Epaper_23-10-07 ISB

EVICTION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN LINE WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE: JILL ANI

g Says whenever there is any problem, people immigrate to Pakistan

Kabul must stop TTP attacks from Afghan soil on Pakistan: Durrani

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

INTERIM Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday defended the government decision to evict all illegal immigrants including 1 73 million Afghans, saying no other country allows illegal immigrants and the decision is in line with international practice “So accordingly this is in line with the international practice that we have taken this decision he added

Whenever there was any problem people would immigrate to Pakistan, take refuge in Pakistan, Jilani said

“But now I think it has been more than 40 years so the government of Pakistan has taken a decision ” Jilani said noting that the situation in Afghanistan had stabilised Earlier this week the government 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

Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir

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 Subsequently Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had stated that the crackdown on undocumented immigrants was not aimed at any particular ethnic group At a weekly press briefing she said the decision was aimed at regulating illegal aliens residing in Pakistan irrespective of their nationality Pakistan is well within the parameters of its sovereign domestic laws to act in this context,” she remarked The FO spokesperson said the decision was not targeted at Afghan refugees

As the situation in Afghanistan sta-

COA S vows action against spectr um of illegal activities to deny pilferage of resources, economic losses

g Underscores synergy among departments for gainful effects of landmark initiatives

KARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir on Friday said law enforcement agencies and the government would continue efforts against a spectrum of illegal activities with full force to deny pilferage of resources and economic losses

The COAS passed these remarks during a meeting of the Sindh Provincial Apex Committee with Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar in attendance

During the meeting the COAS received briefings on several important matters, including the revised National Action Plan, operations in the riverine areas of Sindh the security of foreign nationals working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other private projects repatriation of illegal foreigners and foreign currency regularization measures, according to a

Nawaz’s homecoming on Oct 21 confirmed, says Shehbaz

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

Special Representative for Afghanistan Asif Ali Durrani said that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been carrying out terrorist attacks on Pakistan from Afghanistan, asserting that Afghan interim government must stop this process Asif Durrani said that “the peace [the Taliban] brought to Afghanistan must also be brought to our borderlands TTP fighters in Afghanistan using US weapons should be returned to Pakistan or neutralized he added while addressing a function here in Islamabad He also strongly denied the Afghan accusation of interference in Pakistan Addressing a function in Islamabad, Asif Ali Durrani said that the Soviet Union was not invited to Afghanistan by Pakistan, nor was the Afghan refugees invited by Pakistan itself Asif Ali Durrani said that peace, stability, development and prosperity in Afghanistan have to be decided by the Afghans themselves Pakistan or the outside world cannot provide a lasting peace and security solution in Afghanistan he said

bilises, we believe that it is the right time to upscale international efforts to create conditions conducive to the voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees with honour and dignity she said She said the repatriation exercise would be undertaken in a phased deliberate and orderly manner The process would proceed depending on the number of illegal immigrants in Pakistan and the arrangements” for their return to their respective countries Speaking to Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV in an interview on the sidelines of a forum in Tibet Jilani said No country allows illegal people to live in their country whether it is Europe, whether it is countries in Asia, in our neighbourhood ” Decades of war in Afghanistan largely ended in mid-2021 when the Taliban re-took control as US-led foreign

forces were withdrawing and a USbacked government collapsed Jilani said Pakistan had been discussing the migrant issue with Afghanistan “for a very long time and he called on international humanitarian agencies to help with the process Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Tuesday some 1 73 million Afghans in Pakistan had no legal documents and the number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan totalled 4 4 million In defending the decision to expel Afghans authorities said 14 of 24 suicide bombings this year had been carried out by Afghan nationals A Taliban spokesman rejected that assertion Aid officials say Afghanistan is already facing a humanitarian crisis and the forced repatriation of large numbers of people would compound dire problems

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reiterated that thrice ousted former premier Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan on October 21 and face the law and Constitution Speaking to the media in Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif said that his party s legal team had cleared Nawaz, who has been residing in London in self-imposed exile since 2019 to return to Pakistan Nawaz left for London in the middle of his seven-year jail term on medical grounds He has since been declared a proclaimed offender in the Avenfield and Al Aziza graft cases for his continuous absence from legal proceedings Earlier today, a fresh medical report was submitted before the Lahore High Court (LHC) stating that the PML-N supremo would require “frequent follow-up investigations” for “some residual anginal symptoms in London and Pakistan I want to respectfully say that you shouldn t ask if he is coming or not, this is confirmed now, asserted Shehbaz The PML-N stalwart had begun his address by speaking about the 16-month tenure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government led by his party and recalled the challenges faced during his time in the premier s office He referred to floods inflation protests and the risk of default that his government had faced What would have happened if Pakistan had defaulted? he asked, outlining the “consequential impacts” of such a situation “But God helped us avert default and I am thankful to Nawaz for standing by us ” added Shehbaz The former premier further said that if his party chief had told us to save our politics I would have resigned Nawaz told us to take up the challenge and save the country instead, he said He referred to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and making the country an atomic as examples of Nawaz’s contributions to the country while lamenting painful events overturned Pakistan s journey of growth Shehbaz asserted that in 2017-18 the PML-N had won the elections but the results were changed in massive rigging and a pre-prepared model was introduced to ruin the country” But now, the journey of prosperity will resume with Nawaz’s arrival claimed Shehbaz adding that the PML-N supremo will share his plan for the country s future at Minar-e-Pakistan on October 21

statement issued by the Inter-Services

Public Relations (ISPR)

The participants further discussed the repatriation of illegal foreigners and measures for foreign currency regulation

The ISPR said the status of the Karachi Transformation Plan and initiatives under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in the province also came up during the discussion LEAs and other government departments will continue the enforcement actions against a spectrum of illegal activities with full force to deny pilferage of resources and economic losses that the country suffers due to these activities the military s media wing quoted Gen Asim Munir as saying

He also underscored the need for “synergy among all relevant departments for gainful effects of the landmark initiatives”

Pakistan

beat Netherlands by 81 r uns in World Cup opener

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan began their World Cup campaign with a resounding 81-run triumph over the Netherlands on Friday as they managed to dismiss the Dutch batters for 201 runs in their pursuit of a 287-run target The match was played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad Haris Rauf led the wicket-taking charts with three scalps in his 10 overs conceding 43 runs Hasan Ali followed closely taking two wickets for 33 runs in his seven overs, while Shaheen, Iftikhar, Nawaz, and Shadab chipped in with one wicket each Bas de Leede was the top scorer for the Dutch side with 67 runs while opener Vikramjit Singh contributed 52 runs However apart from them none of the other batsmen managed to make a substantial impact Earlier, Leede took four wickets as Pakistan were bowled out for 286, derailing an innings which featured half-centuries from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan De Leede finished with 4-62 to bring the Netherlands back into the game after Shakeel struck an attractive 52-ball 68 and Rizwan s 75-ball 68 boosted Pakistan after they were sent in to bat Dutch pacer Logan van Beek had out-of-form opener Fakhar Zaman caught and bowled for 12 in the fourth over Spinner Colin Ackermann then claimed the prized wicket of skipper Babar Azam f o r f i v e b e f o r e P a u l v a n M e e k e r e n d i smissed Imam-ul-Haq for 15 to leave Pakistan tottering at 38-3

Shakeel and Rizwan playing their first World Cup match steadied the innings with a solid 120-run stand for the fourth wicket but three wickets fell in the space of 24 balls for 30 runs Shakeel who struck nine boundaries and a six miscued a sweep off-spinner Aryan Dutt before De Leede bowled Rizwan and had Iftikhar Ahmed for nine Rizwan hit eight boundaries

Pakistan were further lifted as Mohammad Nawaz (39) and Shadab Khan (32) added 64 for the seventh wicket but De Leede dismissed Shadab and Hasan Ali off successive deliveries Nawaz was run out in the 47th over before Haris Rauf s dismissal off Ackermann finished the innings in 49 overs

Pakistan picked two frontline spinners in Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz alongside fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali

The Netherlands the only Associate side in the World Cup have Roelof van der Merwe Aryan Dutt and Saqib Zulfiqar as their spin options

Pakistan team: Fakhar Zaman, Imamul Haq, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz Hasan Ali Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf The Netherlands team: Vikramjit Singh Max O Dowd Colin Ackermann Bas de Leede Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards, Saqib Zulfiqar, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt and Paul van Meekeren

IHC to announce verdict on Imran’s plea against jail trial soon

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) indicated on Friday that it will announce its reserved verdict on former premier Imran Khan’s miscellaneous pleas against the appointment of the judge holding the trial for the cypher case and the state s decision to hold proceedings inside Adiala jail within two to three days

Lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat appeared before IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq on behalf of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson

The lawyer informed the court that the trial for the cypher case has commenced in prison and the next hearing is slated for October 9 (Monday) but the decision on the PTI chief ’s plea against it is yet to be announced Justice Farooq remarked that he would expedite his decision as requested by the petitioner Not by Monday but within two to three days he said

It has been reported that you have raised objections at being shifted to Adiala jail he added directing his remarks at the petitioner s counsel But it was you who petitioned to be shifted to Adiala jail from Attock jail, observed Justice Farooq, asking Imran’s lawyer to clarify this contradiction

The PTI chairperson’s request for transfer was approved remarked the judge Why then has this debate been initiated in the press by you asked Justice Farooq

To this the counsel replied that no such official statement has been made before the press on behalf of the PTI chief Justice Farooq remarked that he was surprised at reading such reports by the media Lawyer Marwat said that the defence had expected B-Class facilities for the former premier in Adiala jail but they were not given At this, the IHC CJ said that Barrister Latif Khosa – a senior member of Imran s legal team – filed a petition in this regard yesterday (Thursday) The court will issue notices in this regard added Justice Farooq

The PTI chairperson was arrested for the second time this year on August 5 after a district and sessions court convicted him in the Toshakhana case

The three-year prison term awarded to Imran was suspended later by the IHC but it emerged that he had been sent on judicial remand in the cypher case, which pertains to a diplomatic cable from the United States that allegedly went missing from the former premier s possession

The PTI has claimed that the cypher contained a threat from the US calling for Imran s ouster from the Prime Minister Office Yesterday (Thursday), Imran approached the IHC appealing to the higher court to annul the verdict issued by the trial court in the Toshakhana case as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan s (ECP) notification disqualifying him from contesting in the upcoming general elections

Imran remains incarcerated in Adiala jail and has over 150 criminal cases pending against him

JOINING BRICS TO STRENGTHEN ETHIOPIAN ECONOMIC TIES WITH EMERGING MARKETS: ENVOY

AM B A S S A D O R Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Pakistan Jemal Beker

Abdula has said that his country s joining BRICS (Brazil Russia India China & South Africa) will strengthen its economic cooperation with the emerging markets of the world

While addressing a round table discussion on “Expanding BRICS and the New Alignments” he underscored that the BRICS expansion would be instrumental in Ethiopia s ten-year development plan aligning with the economic reforms initiated by Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ambassador Jemal Beker said that

Senate body on I&P deliberates appointments in PITAC

ISLAMABAD s TA F F R E P O R T

Presided over by Senator Senator Khalida

Ateeb the meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production held at Parliament House on Friday deliberated on appointments made in the Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Center (PITAC) The Senate Body discussed the appointment of Mr Basir Ahmad son of Haji Yar Muhammad at the PITAC The Legal Counsel of PITAC apprised the committee that Basir Ahmad was appointed as an Apprentice Engineer in 2012, and the rules do not make it obligatory for PITAC to offer employment to an individual after the completion of their apprenticeship The affected individual Bashir Ahmad mentioned that he was appointed as an Apprentice Engineer under the Aghaz e Haqooq Baluchistan Project subject to consideration for a permanent position after the completion of his apprenticeship However, despite the availability of relevant positions no permanent position was offered to him The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with PITAC and directed the ministry to investigate the matter and submit a report at the next meeting Senator Dr Muhammad Humayun Mohamand highlighted the matter of illegal conduct by Private Members of the NFC Board in dereliction of their fiduciary responsibilities He claimed that some NFC employees were continuing to work after accepting the consensual Golden Handshake and enjoying the perks and privileges associated with it Officials of NFC stated that the matter was referred to the FIA in 2019, and the investigation has not been completed yet The Committee has directed NFC to provide details of the necessary actions taken by NFC management to expedite the inquiry While discussing the present status of the regularization of services and the increase in salaries of National Fertilizer Marketing Ltd (NFML) employees the MD of NFML apprised the committee that there is a substantial gap between the salaries of regular and contract employees However the salaries of contract employees were increased by 30% last year to lessen the gap to some extent Senator Khalida Ateeb remarked that complaints were received which indicate that a ‘Blue Eyed Criteria’ was adopted for the regularization of services MD NFML replied that only those individuals were regularized who were appointed on regular posts The Committee directed NFML to submit details of appointments made so far in the next meeting The meeting was attended by Senator Fida Muhammad Senator Faisal

Saleem Rehman Senator Mohammad Abdul

Qadir Senator Dr Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, Additional Secretary for Ministry of Industries and Production, MD NFML and other senior officers of relevant departments were also in attendance

Pakistani women can per form Hajj ‘sans mehram’

and opportunities for technology transfer, knowledge sharing and infrastructural development He highlighted Ethiopia s commitment to diversify its exports in key sectors such as agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, mining, tourism, and information and communication technology (ICT)

Ethiopia with the second largest population in Africa, had become one of the fastestgrowing economies globally maintaining an impressive average growth rate for last several years even during the pandemic critical time

He emphasized that Ethiopia s entry into BRICS would open new avenues for increased trade, foreign direct investment,

“With the addition of new members like Saudi Arabia Iran and others BRICS now represents nearly half of the global population and a quarter of the global GDP, he said, adding this actually positioned BRICS as an economic powerhouse that could not be ignored He also underlined Ethiopia’s vital role in the African Union stating that Ethiopia brings not only economic strength but also a deep understanding of regional dynamics to the group with its addition

“As the headquarters of the African Union Ethiopia holds significant influence over regional affairs and aims to become a hub of connectivity and manufacturing in the African continent offering BRICS a gateway to African markets, the ambassador remarked He expressed his optimism that BRICS expansion would enhance southsouth cooperation fostering sustainable socio-economic development worldwide Collaboration within BRICS will promote technology transfer knowledge sharing, economic integration, environmental sustainability, and infrastructural development among member countries ” He said Ethiopia’s inclusion in BRICS marked a significant milestone in the nation’s economic trajectory promising increased global engagement economic growth and mutual development opportunities

Youth voices and women’s leadership: Canada’s high commissioner urges climate solutions

RAWALPINDI s TA F F R E P O R T

Accountability Lab Pakistan in collaboration with the Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi and Canada Fund for Local Initiatives organized a three-day bootcamp from October 3rd to October 5th focusing on fostering youth leadership in climate change mitigation During the bootcamp, the students were engaged in interactive sessions, and hands-on activities designed to enhance their understanding of climate change its impacts and potential solutions Students were encouraged to explore their role as future leaders and change-makers dedicated to protecting the environment Participants also worked in groups on climate change-related projects encouraging collaboration and innovative problem-solving

The bootcamp also facilitated networking among participants and experts, creating a supportive community for young emerging leaders passionate about advocating for climate justice

“The future of our planet lies in the hands of the next generation and it is important that we empower the youth

with the necessary knowledge skills tools, and opportunities to lead towards a sustainable greener future In Pakistan, the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives is partnering with climate activists NGOs and civil society to actively engage with the youth of Pakistan sensitizing them to the critical conversations surrounding environmental action and climate change

challenges faced by women and girls

The strength of our collective action lies in embracing the voices of our youth and ensuring that women and girls stand at the forefront of climate solutions By working together, we can translate our collective commitment into actions and lasting change that benefits everyone, High Commissioner of Canada H E Leslie Scanlon Pakistan has been in the top ten bracket of the Climate Change vulnerability index for almost over a decade and a half We do not see a corresponding conversation in society in the society as an awareness of the threat level Time has come to break the barrier of preaching to the converted and inform other segments of the society to understand the threat and learn the importance of adaptation reiterated Afia Salam- the lead trainer for the eco-bootcamp Farhan Khalid, Program Manager, Accountability Lab remarked that “empowering youth with knowledge and leadership skills is crucial to addressing the global climate crises This boot camp empowers youth to take a leading role in addressing climate change It s a vital step towards building a generation actively engaged in sustainable practices”

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said on Friday that Hajj policy 2024 would be announced in the next two weeks under which women can perform Hajj without a mehram (a close male relative) The ministry further said that the federal cabinet will approve the Hajj policy within 10 days and the Hajj application process for the next year will get following cabinet s nod Furthermore, the ministry has also prepared strict rules regarding the sighting of the crescent moon As per the new rules, only the Ruet-e-Hilal committee will announce the sighting of the crescent moon no private committees will be allowed to do so the ministry recommended Earlier Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed said that the Saudi Arabia government would provide additional facilities and improved services to Pakistani pilgrims during the Hajj 2024 He said accommodation meals and transportation for pilgrims would be improved with a more comfortable and convenient experience Saudi Minister for Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, assured of Saudi Arabia s commitment to further cooperation with Pakistan He highlighted that the Saudi government was continuously working to improve services for Pakistani pilgrims and several new initiatives had been taken to ensure their comfort and convenience

BISP promoting education in A JK via Benazir Taleemi Wazaif: Dr A ziz

MUZAFFARABAD I N P

Our mission goes beyond that Canada also supports the inclusion of women and girls in designing and developing strategic responses to climate change We are dedicated to ensuring that climate-related planning, policymaking, and financing are finely attuned to the unique needs and

PTI slams S hehbaz for plunging countr y into quagmire

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

Spokesperson fired a salvo at Shehbaz Sharif for plunging Pakistan which was on the path of stability and prosperity, into quagmire of destruction, chaos and lawlessness, saying that a national criminal was now trying to ensnare the state and the people in the net of deception with his fraudulent narrative and cunning conversation

In his strong-worded reaction to Shahbaz Sharif s press conference, PTI spokesperson said that the criminal’s presser was nothing but a pack of lies, forgery and folklores He said that the national criminal who ruined the fast thriving economy and the state institutions once again tried to trap the state and the people into the net of deception with his deceitful narrative and acrobatic skills

PTI spokesperson stated that the ignorance and unawareness about Imran

Riaz s months-long enforced disappearance and brutal extrajudicial violence against him was the enough proof to prove him a master liar He went on to say that this national criminal who was the product of the nefarious regime change conspiracy slaughtered the economy growing at the pace of 6% per annum

PTI spokesperson continued that this national criminal crushed the poor and salaried class under the burden of historical and galloping inflation of 45% and pushed over one and a half million Pakistanis into the blind abyss of poverty He flayed that the fugitive brother of this national criminal trapped Pakistan in the expensive fuel projects that made the electricity too much costly, resultantly the inflated power bills became a snare of handing for the inflation-weary and poverty-stricken masses

The PTI spokesperson reminded the brutality and fascism of this national criminal could be judged from the fact that he even did not spare the poor as he

was so blind in political revenge of PTI

Chairman Imran Khan that he took away the health card facility amounting to Rs 1 million given to every citizen by initiated by PTI government

He lamented that this national criminal destroyed the entire social and political fabric of the country including the constitution, law, democracy, political and democratic freedoms of the citizens

PTI spokesperson said that the family devoid of honour and self-respect was still striving to room for themselves to gain power through underhand deal and malicious schemes in total disregard of democracy the constitution and the votes of the people

He suggested that instead of conspiring to bring this corrupt into power through undemocratic unconstitutional unlawful and unnatural methods the people should be given the choice as per the constitutional requirements so as they voted to power as per their free will whom they wanted

H e p at i t i s p at i e n t s awa i t m e d i c i n e s u p p l y i n P u n j a b

Regional Director Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Dr Abdul Aziz Qurashi has said that the BISP was committed to serve the marginalized segments of society through Benazir Taleemi Wazaif and actively working on an exit strategy for its beneficiaries with a prime focus on equipping the children of beneficiaries with formal, technical and professional training related to IT and other valuable technical skills He emphasized that this vision was an evidence of the program's long-term commitment to empowering vulnerable communities While talking to the members of 19th Regional Coordination Committee held in BISP Regional Office Muzaffarabad on Friday, Dr Abdul Aziz Qurashi shed light on the BISP s ongoing efforts to provide Benazir Taleemi Wazaif to 252 382 (Two hundred fifty-two thousand three hundred eighty two) BISP beneficiaries children across the state of AJ&K He reiterated the program s dedication to transparency in payment mechanisms and its promise of improving the welfare of those in need He expressed gratitude for being given the opportunity by Almighty Allah to serve the underprivileged and reaffirmed the BISP s commitment to ensuring the respect and dignity of these women Ms Sania Mumtaz Deputy Secretary, Elementary & Secondary Education represented the Education Department of AJK She appreciated the BISP efforts and ensures cooperation for noble cause In context of World Teacher Day she drew a parallel between the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P B U H) and the modern-day significance of teachers underlining the timeless value attributed to those who impart knowledge and moral values She has described teachers as "Fountains of Knowledge and Wisdom" and emphasized the importance of paying homage to these noble individuals who dedicate their lives to nurture the future Dy Director (Beneficiaries Management) BISP AJK, Raja Sajad shared quarterly progress report of Benazir Taleemi Wazif and highlighted that Benazir Taleemi Wazaif is a Conditional Cash Transfer Programme for education of children of BISP active Kafaalat beneficiaries up to higher secondary level LAHORE

Patients registered with the Hepatitis Control Program in Lahore have been waiting for medicines to complete their course According to details the lives of the patients registered with the Hepatitis Control Program in Punjab are at stake as the clinics established across Punjab are short of medicines

Hepatitis Control Program Manager Dr

Abid Ghauri said the medicines were not brought by the health department as the rate quoted for the medicines was very high He added that tender for the purhrase of medicine has been issued again and hoped that the supply of medicine will be restored by October 15

Earlier Pakistan s Envoy to the United States, Sardar Masood Khan said Islamabad remains steadfast in its dedication to addressing the challenge of hepatitis and

achieving the World Health Organization s global elimination targets by 2030 Ambassador Masood Khan made these remarks while representing Pakistan at the second annual meeting of the United Nations Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis at the sideline of UNGA78 W H AT I S H E PAT I T I S? Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and noninfectious agents leading to a range of health problems, some of which can be fatal

There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E While they all cause liver disease, they differ in important ways including modes of transmission, severity of the illness geographical distribution and prevention methods

In particular types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and together are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and viral hepatitis-related deaths

Inter-provincial conference to devise strategy on educ ation on Oc t 16: Madad Ali

KARACHI s

Caretaker Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Madad Ali Sindhi on Thursday said that inter-provincial education conference to devise a national strategy for bringing improvement in the education system across the country would be held in Islamabad on October 16

He informed that while addressing the Academia Choice Award 2023 ceremony organized by All Sindh Private School and College Association in collaboration with Directorate of Private Institutions Sindh Education and Literacy Department here to mark the World Teachers Day Madad Ali Sindhi said that education ministers of all the provinces and other stakeholders would be invited to the conference to brainstorm on the issues facing the education system in the country and to find out consen-

sus based solutions to address them Education is the only way to move the country ahead on the path of progress and prosperity and federal and provincial government have to sit together to envisage a reform agenda for enhancing the quality of education and expanding its access to all the citizens, he maintained Highlighting the issues in education sector, he urged to enroll over 28 million out of the schoolchildren improve quality of education and relevant infrastructure incorporate modern technologies in learning processes training of teachers and attaching topmost priority to education for reforming the education sector and bringing it at par with developed nations Madad Ali Sindhi said that the caretaker government was determined to ameliorate the educational system of the country and he as a minister intended to develop a comprehensive and futurist framework in the regard that could be followed by the coming elected

government The minister said that he had held meetings with vice chancellors of universities and visited different schools to review the situation and take immediate measures for resolving the issues He paid a glowing tribute to all person-

alities who established educational institutions in Sindh during British rule to educate the youth and said ” We must remember and honour them to acknowledge their remarkable contributions for the development of the nation Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (r) Maqbool Baqar, while addressing on the occasion, said that in the contemporary era competition for development and supremacy of any nation or country takes place in the class room while progress of a class depends on a good teacher So the day of teachers is actually a day of evolution to a better world, he added The CM stressed on the need of devising a sound strategy for education and training of youth said that continuity resilience and practical steps for improvements of the education sector could help in addressing issued being faced Sindh Caretaker Education Minister Rana Hussain said that shortage of able and dedicated teachers has become a

global issue as people were quitting the field due to non-availability of proper training and facilities Quoting a UNESCO research she said that 69 million new teachers would be needed by the year 2030 across the world She urged that teachers should not assess the student only on the basis of scores obtained in the test but they should try to explore the capabilities and talent of the child Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab speaking at the occasion announced to name different parks and roads of the metropolis after teachers who rendered significant services for nation building by educating the youth He invited relevant administrative officers to recommend the names of teachers and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation would name the schools parks roads and other public places after them At the occasion awards were given to teachers educationists and social activists in recognition of their commendable performance in education sector

PTI SEEKS CJP’S TIMELY INTERVENTION TO ENSURE POLLS WITHIN CONSTITUTIONAL TIMEFRAME

stitutionally mandated timeframe of 90 days

of the elections

PA K I S TA N 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 con-

Turkish exper ts inspect PU Librar y’s manuscripts, give suggestions

LAHORE I N p

A team of Turkish manuscript experts on Friday visited the Punjab University Library to collaborate on Punjab University Library

manuscripts collection: preservation

conservation project” The four member visiting team comprised of Mesut Demir researcher- presidency of republic of Turkiye director of state Archives Dr Ms Nil Baydar

Head of manuscript conservation and archive department directorate of Turkish institute of manuscripts, Ms Saliha Tuna, Expert – Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency- TIKA and Country Director TIKA Muhsin Balci The team inspected the PU Library s manuscripts and gave several suggestions Ms Nil Baydar provided introductory training to library staff and introduced the salient features of TIKA conservation project To discuss and explore future steps for next phase of preservation and conservation of manuscripts at Punjab University Turkish Consul General in Lahore

Mr Durmus Bastug invited PU Vice chancellor

Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood and Chief Librarian Dr Muhammad Haroon Usmani along with Turkish team of experts to discuss the possibilities of Cooperation and train PU Library professionals for preservation and conservation of manuscripts He offered that the Turkish government will arrange such training in Turkiya for PU professionals He also assured full support in establishing the conservation and preservation unit at PU Library PU VC Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood thanked the Consul General of Turkiye for this offer and advised the chief librarian to make all the arrangements for availing this opportunity The team of experts visited the PU VC office also for further deliberations

Safi expresses concern over detainees’ plight in jails of India, IIOJK

ISLAMABAD

I N p

Senior leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter Ghulam Muhammad Safi has expressed concern over the plight of illegally detained Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders and activists languishing in different jails of India and the occupied territory Ghulam Mohammad Safi in a statement issued in Islamabad said India has put most of the Hurriyat leaders in jails under false charges where they have been deprived of all basic facilities including medical care He said due unhygienic food and non-availability of medical facilities many detainees have suffered from complex diseases He appealed to international human rights organizations to help release Hurriyat leaders Ameer Hamza, Pir Saifullah, Ayaz Akbar, Mirajuddin, Muhammad Yusuf and others Earlier senior Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Gilani Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and Muhammad Altaf Shah have been martyred during their illegal detention Ghulam Muhammad Safi deplored that the international community had kept a criminal silence on serious crimes by Indian troops in occupied Jammu and Kashmir which is very sad

Ex-PA secretar y Muhammad Khan Bhatti gets bail

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

An anti-corruption court on Friday granted bail to former PA secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti in corruption case Mr Bhatti, who served as principal secretary to chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi during the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf rule in Punjab was granted bail by ACE judge Ali Raza The court directed Muhammad Khan Bhatti to submit surety bonds worth Rs1 million to secure bail Earlier this month the NAB had arrested former principal secretary Bhatti in corruption case As per details, NAB spokesperson said that Bhatti is accused of corruption in development contracts worth Rs 1 billion The spokesperson stated that Muhammad Bhatti is involved in illegal appointments across Gujrat and approved 116 schemes through them

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

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

PTI spokesperson underlined that the constitution was very clear about the fiveyear 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

C h i n a re a d y to p ro m o te q u a l i t y

d eve l o p m e n t o f C P E C

S ta f f C o R R e S p o N d e N t

China expressed its readiness to promote high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a mega project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that brought tangible benefits to the economic development of Pakistan and its people Chinese media reported on Friday Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi

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 noted that Sino-Pak relations had withstood the test of time and continued to maintain a

sound momentum of development

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the BRI and the launch of CPEC,” CGTN quoted Wang as saying during the bilateral meeting with Jilani Wang noted that the CPEC had brought tangible benefits to the economic development of Pakistan and its people Wang said that China stands ready to work with Pakistan” to promote highquality development of the CPEC, the report added On the occasion the report continued Jilani also spoke highly of the fruitful results of bilateral cooperation and the CPEC Jilani stressed that the PakistanChina relationship had always been the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy

The foreign minister acknowledged that CPEC had helped Pakistan transform its economic landscape and brought tangible benefits to the country Earlier Jilani participated in the third ChinaTibet Trans-Himalayan Forum In his speech at the forum, Jilani underscored the importance of regional cooperation for green development ecological preservation and connectivity for inclusive and sustainable development

was punishable crime

under Article 6 PTI

vowed that the nation would not accept any attempt to delay the poll for an indefinite period at any

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd)

Maqbool Baqar has directed the provincial transport and mass transit department to integrate the Green Line and Orange Line bus rapid transit (BRT) projects in the city to increase their ridership The chief minister issued these directives while chairing a meeting to review different projects of the Transport & Mass Transit Department A statement issued after the meeting said that the meeting participants were told about the Green Line BRT project which was made operational in December 2021 The 20 9-km BRT project currently serves 80 buses operating on its dedicated route with an average ridership of 55,000 people per day The CM said that its ridership in terms of buses and the length of the project was not satisfactory ” said the statement At this point the statement said the CM was told that when the other BRTs such as Yellow Line and another feeder would start operating, the ridership of the BRT Green Line would increase to 150,000 to 200,000 daily

Kabul must stop TTP attacks from Afghan soil on Pakistan, says Durrani

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has initiated a vital project aimed at distributing 50,000 kits including 25,000 shelter NFls (Non-Food Items) and 25,000 winter kits across Pakistan

The project is planned to be implemented in four phases providing help to individuals who have been affected by recent floods and need assistance This collaborative effort is being conducted in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

Speaking on the occasion, chief guest Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed thanked the Saudi Ambassador for providing 25 000 Shelter NFls (Non-Food Items) and

25 000 winter kits across Pakistan and said that both countries enjoy strong bilateral relations

“He said that somebody said that we are like brothers We are not like brothers We are brothers” he added S a u d i A m b a s s a d o r t o P a k i s t a n Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki speaking on the occasion said that the Kingdom of S a u d i A r a b i a i s h a n d i n g o v e r f i f t y thousand kits as a gift to the brotherly c o u n t r y T h i s w i n t e r a i d w i l l b e d i stributed in four phases in all provinces of Pakistan

This gift is presented through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center which is at the forefront in the service of humanity The King Salman Relief Center office in Pakistan also performs noble services to the brotherly country of Pakistan and its people standing by them through thick

and thin he added

The Envoy further said I would like to make sure to our Pakistani brothers the firm commitment of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to always stand by our Pakistani brothers to take our brotherly relations to new heights

In the first phase of the winter package, KSRelief distributed a total of 25,000 winter kits across three provinces These kits will be strategically allocated as follows: In Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa (KP) we aim to provide 11 000 kits to communities residing in five districts including Chitral Upper Chitral Lower, Dir Upper, Kohistan Upper, and SWAT Upper Meanwhile, in the province of Baluchistan 8 000 kits will be dispatched to areas encompassing Kalat Surab Killa Saifullah and Ziarat

BoP announces attrac tive rates for dollar term deposits here’s why this is big news

The BoP said this is because other banks have large foreign currency deposits

deposit

BoP’s term

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

A F G H A N R E F U G E E S I N PA K I S TA N:

COAS vows action against spectrum of illegal activities to deny pilferage of resources, economic losses

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The participants of the meeting affirmed that state institutions, government departments and people were united for the progress and prosperity of the province the ISPR statement added Earlier upon arrival COAS Gen Asim Munir was received by Commander Karachi Corps Last month similar apex committee meetings were held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab During the meetings, the COAS had assured the provinces of actions to rid Pakistan of “substantial economic losses” In August Gen Munir had also promised the interim government of the army s all-out support for continuity of policies in a bid to revive the economy and steer the country towards progress and prosperity

Work on ML-1 projec t to be launched soon: C hinese CG

S ta f f R e p o R t

China national Day assured that work

on the Main Line

The spectacular ceremony was attended among other by LCCI President Kashif Anwar, Senior Vice

Khalid

Butt Vice President of the Pakistan (China) Shandong Chamber of Commerce Chen Qianijang Vice President of the Pakistan Chinese Federation He

According to Gwadar Pro Cao Ke emphasized the significance of Lahore as a pivotal city and lauded the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry for its commendable efforts for promotion of trade and industry He expressed a strong desire for knowledge sharing and technology transfer between China and LCCI highlighting the importance of mutual learning Cao Ke noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of both the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative, along with the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China He underscored CPEC s transforma-

tive impact on Pakistan’s economy, with a substantial $24 4 billion investment and LCCI President Kashif Anwar extended warmest congratulations to all the Chinese friends who celebrated their National Day on 1st October 2023 This day signifies not only the birth of a great nation but also a reminder of their remarkable journey towards making excellent progress in almost all fields of life

We applaud the achievements and advancements that China has made serving as an inspiration to other nations across the globe, he said The LCCI President said that the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China began in 1950 which brought two countries very close as dependable strategic allies and trustworthy neighbours

The enduring friendship between Pakistan and China is a cornerstone of our foreign policy This friendship is based on mutual respect trust and a shared vision for social and economic prosperity You all will agree with me that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has added great value to these mutual ties He said that the 10th Anniversary of CPEC speaks itself about the collective vision of China and Pakistan whose prime aim is to shift the focus from geo-politics to geo-economics Pakistan s strategic location as a crossroads between South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Middle East is ideal to transform it into a regional hub for trade commerce manufacturing and agriculture

Acting Chinese Consul General in Lahore, Cao Ke on Friday while addressing a ceremony organized by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) to mark

o r r i d t i m e

M ian Nawaz Sharif ’s arrival may pose a new set of challenges

TH AT PML(N) Quaid Main Nawaz Sharif will arrive on october 21 is now increasingly certain, with only an act of God likely to stop him However, what happens to him when he arrives is by no means certain After all, when he left he was a convict given unusual bail so that he could seek treatment abroad Now that he is returning, all that seems to have changed is that he has now recovered his health His legal team has confidently asserted that he will land and then go to his jati Umra residence However that team has not undertaken any of the activities that would reach that end, likely filing a basil petition in a high court or asn application or two to either the trial court or the jail authorities It therefore means that Mian Nawaz is depending on the good will of the establishment This has not availed him in the past always on one occasion, he was sent back without being let off the plane That is probably off the tabLe but what isn’t is that he was arrested off the plane just before the last election Suddenly there is the prospect of the election taking place without his presence It will not be much of an election if he and PTI chief Imran Khan are both unable to campaign because both are behind bars

Another problem Mr Sharif faces is that his election narrative calling for the trial of all those including then CoAS Gen Qamar javed Bajwa who were responsible for toppling him and bringing Mr Khan in, has been killed at the draft stage It is thought that the only obstacle to his return is that narrative, which has thus been buried as hastily as hesitantly it was put forward It will thus be very important what exactly Mr Sharif intends to use for his election narrative, and he will probably make this apparent by his statements in the first few days after his arrival Those who including himself thought he was being allowed home so that he could take the reins of power in his hands, must have realized even before he began his journey, that there will always been many a slip between cup and lip

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

Sluggish economic growth of Pakistan

Growth lags behind the population’s needs

mestic Product include several factors: consumption expenditure, investment expenditure, government expenditure, and exports of goods and services The imports of goods and services, however, reduce the overall GdP The favourable position of these components greatly contributes to facilitating the growth process

Wa q a s s h a i r

AC C o R d I N G to projections from trustworthy institutions such as the World Bank Asian development Bank (AdB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Pakistan s economic growth is anticipated to reach 1 7 per cent, 1 9 per cent, and 3 5 per cent, respectively In the first meeting of the fiscal year 2024, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) supplied its projections, stating that the anticipated range for real GdP growth in FY-24 is 2 0 to 3 0 per cent The significance of economic growth in the development process cannot be overlooked as it is intricately linked to the overall wellbeing of a nation

Given the current economic landscape, it becomes increasingly evident that Pakistan s economy faces a pressing need for growth The crux of the matter lies in the fact that Pakistan’s economy requires a minimum 6 per cent growth rate to effectively absorb the inflow of individuals entering the labour market The growth rate must accelerate further to reduce the exceptionally high unemployment rate The economic growth rate below the tipping point can be attributed to various internal and external factors

The economic growth of Pakistan for FY23 remained slow at 0 29 percent The slow growth is characterised by both domestic and international shocks The internal shock amongst others of the flash floods that engulfed significant agricultural land has caused a domestic supply shock This unfortunate event has jeopardised fiscal consolidation efforts and the resilience to the ongoing covid-19 crisis

The forward and backward linkages of the agriculture sector had a significant impact on various commodity sectors Flood damage has contributed a staggering amount of $14 9 billion resulting in a significant loss of $15 2 billion in GdP Additionally, the costs for rehabilitation have reached a substantial sum of $16 3 billion

The international shock, amongst others, of the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict has had a more negative effect on global growth and inflation than anticipated Consequently elevated global prices worsen currencies commodities and production costs

The growth-oriented components of Gross do-

In the fiscal year 2023 the sluggish economic growth can be attributed primarily to a decline of 1 42 per cent in consumption, 2 09 per cent in investment, 0 09 per cent in government expenditure, and 0 47 per cent in exports There has been a significant decrease of 4 83 per cent in the import of goods and services The reduction in imports has a noteworthy positive impact on economic growth outweighing the negative effects of the four components Particularly demonstrates an interesting 0 29 per cent rise in economic growth

The economic landscape for the upcoming fiscal year FY-24 continues to present a familiar set of challenges Government-imposed restrictions on imports and capital flows domestic political uncertainty surging world commodity prices and tighter global financing all contribute to a less-than-optimistic outlook

The households and firms, key actors in driving economic growth, are experiencing an unfavourable prospect For instance the consumption expenditure is likely to reduce due to the ongoing economic instability stemming from political instability The economic instability is primarily attributed to the inadequate functioning of the foreign exchange market and the prevailing inflation outlook These factors have led to a substantial decrease in consumer confidence with a record low of 26 scale in the first quarter of FY24 The anticipated inflation rate of 20 to 22 percent coupled with the implementation of tightened monetary and fiscal policies and heightened energy and fuel prices ultimately dampens consumer

spending leading to a decline in purchasing power

The business community currently lacks confidence in Pakistan s prevailing economic outlook due to ongoing economic instability accompanying political uncertainty The business confidence index has experienced a significant decrease, reaching an unprecedented low of 39 scale in the first quarter of FY24 The decline in business confidence can be attributed to an elevated policy rate of 22 percent the implementation of import restrictions increased input costs and the devaluation of the currency These factors have also played a role in dampening business activities

The lower confidence of the consumer and business community affects decision-making concerning spending, savings, and investments Consequently, this contributes to sluggish economic growth and hampers the government’s efforts to achieve its tax collection target Therefore it is crucial to delineate the essential steps that can be taken to enhance the confidence of both consumers and entrepreneurs It should be noted that these actions are contingent upon political stability The accomplishment of political stability relies on the existence of a government that has significant political capital This is a crucial factor in effectively fostering economic stability

Waqas Shair holds the position of Lecturer at Minhaj University Lahore Pakistan He is pursuing a PhD at Punjab University He can be reached at waqas eco@mul edu pk and waqasshair689@gma il com and tweets @waqasshair689

h e l ow e r c o n f i d e n c e o f t h e c o n s u m e r a n d bu s i n e s s c o m mu n i t y a f f e c t s d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g c o n c e r n i n g s p e n d i n g , s av i n g s , a n d i nv e s t m e n t s . C o n s e q u e n t ly, t h i s c o n t r i bu t e s t o s l u g g i s h e c o n o m i c g row t h a n d h a m p e rs t h e g ov e r n m e n t Ês e f fo r t s t o a c h i ev e i t s t a x c o l l e c t i o n t a rg e t . T h e r e fo r e , i t i s c r u c i a l t o d e l i n e a t e t h e e s s e n t i a l s t e p s t h a t c a n b e t a k e n t o e n h a n c e t h e c o n f i d e n c e o f b o t h c o n s u m e rs a n d e n t r e p r e n e u rs . I t s h o u l d b e n o t e d t h a t t h e s e a c t i o n s a r e c o n t i n g e n t u p o n p o l i t i c a l s t a b i l i t y T h e a c c o m p l i s h m e n t o f p o l i t i c a l s t a b i l i t y r e l i e s o n t h e ex i s t e n c e o f a g ov e r n m e n t t h a t h a s s i g n i f i c a n t p o l i t i c a l c a p i t a l

Endometriosis: Common but underdiagnosed

A condition affec ting women’s health

so if you have a mother, sister, or grandmother with endometriosis, you are at increased risk

dometriosis can lead to the development of scar tissues and adhesions

C H R O N I C PA I N: Persistent pain is a common complication of endometriosis

O VA R I A N C Y S T S: The condition can lead to the formation of ovarian cysts

U R I N AT I O N P R O B L E M S: Issues with urination can arise as a result of endometriosis

Can We Prevent Endometriosis from Happening?

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

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

Pinjra Pull

EN d o M E T R I o S I S is a persistent health condition that impacts a significant portion of women in their reproductive years affecting approximately 1 in 10 between age 20 to 45 years

This condition arises when tissue akin to the uterine lining, known as the endometrium, starts to develop outside the confines of the uterus

Remarkably this tissue can establish itself on various organs within the pelvic and abdominal regions including the ovaries fallopian tubes bladder and bowel

The array of symptoms associated with endometriosis can be quite diverse, ranging from pelvic pain to heavy menstrual bleeding and even infertility Regrettably, there is presently no known cure for endometriosis but there are several therapeutic approaches available to alleviate and manage its debilitating symptoms

C O M M O N S Y M P TO M S O F E N -

DOMETRIOSIS: Pelvic Pain: Pelvic pain can be felt in the lower abdomen below the belly button The pain can be sharp stabbing or dull ache This kind of pain will come and go but sometimes it will be constant It can be worse if you are doing activities such as standing sitting or walking As per the research this pain can affect people from all ages and genders, but it is more common in women other common symptoms are chronic pain, painful menstrual periods painful bowel movements and excessive bleeding

X (B M I): Women with a low BMI are more likely to develop endometriosis

Certain medical conditions such as Müllerian anomalies (abnormalities in the development of the uterus and vagina) and immune system disorders can also increase your risk of endometriosis

Women with reproductive system disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCoS) and fibroids are also at increased risk C O M

O F E N

I O -

I S: If endometriosis is not addressed, it can lead to several complications, including:

I N F E RT I L I T Y: Endometriosis can damage the fallopian tube preventing the egg from meeting the sperm for fertilization which can result in infertility

C A N C E R R I S K: There is a potential for progression to cancer, particularly ovarian cancer

The uterus and other organs can be damaged

Pain relief can be attained using non-prescription medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which prove effective in managing mild to moderate discomfor t Another viable option is hormonal therapy, which can hinder the growth of endometriosis tissue and alleviate pain

While endometriosis disease cannot be completely prevented, certain lifestyle changes may help reduce the risk of developing the disease These include the following

1) Maintaining a healthy diet such as consuming plenty of fruits that have vitamins and iron

2) Pregnancy and breastfeeding can potentially lower the risk

3) Regular physical exercise is beneficial

4) Limiting the intake of caffeine or leaving it completely

E N D O M E T R I O S I S I N PA K I S TA N I

W O M E N:

Endometriosis is a significant health concern for women worldwide, including those in Pakistan It’s a chronic, estrogen-dependent disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity Studies have been conducted to understand the prevalence and impact of endometriosis among Pakistani women

For instance, one study explored the association of endometriosis risk factors with single nucleotide polymorphisms of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) gene in Pakistani women Another study focused on improving awareness and knowledge about endometriosis among Pakistani women despite these efforts there is still a need for more research and awareness campaigns to address diagnostic delays and bridge the knowledge gap about endometriosis in Pakistan

Pain relief can be attained using non-prescription medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, which prove effective in managing mild to moderate discomfort Another viable option is hormonal therapy, which can hinder the growth of endometriosis tissue and alleviate pain This approach encompasses treatments such as birth control pills progestin-only pills as well as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists For severe cases of endometriosis or when other treatments are ineffective, aromatase inhibitors may be prescribed These medications work by reducing the

P I N j R A Pull, which literally means Cage Bridge , was constructed in Balochistan s Bolan Pass area in the days of British India The bridge exists in the valley of Bolan, where a large number of people use it frequently to travel from Quetta to Sibi and Naseerabad However due to the last year ’s flash floods that wreaked havoc across Pakistan the bridge could not sustain the heavy flooding and collapsed Now the Pinjra Pull has become a major challenge to overcome for the people They are just stuck on either side of the bridge As an alternative means of transport, passengers have been relying on trains, but with little chance of getting one on time The National Highway Authority (NHA) should pay attention to the matter The length of the bridge is no longer than one kilometre and it should not be beyond the means and competence of NHA to set things right quickly ABDUL JABBAR GOLA QUETTA

Peak hours

T H E increased tariff during peak hours is primarily meant to dissuade consumers from using heavy appliances unless necessary However, most consumers, especially business and industry, cannot stop work even during peak hours as it would cause loss of production and man-hours K-Electric (KE) may have to generate additional energy during peak hours but the cost of generating additional electricity is the same per unit It would therefore be fair if the additional revenue earned during peak hours is returned to the consumers in the form of low tariff during off-peak hours They need to be considerably lower than what happens to be the case currently ASIF JAH KARACHI

whiteLies APOLLO

Run an ulti ginti

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

Run an ulti ginti on your front pages the federal government s information apparatus has requested the newspapers, on the deadline given to illegal Afghan refugees residing in the country 20 days left ”

Expect to read and see some sad stories of deportation about individuals who haven’t seen Afghanistan even once a fact that the cheerleading caretaker information minister himself tweeted out some years ago back when he didn’t have to listen to HMV

Ironically, a deadline needs to start on the caretaker administration itself which can t stay on longer than the constitution allows Kick them out before the Afghan refugees, we say At least the latter have some use in society

* * * * * * * * *

Speaking of the caretaker setup it was amusing to see the Punjab chief minister inaugurating, plaque and all, a road made of plastic The road is a good initiative, one supposes, and Islamabad already has one But the CM knowing the ephemeral nature of his job might want to put up a plaque everywhere Brunch, had by the CM at 11:00 at this establishment, on 1st November ”

MarriuM shah

Paper Laws: Enforcing legislation more effective than public hanging

conspicuously absent, at least in Punjab

ON Thursday, 28 September in Committee

Room No 4 Parliament House Islamabad

the majority of the Senate despite the flaws of the bill introduced by Senator Mushtaq

Ahmed agreed for publicly hanging rapists

Though at cursory glance the amendment sought in the current regime seems to be a valid attempt for deterring delinquent behaviour, on deeper appreciation, this proposed amendment, akin to those introduced in the recent past is but a mere attempt to shove the actual problem under the rug while covering up the failures of law enforcement agencies

This archaic mindset mindlessly fascinated by the concept of harsher punishment fails to comprehend, intentionally or otherwise, the root-causes of continuance of crimes against women in our society Rather, they needlessly emphasise towards the enactment of futile and draconian measures which in turn silence out their critics for a moment only for the cacophony of criticism amplifying with each subsequent failure

They see rigorous penal measures as the sole deterrent

Among various reasons for punishing a convict, one such reason, called ‘General Deterrence’, is based on the idea that crime can be discouraged through the public’s fear of punishment That may be true but for a court of law to sanction the accused certain requirements need to be met such as the prosecution bringing forth enough evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty

This is where the actual issue lies and why Atul Setalvad terms such legislation/amendments as ‘Paper Laws’ while describing them as laws designed to fail and at worse the failure of such laws shake the confidence of the people in laws in general as they see malefactors going scot-free If a prosecution is launched and fails people lose faith in the courts and the judiciary, even though the actual cause of the failure is a defect in the law or inefficiency or corruption amongst the enforcers and the offender who has evaded one law is tempted to evade other laws

The issue in Pakistan has never been lack of legislation or more stringent punitive measures rather as the Supreme Court of India in Re: Noise Pollution AIR 2005 SC 3136 highlighted The real issue is with the implementation of the laws What is needed is the will to im-

plement the laws Similar observations were made by the Lahore High Court in Yasir PLD 2022 Lahore 263 that To protect the women in the country against sexual assault, strict implementation of the current law is the first and foremost requirement rather than promulgation the new laws because non-implementation of laws already enacted is the actual fault line and major hindrance in realizing the purpose of law

The fundamental impediment for survivors of rape and sexual assault, from which our policymakers turn a blind eye towards, resides in the deficiency of enforcement of the laws and inadequately trained investigating agencies and medical professions with courts who are bereft of essential resources to implement

Numerous challenges contribute to acquittals of accused persons in rape and sexual assault cases One significant factor is the absence of Anti-Rape Crisis Cells (ARCC), mandated by the Anti-Rape (Trial & Investigation) Act of 2021, in Punjab The ARCC, on paper, is designed to promptly provide support and assist victims in obtaining medical examinations securing evidence conducting forensic analysis and filing crime reports with the police Unfortunately after two years of the Act coming into existence and a grace year in which the 2020 Anti-Rape Ordinance was introduced, only one ARCC has been established in the whole country, which was inaugurated at MA Jinnah Road near Civil Hospital in Karachi

Similarly the envisioned Victim and Witness Protection System as stipulated by the 2021 Act remains

Moreover the responsibility for investigating offences under the 2021 Act falls upon Special Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) However the lack of qualified police officers with expertise in sexual assault cases results in a failure to collect crucial evidence during the course of investigation Likewise, there exists a deficiency in trained medico-legal professionals and female nurses, in addition to, provisions of resources like the sexual assault kit and ambulances etc all of which necessitate budgetary allocations In Muhammad Nasir 2023 PCr LJ 222 Lahore it was observed by the Lahore High Court that Approximately 90% medical examiners are inexpert untrained and knows nothing about the practical aspects of examining an injured ; because they do not meet the minimum qualification threshold which is a mere one-month course this in consequence violates the right to fair trial as ensured under Article 10A of the Constitution

Furthermore the special Gender-Based Violence Courts (GBV Courts) face a daunting challenge Not only are these courts ill-equipped with necessary resources, such as IT equipment for conducting ‘In-Camera’ trials, but they also see overburdened prosecutors who struggle to oversee a multitude of cases Due to these reasons amalgamated with key witnesses not showing up to court for their depositions which is essential for securing conviction while the courts helplessly wait for said witnesses to do the needful and give their testimony in court, victims, who had conjured up the spirit in bringing their perpetrator to justice, get disheartened by the traumatizing and perpetually laggard

Effective machiner y of law enforcement is a far bigg er deterrent in reducing crime in society than more string ent punishment. There is greater likelihood of criminal behaviour being deterred when criminals fear being caught and being brought to justice if they commit a crime . Even otherwise , in order to punish, laws need to be enforced

judicial apparatus end up abandoning their own quest for justice while their perpetrator remains at large ready to prey on the next victim

When questioned about the lack of implementations or while bringing these issues before them the policymakers, on one hand, often offer nonchalant responses, citing a dearth of essential resources as the primary obstacle Conversely, they refuse to acknowledge the existence of these problems leading to more and more acquittals This in turn sets forth the prevailing mindset in our society that one is free to act as he sees fit because it is unlikely that he ll face any consequences thereby creating an endless cycle of lawlessness They do without fail, however, introduce amendments as the one in question or new enactments all together to hide or cover up actual problems, as highlighted above, to give an impression of resolute action This deceptive practice leads to the conclusion that either our legislatures are unaware of the ground reality of their constant failures or take the easy way out of shunning critics, while losing sight of the fact that effective machinery of law enforcement is a far bigger deterrent in reducing crime in society than more stringent punishment There is greater likelihood of criminal behaviour being deterred when criminals fear being caught and being brought to justice if they commit a crime Even otherwise in order to punish laws need to be enforced

This implementation failure is symptomatic of an inability of the government to innovate and learn lessons from its own practices A theme so often recurring, it s nauseating

The writer is an experienced criminal lawyer who can be reached at Adv ChAmadTahir@gmail com and tweets @kIMkLOz 4

India is weaponising FATF recommendations against civil societ y

‘But what about the Palestinian cause?’

AL JAZEERA

a a k a r PaT e L

TH E October 3 raids on the news website NewsClick and the arrest of its founder, Prabir Purkayastha and human resources head Amit Chakravarty are the latest attempts by the Indian government to decimate independent and critical media in the country

The use of draconian anti-terror laws against the media organisation and its journalists is an alarming reminder of the Indian government’s determination to crack down on free press and systematically stifle dissenting voices

What happened to NewsClick is not an i s o l a t e d i n c i d e n t O v e r t h e p a s t d e c a d e t h e r e h a s b e e n a c o o r d i n a t e d c a m p a i g n t o attack the independent media and the nonprofit sector in India and deliberately hinder their work

Under the guise of combatting terrorism and money laundering the Indian government has tightened its arsenal of financial and counterterrorism laws, and routinely misused them to attack and silence critics

It targeted many media outlets and nonprofits including Amnesty International which I represent with these laws under the guise of fulfilling India s membership commitments to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) an intergovernmental body mandated to curb global money laundering and terrorism financing

While tackling illicit financial flows is important India must not be allowed to use international compliance as an excuse to weaponise legislation and stifle Indian civil society and press freedom

The FATF works with its 39 member states to tackle money laundering and terrorism financing The watchdog expects its member countries to ensure that their domestic laws regulations and operational policies are aligned with its inclusive list of 40 recommendations to combat money laundering and nine special recommendations against terror financing India became an observer state to the FATF in 2006 and a full-fledged member in 2010 India’s Department of Economic Affairs has cited FATF membership as being very important for India in its struggle to become a major player in international finance and to build the country s capacity to fight terrorism

As part of its compliance with FATF recommendations India passed laws and legislative amendments including the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) In 2012, the Unlawful

Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was amended expanding its scope which was a condition for India becoming the 34th member of the FATF T h e U A PA – I n d i a s m a i n c o u n t e r t e rr o r i s m l a w – i s n o w b e i n g u s e d a g a i n s t NewsClick as well as several of its journalists Many others have been victimised by UAPA s misuse in the past including Muslim student activist Umar Khalid Kashmiri h u m a n r i g h t s a c t i v i s t K h u r r a m P a r v e z ,

j o u r n a l i s t I r f a n M e h r a j , j o u r n a l i s t F a h a d Shah and 16 activists and journalists associated with the Bhima Koregaon case who w e r e a c c u s e d o f h a v i n g “ i n c i t e d ” a g r o u p of Dalit people at a large public rally in December 2017 NewsClick was also raided in 2021 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the primary agency to investigate crimes under the PMLA and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) The PMLA aims to combat money laundering activities and allows the ED to confiscate property freeze bank accounts and arrest individuals based solely on its own subjective suspicions The PMLA does not make judicial authorisation a prerequisite for such actions, providing the ED with broad, discretionary powers that are incompatible with international human rights law

The PMLA has also been used to target non-profit organisations including Amnesty International In September 2020, we were forced to halt operations in India, following a pattern of harassment every time we spoke up for the rights of the most marginalised in the country Our bank accounts were frozen and we were denied access to our funds without having any conviction in court or the authorities proving any wrongdoing on our part FCRA is another piece of legislation that has been used as a tool to quash dissent

Non-governmental organisations in India require a foreign contribution licence to access foreign funds as established by the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) The introduction of this bill in 2006 coincided with India becoming an observer state of the FATF Later in 2010, to improve India’s “non-compliant” status amendments were made to the act which gave wide-ranging powers to the Ministry of Home Affairs to suspend and cancel an NGO s registration

Since then, and especially in the last 10 years, more than 20,600 NGOs have had their licences cancelled with nearly 6,000 of these cancellations occurring since the beginning of 2022 according to government data The vague reasonings and arbitrary nature of these cancellations have led to thousands of job cuts and massively shrunk the sector, resulting in a great loss to a wide number of public interest goals in India, from public health to poverty alleviation, to human rights advocacy

While the UAPA was enacted before India became a member of FATF and amended later to comply with FATF s recommendations, the origins of PMLA and 2010 FCRA squarely rest with India s ambition to be in concert with FATF

However Indian authorities still failed to comply with FATF standards particularly with its Recommendation 8 which requires that laws and regulations target only those non-profit organisations that a country has identified – through a careful, targeted “riskbased” analysis – as vulnerable to terrorism financing abuse

The FATF recognised the unintended consequences of its recommendations on the non-profit sector, and tried to minimise them by issuing an interpretative note on its Recommendation 8, calling for more specific and targeted measures, including a suggestion to reach out to NGOs themselves for risk assessment Indian authorities have repeatedly failed to follow these guidelines

The PMLA in contrast to the FATF s guidelines, does not incorporate any internal safeguards to ensure only NGOs identified as being “at risk” of money laundering offences would be targeted leading to a disproportionate impact on organisations that carry little or no risk

Similarly Special Recommendation 8 expressly acknowledges that governments must not unduly restrict NGOs ability to access resources, including financial resources, to carry out their legitimate activities Yet the FCRA has been wielded as a stick against the civil society in India FAT F a l s o s t a t e s t h a t a s a m a t t e r o f p r i n c i p l e c o m p l y i n g w i t h t h e FAT F R e co m m e n d a t i o n s s h o u l d n o t c o n t r a v e n e a country s obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international human r i g h t s l a w ” s p e c i f i c a l l y w i t h r e g a r d t o “freedom of expression religion or belief and freedom of peaceful assembly and association T h e U N S p e c i a l R a p p o r t e u r s h a v e r ep e a t e d l y c a l l e d o u t t h e c o n t e n t i o u s a n d o v e r l y b r o a d p r o v i s i o n s o f U A PA a n d FCRA and repeatedly urged the Indian gove r n m e n t t o r e p e a l o r s i g n i f i c a n t l y a m e n d t h e s e l a w s Va r i o u s m e m b e r s t a t e s t o t h e U N h a v e a l s o r e c o m m e n d e d t h e r e p e a l o f these laws during India s multiple Universal P e r i o d i c R e v i e w s w h i c h t h e c o u n t r y h a s boldly accepted but has not taken any meaningful steps to act on them

The Indian authorities have ignored all such calls and have continued to apply these laws in a discriminatory manner

In November the FATF will be conducting a fourth round of mutual evaluations to ensure the effectiveness and technical compliance with its recommendations of the relevant laws and regulations implemented by its members This presents an important opportunity for the organisation to consult with nonprofit organisations in India including the ones that have faced adverse actions under the aforementioned three laws As part of this evaluation, the FATF can examine and analyse the Indian government’s overt and disproportionate regulation of civil society and human rights defenders using the laws which were amended or enacted under the guise of complying with its recommendations

Aakar Patel is Chair of board at Amnesty International India

SA U D I Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made four things crystal clear about the Palestinian-Israeli issue during his recent interview on Fox News:

ONE: Yes it is true that there are ongoing talks relating to a potential solution that will improve the lives of Palestinians

T W O: Riyadh is edging closer toward normalization with Israel

T H R E E: The Biden administration is leading the initiative

F O U R: No it is not true that Saudi-Israeli talks were suspended

This clarity came after months of speculation with many international policy analysts apparently confused by Saudi Arabia s long-standing and legitimate demands for a written security pact with the US assistance in developing its peaceful nuclear program and removal of previous restrictions on arms sales to the Kingdom at the expense of a solution accepted by the Palestinian leadership What many pundits also missed is that these asks of Washington are a natural result of a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal None of them would have been possible without this as it would be almost an impossible mission for any US administration to approve such arrangements for any country which does not have a deal with Israel

Needless to say, countries have a right to focus on and pursue their own interests

In this case we are seeing a regional powerhouse that is insisting on including a Palestinian angle when there is really nobody forcing it to Other regional countries have had no reluctance in pursuing similar normalization deals in exchange for the recognition of a disputed land such as in the case of Morocco and the Donald Trump-era recognition of Western Sahara Or even the more extreme case of the Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon, which still managed to sign a maritime border agreement with Israel (despite not recognizing it officially) in return for rights to offshore gas reserves

However none of the Arab countries that have signed deals with Israel have the weight, importance and influence of Saudi Arabia So, the inevitable questions cynics will soon raise are: But what about the Palestinian cause? And does this mean Saudi Arabia has sold out on this crucial principle? Well nobody responded better than the crown prince himself: For us, the Palestinian issue is very important We need to solve that part We hope that will reach a place that will ease the life of the Palestinians ”

Let us not forget that Saudi Arabia was the country that presented the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002 What the crown prince said does not deviate from any attempt since then to give peace a chance

At the end of the day, Saudi Arabia just like any other country cannot negotiate or decide on behalf of either the Palestinians or the Israelis Peace and the terms of peace have to be agreed by them alone

What Saudi Arabia can do and, from what I understand, has been doing for the past two years is work on an initiative to make peace a more attractive proposition than war for both parties In fact there is a whole team at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs that has been working with serious and concerned parties such as the EU and the Arab League on imagining a 2 0 version of the Arab Peace Initiative How would the region look if peace were achievable and how could we pool resources to ensure both parties understood its value?

My understanding is that every detail imaginable has been examined, including how to boost the Palestinian economy through exports to Israel and other neighbors In fact one could argue that this could be a lesson learned from Jared Kushner s plan Yes it could be argued that Kushner ended up giving more to Israel than to Palestine and that his team could have done a better job by not alienating the Palestinian Authority (and the PA could have bothered showing up nevertheless) but if anything it gave for the first time an idea of how to support the economy and give Palestinians a chance

With steps like appointing the Saudi Ambassador to Jordan, Nayef bin Bandar Al-Sudairi, as the Saudi consul general to Jerusalem, its continuous condemnation of any intimidation of worshippers at Al-Aqsa and by continuing to offer both sides a carrot (including allowing some Israeli ministers to attend international summits in the Kingdom), Saudi Arabia is doing its best to enable a real and verifiable framework for peace and that is the maximum it can probably achieve Can a miracle take place over the next few weeks or months? Well if anything can be learned from Saudi Vision 2030 and what it has accomplished over the past six years, it is never to say never Could there be peace with the most right-wing government in Israeli history? The best answer to that came from Rabbi Marc Schneier during his conversation on Arab News Frankly Speaking this week: Often when it comes to these negotiations, when it comes to concessions, you need the people who are more to the right to lend credibility and legitimacy and authenticity to what would be a genuine and real peace

After all the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty was agreed and signed by then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin a staunch Zionist and former leader of the brutal Irgun militia that committed atrocities in the years leading up to Israel’s foundation and it still stands to this day Begin even shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Egypt s Anwar Sadat

But what if Hamas decides to once again sabotage a deal? Well, all we can say in that case is that one of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result The events of the past 70 years suggest that the Palestinian cause has been losing ground, not winning it Faisal J Abbas is the editor-inchief of Arab News

Chaudhry amad Tahir

J A I L E D I R A N R I G H T S C A M PA I G N E R N A R G E S

STOCKHOLM ag e N C e s

T

women’s rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi, honoured for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran Mohammadi was honoured for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all , said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo

Mohammadi has spent much of the past two decades in and out of jail for her campaign against the mandatory hijab for women and the death penalty

She is the vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre founded by Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, herself a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2003

The committee hoped Iran would release her so she could attend the prize ceremony in December

If the Iranian authorities make the right decision, they will release her So she can be present to receive this honour, which is what we primarily hope for ” Reiss-Andersen

Kia vehicles prices down

said “Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs Altogether the regime has arrested her 13 times convicted her five times and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes she

HE Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to imprisonedadded The award really highlights the courage and determination of the women of Iran and how they are an inspiration to the world” UN human rights office spokeswoman Elizabeth Throssell told reporters in Geneva Last year against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine the prize went to a symbolic trio opposed to the war Russian human rights group Memorial, Ukraine s Center for Civil Liberties and jailed Belarusian rights advocate Ales Bialiatski

The prize comes with a gold medal a diploma and a prize sum of 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1m)

The award will be presented at a formal ceremony in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of the prizes creator, Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel

The Peace Prize is the only Nobel awarded in Oslo with the other disciplines announced in Stockholm

On Thursday, Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse, whose plays are among the most

widely staged of any contemporary playwright in the world, won the Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel season winds up on Monday with the Nobel economics prize Mohammadi has not seen her children for eight years has spent most of her recent life in prison and acknowledges there is no

immediate prospect of release

Yet still, she insists her struggle is worthwhile saying the protest movement that erupted one year ago in Iran against the Islamic republic is still alive

First arrested 22 years ago Mohammadi 51, has spent much of the past two decades in and out of jail over her unstinting campaigning for human rights in Iran She has most recently been incarcerated since November 2021

The activist is the most determined person I know her husband Taghi Rahmani who has been a refugee in France since 2012 with their two children, twins now aged 17, told AFP “She has three causes in her life respect for human rights, her feminist commitment and justice for all the crimes that have been committed said Rahmani

While she could only witness from behind bars the protests that broke out following the death on Sept 16, 2022 of Mahsa Amini who had been arrested for violating Iran’s strict dress rules for women she says the movement made clear the levels of dissatisfaction in society

The government was not able to break the protests of the people of Iran she told AFP in September in written answers from Tehran s Evin prison where she is held, de-

Global banks raise China’s growth outlook on faster recover y

ISLAMABAD s ta f f C o r r e s p o N D e N t

tion to hold steady following a rebound in factory activity

scribing the protest wave as “irreversible ”

‘HEART THAT BREAKS’

Mohammadi told AFP in September she was currently serving a combined sentence of 10 years and nine months in prison had also been sentenced to 154 lashes and had five cases against her linked to her activities in jail alone

“I have almost no prospect of freedom,” she said Amnesty International describes her as a prisoner of conscience who has been arbitrarily detained Mohammadi has missed much of the childhood of her twin children, Kiana and Ali, as well as the pain of being apart from her husband Rahmani “In 24 years of marriage, we had just five or six years of living together!” he said

As well as not seeing the children for eight years restrictions placed by the prison on her telephone calls mean she has not even heard their voices for more than a year and a half My most incurable and indescribable suffering is the longing to be with my children from whose lives I departed when they were eight ” she told AFP The price of the struggle is not only torture and prison it is a heart that breaks with every regret and a pain that strikes to the marrow of your bones

Worldcall Ser vices advances towards NASDAQ listing milestone

PR OFIT N e w s D e s

Several Wall Street brokerages have raised their forecasts for China’s annual growth in recent weeks citing stabilising economic indicators and effective supportive policy measures Citigroup and J P Morgan this week raised their forecasts for China s GDP growth to 5 percent in 2023, in line with its target rate for the year Both said the slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy has “hit a bottom”

Policy momentum since end-August has exceeded expectations Citi economists said in a note citing a cut in personal income tax, as property prices ease in first-tier cities and home loans get repriced The brokerage expects retail sales to improve and industrial produc-

China s latest survey of major manufacturers showed that the purchasing managers index rose to 50 2 in September from 49 7 a month earlier, edging above the 50-point level demarcating contraction and expansion Earlier in September ANZ also upgraded its growth forecast for China by 0 2 percentage point to 5 1 percent after August economic numbers offered signs of stabilisation in the economy

Industrial output rose 4 5 percent in August from a year earlier, official data showed The growth marked the quickest pace since April

Retail sales a gauge of consumption also increased at a faster 4 6 percent pace in August aided by the summer travel season, and was the quickest

growth since May Meanwhile the United Nation’s trade and development chief said on Wednesday that concerns that China s economy is in trouble are being exaggerated

We don t share the very pessimistic projections about China,” said Rebeca Grynspan, head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

China has more fiscal policy space than other large economies to deal with challenges in consumer demand and private investment, she added UNCTAD s report forecasts that China will grow 10 to 12 times faster than the euro area this year It continues to be a major contributor to global growth said Richard Kozul-Wright the director of UNCTAD s Globalisation and Development Strategies Division

Trump endorses Jim Jordan to be House speaker

WASHINGTON ag e N C i e s

Donald Trump is endorsing Congressman Jim Jordan to replace ousted US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the former president said on Friday as the chamber ’s fractious Republicans try to unify in the aftermath of McCarthy s historic fall

He (Jordan) is STRONG on Crime, Borders, our Military/Vets, & 2nd Amendment Jim, his wife, Polly, & family are out-

Jordan, an outspoken conservative from Ohio who has led investigations into the Biden administration Republicans who control the House of Representatives by a narrow 221-212 margin are due to hold a closed-door forum for candidates seeking the speakership on Tuesday, a meeting that the former Republican president said he could attend A vote is expected the next day But acrimony and resentment over McCarthy s ouster could make nominating a new speaker a challenge for House Republicans Although House rules do not require the speaker to be a member of Congress Trump already has a lot on his plate as he faces four upcoming criminal trials, two related to his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat

PR OFOFIT N e w s D e s k Worldcall Services Limited (WSL) the parent company of Worldcall Telecom Limited (WTL) has reached a significant milestone in its NASDAQ listing journey through a US entity, as confirmed in the latest filing by WTL on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)

The regulatory review of WSL’s Registration Statement and Financial Statements has been successfully completed with no additional requirements or conditions imposed by the authorities The company has received formal notification of this achievement In a statement, WSL expressed its expectation that the listing process will conclude shortly It s important to note that this development is part of WTL s ongoing efforts spanning over a year, to secure a listing on NASDAQ WorldCall Telecom Limited, founded by Salman Taseer in 1996, started as a payphone operator In 2008 it became a subsidiary of the Omani company Omantel through an undisclosed acquisition It has since expanded its services to include Cable Broadband, Wireless Broadband, Cable TV, Video on Demand, LDI services, fiber optic network, and wireless local loop telephony

PID (I) 2157/23

Sindh Forensic Science lab to drastically reduce crime rate: Faisal

The establishment of the Sindh Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) in Karachi will drastically reduce the crime rate in the province This was stated by Project Director Faisal Ahmed Uqaili while talking to a group of journalists here the other day

Handling of criminal cases through forensic science evidence plays a critical role in determining the evidence based and accurate outcome of criminal cases,” said Faisal He added that in terms of ballistic analysis forensic science laboratories analyze firearms bullets and cartridge cases to determine whether they were used in a particular crime

He cited Sindh Bureau of Statistics report that the total number of reported crimes in Sindh from 2010 till 2020 was 861,681 Around 40 percent construction work of the lab has been completed till date since the approval of revised PC-I in May 2022 and now Rs 9 billion new ADP Scheme is included in CFY budget book to purchase lab equipment and furniture and spending on HR training said Faisal He added that the first PC-I for the construction of project was approved in 2016 with the cost of Rs 2 6 billion but the project didn’t kick off and no progress at site was started for 6 years till 2022 as major project components were not covered in the initial PC-I Faisal said that the total cost of the project including forensic lab equipment is around Rs 20 billion while at initial level total 68 posts SNE for the SFSA is included in the 2023-24

PTCL ‘SHOQ’ to stream ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with

Ad Free Experience

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

In line with its commitment to enhance user experience, PTCL is bringing advertisement-free live streaming of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on its OTT platform ‘SHOQ’ Through this feature, Pakistani fans will be able to enjoy a high quality and uninterrupted viewing experience in full High Definition (HD) PTCL SHOQ is transforming the match viewing experience for the passionate cricket fans by bringing an uninterrupted relay of the on-ground action and commentary without ads Viewers will also be able to watch the side action, such as field placements and exchanges between players that takes place during the ad breaks The platform is available to all data users with any smartphone or data network so that everyone can enjoy an uninterrupted ad-free cricket viewing experience on their android TVs or digital device of their choice for the first time in the country SHOQ app is available on Google Play and App Store for mobile devices while it can also be accessed on the Web

P I C G , C D C S ET T O L A U N C H C O R P O R AT E G O V E R N A N C E

R TA L T O P R O T E C T S H A R E H O L D E R S ’ R I G H

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

The Pakistan Institute and Corporate Governance (PICG) and Central Depository Company (CDC) are launching a corporate governance portal e-Go to protect the rights of minority shareholders and to educate and engage shareholders in governance related issues

The platform will be implemented as a joint venture of PICG and CDC, leveraging the domain expertise of PICG in the realm of corporate governance and the technical and operational expertise of CDC in implementing and operating state of the art national level digital platforms

The MoU Signing Ceremony was held at the CDC House, Karachi

In this regard Pakistan Institute and Corporate Governance (PICG) and Central Depository Company of Pakistan

Limited (CDCPL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development and implementation of e-Go platform, a groundbreaking digital initiative aimed to empower and facilitate investors/shareholders with the necessary knowledge of their shareholder rights and

corporate governance practices This signing also marked the occasion of the IOSCO World Investor Week 2023 (2nd to 8th Oct 2023)

e-Go platform initiative is in line with SECP s vision to have more informed and involved shareholders and to protect the rights of minority shareholders This Corporate Governance digital platform has been envisioned to equip shareholders of corporates and businesses with the necessary information learning modules and training resources

to promote sound corporate governance practices

At the occasion describing the features of the upcoming platform CEOCDC Mr Badiuddin Akber said that

This platform aims to enrich the corporate governance practices in Pakistan by effecting their implementation in true letter and spirit while leveraging the power of technology to provide a convenient informative and interactive medium for shareholders to learn about and engage effectively in sound corporate gover-

Merc y Corps all out for preventing tuberc ulosis in Pakistan

ment of TPT

KARACHI s ta f f r e r o i r t

With the mission of preventing tuberculosis a one-day advocacy and awareness seminar was organized by Mercy Corps with the title of Advocacy and Awareness Seminar on TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) in collaboration with the Communicable Disease Control (CDC-Sindh), Bridge Consultants Foundation (BCF) and Greenstar Social Marketing (GSM)

As a part of the efforts to end TB in Pakistan, Mercy Corps and its partners are implementing a large-scale TB program across the country in 120 districts with the support of The Global Fund Joining the National TB Control Program towards the goal of Ending TB by 2035 Mercy Corps interventions include engagement with the private sector health system enhancing community awareness

public outreach to remote areas in partnership with Provincial TB Programs, Health Departments, and implementing partners Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) is another initiative under this program by Mercy Corps to curb the spread of the TB disease

The seminar began with a welcome address and opening remarks by Dr Samreen Ashraf Qureshi Deputy Directory CDC III – Sindh

She praised the efforts of Mercy Corps Pakistan and its partners in rolling out the TPT programme across the country After the opening remarks Dr Adeel Tahir Senior Program Manager Mercy Corps shed light on the background and objectives of the seminar

Syed Saleem Hasan Kazmi, Senior Provincial Program Officer, CDC TB Sindh gave a comprehensive briefing on the topic of Burden of TB (Global Vs Pakistan) Programmatic Manage-

During the panel discussion Dr Sharaf Ali Shah, CEO, BCF, Dr Zulfiqar Dharejo, Deputy Director General, CDC Sindh and Dr Shaheena Qayyum, Program Manager, BCF emphasized the need for innovation to reduce the burden of TB in Pakistan and discussed the misconceptions around TPT and the standard practices around TPT regimen The aim of the seminar was to raise awareness about TPT, its outcomes as well as benefits and sensitize public health professionals key stakeholders decision-makers and private as well as public sector officials that are actively engaged in the fight against TB TB has remained a major public health concern around the world Globally it is estimated that 1 6 million people lost their lives and 10 6 million fell ill from TB in 2021 It is the second-leading infectious killer after COVID-19 and has been declared a national emergency in Pakistan since 2001 TB preventive treatment (TPT) a treatment offered to individuals who are considered to be at risk of developing disease in order to reduce that risk, is one of the key interventions recommended by the WHO to achieve the End TB Strategy targets as upheld by the UN High Level Meeting on TB in September 2018

MoU signed between SSGC-AE and Green Waste Energy to promote

renewable natural gas

SINDH s ta f f r e p o r t

SSGC Alternate Energy (Pvt ) Limited (SSGC-AE) and Green Waste Energy (Pvt ) Limited have entered into a Memorandum-of-Understanding (MoU), unlocking the potential of "Green Molecules” Renewable Natural Gas In a strategic move Green Waste Energy will supply biogas / biomethane a renewable natural gas to SSGC-AE This gamechanging endeavor promises to fuel the future with sustainable energy solutions

The MoU was signed by Mr Imran Maniar Chairman SSGC-AE and Mr Shoaib Feroz CEO Green Waste Energy (Pvt ) Limited in a simple yet impressive ceremony held at SSGC Head Office on Friday, October 6, 2023 The

To a v o i d t h e w o r s t e ff e c t s o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e a g g r e s s i v e e m i s s i o n r e d u c t i o n s and removals of CO2 from the atmosphere are necessary Our collective inaction has u n d e r s c o r e d t h e u rg e n c y o f t h i s t a s k A s the need to reduce the emission of greenh o u s e g a s e s ( G H G ) h a s g r o w n m o r e u rg e n t o v e r t h e l a s t q u a r t e r c e n t u r y, k e y stakeholders across the globe are trying to carve out a path towards sustainable social and economic development The focus on c a r b o n c r e d i t s a s a m e a n s o f c o m b a t i n g climate change is relatively new The concept of an international carbon market was first established by the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 Carbon markets are one of the tools t o t a c k l e t h e c l i m a t e c h a n g e p r o b l e m G o v e r n m e n t a n d v a r i o u s o t h e r o rg a n i z at i o n s a r e s t r i v i n g t o c r e a t e a v e n u e s f o r countries to participate in carbon reduction e ff o r t s u s i n g c a r b o n c r e d i t s a n d c a r b o n offsets through carbon markets In 2021, t h e v o l u n t a r y c a r b o n m a r k e t g r e w a t a record pace, reaching US$

ceremony was witnessed by Acting DMD (Operations and UFG) SSGC, Mr Saeed Rizvi and his team members whereas Director Mr Zia Naqi represented Green Waste Energy (Pvt ) Lim-

ited Mr Khwaja Huzaifa, Consultant, Bridge Factor (Pvt ) Limited was also present on the occasion SSGC-AE a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sui Southern Gas Company

(SSGC), was established in 2022 with the primary goal of addressing energy challenges in the country The company's core mission revolves around the implementation of alternative energy projects including but not limited to renewable and eco-friendly fuel ventures such as biogas and biomethane, thermal energy-based electricity generation and forward-looking initiatives like coal-togas (C2L) conversion with carbon capture and storage capabilities as well as green hydrogen production Moreover SSGC Alternate Energy (SSGC-AE) is proactively spearheading the promotion of Green Molecules endeavors The organization is actively urging prospective investors and project developers in the market to engage in the production of biogas and biomethane

Carbon markets on the rise

nance practices

The system is envisioned to effect the protection of rights of minority shareholders along with active involvement of shareholders in corporate governance decisions CDC remains committed in its vision for market development and stakeholder facilitation by spearheading the digitization drive Mr Memosh Khawaja, President CEO PICG, applauded the efforts of CDC in its vision towards stakeholder facilitation and said that this joint initiative will pave the way for the muchneeded active engagement of shareholders towards corporate governance decisions Mr Memosh Khawaja, while addressing the occasion, commented that “Currently there is a general lack of awareness and limited understanding among shareholders especially minority shareholders regarding their rights in the corporate governance practices, resulting in their reduced participation in decision making, vulnerability to manipulation and exploitation of shareholder rights The proposed portal aims to foster increased shareholder engagement in governance matters by facilitating greater awareness and knowledge

Standard Char tered, Karachi United launch sixth edition of SC KU Youth League

KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t

Standard Chartered Bank announced the launch of the sixth edition of the Standard Chartered Karachi United Youth League, a flagship community programme aimed at promoting sports amongst children The objective of the SC KU Youth League is to provide a platform for football teams from across the underserved areas of Karachi to come together break barriers and inculcate the spirit and culture of sport and competition amongst children of the community The Bank has been sponsoring this league since 2017, supporting over 5000 children through sports This year ’s league will see 1200+ boys compete in the age categories: Under 10 years Under 12 years Under 14 years and Under 16 years including a Government School competition as well The format is that of a group system from which the top teams qualify directly for the quarterfinals and beyond This year the League will also witness an increase in the participation of girls through a Girls tournament involving 180 girls A total of 206 matches will be played in six different locations including Khyber Muslim Ground Baldia Town Old Golimar Football

Ground Jam Eleven Ground Malir Karachi United Clifton and Kakari Ground Lyari which promises to attract football fans from all over Karachi Rehan Shaikh Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Pakistan said, The Bank has had a long association with football and we are proud to be leading such a transformational initiative with Karachi United in Pakistan

ICCI urges pharma distributors to keep 3 months stock in hand to avoid shor tage of medicines

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) has conferred the Best Distributor Award on Muhammad Mehtab Hussain General Manager Premier Sales (Pvt ) Limited in recognition of his outstanding services and ensuring availability of needed medicines at pharmacies especially during the Covid-19 pandemic Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry gave the award to Muhammad Mehtab Hussain during a ceremony held at ICCI Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry paid tribute to Muhammad Mehtab Hussain for his best distribution services especially during Covid-19 pandemic when many distributors and pharmacies were facing supply chain issues He said that the Premier Sales (Pvt ) Limited has embraced modern distribution system, which is laudable He stressed that the DRAP should take measures to ensure at least 3-months stocks with distributors for regular supply of medicines at pharmacies Muhammad Mehtab Hussain General Manager Premier Sales (Pvt ) Limited thanked ICCI for giving him Best Distributor Award which is a great honor for him and his organization He said that speed and response level matter a lot in distribution business for customer satisfaction and retail spread is his prime focus to serve the ailing humanity Sardar Shabbir Ahmed Senior Inspector of Drugs Islamabad congratulated Muhammad Mehtab Hussain and Premier Sales (Pvt ) Ltd for receiving Best Distributor Award which is a due recognition of their professional and positive approach in business

increasing concerns around the issue of climate change the major economies in both developed and de-

veloping countries have started to create and engage in carbon markets The growth of carbon markets has been very impressive in the last few years More specifically the number of carbon markets has doubled since

2012 and the general interest in carbon trading is also on an upswing In the global market China is the largest seller of Certified Emission Reduction capturing almost 60% followed by India having an 11 3% share and Brazil having a 6 5% share in the global market It can be seen that both India and China are among the top polluters of the world due to their high growth yet both economies have entered the world of Carbon Trading and are among the highest sellers of carbon credits in the current marketplace Forest-rich countries such as Costa Rica are strategically entering the carbon markets In Southeast Asia, Cambodia has extensive experience with the voluntary carbon market in the forest sector Meanwhile countries such as Ghana are already pioneering the implementation of carbon market instruments Although much later than the rest of the world, Pakistan has also finally entered the Carbon market and trading landscape The country’s current ranking on Environment Performance Index (EPI) is 124th among 149 countries The economic cost of grow-

ing environmental degradation resource depletion and climate change are continuously on the rise Carbon Markets can play an important role in revitalizing the country s economy Currently, Pakistan has 14 approved Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects with the status of the host country while 60 projects are in the pipeline The main objective of these projects is to bring a positive impact on the socioeconomic status of the country along with its contribution towards environmental sustainability According to CDM cell, these projects are expected to bring US$ 345 million in foreign investment along with a 3 35 million tons GHG reduction per year as well as a positive impact on agriculture productivity employment opportunity and technology transfer However, it must be understood that setting a price for carbon emissions is a valuable beginning, but not the end, of climate policy Much more needs to be done to complement the carbon trading system and carbon markets to ensure an effective policy response to the threat of climate change It is also necessary for government to take appropriate action to support innovation and low-carbon technologies and industries

The author could be reached at his email ali ashar@bankalhabib com

ALI ASHAR JAFFRI

P K R F U R T H E R G A I N S G R O U N D A G A I N S T U S D I N W E E K E N D T R A D I N G S E S S I O N

enced open-market

THE Pakistani rupee continued its upward trajectory against the US dollar during the week s last trading session, with the local currency gaining value in both the open market and inter-bank As per the state bank of Pakistan (SBP) the rupee held steady and trading within the range of 282 19 to 282 69 in the interbank market

Currency experts attribute this stability to an increased supply of US dollars in the interbank sector, which has positively influ-

ment implemented administrative actions to combat currency smuggling and hoarding As a result, authorities conducted countrywide raids, leading to the closure of numerous illegal currency exchanges and the confiscation of foreign currency worth millions

The timing of the rupee s resurgence is particularly significant as Pakistan gears up for the next review of its Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) scheduled for November A stable and appreciating currency is typically viewed favorably in IMF negotiations potentially strengthening Pakistan s position

caretaker govern-

Discrepanc y arises over Pakistan-GCC FTA: minister ’s claims contradic ted by BoI

PFORIT

N e w S D e S k

In a surprising turn of events, a significant discrepancy has emerged surrounding the purported Pakistan-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement (Pak-GCC FTA) Caretaker Minister for Commerce and Industries Gohar Ejaz, recently made bold claims about the finalization of the FTA, but these statements have been contradicted by reliable sources within the Board of

Investment (BoI) as reported by Business Recorder

During a press conference held on October 4 2023 Gohar Ejaz announced that Pakistan had achieved a historic milestone in trade relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council by successfully concluding the FTA which he stated marked the first FTA the GCC had entered into with any country in the past 14 years However sources within the BoI have since revealed a different reality Sources within the Board of Invest-

ment told BR the claims made by the Commerce minister appear to be inaccurate The FTA document has neither been finalized nor signed in Riyadh Instead both sides have only signed a one-page document titled Initiation of Signing of the Agreement on FTA,” which has been shared with the Government of Pakistan through diplomatic channels

The BoI has highlighted a crucial obstacle to the FTA’s finalization, emphasizing that the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) must be concluded before the FTA

Unregistered Afghan families star t leaving Pakistan after ultimatum

KHYBER S ta f f R e p o R t

can proceed

It has been reported that GCC members particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar are eager for the BIT to be finalized before making any significant investments in Pakistan

Further complicating matters are the differences that have emerged during the BIT negotiations Some articles within the negotiations do not align with Pakistan’s Model BIT template, which has already been approved by the federal cabinet These differences need to be addressed and resolved before progress can be made The Embassy of Qatar in Islamabad, on its part, has been actively engaged in discussions with Pakistani authorities since January 2022

Plea filed in SHC seeking judicial commission to probe Sakrand incident

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

A petition was submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday, seeking the establishment of a judicial commission to probe the Maari Jalbani village incident also known as the Sakrand incident

The petition filed by Advocate Tahmasp Rasheed Razvi, has called upon the court to appoint a high court judge to oversee the investigation, aiming to ensure transparency and impartiality in the proceedings

In response to the petition the high court has issued notices to all parties involved, including the Director-General of Rangers and the Sindh Chief Secretary Representing the petitioner were Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, Syed Haider Imam Rizvi and Barrister Shoaib Ali Khatian

On September 28 four men with apparently no criminal record were shot

dead and at least five others including women sustained injuries in a raid by the Rangers and the police in a village in Benazirabad Nawabshah district Caretaker Home Minister Brig (retd)

Harris Nawaz claimed that four personnel of the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) were also injured in the incident in the Maari Khan Jalbani Village of Sakrand taluka

According to home minister police and Rangers raided the village on a tipoff about the presence of a terrorist but they came under attack by the villagers The local residents, however, differed with this account, contending that the LEAs wanted to raid the residence of an elderly political worker Rajab Jalbani which caused a confrontation As per Sindhi media reports the LEA personnel tried to barge into the homes without any warrant or warning, the locals tried to talk to them to produce any document, on which the LEA personnel opened fire

The Benazirabad SSP Syed Haider Raza told the local media that the district police were unaware about the raid conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department and the Rangers According to him, when the police went to the village the residents resorted to pelting stones owing to which the cops retreated

90% of polio c ases linked to Afghanistan: Health Minister

ISLAMABAD

ta f f R e p o R t

S

As Pakistan continues to witness an increase in poliovirus, Interim Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan has said 90 per cent of cases in the country were “imported from Afghanistan” His remarks come after two more samples tested positive for the poliovirus in the country just a day after this year s third case surfaced According to an official at the polio l a b o r a t o r y o f t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e o f H e a l t h ( N I H ) , s e w a g e s a m p l e s c o llected from Dera Bugti, in Balochistan, a n d P e s h a w a r h a d t e s t e d p o s i t i v e f o r t h e v i r u s B o t h v i r u s e s f o u n d i n s e w a g e s a m p l e s a r e s i m i l a r t o Afghanistan s poliovirus P a k i s t a n a n d A f g h a n i s t a n a r e t h e only countries where the polio virus re-

m a i n s e n d e m i c A c c o r d i n g t o a u t h o r ities, the transmission of wild poliovirus has been restricted to seven districts in t h e s o u t h o f K h y b e r P a k h t u n k h w a namely Tank Bannu North Waziristan South Waziristan Upper South Waziristan Lower Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki

Marwat

In a report released in August, the World Health Organisation said that since January 2021 all reported cases were from the seven polio-endemic districts in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Earlier this week the total number of cases in Pakistan this year increased to five after three new cases were reported in Peshawar, Bannu and Balochistan’s Dera Bugti T h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s l a u n c h e d a five-day polio vaccination drive targeti n g a r o u n d 4 4 m i l l i o n c h i l d r e n a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y A p p r o x i m a t e l y 3 5 0 0 0 0

p o l i o w o r k e r s w o u l d p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e d r i v e t o a d m i n i s t e r a n t i - p o l i o v a c c i n e d r o p s t o c h i l d r e n a g e d 0 - 5 y e a r s S p e a k i n g a b o u t t h e r i s i n g n u m b e r o f p o l i o c a s e s t h e h e a l t h m i n i s t e r s a i d : O u r s u r v e i l l a n c e i s o p t i m a l O f t h e 3 4 s a m p l e s t h a t w e h a v e r e c e i v e d 9 0 p c h a v e c o m e f r o m A f g h a n i s t a n o u r o w n a r e e v e n l e s s t h a n 1 0 p c , h e s a i d D r J a n h i g h l i g h t e d t h a t t h i s w a s d a n g e r o u s a n d s t r e s s e d t h e n e e d f o r v a c c i n a t i o n “ O t h e r w i s e t h e i m p o r t e d v i r u s w i l l k e e p c i r c u l a t i n g a n d e v e n t ua l l y b e c o m e o u r o w n h e w a r n e d Talking about the recent cases reported i n K P, t h e m i n i s t e r s a i d t h e y w e r e t h e r e s u l t o f r e f u s a l t o a d m i n i s t e r p o l i o v a c c i n e s D u r i n g t h e i n t e r v i e w D r J a n a l s o s a i d t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s c o mm e n c e d e ff o r t s t o e n d t h e b u s i n e s s o f fake medicines He stated that a system

f o r c h e c k i n g b a r c o d e s o f m e d i c i n e s h a d b e e n p r e p a r e d b u t t h e r e w e r e c e rt a i n c h a l l e n g e s p e r t a i n i n g t o i t s i m p l em e n t a t i o n

According to the minister, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan and the Health Department were playing their part in preventing the sale of fake medicines There are some lapses but we have begun efforts to eliminate [the network of fake medicines] but the solution is to empower the public he said adding that crackdowns had begun on the malpractices In response to a question regarding the health ministry s role in the return of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who is said to come back to the country on Oct 21 Dr Jan said it was a political matter “We will 100pc follow what the law and Constitution says,” he added

The undocumented Afghans have started to leave Pakistan following the warning issued by the government

The government has set a deadline for the undocumented immigrants to leave Pakistan till Oct 30 Following the ultimatum, as many as 30 Afghan families returned to their hometown through the Torkham border crossing during last few days A crackdown is already underway against the unrecorded Afghans those are residing in different parts of the country media reports said Media reported that people attached with the immigration department are dubbing the return of Afghan families a routine affair However independently the departure is considered an outcome of government instructions It said in the days to come, the migration of Afghan families from Pakistan, majority of them living in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, would increase Currently the families those are leaving Pakistan are being helped at the Torkham in connection with their clearance Currently as many as 23 000 Afghans are living in various parts of Khyber and Afghan Commissionerate has also duly registered them, media quoted the deputy commissioner of Khyber as saying He said among these 18,000 Afghans had Afghan Citizen Cards and remaining got Proof of Registration cards All the statistics were provided to the Pakistan government by the Afghan Commissionerate the DC said adding no particulars of the Afghans are available residing in Khyber without registration

Capital police advise seminaries against allowing strangers’ stay in mosques, madressahs

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Islamabad police have said its Anti-Extremism Unit has “completed contacts” with all seminaries regarding not allowing strangers to reside at or spend the night at mosques and madressahs In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday night it stated “There is no permission to stay in mosques Strangers will not be allowed to stay at or spend the night in mosques and madressahs ” It did not elaborate any further on what a stranger is With regard to opening seminaries the police said it had already issued directives on the matter “The permission of the authorised bodies is necessary to open an educational institution or madressah The statement quoted the capital police and the district administration appreciating the ulema and administrators who abided by the law The move comes amid heightened terrorism in the country in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year A week ago a suicide bomber ripped through a procession celebrating the birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) on 12 Rabiul Awwal in Mastung, claiming the lives of more than 50 people including a police officer religious leaders and children No militant group has come forward to claim responsibility for the bombing prompting claims from the government that the Indian intelligence agency RAW was involved The same day, at least five people were killed in twin bombings at a mosque inside a police station in KP’s Hangu

The next day Chief of Army Staff General

Asim Munir had said that the terrorists and facilitators behind the attacks on 12th Rabiul Awwal were proxies of the enemies of Pakistan and its people

Earlier this month, data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said the number of militant attacks in August was the highest tally for monthly strikes in almost nine years

BoP announces attractive rates for dollar term deposits — here’s why this is big news

2022 one spot below gold at 41% and above the dollar at 28% As stated earlier investing in NPCs was limited to overseas Pakistanis and residents with declared assets abroad In comparison, the BoP s USD term deposit is aimed primarily at residents And it comes at an opportune time, according to officials at the BoP In a written response to Profit’s questions the bank said With the recent crackdown on USD cash holdings and transactions there is a need for avenues that can be provided to the holders of foreign exchange cash deposits who are keeping them for saving purposes to deposit them in a safe environment with decent returns ” Following a crackdown on the open market and suspension of the licences of exchange companies that were suspected of being involved in manipulating the exchange rate and engaging in off-thebooks’ deals, the rupee has appreciated in recent weeks

Since September 5, the

rupee has gained Rs 23 48 per dollar in the interbank market and Rs 40 per dollar in the open market Atlas Asset Management CEO Muhammad Abdul Samad said given the recent appreciation, there would be pressure on people holding hard dollars to deposit them in banks and get returns “It is a good initiative from a financial inclusion perspective ” he said BoP term deposits and NPC: Aside from the accessibility for Pakistanis and no minimum deposit, what sets apart the BoP s term deposit from the NPC? For starters, while investors can prematurely encash NPCs after a period of three months the rate of return will be equivalent to the nearest shorter maturity For example if the investor decides to encash it in the 7th month he will get the rate of interest applicable on the six-month tenure If he encashes it before three months the shortest tenure he will not get any profit

On the other hand the BoP’s shortest tenure is one month The bank also allows premature encashment While no penalty will be charged on the principal amount the investor will get the bank s savings rate for the number of days the deposit is held with the BoP Another major difference is that investors cannot pledge the BoP’s term deposit with a bank to get a loan However under NPC Rules 2020 the certificates can be pledged to get a loan from an international bank Overseas Pakistanis (and the banks they were using) exploited this to earn returns that were more than double those being offered by the government For example, an overseas Pakistani would invest $1 000 in NPC at a rate of 9% He would then pledge it to a bank such as Standard Chartered Bank or Samba Bank and borrow $900 at a rate of 5% He would reinvest it in NPC (again at a rate of 9%)

g Both sides have only signed a one-page document titled "initiation of signing of agreement on FTA," sources claim