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PA K I S TA N O V E R N E X T 5 Y E A R S : K A K A R

g VOWS TO COME UP WITH ‘OUT-OF-BOX’ SOLUTION ON POWER SECTOR FOR PUBLIC RELIEF

ISLAMABAD

CA R E TA K E R Prime Minister

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday said that Saudi Arabia will invest up to $25 billion in Pakistan over the next two to five years in various sectors, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said on Monday adding his government would also revive a stalled privatisation process

The prime minister in an interaction with foreign media representatives, assured that his government was exploring realistic options to come up with “outof-box” solutions to provide relief to electricity consumers

Kakar speaking to journalists at his official residence said Saudi Arabia s investment would come in the mining, agriculture and information technology sectors, and was part of a push to increase foreign direct investment in Pakistan

He said the government would make informed decisions to satisfy the masses on the issue of electricity bills without deviating from the country s commitments with the international financial institutions

Mentioning the issues of circular debt, power theft and taxes the prime minister said the government would introduce

g DIRECTS IMMEDIATE, STERN ACTION AGAINST POWER STEALERS, DEFAULTERS

mid-level reforms

Kakar said the government was pursuing a policy of doing the doable and providing a strategic direction to economic planning

To a question he said all the registered political parties would be provided a level playing field to contest the general elections without any discrimination

However, he said in certain instances political behaviour turned into vandalism and the country s law was already in vogue to deal with such conduct

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P r e s i d e n t A l v i l a u d s P M ’ s s t a t e m e n t o f a b i d i n g b y S C o r d e r o n p o l l s

short-term solutions to the issue without undermining the agitating people

He assured that the caretaker government was mandated to facilitate holding the general elections as early as possible while observing the constitutional obligations

He said the Constitution called for carrying out the delimitation of constituencies following the population census

Prime Minister Kakar said without redesigning the government structure the interim setup was mainly focused on rearranging the fiscal and monetary policies

to build an edifice for economic revival

Calling the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) a strategy for economic revival he said it focused on agriculture mines and minerals defence production and information technology

However, he also spelled out the economic reform agenda of his government saying that the imminent steps included the privatization of two or more power distribution companies

He said the reforms needed in taxation and power sectors, and his government would leave behind a basis for

Talking about the terror attacks by the TTP, the prime minister drew attention to the leftover military equipment by the United States and allied forces back in Afghanistan which he viewed were becoming a threat to peace thus necessitating a coordinated approach to deal with the challenge

He said the foreign forces left Afghanistan after losing interest but “we are here to defend our home, children, mosques and places of worship ”

He said the Pak-Afghan ties were deeply rooted in cultural and faith-based linkages as well as social integration Pakistan showed magnanimity to the Afghan refugees and the government was coming up with a policy to address the challenge of illegal immigrants he added

LHC issues show-cause notice for contempt of cour t to Islamabad IG

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday issued a show cause notice to the Islamabad inspector general (IG) of police for contempt of court in a habeas petition filed for the production of former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi

As the proceedings resumed Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq issued the show cause notice and directed the district and sessions judge to produce Elahi before the LHC tomorrow The petition was filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) president s wife Qaisara Elahi seeking the court s direction to the deputy inspector general (DIG) investigations to produce her husband before the LHC It also sought the ex-minister ’s release if found that he had been kept in unlawful custody and requested the high court to direct the home secretary and IG Punjab to take strict action against the DIG investigations over the unlawful act

Earlier Justice Rafiq directed the IGP DIGs investigations and operations CCPO Lahore SP Model Town Division and SP security LHC to appear in person at 2pm Separately, the judge warned of

issuing a notice or a show cause notice to DIGs investigations Imran Kishwar and operations Ali Nasir Rizvi in a contempt plea against them for arresting Elahi despite court orders The plea was filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) president s wife Qaisara Elahi, seeking contempt proceedings against the DIGs for allegedly disobeying LHC’s order restraining the National Accountability

Bureau (NAB), or any other authority, agency and office from arresting or detaining Pervaiz Elahi As the proceeding for the contempt plea commenced the petitioner’s counsel Tahir Nasrullah Warraich argued that there were hundreds of cops either in police uniforms or plain clothes who had forcefully taken Elahi despite the court’s order

Chaudhr y Per vaiz Elahi’s health ‘deteriorates’ in jail

ATTOCK: Former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

(PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s health condition has deteriorated in the Attock Jail on Monday sources said on Monday Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is being transferred to the PIMS Hospital for his medical examination under strict security It may be noted that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was rearrested by Islamabad police under 3-MPO soon after his release on the orders of Lahore High Court The LHC had ordered the additional registrar for security, DIG Operations, and other senior police officials to ensure that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi returned safely to his home Soon after he was shifted to Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad ordered his detention for a period of 15 days under the Pakistan Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Elahi is among several PTI leaders who have been booked under the MPO amid the crackdown against the party in the aftermath of the May 9 riots It is pertinent to mention here that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Elahi over failing to provide information to the accountability bureau in assets beyond the means case against him his son Monis Elahi and other family members S TA F F R E

President Dr Arif Alvi has appreciated Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar s statement that the interim government would abide by the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the matter of general elections in the country

He expressed these views during a meeting with Caretaker Federal Minister for Law and Justice Ahmed Irfan Aslam who called on him here at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday a statement said

The meeting discussed many issues related to the holding of general elections in the country

The president emphasised the need for upholding the supremacy of the Constitution, adding that decisions should be taken in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution A media report claimed that the president was contemplating announcing the date for the next general elections

The report added that the president might make the announcement as soon as he had completed consultations with his legal aides It said it was expected that the president would write another letter to the ECP, suggesting a date in November for the elections

The report said that President Alvi had been advised by his legal team that an act of parliament could not override the provisions of the Constitution and that parliament might have amended the Election Act 2017 but the Constitution was clear that polls would have to take place within 90 days

“Based on that opinion the president will communicate the election date to the Election Commission soon the report added

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) earlier announced that it would be reducing the time required to complete the delimitation of constituencies and that its publication would now be final by Nov 30

“To complete the consultation and feedback process with political parties and delimitation of constituencies as early as possible the ECP has further reduced the timeframe for delimitations a statement released by the supervisory body read Now, the final publication of constituencies will be on November 30, 2023 The purpose of reducing the duration of delimiting constituencies is to ensure holding elections as soon as possible

The statement also added that under the purview of the revised date for the finalisation of constituencies the election schedule will also be announced

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif had dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, three days ahead of its mandated period The 90-day limit for the ECP to hold elections under the Constitution ends on Nov 9

On August 17 the election supervisor announced that it would revamp all the national and provincial assemblies constituencies in light of the digital census within 120 days

On the other hand, with the apex court having dismissed the ECP’s review petition against its April 4 order of holding polls for the Punjab Assembly on May 14 pressure is mounting on the electoral body either to hold the general elections within 90 days or to approach the court to seek guidance on the question of conducting new delimitation based on the 7th Population Census

FAT H E R O F H A S S A A N N I A Z I M O V E S S C A G A I N S T

M I L I TA R Y T R I A L S

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

JOURNALIST Hafeezullah Niazi moved the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to declare the trial of civilians in military courts

unconstitutional as he fights the case for his son Hassaan Niazi, also nephew of former prime minister and chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)

Imran Khan Niazi in his petition argued that no parallel judicial system should be established under the Constitution The petition asserted that Article 10-A guarantees the right to fair trial and fulfils legal requirements, and hence should be upheld

The petitioner also moved the apex court for Sections 2(1)(d)(ii) and 59(4) of the

Army Amendment Act (AAA) to be exempted for those involved in the events of May 9 He further requested the court to also declare Section 94 to be declared

unconstitutional

The opposed section states that any “competent Army Officer could investigate a case of any Army personnel if he was implicated in a civil offence provided such army officer made such demand from police authorities Hafeezullah presented a letter from the commanding officer from August 17 regarding his son’s arrest and asked for it to be declared illegal as well The act of transferring him to military custody by the police should also be declared unconstitutional, he argued

The petitioner also requested that the AAA 2023 and the Official Secrets Act,

Shazia Marri to sue ‘fake news peddlers’ over Rs97b recover y rumours

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Shazia Marri on Monday announced sending legal notice to all peddlers of fake and baseless news , after several posts emerged on social media, showing large amount of cash, and gold allegedly being recovered from the residence of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) chairperson According to the purported social media posts the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recovered a substantial sum of Rs97 billion from Marri s residence However, the news turned out to be fake as exposed by X handle Expose Propaganda “Legal notice being sent to all peddlers of fake & baseless news about me I’m proud of the fact that in my 21 y[ea]rs of political journey I’ve worked hard with sincerity & dedication My conscience is satisfied that both as an elected member & minister I ve served the p[eo]pl[e] with integrity, she wrote on her X handle A day earlier, Marri had expressed her gratitude to those who debunked the fake news “I’m grateful to all who exposed the #FakeNews related to me [I] am touched by the overwhelming replies to the nasty propaganda that only exposes the sick minds of those who have nothing better to do Will be taking legal action against those who ve spread this fake news, she wrote

Sindh sends officers’ list to ECP for bureaucracy reshuffle

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t M a j o r r e s h u ff l e i n S i n d h s b u r e a u c r a c y h a s b e e n o n t h e c a r d s a s t h e c a r e t a k e r p r o v i n c i a l g o v e r n m e n t h a s p r e p a r e d a l i s t o f o ff i c e r s o n M o n d a y C a r e t a k e r g o v e r n m e n t h a s s e n t t h e l i s t o f o ff i c e r s t o t h e e l e c t i o n c o m m i s s i o n f o r t r a n s f e r s a n d p o s t i n g s i n S i n d h s o u r c e s s a i d P r e s e n t C o m m i s s i o n e r s a n d D e p u t y C o m m i s s i o n e r s i n S i n d h w i l l b e c h a n g e d a n d a n o t i f i c a t i o n t o t h i s r e s p e c t c o u l d b e i s s u e d b y t h i s e v e n i n g , a c c o r d i n g t o s o u r c e s C h i e f E l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n e r h a d a s k e d S i n d h ’s C a r e t a k e r C M i n a l e t t e r i n l a s t w e e k t o d i s p a t c h p r o p o s a l s t o t h e e l e c t i o n c o m m i s s i o n w i t h r e g a r d t o t r a n s f e r o f o ff i c e r s w i t h i n o n e w e e k C E C S i k a n d a r S u l t a n R a j a i n a l e t t e r a d d r e s s e d t o C a r e t a k e r C h i e f M i n i s t e r o f S i n d h r e t i r e d J u s t i c e M a q b o o l B a q a r w r o t e t h a t t h e e l e c t i o n c o m m i s s i o n h a d d i r e c t e d p r o v i n c i a l g o v e r n m e n t s f o r t r a n s f e r o f a d m i n i s t r a t i v e o ff i c e r s T h e e l e c t i o n c o m m i s s i o n h a d i n s t r u c t e d f o r t r a n s f e r o f c o m m i s s i o n e r s d e p u t y c o m m i s s i o n e r s a n d a d d i t i o n a l c o m m i s s i o n e r s i n t h e p r o v i n c e , C E C w r o t e i n l e t t e r T h e E C P h a d a l s o a s k e d f o r t r a n s f e r o f t h e R P O s , D P O s a n d o t h e r p o l i c e o ff i c e r s o f t h e p r o v i n c e ” l e t t e r r e a d “ T h e e l e c t i o n c o m m i s s i o n h a d d i r e c t e d f o r p o s t i n g o f i m p a r t i a l o ff i c e r s f o r m o n i t o r i n g t h e u p c o m i n g e l e c t i o n T h e C E C a s k e d C a r e t a k e r C M t o s e n d p r o p o s a l s t o t h e e l e c t i o n c o m m i s s i o n w i t h r e g a r d t o t r a n s f e r o f o ff i c e r s i n t h e p r o v i n c e w i t h i n o n e w e e k

2023 should be declared unconstitutional for not fulfilling constitutional requirements Any individuals involved in the events of May 9 should not have their trials in military courts They should be transferred from military custody to police custody ” he stated O n A u g u s t 1 8 H a s s a a n w a s h a n d e d o v e r t o t h e m i l i t a r y f o r t r i a l a f t e r a h e a r i n g i n t h e L a h o r e H i g h C o u r t B e f o r e t h a t , t h e P u n j a b

Imran Khan, Q ureshi ’s bail pleas unheard as cipher judge goes on leave

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The PTI lawyers have reached the court of Judge Raja Jawad Abbas for the bail of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and ViceChairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case as the special court judge who conducts hearing of cases registered under the Official Secrets Act has gone on leave

PTI lawyers Salman Safdar and Babar

Awan appeared in Judge Abbas s court on Monday requesting him to conduct a hearing on the bail applications of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi as the special court judge went on week-long leave

However, Judge Abbas told them that he could hear the anti-terrorism court cases as a duty judge, but he was not authorized to hear cases registered under the Official Secrets Act He advised the PTI lawyers that they should submit an application to the high court and if the high court ordered him then he could hear their bail pleas

Pak-Saudi joint counter-terrorism exercise concludes

S ta f f R e p o R t

The military contingents of Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concluded the joint counter-terrorism exercise Al-Battar-1 on Saturday said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Special forces teams from the two countries participated in the two-week-long maneuvers During the closing ceremony today, the kingdom’s envoy to Pakistan, Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy, along with senior military leadership witnessed the final day of activities Combat aviation along with the special forces of both countries displayed their professional excellence

The exercise concluded with a fly past said the ISPR

The exercise was aimed at further harnessing the historic military-to-military relations between both brotherly countries, including nurturing of joint employment concept against counter-terrorism and identifying areas of mutual interest for future military collaborations ”

The two nations routinely conduct such exercises In February joint exercise Al-Samsaam-VIII-22 was held in K-P s Pabbi area

In December, a joint military counter-IED (improvised explosive device) exercise, Al-Kassah-III, also commenced between the two countries at King Khalid Military City Hafar Al-Batin in Saudi Arabia

Judge Abbas said that he was the admin judge of 24 courts He also read out the procedure under which the judges perform their duties He said the Official Secrets Act court was not among the 24 courts under his jurisdiction He said that only the high court could authorize him to hear the Official Secrets Act cases

The PTI lawyers requested the judge to help them out

The judge said there were only two ways: either they should move to the high court or wait till Sept 9 when Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain would be back on duty

Then PTI lawyer Salman Safdar requested Judge Abbas to give them in writing that he had no authority to hear their bail applications so that they could fill up the form to obtain the high court s order However, the prosecution team opposed the PTI lawyers request

Sugar price reaches up to Rs195kg in Karachi

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t S u g a r p r i c e o n M o n d a y h i k e d u p t o a n a l l - t i m e h i g h i n K a r a c h i t o R s 1 9 5 p e r k g a s w e e k l y i n f l a t i o n c o n t i n u e s t o a c c e l e r a t e A c c o r d i n g t o d e t a i l s t h e s w e e t e n e r i s b e i n g s o l d b e t w e e n R s 1 8 5 t o R s 1 9 5 i n K a r a c h i s r e t a i l m a r k e t , w h i l e t h e r a t e i n t h e w h o l e s a l e m a r k e t h a s d e c r e a s e d t o R s 1 7 8 p e r k g f r o m R s 1 8 0 D e s p i t e t h e d e c r e a s e i n t h e w h o l e s a l e m a r k e t p r i c e o f s u g a r t h e r e t a i l e r s a r e s e l l i n g t h e s a m e a t t h e i r d e s i r e d r a t e I n a s t a t e m e n t R a u f I b r a h i m C h a i r m a n W h o l e s a l e G r o c e r s A s s o c i a t i o n s a i d t h a t t h e s u g a r m a f i a a n d h o a r d e r s c r e a t e d a n a r t i f i c i a l s h o r t a g e o f s w e e t e n e r a n d r e d u c e d i t s s u p p l y i n t o t h e m a r k e t E a r l i e r s o u r c e s c l a i m e d t h a t t h e M i n i s t r y o f C o m m e r c e a n d I n d u s t r i e s r u l e d o u t t h e s h o r t a g e o f s u g a r i n P a k i s t a n T h e c l a r i f i c a t i o n c a m e a f t e r s o u r c e s c l a i m e d t h a t P a k i s t a n i s s e e k i n g t o i m p o r t s u g a r f r o m B r a z i l

Minister stresses war footing arrangements to tackle dengue spread

RAWALPINDI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Punjab Health Minister Dr Jamal Nasir has said that it is the peak season for dengue and stressed the need for war footing arrangements to control the spread of disease

Presiding over an anti-dengue meeting along with Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaqat Ali Chatha here on Monday, he directed that the teams of Islamabad and Rawalpindi administrations should carry out anti-dengue activities in areas which are adjacent to each other through joint operations for three to four days every week so that there was no room for ambiguity of jurisdiction Dr Jamal Nasir further said that the polio campaign is also starting from today but the health department should ensure that our focus on polio does not affect the antidengue activities For said purpose, pull more staff from the allied departments if needed He said that all the graveyards in Rawalpindi have been outsourced and the

contractor will not be paid until the DGRDA

does a third-party validation of the work done on the graveyard and Nullah Lai

Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner Rawalpindi Liaqat Ali Chatha said that 19 private hospitals were directed to establish special dengue wards

He directed health commission to visit these hospitals and ensure the presence of dengue wards there and issue notices to the hospitals that are lax in compliance He directed that all departments should continue anti-dengue operations and ensure strict implementation of SOPs The Commissioner said that houses offices and surroundings should be kept clean and stagnant water should not be allowed anywhere as it is most conducive place for dengue spread He directed all departments to mobilize their Android users and said that grass and trees should be cut in educational institutions and clean water should not be allowed to stand anywhere

The CEO Health while giving a briefing on the current situation of dengue, said that so far 272 dengue patients have been

reported of which 232 have been discharged after successful treatment There are currently 40 confirmed

SAUDI ARABIA

the Green Line train travel time will be increased by 23 hours and 25 minutes instead of 22 hours and 20 minutes and

FTO directs FBR to rectify alleged penalty order falling under Tier-1 Retailer

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Federal Tax Ombudsman has directed the Federal Board of Revenue to rectify alleged penalty order falling under Tier-1 Retailer Briefly, the Complainant, an individual and falling under Tier-I Retailer, is aggrieved against impugned 0I0 No 413 of 2021 passed by Inland Revenue Audit Officer (IRAO) Enforcement -Il CTO Karachi allegedly imposing penalty of Rs 1 000 000 on account of non-integration with P0S without lawful authority and beyond his jurisdiction

As per complaint, the said Officer did not have any authority to issue the impugned order of penalty in view of Sindh High Court decision wherein the High Court confirmed the administrative decision of the FBR dated that the Officers of Audit Cadre in IRS shall not be posted as Unit In Charge in field formations and shall not be assigned assessment related functions and duties

In addition the Lahore High Court in the case of Shahbaz Hussain Vs Federation of Pakistan in ICA No 50591

Saudi Arabia to invest $25b in Pakistan over next 5 years: Kakar

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Responding to a query, the prime minister said the government had an “excellent working environment” with the Pakistan Army and both were working together also for economic revival Prime Minister Kakar said regardless of any political association the people of Balochistan welcomed every project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which had entered the second phase He reiterated the government’s resolve to go to any extent to protect the Chinese workers taking part in the CPEC projects Referring to the massive reserves worth $6 trillion of copper and gold in Balochistan, the prime minister said the Reko Diq project was about to start soon He called for all the stakeholders to formulate a model to explore the mineral-rich area to make the world see Pakistan through a different prism

The prime minister expressed the hope that foreign investment projects worth $25 billion each from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East would realize in a time span of two to five years About the May 9 riots he said the attack on the military installations was an attempt to create societal disorder and that existential threat needed a lawful response and he supported the laws to

IMF seeks additional details on power sector from Pakistani side CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 Sources said that the IMF clearly told the Pakistani side that there is no room for additional subsidies adding that the power sector circular debt is increasing with the passage of time Reportedly the Pakistani side will share another relief plan with the IMF soon Recently, the Prime Minister also said that the government will soon announce relief measures without defying international commitments According to the PM Secretariat the PM and caretaker Finance minister on Monday also held a meeting in which Shamshad Akhtar briefed the premier about the current economic situation of Pakistan

Four special assistants inducted in Gilgit-Baltistan cabinet

o R t

2021 also declared that Section 33 in general and entry at S No 25 In particular does not empower any Officer Inland Revenue (OIR) to issue show cause notice or adjudication thereof under the said section without recourse to section 11 of the Sales Tax Act (the Act)

As per complaint the IRAO on the basis of alleged illegal order, issued recovery notice for recovery of penalty amounting to Rs 1,000,000 and subsequently, the business premises was sealed However it was de-sealed on payment of 50% of penalty amounting to Rs 500 000 Later on the CommissionerIR Appeals VII Karachi confirmed the imposition of penalty vide order without recording arguments of the complainant on the basis of illegal 0I0 issued by IRAO without any jurisdiction

Evidently the show cause notice dated and recovery notice were issued by an IRAO without lawful authority and beyond his jurisdiction in view of decision of Honourable Sindh High Court decision (SHC) in CP No D

1356/2022 as referred supra wherein the High Court confirmed the decision of the FBR that the Officers of Audit Cadre in

IRS shall not be posted as Unit Incharge in field formations and shall not be assigned assessment related functions and duties

The decision of the SHC has been challenged by the aggrieved party but the Supreme Court has not suspended the order of SHC as yet meaning thereby that the judgment of the SHC is in the field In addition, FBR till date has not withdrawn its direction Therefore, it can be concluded without any iota of doubt that the show cause notice dated and recovery notice issued by IRAO were illegal coram non-judice and ab initio void

In addition the Commissioner confirmed the imposition of penalty of Rs 1,000,000/ under clause 25A of Section 33 of the Act The basic foundation i e the show cause notice to impose penalty under this clause was issued on 26 08 2021 by the IRAO whereas this clause was introduced into the Act on 15 09 2021 This clause was not in existence when show cause notice dated 26 08 2021 was issued to impose penalty Hence, the show cause notice dated 26 08 2021 was patently illegal on this ground as well

Further it will not be out of context to mention here that the matter of jurisdiction is mandatory for court to decide at first instance and this can be raised at any stage as settled by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the case reported as 2008 SCMR 240 lzharAlam Farooqi Vs Sheikh Abdul Sattar Lasi and others in C P L As nos 488-K & 489-K of 2006 decided The order of IRAO dated 29-10-2023 is contrary to law and procedure and against the principle of natural justice hence unlawful per se and tantamounts to maladministration in terms of Section 2(3)(i)(a)(b)(c) & (ii) of the FTO

Ordinance

Accordingly, FTO directs FBR to instruct Commissioner- IR Karachi to rectify the order on his own motion or upon application filed by complainant as per discussions after providing opportunity of hearing to the complainant on its merit and in accordance with law and to look into violation of Board s circular despite confirmation from Honourable SHC and issue fresh instructions to all Inland Revenue field formations accordingly and report compliance within 45 days

E C N E C a p p r o ve s ‘ E m e r g e n c y P l a n f o r Po l i o E r a d i c a t i o n ’ a t a c o s t o f $ 1 . 7 8 b

The cabinet of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) has undergone an expansion after the appointment of four special assistants to Chief Minister (CM) Gulbar Khan

According to the notification issued on Monday Zabihullah was appointed as a Special Assistant to CM (SACM) on Commerce and Youth Affairs After his appointment, 25-year-old Zabihullah, belonging to Chilas, became the youngest provincial minister in Pakistan’s history Maulana Sarwar Shah was appointed as SACM on Minerals; senior journalist Iman Shah was appointed as SACM on Information while Hussain Shah was notified as special assistant to chief minister on irrigation According to the notification, the SACMs will enjoy the perks and privileges of a provincial minister

President calls for upholding supremacy of constitution

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Caretaker Minister for Law and Justice Ahmed Irfan

Aslam called on President Dr Arif Alvi in Islamabad on Monday They discussed many issues related to holding of General Elections in the country The President appreciated the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar ’s statement that the caretaker government would abide by the judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on this issue He emphasized the need for upholding supremacy of the Constitution saying that decisions should be taken in accordance with spirit of the Constitution

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the “Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication at a cost of $1 78 billion Caretaker Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs and Privatisation Dr Shamshad Akhtar chaired the meeting of the ECNEC, today The ECNEC considered and approved project of Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination titled Emergency Plan for Polio Eradication(3rd revised) at a cost of $1 78 billion including grant from GPEI partners of $1 19 billion, Islamic Development Bank loan of $552 million and AFD loan of $35 million

The project will supply polio eradication vaccines all over Pakistan and will be executed by WHO and UNICEF

The ECNEC after discussion extended the duration of umbrella PC-1 of the project to three years with authorization to EAD to enter into loan agreements to finance the project on behalf of Govt of Pakistan to achieve the objectives of eradication of Polio and make polio free Pakistan

The ECNEC requested the Planning Commission and Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination to provide project/programme evaluation of the Polio Eradication programme and integrated lessons learnt in implementation of Phase –III

The ECNEC also directed that a committee co-chaired by the Secretary

Pakistan businesses fear

Finance and Secretary EAD to examine the re-lending arrangements with provinces for funding of projects of similar nature with clear recommendation to ensure proper implementation of the projects Mr Sami Saeed, Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Mr Shahid Ashraf Tarar

default still

imminent, G allup S ur vey reveals

SHC orders to send corruption reference against D r A sim back to NAB chairman

s ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

the corruption reference of Rs17 billion against Dr Asim Hussain and others in t h e h i g h c o u r t T h e S i n d h H i g h C o u r t a c c e p t e d t h e p e t i t i o n o f D r A s i m H u s s a i n a n d o t h e r s r e g a r d i n g t h e jurisdiction of the accountability court In the court, Dr Asim s lawyer Farooq H Naik took the stance that a reference h a d b e e n m a d e a g a i n s t D r A s i m a s a minister accusing him of giving gas to

companies of his choice Naik, giving arguments, said that after the new law this reference no longer fell within the jurisdiction of the accountability court Justice KK Agha said that now the new amendment had been introduced, legislation was the prerogative of Parliament Naik said the JJVL reference of Rs17 billion corruption was against the law

PM, MQM leaders discuss problems of Karachi, issues of mutual interest

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Par vez Elahi’s arrest: LHC issues show-cause notice for contempt of cour t to Islamabad IG

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

TH E 6th of September is celebrated every year as the Defense Day by every Pakistani as on this very day, Pakistan s courageous Armed Forces and the entire nation stood united in 1965 for the defense of the homeland against India which had threatened the territorial integrity of the beloved country through an all-out war

This very day has come at a time when Pakistan is facing multiple challenges and issues of grave nature externally and internally which are worrying all the citizens

Military thinkers agree that although the physical force will determine the type and scale of war, yet it is the ‘will to fight’ or ‘moral force’ which determines the outcome of war Clausewitz puts it this way “One might say that the physical force seems little more than the wooden hilt while moral factors are the precious metal the real weapon

In his book, Fighting Power: German and U S Army Performance, 1939-1945 , Creveld identifies the elements of ‘moral force’, whom he calls “fighting power, the willingness to fight and the readiness, if necessary to die” The greater these elements the less vulnerable an armed force will be to demoralization Moral force then is the crucial factor in determining the combat power of any belligerent

During the 1965 war such elements like will to fight and ‘moral force’ have been more found in the personnel of Pakistan’s Armed Forces then those of India

When on September 6 1965 India started the war and its forces crossed the international border on the western front in Lahore Pakistan s Armed Forces quickly responded Indian Regiment had also crossed the BRB canal and captured the town of Batapore (Jallo Mur) The same day, a counter offensive by Pakistanis soldiers, consisting of an armoured division and infantry division forced the Indian 15th Division to withdraw to its starting point In this context the huge credit goes to the all men of Pak Army who were deployed in the Lahore areas of Wahgah Burki etc Without bothering for their lives, they fought bravely Among them, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti played a huge role in the outcome of the Lahore battles and was martyred

In case of Sialkot, several soldiers of the Pak Army

Defense Day

sacrificed their lives to stop advancement of Indian tanks

The 1965 war witnessed some of the largest tank battles since World War II and was fought at Chawinda in Sialkot sector-The Battle of Chawinda resulted into victory of Pakistan whose armoured forces destroyed 120 tanks of India

Regarding aerial warfare between Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Indian Air Force (IAF), the latter emerged as victorious in the I965 war because at the cost of their personal safety the personnel of PAF defeated India During that war PAF had destroyed 100 Indian aircraft on ground and in the air while damaged more than 10-not counting the undermined losses inflicted by PAF s night bombing In this respect, Squadron Leader M M Alam set new records in history of air warfare on 7th September by defending Pakistan’s airspace and shot down five Indian aircraft in less than sixty seconds at Sargodha

Let us take the example of Flight Lieutenant Yunus Hussain who fought in air battles fearlessly During one such engagement, he fought singly against 6 enemy aircraft and shot down 2 Hunters On 6 September, while attacking Halwara airfield, his small formation was intercepted by a large number of enemy and although his aircraft was hit he refused to break off the engagement by disregarding his personal safety and was martyred

The role of Pakistan Navy in the Indo-Pak war of 1965 is also appreciable Securing Pakistan s coasts, it played a vital role in defeating India The Operation Dawarka marked was launched by Pakistan on September 7 Indian town of Dwarka was chosen to be a target of the attack The Pakistani operation was successful and its warships harboured in Bombay making the Indian Navy unable to sortie In this context Ghazi the only submarine successfully attacked heavy ships of the Indian Navy, aiding Operation Dwarka

However, there were many national heroes like Brigadier Ahsan Rashid, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, Sqn Ldr MM Alam Sqn Ldr Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui etc who fought courageously with the Indian forces

In fact it was due to the moral force that despite Indian surprise invasion in 1965 and the qualitative and numerical superiority over Pakistan, while showing courage, and by sacrificing their lives, the Pakistani forces not only recaptured the territories from India, but also took Khem Karan from Indian forces including various regions of Rajasthan Sindh and Chumb in Kashmir Indian defeat was owing to demoralization of its soldiers

On August 5, 2019, Indian prejudiced Prime Minister and leader of the BJP-led extremist government Narendar Modi abrogated articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to the disputed territory of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and

How this city kills its people

the hurdles And so Dhaka s lower-middle-class families have no escape This is a scathing remark for the place where my life began, the city whose foul air filled my growing lungs, where my brother suffered Many of our parents grew up with much less in the countryside But they had clean air lakes to swim and catch fish in and open green fields that stretched through horizons

DAILY STAR

S a r z a h Y e a S m i n

Ive been living away from my family for the past 10 years, and just like many migrants in the Bangladeshi diaspora, one of the largest in the world, I have borne the brunt of living away in search of a sustainable livelihood When I arrived in Dhaka on July 7 of this year I was still unaware of the fact that my little brother Roycellus Arya Shafat Rahman, had passed away a week before my landing He died on the Friday after Eid-ul-Azha at the tender age of 26

There are no words I can use to eulogise my brother because the sufferings he endured and the love and lessons he has left behind for us are immeasurable

During his lifetime, Shafat carried the many burdens of our dysfunctional families and societies, two vital elements that have the power to perpetuate systemic injustices Loneliness anxiety depression – these have all intricately seeped into the very core of how we live in this city And so Shafat wanted to leave Dhaka and go to a place where he could breathe in fresh air, eat unadulterated fruits, enjoy clean lakesides, where the sunlight would pour through his window where he would receive proper medical care a city where he could live with dignity I have to call all these amenities because to access these basic elements for a healthy life, Dhaka s middle and lower middle classes have to pay a hefty price

Dhaka in every sense of the phrase is a concrete jungle It’s a city for the rich built on the backs of the working class

It s not a place where a family of average means can raise their children and guarantee a healthy, unscarred life for them

It’s so unliveable that my brother stayed in isolation for the last years of his life

There are many youths with endless potential like Shafat – whose acumen grit and life energy are stifled by corporate greed, unplanned urbanisation, a flailing education system, and the superficial societal fabric But from one senseless tragedy we move on to the next one We cannot complain or explicate when we have decimated the opportunities to fix the broken system the elites benefit from The post-mortem report of my brother includes all the societal culprits responsible for paving the path to his demise Even on his last day, he was frantically looking for a job an opportunity to utilise his brilliant mind Many youths survive in Dhaka just like this with the patience to achieve their dreams just like my brother

When our system fails to nurture and accommodate us, we look for a way out The love for this city is related to how much social capital we have to navigate

Shafat and I grew up in a flat in Dhanmondi, where we could barely see the sun, where evenings were full of the odour of insecticides Every road in the area was dotted with restaurants and shopping malls serving those with the means to pay up But how would we burn those extra calories? Where could we walk? Today, we struggle to find an open space to breathe in fresh air, while children now flock to apartment-turnedschools We have increasingly become a society dependent on cars because of the dilapidated and often overlooked public transit system Along with that we have an abundance of corruption booty leading to skyrocketing purchasing power of the top echelon We have taken all this for granted for so long that they have become Dhaka’s character traits

Research after research have shown that if you are born rich you will probably end your life as a richer person Not only that, if you are wealthy, you have a higher life expectancy and better access to institutions that help in preserving the status quo The reason why lower-middle-class families move to Dhaka is because mobility and development are selective exclusionary and city-centric Meanwhile youngsters from these families get pulled into a wave of toxic number-based meritocracy as we continue to venerate educational institutions that are merely churning out machines We pay with our lives for the ambitions we harbour

Why don t we point our fingers at these institutions? We cannot talk about mental health, addictive inclinations, and weakening familial ties without pointing out how our societal educational and economic systems are leading to this crisis

While I hold a grave sense of personal responsibility for my brother s passing, something I will be reckoning with for the rest of my life, Shafat s death is revealing of a larger story of struggle and injustice that cannot be ignored

While my brother’s dreams had been shattered he was the best of dreamers Shafat was extraordinarily brilliant and futuristic He loved to break and build things from scratch and knew the ins and outs of what he studied My brother was analytical, thoughtful, kind, giving, patient and organised to perfection The world will never come to know of the inventions that Shafat would have made or the discoveries he would stumble upon or the grand journeys he would embark on So now, I m doing what I can, speaking about the systems of inequality that cut his journey short Unfortunately this is not going to be the last time someone loses their brother to this city

Sarzah Yeasmin is a Boston-based Bangladeshi writer She works at Harvard Kennedy School and is currently

Kashmir (IIOJK) New Delhi bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to be ruled by the federal government

On the same day strict military lockdown was imposed in the IIOJK which continues unabated

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

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

While, under a well-planned hidden agenda, Modiled regime has intensified bringing ethno- demographic changes in the IIOJK In this context Indian various moves such as introduction of new laws amendment of the laws to facilitate non-Kashmiris and outsiders in order to usurp the rights of the Muslim Kashmiris issuance of domicile certificates to more than 800000 nonKashmiris, registration of almost 2 5 million new non-local voters in the IIOJK failure of fake drama to host G-20 summit on May 22-24 2023 in the IIOJK from time to time violations of the Line of Control (LoC) by shelling inside Pakistanis side of Kashmir in violation of the ceasefire agreement of 2003 might be cited as instance

Very tension escalated rapidly between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the false flag Pulwama terror attack in the IIOJK when on February 27 2018 in response to the Indian so-called pre-emptive air strike near the town of Balakot close to the border with Pakistan s sector of Kashmir which resulted into no causalities, Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian Air Force fighter jets and launched aerial strikes at six targets in the IIOJK Islamabad also captured Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman who was released as a gesture of peace and handed over to the Indian authorities It resulted into diplomatic victory of Pakistan over New Delhi

Notably, Indian Prime Minister Modi s party BJP had got a land sliding victory in the Indian general elections 2014 and 2019 During the election-campaigns Hindu majority was mobilized on ‘hate Muslim’ slogans and anti-Pakistan jargons Hence Modi continues anti-Muslim policies

In this context, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh s recent threat to cross the LoC, Indian cross-border terrorism in Pakistan and backing the militant outfits to destabilise this country show that Indian unfinished agenda of partition still continues

As regards internal challenges by imbibing the same spirit of the 1965 war Pakistan s Armed Forces during the successful military operations Zarb-e-Azb Radd-ul-Fasaad and Operation Khyber 4 have killed many terrorists through ground offensive and many of them surrendered before the Army And during street to street fighting, without bothering for their lives, and by air-dropping commandos at the risky places our forces made a great headway in disrupting the militant’s supply routes and links

While country s primarily intelligence agency ISI also recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from the possession of the terrorists Thus, security agencies have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists Peace has been restored in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Karachi including other vulnerable regions

Regrettably under the cover of so-called democracy some irresponsible leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and recently-ruling alliance of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have changed their political differences into political enmity These rival entities also blamed each other regarding this year ’s May 9 events attacks on the military and civil installations which have been condemned by every segment of society

At this critical juncture Pakistan is facing multifaceted crises and challenges like corruption, inflation, soaring prices of commodities, energy-shortage, lack of investment, upsurge of the US dollar, increase in oil prices load shedding inability of the importers to open letters of credit (LC) due to lack of dollars etc and continued dependence upon the US-led developed countries IMF and World Bank for financial aid and decline in the foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank of Pakistan

Instead of decreasing, political unrest in Pakistan is rapidly increasing, taking the country towards lawlessness So, the Defense Day demands that the former government of the PDM’s parties the PTI media owners Army including all other segments of society must show selfless national unity practically which is very essential to pull the country out of the ongoing serious crises and and to meet the Indian war-mongering designs

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

S ome exper ts have already warned that a genocide of Muslims in India could “ver y well happen”. Gregor y Stanton, the president of Genocide Watch, who had predic ted an impending genocide in Rwanda in 1989, has said that a similar process was under way in India

December 1992 by extremists gathered by Modi s party There’s more that they probably want to pick up from Israel, such as the way Israeli museum exhibits insistently refused to mention Palestinians or acknowledge Palestinian existence as a distinct national community

How about laws like Israel s that deny Palestinians even the right to mourn the loss of ancestral homes and land or seek to reclaim them? This includes Amendment 40 to the Budget Foundations Law that criminalises the commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba

and said: Unruly elements remember every Friday is followed by a Saturday Meanwhile, chapters on the country’s Islamic history have been removed from new school textbooks The state-sponsored deletion of Muslim presence and heritage in India is clearly on

AL JAZEERA S o m d e e p

IN early August the world watched in horror as authorities in the northern Indian state of Haryana demolished more than 300 Muslim-owned homes and businesses in Nuh – the only Muslimmajority district in the state Hindu right-wing groups in Haryana followed up the violence with calls to boycott Muslim businesses and for Hindu-owned businesses to fire Muslim employees Before the demolition drive, clashes broke out between Hindu and Muslim groups in Nuh when a procession led by the far-right Hindu organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad reached the district What we are witnessing is undoubtedly a consequence of the hateful rhetoric encouraged under the current Hindu nationalist regime Yet, the large-scale destruction of Muslim homes and properties in parts of the country like Nuh where the community has lived for centuries points to something even more sinister: a concerted effort to erase all evidence of Muslim presence and heritage in the country Is it paranoid to worry that this, in turn, could be a first step to triggering a full-fledged genocide?

LEARNING FROM ISRAEL: Over the years under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi s leadership, we have seen India increasingly cosying up to Israel And the Hindu right has been explicit in its aspiration to emulate Israel’s approach to Palestinians Specifically they appear to be inspired by Israel s effort to systematically erase Palestinian history legacy and culture from the landscape They are inspired by the way more than 530 Palestinian villages were systematically destroyed during and after the Nakba of 1948, as well as the way Palestinian homes continue to be demolished across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem to make way for Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law

Much like Israel s Ben Gurion Airport stands adamantly on the remains of Palest

r homes, a new temple to the Hindu god Ram has been built over the debris of the historic Babri Masjid mosque in India destroyed in

There is also the Jewish Nation-State Law which was passed by the Knesset in 2018 and specifies that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and that the right of self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people” Effectively, it legally enshrines Palestinians’ inability to strive for liberation or right to land that constitutes the State of Israel There too Modi s India is learning from Israel

DELETING INDIA’S MUSLIM PAST –

AND PRESENT: Like in Israel, laws in today’s India apply selectively Indian authorities have insisted that only illegally-constructed buildings and the homes and businesses of rioters have been targeted

Yet, both in Nuh and elsewhere, there is a m p l e e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e d e m o l i t i o n d r i v e s were almost entirely aimed at Muslims We s a w t h e s y s t e m a t i c t a rg e t i n g o f M u s l i m properties in the capital New Delhi in 2020 as activists protested the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which fastt r a c k s a c c e s s t o I n d i a n c i t i z e n s h i p t o o n l y n o n - M u s l i m m i g r a n t s f r o m P a k i s t a n , B a n g l a d e s h a n d A f g h a n i s t a n H i n d u l y n c h m o b s c h a n t e d a n g r y r e l i g i o u s s l o g a n s a n d m a r c h e d t h r o u g h n e i g h b o u r h o o d s a r m e d w i t h w e a p o n s a n d p e t r o l b o m b s T h e i r homes are still intact

According to the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC), the mob selectively targeted Muslim homes, businesses and vehicles as well as mosques, madrasas, a shrine and a graveyard The DMC added that to quell the anti-CAA protests the “retaliatory plan of the Hindu mob was devised with support of the administration and police It was no one-off

In April 2022, clashes broke out in Khargaon City in Madhya Pradesh after Hindu devotees celebrating the Hindu festival of Ram Namavi marched “past Muslim neighbourhoods and mosques playing incendiary music that called for violence against Muslims Supposedly as retaliation against Muslims who pelted stones at the Hindu devotees, authorities sent bulldozers to plough through neighbourhoods

In June 2022 when activists protested comments made by leaders of the BJP the ruling party against Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) the Uttar Pradesh government responded in a similar fashion and demolished their homes The chief minister s media adviser tweeted a picture of a home demolition

INCHING TOWARDS GENOCIDE: That India s treatment of Muslims is inching towards the United Nation’s definition of genocide has become amply evident over the last few years – especially with acts like the demolition of homes and businesses that deliberately inflict conditions that may lead to the physical destruction of Muslim life A central facet of the definition of genocide is intent; that is to ask, is a group being targeted with the intent to eliminate them? It can be difficult to prove Yet if we look at the Hindu nationalist movement s record of Islamophobia it wouldn t be a stretch to say there is a reasonable degree of intent

In recent years, Hindu nationalist leaders have routinely incited violence and discrimination against Muslims in public forums In October 2022 during the “Virat Hindu Sabha event in Delhi BJP Member of the Legislative Assembly Nand Kishor Gurjar lauded the conduct of Hindu groups during the 2020 riots in Delhi To the 2,500 attendees, he declared, We will kill jihadis, we will always kill jihadis” Another BJP leader and member of parl i a m e n t P a r v e s h Ve r m a w a s a l s o a t t h e event In his speech Verma said Wherever you see them [Muslims] I am telling you if y o u h a v e t o f i x t h e i r m e n t a l i t y, t h e n y o u must completely boycott them He added, “We will not buy anything from their shops We w i l l n o t g i v e t h e m a n y e m p l o y m e n t ” T h e c h i e f m i n i s t e r o f t h e s t a t e o f U t t a r Pradesh BJP leader Yogi Adityanath is another serial offender when it comes to antiMuslim hate speech

All of this builds on a long history of antiMuslim ideologies rooted deep in the philosophy of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of Modi’s BJP and many other Hindu nationalist outfits

Some experts have already warned that a genocide of Muslims in India could very well happen Gregory Stanton, the president of Genocide Watch, who had predicted an impending genocide in Rwanda in 1989, has said that a similar process was under way in India

With the Hindu nationalist movement increasingly in firm almost authoritarian control over all aspects of life and politics in India, there are very few options left for upstaging their genocidal agenda

But the process is not unstoppable Recognising how the demolitions in Nuh and elsewhere are a step towards wiping out the very identity of Indian Muslims is critical to building resistance to this agenda

Somdeep Sen is Associate Professor

Sajjad Shaukat

' D

I P LO M AT I C S N U B ' : A F T E R P U T I N , X I A L S O

S K I P S G 2 0 S U M M I T I N I N D I A

BEIJING M i A n A b R A R

CHINA on Monday formally confirmed that its president Xi Jinping would be skipping the upcoming G20 summit being held in India and Premier Li Qiang would represent the country at the summit “At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India Premier Li Qiang of China s State Council will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi India during September 9 and 10, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced Monday “As one of the major summits of international economic cooperation member countries should strengthen partnerships and jointly face the challenges posed by the current world economy and development and make positive contributions to world economic recovery and sustainable development,” Mao said at a regular press conference

“China hopes the summit taking place in India can reach a consensus display confidence to the outside world and promote prosperous development together, Mao added

DESIGNATING CHINA FOR IUU FISHING A COMPLETE POLITICAL MANIPULATION BY US: CHINESE FM

It is complete political manipulation of the US’ designating China for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing because it made a general identification and determination of a country based on the illegal fishing activities of individual fishing vessels, which has no legal basis, seriously disrupting the order of international fisheries cooperation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on Monday

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday released its 2023 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management, in which the US designated China as one of the seven nations and entities for IUU fishing

Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference that according to international law and practices the main party engaged in illegal fishing activities is individual fishing vessels

The illegal fishing behavior of individual fishing vessels should not be attributed to a certain country

Mao emphasized that China is a responsible country that attaches great importance

to the scientific conservation and sustainable utilization of fishery resources

According to relevant international laws such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea China exercises its rights to develop and utilize offshore fishery resources and actively fulfills international obligations said Mao China also has a sound management system for distant water fisheries, implements the strictest measures for monitoring and managing fishing vessel positions globally and takes the lead in voluntarily implementing fishing moratoriums in certain high seas areas Mao added

Additionally, Mao noted that China works together with the international community to target IUU fishing

“China has joined eight regional fisheries management organizations including the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and has consistently ranked among the top performers in these organizations, Mao added

fishing activities at the recent annual meeting of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, said Mao

criminate fishing of

Part of China’s economic miracle was a mirage. Reality check is next

PR OFIT

R e u t e R s

Chinese President Xi Jinping s first major reform plans a decade ago were also his boldest, envisaging a transition to a Western-style free market economy driven by services and consumption by 2020

The 60-point agenda was meant to fix an obsolete growth model better suited to less developed countries – however most of those reforms have gone nowhere leaving the economy largely reliant on older policies that have only added to China s massive debt pile and industrial overcapacity The failure to restructure the world’s second-largest economy has raised critical questions about what comes next for China

While many analysts see a slow drift towards Japan-style stagnation as the most likely outcome, there is also the prospect of a more severe crunch

“Things always fail slowly until they suddenly break ” said William Hurst Chong Hua Professor of Chinese Development at University of Cambridge

There is a significant risk in the short term of financial crisis or other degree of economic crisis that would carry very substantial social and political costs for the Chinese government Eventually there’s going to have to be a reckoning

China came out of its Maoist planned economy in the 1980s as a largely rural society, badly in need of factories and infrastructure

By the time the global financial crisis hit in 2008-09, it had already met most of its investment needs for its level of devel-

opment, economists say

Since then, the economy quadrupled in nominal terms while overall debt expanded nine times To keep growth high China in the 2010s doubled down on infrastructure and property investment at the expense of household consumption

CHINA’S DEBT WAS 3 TIMES

THE GDP IN 2022

That has kept consumer demand weaker as a portion of GDP than in most other countries and concentrated job creation in the construction and industrial sectors careers increasingly spurned by young university graduates

The policy focus also bloated China s property sector to a quarter of economic activity and made local governments so reliant on debt that many now struggle to refinance

The pandemic a demographic downturn and geopolitical tensions have exacerbated all these problems to the point that the economy has found it hard to recover this year even as China reopened

“We’re at a moment when we are seeing some structural shifts but we should have seen these coming said Max Zenglein chief economist at MERICS a China studies institute

We re just beginning to be confronted with the reality We re in untested territory ” The end of China’s economic boom will likely hurt commodity exporters and export disinflation around the world At home it will threaten living standards for millions of unemployed graduates and many whose wealth is tied up in property, posing social stability risks

CRISIS VS STAGNATION

Aside from short-term solutions, which would likely only perpetuate debtfueled investment, economists see three options for China

O n e i s a s w i f t p a i n f u l c r i s i s t h a t w r i t e s o ff d e b t c u r b s e x c e s s i n d u s t r i a l capacity and deflates the property bubble Another is a decades-long process in which China winds down these excesses gradually at the expense of growth The t h i r d i s s w i t c h i n g t o a c o n s u m e r- l e d model with structural reforms that cause s o m e n e a r- t e r m p a i n b u t h e l p i t r eemerge faster and stronger PROPERTY SECTOR PERFORMANCE JANUARY TO JULY

A crisis could unfold if the massive property market collapses in an uncontrolled way dragging the financial sector with it The other high-stress point is local government debt estimated by the International Monetary Fund at $9 trillion China promised in July to come up with a basket of measures to address municipal debt risks, without detailing Logan Wright, a partner at Rhodium Group says Beijing has to decide which portion of that debt to rescue as the amount is too large to provide full guarantees of repayment which the market currently regards as implicit Crisis is going to occur in China when government credibility falters,” he said “When all of a sudden funding is cut off for the remaining investments that seem subject to market risk that s a huge moment of uncertainty in China s financial markets

But given state control of many developers and banks and a tight capital account that limits outflows into assets abroad that is a low risk scenario,

many economists say Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis, expects there would be plenty of buyers if Beijing consolidates debt given limited investment alternatives

I am more in the slow growth camp she said The more debt is piled up for projects that are not productive, the lower the return on assets, particularly public investment, and that really means that China cannot grow its way out ”

Avoiding a crisis by extending the adjustment period however has its own stability risks with youth unemployment topping 21% and around 70% of household wealth invested in property

One of China s biggest success stories, building a strong middle class, is also becoming its biggest vulnerability ” said MERICS’ Zenglein “If you look at it from the perspective of a younger person you are now at risk of being the first post-reform generation whose economic wellbeing might hit a wall If the message is tighten up your belts and roll up your sleeves, that’s going to be kind of a hard sell ” REFORMS, THIS TIME?

The third path actively switching to a new model is considered very unlikely based on what happened to Xi s 60-point programme

Those plans have barely been mentioned since 2015 when a capital outflows scare sent stocks and the yuan tumbling and engendered an official aversion to potentially disruptive reforms analysts say China has since backed away from major financial market liberalisation while plans to rein in state behemoths and introduce universal social welfare never quite materialised

Japan fishermen, locals seek halt to Fukushima water release

JAPAN

A F P

More than 100 fishermen and locals living near Fukushima will file a lawsuit this week seeking to stop the release of wastewater from the stricken Japanese nuclear plant, they said on Monday Twelve years after one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents Japan began on August 24 discharging treated cooling water diluted with seawater into the Pacific insisting it was safe Many Japanese fishermen have been against the release fearing that it will undo years of efforts to improve the industry s image in the wake of the 2011 catastrophe The more than 100 plaintiffs in Fukushima and neighbouring prefectures will file the lawsuit in the Fukushima District Court on Friday, Sugie Tanji, a member of the group’s secretariat told AFP “The government failed to keep to its promise of gaining agreement from fishermen before taking such a decision to release she said This is a wrong policy as it ignores strong opposition from not only the Fukushima fishermen s cooperative but also from cooperatives across the country, a group statement said

and

Youth Summit Dubai 2023 organized by voice for rights International-Canada in collaboration with teaching Pakistan and Pakistan based law firm N&W to educate & teach Youth about law & entrepreneur Leadership

Gabon coup leader to be sworn in as ‘transitional president‘

LIBREVILLE

Ag e n c e s

The general who came to power in Gabon’s coup last week is to be sworn in as “transitional president on Monday taking control for an unspecified period after overthrowing the country s 55-year Bongo dynasty General Brice Oligui Nguema, the head of the elite Republican Guard, led officers in a military coup on Wednesday against President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that had ruled for more than five decades The ousting came just moments after Bongo 64 was proclaimed victor in last month s presidential election – a result branded a fraud by the opposition The putsch was bloodless , according to Oligui, with no reports of deaths or injuries The coup leaders said they had dissolved the nation’s institutions cancelled the election results and closed the borders later adding they had decided to reopen them Other countries have not acknowledged Oligui as Gabon s legitimate leader and he faces pressure to spell out his plans for restoring civilian rule Oligui was lifted up triumphantly by his troops following the announcement of the coup, and in the days since has been seen flanked by generals and colonels He has repeated his promise to organise free transparent credible and peaceful elections without specifying when they would take place but saying that a new constitution must first be adopted by referendum On Friday, he vowed to create more democratic institutions that respect human rights, but said he would proceed “without haste” A fringe of the former opposition is urging Oligui to hand over power but many people in Gabon seem happy about the overthrow of the Bongo dynasty with celebrations in the streets of the capital Libreville and the economic hub of Port-Gentil Several Western countries and organisations have condemned the coup while acknowledging that it is different to others on the continent due to concerns over the credibility of the vote itself Naturally military coups are not the solution but we must not forget that in Gabon there had been elections full of irregularities, said the European Union s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell

SOUL Ag e n c e s A b o u t 5 0 , 0 0 0 S o u t h K o r e a n t e a c h e r s r a l l i e d i n S e o u l o n M o nd a y t o d e m a n d b e t t e r p r o t e c t i o n o f t h e i r r i g h t s a n d s p o t l i g h t a f t e r a y o u n g t e a c h e r w a s f o u n d d e a d i n a n a p p a r e n t s u i c i d e o v e r h ar a s s m e n t b y a s t u d e n t s p a r e n t s Complaints by public school teachers have grown sharply over mistreatment by parents and students, such as accusations of child abuse for disciplining pupils To inquire is to mourn read some of the banners displayed at the protest which was peaceful Legal measures had been inadequate and government officials passive when it came to protecting teachers against problems, said one teacher who participated in the rally but gave only her surname Lee so as to protect her anonymity On top of classes there have been unnecessarily heavy workloads and excessive complaints from students

absence in protest on Monday, as government and school board officials scrambled to avert major disruptions of classes and promised legal steps to boost protection

and parents,” she added “They have been a comprehensive problem, which I experienced throughout my 15 years of teaching During the six years to June about 100 public school teachers have committed suicide in South Korea Fifty-seven taught at elementary schools, government data showed President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered officials to listen to the teachers’ demands and work to protect their rights his office said Scores of teachers had vowed to take a leave of

Apart from the Seoul protest, about 60,000 to 70,000 teachers held rallies elsewhere, organisers estimated Authorities warned that collective action by teachers to disrupt c l a s s e s w a s i l l e g a l a n d t h r e a t e n e d disciplinary steps

The South Korean teachers union was not involved in Monday s demonstrations, however, said the group leading the protests, Everyone Together As One “We will protect them (the teachers) and make changes so that not one more teacher chooses to take their life protest organisers said in a statement

CORPORATE CORNER

Social, behaviour change communic ation c ampaign on ergonomics implemented

N T S Y S T E M F O R T M A S

PTI S pokesperson strongly condemns attack on K halid K hurshid

Faysal Bank apprise members of SCCI about growing Islamic Banking industr y

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson strongly condemned the attack on former Chief Minister and PTI Gilgit-Baltistan President Khalid Khurshid Khan where the state machinery was busy in shameful political engineering resultantly pushed the region into a worst chaotic situation

PTI Spokesperson, in a condemnation statement, on Monday, demanded that that those responsible for the attack on Khalid Khurshid should be arrested forthwith and should be given them exemplary punishment H e s a i d t h a t t h e f o r m e r G B

The PTI spokesperson stated that Khalid Khurshid's convoy was stopped by erecting a barrier and fired at them However he added that fortunately PTI GB President and his companions remained unhurt in the firing incident He said that the GB was pushed onto the threshold of worst instability and chaos, where the state machinery was engaged in shameful political engineering which seemed to be completely failed and ineffective in maintaining public order in the region PTI Spokesman made it clear that if anything happened to the PTI office-bearers including Khalid Khurshid Khan the government would be held responsible for it

NBP awarded in the category of " Support For Healthcare Organizations" at 9th International Conference & Awards on Environment, Health & Safety PR

Digital Domination: Opportunities and Challenges Unveiled at ITCN Asia 2023

S I A L K O T: President & CEO Mr Yousaf Hussain along with Mr Jaudat Hussain, Head Retail Banking Faysal Bank Limited and Mr Agha Mehdi Raza, General Manager Central, Faysal Bank limited and Mufti Najeeb Khan a Renowned Shariah Scholar visited Sialkot Chambers Of Commerce and Industry recently The purpose of this visit was to apprise the members of SCCI about the growing Islamic Banking Industry of Pakistan and also to highlight the role Faysal Bank Limited is playing in promoting the Shariah compliant Islamic Banking in Pakistan President SCCI Abdul Ghafoor Malik thanked President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Faysal Bank Yousaf Hussain and his team for the much needed knowledge about Islamic Banking to the public and the business community of this vibrant city of Pakistan PR

Distinguished guests gathered to celebrate and reaffirm the strong ties between Pakistan and Turkey during the event titled One Hundred Years of Magnitude: PakTurk Affinity, organized by the National Institute for Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR), Quaid-iAzam University, and the Yunus Emre Institute, Turkish Cultural Center The speakers emphasized the deeprooted connection between the two nations and the need to expand cooperation in education and culture

C

TD arrests seven ‘terrorists ’ in Punjab

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab on Monday claimed to have arrested seven suspected terrorists allegedly belonging to banned organisations According to a CTD spokesperson, the arrested terrorists include 2 commanders of the banned ISIS, Shahid and Saif, in province-wide raids by the Counter-Terrorism Department Officials said explosive material grenades and cash were also recovered from those arrested terrorists

The raids were conducted in Gujranwala Sargodha Faisalabad and Bahawalpur areas of Punjab

Cases have been registered against the arrest and a probe has begun into the matter, the CTD officials said The CTD officials said as many as 65 suspects have been taken into custody during 240 combing operations in Punjab last week in order to maintain law and order situation in the province

On September 2, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed eight terrorists in separate operations in Balochistan

Bank Alfalah and ACE Money Transfer Par tner to Facilitate Overseas Pakistanis

The Chief Guest Madad Ali Sindhi Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training said that the fraternal relations between Pakistan and Turkiye are an unprecedented manifestation of brotherhood and love, which cannot be compared He said that the Muslims of the subcontinent actively participated in the Khilafat movement He emphasized on increasing the cooperation between the two countries in the field of culture and education The Federal Minister said that the new generation should be aware of their cultural identity

“We are proud that our region is home to the great civilizations of the world Thousands of years ago, when the world was plunged into darkness the civilization of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa were the cradle of knowledge and wisdom said the Minister Guest of Honour Jamal Shah Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture while addressing the event said that a talented and creative mind is the hallmark of any nation It is through the promotion of literature and art that nations come closer to each other and the intimacy between them increases

The guest of honor Ambassador of Turkiye Prof Dr Mehmet Picaci said that Turkiye values and respects

the evergreen relationship with Pakistan In every field of life, both of them have supported each other wholeheartedly He said that we should increase cooperation in education health tourism and other matters of mutual interest so that the effectiveness and recognition of this relationship may become deeper and stronger

Professor Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar (SI), Vice-Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University, elaborated on the profound connection between Pakistan and Turkey, rooted in the concept of 'Tawheed' a connection transcending time and space He highlighted the significance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between educational institutions in Pakistan and Turkey foreseeing its benefits for students Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar encouraged students to break free from the race for grades and to demonstrate their capabilities in practical fields He announced that Quaid-i-Azam University would soon offer advanced facilities for students interested in online business and attractive prizes to motivate outstanding students

Respec ting nature

and delays at the Panama Canal causing shipping disruptions and further highlighting the impact the climate crisis is having on global trade It is an artificial waterway that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean and has been a major thoroughfare for international trade for over 100 years The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has limited the number of vessels passing through the canal for several dry months due to water scarcity Restrictions were also imposed on ships’ depth while in the canal curbing the amount of cargo they could hold

AFNAN WASIF

K A R A C H I: Bank Alfalah, one of the leading commercial banks in Pakistan strengthens its longstanding partnership with ACE Money Transfer a leading fintech platform to enable overseas Pakistanis to remit money back home seamlessly Bank Alfalah and ACE Money Transfer have proudly announced their collaboration with Babar Azam, Captain of the Pakistan National Cricket Team, who has joined them as a distinguished brand ambassador This strategic partnership aims to significantly enhance overseas Pakistanis awareness of

The world is dealing with serious issues The world s problems in the past could be divided into two categories: those caused by nature and those caused by humans But in modern times, the domains of both natural and man-made challenges are overlapping

The sophistication of the world is one of the causes of this overlap One central problem, which is instantaneous and causal human development and prosperity, underlies all other problems such as poverty hunger lack of access to quality education and climate change Climate change in particular emerges as an existential threat to humankind a threat to existence

The ongoing drought in the Panama Canal is posing unprecedented challenges and has no historical precedence ” No historical precedence indicates that we are deteriorating nature at an exceptional pace We are not respecting nature what we must do in order to bring synchroniety between our activities and nature

Today, the canal connects nearly 2,000 ports in 170 countries

The top origin and destination countries are the United States China and Japan In 2022 over 14 000 transits were completed through the canal by ships carrying more than 291 million long tonnes of cargo In recent months, however traffic through the canal has slowed due to a prolonged drought that has diminished the amount of available water used to fill the canal locks, which require 101,000 cubic meters of water to fill The water is drawn from the nearby lakes

As a result wait times for ships arriving at the canal have increased from a matter of hours to several weeks, according to S&P Global Several private shipping companies have reportedly implemented surcharges for clients moving goods through the canal The Panama Canal drought crisis highlights the increasingly disruptive impact that the climate crisis is having on global supply chains and finances

Another pertinent example of climate deficit is the recent floods in Pakistan in 2022 According to Forbes Pakistan has faced a loss of about $40 Billion due to devastating floods However it emits less than 1% of the world s planetwarming gases But Pakistan was made liable to pay such damages at the behest of other nations’ causal development and prosperity

Sustainable resilient and longterm international strategies should be devised and implemented with true letter and spirit through grant dialogue among the international community Compensations must be made to those who are not involved in this endless circle Human development progress and prosperity are inevitable for the countries but they must pledge to respect the nature and environment where they perform their jobs If we do not respect the nation with immediate effect it will punish us even in monetary terms

The author is a student of Strategic Studies at National Defence University Islamabad He tweets @afnanwasif

I S L A M A B A D: Day 2 of the ITCN Asia 2023 conference witnessed a captivating event titled "Digital Domination: Opportunities and Challenges," which provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of technology and education Held in Karachi this event was conducted in partnership between the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) also an Academic Partner for ITCN Asia 2023 and Viper Technology making it a significant highlight of the conference Mr Talib Karim, President of IoBM, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest The event commenced with opening remarks from the first keynote speaker, Dr Imran Batada CTO and Director of CIT at IoBM Dr Batada set the stage by discussing the future of higher education and the entrepreneurial vision held by students today He emphasized the role academia plays in nurturing this vision and urged organizations to embrace a startup culture The second keynote speaker, Mr Faisal Sheikh, Cofounder of Viper Technology and CEO of VIION Technology shed light on the challenges of adopting new technology in Pakistan He provided a comprehensive overview of the technology domain in the country, emphasizing the need for increased acceptability of innovation PR

Zong 4G and Sehat Kahani Join Forces to Offer Medical Consultations Code ‘ZONGSEHAT’ for underprivileged

I S L A M A B A D: Zong 4G the leading telecom company in Pakistan, and Sehat Kahani, a pioneering digital healthcare platform, have extended their partnership to provide free medical consultations on the Sehat Kahani app This exclusive partnership aims to combine the strength of technology and telecommunications to provide users with up to 10 000 free medical consultations fostering improved healthcare access across Pakistan In this exceptional initiative, users of the Sehat Kahani retail app and Zong 4G subscribers can avail the free consultations using the promo code 'ZONGSEHAT '

This is a testament to both organizations' shared commitment to prioritize the health and well-being of Pakistan s citizens Our partnership with Sehat Kahani is testament to our commitment for making health inclusive for all strata of the society Our connectivity is not only empowering people , but it is ensuring , the services like health and education is accessible for everyone PR

PA K I S TA N B U S I N E S S E S F E A R D E FA U LT S T I L L I M M I N E N T, G A L L U P S U R V E Y R E V E A LS

IN a recent Gallup survey, the majority of Pakistan’s businesses have expressed deep concerns about the country’s ability to avert a potential default on its international financial obligations This apprehension persists despite Islamabad s recent success in securing a $3 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which temporarily staved off an imminent crisis

The survey conducted in the second quarter of 2023 by Gallup Pakistan encompassed more than 500 businesses across Pakistan An alarming 72% of respondents expressed grave concerns regarding Pakistan s potential default, highlighting the lingering economic uncertainties in the nation

Of these respondents, 49% indicated a significantly high level of concern while 17% displayed no concern at all as revealed by the Gallup Pakistan Business Confidence Index Q2 2023 report

Surprisingly, the survey also indicated that the business community was slightly less pessimistic about their own businesses’ fate compared to the previous quarter despite the ongoing crises escalating inflation and rising power costs Inflation utility bills and rupee devaluation topped the list of growing concerns among business owners

However, business owners remain predominantly pessimistic about future prospects and the overall direction in which Pakistan is heading The survey points to persistent business insecurity due to the prevailing economic and political crises

The relentless inflation, in particular, has been cited as a critical issue, with business owners urging the caretaker government to address this problem as it erodes people s purchasing power and keeps interest rates at a record high

The sharp depreciation of the Pakistani rupee and the imposition of taxes also featured prominently on the list of concerns that businesses want the government to tackle Additionally the survey highlighted a 25% increase in businesses facing load-shedding during the quarter with 69% confirming power outages

A particularly distressing finding is that half of the businesses surveyed reported having to lay off employees due to the challenging business conditions, representing a 13% increase compared to the previous quarter

When questioned about their current and future business outlook as well

Judge’s wife gets bail in housemaid torture case

as the country s direction, the respondents overwhelmingly expressed pessimism While these negative sentiments persist there was a marginal improvement in business confidence compared to the first quarter as indicated by slight percentage point increases in various aspects

Notably, despite economic insecurity, the current business situation score on Gallup’s second-quarter Business Confidence Index improved by two percentage points However this improvement did not offset the overall negative sentiment Concerns regarding the future were equally pronounced, with 60% expressing negative expectations for their businesses Only 40% held optimistic views, leading to a Net Future Business Confidence score of -20% marking a 2% improvement since the beginning of the year

A District and Sessions Court in Islamabad on Monday granted bail to civil judge s wife, who allegedly tortured and abused minor housemaid Rizwana Last month, Rizwana was brought to the District Headquarters Hospital in Sargodha in critical condition reportedly with wounds on her face head and body that were said to have been caused by a blunt weapon The girl also bore burn marks on her body She was later shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Lahore General Hospital, with doctors fearing for the teen s life

The case made headlines nationwide after images of the bruised and battered girl said to be 14 years old went viral in the last week of July In the aftermath of the incident it was revealed that she was employed at the residence of a civil judge with the girl s parents saying that she had named the judge s wife, Somia Asim, as her abuser

PRAYER TIMINGS FA J R S U N R I S E Z U H R A S R M AG H R I B S H A 5:00 5:40 1 30 5:00 6:28 8:15 Tuesday 5 September 2023 NEWS g T H I S S U R V E Y I S 1 0 T H E D I T I O N O F A Q U A R T E R LY B U S I N E S S C O N F I D E N C E P O L LY C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03

During the proceedings on Monday, Additional District and Session Judge Mohammad Haroon approved the bail ordering the accused to submit bond of Rs100 000 Somia had been in judicial remand at Adiala Jail pending her bail application Her request for bail had been previously rejected by the court Police sources, earlier, told media that Rizwana had provided a heart-wrenching account of the abuse she endured The victim reportedly disclosed that the judge’s wife was the main perpetrator subjecting her to physical and emotional torment on a daily basis

Rizwana s statement unveils a chilling pattern of abuse that paints a grim picture of her life within the judge s household She reportedly detailed instances of being beaten with sticks, kicked, and slapped by the judge’s wife in fits of anger

Two Pakistan Navy officers and one soldier were martyred on Monday in a helicopter crash in Balochistan’s Gwadar, a spokesperson for the navy said According to media reports, the spokesperson said that the helicopter crashed during a training flight in Gwadar The helicopter crashed during the flight due to a possible technical fault the spokesperson said As a result of the accident two officers and one jawan of the Pakistan Navy lost their lives, the spokesperson added The spokesperson added that an investigation had been launched into the incident Meanwhile Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the helicopter crash state-run PTV News reported adding that he prayed for the bereaved In a statement posted on the PPP s account of X (formerly Twitter) former president Asif Ali Zardari also expressed sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the families of the martyrs PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz, too, expressed grief over the lives lost in the incident and prayed for the martyred personnel National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also expressed grief over the deaths and offered his condolences to the families of the martyrs The sacrifices made by the armed forces for the sake of the country and nation will always be remembered,” he said

Jaranwala incident:

LHC approves judicial probe plea for hearing

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday approved a petition for hearing seeking judicial commission to probe recent violent incidents in Jaranwala against Christians The high court issued notices to Punjab government and other respondents for September 11

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Imaan and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested earlier this month A pair of first information reports (FIR) were registered against the two at Islamabad’s Tarnol police station and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station

The arrests were made two days after a public meeting organised by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) Wazir a PTM member and Imaan had both addressed the rally, with videos circulating on social media showing speakers criticising the military establishment over enforced disappearances

On August 28 Imaan had received bail in the sedition case but was re-arrested within hours by the Islamabad police in connection with a freshly filed terror case The following day an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had handed her over to police on a three-day physical remand in the same case

Subsequently, on August 30, the IHC had barred the police from arresting Imaan in any case registered after August 20 when she was first arrested

On September 2 Imaan was granted post-arrest bail in the terror case against surety bonds worth Rs10 000 She was subsequently released

Earlier today, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb

of the IHC took up Imaan s plea seeking the details of the first information reports (FIRs) registered against her and protective bail The plea was filed last week

At the outset of the hearing, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munawar Iqbal Dogal informed the court that after the previous hearing, he had written to the provinces seeking the details of the cases against Imaan as well as communicated the same over fax and WhatsApp The petitioner should not make such statements the AAG added referring to Imaan s speech during the PTM rally

At this, Justice Aurangzeb said, We are disposing of the case If there is any [new] FIR, then you will inform the court ”

In the plea filed last week on Tuesday Imaan had sought protective omnibus bail to allow her to approach the relevant court for bail before arrest and take part in the investigation

The plea made the state, the Islamabad inspector general, city senior superintendent of police, Adiala Jail superintendent and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) respondents in the case

It had urged the IHC to issue directives barring the respondents and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from arresting harassing or restricting Imaan s liberty and from taking any adverse measure for a period determined by the IHC

The petition also requested the IHC to direct the respondents to provide details of all cases registered against the petitioner in Islamabad and the rest of the country

L aw ye r s s e t t o l a u n c h m ove m e n t fo r ‘r e s t o r at i o n o f C o n s t i t u t i o n ’

LAHORE

S TA F F R E P O R T

The primary objective of the movement is to demand the complete restoration of and compliance with the Constitution emphasising that bills not signed or deemed to have been signed and assented to should not be considered Acts of Parliament

Prominent lawyers including Sardar Latif Khosa and Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan led the press conference and outlined a series of demands The lawyers called for recognition that all military courts are incompetent to try civilian citizens on any charge, urging the discontinuation of the policy to establish military courts

Moreover the PLAC demanded the holding of general elections within 90 days with the insistence on the right of full and free participation for all political parties, their members, and leaders on a truly level playing field

They also called for the immediate revision of all utility bills and the rationalisation of all taxes payable by the people of Pakistan Ahsan and Khosa expressed deep concern about the current state

said, adding that around 20-25 videos were subsequently uploaded on social media

He said the suspect had confessed to raping women after luring them with the prospect of a job and making their videos to blackmail them The official further said that a man had also demanded Rs1 million in extortion from the school principal after he acquired the video The SHO did not elaborate on how the alleged extortionist acquired the video However he added that the school principal had told police that he had submitted an application at Malir City Police Station seeking action against the alleged extortionist

SHO

of the country They argued that the country was descending to a level where it can be justifiably depicted as a nation without a constitution

They cited recent incidents such as the disappearance of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan the daylight kidnapping of former Punjab CM Chaudhry Pervez Elahi by unidentified individuals believed to be affiliated with the Islamabad police, and the arrest of political workers, suggesting these events were aimed at altering loyalties rather than upholding the law

Furthermore the lawyers highlighted the severe challenges facing Pakistan, including uncontrollable inflation, record unemployment, increasing suicide rates, and the closure of industries They expressed doubt about the government’s ability to address these critical issues

and voiced their concern about the worsening economic and social conditions in the country The PLAC warned that if these issues remain unaddressed and unchanged, they would find it necessary to launch a peaceful movement to push for their demands and bring about necessary reforms

Meanwhile Haroonur Rashid Vice-Chairman, and Hassan Raza Pasha, Chairman, Executive Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) have convened an “All Pakistan Lawyers Representatives Conference on Tuesday September 5 2023 (tomorrow) The conference aims to discuss critical issues, including the holding of general elections, challenges facing the legal community, and the ongoing economic crisis in Pakistan said a statement issued by the PBC

The SHO said the police intervened in the matter before “any agreement between the two was reached” and took the school principal into custody He said a first information report (FIR) would be registered against him on behalf of the state through a police officer and none of the women allegedly raped by him had approached police so far Separately, Malir Senior Superintendent of Police Hassan Sardar told the media that 25 videos were recovered from the suspect while five of the women who were allegedly raped by him had been identified Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran

The abuse allegedly escalated to the point where she was frequently locked in a room for several days left hungry and isolated from the outside world Rizwana claimed that she was not even allowed to meet her own parents during her time of servitude

One particularly distressing revelation is that Rizwana’s attempts to communicate with her parents were closely monitored by the judge’s wife Even during phone calls the judge’s wife was present preventing the young girl from sharing the true extent of her suffering with her family Rizwana s testimony further highlights the dire conditions she endured, as she allegedly stated that her wounds resulting from the abuse were left untreated and unbandaged

SIFC executive committee recommends improving ecosystem in country

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)

Executive Committee has recommended improving ecosystem for investment in country

As per the details 4th meeting of its Executive Committee (Functional Tier) was held on September 4, 2023 with the objectives to remove bottlenecks and improve overall investment environment

The meeting was chaired by Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and attended by National Coordinator for SIFC concerned Federal and Provincial Ministers and high level government officials The concerned ministries presented progress on various aspects and highlighted areas needing special focus The Committee showed satisfaction regarding ongoing outreach strategy of SIFC and directed to further build on it by engaging business community and missions abroad

At the end the Committee recommended measures to further improve the ecosystem for investment in the country with focus on inter alia policy interventions visa facilitation for investors, dispute management / resolution mechanism and technical refinement of approved projects in Agri, IT, Minerals and Energy sectors The matters recommended by the Executive Committee will be presented at the Apex Committee Meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister for their approval and implementation

Iran, Pakistan have huge potential for cooperation in energy sector: envoy

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Pakistan Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam called on Caretaker Federal Minister for Power and Petroleum Muhammad Ali on Monday in Islamabad Both sides discussed areas of mutual interest and promotion of brotherly relations between two countries

The Energy minister welcomed the Iranian ambassador and expressed his resolve for further strengthening the ties Ambassador extended his good wishes for the minister upon assuming new portfolio Muhammad Ali remarked that Iran and Pakistan have huge potential for cooperation in energy sector “We are keen to explore all options and work together,” reiterated the Energy minister The increasing energy needs of Pakistan present an opportunity of cooperation with neighboring country Iran which is rich in energy reserves

probe into the matter In a letter addressed to Malir deputy commissioner (DC), a copy of which is available with Dawn com Education and Literacy Department acting Director General Muhammad Afzal said interim provincial Education Minister Rana Hussain had taken strict notice of the matter and ordered action against the culprit As per the record of this directorate, the school is not registered with the relevant authority and it is functioning without any legal status ” the letter read It directed the DC to investigate the matter with full length and immediately seal the school premises

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T