Epaper_23-10-06 KHI

J I l a n I - M U t ta q I d I S c U S S c h a l l E n G E S c o n f r o n t I n G r E G I o n a l P E a c E

g F M R E A F F I R M S PA K I S TA N ’ S C O M M I T M E N T TO F U R T H E R S T R E N G T H E N B I L AT E R A L T I E S W I T H A F G H A N I S TA N g M E E T S M O N G O L I A’ S D Y P M, A G R E E S TO E N H A N C E C O O P E R AT I O N I N M I N I N G, A G R I, T E X T I L E S E C TO R S

IN T E R I M Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday met Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in Tibet and discussed the challenges confronting regional peace and stability FM Jilani is in China on a two-day visit to participate in the third Trans-Himalayan Forum for International Cooperation being held in Nyingchi Tibet autonomous region from October 4-5

The Trans-Himalaya Forum established in 2018 aims at fostering collaboration among regional nations on geographical connectivity, environmental conservation, ecological preservation, and the strengthening of cultural ties

According to a statement released by the Foreign Office on X on Thursday Jilani met Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi During the meeting, Jilani reaffirmed Pakistan s commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties with Afghanistan

He also underscored that challenges confronting regional peace and stability should be addressed in a collaborative spirit through collective strategies

The meeting comes two days after Pakistan gave an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants, including Afghan nationals to leave Pakistan by October 31 or risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries The decision was taken in an apex committee meeting headed by Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and attended by the army chief, among others The committee also decided

that movement across the border would be subject to passports and visas, while electronic Afghan identity cards (or e-tazkiras) would only be accepted until Oct 31

After the passage of the deadline the authorities will kickstart an operation targeting illegal properties and businesses owned by immigrants or those being run in collaboration with Pakistani nationals

The move had drawn a response from Afghan authorities, with Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid terming it unacceptable while urging authorities to revisit the policy

Earlier Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani met Mongolia s Deputy Prime Minister Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan and held a discussion with him on bilateral relations, reported on Thursday Both leaders agreed to deepen trade and economic cooperation in the mining

agriculture and textile sectors PA K-N

O RWAY

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EU MEPs approve extension of Pakistan’s GSP status till 2027

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held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Pakistani delegation was led by Additional Secretary (Europe) Muhammad Salim and the Norwegian delegation was led by Director General for Regional Affairs Vebjorn Dysvik

The two sides reviewed the progress made after the last bilateral political consultation held in 2021 They also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in areas including investment climate change renewable energy and higher education

The Norwegian delegation was also briefed about the recently established Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) by the Government of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has categorically stated that ongoing operation against illegal immigrants is not targeted against any particular nationality

Responding to questions at weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the ongoing action envisages repatriation of individuals who have either overstayed their visas or do not have the valid documents to stay

She said Pakistan is all within parameters of its sovereign domestic laws to take action in this context She clarified this operation has nothing to do with 1 4 million Afghan refugees that Pakistan has been hosting since decades with exemplary generosity and hospitality despite its own constrained economic situation

P M e m p h a s i z e s i m p o r t

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday Inaugurated the newly established state-ofthe-art National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) established at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Headquarters to help in coordinated efforts to manage the natural disasters in the future

The NEOC would also help in disaster risk reduction and mitigation of damages

Lauding the establishment of NEOC Anwaarul Haq Kakar emphasized the importance of disaster re-

a

silient infrastructure and policy framework He said that despite being one of the least contributors of carbon emissions globally Pakistan was one of the top countries affected by climate change

Climate change is a real challenge that will keep haunting our future generations unless we take such concrete steps”, he reiterated The prime minister also praised the coordinated efforts of all state institutions during the devastating floods of 2022 especially NDMA Nearly one third of the population of the country was affected by floods in 2022 and USD 30 billion was estimated to be the economic losses

He said that the world needed to step forward and

help developing countries like Pakistan to cope up the adverse effects of climate change” he said He also praised the role of NCOC both in COVID-19 and 2022 floods

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03

PR OFIT G H U L A M A B B A S

The Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) is a trade arrangement that allows developing countries to pay lower or zero tariffs on their exports to developed countries The scheme has been in place since 1971 For countries meeting specific economic vulnerability criteria and ratifying and implementing 27 international conventions on human and labour rights environmental standards and good governance the EU entirely waives customs duties on select products This policy covers over 60 countries and benefits around two billion people

The aim of GSP programs is to promote economic development in these developing nations by providing them with improved access to international markets For Pakistan the GSP+ arrangement provides generous tariff preferences primarily involving zero duties on approximately two-thirds of product categories It aims to promote sustainable development and good governance MEPs are individuals elected by the citizens of the European Union member states to represent them in the European Parliament which is one of the EU s legislative bodies The matter of Pakistan s GSP status extension had been deliberated upon by the European Parliament s Committee on International Trade (INTA) The extension of these trade privileges, which offer Pakistan preferential access to EU markets still awaits the approval of the European Council Pakistan remained hopeful about the outcome as no objections emerged within the EU committee during the scheduled meetings on September 18th and 19th

Rs3.126tr added to Pakistan’s total debt in first two months of FY23-24: SBP

on June 30 2023 which was depreciated to Rs 305 61/USD in Aug 2023

Report states that the federal govt has borrowed $2 18 billion from external sources excluding IMF tranche which was received during the period Overall, the total debt was increased from $ 76 92 billion to $79 10 billion during the first two months of the current fiscal year

PR OFIT S H A H Z A D PA R A C H A The Federal government s total debt surged by Rs 3 126 trillion to Rs 63 966 trillion between Jul-Aug, of the current fiscal According to the State Bank of Pakistan s (SBP) monthly public debt report the central government domestic debt has increased by Rs 982 billion from Rs 38 809 trillion to Rs 39 792 trillion during the first two months of the current fiscal year Out of total domestic debt, long term debt increased to Rs 30 013 trillion from Rs 29 588 trillion whereas the short term debt increased to Rs 9 633 trillion from Rs 9 335 trillion during the same time period According to a report, the government raised Rs 564 billion and Rs 85 billion through the floating of GOP Ijara Sukuk and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) respectively In addition the government has also raised Rs 295 billion through Market Treasury Bills during the first two months of the current fiscal year The public debt against the treasury bills increased to Rs 9 564 billion from Rs 9 269 billion up to Aug 2023 Meanwhile the debt stock against the Naya Pakistan Certificates surged from Rs 142 7 billion to Rs 145 5 billion till August 2023 The data shows that the external debt was increased by Rs 2143 7 billion to Rs 24 174 trillion from 22 031 trillion during the first two months of the current fiscal year According to the SBP, the external debt surged mainly due to depreciation of local currency against Pakistani rupee Apparently the main contributing factor in increasing the size of external debt in terms of PKR was free fall of local currency against the US due to smuggling and ban on imports by successive governments According to the SBP data the local currency fell by Rs19 against USD during the first two months of the current fiscal year The State Bank calculated Rs 286 39/USD

G O V T D I S B U R S E S R S 6 2 . 7 5 B T O 1 7 I P P S I N A

M O V E T O LO W E R C I R C U L A R D E B T

Bangash, Jhagra granted interim bail in illegal recruitment , corruption case

PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t

The anti-corruption court has approved interim bail for former provincial ministers Kamran Bangash and Taimur Jhagra who are facing charges related to illegal recruitment and corruption The case revolves around allegations of illegal recruitment and corruption, prompting both Kamran Bangash and Taimur Jhagra to appear in the anti-corruption court to address these accusations As the regular anti-corruption court judge was on leave, the case was presided over by Sessions Judge Ashfaq Taj During the proceedings the Sessions Judge granted interim bail to Timur Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, while stipulating that they must deposit bonds worth 90 000 rupees as a condition for their temporary release The court has adjourned the hearing of the case to a later date, specifically until October 9

Sources indicate that both Kamran Bangash and Timur Jhagra are facing charges related to illegal recruitment and corruption and the High Court has instructed them to address these allegations through the respective courts It is noteworthy that both former provincial ministers had been evading authorities following the events of May 9

However, they decided to come forward after the High Court issued orders preventing their arrest leading to the recent developments in this ongoing legal case The situation surrounding Kamran Bangash and Taimur Jhagra’s legal troubles continues to evolve with their interim bail providing them with temporary relief as they navigate the legal proceedings associated with the charges against them

MQM-P leader

Haider Abbas Riz vi’s vehicle snatched

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

The vehicle of Miuttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P) leader Haider Abbas Rizvi was snatched from his driver outside a private hospital in the limits of Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station Police have registered a case on the complaint of Haider Abbas Rizvi’s driver

According to the FIR the driver said he parked the vehicle outside a private hospital in Gulshane-Iqbal after dropping off Haider Abbas Rizvi’s family The driver further told the police that two unidentified armed men tortured him and drove away from the vehicle after taking him hostage

The outlaws fled away with the vehicle after leaving him at the Safoora Chowrangi area, the driver said According to the police the vehicle was registered in Islamabad, and a search operation had been launched to find the clue to the vehicle and the snatchers

Pak istani star tup R ider

explores

acquisition of publicly-listed BlueEx

PR OFIT

M o n to R i n g D e S k

Pakistan s YCombinator-backed e-commerce logistics startup Rider the sole publicly-listed Express Courier Logistics Company in the country, is actively considering the acquisition of BlueEx (PSX: UNIV)

Founder and CEO of Rider, Salman Allana, clarified to Reuters, stating, “Our focus is on acquiring the ecommerce logistics segment currently operating under the BlueEx brand

This acquisition pertains exclusively to this business division rather than Universal Network System Limited as a whole If the proposed transaction successfully materializes, it would be the first instance of a startup acquiring a publicly-listed company and a significant milestone as the first major acquisition involving a firm listed on Pakistan s Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) board hosted by the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)

The GEM Board serves as a dedicated platform to support the growth of enterprises, irrespective of their size or stage of development, in their quest for capitalraising opportunities

While specific financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed at this juncture Rider expects that the acquisition could position them among the top three contenders in the ecommerce logistics sector Salman Allana highlighted, This development is poised to place us ahead of certain incumbent players Our competitors in the top three ranks are well-established entities that have maintained their leadership status through nationwide services E a r l i e r U n i v e r s a l N e t w o r k S y s t e m s L i m i t e d (UNSL) parent company of BlueEx informed PSX in a s t o c k f i l i n g o n Tu e s d a y t h a t i t h a d r e c e i v e d a n acquisition offer from TPL Logistics (Private) Limited for its domestic e-commerce division The company’s b o a r d a u t h o r i z e d D a n i s h E l a h i a N o n - E x e c u t i v e

PTI seeks permission to hold rally in Lahore

D i r e c t o r, t o o v e r s e e a l l n e c e s s a r y s t e p s a n d negotiations BlueEx began as a courier company in 2 0 0 5 b e f o r e t r a n s i t i o n i n g t o e c o m m e r c e l o g i s t i c s i n

2011 The company offers local and international cargo shipments courier services document deliveries and ecommerce logistics solutions

Notably BlueEx is the first listed courier and logistics sector company on the Pakistan Stock Exchange The bulk of its revenue, approximately 96%, comes from courier services, while the remaining 4% is split between international freight services and cargo services for international airlines

Amidst a backdrop of a global funding downturn and complex macroeconomic and political conditions within Pakistan venture funding in the country saw a significant decline, with only $6 8 million recorded during the third quarter of 2023 This marks an 87 7% year-on-year decrease from the $55 million invested during the same period in the previous year

SIFC decides to privatise Discos via long-term concessions

voter registration details, including addresses, transfer requests, and identity card information

The registration, withdrawal, and validation of votes can be carried out at the District Election Commission offices

To do so citizens are required to complete the respective forms numbered 21 22 or 23 and submit them to the relevant election commission offices

It is worth noting that the Election Commission had previously published a preliminary list of constituencies and related reports Additionally, Form 5 was issued for public awareness purposes

Caretaker PM lauds ser vices of outgoing Naval Chief

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Outgoing Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi called on caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ulHaq Kakar in Islamabad on Thursday

The Prime Minister appreciated the services of outgoing Naval Chief saying he led Pakistan Navy in an excellent manner and played a key role in making national defense impregnable

PR OFIT n e w S D e S k

The caretaker government decided to privatise power distribution companies (Discos) through long-term concessions and to implement eight-hour gas load-shedding for domestic consumers in winter These decisions were made during the sixth meeting of the Apex Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) on October 4 2023 Chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and attended by Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir the meeting discussed the need for gas load-shedding due to an 18 percent reduction in gas reserves for the current year

The government also indicated its intention to restructure the boards of distribution companies Regarding the Discos the committee considered three options: transferring control to the provinces, granting long-term concessions to the private sector or full privatization It was decided that the long-term concessions option for the private sector would be pursued During a press conference following the meeting Caretaker Minister for Commerce and Industry Gohar Ejaz, revealed that Pakistan has secured a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) after 14 years

He also highlighted the significant trade imbalance between GCC imports and exports, underscoring Pakistan’s relatively minor contribution to GCC exports

Ministry of Commerce (MoC) at the request of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) the PakistanAfghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), the Gwadar International Terminals Limited, and other stakeholders issued an Office Memorandum (MO) titled Implementation of the Import and Export Policy Orders through Shipping Procedure and Instructions for the Operationalization of Gwadar Port The petitions of all stakeholders were examined in the light of the AfghanistanPakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) of 2010 specifically Article 21(1)(c) which allows transit of bulk cargo (not

PRIVATISATION MINISTER MEETS WORLD BANK REP

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

TFederal Minister for Privatisation, Fawad Hasan Fawad has commented that the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has emerged as the foremost priority for privatisation due to its persistent and staggering financial losses

The caretaker minister shared this during a meeting with Country Director of World Bank Najy Benhassi today

The heart of their discussions lay in the

caretaker government’s strategic agenda for privatisation with specific attention to privatising Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and optimising the performance of Distribution Companies (DisCos)

The effort aims to rectify substantial financial losses incurred by these entities and thereby alleviate the fiscal burden on the government

The Minister said that the Federal government including the apex committee of SIFC comprising civil bureaucracy military leadership and political stakeholders, has unanimously agreed to

undertake the privatisation of major lossmaking State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) which are on the privatisation list

Amongst those the PIA has emerged as a foremost priority due to its persistent and staggering financial losses, amounting to billions of rupees annually Privatising PIA is considered imperative for the removal of these losses and the improvement of its operational efficiency Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad explained the outlines of the PIA privatisation plan expressing the government s intention to engage the

World Bank and other financial institutions

at the initial phases of this effort The overarching objective is to attract muchneeded private investment through the privatisation process thereby unlocking government funds for deployment in vital infrastructure development and other strategic sectors Furthermore, the minister highlighted the intention of developing a comprehensive model for PIA, with the World Bank remaining a key partner for potential future support The minister also discussed DisCos given their substantial annual losses which currently stand at a staggering $2 5 billion Two productive sessions with the International Finance Corporation (IFC)

have already occurred, focusing on formulating a long-term concession model to mitigate these losses Ongoing discussions with the IFC are expected to yield a concrete strategy for private sector participation in the DisCos with a prime objective of privatising them The meeting encompassed a broader range of support areas, encompassing advisory and legal assistance

These aspects are considered crucial in ensuring the successful execution of the privatisation process

The meeting took place in the backdrop of the Pakistan government actively seeking the World Bank s support and collaboration throughout the privatisation process

Govt raises Rs557b in shor t-term

debt against target of

Rs600b

the three tenors were 22 78% 22 8% and 22 9% respectively

The cut-off yield for the three-month Tbill declined by 29 basis points (bps) and that for the 12-month T-bill by 6 bps On the other hand, the cutoff yield for the 6-month T-bill rose by 5 bps

UoE pays teachers glowing tribute on World Teachers’ Day

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

cut-off yield is announced that renders all the bids below that rate as accepted The dealer pays the SBP a discounted amount for the bill which is returned in full at maturity factoring in the yield of the T-bills

were invited by SBP through primary dealers on October 4, for settlement on October 5 Data shared by the central bank showed bids totalling Rs 2 252 trillion were received for the shortest-term bill

Meanwhile bids amounting to Rs 120 billion and Rs 443 655 billion were received for the six-month and 12-month T-bills respectively

The cut-off yield the highest interest accepted for the three-month, six-month and 12-month T-bills stood at 22 5%, 22 85%, and 22 84%, respectively

These were largely unchanged from the last T-bill auction on September 20 when the cut-off yields for

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The petition further states that the disqualification order by the ECP was issued in haste despite the conviction not attaining finality

The animosity against the petitioner was not simplisiter confined in getting his conviction, disqualification from contesting election but attempts are being made to remove him from head of party and even proceedings to take away the symbol and throw him out of the arena of general elections being a largest party in Pakistan, the entire leadership of PTI is either incarcerated or amongst the missing persons beside hundreds of false cases registered against loyalist resulting in incarceration and unending ordeal,” said the petition The petition urged the court to suspend the verdict in the interest of justice

In August of this year the ECP disqualified the PTI chairman for five years following his conviction in the Toshakhana case In a notification, the electoral watchdog stated that the PTI chief was disqualified after being found guilty of corrupt practices under Section 167 of the Elections Act 2017 and his sentencing for three years As a consequence Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi has become disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan read with Section 232 of the Elections Act,2017, the notification added The ECP also de-notified Khan as the “returned candidate” from NA-45 Kurram-I

However the same month IHC suspended Khan’s sentence but his conviction and disqualification remained intact until the court decides on the main appeal The IHC in the short verdict had also directed the authorities to release the PTI chief on bail However he was not released as the authorities booked him in the cipher case

K-Electric pins massive net loss of Rs30.9b in 2023 to macroeconomic hurdles

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Further the company remains

According to the auction results shared by the SBP, the government managed to raise Rs 471 billion from three-month T-bills Rs 18 billion from six-month Tbills and Rs 68 billion from 12-month T-bills T-bills are short-term government securities that are issued by the government of Pakistan and distributed in the primary and secondary markets by the SBP These highly liquid government securities have sovereign guarantees and a fixed rate of return, which is referred to as a yield T-bills are a tool for raising short-term cash by governments

On the day of the auction primary dealers (banks and brokerage houses) offer bids for T-bills with a certain yield This yield is determined by policy rates, market sentiment and future expectations A certain

The cut-off yield has remained largely unchanged in the latest auction as the market has aligned itself with the central bank’s stance on the policy rate In the Tbill auction held on September 6 the cut-off yields for the three tenors had gone up to 25% indicating that the market expected the SBP to hike the policy rate by at least 200 bps

However, in its meeting on September 14, the SBP’s Monetary Policy Committee decided to maintain the policy rate at 22%, noting that inflation was expected to continue its downward trajectory

Consequently the cut-off yields in a T-bill auction held on September 20 fell to less than 23% as well

The next T-bill auction will be held on October 18 through which the government aims to raise Rs 750 billion for debt maturity of Rs 783 billion

The University of Education organized a grand ceremony at its main Campus in Township to celebrate World Teachers’ Day UoE Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha (H I S I ) a large number of faculty members teachers and students attended the ceremony The university also organized a walk in the campus while a cake was cut to pay tribute to teachers Apart from this the messages of eminent teachers including Dr Charles Hopkins, from UNESCO Chair (University of York) and ViceChancellor were also read out Addressing the ceremony VC Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha (H I S I ) said that teachers are the most important part of the society as they determine future of the nation The role of teachers and their importance in the building a prosperous society cannot be ignored in any way and teachers deserve utmost respect and regard at all levels However on the other hand, a teacher should be an ideal figure not only for the students but for the entire society he asserted and added keeping this in view the future generation will determine their ideals and goals The VC said that teachers themselves are always in the process of learning as they also have to learn skills keeping in mind needs of modern age, so that they can do better education and training of students Principals/Directors of UE along with ProVice Chancellor Prof Dr Alam Saeed and Divisional Director Education Prof Dr Ayaz Khan were also present on the occasion

What is Toshakhana?

Established in 1974, Toshakhana a Persian word meaning “treasure house” is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers parliamentarians bureaucrats and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries as a goodwill gesture

It has valuables ranging from bulletproof cars, goldplated souvenirs and expensive paintings to watches, ornaments, rugs and swords Under the rules governing Toshakhana government officials can keep gifts if they have a low worth while they must pay a dramatically reduced fee to the government for extravagant items

THE CASE

The Toshakhana has been under a microscope ever since the emergence of the allegations that Khan purchased the gifts he received as prime minister at throwaway rates and sold them off in the open market for staggering profits

The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs140 million ($635,000)

The gifts included watches given by a royal family, according to government officials who have alleged previously that Khan’s aides sold them in Dubai

Moreover seven wristwatches six made by watchmaker Rolex and the most expensive a Master Graff limited edition valued at 85 million Pakistani rupees ($385,000), were also among the gifts

A reference was forwarded by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf to the Election Commission asking it to probe the matter

In October 2022 the electoral body declared the former premier guilty of corrupt practices

A TIMELINE OF TOSHAKHANA CASE

On October 21, 2022, the ECP maintained that the former prime minister made “false statements and incorrect declarations” about the gifts and disqualified him under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution

Subsequently the election watchdog moved a sessions court in the federal capital seeking criminal proceedings against the PTI chief for allegedly misleading the ECP regarding gifts received from foreign dignitaries while he was in office

The trial court indicted the PTI chairman on May 10 and rejected his petition to declare the case inadmissible

On July 4 the IHC overturned the trial court s ruling and directed it to rehear the petitioner and decide the matter within seven days

On July 8, ADSJ Dilawar declared the Toshakhana case against Khan as maintainable, which was again challenged in the IHC

During the trial proceedings Khan’s lawyers also accused the presiding judge of bias on the basis of his Facebook posts and sought the transfer of the case

On August 2 the trial court rejected the list of witnesses presented by the PTI chairman, stating that he failed to prove their relevance in the criminal proceedings against him It was also challenged in the high court However the PTI chairman again moved the high court seeking a stay and transfer of the case to another court

On August 4 IHC Chief Farooq referred the matter back to the trial court with a direction to re-examine the jurisdiction and any procedure lapse in the filing of the complaint by the Election Commission

On August 5, the trial court found the former prime minister guilty of misdeclaration of state gifts

On August 29 IHC suspended the trial court s sentence in the case

EU MEPs approve ex tension of Pakistan’s GSP status till 2027

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PM emphasizes impor tance of disaster resilient infrastructure, policy framework

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He said it would generate coordinated response, guiding lower tiers of provincial and district level disaster management authorities The need was felt for a platform which should perform the functions for developing a national collage of disasters monitoring high end technology driven capability It can estimate vulnerable needs of the areas and determine the gap to be pre-coordinated support from global partner through all time ready holistic national outlook in the form of real time National Common Operating Picture Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik conducted the briefing session for the prime minister as well as ambassadors, UN organizations country heads, lead global NGOs, academia lead institutional and experts who attended the event He presented key lessons from Pakistan’s extensive exposures to disaster and national emergencies in the past and shared new vision of NDMA for pro-active management of disasters through NEOC The vision was principally approved by Prime Minister s Office and all national stakeholders of disasters response The ceremony was attended by national and international dignitaries who appreciated Pakistan government in establishing a high end outcome fast-paced development of NEOC in record time and the swath of multilateral utility it promises of mutual growth and protection of strategic investments

KES Power, a consortium of investors including Aljomaih Power Limited of Saudi Arabia, National Industries Group (Holding) Kuwait and the Infrastructure and Growth Capital Fund (IGCF) The Government of Pakistan is also a minority shareholder (24 36%) in the company

Pakistan has actively campaigned for the continuation of the GSP scheme and has taken substantial steps to align with the EU s requirements These efforts encompass ratifying and effectively implementing 27 core international conventions that focus on human and labour rights environmental protection and good governance Trade relations between the EU and Pakistan have shown significant growth in recent years In 2022, bilateral trade between the two reached $14 857 billion, with Pakistan’s exports totaling $9 865 billion a substantial increase from $6 639 billion in the previous year EU exports to Pakistan amounted to $5 392 billion in 2022 a slight decrease compared to $5 544 billion in 2021 Notably, Pakistan s primary exports to the EU include textile articles, clothing, cotton, beverages, cereals, leather goods, and various other products The extension of the GSP status until 2027 is poised to further strengthen trade ties between Pakistan and the European Union fostering economic growth and development for both parties EU STATEMENT: While it is an important development in the context of Pakistan s exports, it is important to know that the European Parliament has officially extended the existing rules aimed at reducing import duties from over 60 developing countries until 2027

in favour, while only 5 voted against, with 2 abstentions This extension pertains to the current rules governing the scheme of GSP, as negotiations on new rules were paused in June due to differences between the Parliament and the Council of member states The extension grants more time for the European Parliament and member states to reach an agreement on the new rules

Rapporteur Heidi Hautala, a member of the parliament emphasised the importance of this extension “By dealing swiftly and efficiently with this prolongation and rollover the Parliament underlines that it will not let beneficiaries down she said during the plenary session Hautala pointed out that the extension was necessary to prevent socio-economic disruptions for beneficiary countries and companies

However Hautala noted that this rollover was an unfortunate consequence of the inability to reach an agreement between the Council and Parliament on the ongoing review of the GSP regulation Outstanding issues include the Council s desire to link tariff preferences to readmission obligations and safeguarding rice producers without creating excessive trade barriers In an interaction on X (formerly twitter) Dr Riina Kionka the Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan clarified that this rollover is approved so as to avoid a cliff edge at the end of 2023 She said that it had nothing to do with Pakistan’s or any other beneficiary’s performance

To s h a k h a n a ve r d i c t : P T I c h i e f m o ve s I H C f o r o ve r t u r n i n g E C P d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n

TH E Election Commission of Pakistan has not been doing its job Ever since it refrained from holding the Islamabad local body polls despite a Supreme Court order, and after the failure to hold general elections to the Punjab and Sindh Assemblies within 90 days of their dissolution, there have been doubts about its ability to conduct a fair general election The ECP failure to announce a date for the general election that fell due after the National Assembly was dissolved on August 12, have made those doubts apparently a self-fulfilling prophecy

More dangerously, the airy talk of elections going to January February or beyond even though the Constitution mandates that they be held within 90 days or by 7 November For that, an election schedule should have been issued by September 23, which was not done

The delay, which was made on the plea that they could only be carried out in a certain amount of time and that they had to be carried out first has raised doubts about the independence of the ECP itself

Clearly, the ECP or any of its members, have no personal or institutional interest in when elections take place or who wins them many other forces do care including those which are not political parties It is unfortunate that any impression has been created that the ECP functions according to the wishes of one particular body

In the scheme of the Constitution elections are essential whether they are for a union council or for the Presidency, and it is the ECP which is supposed to conduct them freely, fairly and transparently It is thus the key institution in the country s constitutional scheme For any other institution or individual to interfere in its function compromises its independence and thus makes nonsense of the constitutional scheme which can only be considered democratic if election results are to be trusted The Chief Election is a senior civil servant, all his predecessors having been members of the judiciary Because the tenure is of five years a CEC normally conducts only one election in his tenure

The present CEC should ensure that the elections he holds are not marred by irregularities, and are so far that even losers will admit it There is no need for the CEC to anything less than his job not to come under the influence of anyone

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M A Niazi

Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Ever yone seems to be stuck in a bog

PE R H A P S never in Pakistan s chequered history has there been such a sense of those responsible not knowing what to do It is not that no one seems to know what to do, but there is a feeling of all key players being paralyzed by events Well not exactly paralyzed because everyone is working very hard running with as much vigour as possible to remain in the same place

The paralysis seems general with events being anxiously awaited, by those who have been used to making events happen Perhaps the most glaring example is the PTI An election should bring it to power, but its chief, Imran Khan is behind bars He is already convicted in one case and even though his sentence has been suspended he has not been released as he is undertrial in another case under the Official Secrets Act And then there are the May 9 attacks, for which he may be tried by military courts Then there is the NAB enquiry into the Al-Qadir Trust case

These are not merely pretexts for keeping him arrested but for making sure that he stays in jail for a long time certainly beyond the coming election His party will thus have to campaign without him This is the most serious loss the party has to face, but another debilitating loss has been the loss of the party organization, where a lot of stalwarts jumped ship after May 9 Apart from party organization, the PTI has also lost a lot of candidates those who could not take the heat after May 9

Apart from the election from which Imran remains disqualified the party is also headed for stormy waters if it is forced to decide its headship With Imran disqualified, there will be an almighty struggle to head the party That can only lead to more intraparty rifts and greater lack of viability in the polls

At the moment the PML(N) seems to be ahead of the PTI because though at the moment both parties are without their leaders the PML(N) should regain Mian Nawaz Sharif on October 21 While he and Imran Kha n seem to be in the same position, of being disqualified from contesting elections, Mian Nawaz is ahead, because his legal troubles, while not to be sneezed at can be seen as disappearing in time for him to lead his party s election campaign

However the PML(N) seems in search of a narrative Mian Nawaz launched one recently calling for the accountability of a couple generals, and some Supreme Court judges, including two former Chief Justices of Pakistan, but now that seems to have been buried as PML(N) have said that the party if elected will not pursue any cases against anyone Mian Nawaz was actually borrowing a leaf of Imran s playbook Imran is also critical of the Army for not backing him, and though he is also critical of former COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, he is also critical of the current COAS, Gen Asim Munir Mian Nawaz was actually the one who first accused the es-

tablishment of ousting him He has tried to re-launch the narrative before, most notably in his rally in Gujranwala, when he named General Bajwa and ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as responsible for bringing Imran Khan to power It is ironic that his strongest point that he is a good economic manager has been disproved in the year-and-a-half of PDM government under his brother Shehbaz Inflation was not reined in, and the dollar s devaluation continued unchecked While Shehbaz sat in for his elder brother, the government foundered on economic management A lot of criticism was also hurled at the government for the ineptitude of its Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Dar was identified as having been imposed by Mian Nawaz whose relative by marriage he is, but proved something of a damp squib Nawaz’s daughter Maryam has said that he has a plan for the economy to implement if he is reelected but made no details clear That means that that particular narrative might not really carry all that much weight with the public If that plan includes bringing Senator Dar back to Finance it will not fly While the good Senator may have immense qualities of head and heart, his last stint in office meant that he will never again bring to office the confidence it needs The PML(N) s fumblings for a narrative both highlight the problems of the country and the difficulties of the establishment and the caretaker government The country s main problem is economic engendered by its inability to pay its way in the world, illustrated by its chronic shortage of foreign exchange That shortage means that it suffers constant deficits, and that the US dollar becomes worth speculating in, which worsens the shortage One of the underlying reasons for reform is to provide the sort of relief that will bring down the price of the dollar and thus the price of all imported goods (which includes not just fuel but edible oil and medicines) However, the factor of ‘elite capture’ comes in; the elite is the greatest force against reform, because it benefits from an unreformed system Members of the elite make vast sums from enabling the kind of smuggling into Afghanistan that prevents the country from getting revenue from customs duties Essentially, elite capture has stopped the state from balancing its books and providing the public social services like healthcare and education Unfortunately the elites making money include those who have been assigned by and from the establish-

A t o o l f o r m o d e r n l e g a l p r a c t i c e

about speeding up the drafting work without losing out on quality

Legal professionals often find themselves buried under piles of documents that require thorough review ChatGPT serves as a reliable assistant in such scenarios, helping to highlight relevant sections or terms in a vast array of documents thus speeding up the review process This feature can be particularly useful for judges who need to sift through numerous legal submissions to get to the essence of the case at hand

ST E P P I N G into a legal career is like entering a vast world filled with complex rules, numerous regulations, lengthy drafting and an endless stream of reading laws My journey as a corporate and technology lawyer often involved sifting through mountains of information to find the right answers and awaiting hours to start a draft with the perfect words The quest for a more efficient way led to the writing of my book, ChatGPT For Lawyers: 101 Practical

Prompts, which fortunately, found resonance with many However the pursuit of making the legal journey smoother for the legal professional doesn t end there A significant stride in this direction is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through platforms like ChatGPT ChatGPT emerges as a bridge to a wealth of legal knowledge, making it easily accessible It stands as a strong support for lawyers law students law firms and judges With ChatGPT decoding complex legal concepts becomes simpler and drafting legal documents turns into a more streamlined task

In the legal profession, every minute counts ChatGPT as a tool helps save precious time, especially when it comes to drafting legal documents For law students it’s like having a knowledgeable friend ready to simplify tough legal concepts It helps turn challenging ideas into easily understandable ones

For lawyers, ChatGPT is a handy helper when starting to draft court petitions or other legal documents It can suggest the right words or phrases to get the drafting process going It’s

Predictive analysis in the legal domain is about forecasting potential legal outcomes based on historical data ChatGPT, with its ability to process and analyze data can provide a preliminary framework for understanding the possible trajectories a legal discourse might take While it doesn t replace the profound legal acumen of a judge or a seasoned lawyer, it offers a helping hand in organizing the information, thus aiding in quicker understanding and decision-making

While these tools provide a platform for e ff i c i e n c y a n d s t r e a m l i n e d w o r k f l o w c o nc e r n s r e l a t e d t o d a t a p r i v a c y b i a s a n d a ccountability are paramount The users need to be aware that they are interacting with an AI tool, and the explanation of how decisions or suggestions are made by ChatGPT should be clear to maintain trust and uphold the ethical standards of legal practice

The journey of intertwining AI with legal practice is filled with promise yet requires a thoughtful approach to ensure the essence of justice and ethics remains intact

As the legal fraternity stands at the cusp of this technological advancement it is imperative to ensure that the human touch which is intrinsic to legal practice remains unscathed The empathy understanding and ethical judgment that human practitioners bring to the table cannot be replicated by AI While ChatGPT can aid in reducing the manual workload, the ultimate decisions should rest with human professionals who can understand the nuances and emotions entwined in legal issues

In a world that s increasingly becoming interconnected the potential for cross-border legal collaborations is vast Platforms like ChatGPT could serve as the stepping stones toward creating a harmonized global legal framework

As we stand at the juncture of traditional legal practice and technological innovation, the path we choose will significantly impact the legal landscape ItÊs a collective journey that demands the active par ticipation, understanding, and collaboration of all stakeholders involved

By providing a platform where legal professionals across borders can collaborate and share knowledge we are not just looking at a future of localized legal practice but a globalized legal domain where the boundaries become seamless

It is crucial to foster a culture of education and awareness regarding the integration of AI in legal practice among law students, legal practitioners, and the judiciary Understanding the potential and the limitations of AI tools like ChatGPT will play a pivotal role in ensuring successful and ethical integration Educational institutions should consider introducing courses that delve into the intersection of law, technology, and ethics to prepare the upcoming generation of legal practitioners for a technologically advanced legal landscape

Drawing inspiration from the regulatory frameworks evolving in regions like the EU it s vital for countries including Pakistan to formulate robust regulations surrounding the use of AI in legal practice These regulations should address issues of data privacy, accountability, and transparency, ensuring that the integration of AI tools aligns with the moral and ethical pillars of the legal profession The rendezvous of law with technology epitomized by tools like ChatGPT heralds a future full of promise yet laden with challenges The journey towards integrating AI in legal practice is akin to navigating uncharted waters While the horizon is filled with the promise of efficiency, accessibility and global collaboration the voyage is fraught with ethical and regulatory storms that demand a well-thought-out approach

Through a modest literary endeavor I ve attempted to contribute to the discourse surrounding technology and law The arrival of ChatGPT propels this discourse further, urging the legal fraternity to engage debate and envision a future where law technology and ethics harmonize to create a just informed and interconnected global society

As we stand at the juncture of traditional legal practice and technological innovation, the path we choose will significantly impact the legal landscape It’s a collective journey that demands the active participation understanding and collaboration of all stakeholders involved

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

ment, to stop them

Therefore, the Army leadership has taken on the task of repairing the economy, and is carrying on various crackdowns, but it is likely to see that these measures will not work permanently There is no known means of overcoming market forces The Special Investment Facilitation Council mechanism to bring in foreign exchange through foreign mostly Gulf, investors, might seem a good idea, but it does not take account of the fact that while loans may be made as a bail-out, no one makes investments except as a means of making money Though the Army has decided it will stay out of politics the clamour of all political parties will have to be ignored Parties do not really want the military out of politics; they only want it to stay out against them If it is willing to support them, it has no objection The military has learnt the inadvisability of interference in politics and has not decided to refrain because of any idealism, but because the results have been bad, the May 9 attacks The country can only hope that the venture into economic management will not have similar results It should not be ignored that the administrative measures taken so far, are just the sort that Senator Dar had taken though it could be said that they were more thorough In the relatively short run his measures petered out, and the rupee began declining again, and inflation was fuelled even before it began to decline This time the measures are also likely to peter out and then what happens?

Enough of the dilemma the military has got itself into The caretaker governments, which are actually the surrogates of the military, should conduct elections in 90 days,but have been showing signs of wanting to provide solutions for problems beyond their competence While those problems should be left to the elected governments to tackle and hopefully solve the best thing the caretakers can do for the country is to hold elections and leave The problem is not so much economic, as that no one seems to have a solution The performance of the PTI then the PDM and now the caretakers has shown that all the players have had recent terms and have not managed the economy well Perhaps more worrying, none have presented any plan which could make anyone confident that they will do better if given another chance

The writer is a member of staff

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

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

Roadside nonsense

S P E N D I N G (read wasting) time at some roadside tea-stall in the evening has become quite common in Karachi We see young people having fun there students discussing their affairs and small-scale business deals being struck If there is nothing to be discussed, national politics is always there to provoke a rather heated debate at a minute s notice And if even that fails, the plight of the economy can do that without even a minute’s notice

Having such a social gathering is not an issue If anything, it should be considered a healthy activity just as it is in many civilised parts of the world The roadside cafés in say France happens to be a integral part of the package that the country offers to tourists

The problem in our case is the level of discussion and indeed the language used, which makes one wonder if we are part of the civilised world I say this because I have heard seriously foul, abusive language being used at such dhabas It is almost offending Simply despicable One feels embarrassed even to hear such language being used within earshot Profanity is a mild expression for what goes on around such places

What one does in private may well be one s personal matter but while sitting in a marketplace say close to a clinic visited by children and families, nobody can hide behind the façade of personal matter This is just not acceptable What is sad is that such practices have become ‘normal’ and socially acceptable People have got used to such filthy language on the streets In fact, it is no more confined to the dhabas One can hear profanities while travelling in a car along with family when two people on a motorcycle would pass the vehicle by having a chat laced with foul language

They do not care about who is listening for in their mind they are having a personal discussion If someone has a problem with that, one should stay away from it Better still, prudes should stay indoors, for the outdoors is common space Right? Actually, no, it is not right, and it is not right by some distance

Even common shared spaces are governed by edicts of ethics morality tradition values cultural norms and above anything else human decency and common sense But then who is listening? No one I am sure

ABRAR MOOSA PESHBEEN KARACHI

Lack of facilities

I T was mid-afternoon when my cousin complained of chest pain recently We immediately rushed him to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Larkana On arriving there the staff asked us to wait till the blood pressure checking apparatus was available

We became part of a queue of patients who were in serious condition but were asked to wait for the said apparatus was being used somewhere else

On inquiry, I came to know that there were only two machines for checking blood pressure: one in the male section, and the other in the female section This was and is a depressing piece of information

I felt sorry for the patients who were there in serious condition but had to wait for 30-40 minutes just to get their blood pressure checked I also felt a surge of anger and downright hatred for those who seek votes from the people, but forget them right after an election They do not bother to provide basic healthcare facilities even to such a vital cardiac facility

My cousin was losing consciousness, but we seemed to be in luck as just then the apparatus finally became available After getting his blood pressure checked the staff sent us to the electrocardiogram (ECG) section where we were subjected to another waiting period as there was only one ECG machine Emergency wards are sensitive and critical area of any hospital and need to be well-equipped What is a cardiac hospital that has merely two blood pressure monitors and one ECG machine?

The problem is not so much economic, as that no one seems to have a solution. The performance of the PTI, then the PDM, and now the caretakers has shown that all the players have had recent terms, and have not managed the economy well Perhaps more worrying, none have presented any plan which could make anyone confident that they will do better if given another chance

Taiwan: A Flashpoint between China and the USA COMMENT

dismissed as mere propaganda This is a clear warning to Washington to abandon its strategy in the Indo-Pacific, and Beijing reserves the option of resistance From this point of view Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sets an example Beijing has also warned small countries such as Ukraine to stay away from US plots

According to Beijing sympathy for Ukraine is good but it is not good to be used as a pawn in Washington s efforts to maintain geopolitical dominance These messages are also being heard in those countries that remain neutral in international politics Russia and China continue to oppose any attempt by foreign powers to undermine security and stability in their respective territories

AF T E R the Russian invasion of Ukraine there were concerns in western capitals over whether China might take similar action in Taiwan Against this backdrop, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi s visit to Taiwan has prompted some security scholars to predict a fourth cross-strait crisis China will likely ensure that it punishes Taiwan enough to prevent future visits like Pelosi s This may include economic action limited military signaling and selective diplomatic action in bilateral and multilateral fora, and aggressive cyber repression

In response, Taiwan and the USA are likely to continue building deterrent defence capabilities to deter Chinese aggression The US may continue to signal its increased presence and commitment to the region through freedom of shipping operations in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea while keeping lines of communication open to avoid unintended tensions with Beijing China and Russia believe the USA is playing the role of an arrogant player This thinking has emerged in many parts of the world, including China The People’s Republic of China places all responsibility for the violence and destruction in Europe or Washington Russia supports the Chinese principle and affirms that Taiwan is a part of China and opposes any form of Taiwan s independence Russia s aggression against Ukraine has shown that the world should take seriously what Xi and Putin are saying, especially when they speak in their own language Both countries are determined to destroy the US alliance by force whenever it would be possible Xi and Putin feel that the US alliance has been formed over their opposition and they will oppose it

Statements by top Chinese diplomats should not be

That s why China and Russia also oppose further NATO expansion and have called on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to abandon Cold War ideological methods China and Russia also oppose the formation of a bloc in the Asia-Pacific region and remain wary of the negative effects of the US Indo-Pacific strategy on peace and stability in the region The two countries also express deep concern over the trilateral security partnership between Australia the USA and the UK which provides deep cooperation between its members in the areas of strategic stability, especially in the nuclear field

Both Beijing and Moscow believe that such measures contradict the security and sustainable development goals of the Asia-Pacific region and it will increase the risk of an arms race in the region which also poses a serious threat to nuclear non-proliferation Opposition by Presidents Xi and Putin to the Biden administration s new Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) initiative has led to violations of non-proliferation treaties This opposition is also echoing in the West

On the other hand Australia Korea Singapore and Taiwan are committed to supporting Ukraine Most Southeast Asian nations have supported NATO Ukraine and the USA The Philippines and Indonesia also voted in favour of condemning Russia but India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam did not Indo-Pacific countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have also not backed coalition efforts against Russia Such neutrality and indifference is a growing problem in international affairs and undermines counter-terrorism efforts There is a growing sense in the West that a new Cold War is going to start but most of the world does not see things that way China is a bigger threat to Asian countries than Russia, but in the absence of a comprehensive US-led diplomatic campaign Washington cannot support Taiwan in the Taiwan crisis Many analysts believe that if China invades the Democratic Republic of Taiwan many countries will remain on the coast Such a campaign by Beijing to tarnish Taiwan s international image could be dangerous if a dispute erupts, it may signal Taiwan s diplomatic isolation that Taiwan is the only province China will bring back China also has strong economic ties with every country The USA will need to defend Taiwan and it often uses its diplomatic and other tactics to keep it at bay Many countries and US allies do not necessarily agree with all Chinese statements about Taiwan and justify their neutrality US diplomacy should highlight that China is backtracking on its commitment to peace and endangering the stability of law and order in the region while it is committed to maintaining peace under the Taiwan Relations Act Washington needs to make sure that it does not distance itself from countries or regions that oppose China and Russia However, the USA has also given China and Russia the opportunity to wield considerable influence in key regions such as the Persian Gulf The lack of a

t h e w a r i n R u s s i a a n d U k r a i n e t o fo r g e a „ n e w e r a ‰ t h a t w i l l e i t h e r d e s t roy o r w e a k e n t h e U S a l l i a n c e . P u t i n h a s t a u g h t t h e wo r l d t h a t a g g r e s s i v e s t a t e m e n t s a n d t h r e a t s c a n w r e a k h a vo c . Wa s h i n g t o n mu s t a l s o r e v i e w i t s s t r a t e g y a n d h i g h l i g h t t h e g ro w i n g t h r e a t s p o s e d by B e i j i n g t o p e a c e a n d s e c u r i t y i n A s i a i n o rd e r t o p ro t e c t t h o u s a n d s o f i n n o c e n t p e o p l e f ro m t h e e f f e c t s o f w a r. I t w i l l t a k e t i m e fo r t h e s e t wo c o u n t r i e s t o c o m e d o w n f ro m t h e m o u n t a i n o f a r ro g a n c e t o s t a n d s i d e by s i d e .

I s I n d i a o n a p a t h t o w a r d s o n e - m a n r u l e ?

Critics say the Modi government ’s ‘one nation, one elec tion’ proposal bodes ill for the countr y ’s future

would curtail the terms of most state assemblies Although the latest discussions around ONOE have stirred fresh political debate it s essential to note that the Modi government s interest in this idea is not a recent development ONOE has been a long-standing part of the BJP’s agenda articulated in its 2014 manifesto

through a unitary non-federal form of governance thereby legitimising centralised control and authoritarianism

US trade vision for Southeast Asia and the lack of a security system are obstacles to form a bloc But Washington only sees how quickly military aid can be delivered and how quickly the right weapons system can get into the right hands in a crisis Washington does not need to provoke China but the two states must make promises and work for peace There are lessons to be learned from Ukraine s failed deterrence efforts It should be noted that the prevention of war in Ukraine has failed The USA has no military ties with Ukraine so it could not help Ukraine directly except through rhetoric

Although the USA has armed Ukraine with disproportionate weapons that could destroy Russia s major weapons systems, it was not able to stop Putin from going to war On the other hand, Taiwan is also under threat from China and a similar approach will not work to stop China because the USA is not militarily engaged with the island The USA must build Taiwan’s military so that it can work together as an ally to counter the various threats of repression But that requires careful coalition management, as Washington has been practising with other potential coalition partners China relies on global markets for everything from technology and energy to food and agriculture, major metals minerals and capital In fact China’s dependency on the global economy did not stop it from trading with Russia Washington will have to maintain strong ties with all major suppliers in China

In short, President Xi is using the war in Russia and Ukraine to forge a new era that will either destroy or weaken the US alliance Putin has taught the world that aggressive statements and threats can wreak havoc Washington must also review its strategy and highlight the growing threats posed by Beijing to peace and security in Asia in order to protect thousands of innocent people from the effects of war It will take time for these two countries to come down from the mountain of arrogance to stand side by side Though it is difficult, they have to do so to protect Asia from war and its consequences

The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo com

Why no one is scared of new Covid variants

However benevolent their goals, Western governments have ruined the public ’s trust with their attempts at narrative control

RT t i m u r F o m E n ko

AS India gears up for one of the most pivotal elections in its recent history the polls next year could potentially mark the country s last electoral exercise within the Westminsterstyle parliamentary system

Throughout his tenure in office since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently tailored the state apparatus using social and political engineering strategies to solidify the control of his ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

The Modi government is now pushing for electoral “reforms” through its ambitious “one nation, one election” (ONOE) initiative which aims to synchronise parliamentary state assembly municipal and village council elections

The changes sought are coupled with ever-growing demands from Hindutva groups that India jettison its parliamentary system for an executive presidential model of governance - a move that critics say will push India closer towards one-man rule

Earlier last month, the Modi government named an eight-member highlevel committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, to make recommendations on holding simultaneous elections at the various levels of government The committee will examine a variety of possible scenarios such as a hung assembly or adoption of a no-confidence motion, along with suggesting a timeframe for elections

The core principle of ONOE is the merging of election schedules nationwide as India often experiences a continuous cycle of elections throughout the year The BJP argues that simultaneous polls will allow governments to concentrate more on governing and less on being in perpetual “election mode” - reducing disruptions to public life and minimising the overall expenses associated with elections

But critics contend that the move would seriously erode India s federal structure, while also homogenising political power They note that the idea appears to be at odds with Article 1 of the Indian constitution which envisions India as a union of states

LONG-STANDING AGENDA: The next parliamentary election is expected to be held by mid-2024, and if concurrent polls are implemented, this

Historically the practice of Indian voters casting their ballots for both parliamentary and state assemblies simultaneously occurred in 1952, 1957, 1962 and 1967 But the Congress Party, then in power nationally, disrupted this pattern by dismissing several state governments

The idea of ONOE first found expression in the 1983 annual report of the Election Commission of India, which advocated for concurrent elections to curtail expenses, optimise manpower and mitigate disruptions to daily government operations

In 1999 the Law Commission of India recommended the implementation of simultaneous elections and this call was reinforced by a 2015 parliamentary standing committee report, which suggested an alternative approach that would entail holding simultaneous polls in two phases twice within every fiveyear cycle In 2020 Modi reiterated the need for ONOE along with proposing a single voters list for all elections

While many political observers have cast doubt on the feasibility of implementing simultaneous elections critics argue that Modi’s ruling regime might be banking on the optics of synchronised polls to counter anti-incumbency sentiments and a united opposition

According to political analyst and commentator Vivek Deshpande, there is widespread scepticism about whether the Modi government will see this idea through given the monumental task and numerous legal obstacles

In an article for Scroll in he contends that the party tends to rely on its established strengths, such as the cult of Modi’s personality, a robust Hindutvanationalism narrative well-oiled election machinery a plethora of welfare schemes and at times the misuse of central investigative agencies

SINGULAR CONCEPTION:

Yamini Aiyar, who heads the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research notes that the BJP’s emphasis on oneness revolves around centralisation with the party s ideology leaning towards a singular conception of Indian (Hindu) identity The repeated use of the term One Nation in the discourse effectively merges the political concept with policy and governance agendas she argues In doing so it pits core democratic values against the efficiency of governance through one-ness This positioning, Aiyar contends, portrays good governance as achievable only

Critics of Modi and his ruling BJP have frequently accused Hindutva-affiliated parties of attempting to undermine India’s democratic character and transform the nation into a Hindu state Some argue that Modi’s endorsement of electoral reforms aligns with the Hindutva objective of instigating fundamental structural changes in India s political, judicial and executive institutions to centralise power, with limited regulatory oversight There has been a growing Hindutva discourse advocating for a revision of the Indian constitution and this narrative also suggests a departure from the Westminster-style parliamentary system in favour of a presidential system Bibek Debroy, chairman of Modi’s economic advisory council expressed the need for a new constitution in an article published in the Mint referencing the current constitution crafted under the leadership of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar as part of India s colonial heritage Ram Madhav, a member of the national executive of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - a militant Hindu nationalist group of which Modi has been a lifelong followeralso made a case for revisiting the constitution in a recent column titled Constitution is not a rigid document

He wrote: “Ultimately, the Constitution is only a statement of intent The constitutionalism - acting in its spiritof those who manage it is critical

In his latest Bollywood film

Jawan (translation: Soldier), Indian star Shah Rukh Khan employs a unique cinematic technique at the climax, where he breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the audience urging them to recognise the power of their voting While he refrains from endorsing any specific political party the film touches upon significant events in India s history, including the Bhopal tragedy, farmers’ suicides and defence scandals alluding to the opposition Congress Party’s rule

Although the film s release ahead of next year s elections could be entirely coincidental, Khan s not-so-subtle call for systemic reforms, an impassioned representation of the average Indian, appears somewhat unusual - but it aligns with the ongoing Hindutva dialogue advocating for constitutional changes to the governance of the nation

Haris Zargar is a doctoral researcher at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam specializing in agrarian change social movements and Muslim revivalist thought He holds degrees in

IN the past week, stories in the media have been warning about the latest Covid-19 variant the latest in a long list It doesn’t seem like people are listening anymore In the minds of much of the public the pandemic is long over and is firmly a thing of the past The last thing most people want is another trip down the rabbit hole of restrictions, lockdowns, masks and vaccinations, with the past few years having seriously undermined the credibility of governments and public trust in them to do the right thing And Western governments no longer have the political will or interest to dare make unpopular decisions even if some are sounding the alarm

The pandemic in many respects was a turning point in government-public relations in Western countries, precisely because it was the first outbreak of such scale to occur in the age of mass socialmedia culture where people more connected than ever before have the unrestricted capability to voice their own opinions to hear the opinions of others, and with these to enact dissent against governments and their policies The social-media era has already provided many significant challenges to state structures as it is with Western governments scrambling to reassert a “narrative control” over their populations that they ve since lost Social-media freedom has played a critical role in – if not outright caused – outcomes which have shocked elites, be it the election of Donald Trump in the US, or Brexit in Britain Subsequently, Western ruling classes have increased censorship and narrative policing on social media platforms through denouncing viewpoints they don t like as misinformation or even as malicious propaganda by foreign actors like China or Russia The Covid-19 pandemic thus saw one of the most comprehensive censorship campaigns Western governments had ever undertaken (at least before that of the Ukraine conflict), especially when it came to those who sought to question or challenge the need for vaccines Governments have tried to aggressively reassert narrative control stomping out dissent against their views, broadcast by establishment media It would be foolish to deny that vaccines were important in combating the Covid-19 pandemic, even critical to saving lives, especially among the elderly and the vulnerable but the manner in which

this issue was conducted by governments has produced wholesale distrust in authority at large That is not because vaccines are bad but because people saw the profits being raked in by their Big Pharma producers, saw how aggressively governments were pushing for their implementation, and were skeptical as to whether the whole thing really served the “public interest ” In other words the method (propaganda and censorship) defeated the objective (introducing vaccines to save lives)

Big Pharma of course refers to a group of multinational drug- and medicine-producing companies which wield enough political influence and connections to be able to steer the public narrative towards endorsing their own products and which therefore exerts a monopoly over the perceived solutions to a health crisis or problem These companies profited wholesale over the pandemic and to some extent influenced government policies over the issue But more specifically, the narrative was steered to argue that the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were the only ones you should use, with Chinese and Russian competitors often receiving targeted negative coverage

Therefore as it goes public criticism of pandemic-related policies has grown because it is now more widely believed that these companies armed with the media, exert scaremongering to fulfil their commercial goals Combined with the influence of social media, this has created large-scale distrust despite all evidence of how harmful and deadly the early forms of Covid were especially for the sick and the elderly and of the significant numbers of Covid-related deaths being reported to this day As a result continuing to sound alarm bells about new variants and the spread of the disease does more harm than good, because it reinforces perceptions that the media are attempting to scare populations with something that is not a real threat

The pandemic has had a politically exhausting effect that also came with a choppy transition back to real life The public is not interested in making sacrifices again in the name of a disease that is already perceived to have gone away, especially when it is believed there is an agenda behind doing so – not just Big Pharma’s but also one of power centralization censorship and narrative-control by governments The pandemic and the Ukraine conflict together have marked part of a shift whereby Western states have sought to reassert power lost during the social-media era, but have only achieved the opposite effect

Raids on journalists

The early-morning raids on Tuesday by the Delhi Police on dozens of places connected with a news portal NewsClick and its employees and associates in the NCR, as also human rights activists Teesta Setalvad and Gautam Navlakha, reek of a targeted attempt to muzzle the press by the weaponisation of state agencies While electronic devices of journalists have been seized some of them including founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha were taken away by the cops for questioning Later, Purkayastha was arrested and the portal s office was sealed A case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was filed against NewsClick on August 17 as the authorities suspected the use of foreign funds by the portal to push the Chinese agenda This was even claimed by a New York

Times investigative report

A peek into the background of the clampdown reveals a thread of probes and action taken by the Economic Offences Wing, Enforcement Directorate and the police into allegations of the news portal receiving dubious funding from China The ED is believed to have traced deposits totalling Rs 39 crore from questionable sources in the company s account in the past three years Even as the authorities carry on with their job of ascertaining whether the promoters violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) or indulged in other unlawful activities those working for the news portal must not be harassed Individual journalists with a proven track record should not be held responsible for financial misdemeanours if any of the promoters and funders Insofar as freedom of speech is concerned, India s declining press freedom rating is an eye-opener: the country slipped 11 spots from its place in 2022 to the 161st rank out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index-2023

NEW DELHI

Ag e n

e n t i f i e d State Department official cited by the US publication

The US has said that it deems Canada s allegations of Indian government agents’ “potential” involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June serious and has urged for the matter to be fully investigated W h e n a s k e d a b o u t t h e U S e n v o y s

CORPORATE CORNER

important strategic and consequential partnership the spokesperson added

JS Bank, Beaconhouse National Universit y sign MoU for chair on sustainabilit y and Fintech

r e p o r t e d c o n v e r s a t i o n w i t h h i s t e a m a S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t s p o k e s p e r s o n w h o s p o k e o n t h e c o n d i t i o n o f a n o n y m i t y, s a i d : We d o n t h a v e a n y t h i n g f o r y o u

o n t h i s Ambassador Garcetti is a champion of our strong partnership with the Indian people and the Indian government Our relationship with India is an

The ties between the two US allies are strained due involvement of the Indian government s agents in the murder of the Sikh leader murder, triggering an international outcry India has rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated It also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move after Ottawa expelled an Indian official A few weeks ago, India urged Canada to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country as relations between the two countries plunged to an all-time low following Ottawa s allegations against New Delhi Adding to the series of events highlighting its sour relations with Canada, India also announced a temporary suspension of the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens A

Shanghai Elec tric urged to raise offer for K-Elec tric to $2bn

SEP'S PRE VIOUS OFFER TO ACQUIRE 66 40% OF K-ELEC TRIC'S STAKES WAS $1 77 BILLION; HOWE VER, DEAL WAS HINDERED BY REGUL ATORY HURDLES AND PROLONGED LEGAL DISPUTES

PR OFIT

M o n to r i n g d e s k

K-Electric (KE), Pakistan’s leading private-sector power utility, has called on Shanghai Electric Power (SEP) to raise its acquisition offer for a majority stake in the company to $2 billion

This demand comes on the heels of SEP s previous offer to acquire 66 40% of KE s stakes for $1 77 billion, a deal that was marred by regulatory hurdles and legal disputes for an extended period

Shan A Ashary, Chief Investment Officer of AlJomaih and former director at KE informed journali s t s t h a t s u b s t a n t i a l i m p r o v e m e n t s i n K E ’s infrastructure and customer base over recent years justify a higher valuation for the company He stated

Himalayan lake flooding in India kills 18, nearly 100 missing

NEW DELHI

Ag e n c i e s

At least 18 people were killed and nearly 100 were missing on Thursday after heavy rains caused a Himalayan glacial lake in northeast India to burst its banks the worst such disaster in the region in more than 50 years Lhonak Lake in Sikkim state overflowed on Wednesday, causing major flooding that authorities said had impacted the lives of 22,000 people It is the latest deadly weather event in South Asia’s mountains being blamed on climate change

The weather department said Sikkim received 101 mm (4 inches) of rain in the first five days of October more than double normal levels unleashing floods worse than one in October 1968 in which an estimated 1,000 people were killed The department has predicted heavy rain over the next three days in parts of Sikkim and neighbouring states The latest flooding was exacerbated by water released from state-run NHPC s Teesta V dam local officials said Four of the dam s gates had been washed away and it was not clear why they had not been opened in time, a government source told Reuters As of Thursday evening, 98 people were missing, 17 of whom were army personnel, state chief secretary V B Pathak told Reuters by phone

Putin assassination plot busted as Russian spy hounds hunt for mole within

MOSCOW

Ag e n c i e s

Russian secret services are currently investigating an alleged plot from “within their own ranks” to assassinate Vladimir Putin The hunt is on for a supposed FSB agent who reportedly boasted about taking down the dictator at a karaoke club in Moscow The informant who brought this bizarre conversation to light, Mikhail Yurchenko, recounted that the agent was gloating about being tasked with “removing” the dictator During their extended conversation, he even showed Yurchenko his service ID card Yurchenko however wisely refrained from engaging in an argument and tried to change the topic Disturbed by this potential threat to Putin s life Yurchenko reported it to the police Consequently, Russian special services have been searching for several days for the unidentified person who allegedly planned to ‘remove’ Putin The incident occurred at the Honey Club in Moscow a known gathering place for various secret department employees Vladimir Putin known for his extreme security measures lives in constant fear of assassination His paranoia has grown as his military campaign in Ukraine faces ongoing challenges, and he has survived multiple assassination attempts throughout his tenure In recent times Putin’s public appearances have become rare and meticulously controlled He frequently changes locations and travel routes to maintain his safety Russian security services have faced criticism for allegedly fabricating terrorist plots to demonstrate their effectiveness in protecting the president This alleged threat to Putin’s life surfaces as he gears up for an expected announcement next month about seeking a new six-year term as Russian president in the upcoming March 2024 elections

“We have made visible improvements in the power company through significant investments in the last few years and as a result we believe the offer should be raised to $2 billion Ashary disclosed that he had met with Special Investent Facilitation Council (SIFC) officials to discuss Aljomaih’s issues but expressed disappointment at the lack of concrete progress on these matters He however expressed optimism regarding the SIFC a government initiative aimed at addressing foreign investor concerns Aljomaih Holding Company, a prominent Saudi conglomerate, and Kuwait s National Industries Group (NIG) currently hold the largest share of KE, accounting for 47% of KES Power shares which equates to 30% ownership in KE Despite Asia Pak

Investments’ claims of a 54% stake in KE Ashary disputed this assertion suggesting that their actual holdings were no more than 5% Nevertheless he extended an offer to Asia Pak Investments for a board position within KE Ashary also emphasized that KE’s board was fully operational and had submitted a comprehensive investment plan for Karachi to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra)

He further highlighted SEP s potential to bolster Karachi s power sector a city that has long grappled with frequent power outages and supply shortages He noted that Karachi s peak season electricity demand stands at a staggering 5,000 megawatts (MW), a figure expected to surge even higher if the entire industry transitions to KE

C hina-US ties show positive signs despite severe challenges: envoy

WASHINGTON s tA f f c o r r e s p o n d e n t

China-US relations have recently shown some positive signs of stabilizing under the joint efforts of both sides, despite bilateral ties still facing serious difficulties and severe challenges, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said when meeting with a delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham Shanghai)

There is still a long way to go to stabilize and improve relations between the world s two largest economies, and the key is to follow the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation so as to find a correct way for both sides to get along in the new era the ambassador said on September 28 according to a post on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the US on Wednesday Xie also expressed hope that the business community, as an important stakeholder in bilateral ties, will continue to serve as a bond of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the US, and contribute their best to deepening and expanding exchanges and cooperation between the two countries

During the meeting the delegation of AmCham Shanghai provided a briefing on the key findings of AmCham Shanghai s 2023 China Business Report and voiced their appreciation for recent Chinese efforts to improve the business climate such as the issuance of the State Council’s 24 measures, according to the website of the AmCham Shanghai Fully implementing these measures will increase confidence said the delegation In August the State Council issued a statement outlining its guidelines regarding further optimizing the foreign investment environment and strengthening efforts to attract foreign

i n v e s t m e n t T h e g u i d e l i n e s a r e a i m e d a t i m p r o v i n g t h e o v e r a l l b a l a n c e b e t w e e n d o m e s t i c a n d i n t e r n ational situations and foster a world-class business env i r o n m e n t t h a t i s m a r k e t - o r i e n t e d l a w - b a s e d a n d internationalized Xie also introduced the overall recovery of China s economy this year and emphasized that the fundamentals of China’s long-term economic growth have not and will not change Choosing China means embracing opportunities and securing the future he said While facing some difficulties and challenges the Chinese economy has been on an upward trajectory generally GDP grew 5 5 percent in the first half of the year, outpacing most major economies In the first eight months, investment in high-tech industries grew 11 percent on a yearly basis and retail sales in accommodation catering and other services increased 19 percent data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed

Wang Y i c alls for speedy ‘green transformation’ around Trans-Himalaya region

BEIJING s tA f f c o r r e s p o n d e n t

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday called for speedy green transformation around the trans-Himalaya region in pushing for sustainable economic development of the area Wang a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs made the remarks at the third China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation held in Nyingchi southwest China s Xizang Autonomous Region Since the launch of the forum, China has engaged in extensive and in-depth cooperation with the countries in the region continuously forging cooperative consensuses and actively supporting green development which has played an important role in promoting the economic and social development of the region and in improving the management of the ecological environment said Wang He noted that as countries in the

trans-Himalaya region are geographically linked, share similar cultures and are bound by a common destiny, they have highly similar views on ecological protection and are partners in the process of modernization China is willing to work with these countries to share the historic opportunities for development and build a community with a shared future with them, contributing to the prosperity, stability and environmental protection of the region and the world he added Wang put forward a five-point proposal for deepening cooperation in

the next phase First, he said all parties should adhere to mutual respect and trust jointly maintain regional unity and work hand in hand to build the region into a family with harmony and solidarity Second, he urged them to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and build a trans-Himalaya ecological civilization circle He also called for joint efforts to accelerate green transformation to facilitate the sustainable economic development of the region, strengthen connectivity to promote regional integration, and enhance exchanges and mutual understanding to bring ancient civilizations to life

Noting today s Xizang has become one of the regions with the best environmental quality in the world, Wang stressed that on the new journey of advancing Chinese modernization, Xizang will get continued support in creating a national ecological civilization highland with high standards and quality further deepening international exchanges and cooperation in the field of ecological protection, and keeping its sky blue, water clear and lands clean

LAHORE s tA f f r e p o r t

JS Bank, a leading financial institution renowned for its commitment to sustainable banking and fintech innovation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beaconhouse National University (BNU) Pakistan s first not-for-profit liberal arts institution The collaboration aims to establish a dedicated Chair in Sustainability and Fintech As a trailblazer in sustainable banking, JS Bank has consistently demonstrated its commitment to environmental responsibility and digital financial solutions This alliance with BNU marks a significant milestone in advancing sustainability climate resilience and financial technology in Pakistan The Chair in Sustainability and Fintech, funded by JS Bank, will serve as a hub for research, innovation, and thought leadership in sustainability and fintech The Chair will focus on a range of activities including Research & Development Policy Advocacy Green Leadership Initiatives as well as Educational Workshops and Training Programs

Zong 4G’s ‘Call Global Pay Local’ IDD package per fect connectivit y par tner for all ICC Cricket WC fans

ISLAMABAD s tA f f r e p o r t

Zong 4G, Pakistan's leading telecom operator, is ready to equip its subscribers with its exciting International Direct Dialing (IDD) package for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup titled "Call Global Pay Local This innovative package promises to bring the experience of the ICC Cricket World Cup in India right to your fingertips! As cricket fever sweeps across the nation in anticipation of the ICC World Cup, Zong 4G understands that fans need to stay connected, not just with the game but also with their loved ones "Call Global Pay Local" is here to make international calls to India both affordable and effortless ensuring that cricket enthusiasts can share every thrilling moment of the World Cup with their friends and family across borders This IDD package isn t just for a select few; it's available for both prepaid and postpaid customers, offering a seamless experience for everyone in the Zong 4G family The offer is available at an extremely affordable subscription price of PKR 0 5 + tax

(Daily) and a rate of PKR 2 + tax/minute The official spokesperson for the company said We understand that staying connected during the ICC Cricket World Cup important for our cricket fans With Call Global Pay Local,' we aim to enhance their cricket experience Zong 4G is committed to providing affordable and high-quality telecommunications services and this package is another testament to our dedication

Oil continues to tumble after previous session’s slide

PR OFIT r e u t e r s

Oil prices fell by more than $1 on Thursday, extending the previous session’s sharp losses as an uncertain demand outlook overshadowed any boost from an OPEC+ panel maintaining oil output cuts to keep supply tight Brent crude oil futures dropped $1 19 to $84 62 a barrel by 1045 GMT while U S West Texas Intermediate crude were $1 31 lower at $82 91 Oil settled more than $5 lower on Wednesday – its biggest daily drop in over a year – as a bleaker macroeconomic outlook and fuel demand destruction came into focus following a meeting of an OPEC+ panel grouping the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia The OPEC+ ministerial panel made no changes to the group s oil output policy, and Saudi Arabia said it would continue with a voluntary cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) until the end of 2023, while Russia would keep a 300 000 bpd voluntary export curb until the end of December The Kremlin also said on Thursday there was no deadline for lifting its ban on fuel exports to fight high local gasoline and diesel prices

We continue to see the market in deficit through the fourth quarter and the softer prices reduce the probability OPEC will ease supply constraints,” National Australia Bank analysts said in a note On the downside the euro zone economy probably shrank last quarter according to a survey which showed demand fell in September at the fastest pace in almost three years as consumers reined in spending amid rising borrowing costs and prices The latest data also showed a sharp decline in U S gasoline demand Finished motor gasoline supplied, a proxy for demand fell last week to about 8 million bpd its lowest since the start of this year the U S Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Wednesday The three-month rally in crude oil prices has been riding on the narrative of tighter supply dynamics and resilient global economic conditions, so there is some discomfort for the bulls lately when the tailwinds were not as prominent as before,” said Yeap Jun Rong a market strategist at IG Oil prices will struggle to push higher given the more uncertain demand outlook along with weaker U S economic data released on Wednesday and a significant build in gasoline inventories, he added The U S services sector slowed in September as new orders fell to a ninemonth low, though the pace remained consistent with expectations for solid economic growth in the third quarter Meanwhile a crude oil pipeline from Iraq through Turkey which has been suspended for about six months is ready for operations the Turkish energy minister said on Thursday

CORPORATE CORNER PRESIDENT FOR COLL ABORATIVE EFFORTS TO RAISE AWARENESS ON BREAST CANCER

they noticed any unusual growth

Mobilink Bank launches

‘MobilinkHER

Women Returnship Program

PR E S I D E N T Dr Arif Alvi has urged the need for making collaborative efforts by the public and private sector to create awareness about breast cancer, especially during October, besides providing support to those affected by the disease He said that media and other relevant stakeholders should join hands in the breast cancer awareness campaign and encourage women to engage in regular self-examinations and seek timely medical guidance for the early diagnosis of this life-threatening ailment The President made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation from Siemens Healthineers in Pakistan CEO of Siemens Mr Khurram Jameel and the First Lady Begum Samina Alvi attended the meeting virtually During the meeting, the President highlighted the potential of digital technologies in addressing healthcare challenges particularly in en-

Remit

hancing awareness improving healthcare accessibility and raising the quality of care while minimizing costs He underscored the importance of early screenings, self-examinations, and improved medical services Moreover, the President also underlined the pivotal role that private sector partners could play in raising awareness through media campaigns standee displays in hospitals and public areas distribution of pamphlets and or-

ganizing educational workshops and seminars in women s educational institutions He also called for organizing breast cancer awareness events during October

The President also commended the role of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and telecom companies, who had initiated a call-caution tone from 1st October on the advice of Presidency urging women to conduct self-examinations and seek medical advice if

Countering religious ex tremism collec tive social responsibility: Aneeq

Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed on Thursday said that countering religious extremism was a collective social responsibility Addressing the National Symposium on Multifaith Harmony and Legal Safeguards held at the Christ Church, he empha-

C ricket fever back with Emirates as O fficial Airline par tner of ICC Men’s C ricket World Cup 2023

K A R A C H I: As Global Partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Emirates is once again in full swing as Official Airline Partner of the ICC Men s Cricket World Cup 2023, taking place across India and running from 5 October to 19 November

Hosted across ten cities in India, the 2023 ICC Men s Cricket World Cup will bring together ten teams from across cricket-playing nations including 2019 defending champions England to battle it out for the coveted Cricket World Cup Trophy The silver and gold trophy has already made its way to India ahead of the tournament Emirates and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup As Official Airline Partner of the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup fans of the sport travelling onboard Emirates flights during the tournament can tune in to Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra and never miss the action At the 48 matches taking place across India, Emirates will enjoy a strong presence at the stadiums, with hospitality and ticketing rights, in addition to select in-stadium activations to build on the excitement PR

sized that promoting interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour The minister stated that our history was rich with Muslims and Christians sharing centuries together Efforts to bridge gaps in societies must continue to prevent incidents like Jaranwala from recurring, he added Emphasizing the importance of nurturing social harmony, he said “We have a bright past where Muslims and Christians

have spent centuries together We need to make further efforts to foster better societies to prevent incidents like Jaranwala from happening again Bishop Nadeem Kamran expressed his confidence in government actions and highlighted the significance of interfaith dialogue He stressed the need for a series of programmes to sustain an atmosphere of understanding and tolerance

Used c ars impor t outnumbers loc al sales

The import of used cars has been gaining momentum in the last financial year severely impacting the already affected local auto industry According to details, more than six thousand used cars were imported in the financial year 2022-23, with more than 1,800 units each being imported only from May to June this year “This is very unfortunate that total used car imports are more than the production of some OEMs, which at the time of import control measures is beyond understanding,” said Mr Zafar Ali, a renowned automotive professional He added that the continued rupee devaluation has been impacting product pricing and overall profitability of car manufacturers which has resulted in further price hikes of cars

It is worth adding here that Pakistan s automobile sector faces substantial challenges already including weak demand rapid price escalation expensive auto financing and deteriorating macros

These are in addition to LC restrictions still being faced by OEMs In these challenging times, the country continues to erode its current, already precious low foreign exchange reserves

In the fourth quarter of the Financial Year 2023, the auto sector ’s listed companies (Honda Atlas Cars Ltd , Indus Motor Company and Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd ) faced a 57% decline in sales on Year-on-Year basis while there was a 38% decline on a Quarter-on-Quarter basis The decline in sales (units) on Year-onYear basis for Honda Cars was 57% 58% for Indus Motors and 57% for Pak Suzuki

It is pertinent to mention here that Honda s market share is about 10% while Indus Motor has approximately 19% market share While Suzuki Motors has a market share of about 42%, Kia and Hyundai have gained a market share of about 6% (individually)

He added that these examples of key OEMs are enough to show how bad times the local auto industry is going through, while huge import of used cars is adding to the woes of the local auto industry “Car prices are influenced primarily by two factors the depreciation of rupee and fluctuations in international steel prices he shared He further stated that this issue of used car imports is also nullifying plausible localization (up to 71%) achieved by local auto industry in terms of parts PR

WB Countr y D irec tor c alls on Federal Minister Privatisation

A meeting took place between Federal Minister for Privatisation, Fawad Hasan Fawad, and Mr Najy Benhassine, the Country Head of the World Bank in Islamabad today The heart of their discussions lay in the caretaker government's strategic agenda for privatisation with specific attention to privatising Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and other SOEs for optimizing the performance of Distribution Companies (DISCOs) This concerted effort aims to rectify substantial financial losses incurred by these entities and thereby alleviate the fiscal burden on the government The Minister said that the Federal government and all institutional stakeholders have unanimously agreed to undertake the privatisation of major loss-making State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) which are already on privatisation list These SOEs are responsible for a substantial financial drain on government resources PIA has emerged as the foremost priority for privatisation due to its persistent and staggering financial losses amounting to billions of rupees annually Privatising PIA is considered imperative to remove these losses and improve its operational efficiency Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad explained the outlines of the PIA privatisation plan, expressing the government's intention to engage PR

ICCI, ICSTSI call for promoting ease of doing business to revive economy

ISLAMABAD: Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) and Sajjad Sarwar, President, Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries (ICSTSI) called upon the government to focus on promoting ease of doing business in order to facilitate the growth of business activities and revive the economy This demand was made during the visit of a delegation of President Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries to ICCI Tariq Khokhar Senior Vice President Rana Ayaz & Saqib Abbasi former Presidents, Imran Sukhera Executive Member, Tahir Arain former Senior Vice President ICSTSI and others were in the delegation PR

The President said that spreading the message of self-examination for early breast cancer detection should not be regarded as taboo He called upon media houses to broadcast/telecast messages regarding the significance of self-examination during their morning and talk shows as well as in public service announcements to create awareness about the disease He emphasized that increased awareness could lead to significant cost savings, given the expenses associated with treatment at the later stages of breast cancer

The CEO of Siemens Healthineers pledged his company s support for the breast cancer campaign during the meeting During the meeting, it was highlighted that Pakistan had one of the highest mortality rates due to breast cancer in Asia with approximately 90 000 cases diagnosed annually Early detection and proper treatment could potentially save numerous lives as over 90% of the breast cancer cases could be successfully treated, if detected at an early stage

Bank Alfalah appoints Farooq Ahmed Khan as Group Head - Corporate, Investment Banking & International Business

K A R A C H I: Bank Alfalah announces an addition to its leadership team as Farooq Ahmed Khan joins the Bank as Group Head - Corporate Investment Banking and International Business In this pivotal role he will be reporting directly to the President & CEO at the Bank Farooq brings a wealth of experience to his new position, boasting a remarkable career spanning over 27 years within the financial sector His career includes tenures at renowned institutions such as Faysal Bank MCB Bank Eco Trade & Development Bank and United Bank Limited Prior to his appointment at Bank Alfalah, Farooq held the position of Group Executive-Corporate & Investment Banking Group at United Bank Limited His impressive credentials extend to his academic background, holding a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from John M Olin School of Business at Washington University in St Louis MO USA PR

AKU celebrates World Teachers' D ay 2023

The Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) celebrated World Teachers' Day with a focus on UNESCO’s theme- ‘The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage ’ The event included a panel discussion featuring experts from the field of education including: Dr Faisal Bari Dean School of Education, Lahore University of Management Sciences; Dr Ghazala Siddiqui, Founder and Principal, Generation's School; and Mr Afaq Ahmed, Lecturer, Government Elementary College for Education and Alumnus Aga Khan University moderated by Professor Farid Panjwani Dean AKUIED In a message addressed to teachers on this special occasion Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin President AKU, recognised their invaluable contributions and reaffirmed AKU's commitment to building the capacity of teachers with the aim of supporting the development of a high-quality education system in Pakistan PR

HBL, JP Morgan sign accord for sec ure, cost- effec tive cross-border payments to Pakistan via X pedite

Pakistan, UaE comPany all sEt to sign 25-yEar concEssion agrEEmEnt for k arachi Port tErminal’s oPErations

PA K I S TA N is on the verge of signing a 25-year concession agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports, a UAE-based company, to operate the Karachi Gateway Terminal Limited The agreement, which has received approval from the federal cabinet promises to usher in substantial investments and modernization to the Karachi Port boosting the country s maritime infrastructure

This was revealed in the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Maritime Affairs chaired by Senator Rubina Khalid which convened at the Parliament House on Thursday

Under the proposed agreement Abu

Dhabi Ports will make an upfront payment of $50 million to the Pakistani government The concession period will extend for 25 years during which the UAE company will pay $18 00 per cross berth move and a ground rent of Rs 1,100 per sq mt per annum Addi-

tionally, the terminal operator has committed to invest $102 million in the next five years ensuring significant infrastructural upgrades to the Karachi Port

During the meeting committee members were provided with an overview of the key features of the commercial agreement, highlighting its potential to modernize the Karachi Port and ensure a steady stream of revenue

The caretaker Minister for Maritime Affairs Mr Shahid Tarrar in discussing the outsourcing of the Bulk Cargo Ter-

toshakhana verdict:

Pti chief moves ihc for over turning EcP disqualification

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T

In a bid to overturn his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday challenged the trial court verdict in the Toshakhana case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) In the plea, the PTI chief s lawyers contended that they had requested the IHC to completely suspend the trial court verdict that had convicted their client in the Toshakhana case However it added that the IHC in its August 28 verdict only suspended the sentence of the PTI chief and not the trial court order That it is settled principle of law that inherent powers of High Court are very wide and undefinable High Court can make all such orders to do real and substantial justice and it is a fit case to exercise the powers under Section 561-A Cr P C as the omission in not recording the contentions of the learned counsel for the applicant/appellant at the bar praying for suspension of the impugned order dated 05 08 2023 and subsequent non mentioning of the same in the order dated 28 08 2023 is an omission floating on the face of the order, states the plea The petition further contends that Khan s rights faced serious prejudice because of the non-suspension of the trial court verdict as ECP barred him from contesting elections “However the same has caused serious prejudice to the rights of the applicant/appellant as he has been disqualified from contesting election by the ECP s Notification dated 08 08 2023 on the basis of the impugned order of conviction /sentence, hence, the interest of justice demands that the omission stated heretofore may be rectified by exercising the powers under Section 561-A Cr P C and the operation of impugned order may very graciously be ordered to be suspended/stayed till final decision of the appeal states the petition

lhc annuls centre’s order on sugar price fixing in Punjab

r

e n t t o f i x t h e p r i c e o f s u g a r i n t h e p r o v i n c e ” t h e L H C d e c i d e d T h e b e n c h d e c l a r e d f e d e r a l n o t i f i c a t i o n f o r f i x i n g s u g a r p r i c e i s s u e d b y t h e f e d e r a l s e c r e t a r y C o n t r o l l e r G e n e r a l P r i c e a s v o i d

The court in its brief verdict said that the Price Act

1977 being declared void in the jurisdiction of Punjab

“A detailed verdict of the case will be issued later”

The sugar mills had challenged the federal government’s notification with regard to fixing the price of sugar The high court earlier on a petition of sugar mills issued notices to the federal government and other parties in the case

Fixing sugar price is the mandate of the federal government or provinces, the court posed question

Sugar mills lawyer Imtiaz Siddiqui argued that the sugar price could not be fixed with a decision of the federal cabinet “After 18th Amendment provinces have been mandated to take decisions over affairs related to the food sector counsel argued

In contravention to the court order, sugar price was fixed without consulting the mills, lawyer said

“The sugar advisory board, while fixing the price, neither consulted nor heard the mills point of view,” lawyer told the court

minal requested an in-camera meeting to provide a detailed briefing on the matter He emphasized that while the agreement had not yet been signed it had received cabinet approval and was in the final stages of execution He further assured the committee that outsourcing the Bulk Cargo Terminal was in the best interests of the country promising modernization and upgrading of Karachi Port infrastructure and guaranteed revenue The committee also scrutinized the procurement tenders issued by Karachi Port Trust (KPT) over the past decade The committee further examined KPT’s hiring of machinery and equipment on rental charges It was revealed that one pilot boat was hired from 2016 to 2018 due to the non-availability of

KPT’s own pilot boats From 2019 onwards two pilot boats were rented for shipping operations each at a daily charge of Rs 60 000 inclusive of manning and maintenance by the vendors However, despite an expenditure of Rs 224 million on these pilot boats, the revenue earned from wet charges between 2016 and May 2023 amounted to approximately Rs 15 billion The meeting attended by Senators Nuzhat Sadiq Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Senator Saifullah Abro, Senator Dost Muhammad Khan, and Senator Muhammad Akram, showcased the government’s dedication to enhancing Pakistan’s maritime infrastructure ensuring transparency and fostering economic growth through strategic partnerships and investments

K-Elec tric pins massive net loss of Rs30.9b in 2023 to macroeconomic hurdles

BQPS-III on High Speed Diesel (HSD) which will enable a breakup fuel source to be available for continued plant operations during periods of LNG scarcity

at least 60 killed in drone attack on syrian militar y academy

BEIRUT

K-Electric (KE) has reported a staggering net loss of Rs 30 9 billion during the financial year (FY) 2023 which is a stark contrast to Rs 8 5 billion profit the company (KE) earned in FY 2022

The company reported in their annual financial report that they had earned revenue worth Rs 519,471 million in FY 2023 compared to Rs 518,777 million worth revenue in FY 2022 (0 13percent) Similarly, the gross profit of the KE was Rs 52 812 million in FY 2023 which stood at Rs 68 536 million in FY 2022 Furthermore the company faced net loss of Rs 30 897 million in FY 2023 while the company reported Rs 8,524 million worth profit in FY 2022

In its reporter the country s only vertically integrated utilities provider had claimed the fiscal year was significantly influenced by challenging sociopolitical and macroeconomic factors that have had a cascading impact on multiple sectors including KE And the surging inflation policy rate hikes rupee devaluation and a contraction in economic activity have cast a significant influence on the company s operations and overall profitability

Compared with FY22, KE weathered a 7 3% reduction in units sent out due to reduced economic activity Inflationary pressures and governmentmandated increases in prices of electricity have also impacted customer s propensity to pay and decreased KE s recovery ratio from 96 7% to 92 8% between FY22 and FY23, resulting in an increase in impairment loss against doubtful debts

“Significant increase in consumer-end tariff, fuel cost adjustments and high inflationary pressures etc impacted power customers across the country as a result their ability to pay declined in the recovery ration to 92 8pc in FY 2023 as against 96 7% reported during FY 2022, said KE s Annual Report 2023 which is published with a theme of Powering Possibilities Key milestones achieved in FY23 includes the successful commissioning of both units (450MW each) of KE’s 900 MW RLNG-based BQPS-III plant which is one of country s most efficient power plants while KE plans to also commission both units of

Construction work is also progressing rapidly on the KE s first flagship 500kV Grid at KANNUPKarachi Interconnection (KKI) with pre-commissioning works also being fast tracked for 220 kV Dhabeji grid These will enable the offtake of additional electricity from National Grid bolstering the supply available for Karachi The Company’s Investment Plan 2030 submitted to NEPRA for approval aims to grow KE’s share of renewable energy to 30% in addition to investments of PKR 484 billion across the transmission and distribution value chain

During the year (FY 2023), overall transmission capacity was enhanced by 162 MVAs with addition of new power transformers alongside augmentation and replacement efforts in existing grid This takes the company’s total transformation capacity to 6 965 MVAs as of June 30 2023 This capacity enhancement will strengthen the flexibility and reliability of KE s transmission network and enable the organization to serve growing power demand in growth centres, said KE s Annual Report 2023

It is further learnt from KE’s Annual Report 2023 that the company also increased its efforts to curb electricity theft and facilitate customers in clearing their electricity dues Over 100 000 customers have been supported through facilitation camps across the city, and 100 tonnes of kunda wires have also been removed by field teams operating round-the-clock Connections with long-standing dues are also being disconnected in line with the NEPRA Consumer Service Manual the governing document for all distribution companies in Pakistan

KE remains committed to addressing the prevailing challenges and focuses on enhancing its operational improvements along the value chain The company is also working on the renewal of the tariff for the next control period started from July 1, 2023, with an aim to obtain a sustainable cost reflective and investment enabling tariff with adjustment mechanism at par with other power sector entities

G o v t d e c i d e s t o s e e k r e v i e w o f S C ve r d i c t o n N A B a m e n d m e n t s

The federal government on Thursday decided to file a review petition against the Supreme Court (SC) verdict in the NAB amendment case

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on September 15 struck down amendments made to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws as it announced its reserved verdict on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

(PTI) chairman s plea

In a majority

2-1 verdict, the top court approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan s petition challenging amendments made to the country s accountability laws during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government Sources say that the review petition will be filed in the top court next week The law ministry has also started preparing a draft of a review petition

The three-member bench,

headed by then CJP Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan had reserved judgment on September 5 Ex-CJP Bandial and Justice Ahsan declared Imran’s plea to be maintainable while Justice Shah disagreed with the verdict The top court also restored graft cases against public office holders that were closed down following the amendments to NAB laws

Following the verdict, the references against some of the country’s political bigwigs will once again land in the accountability courts

These include the Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan People s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani LNG reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi rental power reference against former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and assets beyond means case

At least 60 people were killed on Thursday in an attack on a military academy in Syria a war monitor and a security source said with weaponised drones bombing the site minutes after Syria s defence minister left a graduation ceremony there Civilians and military personnel were killed in the attack on the military academy in the central province of Homs, Syria’s defence ministry said in a statement, adding “terrorist” groups had used drones to carry it out The statement did not specify an organisation and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack Syria s defence minister attended the graduation ceremony but left minutes before the attack, according to a Syrian security source and a security source in the regional alliance backing the Damascus government against opposition groups “After the ceremony people went down to the courtyard and the explosives hit We don t know where it came from and corpses littered the ground said a Syrian man who had helped set up decorations at the academy for the occasion The Observatory said at least 78 people had been killed and more than 140 wounded The source in the alliance backing Syria’s government said the toll was at 66 Syria’s conflict began with protests against President Bashar al-Assad in 2011 but spiralled into an all-out war that has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced

The Syrian army has been gutted by the fighting, and relied heavily on military support from Russia and Iran as well as Tehran-backed fighters from Lebanon, Iraq and other countries Assad regained most of the country but a swathe in the north bordering Turkey is still held by armed opposition groups including hardline jihadist fighters

Poll delay intolerable to nation: Pti spokesperson

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson said that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was constitutionally bound to hold elections within the stipulated 90 days; hence the electoral watchdog and the caretaker government have only 34 days to meet the constitutional deadline

He categorically stated that the nation would not tolerate any unconstitutional attempts to delay the polls beyond the constitutional deadline come what may The PTI spokesperson made it clear that it was electoral body s main constitutional responsibility and the fundamental right of the people to hold elections within the constitutionally mandated timeframe of 90 days Therefore, he demanded that the honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan should intervene pre-emptively in order to thwart any attempt of violation of the Constitution and to make the ECP and the caretaker government bound to ensure holding elections within the constitutional time limits

against former finance minister Ishaq Dar

In June 2022 the former premier had moved the apex court against amendments made to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Act 2022 N A B L AW A M E N D M E N T:

The NAB (Second Amendment)

Bill 2021 states that NAB s deputy chairman, to be appointed by the federal government, would become the acting chairman of the bureau following the completion of the tenure of the chairman

The bill has also reduced the four-year term of the NAB chairman After approval of the law NAB will not be able to act on federal, provincial or local tax matters

It has also set a three-year term for the judges of the accountability courts Under the proposed law it has been made binding upon NAB to ensure the availability of evidence against an accused prior to his or her arrest

PTI spokesperson went on to say that the state was subject to the constitution and the constitution made the free will of the public the basis of the political and governmental system “Suspension of any article or part of the Constitution is akin to suspending the entire Constitution which is a serious crime he said adding that the constitution did not give any authority to any state institution alone or in association with others to take any decision contrary to its intent regarding holding of the elections PTI spokesperson underlined that the constitution was very clear about the five-year term of the elected assemblies and about conduct of elections in the wake of the timely or premature dissolution of these assemblies He stated that in case of premature dissolution of the assemblies the constitution mandated the conduct of elections within timeframe of 90 days, which was interpreted by the top court and approved by the President PTI spokesman made it clear that the ECP and the caretaker government have only 34 days to conduct the elections as the President of the state in his letter to the electoral watchdog suggested November 9 as the date for the elections He alerted that if the constitution was violated by avoiding holding polls within 90-day limits, then the ECP and the caretaker prime minister along with his cabinet would be guilty of constitutional violation which was punishable crime under Article 6 PTI spokesperson vowed that the nation would not accept any attempt to delay the poll for an indefinite period at any cost

the month of August under FCA mechanism However NEPRA on Thursday approved an increase of Rs 1 71/unit in electricity price for the consumers of DISCOS except K-Electric under FCA of August 2023

N E P R A n o t i f i e s R s 1 . 7 1 p e r u n i t h i k e i n p o we r p r i c e u n d e r F C A o f A u g u s t