevant laws and collection of other taxes by various federal and provincial authorities didn’t come into ambit of FBR

Later the RTO Peshawar IT expert Asif Ali Shah through his comprehensive multi-media presentation briefed participants regarding reforms in taxation system and procedure for E-filing of returns Other speakers include SCCI executive members Hamza Ibrahim Butt

Qurat Ul

Ain Waqar Ahmad and Naeem Butt Aftab Iqbal Ihsanullah Saddar Gul Ishtiaq Muhammad, Aqib Khan, Shahrukh also spoke on the occasion and gave number of suggestions for bringing reforms in existing taxation system

In a significant cultural milestone, a striking sculpture of Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, known as Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader) was unveiled at the Beijing Jintai Art Museum This event marks a testament to the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China strengthening diplomatic ties through the language of art The sculpture, crafted by renowned Chinese artist Yuan Xikun, stands tall and proud at the Beijing Jintai Art Museum, Gwadar Pro reported on Friday The sculpture is a striking representation of Quaid-e-Azam Jinnah featuring intricate details and a dignified pose that captures the essence of his leadership and vision The unveiling ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials diplomats art enthusiasts and members of the Pakistani and Chinese communities Speaking at the ceremony, Pakistan s Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque, emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges in strengthening bilateral relations He stated “Unveiling this sculpture in China is very meaningful Both our countries have forged unbreakable bonds in our struggle against imperialism and colonialism Leaders like Chairman Mao and Jinnah led our people in those challenging times and achieved glory for our nations”

Swedish woman reaches Swat to marr y young man of her choice

S y e d S h a h a b u d d i n

44-year-old Thanyarat a Thai-origin Swedish woman reached Swat to marry the young man with whom she had fallen in love some time ago As per details, 44year-old Thanyarat had developed friendship with Ahmed Shah 22-year-old young man from Swat through social media which ended up in the couple’s marriage in a local court on Friday Ahmad Shah resident of Ala Abad area of Tehsil Charbagh developed friendship with Thanyarat on social media and both the friends turned life partners with arrival of Thanyarat all the way from Sweden to swat According to the marriage certificate, Thanyarat is divorced and her place of birth is Bangkok (Thailand) and currently she is residing in Sweden After reaching Swat the woman accepted Islam and married Ahmad Shah in the local court of Swat A large number of locals celebrated the wedding ceremony wherein they gave the couple prayers and wishes for a prosperous life

g A d j u s t m e n t m a r k s s e c o n d s u c h a l t e r a t i o n t h i s y e a r, f o l l o w i n g a p r i o r r e v i s i o n i n J a n u a r y 2 0 2 3

EU-supported project trains 500 FIA officers to combat human smuggling

ISLAMABAD

G h u l a m a b b a S

In a significant milestone for border security and the fight against human smuggling the EU-supported project Integrated Border Management in Silk Routes countries has successfully trained 500 officers of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in identifying and curbing human smuggling

Commenced in 2019 this pivotal training program was conducted in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)

The programme has resulted in the development of localized training manuals to equip officers with the skills to deal with the movement of people using forged and fake documents

The “Integrated Border Management Training Conference ” held in Islamabad brought together experts and stakeholders to emphasize the critical importance of cooperation between the European Union and Pakistan in training initiatives related to Integrated Border Management and adjacent law enforcement agencies

Speakers at the conference highlighted that human smuggling and human trafficking are often

interconnected with other criminal activities such as narcotics trade, arms smuggling, and the movement of terrorists They stressed the need to establish a broader platform for all stakeholders to combat these crimes collectively drawing from their shared experiences

Mr Philipp Gross Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Pakistan underscored the significance of the EU-Pakistan partnership in addressing migration challenges

He mentioned the 2020 New Pact on Migration and Asylum s vision for a comprehensive and mutually beneficial partnership between the EU and Pakistan, aiming to curb illegal migration while enhancing legal migration pathways

During the conference 21 FIA master trainers equipped by ICMPD shared their experiences in delivering training sessions to their colleagues on crucial topics such as document security, behavioral analysis, and leadership ICMPD also handed over three manuals on training-related topics, which will play a vital role in the FIA’s continuous training programs Director General of the FIA Mr Mohsin Hassan Butt emphasized the pivotal role of education in preventing irregular migration and border-related crimes He highlighted that the strategy is a collaborative effort involving the FIA Academy, the FIA

Immigration Wing and international partners

The FIA s master trainers will provide on-the-job training to their colleagues, transferring the knowledge gained from international trainers to address the gap created by the transfer of trained officers to other postings

Beyond training international donors are providing modern equipment and investing in the required infrastructure to combat human smuggling and illegal border movements effectively This comprehensive approach extends beyond the FIA to include officers from Pakistan Customs, the Anti-Narcotics Force, and other relevant departments

Ms Raana Rahim ICMPD Head of Office underscored the tangible impact of international partners efforts in enhancing the FIA s performance in combating human trafficking

The EU-supported project, Integrated Border Management in Silk Routes countries, aims to strengthen the capacity of state authorities to combat irregular migration promote safe migration and enhance trade and prosperity across borders This project is a significant step toward bolstering border management systems in the Silk Routes region including Pakistan, and curbing the illicit activities associated with human smuggling

S C o r d e r s t o r e s t o r e a l l c o r r u p t i o n c a s e s a g a i n s t p u b l i c o f f i c e - h o l d e r s

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

In his petition Imran had claimed that the amendments to the NAB law had been made to benefit the influential accused persons and legitimise corruption “ T h e a m e n d m e n t s t o t h e N A O i s tantamount to depriving the citizens of P a k i s t a n o f h a v i n g a c c e s s t o l a w t o e ff e c t i v e l y q u e s t i o n t h e i r c h o s e n r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s i n c a s e o f b r e a c h o f t h e i r d u t y t o w a r d s t h e p e o p l e o f

Pakistan, the petition argued

Moreover, the word “benamidar” has been re-defined making it difficult for the prosecution to prove someone as a fictitious owner of a property the petition argued Caretaker govt awaits detailed verdict on NAB amendments

Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi on Friday said the caretaker government was waiting for the Supreme Court to issue a detailed judgment on the petition against

PR OFIT N e w S D e S k T h e c a r e t a k e r g o v e r n m e n t i s d e l i b e r a t i n g t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f i s s u i n g a n o r d i n a n c e t o c o m p e l f e d e r a l a n d p r o v i n c i a l i n s t i t u t i o n s t o s h a r e d a t a c o n s i s t e n t l y w i t h t h e F e d e r a l B o a r d o f R e v e n u e ( F B R ) f o r f a i r t a x a s s e s s m e n t s A r o u n d 1 2 6 d e p a r t m e n t s c u r r e n t l y d o n o t s h a r e d a t a e ff e c t i v e l y w i t h t h e F B R h i n d e r i n g e ff e c t i v e t a x e v a l u a t i o n a n d p r o m p t i n g d i s c u s s i o n s a b o u t p o t e n t i a l d a t a i n t e g r a t i o n t h r o u g h a n o r d i n a n c e T h e M i n i s t r y o f I n f o r m a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y w i l l a i d i n c r e a t i n g a n i n t e g r a t e d d a t a p o r t a l H o w e v e r, c h a l l e n g e s r e m a i n i n c o n v e r t i n g t h i s d a t a i n t o t a x a b l e i n f o r m a t i o n C a r e t a k e r M i n i s t e r f o r F i n a n c e D r S h a m s h a d A k h t a r h a s d i r e c t e d t h e F B R t o c o n d u c t f i e l d v i s i t s f o r t a x b a s e e x p a n s i o n T h e F B R p o s s e s s e s d a t a o n 7 6 m i l l i o n r e g i s t e r e d t a x p a y e r s b u t t h e n u m b e r o f a c t i v e t a x p a y e r s f a l l s s h o r t D a t a c l e a n s i n g i s r e q u i r e d t o b r o a d e n t h e t a x b a s e D r A k h t a r e m p h a s i z e d m o d e r n i z i n g f i s c a l s y s t e m s u s i n g t e c h n o l o g y t o e n h a n c e r e v e n u e c o l l e c t i o n a n d s p u r e c o n o m i c g r o w t h

ECP dismisses IPT’s plea against registration of Tareen’s IPP

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday dismissed a petition filed by the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Tehreek (IPT) against the registration of Jehangir Khan Tareen’s Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) The IPT has decided to challenge the ECP’s decision in the superior court Istehkam-i-Pakistan Tehreek s leader Ahmad Kaleem had filed an application in the Election Commission complaining that the two political parties have similar names and it would create confusion, beseeching the commission to not register the IPP The Election Commission reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both sides According to the verdict the process of registration of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party should be carried out in accordance with the constitution and law The verdict further said that the difference between the IPP and the IPT is clear and that the registration process of the IPP is still ongoing IPT President Ahmad Kaleem and Vice President Ayman Javed said in a media talk that the Election Commission had added another dark chapter requesting the Chief Justice to take notice of it

the amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws

“The Law Ministry and legal experts will review the detailed judgment and future course of action will be announced in the light of their opinion the minister said while addressing a news conference along with Caretaker Ministers for Finance and Energy Dr Shamshad Akhtar and Muhammad Ali

To a query Solangi reiterated the caretaker government s commitment to

assist the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding the general election in the country “Funds for election were allocated in the federal budget presented by the previous government and at this stage delimitation process is underway H o w e v e r, i t i s o u r c o m m i t m e n t t o f u l f i l l a l l t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e E l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n w h e t h e r i t i s r e l a t e d t o f i n a n c e o r s e c u r i t y ” t h e minister remarked

RUDA mulls investment oppor tunities with S audi businessmen, expatriates

RIYADH (KSA)

S ta f f R e p o R t

Today here at Riyadh (Saudia Arabia), an investment seminar “Horizons redefined” was organized by RUDA A large number of people from different walks of life investors expatriates and Saudi royal dignitaries graced the occasion Pakistani ambassadors to Saudia Arabia, his excellency Ahmed Farooq while addressing the audience appreciated the Ravi city and called it as the most futuristic, modern and people friendly upcoming city with a game changing matrix of addressing all the vows of environment i e local ecology pollution on one hand and creating tremendous business opportunities on the other He assured that the Pakistani embassy will extend all the support to get endorsements for the Ravi city

He further mentioned that business and trade cooperation between Pakistan and Saudia Arabia is gaining momentum Both the countries are on a very positive trajectory Recently formed digital cooperation organization between gulf countries and Pakistan is a

digital silk route

The Saudi joint business council is also taking keen interests in opening inroads with the Pakistani business community Earlier Mansoor Ahmed Janjua

Chief Operating Officer of RUDA thanked his excellency Ambassador Ahmed Farooq, Princess Boudoir and Mr Abu Saleh Tamimi for gracing the occasion He also appreciated the interest taken in RUDA by a number of Saudi Business Enterprises expatriates and investors who in a large number attended the seminar While speaking on the occasion Mansoor Janjua highlighted that RUDA is an environment and people friendly project, and being the largest city built by the river, it caters all the urban and riparian aspects of coexistence with modernity and nature Mr Kashif Qureshi Executive Director Commercial gave a brief rundown of Ravi city to the audience explaining the complete contours along with the prospect and potentials of this project At the end a question and answer session was held where the Saudi business community and expatriates showed keen interest and many projected the desire to visit Ravi city to be a part of this development and engineering marvel in the making

an investment of €1,000, with integral multiples of €500, now offers a 6 25 percent return for the 3-month option an enticing 6 50 percent for the 6-month and 7 percent for the 12-month The rates for 3-year and 5-year investments remain stable at 6 5 percent

Smar t classrooms initiated under CPEC growing in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Smart Classrooms project was initiated under CPEC in September 2021 and is now grooming in the country Around 100 smart classrooms are being built in 50 universities across Pakistan Gwadar Pro reported on Friday Meanwhile a smart classroom was inaugurated at Karakoram International University (KIU) in GilgitBaltistan, aiming to empower teachers with the essential skills needed to effectively utilize technology in the classroom This initiative seeks to enhance the learning experience for students through comprehensive training programs Vice-Chancellor of KIU Engineer Professor Dr Attaullah Shah inaugurated the smart classroom in the presence of senior administrative and teaching staff of the university According to Dr Attaullah Shah, The University is dedicated to providing facilities that align with modern educational and learning requirements for its students,” and he further emphasized this commitment by pointing to the establishment of a modern classroom as a clear and concrete example This information is in line with an official statement from the university The Vice-Chancellor said that the objective behind establishing a smart classroom is to embrace the digital age by providing state-of-the-art facilities that meet today’s educational requirements “This initiative aims to enhance learning opportunities benefiting both students and teachers alike ” he said and added that KIU has consistently prioritized its students by continually advancing in response to the demands of the digital age and the inauguration of the smart classroom today serves as a tangible testament to this commitment

After UBL , Meezan Bank wants to establish an exchange company

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

There are two categories of exchange companies A and B Exchange companies in category A have a higher minimum capital requirement Rs 200 million while those in category B have a lower minimum capital requirement of Rs 25 million The latter can only act as money changers Under the SBP’s reforms, all exchange companies in categories A and B along with franchises of exchange companies will be consolidated and transformed into a single category with a welldefined mandate Category B exchange companies have three options: merge with an existing exchange company, upgrade to the full exchange company status, or consolidate with other category B exchange companies to form a unified entity

They must approach the SBP within one month to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) for one of these choices Following NOC issuance category B exchange companies have three months to fulfil regulatory and legal requirements for formal licensing Failure to do so will result in license cancellation Meanwhile, franchises of exchange companies have two options: merge with the parent exchange company or sell their franchise to it Franchises must seek central bank approval for the merger or sale within one month or their licenses will be revoked The reforms come a little over a year after the SBP suspended the operations of several branches and franchises of exchange companies over regulatory violations The central bank had launched a crackdown against exchange companies on apprehensions that they were not selling foreign currency to customers despite availability, leading to exchange rate volatility and a wide difference in rates offered in the interbank market and those quoted by the companies and commercial banks

O n l y P M L- N c a p a b l e t o s t e e r c o u n t r y

t owa r d s d e ve l o p m e n t : M u q a m

Pakistan

Muslim League-N (PMLN)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Engineer

Amir Muqam said that the PML-N has the ability to bring the country out of crises and people should support Nawaz Sharif this time for prosperity and development of the country

Addressing the workers convention at Vadoodia hall Saidu Sharif here on Friday, Amir Muqam said that they will contest the elections on the basis of performance but the opponents have nothing to go to the people Amir Muqam said that the PML-N saved the country from terrorism and in the future PML-N will also get the country out of crises by achieving success He further said that no one should be complacent “This time PMLN will make a clean sweep in Swat and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the people will confiscate the guarantees of the opponents , he claimed He said that there is no difference in

calling day as night and night as day “I am going to the people with the message of our leader Nawaz Sharif on the basis of performance in public and we will fight the election based on my performance he asserted He further said that without the mandate, he had completed more development projects than the PTI’s Chief Minister which had become a part of the history He said that the workers should make full preparations for Nawaz Sharif s

arrival in Pakistan on October 21 because, God willing, Nawaz Sharif ’s leadership will lead the country out of crises In his speech PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Murtaza

Khan, Qavi Khan, former MPA Sardar Khan, former district nazim Muhammad Ali Shah Abdullah Yousafzai Irshad Khan Syed Sadiq Aziz Fazal Rahman Nuno Afrin Khan Asif Bacha Usman Ghani and Ajab Khan also spoke at the workers convention Muqam said that the opponents cannot say that Amir Maqam was absent from the scene due to

terrorism or other

TH E Supreme Court’s verdict in the NAB law case overturning the amendments, made by Parliament, did not come as a surprise Unfortunately the lack of surprise was not due to the fact that the amendments seemed wonky or because brilliant advocacy had shown that the amendments were defective but because the Supreme Court bench hearing the case was widely expected to make the decision it did because the petition had been moved by PTI chief Imran Khan This decision, which was made by a 2-1 decision with the learned Chief Justice, Mr Umar Ata Bandial, and Mr Justice Ejazul Ahsan on on side and Mr Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on the other, does nothing to buck the trend in the Bandial Court, where benches are thought by critics as being composed to ensure that verdicts go the PTI’s way MrJusttice Shah has written a dissenting note, but his demand that the Supreme Court decide the power of appointing benches was not met

Of those affected by the verdict members of the previous PDM coalition are liable to having their cases reopened even to re-arrest including former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza How far NAB will be used to hound them is to be seen, but it does restore NAB to a tool of political persecution in the hands of the government, as it had always been ever since it was founded under the Musharraf Martial Law It is something of a hollow victory for the PTI, however, as the verdict leaves Mr Khan behind bars no matter how much satisfaction he may derive from its being delivered in his favour One downside for him personally is that as there are NAB inquiries against him most notably in connection with the £190 million given to property tycoon Malik Riaz and the sale of watches received as gifts where his remand would now extend for 90 days

PML(N) leader Muhammad Zubair said that party Supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif would return to Pakistan despite the verdit but this did not still speculation that he might postpone his announced return on October 21

The verdict must be counted as a blow in the struggle between the judiciary and Parliament for the law was passed by Parliament, and was meant to reduce the power of the Executive to engage in political persecution There are a number of other pieces of legislation, which are expected to be struck down not because they are contrary to the law and the Constitution, but because of political motivation

Getting education back on track

We are falling behind

AC C O R D I N G to the Federal Education Secretary, the real literacy rate is 59 3 percent as opposed to the 62 8 percent shown in the latest Economic Survey The former value was declared by estimation and the actual rate has been given by facts and figures and the relevant data of the education sector

It is also an issue with the quality of education estimating that most of the students of Class 5 are unable to read a sentence in English or Urdu In 2021-22 Pakistan only spent 1 77 percent of its GDP on educationrelated expenditure even though the UN agencies suggest that the minimum amount must be 4 percent of the GDP The highest GDP percentage on education, which was 2 12 percent, was spent in 2017-2018

The primary reason for these situations can be a lack of resources for the education sector Furthermore Pakistan was ranked 129th of 137 countries in terms of the slow performance of education reforms It has a much lower literacy rate than other South Asian countries such as Maldives with a literacy rate of 99 3 percent presently on the top, Sri Lanka 92 6 percent, India 74 4 percent, Bangladesh 73 4 percent, Bhutan 64 4 percent, Nepal 64 4 percent, and Afghanistan 38 2 percent

Moreover a good education system helps us to be more responsible among the people and achieve our educational social or economic goals At once if a person realizes the essence of these goals, he or she will start working for the betterment and prosperity of their nation The non-unified education has resulted in terrorism, economic instability, unemployment sectarianism and other problems

Education has a huge role in the economic social and political development of a country For instance overpopulation poverty inflation and several other issues can be resolved by a good education system All these reforms can be brought only with a strong education policy and the imposing of the country’s education system Since its independence Pakistan has failed to design a wonderful education system due to various problems Some of the vulnerable issues due to which the education in Pakistan lags behind are:

Th

ART I F I C I A L Intelligence (AI) is a broad term that refers to a collection of powerful technologies such as big data machine learning and a number of other interrelated elements, that enable machines to mimic the intelligent behavior that is typically associated with humans when performing similar tasks AI technologies have the potential to spur future economic growth and play a significant role in maintaining national security However the field of AI warfare covers a wide range of tactics including autonomous systems like drones and robots, as well as the intricate details of cyberattacks, hacking operations, and the crucial area of network fortification

The importance of this field is highlighted by the recent wave of cyber intrusions which have the power to shut down pipelines and paralyze entire regions In this dynamic environment, activities such as password cracking, covert invasions of other countries, and the execution of offensives that cripple infrastructure all loom large The precarious imbalance in this area may very well portend the onset of a new Cold War one that is distinctly different from its nuclear counterpart and that foregoes the threat of intercontinental ballistic missiles

To some extent, China is not merely catching up to the USA in a number of fields, such as facial recognition and financial technology (fintech), unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and the rollout of 5G networks; in many cases, it has already advanced to solidify its unchallengeable position as the top AI powerhouse in the world

The latest curriculum for the students is very essential in an education system However we still follow the old designed and outdated curriculum education system of rote learning, just memorizing facts and figures, ignoring the essence of conceptual learning The main objective of education must be development of the psychological and philosophical foundations of education The current curriculum is not motivating students for practical knowledge and scientific observation

2 THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE INSTEAD OF PRACTICAL LEARNING

The students are given theoretical knowledge that comes from books and are not taught practically Though they learn the given information given in the books and attempt exams, most of them are still without jobs that makes them feel inferior in the society due to having no job In addition, several students cannot learn facts perfectly for a long duration and this rote learning creates issues for such students The education system must be practical by performing experiments of various topics in front of the students as this will help them to understand the lessons concepts

Finally, sense education not only develops minds rather it also cleans our body and soul. It turns a raw human into a polished human being that becomes the source of a sensible society The curriculum should be revised annually, rote learning must be eliminated, and a proper budget must be allocated for the education depar tment

e g r e a t A I g a m e

in favor of a conflict that is centered on the intricate workings of cryptographic schemes the principles of network invulnerability and the sophisticated fusion of AI robotics and drones in the arena of cyberwarfare

Therefore, China s ambitious goal of assuming a leadership position in the industry by the year 2030 underscores the country’s arduous rise to supremacy in the field of AI China’s tech giants will use the recent regulatory changes in generative AI as a crucial springboard to introduce products that can compete with OpenAI s ChatGPT In generative AI, algorithms are trained on massive datasets and shaped by user interactions to learn how to perform complex tasks The stakes in this endeavour are remarkably high because Chinese AI technologies have the potential to have profoundly important applications in industries like healthcare manufacturing, and transportation, especially in the field of autonomous vehicles

Similarly, China has undeniable advantages in this endeavour beyond merely demonstrating its political will The majority of smartphone users worldwide who use voice recognition software virtual assistants and transactional apps, are Chinese consumers The Chinese people have embraced the use of robots to address labour shortages in a wide range of industries, including hospitality healthcare and financial institutions where automated hotel reception services and delivery robots are commonplace

In fact construction mining and even disaster relief efforts are just a few of the industries that have benefited from robotic innovations The remarkable capacity of the Chinese industrial landscape to successfully combine digital prowess with retailing expertise is exemplified by the successful fusion of online offline and logistical data within a single value chain and further distinguishes it from its international counterparts This fusion, strengthened by the addition of AI, has led to the development of an incredibly effective delivery model

From another perspective China’s unwavering determination to master AI transcends m e r e r e c o g n i t i o n o f i t s p o t e n t i a l a s t h e k e y driver of economic progress over the next 25 years, in contrast to the widespread American b e l i e f t h a t U S l e a d e r s h i p i n a d v a n c e d t e c hn o l o g i e s i s i n s u r m o u n t a b l e T h i s e n o r m o u s u n d e r t a k i n g i s s u p p o r t e d b y an authoritarian government’s management of a population of more than 1 4 billion people C o n s e q u e n t l y A m e r i c a n s b e l i e v e d t h a t a uthoritarian governments were inevitably going to fall, albeit with time, in the wake of the fall of the USSR

The pragmatic possibility of refuting this assumption is however introduced by AI Instead AI could give the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) more than just a way out of the end of history narrative; it could also give it a strong argument for its ability to advance a form of government a strengthened version of the country’s operating system that might even be able to outperform the dysfunctional aspects of today s democracies

To some extent China is not merely catching up to the USA in a number of fields such as facial recognition and financial technology (fintech), unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and the rollout of 5G networks; in many cases, it has already advanced to solidify its unchallengeable position as the top AI powerhouse in the world Consciously giving up the race for dominance the USA is constrained by constitutional restrictions and differing values in some areas China, however, persists with unwavering tenacity in its pursuit of dominance China’s rise is not just a pipe dream; it is a living, breathing reality that over the coming decades will have a significant impact on trade national security and society as a whole

The writer is freelance columnist based in Islamabad He can be reached at rashidmehmoodkayani@gmail com

Most school managements compel parents to purchase all necessary items such as stationery and uniforms from the school s shop They usually double the prices of the items as compared to the open market This puts the parents in the tension of financial problems This leads to dropouts Hence the schools must not make such rules as their work is only to teach the students and show them the right path

Similarly, the examination system is one of the reasons for backwardness in education In Pakistan, the examination system is completely corrupt and it only checks the memory of the students There is unfair use of money cheating change of answer sheets etc in examination centres As a resident of Balochistan I myself had observed this during exams Teachers are also involved in malpractices They reveal the answers of the questions by charging a sufficient amount from students On the other hand in Russia there is no exam like ours The students study the whole year and attempt the exams by themselves

The main issue of lack of quality education is the low expenditure on the education sector This insufficient budget in the education sector also gives birth to other issues such as low salaries high taxation etc Taxes are even imposed on the sector According to reports in many countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka the education share in the total budget increases yearly, but it is seen to be decreasing in Pakistan consistently Finally, sense education not only develops minds rather it also cleans our body and soul It turns a raw human into a polished human being that becomes the source of a sensible society The curriculum should be revised annually rote learning must be eliminated, and a proper budget must be allocated for the education department Reforms in the education system are only possible when the recommendations given above are followed

The writer is a freelance columnist

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

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

Downfall of the telecommunications sector in Pakistan

T H E telecommunications industry in Pakistan has experienced significant setbacks in recent years causing a decline in its growth and prosperity Despite having a potential to become one of the leading industries in the country, the telecommunications sector has faced numerous challenges that have hampered its growth and success

The government has also been slow to regulate the sector which has allowed illegal and unauthorized players to operate resulting in a decline in the quality of services provided by legitimate operators The lack of proper regulation has also led to increased corruption as officials have been able to take advantage of loopholes in the system to enrich themselves

Another major factor contributing to the downfall of the telecommunications industry in Pakistan is the poor quality of services provided by operators The lack of investment in infrastructure and technology has led to a decline in the quality of services provided causing frustration among customers and leading to a decrease in the number of subscribers

Additionally the absence of proper regulation has allowed unauthorized operators to provide substandard services further eroding the reputation of the industry as a whole These tarrifs imposed by the government have also had a negative impact on the telecommunications industry in Pakistan Operators are required to pay high taxes and fees, which has increased their operating costs and made it difficult for them to compete with other players in the industry This has resulted in a decline in profitability and has made it difficult for operators to invest in infrastructure and technology further hindering the growth of the industry

To revive the telecommunications sector in Pakistan it is important for the government to implement policies that promote the growth of the industry and regulate the sector effectively AYA A N M A S H H O O D L A H O R

whiteLies

APOLLO

T h e L o r d s h i p s o n t h e i r t u r f

For feedback comments suggestions and most imp or tant y tips contac t us at editorial@pak istanto day com pk

A petitioner wants five Justices to be sacked, one of them, the new

CJP Amongst the litany of complaints are the allegations of unaccountable wealth that the now infamous presidential reference Justice Qazi Issa also referred to

But it is only against the incumbent chief justice of the Lahore High Court and another justice of the same court that the petitioner makes the most serious argument against One which if there was any justice in the system, should immediately relieve the two of their jobs: that they falsely claimed to have scored a hole-in-one at the Lahore Gymkhana golf course!

Of one of the two he writes:

This fact came to the knowledge of the

Petitioner, who is an avid golfer, who was astonished to know that the hole-in-one claimed by Respondent No 5 on Hole no 1 which is a par 4 hole is not possible except by divine intervention which is certainly not the case at hand

A bold assumption on part of the petitioner because the Almighty is famous for moving in mysterious ways

In any case the petitioner claims that the palms of the caddies have been greased (yes, this conspiracy goes all the way to the bottom) so that the names of these two could be displayed on the hole-in-one board of the Gymkhana an honour not known to all but a select few

A career in the higher judiciary and apex court is but a stepping stone for this actual prize

The SC ’s over turning of the NAB law amendments does not enhance its image

Rashid MahMood

Another arena of Sino -US rivalr y

C H I N A - A S E A N E X P O T O H E L P L I F T C O O P E R AT I O N A M I D

S U S TA I N E D W E A K N E S S I N W E S T E R N M A R K ET S

ASEAN trade has skyrocketed from over

I S L A M A B A D s ta f f c o r r e s p o n d e n t

CH I N A a n d A S E A N a r e s e t t o f u r t h e r b o o s t e c o n o m i c a n d trade cooperation amid a rapidly s h i f t i n g g l o b a l g e o - e c o n o m i c landscape as a major expo is set to kick off on Saturday in Nanning, South China s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Reg i o n , o ff e r i n g a c r u c i a l p l a t f o r m f o r r eg i o n a l e c o n o m i e s f o r c o o p e r a t i o n a m i d sustained weakness in Western markets The China-ASEAN Expo which celeb r a t e s i t s 2 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y t h i s y e a r h a s become a major platform that has greatly contributed to the tremendous cooperation between China and ASEAN over the past two decades, and will continue to help lift cooperation in more areas to new heights experts said

U n d e r s c o r i n g i t s i m p o r t a n c e C h in e s e P r e m i e r L i Q i a n g w i l l a t t e n d t h e o p e n i n g c e r e m o n y o f t h e 2 0 t h C h i n a -

A S E A N E x p o a n d C h i n a - A S E A N B u s in e s s a n d I n v e s t m e n t S u m m i t a n d d e l i v e r r e m a r k s , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e C h i n e s e F o r -

e i g n M i n i s t r y Foreign leaders and senior officials in-

c l u d i n g C a m b o d i a n P r i m e M i n i s t e r H u n

M a n e t L a o t i a n P r i m e M i n i s t e r S o n e x a y S i p h a n d o n e , M a l a y s i a n P r i m e M i n i s t e r

Anwar Ibrahim, Vietnamese Prime Minist e r P h a m M i n h C h i n h , I n d o n e s i a ’s Vi c e P r e s i d e n t M a ’ r u f A m i n , a n d T h a i l a n d ’s

D e p u t y P r i m e M i n i s t e r a n d C o m m e r c e M i n i s t e r P h u m t h a m We c h a y a c h a i a n d

A S E A N S e c r e t a r y - G e n e r a l K a o K i m

Hourn will attend the opening ceremony of the Expo, the ministry said

T h e n u m b e r o f e n t e r p r i s e s a n d t h e number of visiting dignitaries at this expo

a r e r e l a t i v e l y h i g h r e f l e c t i n g t h e i m p o rt a n c e a t t a c h e d t o i t b y b o t h s i d e s Z h o u Shixin director of the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies at the Shanghai Institute for I n t e r n a t i o n a l S t u d i e s , t o l d t h e G l o b a l Times on Friday This year ’s expo is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels in terms of exhibition scale Nearly 2 000 businesses including 750 foreign companies from 45 countries and regions are expected to attend the expo, and the total exhibition area will reach 102,000 square meters, according to media reports on Friday Officials said earlier that project deals worth over 400 billion yuan ($54 88 billion) are expected to be signed of which manufacturing projects will account for over 40 percent Zhou said that the major themes of the expo also highlighted development trends for China-ASEAN cooperation, noting that

Te s l a r e i n v e n t s c a r m a k i n g w i t h q u i e t b r e a k t h r o u g h

PR OFIT r e u t e r s

Tesla (TSLA O) has combined a series of innovations to make a technological breakthrough that could transform the way it makes electric vehicles and help Elon Musk achieve his aim of halving production costs five people familiar with the move said

The company pioneered the use of huge presses with 6,000 to 9,000 tons of clamping pressure to mold the front and rear structures of its Model Y in a “gigacasting” process that slashed production costs and left rivals scrambling to catch up In a bid to extend its lead Tesla is closing in on an innovation that would allow it to die cast nearly all the complex underbody of an EV in one piece, rather than about 400 parts in a conventional car the people said

The know-how is core to Tesla’s unboxed manufacturing strategy unveiled by Chief Executive Musk in March, a linchpin of his plan to churn out tens of millions of cheaper EVs in the coming decade, and still make a profit, the sources said

While Tesla has said its unboxed model involves producing large sub-assemblies of a car at the same time and then snapping them together the size and make-up of the modular blocks is still the subject of speculation

erry Woychowski, president of U S engineering company Caresoft Global said if Tesla managed to gigacast most of the underbody of an EV it would further disrupt the way cars are designed and manufactured

It is an enabler on steroids

It has a huge implication for the industry, but it’s a very challenging task,” said Woy-

chowski, who worked for U S automaker GM (GM N) for more than three decades Castings are very hard to do especially the bigger and the more complicated

Two of the sources said Tesla s previously unreported new design and manufacturing techniques meant the company could develop a car from the ground up in 18 to 24 months while most rivals can currently take anywhere from three to four years

The five people said a single large frame – combining the front and rear sections with the middle underbody where the battery is housed – could be used in Tesla’s small EV which it aims to launch with a price tag of $25 000 by the middle of the decade Tesla was expected to make a decision on whether to die cast the platform in one piece as soon as this month, three of the sources said, though even if they do press ahead the end product could change during the design validation process Neither Tesla nor Musk responded to questions from Reuters for this story

PRINTING AND SAND

3D

The breakthrough Tesla has made centres on the how the giant molds for such a large part are designed and tested for mass production and how casts can incorporate hollow subframes with internal ribs to cut weight and boost crashworthiness

In both cases the innovations, developed by design and casting specialists in Britain, Germany, Japan and the United States involve 3D printing and industrial sand the five people said All spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media

S o f a r, a u t o m a k e r s h a v e s h i e d

a w a y f r o m c a s t i n g e v e r- b i g g e r s t r u ct u r e s b e c a u s e o f t h e “ g i g a c a s t

d i l e m m a : c r e a t i n g m o l d s t o m a k e p a r t s o f 1 5 m e t r e s s q u a r e d o r m o r e boosts efficiency but is expensive and comes with myriad risks

Once a large metal test mold has been made, machining tweaks during the design process could cost $100 000 a go or redoing the mold altogether might come to $1 5 million according to one casting specialist Another said the whole design process for a large metal mold would typically cost about $4 million That has been deemed prohibitive by automakers – especially as a design might need half a dozen tweaks or more to achieve a perfect die from the perspective of noise and vibration fit and finish ergonomics and crashworthiness the sources said

But Musk s vision from the start was to find a way to cast the underbody in one piece despite the risks the sources said To overcome the obstacles Tesla turned to firms that make test molds out of industrial sand with 3D printers Using a digital design file, printers known as binder jets deposit a liquid binding agent onto a thin layer of sand and gradually build a mold, layer by layer that can die cast molten alloys

According to one source the cost of the design validation process with sand casting even with multiple versions is minimal – just 3% of doing the same with a metal prototype That means Tesla can tweak prototypes as many times as needed reprinting a new one in a matter of hours using machines from companies such as Desktop Metal (DM N) and its unit ExOne

The design validation cycle using sand casting only takes to two to three

during previous editions trade in goods were the main theme and this year s expo focuses more on diverse new areas of cooperation such as trade in services, science and technology, and investment

“This shows that in addition to paying attention to the basic development of the manufacturing industry China ASEAN and other participating countries also hope to use the opportunity of the expo to promote their own economic development and industrial structure transformation and upgrading, Zhou said, noting that new emerging sectors offer new growth points

The shift in the theme of the ChinaASEAN Expo also reflected the platform s ability to adapt to new growth points in China-ASEAN cooperation over the past two decades, bringing extraordinary achievements

According to official data, China-

months two of the sources said compared with anywhere from six months to a year for metal mold prototypes TAILOR-MADE ALLOYS

The subframes in a car underbody are typically hollow to save weight and improve crashworthiness At the moment they are made by stamping and welding multiple parts together leaving a void in the middle

To cast subframes with hollows as part of one gigacasting, Tesla plans to place solid sand cores printed by the binder jets within the overall mold Once the part has been cast the sand is removed to leave the voids

But despite that greater flexibility achieved in both the design process and the complexity of the large frames, there was still one more major hurdle to clear The aluminium alloys used to produce the castings behaved differently in sand and metal molds and often failed to meet Tesla s criteria for crashworthiness and other attributes

The casting specialists overcame that by formulating special alloys, finetuning the molten alloy cooling process and also coming up with an after-production heat treatment three of the sources said And once Tesla is happy with the prototype mold, it can then invest in a final metal one for mass production

The sources said Tesla’s upcoming small car has given it a perfect opportunity to cast an EV platform in one piece mainly because its underbody is simpler

The kind of small cars Tesla is developing – one for personal use and the other a robotaxi – don’t have a big “overhang” at the front and the back, as there is not much of a hood or rear trunk

It s like a boat in a way a battery tray with small wings attached to both ends That would make sense to do in one piece, one person said

The sources said, however, that Tesla still had to make a call on what kind of gigapress to use if it decides to cast the underbody in one piece – and that choice would also dictate how complex the car frame would be

Flooding death toll soars to 11,300 in Libya’s coastal city of Derna

The death toll in Libya s coastal city of Derna has soared to 11,300 as search efforts continue following a massive flood fed by the breaching of two dams in heavy rains, the Libyan Red Crescent said Marie el-Drese the

aid group s secretary-general, told that a further 10,100 people are reported missing in the Mediterranean city Health authorities previously put the death toll in Derna at 5 500 The storm also killed about 170 people elsewhere in the country

The flooding swept away entire families in Derna on Sunday

night and exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country that has been mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled longruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi Here s a look at where things stand:

Daniel an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in communities

across eastern Libya, but the worst-hit was Derna As the storm pounded the coast Sunday night residents said they heard loud explosions when two dams outside the city collapsed Floodwaters gushed down Wadi Derna a valley that cuts through the city crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea

$100 billion in 2004 to $975 34 billion in 2022 China has been ASEAN s largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, and both sides have been each other s largest trading partners for three years in a row As of July 2023 the accumulated two-way investment between China and ASEAN has exceeded $380 billion

The expo played a vital role in that with its past 19 editions attracting a total of 182 Chinese and foreign leaders, over 3,800 ministerial level guests and more than 1 1 million guest exhibitors, according to media reports

This year the expo has renewed significance as it provides a crucial platform for developing countries to boost their economies, as they face increasing downward pressure amid prevalent weakness in the US and European markets, Zhou said

Russia expels two US embassy staff for ‘illegal activit y’

MOSCOW ag e n c e s

Russia said it was expelling two U S diplomats whom it accused of working with a Russian national charged with collaborating with a foreign state The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had summoned U S envoy Lynne Tracy and told her that embassy

First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein must leave Russia within seven days

“The named people conducted illegal activity maintaining contact with Russian citizen R Shonov accused of confidential cooperation with a foreign state the Russian statement said The U S State Department said the expulsion of the two diplomats was unprovoked and warned that Washington would respond appropriately “This unprovoked expulsion of our diplomatic personnel is wholly without merit as is the case against a former Russian contractor of our embassy State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Yet again Russia has chosen confrontation and escalation over constructive diplomatic engagement It continues to harass employees of our embassy, just as it continues to intimidate its own citizens We regret that Russia has taken this path and you can certainly expect that we will respond appropriately to their actions Robert Shonov was employed by the U S Consulate General in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok for more than 25 years until Russia in 2021 ordered the dismissal of the U S mission’s local staff Russia’s FSB security service published a video in August showing a purported confession by Shonov in which he said Sillin and Bernstein had asked him to collect information about Russia s war effort in Ukraine its annexation of new territories its military mobilisation and the 2024 presidential election

96 unclaimed bodies lying in morgues, 5,668 weapons looted in Manipur IMPHAL ag e n c i e s T h e I n d i a n M a n i p u r s t a t e p o l i c e h a v e s a i d t h a t o v e r 1 7 5 p e o p l e h a v e b e e n k i l l e d 1 11 8 i n j u r e d a n d 3 3 a r e s t i l l m i s s i n g s i n c e v i o l e n c e b r o k e o u t i n d i st u r b e d M a n i p u r s t a t e i n I n d i a o n M a y 3 , 2 0 2 3 T h e s t a t e ’s p o l i c e s a i d 9 6 u n c l a i m e d b o d i e s a r e l y i n g u nc l a i m e d i n m o rg u e s T h e s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t r e l e a s e d s o m e k e y s t a t i s t i c s o n t h e i m p a c t o f v i o l e n c e i n t h e n o r t h e a s t e r n s t a t e w h i c h h a s c o n t i n u e d f o r o v e r f o u r m o n t h s d e s p i t e t h e s t a t e a n d I n d i a n M o d i s g o v e r n m e n t a t t e m p t s t o r e s t o r e n o r m a l c y A t l e a s t 5 , 1 7 2 c a s e s o f a r s o n h a v e b e e n r e p o r t e d , w h i c h i nc l u d e 4 , 7 8 6 h o u s e s a n d 3 8 6 r e l i g i o u s p l a c e s ( 2 5 4 c h u r c h e s a n d 1 3 2 t e m p l e s ) A s m a n y a s 5 , 6 6 8 w e a p o n s h a v e b e e n l o o t e d f r o m t h e s t a t e a r m o u r y s i n c e t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e v i o l e n c e O f t h i s I n d i a n a r m y a n d p a r a m i l i t a r y f o r c e s h a v e r e c o v e r e d 1 3 2 9 w e a p o n s 1 5 0 5 0 a m m u n i t i o n a n d 4 0 0 b o m b s t h e p o l i c e r e p o r t c l a i m e d B e s i d e s p r o p e r t y i n c l u d e h o u s e s , s h o p s , r e l i g i o u s p l a c e s a n d s c h o o l s , I n d i a n a r m y a n d p a r a m i l i t a r y f o r c e s h a v e d e s t r o y e d a t l e a s t 3 6 0 s t r u c t u r e s o f C h r i s t i a n a n d M u s l i m c o m m u n i t i e s i n t h e s t a t e t h e r e p o r t s a i d

China’s August data points to steady economic recover y

BEIJING M i a n a b r a r T h e C h i n e s e e c o n o m y g a i n e d s t r o n g e r t r a c t i o n l a s t m o n t h e v i d e n t i n v a r i o u s p o s i t i v e i n d i c a t o r s s u c h a s r o b u s t f a c t o r y p r o d u c t i o n a n d i m p r o v i n g c o ns u m e r s e n t i m e n t T h e s e e n c o u r a g i n g s i g n s p o i n t t ow a r d s a s t e a d y r e c o v e r y Value-added industrial output went up 4 5 percent year on year in August, higher than 3 7 percent recorded in July, and retail sales of consumer goods reported a quicker 4 6-percent increase after a slowdown lasting three consecutive months data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday The service sector also gathered steam as its production index went up 6 8 percent 1 1 percentage points faster than the previous month The surveyed urban jobless rate was 5 2 percent, lower than 5 3 percent in July J P Morgan and ANZ on Friday raised their 2023 economic growth forecast for China after August economic numbers offered some signs of stabilization in the world s second-largest economy Both raised their GDP forecast by 20 basis points each to 5 percent and 5 1 percent respectively, with JPM saying notable recovery in retail sales and rise in service activity were the biggest surprises “The economy has seen sound recovery with solid progress in highquality development ” NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui told a press conference Friday noting that major indicators improved and positive factors accumulated Analysts believe improvements can be seen

CORPORATE CORNER

S alman Iqbal joins Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana, praises Arif Habib's vision

E

U - s U p p o r t E d p r o j E c t t

ISLAMABAD

A

i

K A R A C H I: Chairman ARY Group Founder & CEO ARY Network Owner Karachi Kings Mr Salman Iqbal visited Naya Nazimabad and become founder member of Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana He was so impressed with the facilities provided in the Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana that he has taken his first ever membership in any Gymkhana / Club He congratulated Mr Arif Habib for making and delivering such estate of the art International standard club facilities to Karachiites He admired the vision of Mr Arif Habib in converting Naya Nazimabad into Sports City and providing such green and clean environment to the residents Mr Salman Iqbal also visited Ali Habib Medical Center Naya Nazimabad and appreciated the efforts of Mr Arif Habib for providing world class amenities including Jama Masjid School Hospital Green Parks Urban

KMBL, HBL Konnect sign accord

KARACHI: The Khushhali Microfinance Bank Limited and HBL Konnect have signed an agreement, enabling payments for Khushhali Bank customers through HBL Konnect branchless banking and agents network across Pakistan The agreement marks a significant step taken by KMBL to incorporate partners from the digital payments industry to transform its infrastructure thereby facilitating customers to make their Khushhali Bank payments conveniently throughout the country KMBL, a longstanding banking name with a wide customer base predominantly in rural area has also previously onboarded JazzCash EasyPaisa OmniPay along with offering inter-net and mobile banking in order to digitize its operations and transition into swift and responsible digital banking methods Currently, KMBL branch network is across the country at 215 locations, including the 18 locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5 in Azad

Jammu and Kashmir 3 in Gilgit-Baltistan 2 in Baluchistan remaining network is in Sindh South Punjab and Central Punjab at district tehsil and UC level We have a active customer base of over 3 million and around 1 million are borrowers However, as we scale up, we aim to reinforce our banking model with digital services to ensure the smooth continuity of our operations” said Aftab Alam Chief Business Officer of KMBL while addressing the signing ceremony PR

Ufone 4G launches end-toend digital lifestyle experience shops

to deal with the movement of people using forged and fake documents

N a significant milestone for border security and the fight against human smuggling, the EU-supported project Integrated Border Management in Silk Routes countries” has successfully trained 500 officers of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in identifying and curbing human smuggling Commenced in 2019 this pivotal training program was conducted in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) The programme has resulted in the development of localized training manuals to equip officers with the skillsThe Integrated Border Management Training Conference, held in Islamabad, brought together experts and stakeholders to emphasize the critical importance of cooperation between the European Union and Pakistan in training initiatives related to Integrated Border Management and adjacent law enforcement agencies Speakers at the conference highlighted that human smuggling and human trafficking are often interconnected with other criminal activities such as narcotics trade arms smuggling and the movement of terrorists They stressed the need to establish a broader platform for all stakeholders to combat these crimes collectively, drawing

tered drives inclusion with enhanced parental leave

their children With the enhanced benefits, employees can access a minimum of 20 weeks of paid parental leave irrespective of gender The enhanced benefits have been designed to support working parents This is part of the Bank s commitment to fostering an inclusive culture, where employees are supported in balancing their personal lives with building successful careers Rehan Shaikh, CEO Standard Chartered Pakistan said, “Parental leave is a great way to dedicate your time to your family that has just expanded by a new member This genderneutral caregiving policy is also part of a wider set of people policies focused on actively promoting physical, emotional and mental well-being of not

the conference 21 FIA mast e r t r a i n e r s e q u i

p p e d b y I C M P D s h a r e d t h e i r e x p e r i e n c e s i n d e l i v e r i n g training sessions to their colleagues on c r u c i a l t o p i c s s u c h a s d o c u m e n t s e c urity, behavioral analysis, and leadership

Batik Air launches K arachi-Kuala Lumpur route

ICMPD also handed over three manuals o n t r a i n i n g - r e l a t e d t o p i c s w h i c h w i l l play a vital role in the FIA s continuous training programs Director General of the FIA, Mr Mohsin Hassan Butt emphasized the pivotal role of education in preventing irregular migration and border-related crimes He highlighted that the strategy is a collaborative effort involving the FIA Academy, the FIA Immigration Wing, and international partners The FIA’s master trainers will provide onthe-job training to their colleagues transferring the knowledge gained from international trainers to address the gap created by the transfer of trained officers to other postings

K A R A C H I: Batik Air is excited to announce the launch of direct flights between Karachi and Kuala Lumpur commencing on 31 October 2023 This sought-after route underscores Batik Air s steadfast dedication to expanding its worldwide accessibility ensuring effortless connections for travellers across the globe Following the resounding success of its daily flights to Lahore Batik Air is proud to mount new services between Karachi and Kuala Lumpur commencing with three times weekly flights The new route strengthens the airline s ties between the countries fostering both business and leisure travel opportunities Group Strategy Director of Batik Air and Lion Group, Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy expressed his optimism for this vibrant route, stating that they are beginning this journey with immense enthusiasm, leveraging the achievements they ve obtained from establishing its presence in Pakistan since March 2016 Much like our previous successful routes, we hold a strong belief in the prosperous growth of this Karachi connection, further enhancing the expansion of our network," he said Given the positive response to Batik Air's Lahore route, he believes that the airline s winning formula of excellent service competitive fares and efficient operations will translate into success on the Karachi-Kuala Lumpur route as well Embark on a journey to Malaysia where vibrant cultures and breathtaking landscapes beckon Pakistani travellers PR

Roche Diagnostics marks 25 years of healthcare innovation

K A R A C H I: Roche Diagnostics Pakistan celebrated a remarkable 25-year journey of healthcare innovation and partnership during the Silver Jubilee Dinner at the Movenpick Hotel in Karachi on September 14, 2023 For a quarter-century, Roche Diagnostics Pakistan has been a leader in healthcare innovation, seamlessly blending technology and medical expertise The event united esteemed partners stakeholders healthcare professionals business communities hospitals laboratories corporations and government officials from different sectors to showcase their contributions and celebrate 25 years of innovation PR

Iran’s envoy calls on FBR chief

Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan H E Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam called on Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Malik Amjed Zubair Tiwana today at FBR HQs Member (Admin) Member Customs (Operations) and senior officials of FBR were also present in the meeting During the meeting, the two sides discussed matters pertaining to customs, effective border management and smooth flow of cross border trade between the two countries especially through Mir Javeh-Taftan crossing point

The two sides also discussed the possibility of installing more gates at Mir Javeh-Taftan crossing point to ensure smooth movement of cross border trade as well as of the pilgrims The Iranian Ambassador also opined that making Rimdan-Gabd crossing point functional can lead to increased bilateral trade between the two countries The two sides agreed to further enhance trade and communications between the two brotherly countries PR

SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis holds produc tive meeting with Japanese ambassador

ISLAMABAD: In an effort to fortify bilateral relations and extend collaboration, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas

Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Jawad

Sohrab Malik convened a meeting with H E WADA

Mitsuhiro the distinguished Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan The discussion spanned across myriad facets of collaboration between the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) and Japan

At the crux was the pivotal topic of the export of manpower from Pakistan to Japan specifically under the aegis of the Technical Intern Training (TIT) and Specified Skill Workers (SSW) Program The meeting was also attended by Managing Director OEC, Mr Naseer Khan Kashani who briefed the SAPM and the Ambassador on the progress made so far Mr Kashani lauded the efforts of the Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo and the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan for their continuous support in this regard PR

PA F's simultaneous par ticipates in two international air exercises Shaheen-X & Bright Star

Pakistan Air Force is carrying out two large scale flying exercises from two different locations across the globe marking a significant milestone in its commitment to enhancing its aerial prowess and strengthening international cooperation The participation includes PAF's J-10 C and JF-17 lead fighter aircraft Combat Pilots Air Defence Controllers and technical ground crew who are actively engaged in the Shaheen-X bilateral Air Exercise hosted by the People s Liberation Army Air Force in China, as well as the Bright Star Air Exercise held in Egypt The successful induction and operationalization of the J-10C fighter jets in PAF's fighter fleet and their participation in an international exercise in an unprecedented short span of time is a remarkable achievement The feat has been achieved in lines with modernization plan of Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, premised on smart inductions and focused indegenization PR

NUST, S&P Global Pakistan strengthen link ages by signing MOU

I S L A M A B A D: National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Placement Office and S&P Global Pakistan has entered into a strategic Partnership to reshape research industrial connectivity training and employment prospects for both institutions This groundbreaking partnership between NUST and S&P Global was solidified through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the NUST Campus in Islamabad Pro-Rector NUST Research Innovation & Commercialization (RIC) Dr Rizwan Riaz and Managing Director S&P Global Pakistan Mujeeb Zahur signed the MoU in a ceremony held on Friday The ceremony was attended by HR, Marketing & Operations team of S&P Global and the NUST Placement Office team PR

Religious Affairs Ministr y to host ‘National Seeratun Nabi Conference’ in Rabi ’ Al-Aw wal

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed chairing a consultative meeting on Friday announced to organize the annual Mahfil-e-Naat and National Seerat-un-Nabi Conference in the month of Rabi al-Awwal He proposed the theme of conference ‘Scientific Strategy for National Economic Stability in the light of Seerat-eTayyaba’ scheduled to be held on 12th of Rabi’ al-awwal The minister emphasized the belief that solutions to contemporary societal issues could be addressed by seeking guidance in the light of the Prophet s life and teachings Minister Aneeq further said the esteemed scholars and academics would be invited from across the nation to share their insights on the subject and its subtopics He said distinguished diplomats from various Muslim-majority countries would also be part and parcel of this annual feature He said to promote scholarly engagement writers from around the country were encouraged to contribute articles on Seerat-un-Nabi, ensuring a rich literary resource for this subject APP

JazzCash becomes first fintech platform to enable SCOM Bundles

ISLAMABAD: JazzCash Pakistan's leading fintech player in a pioneering move has announced the integration of Special Communications Organization (SCO) mobile network onto its platform This strategic partnership brings a range of exciting new features, including SCOM Prepaid Load, SCOM Bundles and SCOM Postpaid Bill Payments, all seamlessly accessible through JazzCash The integration marks a significant milestone as the first of its kind in the fintech industry demonstrating Special Communication Organization (SCO) and JazzCash s innovative approach and dedication to serving its customers evolving needs across Pakistan While commenting on the partnership, Murtaza Ali, Head of JazzCash said “SCO's commitment to digitization aligns perfectly with JazzCash's vision of a digitally empowered Pakistan Through this partnership we are enabling people to remain connected in some of the country s most remote areas APP

Dawlance commemorates World Ozone Day with pledge to protec t our planet

KARACHI: Dawlance is the leading producer of refrigerators and a wide range of home appliances in Pakistan Dawlance has changed its Refrigerant usage in air conditioners; from R410A to a much safer gas which will also be recycled in the future for a sustainable future Being a wholly owned subsidiary of Arcelik – the 2nd largest manufacturer in Europe, Dawlance believes in a sustainable growth policy: ‘Progress Today – Preserve Tomorrow’ reflecting a strong commitment to social wellbeing As a socially responsible enterprise Dawlance continues to invest in innovative technologies that promise a higher quality of life with environmental and economic sustainability, for the healthy progress of future generations PR

SSGC intensifies crackdown on gas thieves

r a i n s 5 0 0 F i a o F F i c E r s t o c o m b at h U m a n s m U g g l i n g

ATC grants bail to Per vaiz Elahi in FJC vandalism case

ISLAMABAD S TA

g PERMISSION WOULD HELP PAKISTAN LNG LTD TO PROCURE LNG FROM SPOT MARKET FROM JANUARY 2024 TO DECEMBER 2024 TO FULFILL COUNTRY ’S NEEDS

IHC CJ assures judiciar y to decide cases of business communit y on priorit y

The Honorable Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court

Justice Aamer Farooq along with Honorable Justice

Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Honorable Nasir Javed

Rana Judge & Session Judge Islamabad visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and inaugurated the Mediation Council Office in ICCI and congratulated ICCI for opening this office The Mediation Council Office has been established as per requirement of the amended Rent Restrictions Act 2023, which would play mediation role for resolving the commercial rent disputes of the business community and contribute to the out-of-court settlement of such disputes

Addressing the business community Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Aamer Farooq said that the business community is the backbone of the economy and assured that the judiciary would decide commercial and rent disputes on priority He said that a mechanism including special bench would be considered to adjudicate the commercial disputes of the business community to facilitate them in business development

He said that arbitration and mediation is getting popularity as a cost-effective mechanism for settlement of cases as litigation is an expensive and lengthy process

He acknowledged that the prevailing laws in Pakistan are not supportive of business and investment and stressed that legislative should amend them to facilitate the entrepreneurs and investors He stressed that the business community should play role to boost business activities to steer the country out of current crisis

Justice Tariq Mehmood said that inauguration of a mediation council in ICCI is a commendable initiative for the out-of-court settlement of rent disputes of the business community and said that IHC would also forward such cases to the council for mediation

Speaking on the occasion Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari

President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that an effective commercial dispute resolution mechanism is vital for sustainable economic growth of Pakistan However, the arbitration & mediation laws, court procedures, dispute resolution and mechanism for enforcement of different types of contracts including commercial and investment in Pakistan are weak time taking outdated and a cause of concern for the local and foreign investors He said that on average, it takes around 3 years to settle a commercial dispute in courts in Pakistan and a contract case takes many years to be decided He stressed that the government should amend and upgrade and align business laws with the needs of current times to facilitate the growth of local and foreign investment in the country He stressed that the government should establish a network of commercial courts across the country and evolve an effective alternate dispute resolution system for timely settlement of commercial disputes and promote a healthy environment for business and investment activities in the country

Faad Waheed Senior Vice President ICCI Engr

Azhar ul Islam Zafar Vice President ICCI, Khalid

Iqbal Malik Group Leader ICCI, Zafar Bakhtawari

former President ICCI and Secretary General UBG

Pakistan, Raja Aleem Abbasi Vice Chairman

Islamabad Bar Council Naveed Malik President

Islamabad High Court Bar and Khalid Chaudhry

former SVP ICCI also spoke on the occasion Qaiser

Imam President Islamabad District Bar a large number of representatives from legal and business communities were present on the occasion

FO direc ted to look into UAE firm recruiting c andidates for Miss Universe

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was instructed by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to contact the UAE government about a company organising a beauty contest to select contestants to represent Pakistan in the Miss Universe Pageant without any approval of the Pakistan government

Earlier PM Kakar had directed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to investigate who is arranging the beauty contest and using Pakistan s name to participate in the international event The IB has submitted its report to the prime minister

According to the report “The rights/license to represent Pakistan for the contest of 2023 have been obtained by one Yugen Publishing and Marketing a business group based in Dubai The business group has created a website (houseofyugen com) seeking applications from Pakistani women (aged 24-28 irrespective of their marital status) from 04 03 2023 onwards The Dubai-based Yugen Group also has franchise rights for Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss

Universe Egypt ”

The IB report further reveals that these Pakistan-origin contestants have been selected through a poll from amongst a pool of 200 applicants from around the world One of the five participants was to be crowned as the winner in an event scheduled on Thursday (Sep 14) at 7pm UAE time; the event was to be broadcast on the Miss Universe YouTube channel

The report further says: In Dubai, [the] Yugen Group is sponsoring the event and one Josh Yugen is learnt to be national director of Miss Universe Pakistan [The] Yugen Group has also partnered with voting app Choicely to give pageant fans a chance to vote for their favorite candidates

Voting lasted till 7pm on Wednesday (13 09 2023) The winner will represent Pakistan at the Miss Universe pageant [that is participated in by] more than 60 countries in a month-long event which will culminate in [a] grand finale to be held in El Salvador on 18 11 2023 when the current title holder from US, R’Bonney Gabriel will pass on her crown to the winner According to the re-

port although the organisation claims that the contestants ‘represent their countries the claim is not factually correct

As per information available on the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) website, national directors’ are business entities/companies that apply to the MUO to get franchises for a particular country

Any business group can apply for the franchise licence for a token fee of around $1,000 after meeting certain requirements of the MUO

However, these licensees do not require permission from the government of that particular country and only require that the nationals of that country be brought to the contest

Earlier on Wednesday, Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi had already clarified on social media that “The government and state of Pakistan are represented by state and government institutions Our government has not designated any non-state and nongovernmental person or institution for any such activity and no such person/institution can represent the state/government

2024

Hemp Shirting Silk Silky aspects Trims & Accessories Wool Wool Aspect to Menswear ladies wear, children s wear, fashion

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday granted bail to former chief minister Punjab Parvez Elahi in the Judicial Complex vandalism case

The ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the judicial complex vandalism case against Elahi who is also president of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

In his remarks, the judge said that nothing was recovered from Elahi during remand and he is not even named in the FIR

The ATC court approved the bail of former CM Punjab ordered his release against a surety bond worth Rs20,000 Earlier on September 8, the court had sent Elahi to jail on a 14-day judicial remand

The seasoned politician was arrested again from the Islamabad Police Line after being released on the order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) following the suspension of 3 MPO order

3 terrorists killed, soldier mar t yred in Quetta fire exchange, says ISPR

RAWALPINDI S TA F F R E P O R T

Three terrorists were killed while a Pakistan Army soldier embraced martyrdom in an exchange with militants in Quetta the military s media affairs wing said on Friday

According to a statement issued by the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) militants had attacked a security forces post near Wali Tangi on Thursday evening During fire exchange three terrorists were sent to hell, the statement said It said that Subedar Qaiser Raheem embraced martyrdom while “fighting valiantly in the line of duty adding that one other soldier had been seriously injured Security forces of Pakistan will continue to thwart the efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country,” the statement said Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti “strongly condemned the attack and said the entire nation saluted the martyr Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured soldier, he said that “terrorists do not deserve any concession” and vowed to eliminate them from the country National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf condemned the attack and paid tribute to the martyred soldier “The people of Pakistan and all institutions are determined to root out the menace of terrorism the speaker said in a statement

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year

A report released in July by the think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said the first half of the current year witnessed a steady and alarming rise in terror and suicide attacks, claiming the lives of 389 people across the country

Punjab CM makes process for approval of seed variet y, easy and fast-track

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T

The global fashion capital Paris is gearing up to host the highly anticipated Texworld – Apparel Sourcing event from February 5th to 7th, 2024, at the prestigious Porte de Versailles This annual fashion extravaganza isn’t just a runway for international designers; it’s a golden opportunity for global brands and collections to bask in the spotlight of Europe’s fashion scene with a special focus on making inroads into Eastern and Middle Eastern markets It also provides the exhibitors an opportunity to showcase their prowess in the textile field, to source for larger brands

As per details, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is set to make a resounding statement at Texworld – Apparel Sourcing, Paris 2024 With a dedicated pavilion TDAP is on a mission to showcase Pakistan s vibrant textile and apparel industry to the world According to officials this participation goes beyond being a mere display of Pakistan s textile prowess; it s a strategic move to delve into and comprehend the European market better The goal is clear: to strengthen trade relationships, attract more buyers to Pakistan and elevate the nation’s textile and apparel industry on the global stage

To encourage Pakistani businesses to seize this golden opportunity TDAP is offering subsidized stalls for a wide range of products From Cotton & Blends to Denim, Eco-friendly Fabrics, Drapery, Embroidery & Lace, Fake fur, Fibers, Functional & Sportswear, Jacquard, Knitted fabrics, Linen &

a m i r a S a l i m b r i e f e d t h e c a r e t a k e r m i n i s t e r a b o u t t h e p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r h e r s p a c e j o u r n e y o n O c t o b e r 5 t h i s y e a r

amir a S aleem ex p r es s ed h er d eter min at i o n t o r a i s e t h e P a k i s t a n i f l a g i n s p a c e S o l a n g i c o n g r a t u l a t e d N a m i r a S a l e e m o n behalf of the Government of Pakistan, the Prime Minister and the people for starting t h e s p a c e j o u r n e y a n d e x p r e s s e d g o o d wishes for her

said the young

generation can raise the name of Pakistan in the world in various fields of life This effort of Namira Saleem will highlight the positive image of Pakistan as a peace-loving and progressive country, Murtaza Solangi maintained It should be noted that Namira Saleem is the first woman of Pakistan who also has the honour of reaching the poles Namira Saleem had hoisted Pakistan’s flag at the North Pole on April 21 2007 while she would be leaving for space travel on October 5

Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has made the two-year-long process for the approval of seed and variety easy and fast track, reported on Friday

“In a special meeting of the Punjab Seed Council the process of approval of seeds and varieties has been fast-tracked and improved Mohsin Naqvi said “After the approval of the special committee of the federal government the approval of seeds and varieties will not have to be taken again from the Punjab Seed Council he added

Under the Chief Minister s Agriculture Reforms Programme, one will no longer have to wait for years for the approval of seeds and new varieties,” he stated

By fast-tracking the process of approval of seeds and new varieties, the agriculture sector will flourish rapidly With this initiative, new seeds and varieties will come to the market and the farmer will benefit immensely Agricultural produce will increase and so will the farmer s income he claimed

Earlier, after the approval of the federal government’s committee on seeds and new varieties farmers had to come to the Punjab Seed Council for re-approval and the whole process took about two years he pointed out