Epaper_23-09-24 KHI

N O P O L I T I C A L PA R T Y B A R R E D

F R O M C O N T E S T I N G P O L LS : P M

CA R E TA K E R Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq on Saturday asserted that there is no ban on any political party from contesting elections and date for the general elections will be announced soon asserting those behind the May 9 violence would face legal action

Neither the ECP has not banned any political party, nor imposing restrictions on any political group,” PM Kakar declared highlighting that the election watchdog s mandate is to conduct polls and the interim government s role of supporting the electoral body

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq was speaking to Pakistan journalists during a press conference following his speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session

On the occasion the Caretaker Prime Minister firmly asserted that Pakistan is not accountable to any government or congressman

“We are not accountable to any government; we are not accountable to any congressman absolutely not! PM Kakar said further highlighting the robust bond between Pakistan and the US PM Kakar s remarks came in response to a question posed by a journalist during asking him about the engagements of Pakistanis in the United States with congressmen in relation to the human rights abuses and arrests in Pakistan

He was also questioned about the recent arrests, particularly those of women, which came in the wake of the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after its Chairman Imran Khan's party members and supporters violently reacted to his arrest in May this year

The prime minister said the country s laws are impartial, not favouring any gender, and apply to all citizens equally PM Kakar also spoke about the resurgence of terrorist threats by dangerous entities such as Tehreek-e-Taliban (Pakistan) and Daesh was a matter of grave concern for Pakistan and the entire international community

"Pakistan is facing terrorism for the

last two decades " he said

The premier stressed that a stable Afghanistan continued to remain an important foreign policy priority for Pakistan and the United States Kakar said we are holding constructive dialogue with the interim Afghan government

"We know how to defend and protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity " he said and also highlighted that Pakistan has always respected the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and we will continue doing so

Questioning India's handling of minorities and the human rights violations in its wake the prime minister said: "We must counter all terror without discrimination including the rising threat posed by far-right extremist and fascist groups such as Hindutva-inspired extremists, threatening genocide against Indian Muslims and Christians alike "

The prime minister also lamented the large number of people killed in Manipur He added New Delhi needed to oppose state terrorism and address the root causes of terrorism such as poverty, injustice and foreign occupation, and distinguish genuine freedom struggle from terrorism

Regarding the brutal killing of a Sikh leader in Canada which came as a rude shock to the world, PM Kakar said that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-backed ideologues of Hindutva are becoming emboldened in a manner that they are now going beyond the region

AVERAGE CPI FOR CURRENT FISCAL

Speaking about his meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the UNGA Kakar termed it a multilateral meeting that focused on a large number of bilateral and multilateral interests Commenting on the Jaranwala

tragedy, the premier said the government took speedy action as a responsible state against the perpetrators of the tragic incident

Commenting on the economic situation in the country the prime minister said foreign investors are interested in investing in Pakistan because of the government s new policies, highlighting that attracting foreign investments in all sectors was the interim set-up's priority

Kakar said the government believed in a no-holds-barred foreign investment regime and had constituted the Special Investment Facilitation Council to facilitate foreign investors, bolster their confidence and expedite project implementation in priority areas of agriculture

energy and minerals

With polls months away, ECP comes up with key amends to election rules

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday suggested several amendments to the election rules As the political parties gear up for contesting the general elections, the ECP outlined the changes some of which suggest new obligations for the candidates The ECP has proposed amended rules including rule 51 52(3) 56(3) 66(4) 71(2) 84(4) 85(2) 87(2) 134(1) 134(2) 134(2A) 134A 137(1) 143(1), 143(4), 158(1), 158(3), 161(1), Form41(g), Form41(h)(ii), Form 67, Form 68, and Annexures, and Form 69

A notification issued by the ECP stated that Section 239 of the Election Act 2017 empowers the commission to make rules for the conduct of polls [ ] in view of different scenarios and to resolve the predicaments arisen with time, the Election Commission has carried out various amendments in rules,” it stated

The electoral watchdog also gave a deadline for the objections on the proposed changes which can be submitted by October 7 According to the key proposals the candidates will be required to operate a separate bank account for poll expenses

Pakistani and Indian delegates engaged in a verbal duel at the UN after Pakistan s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar drew the world community’s attention to the unresolved Kashmir dispute and to India’s grave human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir

The Indian delegate Petal Gahlot reacted to the Pakistan Prime Minister s reference to the deteriorating situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir during the general debate at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly claiming that the Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our domestic matters, she asserted Pakistan’s delegate, Saima Saleem, hit back She rejected India’s claim that Jammu and Kashmir was its integral part saying It never was it never will be

The UN Security Council has affirmed that the final disposition of the territory will be decided by a plebiscite, which India accepted under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations India, she said had failed to implement the UNSC resolutions through fraud and force and suppressed the Kashmiris demands for the right to self-determination by imposing occupation and, on 5 August 2019, annexing Jammu and Kashmir

The Pakistani delegate said that the entire Kashmiri population has been the victim of India s brutal tactics A classic colonial-settler project is underway Saima Saleem said The Kashmiri freedom struggle is not terrorism, she said, adding that the resistance to foreign occupation is “just and legal” under international law “It is India’s oppression that is illegal ” the Pakistani delegate said India must be held accountable for its war crimes in the territory; it is not a victim but a serial sponsor of terrorism against each of its neighbours, the Pakistani delegate stressed

Pa k i s t a n , C h i n a a g r e e t o r e v i s e c o s t o f M L- 1 p r o j e c t

g ANNOUNCEMENT IN THIS REGARD EXPECTED DURING VISIT OF CARETAKER PM TO CHINA FROM OCT 18

PR OFIT

M O N I T O R I N G D E S K

P a k i s t a n a n d C h i n a h a v e r ep o r t e d l y r e a c h e d a c o n s e n s u s to revise the cost of the Mainl i n e - 1 ( M L - 1 ) p r o j e c t t o a pproximately $6 6 billion, with a n a m e n d e d p r o j e c t d e s i g n s l a t e d f o r s u b m i s s i o n t o P a k -

istan by October 31 M L - 1 c o m p r i s e s a 1 8 7 2k i l o m e t e r r a i l w a y t r a c k c o nn e c t i n g K a r a c h i t o P e s h a w a r t r a v e r s i n g S i n d h a n d P u n j a b p r o v i n c e s T h e p r o j e c t i nvolves upgrading and doubling t h e t r a c k l a y i n g a n e w o n e with an improved subgrade for s p e e d s o f u p t o 1 6 0 k m / h , a l l a s p a r t o f t h e C h i n a - P a k i s t a n

Economic Corridor (CPEC)

A c c o r d i n g t o a r e p o r t b y

Dawn Pakistan’s Communicat i o n s S e c r e t a r y K h u r r a m

A g h a w h o l e a d s t h e J o i n t Wo r k i n g G r o u p s ( J W G ) f o r

Aviation Railways and Infras t r u c t u r e w i t h i n C P E C a l o n g w i t h R a i l w a y s S e c r e t a r y Mazhar Ali Shah, is scheduled t o a t t e n d a J W G m e e t i n g i n B e i j i n g T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s meeting is to finalize cost estim a t e s a n d a d d r e s s a s s o c i a t e d matters If agreed by both sides, the adjusted cost of the ML-1 proje c t w i l l s t a n d a t a r o u n d $ 6 6 b i l l i o n a n o t a b l e d e c r e a s e f r o m t h e e a r l i e r e s t i m a t e o f $9 8 billion due to delays This c o s t r e v i s i o n i s a t t r i b u t e d t o China s flexibility and modifications in project design, coup l e d w i t h P a k i s t a n ’s w i l l i n g n e s s t o i n d e p e n d e n t l y develop certain segments furt h e r c o n t r i b u t i n g t o c o s t s a vings A n o ff i c i a l a n n o u n c e m e n t r e g a r d i n g t h i s d e v e l o p m e n t i s expected during the forthcomi n g v i s i t o f P a k i s t a n ’s c a r e -

t a k e r P r i m e M i n i s t e r A nwaarul Haq Kakar to China on O c t o b e r 1 8 D u r i n g t h i s v i s i t , h e w i l l p a r t i c i p a t e i n a n n u a l e v e n t s r e l a t e d t o C h i n a ’s O n e Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) In addition to the cost revis i o n f o r t h e M L - 1 p r o j e c t C h i n a a n d P a k i s t a n w i l l a l s o d i s c u s s f o u r p r e v i o u s l y d el a y e d p r o j e c t s , i n c l u d i n g t h e M i r p u r - M u z a f f a r a b a dM a n s e h r a M o t o r w a y Z h o bD e r a I s m a i l K h a n M o t o r w a y a n d B a b u s a r To p F o r m a l n egotiations on these projects are scheduled to take place during J W G m e e t i n g s i n t h e c o m i n g week T h e s e d e v e l o p m e n t s w e r e reviewed during a recent meeti n g o n C P E C p r o j e c t s w h e r e t h e c a r e t a k e r M i n i s t e r f o r P l a n n i n g a n d D e v e l o p m e n t , Mohammad Sami Saeed, urged a l l m i n i s t r i e s a n d d i v i s i o n s t o expedite CPEC projects

Provided that a candidate shall open an exclusive bank account or dedicate an existing bank account already opened with a scheduled bank to maintain transactions of election expenses and shall attach a statement of the said bank account starting with entries of seven days prior to the election schedule with the nomination papers for election to an Assembly or the Senate on Form A The bank account so opened or dedicated shall not be a joint signatory account ”

The candidates will deposit the sum of money with an application for contest in the national treasury and it will not be refundable

And thereafter sub-rule (4) of rule 52 shall stand omitted

The candidates will maintain a register of receipts and payments and all financial records and details to support every payment made in respect of election expenses, and submit them to the returning officer “in Form C appended to the Act”

Moreover if a candidate allows another person to bear his election expenses on his behalf they must also maintain record/details of it [ ] maintain record/details of election expenses incurred for his election campaign by that person showing his name, copies of NIC/NICOP (resident of Pakistan having Pakistani NIC or overseas Pakistani holding NICOP) issued by NADRA types of expenses incurred source of income of the person address phone number The ECP will reconcile the total sum of expenses recorded in Forms C, 67 and 68 within the permissible limit of the election expenses of the returned candidate

The RO will publish the list of contesting candidates with their respective symbols at some conspicuous place in his office furnish a copy of it to the contesting candidate district election commissioner provincial election commissioner and to ECP, which will upload it for display on its website

The RO will “in presence of contesting candidates and one of their election agents duly authorised by such candidate as may be present open the packet containing the ballot papers which have been excluded from the count by the presiding officer

The RO will personally seal the provisional and final consolidated statement of results of the count and final consolidated results” after preparing on Form47 48 and 49 respectively Two new forms namely Form-67 and Form-68 shall be added after Form 66

The Commission shall reconcile the total sum of expenses recorded in Forms C 67 and 68 within the permissible limit of the election expenses of the returned candidate Earlier this week, in a much-awaited move, the electoral authority had announced that elections will be held in January next year following the completion of the delimitation process Polls were supposed to have taken place within 90 days but the election watchdog said it needed more time to redraw constituencies following the latest population census

The final list of constituencies will be published on November 30

After that, the elections will be held in the last week of January 2024 after a 54-day election programme ” the commission said in a statement

Amid calls for holding elections within the 90-day stipulated time a senior official at the ECP ruled out the possibility of polls in the constitutionally mandated period even if the delimitation exercise is halted

Nepra approves Rs3.28/unit hike, adding Rs135.5b burden

Kashmir not India’s integral par t –never was, nor will be: Pakistan

N E I T H E R U N , N O R A N Y C O U N T R Y A C C E P T S

I N D I A ’ S C L A I M T O K A S H M I R : F M J I L A N I

CARETAKER Minister for Foreign Affairs Jalil Abbas Jilani on Friday said that neither the United Nations nor any country in the world accepted the Indian claim on the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan

The foreign minister addressing a news conference after Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar s address at the UN General Assembly, said even the United Nations map did not show Kashmir as an integral part of India as the country had been claiming for a long time

Asked about a spat between Canada and India over the killing of a Sikh leader he said the South Asian countries including Pakistan had also been victims of the assassinations originating from India

“For the first time, this has gone global India will have to come clean on this This

is the mask coming off on the Indian face the foreign minister added Apprising the media of the prime minister s as well as his engagements in New York, Foreign Minister Jilani said they had a series of bilateral meetings with their

PML-N plans 7 rallies in Lahore ahead of Nawaz’s ‘homecoming’

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t T h e P a k i s t a n M u s l i m L e a g u e - N a w a z ( P M L - N ) h a s p l a n n e d r a l l i e s i n L a h o r e t o m o b i l e p a r t y w o r k e r s a h e a d o f f o r m e r p r e m i e r N a w a z S h a r i f s e x p e c t e d r e t u r n t o P a k i s t a n n e x t m o n t h A c c o r d i n g t o t h e p a r t y s o u r c e s , i t h a s b e e n d e c i d e d t o h o l d s e v e n r a l l i e s i n d i ff e r e n t c o n s t i t u e n c i e s o f t h e p r o v i n c i a l c a p i t a l i n t h e r u n - u p t o t h e p l a n n e d h o m e c o m i n g o f t h e p a r t y s u p r e m o T h e s e p o w e r s h o w s w i l l b e h e l d N A - 1 2 3 , N A - 1 2 4 , N A - 1 2 5 , N A - 1 2 7 , N A1 2 8 N A - 1 2 8 a n d N A - 1 3 6 s a y s o u r c e s a d d i n g t h a t a l l r a l l i e s w i l l b e h e l d b e t w e e n O c t o b e r 18 a n d P M L - N C h i e f O rg a n i s e r M a r y a m N a w a z w i l l a d d r e s s t h e r a l l i e s F o r m e r p r i m e m i n i s t e r S h e h b a z S h a r i f F r i d a y c l a i m e d t h a t t h e r e w a s n o c h a n g e i n t h e r e t u r n p l a n o f h i s b r o t h e r a n d P a k i s t a n M u s l i m L e a g u e - N a w a z ( P M L - N ) s u p r e m o N a w a z S h a r i f a s t h e l a t t e r i s s e t t o l a n d i n P a k i s t a n o n O c t o b e r 2 1 S h e h b a z S h a r i f r u s h e d b a c k t o L o n d o n m e r e l y h o u r s a f t e r h e r e t u r n e d t o t h e c o u n t r y f r o m t h e U K , a d e v e l o p m e n t t h a t g a v e w a y t o r u m o u r s r e g a r d i n g a p o s s i b l e c h a n g e i n t r a v e l p l a n s o f N a w a z S h a r i f T h e f o r m e r p r e m i e r l e f t L o n d o n e a r l i e r i n t h e w e e k a f t e r s p e n d i n g s e v e r a l w e e k s h e r e , b u t u p o n r e a c h i n g L a h o r e , m a d e a s u d d e n p l a n t o r e t u r n i n o r d e r t o m e e t w i t h h i s e l d e r b r o t h e r p a r t y s u p r e m o N a w a z S h a r i f

LHCBA law yers warned to clear dues or face vote right suspension LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t T h e L a h o r e H i g h C o u r t b a r A s s o c i a t i o n ( L H C B A ) h a s a s k e d m o r e t h a n 5 , 0 0 0 l a w y e r s t o c l e a r t h e i r d u e s a m o u n t i n g t o o v e r R s 1 9 0 m i l l i o n w a r n i n g t h e l a w y e r s w i l l n o t b e a b l e t o c a s t t h e i r v o t e s i n t h e n e x t b a r e l e c t i o n s i f t h e y f a i l t o p a y o ff t h e i r l i a b i l i t i e s I n a s t a t e m e n t i s s u e d h e r e , L H C B A S e c r e t a r y S a b a h a t R i z v i w a r n e d t h e l a w y e r s w h o h a v e n o t c l e a r e d t h e i r d u e s s o f a r t h a t t h e i r p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h e n e x t b a r e l e c t i o n s c o u l d n o t b e p o s s i b l e a n d t h e y c o u l d n o t c a s t t h e i r v o t e s T h e y w o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d d e f a u l t e r s a n d t h e i r r i g h t t o c a s t i n g v o t e w o u l d b e f o r f e i t e d h e a d d e d T h e s e c r e t a r y s a i d t h a t d e s p i t e s e v e r a l w a r n i n g s a n d r e m i n d e r s b y t h e L H C B A o ff i c e - b e a r e r s , l a w y e r s s h i e d a w a y f r o m c l e a r i n g t h e i r d u e s H e s a i d t h a t i t m a y b e d u e t o s k y r o c k e t i n g i n f l a t i o n t h a t t h e d e f a u l t i n g l a w y e r s w e r e r e l u c t a n t t o s u b m i t t h e i r d u e s H e s a i d t h a t l a s t d a t e f o r t h e i r d u e s s u b m i s s i o n i s S e p t 3 0 A c c o r d i n g t o t h e b a r a s s o c i a t i o n , a s m a n y a s 5 , 6 7 3 l a w y e r s o f t h e L a h o r e H i g h C o u r t a r e d e f a u l t e r s o f o v e r R s 1 9 0 m i l l i o n M r R i z v i a s k e d t h e l a w y e r s t o c l e a r t h e i r d u e s b y S e p t 3 0 s o t h a t t h e y c o u l d t a k e p a r t i n t h e b a r e l e c t i o n s s c h e d u l e d t o b e h e l d i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 4

counterparts and also attended multiple sessions on varying subjects

He said the meetings of the OIC Contact Groups on Kashmir and Palestine were also held wherein Pakistan highlighted its efforts for peace and stability besides highlighting

the Jammu and Kashmir dispute

To a question, the foreign minister said that during the interactions in New York, they had got no impression that the people of Palestine were being abandoned by the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) countries Rather the meetings reiterated their support and called for the resolution of the issue as per the United Nations Security Council resolutions

He said the steps taken by India on August 5 2019 further denied their rights to the Kashmiri people The attempts to change the demography of IIOJK was a matter of great concern for Pakistan as well as the people of Kashmir

The foreign minister told the media that Pakistan along with the like-minded countries had developed a consensus at COP27 and established the Climate Finance Fund About the outcomes of the donors conference held in Geneva he said the UN Secretary-General would convene a meeting on September 27, where the representatives

from the donor countries would present a report about the actualisation of the commitments

He said Pakistan was carrying out the rehabilitation work from its own resources

The banks were also extending easy-term loans but they had limited resources

We are hopeful that most of the promises will be fulfilled shortly, he remarked Regarding the debate on the UNSC reforms, Foreign Minister Jilani said there was a consensus in the international community that there was no need for adding another elite member or group to the Council To a question he said Pakistan expected the interim Afghan government to act against all groups carrying out terror activities inside Pakistan He said Pakistan had a very good dialogue with Afghan authorities including at the recently held meeting of the joint commission The Afghan side was also committed to not allowing its soil for terror activities he added

CTD arrests 13 T TP, Daesh terrorists during Punjab-wide IBOs

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested 13 terrorists belonging to banned organizations during intelligence-based operations carried out in different cities of the province including Lahore

According to CTD officials during the operation in Lahore, a key commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and two of Daesh (Islamic State) operatives were captured

They informed five terrorists of the outlawed TTP were arrested from Attock while activists of the banned organization were also arrested from Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur and Jhelum

The CTD officials said that explosive material and equipment for making suicide jackets were recovered from the arrested terrorists

The officials said cases have been registered against those arrested, and investigations started

Previously on September 9 the CTD had arrested two alleged terrorists during intelligence-based operations in Rawalpindi and Gujranwala

The arrested terrorists include Isa, said to be a central member of Daesh or Islamic State (IS) Officials said Isa was arrested from Rawalpindi in an IBO

A large quantity of explosive material, detonators, mobile phones and cash were seized from the arrested terrorists, they added They further said that cases had been registered against the terrorists and an investigation was underway

The CTD officials said that week 369 combing operations were conducted wherein 52 suspects were arrested

Thailand ready to finalise FTA with Pakistan to improve trade ties: Envoy

Chakkrid Krachaiwong, Ambassador of Thailand on Saturday said that his country was ready to finalise a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan as negotiations on this had reached the final stage and now it was up to Pakistan to expedite it He revealed that Thai Air was resuming its flights from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad He expressed these views during an interaction with the business community at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry

(ICCI) Ms Kamolwan Siriposil Thai Economic Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission, Khemathat Archawathamrong, Thai Counsellor and also accompanied him on the occasion said a press release issued here

The Ambassador said that many Pakistanis visited Thailand and stressed that they should also play a role to increase bilateral trade between the two countries

He said that both countries should focus on promoting bilateral investment to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes

Mr Krachaiwong said that the Pakistani business community should display its products in Thailand Industrial Fair 2024 in January next

year which would help them to improve their business prospects

He said that many Thai investors wanted to invest in Pakistan but they did not know where to invest He identified seafood, mangoes, the halal food and halal cosmetics as potential areas for the bilateral trade

Speaking on the occasion Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari President ICCI said that the Chamber would take up the issue of FTA with relevant Pakistani authorities for swift progress on it as it would help increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and Thailand

He said that Thailand’s annual exports in 2022 were over US$ 285 billion and imports were around US$300 billion but its bilateral trade with Pakistan in 2022-23 was less than

SC to star t issuing monthlong causelist in advance

US$ 1 billion

He said that both countries were doing trade in limited items and stressed that they should diversify trade to achieve better results

He said Pakistan can export many other products to Thailand including value-added textiles, leather goods, sports items pharmaceuticals surgical instruments and food products

Similarly he said Pakistan can import more products from Thailand

Ahsan Bakhtawari said that the government had established a Special Investment Facilitation Council to facilitate new investments in defense agriculture minerals IT and Telecom energy and other sectors and stressed that the Thai investors should take advantage of these opportunities in Pakistan

He said that tourism sector was another promising area of mutual cooperation as Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes offer great attractions to Thai tourists

He said that learning from Thailand s successful tourism industry, Pakistan can also develop its tourism sector along modern lines

Aamir Hussain Maqsood

Tabish Ch Muhammad Ali Malik

Najeeb Khalid Chaudhry Fiazan

Shehzad Kashif Chaudhry Ms

Parveen Khan, Ch Tahir and others were also present on the occasion

Bilawal forms PPP parliamentary boards for general election

54-day election schedule

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Supreme Court would issue the proposed cause list in advance for four weeks falling within the month so the parties may fully prepare their cases and attend proceedings In the meeting of the Chief Justice and senior pusine Judge with the elected representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association, the elected representatives requested that the monthly proposed cause list be issued to enable the ASCs, AOR and the parties to fully prepare their cases and to attend the Court, said a press release The proposed cause list for the four weeks commencing from Monday, 2 October 2023 has been issued The proposed cause list is available on the Supreme Court’s website (www supremecourt gov pk), adjustments therein may be requested as mentioned therein

Rain lashes par ts of nor theastern, central Punjab

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

Most parts of north-eastern and central Punjab received heavy downpour on Saturday, inundating low-lying areas and exposing poor infrastructure in urban centres The latest spell of rains is again a result of monsoon current from the Arabian Sea penetrating the upper and central parts of Pakistan with a westerly affecting the region at the same time resulting in intense downpours Hence the combined effects of the two systems are producing heavy rains despite the fact that the monsoon currents are moderate in their intensity Although global warming has increased the rain intensity around the globe convergence of hot and cold winds due to two systems [monsoon currents and westerly] makes downpour even more likely In fact the overwhelming majority of intense rains, especially in northeastern Punjab, this season is a result of their interaction In Lahore, the downpour with wind started around 3:30 which was soon followed by a drenching thunderstorm

Although rain had stopped around 9:30am the city and other parts of northeastern Punjab were still covered by dark clouds The highest amount of rain 156mm recorded in the city was at Qartaba Chowk followed by Lakshmi Chowk 138mm, Gulshan-e-Ravi 142mm, Gulberg 121mm Nishtar Town 107mm Paniwala Talab 107mm Tajpura 103mm Farrukhabad 97mm

Iqbal Town 92mm and Johar Town 88mm

However the rain clouds initially had started developing over western Punjab around midnight, which moved towards central and eastern Punjab, resulting in heavy rain along its path Earlier, it was expected that the heavy rains during the last weekend and earlier this week would end the hot and humid conditions But the delay in monsoon withdrawal means that the humidity level had jumped again

PUNJAB CM INVITES

LAHORE

s ta f f C o r r e s p o N d e N t

PUNJAB Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has extended an official invitation to the Party Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) of Ningxia Province to visit Punjab who had accepted the invitation Naqvi, who is concluding his visit to China, remained very beneficial for increasing cooperation in bilateral relations especially in the fields of agriculture and industry Mohsin Naqvi was the top trend on Twitter and the visit was given special importance and significant coverage by Chinese media

During his visit, the CM inaugurated the Ningxia International Friendship States Forum of more than 18 countries Mohsin Naqvi is the first Chief Minister in the history of

NINGXIA PROVINCE

Pakistan to inaugurate this forum

He delivered a keynote speech and also laid emphasis on peace and prosperity in the region for a bright future He described Pakistan-China relations as indispensable for peace Sahiwal and Woosung and Bahawalpur and Zhongwei are declared sister cities to support economy and trade science and technology

The chief minister visited Ningxia General Hospital and Medical University

He got briefing on solid waste management, Safe City cameras, policing and road infrastructure in Beijing Mohsin Naqvi had an important meeting with Communist Party Secretary Liang Yao Shong in Yinchuan A ministerial delegation from Punjab participated in the 6th China-Arab Expo in Yinchuan Provincial Ministers SM Tanveer

Aamir Mir Azfar Ali Nasir Ibrahim

PART Y SECRETARY TO VISIT PAKISTAN

Hasan Murad Chief Secretary Zahid

Akhtar Zaman and Finance Secretary Mujahid Sher Dil accompanied him

The signing of documents to declare Sahiwal and Bahawalpur as sister cities with two Chinese cities is a great success, CM Naqvi said

H e s a i d i n t h e l i g h t o f t h e s e agreements mutual cooperation will be further promoted In the meetings

w i t h Vi c e G o v e r n o r s o f N i n g x i a b e s i d e s a g r i c u l t u r e , i r r i g a t i o n a n d

i n d u s t r y i t w a s a g r e e d t o i n c r e a s e t e c h n i c a l s u p p o r t i n t h e f i e l d o f

i n f o r m a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y, s a i d M o h s e n N a q v i Ningxia s health agriculture agricultural research industry onewindow operation and civic amenities were observed during the visit, he said Every effort will be made to ensure that the people of Punjab benefit from the outcome of this visit said Mohsen Naqvi

Pak istan, China sign MoU to establish mechanism for academic exchanges, joint research

BEIJING I N p T h e N a t i o n a l D e f e n c e U n i v e r s i t y Pakistan and Grandview have signed a memorandum of understanding to e s t a b l i s h m e c h a n i s m s f o r a c t i v e c o l l a b o r a t i o n f o r a c a d e m i c exchanges joint research and sharing of experiences Pakistan Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Moin Ul Haque and Mr Ren Libo, Founder and President of Grandview Institution, Ren Libo signed the agreement at a ceremony held at the Grandview Institute

Speaking on the occasion Ambassador Haque said that National Defence University (NDU) is a prestigious institution of higher learning and strategic thought

providing key inputs for shaping Pakistan’s defense and foreign policies

He also appreciated the Grandview Institution as a vanguard of scholarship and diplomacy which contributed significantly to global affairs Ambassador Haque noted that this MOU was part of the two countries’ efforts to build linkages between think tanks and universities which would serve as platforms for further strengthening relations between the two countries

In his speech, Ren Libo expressed his desire to enhance engagement with the Pakistani side

He further reiterated that the two sides should plan and execute joint projects under the agreement for practical cooperation in this regard

Nawaz Sharif seeks suggestion from PML-N leaders to curb inflation

LONDON N p

Following his announcement of a return plan to Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif has sought suggestions from party leaders to curb rising inflation in the country Media reports said that a meeting of PML-N leadership was held in London wherein the three-time prime minister sought suggestions to curb rising inflation in the country If we come into power, what and how we will provide relief to the people of Pakistan,” Nawaz Sharif asked the participants of the meeting Meanwhile, the PMLN leaders gave several suggestions during the meeting which was held in two different sessions Speaking on the occasion Nawaz Sharif said that when came into power his party s foremost priority will be to provide relief to a common man Such a power, which cannot help common man, is useless,” he added “Before assuming power, I would place all the relevant facts in front of the nation ” he said adding that he was also in touch with other countries especially friendly nations to bring investment in the country

Pakhtun Culture Day celebrated in Balochistan

QUETTA s ta f f r e p o r t

To mark International Pakhtun Culture Day functions were held in different cities of northern Balochistan including Quetta on Saturday According to detail pushtun from different walks of life, wearing pushtun traditional dresses and turbans, visited the lawn of Quetta Metropolitan Corporation where

Pushtoonkhwa Milla Awami Party (Achakzai) had set up stalls, depicting archaic pushtun cultural items People also enjoyed Aturn, pushtoon traditional dance and competitions of Gheez Pushtoon cultural wrestling arranged in the lawn of Quetta Metropolitan Corporation

Chairman, Pushtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (Achakzai) Mehmood Khan Achakzai Senior Deputy Chairman Pushtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Senior leaders Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai, Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan and others were also present on the occasion

Soldier martyred in North Waziristan IBO: ISPR

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

A soldier of Pakistan Army on Saturday embraced martyrdom

during an intense exchange of fire that occurred amid an intelligencebased operation conducted by the security forces in general area Mir Ali of North Waziristan District the

Tareen vows to ser ve people if given chance

LAHORE I N p

Pakistan Point News-Sept 23rd 2023) Istehkam-ePakistan Party (IPP) Chairman Jahangir Khan Tarin on Saturday expressed his unwavering commitment to serving the people of the country if given the opportunity Speaking during an event where relief materials were being distributed to flood victims Tareen emphasized that serving the people was his calling as Pakistan had been abundantly blessed with natural resources He underscored the responsibility of those with resources and opportunities to assist the deserving individuals and improve their circumstances Tareen also stressed that it was the right of the people to expect the government to address their issues He mentioned that the Istehkame-Pakistan Party was dedicated to strengthening Pakistan recognizing that the nation s strength was intrinsically tied to the well-being of its citizens

President stresses for innovative steps to enrol 27 million children in schools

ISPR informed In a news release the Inter Services Public Relations the military media wing said the intense fire exchange took place between the Army troops and terrorists, whereas the troops effectively engaged terrorists’ location The martyred soldier was identified as Sepoy Shakeel Shafqat (age 21 years resident of District Khanewal) having fought gallantly embraced Shahadat during the operation “Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorist found in the area S e c u r i t y f o r c e s o f P a k i s t a n a r e d e t e r m i n e d t o e l i m i n a t e t h e m e n a c e o f t e r r o r i s m a n d s u c h s a c r i f i c e s o f o u r b r a v e s o l d i e r s f u r t h e r s t r e n g t h e n o u r r e s o l v e , t h e I S P R s a i d

Two medic al stores sealed, 20 fined for selling fake medicines

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

The Health Department imposed Rs0 38 million on 20 medical stores and also sealed two others in Garden area fake medicines on Saturday

The department conducted the crackdown with help of the administration to check the sale of fake and spurious medicines According to details, the district administration has launched a crackdown in South District against selling of unregistered and fake medicines and hoarding of life-saving drugs D u r i n g t h e c r a c k d o w n t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n imposed Rs0 38 million on almost 20 medical stores a n d a l s o s e a l e d t w o s h o p s i n t h e G a r d e n a r e a T h e raids were carried out in Clifton, Gizri, Lyari General Hospital, Chakiwara, Lea Market and other areas in South District

On September 4 Sindh’s Directorate General (DG)

Health took note of drug price hikes and black marketing

and directed the District Health Office (DHO) to take immediate actions under police supervision DG Health in his letter to Drug Inspector sought a report from the drug officer for non-supply of medicines and sales of medicine in black-market There are many medicines which are not available in the market

Earlier in April Karachi police raided and sealed a factory allegedly producing fake medicines in the New Karachi area The raid was jointly conducted by Karachi police and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) officials in the New Karachi area A large amount of fake lifesaving drugs and raw material was recovered in the raid

Police officials told the media that they also seized two manufacturing units 10 other genres of machines and dyes from the factory They added that three suspects were arrested The factory was allegedly producing antibiotics and several kinds of counterfeit medicines The arrested suspects used to sell fake medicines to small medical stores

No politic al par t y barred from contesting polls: PM

c e n t r i c a t d i f f e r e n t g l

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

President Dr Arif Alvi has emphasized the need to adopt innovative solution to impart education as about twenty seven million children in the country are out of schools Talking to Caretaker Education Minister Madad Ali in Islamabad on Saturday he said mosques can be used as educational institutions from Fajr to Zohar of imparting education to children He said online education in remote areas will also be useful in this regard The President urged to pay special attention towards the provision of education to girls and Persons with Disabilities Highlighting the importance of professional training in the country he said it is incumbent on us to equip the youth especially women with technical skills and knowledge Commenting on the Higher Education of country, Dr Arif Alvi urged universities to focus on modern knowledge including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning Cyber Security and Cloud Computing Terming to equip the students with Information Technology as inevitable he asked universities to start two-year degree programs also with four-year degree programs and online education Expressing concerns over the low rate of enrollment at universities in Pakistan as compared to region, the President said online education and evening shifts in universities can overcome this issue significantly Matters pertaining to the Federal Urdu University were also come under discussion

High fuel prices push weekly inflation to 38.6pc

CONTINUED ON PAGE 01

o N e w Yo r k r e m a i n e d h i g h l y s u c c e s s f u l , w h e r e h e h e l d u s e f u l m e e t i n g s w i t h t h e g l o b a l l e a d e r s i n c l u d i n g U N S e c r e t a r y G e n e r a l A n t ó n i o G u t e r r e s a n d d i s c u s s e d r e g i o n a l a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l i s s u e s

of India

However, a glimmer of relief was seen in the prices of some vegetables after the Torkham border with Afghanistan was reopened The SPI basket, comprising 51 essential items, demonstrated notable fluctuations Prices of 22 goods soared 11 experienced price drops and 18 remained unchanged compared to the previous week Key items that witnessed substantial price increases compared to the same week the previous year include electricity charges, gas charges, cigarettes, rice, sugar, wheat flour, and more Whereas, on a week-on-week basis the largest price increases were observed in chicken garlic onions shirting fabric and matchboxes It is pertinent to mention here that according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast, the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the current fiscal year is projected to be 25 9 percent, slightly down from the previous year’s 29 6 percent In contrast to the overall trend, prices of certain items such as tomatoes sugar bananas potatoes and various food items recorded decreases on a week-on-week basis

Caretaker M inister G ohar Ehaz sees fuel prices coming down, but for how long?

CARETAKER Commerce and IIndustries

Minister Gohar Ejaz has expressed the view that the consumer could ‘expect good news on October 1’ with respect to fuel prices because the price of fuel had been driven up by the declining rupee His expectation of a fall in fuel prices at the next ‘fix’ is clearly based on the recent rise in the rupee However, this does not take account of the fact that there are two factors which will drag down the rupee, and thus send fuel prices soaring The first is that the recent decline was achieved by purely administrative measures, and the basic disequilibrium in the economy still continues, and thus the economic reasons for the decline of the rupee persist, meaning that the the rupee will go down, and with it the price of fuel will increase, assuming that the international price of oil, does not increase That is also a flawed assumption as the price currently at $ 93-plus per barrel is predicted to reach $150 per barrel in coming months

The caretakers are also committed to staying on the IMF programme which means that no subsidies are to be offered to help relieve the public suffering; indeed, that any subsidies still given are to be ruthlessly traced and eliminated It is thus ominous that members of the caretaker government should be freely identifying problems that require long-term solutions And then offering to tackle them It should be recognized that the solution to Pakistan’s energy problem lies in resolving some of the problems caused by elite capture, which cannot be done by caretakers, but which requires an elected government with the support of the people

That impliiies that the government should stop pretending it is here forever, especially now that the Election Commission has indicated that elections will be held some time in January which is beyond the 90-day limit given by the Constitution but is short of the year or more than some were speaking of The caretakers should not think in terms which might lead to them overstaying their mandate which is limited to the holding of free and fair elections

Not just a wake-up call

Rs 5 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both, for not ceasing the processing of personal data after the withdrawal of consent by the data subject In more severe cases such as unlawful processing of sensitive data the fine may be raised to Rs 25 million

Moreover, the draft Bill has provisions for corporate liability on a legal person, with a fine not exceeding one percent of its annual gross revenue in Pakistan or Rs 30 million whichever is greater It s not just about the money; the reputational damage can be far more detrimental to a company s standing

The Legal Landscape for Data Breach

PECA 2016 (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act)

THE Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) of 2016 serves as the primary legal framework for dealing with cybercrimes in Pakistan The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) can act against various forms of electronic crimes including unauthorized access to data and systems under this law However the act has been criticized for its broad and subjective interpretations, which grant the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) powers to selectively censor and restrict content While PECA provides a starting point for legal action against cybercriminals it falls short in addressing the complexities of data breaches on the scale we have recently witnessed

Constitutional Right to Privacy

The Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the right to privacy under Article 14, which states that the "dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of home, shall be inviolable " The recent data breach is not just a violation of various laws but also an infringement of the constitutional right to privacy This right must be upheld and protected especially in the digital age where personal data can be easily compromised

CORPORATE LIABILITY: WHAT

COMPANIES MUST KNOW AND DO

Under existing laws, particularly PECA 2016, companies are obliged to protect customer data There are severe legal consequences for not abiding by this law For instance unauthorized access to data systems is criminalized under PECA and corporations could face penalties for not adequately protecting customer data

The upcoming Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 aims to further tighten the noose This legislation which is still in the draft/bill stage proposes the establishment of a National Commission for Personal Data Protection of Pakistan Companies will be required to adhere to stringent data protection measures, and failure to do so could result in hefty fines For example, the draft Bill provides for fines of up to

P a k i s t a n C o n f r o n t s F o o d C r i s i s a n d A g o n i z i n g I n f l a t i o n

THE

in FY22 This economic turmoil has left nearly two million people unemployed

It is not difficult to imagine the dire consequences of such skyrocketing food inflation on the livelihood of those who are unemployed and those whose income has taken a nosedive during this economic meltdown

The monthly inflation rate in Pakistan continued to fall in the third straight month, reaching 27 4 percent in August 2023 It is the lowest mark hit since January 2023 and further down from 28 3 percent recorded in the previous month The most significant reduction was observed in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (97 5 percent vs 102 1 percent in July) clothing (18 5 percent vs 20 4 percent) housing and utilities (6 3 percent vs 10 8 percent), hotels and restaurants (34 1 percent vs 34 7 percent), and recreation and culture (61 4 percent vs 65 9 percent) Meanwhile food inflation posted the least increase in eight months (38 5 percent vs 39 5 percent) On a monthly basis consumer prices surged by 1 7 percent following a 3 5 percent hike in the previous month Further, the core inflation rate, which excludes volatile items remained steady at 18 4 percent in August the same as in the previous month

The price of wheat flour in Pakistan has been hovering at distressing high levels for several weeks now Roti and naan, essential staples of the country, are more expensive due to this steep hike in the flour price No wonder people are losing their lives in stampedes occurring at the distribution of free wheat flour, and some are committing suicide Nonetheless most of the financially constrained people are managing to scrape on a meagre income by working in the shadow economy coupled with reliance on debts, charity, and the government s cash handouts and subsidies

In line with wheat inflation the rates of price rises in other related products were also high The edible items priced at Rs 5300 in urban areas back in February 2022, now cost roughly Rs 10,000 The unsettling truth is that food inflation is here to stay Supply shocks caused by the last year ’s floods higher international commodity prices the rupee s depreciation a lack of administrative checks on retail prices amidst a worsening political crisis, hoarding of food commodities, and the unabated smuggling of food items to neighbouring Afghanistan all contribute to the likelihood of high food inflation in the foreseeable future Stories of the illicit transportation of wheat wheat flour and cooking oil to Afghanistan make headlines every day in newspapers But who cares to stop it amidst the ongoing political and constitutional crisis? Admittedly, smuggling and hoarding of food items alone are not fueling food inflation and there are solid economic reasons for it like an increase in support prices, the rupee s depreciation, higher international prices and such like

“This climate calamity couldn t have come at a worse time when Pakistan s economy was already struggling with a balance of payments crisis, rising debt, and soaring inflation,” Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistan ambassador to the UN and the UK told the BBC Pakistan s inflation rate was more than 24 percent before the floods according to reports and

The draft Bill also allows for international cooperation, meaning companies could also be held accountable under international data protection laws if they process data of foreign nationals

WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE A VICTIM: THE EXISTING LEGAL MECHANISM

If you ve found your personal data compromised you re not powerless The FIA is your first line of defense Operating under the PECA 2016, the FIA s Cybercrime Wing is equipped to handle these very situations You can either go online to the FIA s website and fill out a complaint form or send a detailed written application via email Once your complaint is lodged the FIA swings into action It has the authority and the tools to track down the culprits behind these cybercrimes And if you're worried that the hackers are based outside of Pakistan, rest assured that the FIA can extend its reach beyond our borders Through international cooperation mechanisms like Interpol and bilateral agreements, the FIA can bring international culprits to justice So, while we wait for stronger laws, know that existing mechanisms can still offer you some level of protection and redress

able under PECA 2016 to file complaints and seek compensation under the current mechanism

Recommendations for the Government

The government must act quickly to address the current crisis Immediate steps include launching a thorough investigation into the breach and holding the responsible parties accountable In the long term, the government should expedite the enactment of the upcoming Personal Data Protection Law and update the National AI Policy to include stringent data protection measures Public awareness campaigns should also be initiated to educate people about the importance of data protection and the steps they can take to safeguard their information

The recent data breach affecting 2 2 million Pakistani citizens has sent shockwaves across the nation Personal information, including credit card details and contact numbers, has been compromised and is now being offered for sale on the dark web. This data breach incident serves as an important reminder of the vulnerabilities in our digital infrastructure and the urgent need for robust data protection measures. All stakeholders, including but not limited to, the government, private corporations, and the public at large must recognize the gravity of the situation and act swiftly to mitigate the risks and prevent future breaches

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC

In the wake of this breach individuals must take proactive steps to protect their data Simple measures like regularly updating passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and being cautious while sharing personal information online can go a long way For those affected by the breach legal avenues are avail-

A WAKE-UP CALL FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS

The recent data breach affecting 2 2 million Pakistanis is more than just a wakeup call; it s an urgent alarm that demands immediate and collective action While individuals must take proactive steps to safeguard their data the onus is not solely on them The government has a constitutional and ethical obligation to enact and enforce robust data protection laws But let s not forget the companies that hold our data They too have a significant role to play Companies must go beyond mere compliance with existing laws; they should actively invest in state-ofthe-art security measures to protect customer data After all, a company s reputation is only as strong as its weakest security link The upcoming Personal Data Protection Law and the National AI Policy offer a framework for a more secure digital future but these initiatives need to be fasttracked and rigorously implemented In this digital world, all stakeholders must remember that data protection is not just a legal requirement but a constitutional and ethical consideration that involves us all individuals government and corporations alike

The writer is an Advocate of the High Court He specializes in Cyber and Technology Laws advising various local and international tech firms, government ministries and international organizations He can be reached at adam qasurilaw@gmail com

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah Lahore Pakistan E-mail: letters@pakistantoday com pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

HEC attestation

THE Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘urgent’ as something that requires immediate action or attention With this definition in mind I applied for the attestation of my documents by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) over a month ago through its online portal by choosing the urgent attestation option

some costs have skyrocketed by 500 percent Authorities may need to import food to feed people and raw materials for industry, but the country s foreign reserves were running low even before the crisis

In eight months of the fiscal year (between July 2022 and February 2023) forex-starved Pakistan had to spend $6 687 billion on food imports according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics Chances are that the full fiscal year s food import bill will exceed $10 billion

At a time when the country is running out of foreign exchange reserves, it is imperative to put effective checks on the smuggling of food items out of the country Similarly it is critical to ensure that food commodities are not hoarded and retailers don t overcharge customers or short sell to them

But such things can be done only in an environment of at least some political stability, which regrettably remains elusive As a result food inflation may continue to remain high in the coming months as well While the central and provincial governments have engaged in a blame game for the crisis, experts say it stems from long-standing deficiencies aggravated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the devastating floods of 2022, and the smuggling of wheat to Afghanistan Stubbornly high food prices will start easing only when our agricultural output increases and energy prices become stable This would lead to reduced consumer inflation rendering agricultural inputs cheaper Equally critical is the return of political stability to the country coupled with a reduction in smuggling and hoarding of food items

In addressing food inflation as in all other matters sincerity of intent counts more than anything else For decades, our rulers have made it a habit to talk more and do less That has resulted in weak or no accountability within government departments and agencies entrusted with certain responsibilities

The writer is a freelance columnists

After the initial procedure, which took about a month, the HEC sent me an email, asking me to schedule an in-person visit for the required attestation Surprisingly the earliest time slot that may be reserved for document attestation was 38 days from the day I received the mail This is 38 days after I had waited and wasted a month on the scrutiny process If a candidate is willing to pay an extra Rs3 000 for urgent attestation in addition to the costs associated with travelling to a prestigious HEC office, it is assumed that the candidate needs the documents to be attested as soon as possible However, the HEC fails to realise this, and the efforts of the applicant go in vain Surely the HEC would take refuge behind the age-old argument of receiving a high number of applications and unavailable human resources but does that resolve the matter? It does not Does it absolve the HEC of its responsibility to do what it should do? No it does not The HEC s could-not-care-less attitude is ruining the life and career of those who are in the process of finding employment opportunities abroad The authorities concerned should look into the matter, understand the time constraints that are faced by the applicants, and save the careers of thousands

Sustainable practices

E-waste encompasses a wide range of electronic devices including large household appliances small household appliances information technology (IT) and telecommunication equipment consumer equipment lighting equipment, electrical and electronic tools, toys and leisure equipment, medical devices, monitoring and control instruments, and automatic dispensers

These items, such as refrigerators, washing machines, computers, televisions fluorescent lamps power tools and video games among others contribute to the growing volume of e-waste worldwide

The global quantity of e-waste accounting for more than five per cent of municipal solid waste continues to rise especially in developing countries due to increased sale of electronic products Unfortunately, these nations often employ informal and hazardous practices in extracting and selling metals from e-waste

For instance, burning e-waste for metal recovery releases brominated and chlorinated dioxins causing air pollution In informal recycling processes toxic chemicals lacking economic value are carelessly dumped leading to contamination of underground aquifers and compromising groundwater quality

Dismantling e-waste generates atmospheric pollution as dust particles laden with heavy metals and flame retardants are released into the air These particles can settle near the emission source or travel long distances depending on their size

Consequently the dust can pollute soil and water systems through leaching and deposition rendering them toxic when substances like lead mercury cadmium arsenic and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) end up in landfills

Developed countries, faced with stringent environmental regulations and escalating waste disposal costs, may opt to export e-waste to smaller traders in developing nations for financial gains Moreover, there is the critical issue of illicit transboundary movement of e-waste disguised as donations or charity from industrialised nations to developing countries Weak environmental laws corruption and low wages allow e-waste dealers to profit significantly from these activities Proper manage-ment of the disposal and recycling of electronic devices are, therefore, vital to minimise environmental impact and foster sustainable practices DR INTIKHAB ULFAT

In addressing food inflation, as in all other matters, sincerity of intent counts more than anything else For decades, our rulers have made it a habit to talk more and do less That has resulted in weak or no accountability within government departments and agencies entrusted with certain responsibilities

IT was all is well for India; the South Asian member of G-20 an elite group of the developed West Middle East and the big five of the world inclusive of Russia and China Intelligence agencies all over the world are known to hunt down their opponents and kill them It has been going on for decades and seldom have these things been taken up as has been the case now in the context of Canada and India

Intelligence agencies of the pre 1979

Pahlavi Iran and the Islamic regime; both were known to do that job Murders under suspicious circumstances of Ali Shariati in the United Kingdom and that of Mostafa Khomeini in Iraq by SAVAK in 1977, and post 1979; many of the Shah Generals killed in Europe after 1979 testify to that Similarly, Baathist Iraq s Mukhabarat hunted down a member of the dissident Al-Hakim family of Najaf Mehdi Hakim in Khartoum to do the job in 1983

in 1984 An Air India flight 182 crashed somewhere in the Atlantic with the Irish coast the nearest landmass at around 200 km as the result of Sikh separatists act of terror in June 1985 As per the available information suspected militants planted the bomb from its Canadian departure point

The diplomatic rumbling soon after the culmination of the G-20 summit in New Delhi, which must have accorded Ingia the much-awaited diplomatic approval stamp from the developed world seems to have evaporated for the time being As things are moving it seems that it might be just the beginning of the distancing of the Indian state from the developed world, if not in the corporate sense of the word but in the geopolitical sense

T h e g e o p o l i t i c a l g a m e s c o o k i n g u p

b e t w e e n T o r o n t o a n d N e w D e l h i

w i t h I n d i a n P u n j a b t h e e p i c e n t r e

c a n b r i n g i n n e w s c e n a r i o s f o r t h e

r e g i o n a l p l a y e r s T h e s i t u a t i o n d o e s n o t d e m a n d , d u s t i n g o f o l d m a n u a l s a n d a c t i n g u p o n t h e m . I t d e m a n d s i n v a r i a b l y a c o n c e r t e d m a t u r e a p p r o a c h t o w a r d s t h e b u i l d u p T h e

t r a n s i t i o n f r o m a d a r l i n g t o a r o g u e o f t h e F i r s t W o r l d i s a l w a y s d e v a s t a t i n g f o r a T h i r d - W o r l d s t a t e a n d t h e s u r r o u n d i n g s . I t h a s s t a l l e d

Late Benazir Bhutto lost her younger brother Mir Shah Nawaz to one such blind murder possibly committed by an intelligence outfit with the connivance of the regional operators Not to forget the fact that an Iraqi Intel officer ’s killing of an Israeli diplomat in Europe, actually precipitated the IDF invasion of Lebanon in 1982

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

In the context of India and Canada what is more baffling is that Sikhs from Indian Punjab have been the regular streaming diaspora since the Golden Temple days

The demand by the big five-intelligence community comprising the USA, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia from the Indian state to come clean on the issue of slain Sikh militant Hardeep Singh Najjar means that bad blood has been created These developments, as we discuss the issue threadbare have an impact on the current and future geopolitical setups, contemplated A few takeaways might have a positive aspect for Pakistan India actually has been the fascination of the West led by the USA since 1947 While Pakistan has been seen from the onset as a satellite state in geopolitical settings; an intent demonstrated in the 1954 membership of Pakistan in Baghdad Pact, later renamed CENTO, India was viewed as a big market for products as well as a nation-state with which the West could develop ties on a non-military basis The leadership in place in India led by Jawaharlal Nehru encouraged that aspect; it was seldom thought over to treat India in the same manner as Pakistan

I n f a c t i t w a s I n d i a w h i c h i n t h e e v e n t o f i t s l i m i t e d c o n f l i c t w i t h C h i n a i n 1 9 6 2 s e n t a n S O S t o t h e t h e n D e m o c r a t K e n n e d y A d m i n i s t r a t i o n t o s e n d m i l i t a r y e q u i p m e n t o n w a r f o o t i n g w i t h w h i c h t h e U S A c o m p l i e d I t w a s i r o n i c t h a t w h i l e t h e m i l i t a r y t r a n s p o r t s l i k e C - 1 3 0 w e r e o ff e r e d i n s i n g l e d i g i t s b y t h e U S A t o t h e PA F ; I n d i a h a d a s w i f t t r a n sp o r t a t i o n o f e q u i p m e n t l i k e C - 11 9 m i l i t a r y t r a n sp o r t s i n r e s p o n s e t o N e h r u ' s c a l l I n t h e e v e n t o f w a r s i n 1 9 6 5 a n d 1 9 7 1 t h e U S A d e s p i t e p r e t e n di n g t o b e b a c k i n g t h e m i l i t a r y s e t - u p s i n P a k i s t a n e s p e c i a l l y i n 1 9 7 1 t o o k e x t r a c a r e n o t t o a l i e n a t e t h e l e f t - l e a n i n g C o n g r e s s g o v e r n m e n t l e d b y t h e l a t e M r s I n d i r a G a n d h i I n t h e f i n a l a n a l y s i s , t h e U S A d i d n o t s t a n d c o n v i n c e d o f t h e n e e d t o s u p p o r t P a k i s t a n i n w h a t i t s a w a s a l o s t w a r o f h e a r t s a n d m i n d s i n t h e t h e n E a s t P a k i s t a n ; t h e r e b y a v o i d i n g a l i e n a t i n g I n d i a f u r t h e r

A glance through the WikiLeaks cables will further reveal that while Pakistan, at that time also ruled by the left-leaning PPP government led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in November 1974, it was hosting a multinational CENTO exercise named Mid Link The then Indian Foreign minister took up the issue in the Lok Sabha of that time condemning the exercise and making clear its displeasure over what it called US and Pakistani intrusion near its territorial waters India a t t h a t t i m e a c h a m p i o n o f t h e n o n - a l i g n e d m o v em e n t , w a s a n o 0 g o a r e a o f s o r t s , w h e r e t h e U S A

treaded cautious paths

During much of the 1970s and 1980s India did not figure much in the State Department or Pentagon schemes of things It was not before the gradual ascent of a right-wing political group by the name of BJP that India was being considered for roles not contemplated

A I f a k i n g h a s l e a p t f ro m i m a g e s t o vo i c e, t e x t, d o c u m e n t s, a n d f a c i a l re c o g n i t i o n t o b e c o m e o n e o f t h e m o s t wo r r y i n g e m e rg i n g ve c t o r s o f f r a u d

also claim that their objective is “entertainment ”

The U S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned of an increase in cybercriminals using images and videos from social networks to create deepfakes to harass and extort victims

HOAXES TO INFLUENCE

PUBLIC OPINION

EL PAIS r a ú l l m ó N

DEEPFAKES hyper-realistic reproductions that artificial intelligence has taken to unprecedented limits of accessibility and dissemination are everywhere as evidenced by the case of the AI-generated nude photos of teenagers circulating in the Badajoz province of Spain this week We can all be victims The internet is a jungle There is no control and it is not a game: it is a crime,” says Maribel Rengel, the president of the Extremadura federation of parents of students Freapa The most cited report on the phenomenon published by Deeptrace in 2019 traced up to half a million fake files on the internet with a growth rate in the number of deepfake videos online of almost 100% since the company previously released data But this is only the work of one entity, and the real volume is unclear What is known is that 96% of deepfake videos are related to pornography and that these creations have now leapt from image to voice, text, documents and facial recognition or a combination of all of these to become one of the most worrying emerging vectors of fraud in an as-yet unregulated technology

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) warns in one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date reports of the dangers of the increasingly easy use of artificial intelligence in the creation of fake files “Due to significant progress in applying AI to the problem of generating or modifying data represented in different media formats (in particular audio video and text) new threats have emerged that can lead to substantial risks in various settings ranging from personal defamation and opening bank accounts using false identities (by attacks on biometric authentication procedures) to campaigns for influencing public opinion,” the report states These are the main targets of deepfake technology:

PORNOGRAPHY

Danielle Citron a law professor at Boston University and author of the book Hate Crimes in Cyberspace says: Deepfake technology is being used as a weapon against women by inserting their faces into pornography It is frightening, shaming, degrading, and silencing Deepfake sex videos tell people that their bodies are not their own and can make it difficult for them to have online relationships get or keep a job or feel safe ”

Rengel shares this view in the wake of the case in Badajoz which affected several high schools in her community The feeling is one of vulnerability and it is very difficult to control

The damage is irreparable They can ruin a girl s life, she says Rengel has urged the Spanish authorities to move to regulate the use of this technology

Deepfake attacks consist of the spreading of fake videos images audio or text on social networks with the aim of ruining the reputation of the victim or humiliating them The Deeptrace report estimated the number of video views of deepfake material across the top four dedicated websites at over 134 million Celebrities are often the victims of these practices Spanish Singer Rosalía is a recent example in a lengthy international list headed by actors Emma Watson and Natalie Portman However as Rengel warns no one is safe from deepfake technology At the click of a button on open platforms or encrypted messaging systems you can find applications and pages that offer to undress anyone in seconds These sites carry age warnings for minors and state that users cannot use photos of a person without their consent, although there is no moderation and responsibility is placed on the user These sites

In a foreword to the Deeptrace report, the company s founder Giorgio Patrini notes: “Deepfakes are already destabilizing political processes Without defensive countermeasures, the integrity of democracies around the world are at risk ”

The ETSI report identifies these attacks as false publications that create the impression that people in influential positions have written said or done certain things In principle this applies to all purposes where stakes are high and the benefit justifies the effort from an attacker s perspective, the entity warns These can be used to discredit a character, manipulate prices, attack competitors influence public opinion in the run-up to elections or referendums strengthen the reach of a disinformation campaign and as propaganda particularly in times of war

ETSI notes

In March 2022, a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announcing his country s surrender to Russia was released U S Democratic politician Nancy Pelosi was the target of another, in which she appeared to be drunk, and public figures including Donald Trump Barack Obama Pope Francis and Elon Musk have all been the subjects of similar fake creations

ATTACKS ON AUTHENTICITY

These explicitly target remote biometric identification and authentication procedures Such procedures are widely used in many countries to give users access to digital services, including bank accounts because they reduce costs and make it easier to purchase products In 2022 Europe’s largest hacking association

Chaos Computer Club carried out successful attacks against video identification procedures by applying deepfake methods

INTERNET SECURITY

Many attacks rely on human error to gain access to corporate systems, but hyper-realistic fake files significantly increase the ability to do so by providing false data that is difficult to identify This can involve writing in the style of the supposed sender and voice and video files of people supposedly communicating with the victims of the attack The goal is to lead victims to click on malicious links which attackers can use to obtain login credentials or to install malware on devices

In 2020, a bank manager in Hong Kong was duped by attackers who used AI voice cloning to imitate a senior executive to generate a transfer worth $35 million Forbes reported An energy company in the U K suffered a similar attack a year earlier that cost it $243 000

MOVIES WITH FAKE ACTORS AND SCREENWRITERS

In the artistic area, this technology can be used to create cinematic content The SAG-AFTRA union, which groups 160,000 workers in the entertainment industry, called a strike in Hollywood in July to demand in addition to better pay guarantees of protection against the use of artificial intelligence in productions

Both actors and writers are demanding the regulation of technologies that can write a script or replace actors through the use of deepfake, which makes it possible to replicate a person’s physique, voice and movements The generalization of these tools would allow large production companies to largely dispense with human beings in the creation of content British actor Stephen Fry who narrates of the Harry Potter audiobooks in the UK has denounced the use of his voice in a history documentary without his consent They used my reading of the seven volumes of the Harry Potter books, and from that dataset an AI of my voice was created and it made that new narration “It could have me read anything from a call to storm parliament to hard porn all without my knowledge and without my permission he said

before The 1998 elections however, brought in BJP as a single entity, which can bag enough votes to be considered for the formation of the government in Delhi It was not before 2001-02 that the party was in firm grip; enough to change the direction of India from a state not in the US orbit to the one courting the Republicans

In the backdrop of the above-mentioned timelines and the current developments, it seems that the Indian state structure miscalculated its standing with the world and especially the Western world with whom its strategic connections seems to have strengthened during the last decade or so It is no secret that the Indian navy is being contemplated as a forward post for the American led containment of China in the Far East seas Furthermore, its entry into the G-20 lately, its confidence in countering Pakistan after the 1999 Kargil fiasco, all indicated a new position for India

Practically the closeness of the Indian state with the international establishment and its influence over Twitter courtesy relocating Gilgit-based users into places near Indian controlled Srinagar Valley which digitally mapped their presence, its one-sided narrative and the West's readiness to accept it can get a big jolt As things were developing in the context of the disputed state of Kashmir and Gilgit in the Indian establishment corridors it looked as if a limited incursion into Pakistan in near future was a foregone conclusion Practically embroiled in its own contradictions Pakistan was literally on the defensive

The body language of the Western powers strongly indicates that if on one hand India miscalculated its immunity, the honeymoon seems over for both the parties The Canadian government and many other Western governments which usually look the other way when such killings are done by friendly intelligence agencies and only raise a furore with non-friendly countries like Russia, China and Iran, it is a big break from the routine Pakistani foreign policy minds have the opportunity to make the most for the long term

Apparently it seems that countries like the USA and UK might not be interested in the context of the Indo-Canadian row but given the nature of Indian intelligence activities post-crisis with murders reported in the community, the goodwill might be slipping away With the Hindustan Times lamenting the fall out of the row, in the form of renewed Saudi support for an apparently dead Kashmir issue; the dial of history seems to be reversing

The geopolitical games cooking up between Toronto and New Delhi with Indian Punjab the epicentre can bring in new scenarios for the regional players The situation does not demand, dusting of old manuals and acting upon them It demands invariably a concerted mature approach towards the buildup The transition from a darling to a rogue of the First World is always devastating for a Third-World state and the surroundings It has stalled many plans and accorded opportunities for the foregone to make their presence felt

The writer is a freelance columnist

Ruper t Murdoch helped wreck media — and politics

He opened the c able news floodgates to propaganda, misinformation and disinformation

CNN Dav i D Z u r aw k

FEW media figures in the last 27 years have had a larger and more profound effect on American political and media life than Rupert Murdoch Most of it for the worse

Stepping down Thursday from day-to-day control of the Fox and News Corporation boards to become chairman emeritus of the two companies the 92-year-old founder leaves behind a legacy of reckless partisan journalism and commentary that has contributed to a citizenry so angry and polarized that our very democracy seems threatened according to some analysts And with Murdoch handing off day-to-day control of the empire to his son, Lachlan, Fox s dangerous way of doing business does not seem likely to change for the better While there are other factors contributing to the polarization like politicians and global economics Murdoch s Fox News has played a role even in those by showcasing the loudest and most transgressive members of Congress and scapegoating various groups from immigrants to Democrats for the nation s economic challenges While Murdoch had been building his media empire in newspapers since the 1950s in Australia and the 70s in the US, it was his founding of the Fox News channel in 1996 that led to his becoming a giant force in America political life While the channel was branded as news with the catchphrase “fair and balanced ” (which it dropped a few years ago) it was anything but

There was room on cable TV in the 1990s

f o r a c h a n n e l t h a t f e a t u r e d c o n s e r v a t i v e voices, no doubt about it But from its very inception with Murdoch naming Roger Ailes as its chief executive, Fox News was primar i l y a p o l i t i c a l n o t j o u r n a l i s t i c o p e r a t i o n

Ailes who helped Richard Nixon get elected president in 1968 specialized in the political use of media

After World War II, mainstream media gatekeepers in the US were very careful about propaganda and disinformation They saw the effects of it in Europe in the 1930s and ‘40s Propaganda was a key component in the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Benito Mussolini in Italy

But not Murdoch He gave Ailes free rein to do whatever it took to put Fox News on the map, another major part of Murdoch s legacy that we should not overlook: He opened the cable news floodgates to propaganda, misinformation and disinformation And he laid down the template for what has become a powerful right-wing messaging machine And look where we are now as we struggle to find media platforms we can trust in an effort to make sense of beyond-the-pale-political actions like the attack on the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, or the refusal of a defeated president to promote a peaceful transfer of power Again Murdoch is not the only reason for the lack of trust in the media and the flood of disinformation and misinformation But his Fox News is the biggest and loudest voice that has pushed such false narratives like the one saying the 2020 election was rigged I have been writing about Murdoch and Fox since the 1980s and have observed that Murdoch was more concerned about money than ideology But his greatest sin is that he ignored the sense of social responsibility that most mainstream American broadcasters accepted as the price of doing business

Here and in other countries, his operations flouted rules and transgressed traditional codes of media behavior And in so doing he has served as an unlikely role model for a new generation of tech media titans like Mark Zuckerberg, who initially refused to accept responsibility for disinformation published on Facebook during the 2016 election

You can see a lot of Murdoch in Elon Musk’s style of running X as well

There was some reckoning for Murdoch i n 2 0 11 i n t h e U K w h e n M u r d o c h a n d h i s son James were called before Parliament s Culture, Media and Sport Committee to test i f y i n a s c a n d a l t h a t i n v o l v e d o n e o f h i s p r o p e r t i e s , N e w s o f t h e Wo r l d M u r d o c h apologized in full-page ads in seven newspap e r s f o r h i s p a p e r ’s r o l e i n h a c k i n g a m u rdered teenager s phone

In January of this year Murdoch was deposed in Dominion Voting Systems $1 6 billion lawsuit against Fox News over its false claims of election fraud He acknowledged that some Fox News hosts endorsed false claims that the 2020 election was stolen In April Fox News settled the case for $787 5 million and still faces other litigation over the false claims of election fraud that fuel so much rancor and discord in American life today

In a commercial sense, Murdoch is an incredibly successful media figure If you worship money-making moguls and risk-taking captains of industry he’s your guy But as he now retires behind his wall of money we are left to try to clean up the political wreckage he leaves behind David Zurawik is a professor of practice in media studies at Goucher College For three decades, he was a media critic at the Baltimore Sun

How deepfake technology has spread across the world

U S P R E S S E S I N D I A T O C O O P E R AT E

W I T H C A N A D A I N K I L L I N G P R O B E

WASHINGTON A G E N C I E S

TH E United States of America

(USA) made clear on Friday that it expected the Indian government to work with Canada on efforts to investigate the possible involvement of New Delhi agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that Ottawa had credible intelligence linking Indian agents to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh

Nijjar prompting an angry reaction from New Delhi which denies the allegation

We are deeply concerned about the allegations that Prime Minister Trudeau has raised, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in a press briefing

“It would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation

We want to see accountability

The White House has spoken of its concerns over the allegations but Blinken is the most senior US official to have commented thus far

Traditional Canadian allies, including the United States appeared to take a cautious approach to the matter earlier this

week Political analysts said this was partly because the United States and other major players see India as a counterweight to the growing influence of China

We have been consulting throughout very closely with our Canadian colleagues, not just consulting but coordinating with them on this issue ” Blinken said

During a press conference Trudeau was asked about the allegations and he repeated his call for the Indian govern-

Polish PM tells Ukraine’s Zelenskiy ‘never to insult Poles again’

WARSAW

A G E N C I E S

Poland s prime minister told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday not to insult Poles, maintaining harsh rhetoric towards Kyiv after the Polish president had sought to defuse a simmering row over grain imports

Poland decided last week to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain imports shaking Kyiv s relationship with a neighbour that has been seen as one of its staunchest allies since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year

Zelenskiy angered his neighbours when he told the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Kyiv was working to preserve land routes for grain exports but that the “political theatre” around grain imports was only helping Moscow

I want to tell President Zelenskiy never to insult

Poles again, as he did recently during his speech at the UN , Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told an election rally Poland holds a parliamentary election on Oct 15, and Morawiecki’s ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has come in for criticism from the far right for what it says is the government s subservient attitude to Ukraine

Analysts say this has forced PiS which looks set to remain the biggest party but may not secure a majority, to adopt a more confrontational approach to Kyiv in the closely fought campaign

Earlier on Friday President Andrzej Duda a PiS ally had said the dispute between Poland and Ukraine over grain imports would not significantly affect good bilateral relations in an apparent move to ease tensions

I have no doubt that the dispute over the supply of grain from Ukraine to the Polish market is an absolute fragment of the entire Polish-Ukrainian relations,” Duda told a business conference

“I don’t believe that it can have a significant impact on them so we need to solve this matter between us

B A C K I N G U K R A I N E: Meanwhile in an article for Politico Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said Poland wanted to see a strong Ukrainian state emerge from this war with a vibrant economy and that Warsaw “will continue to back Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO and the EU”

There s absolutely no contradiction here Rau wrote Supporting Ukraine against Russia s invasion and protecting our citizens and safeguarding them against unfair economic competition both serve Poland s interest simultaneously

However, speaking to reporters in New York, Rau said that while Poland had not changed its policy towards Ukraine there had been a “radical change in Polish public opinion s perception of the countries relations

ment to cooperate

We are there to work constructively with India

We hope that they engage with us so that we can get to the bottom of this very serious matter, Trudeau said

On Friday, Trudeau also said Canada shared its concerns with New Delhi some time ago Canada has shared the credible allegations that I talked about on Monday with India We did that many weeks

ago, Trudeau told reporters

The Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation into the Sikh separatist leader s murder

CBC News reported separately on Thursday citing sources

The report said the intelligence included communications of Indian officials present in Canada, adding some of the information was provided by an unidentified ally in the Five Eyes alliance

Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing network that includes the US the UK Canada Australia and New Zealand

CTV News reported today that US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed that “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners” had informed PM Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar s murder I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that’s as far as I’m comfortable going ” Cohen told CTV News in an interview to be aired on Sunday Cohen did not comment to CTV News on the type of intelligence that had informed the Canadian government

Asian G ames c arr y aspirations for peace, solidarity and inclusiveness:

Xi Jinping

HANGZHOU

S TA F F R E P O R T

Chinese President Xi Jinping extended a warm welcome to international dignitaries attending the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games at a welcoming banquet on Saturday noon in Hangzhou East China’s Province of Zhejiang Province

China will deliver a great event that is distinctly Chinese uniquely Asian and spectacular

The cauldron for the Asian Games will be lit again in China on the Autumn Equinox, a day symbolizing harvest and reunion in Chinese culture China has fulfilled its promise and spared no efforts in advancing the preparation for the 19th Asian Games, President Xi Jinping said Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency reported

As proven in Xi’s important remarks the Asian Games that is set to stage a magnificent opening ceremony on Saturday night will not only be a grand sports event but also is an important diplomatic venue for China to convey its friendly and firm message to the world and add impetus to the global peace and stability Chinese analysts noted

As of press time Xi has met with visiting foreign leaders including King of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao of Timor-Leste on Saturday and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah on Friday Xi underscored that the Asian Games carries Asian people’s aspirations for peace, solidarity and inclusiveness, while calling for efforts to promote peace through sports and transform Asia into an anchor for world peace

Asian countries should adhere to good neighborliness and mutual benefit, and reject a Cold War mentality and camp-based confrontation Xi stressed

As members of a community with a shared future Asian coun-

tries should adhere to good neighborliness and mutual benefit, reject a Cold War mentality and campbased confrontation, and make Asia an anchor for world peace Xi said when addressing the banquet Asia has maintained overall stability and rapid and sustained economic growth over recent decades

The Asian Games has been a witness, participant and contributor of this Asian Miracle Xi said

Looking around the world Asia is no doubt the most vibrant most prosperous and most stable region globally, which brings about hopes to the globe Asia has set the benchmark and example for world peace and inclusiveness, Li Haidong a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University told the Global Times on Saturday

Although the US is not named Asia countries should remain vigilant against external forces represented by the US and its alliance thinking and practice of extreme confrontation as they would create tremendous crisis in Asia and jeopardize the regional stability as proven in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan as well as in Ukraine, Chinese analysts warned

The 19th Asian Games is set to mark new records for participation and the number of events which demonstrates Asian people s great anticipation and firm support for the Games, Xi said

The Hangzhou Asian Games is

India confiscates proper ties of top Sikh leader in Punjab

NEW DELHI

A G E N C I E S

India s top investigation agency confiscated on Saturday the properties of a prominent Sikh separatist and close ally of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing has sparked a diplomatic row between India and Canada Gurpatwant Singh Pannun a lawyer believed to be based in Canada was designated as a terrorist by Indian authorities in 2020 and is wanted on charges of terrorism and sedition

He is also the founder of the US-based group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), whose Canada chapter was headed by Nijjar before he was gunned down by masked assailants in June near Vancouver

The group which has been banned by India has been a vocal advocate for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan

A diplomatic firestorm erupted this week with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying there were “credible reasons to believe that agents of the government of India were involved” in Nijjar s death

New Delhi dismissed Trudeau s allegations as absurd tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions followed and India has stopped processing visa applications by Canadians

Pannun jumped into the raging row and issued a video telling Canadian Hindus to “go back to India” claiming they had adopted a “jingoistic approach by siding with New Delhi

In an interview with an Indian news channel

Pannun said Nijjar had been his close associate for over 20 years and was like a younger brother to him

He also blamed India for Nijjar ’s killing ‘Heinous crimes’

by far the largest, and has the most events and broadest coverage in history, Chen Weiqiang, Executive Secretary of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC) and the main spokesperson for the Games said during Friday s news conference Around 12,500 athletes from 45 countries and regions are taking part in the Hangzhou Asiad, a record high in Asian Games history

As humanity is faced with unprecedented global challenges the Asian people must seize historic opportunities and work together to tackle these challenges Xi called for promoting peace, solidarity and inclusiveness through sports

On solidarity Xi said as humanity is faced with unprecedented global challenges the Asian people must seize historic opportunities and work together to tackle these challenges so that Asia can embark on a broader path of common development openness and integration

On inclusiveness Xi said the Asian Games with many unique sporting events of Asia, offers a stage where sports and cultures enrich each other, and vividly shows how Asian cultures learn from one another

He stressed the efforts to promote inclusiveness through sports enhance confidence in Asian civilizations uphold communication and mutual learning, and add new glory to Asian civilizations

Soon after his interview was aired the Indian government issued an advisory to news networks asking them to refrain from giving a platform to people accused of heinous crimes

Armed with court orders, officials of India s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday confiscated Pannun’s house in Chandigarh, the capital of the Sikh-majority state of Punjab it said in a statement

The NIA also confiscated agricultural land belonging to him in Amritsar it added

It accused Pannun of actively exhorting Punjabbased gangsters and youth on social media to fight for the cause of an independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country”

Sikhism is a minority religion originating in northern India that traces its roots back to the 15th century and drew influences from both Hinduism and Islam

The Khalistan campaign was largely considered a benign fringe movement until the early 1980s, when a Sikh fundamentalist launched a separatist insurgency

It culminated with Indian forces storming the Golden Temple the faith s holiest shrine in Amritsar, where separatists had barricaded themselves

India’s then-prime minister Indira Gandhi was subsequently assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards

The insurgency was eventually brought under control and the Khalistan movement s most vocal advocates are now among the large Sikh diaspora particularly in Canada, Britain and Australia

But memories of the violence in which thousands died ù still haunt India, which has outlawed the Khalistan movement and listed several associated groups as “terrorist organisations”

H a n g z h o u A s i a n G a m e s k i c k s o f f w i t h i n n ovat i ve, s p e c t a c u l a r o p e n i n g c e r e m o ny

HANGZHOU

On Saturday, the day of Autumn Equinox, one of the traditional Chinese solar terms, the 19th Asian Games opening ceremony began with the Water Jade Cong drums beating out the exciting sound of water to welcome the guests at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, nicknamed Big Lotus

In Hangzhou, the opening ceremony displays the melody and rhythm of water

Themed “Tides of Asia ” the ceremony shows that China’s mingling and mixing with Asia and the world like a wave forever rushing forward By interpreting the many variations of water, the performances highlight the surging upward movement of the tide

A passionate collision between the millennium civilization and modern technical visual effects demonstrates the heritage of a Chinesestyle romance while the symbiosis of oriental aesthetics and international vision reveals the struggle for Chinese modernization With the interplay of Chinese and Asian styles, it conveys to the audience a vision of building the community with a shared future

As the athletes from 45 countries and regions stepped into the venue the large floor screen outlined the shape of a regimental fan greeting them with a unique Jiangnan flavor Drums of osmanthus flowers were played

with excitement, accompanied by Chinese folk music playing to cheer on the athletes Meanwhile the audience at the venue kept applauding the athletes of all countries

To the spectators and the people of Hangzhou, we say Xie Xie , for your warm welcome, your hospitality and your friendship,” Raja Randhir Singh, acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said at the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games He also expressed his appreciation to the Organizing Committee (HAGOC) expecting them to be rewarded with the most magnificent and successful Asian Games ever

Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the 19th Asian Games open

A presentation of the three chapters was then put on This was combined with the traditional Chinese elements of qin chess calligraphy painting poetry wine and tea being put into the props, while VR, AR and virtual imaging lanterns flew into the sky, symbolizing the unity of all Asian people

After the breathtaking presentation showing the collision of the tides of national style nature science and technology sports and the tide of the times the main torch was lit jointly by Olympic champion swimmer Wang Shun and over 100 million digital torchbearers

mony also combined the avant-garde practice of digital technology and green energy

Creating stunning visuals with digital technology has also become the highlight of the opening ceremony In this opening ceremony, the Qiantang River and iconic Gongchen Bridge connecting ancient and modern times were directly projected onto the stage through the coordination of ground screen and stereoscopic screen and through the design of naked eye 3D visual effects and virtual images The integration of naked-eye 3D technology augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) has brought a fresh and exciting experience to viewers worldwide

The main torch lighting form of the opening ceremony of large-scale sports events has always attracted much attention

At the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games the virtual and reality integration lighting ceremony was displayed for the first time, showcasing the technological innovation of the intelligent era

For the last part of the ceremony hundreds of millions of people across Asia were full of enthusiasm to witness the torchbearer Wang Shun and the digital torchbearer light the main torch tower together

Each online participant is a point of light that converges on the Qiantang River to form a figurative “digital person” who meets with the torchbearer at the main venue to light the

main torch tower This demonstrates the resonance between the digital world and the real world and expresses the wish for a community of common destiny in Asia to be built

The Global Times learned that the digital torchbearer online torch relay activity was launched simultaneously with the real torch relay Before the opening ceremony, the online Asian Games “digital torchbearer”

total number has exceeded 104 million

Zhang Shaorong General Manager of the Alipay Asian Games Office of Ant

Group told the Global Times on Saturday that there are very few Internet platforms in China that have undertaken such large-scale

online activities in the past

Currently most of the mainstream 3-D interactive engines in the market such as U n i t y a n d U n r e a l E n g i n e a r e d e v e l o p e d b y f o r e i g n m a n u f a c t u r e r s b u t t h e s e h e a v y w e i g h t p r o d u c t s h a v e h i g h r equirements for mobile devices, Fang Kai, u s e r a n d p u b l i c w e l f a r e d i r e c t o r o f A n t G r o u p ’s A l i p a y t e c h n o l o g y d e p a r t m e n t , told the Global Times

It becomes very important to develop a lightweight high-efficiency and high-quality Web3-D engine to create a digital torchbearer platform for the Asian Games that everyone can participate in, Fang noted

CORPORATE CORNER P M K A K A R ' S U NG A V I S I T H I G H LY S U C C E S S F U L ;

W I NS H E A R T S , M I ND S O F K A S H M I R I S : E X P E R T S

PESHAWAR

A P P

TH E political and diplomatic experts here on Saturday termed the visit of caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as highly successful and productive for Pakistan

They said the Prime Minister has won the hearts and minds of Kashmiris after highlighting the Kashmir dispute in most effective manner at UNGA

Manzoorul Haq former Ambassador of Pakistan told APP that the Prime Minister deserved praise for boldly highlight-

Habib University unveils a space for collaborative learning

K A R A C H I: Habib University takes pride in introducing Horizon an innovative learning space co-designed in partnership with experts from prestigious institutions such as Stanford d school This initiative signifies a significant pedagogical shift in education, promoting open and collaborative environments that foster innovation The event, titled 'Unveiling the Horizon,' was a collaborative endeavor between the University and its valued associates

TDAP hosts soft launch of 11th WEXNET exhibition

L A H O R E: At the PC Lahore, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan presented the soft launch of the 11th WEXNET exhibition The event was attended by TDAP officials dignitaries celebrities influencers and more

The Secretary TDAP commented that we will help women entrepreneurs mature their businesses along with protecting their intellectual property rights and designs” Mrs Nilofar Senior Vice President WCCI commended the TDAP and said that the assistance they provide is unmatched and is well appreciated by the women of Pakistan The Counsel General USA Ms Kristin K Hawkins said she was committed to encouraging women s economic empowerment and that multiple initiatives held each year supported this

The WEXNET platform features women entrepreneurs from every city and every province of Pakistan gathered under one roof with their unique and exciting products The aim of WEXNET is to empower women through entrepreneurship

At the upcoming 11th WEXNET event in Lahore from 30th September till 2nd October - celebrities, influencers and public will gather to celebrate the power of women's entrepreneurship With stalls from Daachi COTHM culinary school cooking competitions cultural shows a kids area and food courts – the place is bursting with enthusiasm for families and event-goers PR

PAF contingent returns triumphant after par ticipation in exercise Bright S tar-2023

Pakistan Air Force contingent has landed back at an operational air base after successful participation in the multinational tri-services air exercise Bright Star 2023, held in Egypt The exercise brought together 30 nations from across the globe fostering camaraderie and showcasing the prowess of participating armed forces The distinguished event showcased the remarkable performance of PAF s contingent consisting of skilled combat pilots, proficient air defence controllers, and adept technical ground crew, who demonstrated pride and professional excellence as a unified team while operating advanced JF-17 Thunder fighter jets The primary objective of the Bright Star Exercise was to promote interoperability and facilitate knowledge sharing among participating countries Throughout the exercise PAF s air and ground crew consistently demonstrated exceptional air combat capabilities, effectively highlighting the impressive strengths of Pakistan's esteemed asset, the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft Engaging in rigorous training and immersive realistic aerial warfare scenarios the PAF contingent reaffirmed its preparedness to address contemporary air warfare challenges, underlining its unwavering commitment to serving the cause of global peace and security PR

ing the atrocities and human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir (IIOJK) during his historic address at UNGA

Despite deployment of over nine lakh troops at IIOJK the fascist Modi Govt has failed to suppress the freedom movement in the Held Valley

He said the gruesome murder of Khalistan Movement Sikh leader in Canada had raised serious questions about the state of India and exposed the negative policies of the fascist Modi regime against minorities

On August 5 2019 he said the Modi government had made a deep rooted conspiracy to rob Kashmiris of their identity,

history and culture India had deprived oppressed Kashmiris of all kinds of liberties and human rights since 1947 and that the fascist Modi government’s illegal and unconstitutional acts of August 5 2019 of revoking special status of the Indian Illegally Occupaid Kashmir (IIOJ&K) has exposed his conspiracy to rob Kashmiris of their history, language and ethno-cultural identity

He said the illegal occupation of Kashmir valley by India contravened multiple articles of the 30 fundamental human rights of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) drafted by representatives from all the regions of the world including India on December 10, 1948 and

Commerce Minister backs retail sec tor ’s endeavor to enhance expor ts

Appreciating the organized retail sector s endeavor of expanding in the exports arena Interim Federal Minister for Industries & Production Dr Gohar Ejaz has assured the government s full commitment to provide them maximum policy support to the retail sector

The Federal Minister in a meeting with the high-level delegation of Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP), reiterated the government pledge of continuing its consultation process with the organized retail sector and Chainstore Association to facilitate the formal sector and enhance its exports

The Minister s comprehensive discussion with CAP team which took place on Thursday, regarding the strategies and initiatives aimed at bolstering domestic commerce in order for it to foster export-led growth and enhance the overall

business environment in Pakistan in close consultation with the private sector Federal Minister Dr Gohar Ejaz was accompanied by Commerce Secretary Sualeh Ahmad Faruqi, Additional Secretary Industries Asad Rehman Gilani Special Secretary Commerce Sarah Saeed and Secretary Board of Investment Sohail Rajput while the CAP delegation consisted of its top leadership, including, CAP Vice Chairman Asad Shafi, CAP CoFounder Asfandyar Farrukh,

Junaid Dandia and Huzaifa Siddiqui, representing the leading chainstores of the country

The Minister expressed his unwavering commitment to sustained economic growth and facilitating trade He called on the leadership of CAP and organized retail to strive for higher export volumes through exceptional value-addition of branded products and ‘Made in Pakistan’

C o m m i t t e e s e t u p t o b i f u r c at e C A A i n t o t wo e n t i t i e s

The nine-member committee has been constituted to work out division of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) into the Pakistan Airport Authority and the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation

According to the notification issued here on Saturday, the Ministry of Aviation’s Joint Secretary II –Shazia Rizvi – has been appointed as the chairperson of the nine-member committee

The nine-member committee has been tasked with working out bifurcation of the CAA into the Pakistan

Airport Authority (PAA) and the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) by October 15

The notification stated that Vice Air Marshal Taimoor Iqbal will serve as deputy head of the committee while other members are: Joint Secretary Ministry of Aviation Asif Iqbal, Joint Secretary Ministry of Finance Abdul Malik Deputy Director General of Regulatory CAA Nadir Shafiq President of Aircraft Accident Investigation Board Commodore Mirza Aamir Director Finance of CAA Saqib Butt Director of Aviation Security, Sameer Saeed, Director of APS, Sadiqul Rahman, and Director HR of CAA, Abid Ali Shah

Mushaal lauds PM for championing Kashmir cause

ISLAMABAD

A P P

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Human Rights Mushaal Mullick has said that Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has championed the Kashmir cause in the best possible manner at United Nations General Assembly

In a statement issued here Saturday Mushal Mullick said that she

t h

i n i s

ISLAMABAD

A P P

was grateful to the Prime Minister for voicing the oppressed Kashmiris in the United Nations General Assembly session

"The Prime Minister has proved to be the ambassador and advocate of Kashmiris she added She said that Kashmiris had been encouraged by the Prime Minister s address in the General Assembly She said that the innocent Kashmiris know Pakistan as the

center of their hopes for achieving their right to self-determination

The Special Assistant said that Indian state terrorism had started to reach the rest of the world from the region The international community has to stop India for the sake of peace she said and added according to the resolutions of the United Nations, the solution of the Kashmir issue is indispensable for regional peace

was subsequently adopted by UNGA

He said this declaration was applied to all the signatory members of the UN including India and restrained them from abuse exploitation maltreatment and all kinds of violence in the IIOJK besides violation of any fundamental rights protected in UDHR India went against several passed UN Security Council s resolutions after revoking the IIOJK’s special status and I urged the international community including world powers to press Modi Govt to immediately go back to pre August 5 2019 status of IIOJK and give right of self determination to the oppressed Kashmiris as promised to them by the world peace body "

Talk of D r Ishrat Hussain on ‘Unfinished Agenda of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’

I S L A M A B A D: Dr Ishrat Husain a renowned economist, Former Governor State Bank , Former Advisor to Prime Minister on Institutional reforms and writer visited Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and shared his expert opinion on “unfinished agenda of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) The special session was attended by Distinguished economists statisticians, researchers and technocrats from and representatives from international organizations other senior officers of PBS attended the session Dr Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician welcomed the Chief Guest and apprised him regarding the recent achievements and Initiatives of PBS Dr Ishrat Hussain appreciated PBS for its recent achievements including successful conduct of 7th Population & Housing Census, and digitization of the processes & activities He informed that PBS is hub of data for Policymaking and Planning as PBS collects huge repository of Social Economic and Demographic data through its Census and Surveys He informed participants that availability of reliable and accurate data is the basis for developmental projects Being National Statistical Organization (NSO), PBS is not only responsible for collecting data and ensure its availability for data users, researchers, Government organizations and Policy makers but PBS should also guide Government and Stakeholders that how to utilize this data for development of country PR

S A P M c h a i r s m e e t i n g w i t h

O E P s t o e n h a n c e m a n p o w e r e x p o r t

In pursuance of the directives of the Prime Minister to enhance manpower export Jawad Sohrab Malik Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development convened a meeting with Overseas Employments Promotors (OEPs) in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development The Meeting was attended by prominent OEPs who were invited on the basis of their highest performance in export of labour force The SAPM on OP&HRD Jawad Sohrab Malik in his opening remarks underlined the importance of agenda of the meeting to increase manpower export and invited the participants to provide their valuable input in this regard He assured unflinching support of the Ministry in resolving issues being confronted by OEPs representatives of Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA) and discussed means to enhance manpower export in accordance with Government instructions On the invitation of the SAPM on OP&HRD, the Executive Director NAVTTC and DG Immigration and Passport Office, Islamabad along with senior officers also attended the meeting PR

An immediate investigation was launched into complaint of a citizen of an adverse reaction to the injection given to a victim

The action was taken on the direction of Caretaker Federal Minister for Health Dr Nadeem Jan, following taking notice of the complaint of the resident of Kasur

According to Ministry s spokesperson the federal

The Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce, Industries and Production Dr Gohar Eijaz conducted a series of pivotal meetings at the Governor House here Saturday for taking significant steps towards addressing critical issues and advancing economic growth and industrial development in the country

In his first meeting, the minister was engaged in a constructive dialogue with the Chairman of the Trading Cooperation of Pakistan (TCP) He was briefed about the TCP s concerns and challenges, which have impacted the efficiency of trade operations in the country

Recognizing the importance of

minister contacted Punjab Provincial Minister for Health Dr Javed Ikram on telephone

He added the Punjab government has constituted a five-member committee in this regard

The committee has started the investigation from every angle

Dr Nadeem Jan assured that the government would ensure all necessary steps to ensure a transparent investigation of the incident

We are in contact with the provincial government and keeping a close eye on the situation "

a robust trade ecosystem, the minister emphasized the interim government s commitment to bolstering exports enhancing Pakistan s global competitiveness and facilitating trade growth

Furthermore, the conversion of industrial areas in Korangi and Landhi into modern industrial parks was discussed at length and the establishment of cold chains in Multan and Korangi was underscored as a key initiative to improve the agricultural productivity

In his second meeting, he met with the Chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers Association (PPMA) He commended the pharmaceutical sector for its exceptional performance as one of Pakistan s most dynamic and suc-

cessful industries, playing a pivotal role in exports

The meeting focused on the hurdles impeding pharmaceutical exports including regulatory challenges and market access issues

The minister emphasized the importance of market development initiatives and committed to providing assistance for the timely issuance of urgent business visas for pharmaceuticals

The minister was informed about the potential of exporting nutraceutical products from Pakistan to global markets which will be a great boost for exports

In the third meeting the caretaker minister was engaged with representatives from the Marine Fisheries Department

K ATI President Farazur Rehman, UBG Patron-InC hief SM Tanveer and others at KCCI during voting K A R A C H I: President of Kati and Founder President of Pakistan Businessmen Group Farazur Rehman Patron Chief of SM Tanveer Patron In Chief UBG Zubair Chhaya Deputy Patron Chief of Kati Masood Naqi Ex-Chairman Kati Farhan Rehman Ex-Chairman Kati Patrons and PBG Patrons Along with Shehbaz

from China he said that my best wishes for Zubair Motiwala PR

D r G o h a r E i j a z fo r e c o n o m i c g row t h , i n d u s t r i a l d eve l o p m e n t i n c o u n t r y

‘DESPITE ODDS, CHINESE POWER PL ANTS NEVER COMPROMISE ON USE OF QUALIT Y COAL’

ISLAMABAD

M I A N A B R A R

DE S P I T E odds, all coal-fired power plants built and operated by Chinese companies in Pakistan have been consistently using high-quality coal imported from other countries official sources told Pakistan Today on Saturday

In a recent media report, an official from the Power Division of Pakistan, seeking anonymity, raised questions about the quality of coal being used by the Chinese power plants The author of the news item also failed to understand the basic facts and also did not bother to check the minutes of the meeting of the authority concerned and also did not bother to check the basic facts independently

Brushing aside rumours about the coal quality the official sources said the basic knowledge about the power industry based on facts can clearly show and prove that the Chinese power plants cannot run on low-quality coal like a fighter jet cannot start and run on regular fuel

A senior official of a power plant company told this scribe that the basic

knowledge about the power industry based on facts can clearly show and prove that the Chinese power plants cannot run on low-quality coal like a fighter jet cannot start and run on regular fuel

There is no classification of coal as superior or inferior based on the difference in thermal energy If less than 6000CV is the definition of inferior coal’ according to an ignorant bureaucrat, then the coal mines in Thar of Pak-

PPP’s Shah advises PML-N not to seek action against Bajwa, Faiz

PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has advised the PML-N against seeking action against former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and exspymaster retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid and not to engage in such confrontations

The remarks from the senior PPP leader come in the backdrop of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif ’s recent hard-hitting statement in which he held the two officials responsible for his removal from power in 2017 and the country s ongoing crises

(Former) chief justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa were tools [of the former army chief and his spy chief] Their crime is bigger than a murder offence Giving them pardon will be an injustice to the nation They don’t deserve pardon ” Nawaz said vowing to hold them accountable

These characters who unleashed economic misery on the people of Pakistan will have to face accountability, he added while delivering an address via a video link from London earlier this month

Likewise, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah assailed former generals Bajwa and Hamid earlier this week, declaring them “national criminals” and demanding action against them The way the PML-N brought Gen Pervez Musharraf to justice it will do the same to [both men] he said Sanaullah sought strict accountability of former generals and judges, saying that it was a policy statement on behalf of the party

In an interview on DawnNewsTV show ‘Doosra

Rukh’ on Friday Khursheed Shah was asked about Nawaz’s statement to which he said the materialisation of the PML-N s plan of going after the two former military leaders seemed very difficult

Did anyone touch the man who was sentenced under Article 6 of the Constitution? He was later hospitalised, and subsequently transferred to Dubai,” Shah remarked, referring to late military dictator Musharraf

“Let’s refrain from engaging in such conflicts ” he advised the PML-N further noting that politicians often find themselves entangled in such situations

He stressed the need to direct attention towards guaranteeing fair elections, managing increasing inflation, adhering to the Charter of Democracy and establishing good governance traditions

He expressed the PPP’s ongoing interest in cooperation and institution-building emphasising that all institutions upheld the primacy of parliament

We should refrain from emotionalism or resorting to political invective, he added He also claimed that the PPP had faced significant pressure to join the erstwhile ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement “Initially, we proposed that we would vote [in favour of the no-confidence motion against ex-PM Imran Khan] but won t join the government thereafter But we were told [by the then-opposition] that if we won t become part of the government they wouldn t proceed with the vote of no-confidence, he said On the PPP demanding a level playing field in elections from the PML-N, Shah maintained that some of those associated with Nawaz’s party were part of the incumbent caretaker government “That is why we made this demand on them

He also said it seemed the actual prime minister was the Establishment Division s secretary not caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar The one who runs the Establishment Division, he is the prime minister” Asked whether the impression was right that the announcement of Kakar ’s appointment as the interim PM was made after then-PM Shehbaz and former opposition leader Raja Riaz were handed chits with the caretaker premier s name written on it he replied in the affirmative

I

have briefed the Pakistani side about a clear scientific definition of the coal thermal zone set by the agency itself According to the scientific design of the boiler different power plants need to adapt to different calorific value zones of coal

istan have only 2000CV coal So, under their parameter, should it be defined as extremely inferior coal,” another senior official of a company argued At the hearing site the Chinese company had carried out detailed science popularisation and explanation and introduced the correct and scientific concepts in the industry to the NEPRA officials who raised this issue

The Chinese engineers and experts

For example according to the regulations of the Pakistani side, the Port Qasim coal-fired power station needs to use coal produced in Indonesia in the range of 4500-5500CV and according to this calorific value range the corresponding boiler has been designed the official said He said that the relevant media report was written without proper knowledge has forcefully mixed the two together, neither seeking confirmation on the issue nor from the relevant departments of NEPRA relying only on onesided information and misguided and confused common people

There is no positive correlation with coal prices There is no high or low calorific value affecting the price of coal, and the pricing power is not in the hands of Chinese companies but in the hands of international coal exchanges concluded the official

LBA holds protest against witchhunt of law yers

LAHORE

The Lahore Bar Association (LBA) on Saturday locked the main doors of the session court and blocked the entry of police anti-corruption and security forces on Friday to protest the filing of anticorruption cases against lawyers

The move caused a rush of people outside the court doors, with many complaining that they had come from distant areas to appear in their cases

The Lahore Bar issued a statement saying that the ban on the entry of anti-corruption officials into the covered courts would remain in effect from September 25 The statement also said that the bar association would continue its protest until the anticorruption cases against lawyers were withdrawn

The bar association s move has been met with mixed reactions from the public Some people have supported the lawyers’ right to protest, while others have criticized the move for disrupting the court process

ISLAMABAD

G H U L A M A B B A S

In a landmark ruling the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the federal government to enforce the Trade Organisations (Amendment) Act 2022 which aims to overhaul the election process in chambers of commerce and industry across Pakistan

The decision has created a stir within various chambers, leading to ongoing confusion over the implications of the new law The IHC’s ruling issued in response to a case concerning the Trade Organisations (Amendment) Act 2022 stipulates that there will be no elections for chambers in 2023

Instead, office bearers who have completed their two-year terms will be granted an additional third year while those in their first year will finish their second by the end of 2024 Following this complete chamber bodies will participate in elections every two years, aligning with the new legislation This development marks a significant departure from the previous Trade Organisations Act (TOA) 2013 under which half of the office bearers were elected each year for two-year terms, leading to a continuous cycle of

elections

Surprisingly officials at the Director General Trade Organization (DGTO) appear unaware of the court s decision, shedding light on the DGTO’s failure to oversee chamber and trade body affairs, which has resulted in legal disputes and prolonged election delays

Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), expressed support for the new two-year term for office bearers arguing that a one-year term was too short for effective performance and delivering for the business community He believes the extended term will allow them to work more effectively for the betterment of the business community and contribute to the country’s economic growth

However confusion persists among several chambers regarding the executive body structure Some senior members of the ICCI believe that another vice president (VP) will be added for a oneyear term, while Chaudhary Zafar Mahmood Senior Vice President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) countered this interpretation attributing the confusion to the DGTO s issuance of election notifications under the previous

TOA 2013 Mahmood also criticized the Commerce Minister for focusing on politics and his own vision during chamber visits, rather than addressing the concerns of the business community

The IHC’s decision is not expected to affect the upcoming elections of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) as they are scheduled for December this year, coinciding with the completion of the existing body’s two-year term

Haji Qurban a former Chairm a n o f F P C C I ’s I s l a m a b a d o f-

fice lauded the court s decision anticipating that it would resolve election-related issues for chambers and trade associations across the country

Taufique Ahmed Khan, former Vice President of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) also welcomed the decision highlighting that the twoyear term would empower elected bodies to make a more significant impact, given the limitations of the previous one-year term

However there are reports that some trade bodies especially in Karachi have proceeded with or completed their election processes despite the court s order, adding a layer of complexity to the situation

Pakistani, Indian representatives attend neutral exper t proceedings in Vienna

ANKARA

A N A D O L U A G E N C Y

Pakistani and Indian officials participated in a two-day meeting convened by a neutral expert in Vienna to resolve the long-standing water dispute between the two South Asian nuclear neighbours

According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, senior advocate Harish Salve attended the meeting as India’s lead counsel

A delegation from India led by the secretary of the Department of Water Resources attended a meeting of the neutral expert proceedings in the Kishenganga and Ratle matter at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Vienna on Sept 20 and 21,” local news agency PTI reported, citing a ministry statement

The meeting was convened by the neutral expert appointed on India s request under the aegis of the Indus Waters Treaty and was attended by representatives of India and Pakistan it said

In July this year, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) rejected India s objections to its jurisdiction over New Delhi’s dispute with Pakistan on two key hydropower projects India had rejected the ruling

ECP delists PTI prohibited funding case again

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday again delisted the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) prohibited funding case

The election commission’s Media Communication and Outreach Wing shared that the case of PTI prohibited funding confiscation fixed for September 26 had been delisted Earlier in August the ECP announced the much-awaited verdict in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prohibited funding case

The ECP bench in its reserved verdict said the case against PTI has been proven ECP, in its unanimous verdict ruled that the party received funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi and 34 foreign nationals

IHC to hear PTI chief’s bail plea in Cypher case on Monday

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed for hearing the post-arrest bail plea filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Cypher case, in which he is currently incarcerated at the Attock jail it emerged on Saturday

The court will take up the petition on Sep 25 (Monday) and IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will preside over the proceedings The court has issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present arguments in the case Imran had approached the IHC after the special court established to hear cases filed under the Official Secrets Act rejected the ex-premier s plea seeking the same

The PCA, in its decision in The Hague, ruled that it has the “competence” to consider matters concerning the 330-megawatt Kishanganga and the 850MW Ratle hydroelectric projects which have long been a source of contention between the two nuclear rivals

The PCA ruling came after a lingering legal battle between the two neighbours who, apart from watersharing, are locked in a string of land and sea disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir

The two long-time rivals share the water of six rivers under the IWT a water-sharing agreement brokered by the World Bank in 1960 Under the agreement the waters of the eastern rivers – the Sutlej Beas and Ravi – have been allocated to India, while the three western rivers – the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – go to Pakistan Pakistan accuses India of “continuously violating” the treaty by building dams on the western rivers whereas New Delhi thinks Islamabad controls more water than New Delhi as a result of the treaty India is also locked in a water dispute with China on the construction of dams and proposed diversion of the Brahmaputra River, which originates in Tibet and provides a third of India’s needs for irrigation

The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document Cypher, which reportedly went missing from Imran s possession The PTI alleges that it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran Khan from power Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been attending hearings in the case while PTI leader Asad Umar s and former principal secretary Azam Khan s involvement was supposed to be determined during the course of the investigation While Umar was granted pre-arrest bail last week, Imran and Qureshi were denied post-arrest bail, and their judicial remand which was extended will complete on September 26

Imran’s petition: Imran had on Sep 16 filed the petition through his lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar

The state and Interior Ministry Secretary Yousuf

Naseem Khokar are respondents in the case

The petition urged the IHC to grant Imran post-arrest bail till the final disposal of the cypher case “to meet the ends of justice” The plea claimed that nearly 200 criminal cases have been filed against the former premier out of which almost 40 cases are [on] charges of corruption murder sedition mutiny foreign funding NAB (National Accountability Bureau) reference and Toshakhana reference It argued that the PTI chief could not avail remedy under section 498 (power to direct admission to bail or reduction of bail) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)

M inisters drop ‘a hint ’ about POL price reduc tion on Oc t 1

Two important ministers of the Interim Government in Centre – Caretaker Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi and Caretaker Commerce and Industries Minister Gohar Ejaz on Saturday hinted at a reduction in the petrol price in the next fortnight’s review as Pakistani rupee has gained massively against US dollar There are enough chances that the fuel prices will come down in the next announcement, Caretaker Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi said while talking to media at Karachi Press Club Solangi said that the rupee gained Rs30 to Rs35 against the greenback due to administrative measures taken by the caretaker government in the last few days

The ministers statements come after a back-to-back increase in petrol prices by a significant margin by the caretaker setup

About general elections, Minister Solangi said that the interim government will play its due role in facilitating the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for free fair and transparent polls in the country The minister went on to say that the government was taking various measures to support economic situation of the country and these measures have shown results recently in the decreasing price of dollar

Meanwhile Caretaker Commerce and Industries Minister Gohar Ejaz on Saturday expressed his hope that the nation would receive good news regarding petrol prices on October 1 the date when the government is expected to announce revised prices of petroleum products as the rupee had strength-

ened in recent days Speaking to the media alongside Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori in Karachi, he attributed the rise in inflation to the rupee devaluation against the dollar

“Last year the rupee was at 160 and this year it reached 305 ” he said explaining that consequently prices of all imported commodities including energy and fuel also increased The [local] currency is now stabilising and I am hopeful that you will receive good news regarding petrol price on [October] 1,” he said, adding that he was also hopeful about energy prices coming down

The interim government first announced an increase of almost Rs18 per litre in the price of petrol on August 15 just two days after caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar took oath for the top office It again announced a massive hike of up to Rs18 per

litre in fuel prices on September 1 and pushed through another hike in the prices of petrol by Rs26 02 per litre two weeks later

The caretaker government has been facing severe criticism over the rise in petrol prices from various sectors including the business community transporters and politicians

The interim government attributed the latest hike to the increasing trend of petroleum prices in the international market The price hike was based on existing tax rates and import parity prices, mainly because of currency fluctuation and a slight increase in international oil prices

The last increase in prices of petroleum products came on the heels of over 27 4 per cent increase in the August rate of inflation that would also have a lag effect on general prices in the country over the coming days and weeks

Though there is zero general sales tax on all petroleum products, the government is charging Rs60 per litre petroleum development levy (PDL) on petrol and Rs50 each on highspeed diesel (HSD) and high octane blending component and 95RON petrol The government is also charging about Rs18 to Rs22 per litre customs duty on petrol and HSD

Petrol and HSD are the major revenue spinners with their monthly sales of about 700,000-800,000 tonnes per month compared to just 10,000 tonnes of monthly demand for kerosene Most of the transport sector runs on HSD Its price is considered highly inflationary as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles trains and agricultural engines like trucks, buses, tractors, tube wells and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables

H C d i r e c t s i m p l e m e n t at i o n o f n ew t r a d e o r g a n i s at i o n s a c t