Epaper_23-10-10 LHR

O N ly ‘ l aW - a b i d i N g ’ P T i l e a d e R S

T O C O N T e S T e l e C T i O N S : P M K a K a R

caretaker government would ensure the provision of facilities to him as per his entitlement

CA R E TA K E R Prime Minister

Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday said that only “lawabiding” Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) leaders would be allowed to participate in the upcoming general elections

During an informal conversation with senior journalists in Islamabad, the caretaker PM affirmed that PTI’s status as a political party remained intact

Reiterating his government s nonpartisan stance the PM reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining a neutral policy, refusing to extend support to any political party during the elections or endorse institutional interference in any party’s favour

Addressing his role as prime minister in the media the PM expressed surprise at the attention given to his statements and interviews, which often created the impression that he intended to remain in the PM house indefinitely

He clarified that his tenure as caretaker PM would conclude in the next three months and cautioned against interpreting his remarks as having far-reaching implications in national politics

However the PM noted that he never felt compelled to issue clarifications for his statements

In a lighthearted manner he quipped that he was not a despot (Mughal emperor), who would issue decrees forbidding political parties from participating

He emphasised that the caretaker government had no bias towards any political party and would not permit institutional interference in anyone s favour

Regarding the deadline for unregis-

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Monday remarked that Parliament should not be hampered from doing good just because it lacked the two-thirds majority required for passing a constitutional amendment

He made the remarks as a full court resumed hearing a set of petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 which requires the formation of benches on constitutional matters of public importance by a committee of three senior judges of the court

The full court has resumed hearing a set of petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 which requires the formation of benches on constitutional matters of public importance by a committee of three senior judges of the court

In keeping with the court s directives, the hearing is being streamed live on television Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa the bench consists Justice Sardar

Tariq Masood Justice Ijazul Ahsan Justice Syed

Mansoor Ali Shah Justice Munib Akhtar Justice Yahya

Afridi Justice Aminuddin Khan Justice Sayyed Mazahar

Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice

Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A Malik, Justice

Athar Minallah, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice

Shahid Waheed and Justice Musarrat Hilali

In a pre-emptive move the Supreme Court then led by former CJP Umar Ata Bandial in April had barred the government from implementing the bill seeking to curtail the chief justice of Pakistan s powers once it became a law

At the previous hearing, CJP Isa had questioned the many legal challenges to parliament’s legislative authority, saying there had been much nit-picking over laws enacted by assemblies but in the face of martial laws imposed in the country there was always a complete surrender We pick errors whenever parliament made a law but surrender ourselves completely when martial laws were imposed in the country, Justice Isa said

At the outset of Monday’s hearing, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Abid Zuberi said that Article 175(2) and Article 191 had been quoted in the Act He read out Article 191 which states: Subject to the Constitution and law the Supreme Court may make rules regulating the practice and procedure of the Court

Israel

To a question the prime minister said there was no formal requirement for the caretaker government s consultation with the president for the electoral process However, the government would surely respond whenever they got any queries from the president as they maintained respectful relationship

About his US visit the prime minister said it was necessary to reiterate Pakistan s position on certain issues at the UN General Assembly as the continuity of state affairs could not be suspended

About the expulsion of illegal foreign nationals PM Kakar said that Pakistan hosted around 1 8 million registered foreign nationals and they were not being expelled

tered immigrants to leave the country the interim PM clarified that only Afghan refugees who were not registered would be evacuated from the country

Meanwhile, in an interview with a private television channel, PM Kakar rubbished the notions of his government favouring the PML-N and said usually the political parties attracted their voters through such impressions

Ruling out any threat to PTI chief s life in jail, the prime minister said the

Slashed by Rs 41? No change at all? What could happen going into this week’s fortnightly fuel pricing decision

However, he added that the action was being taken against those without any legal documents or those who had got obtained fake identity documents

He further explained that the unregistered people were not included in the government database, leaving authorities without reliable information to ascertain whether they were legitimately engaged in businesses or potentially involved in illicit activities

PM Kakar prepares for China visit amidst supposed slowdown in CPEC expansion

g PAK-CHINA LIKELY TO SIGN $6.67 BILLION WORTH AGREEMENT ON ML-1 RAILWAY PROJECT DURING PM KAKAR’S UPCOMING ‘ VVIP ’ VISIT TO CHINA

A major signing is expected with regards to projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) when Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar visits

China later this month

The expected signing worth billions of dollars comes at a time when concerns have been raised regarding progress on CPEC projects and in particular hindrances faced by China in the course of its investments in Pakistan It had been reported last month that Pakistan and China have encountered chal-

lenges in expanding their cooperation within CPEC particularly in the areas of energy, water management, and climate change as highlighted by the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting

The reports which were strongly refuted by the Pakistan government, said that China showed reluctance to endorse numerous proposals put forth by Pakistan in areas such as energy water management climate change and tourism in regions including Giglit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and coastal areas This resulted in disparities

g FUEL PRICES ARE SET TO BE A SSESSED IN COMING DAYS. AND WHILE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IS POSSIBLE, IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN FOR A NUMBER OF REA SONS

As the clock strikes twelve on Sunday night

Pakistanis will be eagerly awaiting the government s announcement on the fuel prices for the next fortnight

The anticipation is high, as rumours of a significant price cut have been swirling in the media for the past week Speculations are rife with some reports daring to suggest that the government might wield the axe on petrol and diesel prices slashing them by a staggering Rs 38 to Rs 41 per litre

However, as dawn broke on Monday, the global oil market staged a comeback from last week’s slump, pouring cold water on our hopes of significant relief On a brighter note the Pakistani rupee has flexed its muscles against the US dollar offering a glimmer of hope for a potential downward revision

So what can we anticipate from this week s verdict?

Primarily, it s crucial to underscore that all conjectures about potential price reductions are provisional at best

between the initial draft presented to Beijing and the final signed minutes China notably excluded cross-border tourism cooperation in GB KP and AJK and collaboration to promote coastal tourism from the finalized minutes It rejected Pakistan s suggestion to incorporate Water Resources Management, Climate Change, and Urban Infrastructure Development within the CPEC framework and dismissed the proposal for a joint working group on water resources management and climate change

Pakistan dispatches relief goods to ear thquake-hit Afghanistan

KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T

Pakistan on Monday said it is dispatching the first consignment of relief goods for the victims of Saturday s massive earthquakes in northwestern Afghanistan

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said that Islamabad is immediately sending a medical team field hospital 50 tents and 500 blankets to the earthquake-hit region on the specific request of the interim Afghan government

On my instructions – in addition to the relief goods – all the requested items are being dispatched in the afternoon today (Monday), with more relief goods to follow,” Kakar said in a post on X

“Deeply saddened by the devastating earthquake

imposes ‘total blockade’

TEL AVIV A G E N C I E S

Israel imposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip on Monday with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stating that all supplies of electricity, water, food, fuel and other goods would be stopped as Israeli troops battled to clear out Hamas fighters from southern settlements The Israeli army further said it would soon go on the offensive after the biggest mobilisation in Israeli history

Fighting raged at several locations inside Israel on Monday where the fighters were still holed up following a raid that shattered Israel’s reputation of invincibility

The Israeli military said it struck hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip overnight and had sent four combat divisions south where it continued to battle Palestinian fighters two days after a bloody incursion

The Palestinian health ministry said at least 493 people including scores of children

have been killed by Israeli bombing and more than 2751 have been injured till now

Fears of ground invasion are growing as Israel is escalating measures against the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to a total blockade” including a ban on the supply of food and fuel to war-ravaged Palestinians in the resource-strapped Arab country

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant on Monday described the move as part of a battle against the Palestinian group as Israel s troops were still battling on Monday to clear out Hamas gunmen more than two days after they burst across the fence from Gaza on a deadly rampage and the army said it would soon go on the offensive after the biggest mobilisation in Israeli history

I O N: Hamas executed a meticulous two-year campaign of deception that caught Israel off guard during a devastating attack, marking the worst breach in Israel’s defences since 1973

The group concealed its military intentions while presenting an image of economic

in Herat Afghanistan Our hearts go out to the affected communities, he further said, adding that Islamabad stands in solidarity with the Afghans during this difficult time ” Kakar said he instructed the Pakistani disaster authority to send “maximum” support to the affected people

The death toll from Saturday s massive earthquakes in Afghanistan has shot up to over 2 500 said Taliban police According to the US Geological Survey, strong earthquakes of magnitude 6 3, 5 9, and 5 5 jolted the northwestern Herat and Badghis provinces It said the epicentre was 40 kilometres (24 8 miles) northwest of Herat city Afghanistan is frequently struck by tremors mainly the Hindukush mountain range which sits near the confluence of Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates

The final prices of petrol and diesel hinge on two key components: the ex-refinery price and the Inland Freight Equalisation Margin (IFEM) both of which are computed using moving averages that are settled on the day of the price decision itself a fortnight after the preceding one

“It’s premature to make any assertions; the fortnight is still being priced out,” remarks Omar Shafqaat, Chief Operating Officer at Taj Gasoline Echoing this sentiment Hassan Tahir CEO of Hi-Tech Lubricants adds There s still a window before the final pricing of both products is determined It s impossible to forecast whether the Government will hike or slash the price of the products However, given the current global crude prices and the status of the Pakistani Rupee, the trend appears to be bearish ” As a result any circulating predictions of price increases or decreases are merely speculative and far from conclusive

However this doesn t preclude us from indulging in a bit of speculation

Last week s most frequently cited estimates were price cuts of Rs 38 to Rs 41 for petrol and Rs 18 to Rs 19 for diesel Based on our preliminary analysis we estimate that petrol and diesel could both see reductions around Rs 32 However Profit also advises caution as there could be no reduction at all if the government opts to enforce sales tax on these two products prices

Before we delve into how we arrived at our tentative price reductions let’s first understand how the pricing mechanism for these two commodities operates

P R I C I N G A L I T R E O F F U E L: Fuel pricing in Pakistan is composed of six key elements: the exrefinery price, the Inland Freight Equalisation Margin (IFEM), distributor margin, dealer s commission, the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL), and sales tax

Firstly the ex-refinery price is set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) rather than the refineries themselves This is the charge local refineries impose on Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for their product The price is calculated using the import parity price formula, which takes into account various refinery expenses The retail prices of petrol and diesel are Rs 323 and Rs 318 respectively but their exrefinery prices are actually Rs 243 and Rs 253

on Gaza as aircraft continue to pound enclave

focus They trained openly mocked military preparations and showed restraint in prior operations lulling Israel into complacency Israel shifted its focus away from Hamas, failing to detect their plan Hamas avoided leaks and executed a multifaceted attack, exploiting Israeli weaknesses The consequences led Israel to vow the destruction of Hamas emphasising the need to address the threat posed by the group

A military spokesperson said fighting was ongoing at seven or eight locations near Gaza two days after fighters from Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more in the deadliest raid into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria s attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago Hamas fighters also continued to cross into Israel from Gaza, the spokesman said Fighter jets, helicopters and artillery struck over 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip overnight with targets including Hamas and Islamic Jihad command centres and the residence of senior

Hamas official Ruhi Mashtaa who allegedly helped direct the infiltration into Israel

Medics in Gaza said at least seven Palestinians were killed in two Israeli air strikes on two houses Israeli planes carried out dozens of air strikes, many in the northern town of Beit Hanoun Israeli air strikes on Sunday hit housing blocks tunnels a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza

The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations,” said Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the country had called in around 100 000 soldiers

Our job is to make sure that at the end of this war, Hamas will no longer have any military capabilities to threaten Israeli civilians with and in addition to that we also need to make sure Hamas will not govern the Gaza Strip he said

Oil prices were up more than $3 a barrel in Asian trade on Monday as the violence deepened political uncertainty across the Middle East and raised concerns about supplies from Iran

Iran is an ally of Hamas and while it congratulated Hamas on the attack, its mission to the United Nations said Tehran was not involved in the attacks

Any sustained rally in oil prices would act as a tax on consumers and add to global inflationary pressures, which weighed on equities as S&P 500 futures shed 0 7% and Nasdaq futures lost 0 6%

Several international air carriers have suspended flight services with Tel Aviv in light of the Hamas attack saying they are waiting for conditions to improve before resuming

Beyond blockaded Gaza, Israeli forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah exchanged artillery and rocket fire on Sunday, while in Egypt two Israeli tourists were shot dead along with a guide

Parliament shouldn’t be hampered from doing good just because it lacks two thirdsmajorit y, CJP remarks

WB WITHDRAWS TA X RECOMMENDATION FOR LOW SAL ARIES

IN a surprising turn of events, the World Bank officially withdrew its earlier recommendation to impose taxes on monthly salaries below Rs50 000 citing fresh data that reveals significant disparities in tax contributions between different sectors of the economy

The World Bank’s initial recommendation which had stirred controversy and debate

However the

PKR appreciates by 5 rupees against US Dollar in open market

international financial institution now acknowledges that this data is no longer accurate given the recent spikes in inflation and shifting labor market conditions

A spokeswoman for the World Bank stated, The World Bank certainly does not recommend any reduction in the current nominal threshold, and how it was framed above may have indeed been misleading ” This clarification comes as a response to the realization that the salaried class which includes many individuals who rely on public transport or motorcycles for commuting has

been shouldering a disproportionately heavy tax burden Government statistics reveal that during the July-September period of the current fiscal year salaried individuals contributed a staggering Rs70 6 billion in income tax

This amount surpassed the combined tax contributions of the wealthiest exporters and the influential yet largely unregulated real estate sector The tax payments by salaried workers placed them as the fourth-largest contribu t o r s t o w i t h h o l d i n g t a x e s t r a i l i n g o n l y

behind contractors, bank depositors, and importers

Remarkably the combined taxes paid by exporters and real estate players amounted to just Rs65 billion over the same three-month period, falling nearly Rs6 billion short of the taxes paid by the salaried workforce

“The appropriate changes to tax thresholds should be assessed based on new survey data and designed to protect low incomes emphasized the World Bank

In addition to the retraction of the tax

SIFC seeks information on projec ts facing delays or stuck in arbitration

projects

PR OFIT

n e w s D e s k

The Pakistani rupee (PKR) remains on a remarkable upward trajectory appreciating by 5 rupees against the US Dollar in the open market during intraday trading on Monday

Currency dealers said the rupee was quoted at 281 50 for selling and 278 75 for buying purposes for customers

In the interbank market the PKR has gained around 1 rupee against the US dollar during intraday trade compared to its previous closing rate of PKR 282 68 per USD At 12:30 p m , the rupee was hovering at 281 40, an increase of Rs1 29, in the inter-bank

Last week the Pakistani rupee demonstrated resilience by gaining 1 8% over five trading sessions closing at 282 69 against the US dollar in the interbank market This has extended its winning streak to 22 consecutive sessions, bringing it to its highest level since July

Notably in the month of September the PKR’s performance was remarkable with a gain of 6 19% against the US dollar marking its second-best performance in percentage terms since 2014 This achievement earned it recognition as the best-performing currency in the world for the month

This development follows a series of measures undertaken by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to stabilize the Pakistani currency Last month the SBP introduced a comprehensive set of structural reforms aimed at regulating Exchange Companies (ECs) and curbing the dollar ’s ascent

Simultaneously the caretaker government 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

The Executive Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is actively seeking information from federal and provincial governments regarding projects facing delays or stuck in arbitration, with the aim of creating a more conducive environment for potential investments

According to a report by Business Recorder numerous domestic and foreign investors have been approaching the SIFC Secretariat to seek resolutions to their procedural and regulatory concerns

To streamline this process, the SIFC has distributed a form to all Ministries and Divisions which includes key details such as the project s name sector current stage location specific issues contact information for the focal person, the latest measures taken, and any recommendations

It has come to light that more than 100 wind and solar (renewable energy) power projects have experienced significant delays These projects have now reached the SIFC Secretariat due to the Power Division s hesitation to accept numerous renewable energy

In Punjab, there are wind projects totaling 100 MW and solar PV projects of 1,010 MW, with one wind and seven solar projects having received Letters of Intent (LoI) and land allocation within IRZs Sindh has 490 MW of wind projects and 590 MW of solar projects, with 21 and 4 solar LoIs respectively KPK has 250 MW of solar projects with four LoIs, and Balochistan has 1 190 MW of wind projects and 2 500 MW of solar projects

The Power Division has also shared a list of 100 renewable energy projects that are experiencing delays due to bureaucratic obstacles

On a different note, the Korea South-East Power Company (KOEN) has accused the National Electric Power Regulatory (Nepra) of delays in determining the feasibility stage tariff for its two hydel power projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KOEN has requested SIFC’s intervention to expedite the process and resolve the case in order to facilitate the timely commencement of these projects KOEN is a Korean state-owned company and a subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corporation

(KEPCO) The company boasts an impressive 83,000-MW generation capacity worldwide and an asset base of $175 billion

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has shared a letter from the Korean company with relevant authorities In the letter KOEN stated that after successfully completing the 102MW Gulpur Hydropower Project, it initiated two 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects The investment was formalized in May 2017 through an MoU between the KPK government and KOEN following bankable feasibility studies and obtaining various approvals

Despite securing approvals from multiple departments including KP EPA IRSA Forest and a general license from Nepra KOEN has faced delays in Nepra s tariff determination process These delays are not only causing financial losses but also hindering the projects’ timely initiation CEO KA Power Limited noted that these projects will attract essential foreign direct investment in the short term while addressing the country s energy needs and stabilizing the national grid in the long term

PBS data shows shor t-term inflation soars by 37 percent

Short-term inflation, as measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) has recorded a startling year-on-year surge of 37 07 percent for the week ending October 5 according to official data released recently by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) This marks the fourth consecutive week of rising inflation, casting a shadow of concern over the nation’s economic stability

Several factors contribute to this inflationary trend including the depreciation of the national currency, the impact of sales tax, and surging electricity bills However, this ongoing inflationary trend has been primarily fueled by the relentless surge in retail prices of petroleum products

In the previous week the caretaker government had implemented a marginal reduction in petroleum product prices, following three successive fortnights of price hikes However, this move had already set off a chain reaction leading to a hike in transport fares and increased costs associated with moving goods

A notable aspect of this inflationary spiral is the nation s dependence on imports to meet the demand for essential vegetables, including tomatoes onions and potatoes prima-

rily sourced from Afghanistan

A closer look at the SPI basket reveals that of the 51 items included prices of 19 essential goods witnessed significant increases, 16 experienced price drops, and 16 remained unchanged compared to the previous week Among the items that saw the most substantial year-on-year price increases during the week under review were electricity charges for Q1 (118 16pc) gas charges for Q1 (108 38pc), cigarettes (94 69pc), rice basmati broken (87 60pc), and chili powder (84 84pc)

Other essentials such as sugar wheat flour gur tea Lipton and petrol also experienced steep price hikes

Furthermore, on a week-on-week basis, prices of certain key commodities experienced significant fluctuations, with tomatoes (12 45pc), onions (11 96pc), and garlic (2 59pc) leading the list

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts that the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the current fiscal year is projected to be 25 9pc, although slightly lower than the previous year ’s 29 6pc

recommendation, the World Bank has called for comprehensive tax reforms aimed at creating a more progressive taxation system These reforms would entail increasing the tax burden on the most affluent individuals and closing regressive tax exemptions, ultimately increasing government revenue

The World Bank also stressed the importance of improving the taxation of sectors such as agriculture property and retail where tax evasion and underreporting are prevalent

Signs of significant shale gas reser voirs found in Sindh

PR OFIT

n e w s D e s k

Pakistan discovered promising signs of significant shale gas reservoirs at the pilot well KUC-1 in Hyderabad Sindh This exploration project was initiated by the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in 2020

The groundbreaking discovery comes at a crucial time when the country grapples with an annual decline in natural gas production currently estimated at 8-9 percent According to findings from a recent USAID study Pakistan is believed to possess over 3 000 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of shale gas resources spread across various shale horizons Dr M Saeed Khan Jadoon, adviser to OGDCL on oil and gas exploration and head of the shale gas cell provided insights into the project s progress:

We ve successfully drilled vertically uncovering two shale gas layers OGDCL will soon drill vertically into a third layer Data from fracking the first two layers indicates ample shale gas Horizontal drilling within a depth of 3 000-6 000 meters spanning 1 500-2 000 meters is the next step

To carry out the drilling and fracking, OGDCL has partnered with Schlumberger, Pakistan The timeline for horizontal drilling completion is August 2024, following three more months

The project s cost is estimated at $25-30 million with delays attributed to COVID19 and floods OGDCL aims to attract investors once fracking data is available, although commercial shale gas recovery costs $10-15 per mmBtu

The Sember Shale a rich source rock is located primarily in the lower and middle Indus basin of Pakistan Currently OGDCL contributes around 35 000 barrels per day of oil and 800 million cubic feet per day of gas, making up 47 percent of oil and 30 percent of gas production in Pakistan

This domestic production has led to savings of about $4 billion and contributed approximately Rs 280 billion to the national exchequer this year OGDCL also generates employment and business opportunities in Pakistan Despite this, Pakistan continues to import oil and gas to meet demand

C h i c ke n p r i c e s to g o t h ro u g h t h e ro o f i n 2 0 2 4 , s ays K & N ’s ow n e r

PR OFIT M o n i to r i n g D e s k

The retail price of chicken has surged by almost 35% compared to last year surpassing the overall inflation rate for the same period Poultry industry experts predict that these rising prices are expected to persist in the coming months without immediate relief “You haven’t seen inflation yet Its (chicken) price is going to go through the roof in 2024 said Khalil Sattar owner of K&N s one of the largest poultry production companies in the country with operations in feed milling, breeding, processing, and retail

A report by Dawn attributes the rising cost of chicken to a decline in production A key factor behind this reduced production as explained by Sattar is the government s decision to ban the import of genetically modified (GM) soybeans in October 2022,

SL ASHED BY RS 41? NO CHANGE AT ALL? WHAT COULD HAPPEN GOING INTO THIS WEEK’S FORTNIGHTLY FUEL PRICING DECISION

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Following this we have the IFEM which serves to harmonise prices across the country Without it, there would be significant price differences between cities like Karachi and Islamabad It reimburses all road transportation costs incurred by the OMCs from the freight pool The current prices of petrol and diesel include IFEMs of Rs 6 and Rs 1 respectively

Next in line is the OMC margin which is the maximum profit OMCs earn per litre of petrol This margin is set by the government of Pakistan (GoP) and notified through OGRA Similarly the dealer ’s commission is what a petrol station owner earns per litre The current prices of both fuels include OMC margins and dealer commissions of Rs 7 and Rs 8 respectively

Lastly, we have the PDL and sales tax collected by the GoP as part of the fuel price The PDL is set by the ministry of energy at Rs 60 for petrol and Rs 50 for diesel The sales tax is applied as a fixed percentage on all components However it s worth noting that current fuel prices do not include any sales tax Let’s get to how we calculated the price now

The primary components we needed to de-

cipher were the ex-refinery price and the IFEM While OGRA does dissect the ex-refinery price into various sub-elements for comprehension it often leads to more perplexity than clarity Consequently Profit employed very crude calculations (no pun intended) to retroactively determine the exrefinery price, taking into account the price of crude and the value of the Rupee against the US Dollar at that time

We considered the average daily price of three crude blends: Arab Light Murban and Dubai These are the principal crude blends imported into Pakistan Profit was unable to assign weights to the prices of the various crude blends due to a lack of monthly import data from either the Government of Pakistan or United Nations Comtrade Our decision to utilise all three blends and our propensity to assign weights stems from the fact that while Arab Light is perhaps the most prevalent crude blend imported, the ratio between it and its Arab counterparts is perpetually fluctuating Moreover, Profit had received countless reports that UAE’s blends had gained significant popularity over the summer As a result we decided to include all three blends

We examined the past six fortnightly fuel price updates dating back to July 16 to create a denominator that would allow us to convert the cost of an average barrel of crude to the ex-refinery price listed at that

PM Kakar prepares for China visit amidst supposed slowdown in CPEC expansion

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

It is in this environment that the caretaker prime minister is set to visit Beijing on the 16th of October in a high profile visit According to sources, there is a possibility of signing 15 agreements and several memorandum of understanding (MoUs) during the next visit of interim premier Anwar ul Haq Kakar The sources added that the caretaker PM was going to participate in the third Belt and Road Forum scheduled to be held on October 17 and 18 During this visit Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project worth $6 67 billion will be signed as China has agreed to the amendment agreement for the ML-1 railway project while the speed of ML-1 rail has been reduced from 160 kmph to 120 kmph They said a protocol agreement will be signed for the export of donkey skins under CPEC while a protocol agreement will also be signed to export dairy products and meat Agreements will also be signed for Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Pakistan Space Center project while agreement will also be signed for urban development of Gwadar under CPEC said sources Documents available with Profit disclose that the first Framework Agreement for ML-1 was signed in 2017

The 3rd addendum to the Agreement, following cost rationalisation, was now ready to be announced during the upcoming Belt and Road Forum (BRF) Similarly an Inter-Ministerial meeting on deliverables for the Belt and Road Forum to be held on 17-18 October 2023 took place in the ministry on 5th October 2023 to discuss the deliverables that are ready to be announced during the upcoming VVIP visit According to documents, the last PC-1 was approved for USD 9 81 billion in October 2022 After rationalisation the cost went down to USD 6 67 billion Its envisioned speed would remain at 160km/h but its operational speed has been reduced to 120-140 km/h The sources said that all documentation of ML-1 would be completed by 30th November 2023 following which, in December 2023, a final meeting with the Chinese side could take place The Chinese side has shared the revised addendum and they appear keen on signing it if Pakistan s Ministry of Railways agrees with revisions said sources

time In doing so, we considered the average price of all three aforementioned crudes 15 days prior to each fortnightly update Additionally we used the average price of the US Dollar against the Rupee over those fifteen days to determine the cost of a barrel of crude in Rupee terms

After calculating our denominator, we then determined the price of a barrel of crude using the average price of crude blends from October 1 to October 9 and incorporated the average rate of the US Dollar against the Rs over that period as well Our estimates place the ex-refinery price of petrol at an upper limit of Rs 231, a lower limit of Rs 210 with a median value being Rs 219

In a similar vein we calculated the exrefinery price of diesel to be Rs 245 at its peak Rs 221 at its lowest point with a median value of Rs 233 For both commodities IFEMs, we selected the highest, lowest, and median IFEM across all fortnightly updates from July 16 onwards We then attached these IFEMs to their corresponding petrol and diesel ex-refinery prices The dealer ’s commission OMC margin and PDL are constants; hence we simply used their values from October 1 s fortnightly update The prices for our chosen crudes were taken from daily prices listed as part of OPEC’s daily pricing It’s crucial to note here that these three blends’ daily pricing has not been updated since October 6 and

Minister pledges to accelerate CPEC pace

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

Caretaker Minister for Planning and Development Sami Saeed has reiterated Pakistan s commitment to accelerate the implementation of projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Talking to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong on Monday the Planning Minister congratulated him on assuming the charge During the meeting both the sides have discussed CPEC projects and reiterated resolve to further strengthen relations between the two countries Gwadar

Pro reported

It is noted that the second Phase of CPEC has already started as both the countries have been celebrating the decade of CPEC Highlighting the ongoing development projects under CPEC, the

Minister elaborated on their potential to transform Pakistan s infrastructure and economy He underlined that these projects are not merely about physical connectivity but also aim to uplift the lives of the people and boost socioeconomic development across the country

He further said that the interim government is committed to implement the CPEC projects while emphasizing the importance of the long-standing friendship between the two countries and reiterated the commitment to further strengthening the ties

Furthermore, the Minister highlighted the importance of the Gwadar Port, a strategic project under CPEC which is set to become a key maritime gateway connecting Pakistan with the rest of the world The development of Gwadar Port and its associated free

thus does not reflect Monday’s surge in crude market prices Other crude blends have seen their prices change; these will follow suit once they are updated Consequently we anticipate petrol prices to range between Rs 291 and Rs 308 with a median price of Rs 298 This corresponds to reductions of Rs 33, Rs 15, and Rs 25 respectively For diesel, we expect prices to fall within Rs 286 and Rs 306 with a median price being Rs 297 This translates into reductions of Rs 32 Rs 12 and Rs 21 respectively

However, there is reason to suspect that everyone s predictions including our own could be entirely off-base come Sunday

Mirroring the downward trajectory in the global market, price estimates are in freefall

Just last week, the S&P Platts market was left reeling from a precipitous $7/Bbls drop

Furthermore, the PKR/USD exchange rate plays a pivotal role in exacerbating this decline expounds Danish Rasool Senior Manager of Strategic Planning & Commercial at Pakistan Refinery Limited Yet due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, global crude prices have skyrocketed by 5% overnight Unless tensions deescalate, all of last week’s forecasts could be rendered obsolete as crude rebounds to its 2023 zenith

zone is expected to attract foreign investment stimulate economic activities, and create job opportunities in the region

Chinese Ambassador, Jiang Zaidong appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to implement the CPEC particularly the second phase of CPEC With the joint efforts of both sides, CPEC has achieved fruitful outcomes covering areas of industry, agriculture, IT, disaster prevention and mitigation said the Ambassador while appreciating the efforts of Planning Ministry which not only played a vital role in the implementation of the CPEC But made significant contributions to promoting Pakistan’s economic and social development, upgrading Pakistan’s infrastructure improving Pakistani people s well-being enhancing people to people contact and deepening regional connectivity

LHC judges recuse themselves from hearing Per vaiz Elahi ’s intra- cour t appeal

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

The judges of a divisional bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday recused themselves from hearing the intra-court appeal of former Punjab chief minister and PTI President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi challenging the decision of a single bench of the LHC

The LHC’s divisional bench judges, Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa have refused to hear the intra-court appeal of the PTI leader citing personal reasons

The duo recommended the LHC chief justice to send the case to another bench Last week Elahi had

filed an intra-court appeal against the decision of the single bench of the LHC

The single bench declared the decision of a judicial magistrate as void who had discharged the PTI president in a corruption case The prosecution had argued that the magistrate had no power to discharge the respondent (Elahi)

The magistrate had discharged Elahi in cases of alleged corruption in the Lahore Master Plan 2050 and development schemes in different districts

Elahi filed his intra-court appeal against the single bench decision through his lawyer Aftab Bajwa The appeal made the investigation officer of the case respondent

aza as aircraft continue to pound enclave

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Appeals for restraint came from around the world, though Western nations largely stood by Israel

The Palestinian foreign ministry denounced what it called a barbarous campaign of death and destruction by Israel

As an occupying power, Israel has no right or justification to target the defenceless civilian population in Gaza or elsewhere in Palestine ” it said on Sunday In southern Israel Hamas fighters were still fighting Israeli security forces after their surprise assault with rocket barrages and bands of gunmen who overran army bases and invaded border towns It s taking more time than we expected to get things back into a defensive, security posture ” Lt Col Richard Hecht told a briefing with journalists I

D R A F T S 300,000: Israel has drafted a record 300,000 reservists in its response to a multi-front Hamas attack from Gaza and is “going on the offensive ” the chief military spokesperson said on Monday

Since Saturday s surprise assault Israeli aircraft have been pounding Gaza targets while its ground forces have battled to retake control of border villages and towns overrun by Palestinian gunmen Chief military spokesperson RearAdmiral Daniel Hagari said control of those communities had been re-established but that isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active

We are now carrying out searches in all of the communities and clearing the

area ” he said in a televised briefing Israel s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip as seen from the city of Ashkelon PHOTO: Reuters

Israeli military officials had previously said that their focus was on securing Israel’s side of the border before carrying out any major escalation of the counter-offensive in Gaza Hagari said 300 000 reservists have been called up by the military since Saturday, a number suggesting preparations for a possible invasion – though any such plans have not been officially confirmed

“We have never drafted so many reservists on such a scale he said We are going on the offensive

C A P T I V E S: Israel s military, which faces awkward questions for not thwarting the attack, claimed it had regained control of most infiltration points along security barriers killed hundreds of attackers and taken dozens more prisoner

Tens of thousands of soldiers had been around Gaza, a narrow strip of land that is home to 2 3 million Palestinians, and the military was starting to evacuate Israelis around the frontier Israel has not released an official toll but its media said at least 700 people were killed in Saturday s attacks children among them Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called it the worst massacre of innocent civilians in Israel’s history ” Several Americans were killed by Hamas attackers a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed Thailand said 12 of its nationals

had been killed and 11 kidnapped

Palestinian fighters took dozens of hostages to Gaza including soldiers and civilians children and the elderly

A second Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, said it was holding more than 30 of the captives About 30 missing Israelis attending a dance party that was attacked by gunmen emerged from hiding on Sunday Israeli media reported putting the death toll at the outdoor gathering at 260

The cruel reality is Hamas took hostages as an insurance policy against Israeli retaliatory action, particularly a massive ground attack and to trade for Palestinian prisoners said Aaron David Miller a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

U N A B AT E D V I O L E N C E: US Presi-

dent Joe Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second straight day on Sunday saying in a post on the social media platform X that he expressed my full support for the people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists ” The United States led Western denunciations of Hamas’ attack with Biden issuing a warning to Iran and others that this was not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he had ordered the USS Gerald R Ford Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean as a show of support to Israel In Gaza Hamas spokesperson

from the previous month

However, as Rasool astutely observes, the Rupee appears to be on a tear Uncharacteristically it seems impervious to global events If it continues its current trajectory we might anticipate some respite come Sunday But this relief is contingent upon the Government passing on the savings to consumers –

Hazem Qassem condemned the US announcement as an actual participation in the aggression against our people

The violence may undermine U Sbacked moves towards normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia –a security realignment that could threaten Palestinian hopes of self-determination and hem in Hamas’ main backer Iran Tehran s other main regional ally Lebanon s Hezbollah fought a war with Israel in 2006 and said its guns and rockets stand with Hamas

The escalation follows surging violence between Israel and Palestinian groups in the Israeli-occupied West Bank where the Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule

Conditions in the West Bank have worsened under Netanyahu s hard-right government, with more Israeli raids and assaults by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages and the Palestinian Authority called for an emergency Arab League meeting Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the assault would spread to the West Bank and Jerusalem Gazans have lived under an Israeli-led blockade for 16 years, since Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007

“How many times have we warned you that the Palestinian people have been living in refugee camps for 75 years and you refuse to recognise the rights of our people? Haniyeh said

The UN appealed for the creation of humanitarian corridors to bring food into Gaza and said at least 70 000 Palestinians in Gaza are seeking shelter in schools it runs

Group Chief Operating Officer at Gas & Oil Pakistan

This also serves as a convenient mechanism that could be employed to maintain price stability by adjusting the sales tax biweekly and keeping prices static – that is, imposing sales tax now and keeping prices unchanged And subsequently reducing the sales tax rate when prices surge again ” Tayyeb adds

Mari Petroleum achieves milestone with successful drilling of Ghazij-2 Appraisal Well

PR OFIT

n e w s D e s k

Mari Petroleum Company Limited (PSX:MPCL)

the Operator of Mari Development and Production Lease (D&PL) has achieved a significant milestone in the energy exploration sector with the successful drilling and testing of the Mari Ghazij-2 Appraisal Well, the company revealed in a stock filing on Monday

This accomplishment follows the earlier gas discovery at Mari Ghazij-1 as disclosed in a letter dated January 25 2023

The drilling of the Mari Ghazij-2 Appraisal Well commenced on September 11, 2023, and reached a depth of 1,016 meters The post-acid gas flow rate recorded an impressive 11 1 million standard cubic feet per day, with a Wellhead Flowing Pressure of 519 pounds per square inch at a 64/64 inch choke size Ghazij-2 is the first in a series of planned appraisal wells aimed at evaluating the Ghazij-1 discovery and determining its extent The information was shared in accordance with Section 96 of the Securities Act, 2015, and Clause 5 6 1(a) of the PSX Regulations MPCL with a 100% working interest in Mari D&PL has stated that after the completion of requisite regulatory formalities the Mari Ghazij-2 well will undergo extended well testing, ultimately supplying gas to government-designated buyers This successful drilling and gas discovery highlight the company’s commitment to energy exploration and contribute to Pakistan’s growing energy demands The results of the Mari Ghazij-2 Appraisal Well are anticipated to play a pivotal role in the region s energy sector and further solidify MPCL s position in the industry

Israel imposes ‘total block ade’ on G

Palestinians’ plight continues

BY the time you read this even more innocent lives would have been lost in the latest iteration of the violence that has come to define the hellish existence that has been the Palestinians lot ever since a fascist state has been established on their homeland by European settlers

This time the stakes are higher than they have been in the recent past The so-called “Iron Dome” has been breached by the ragtag militia that runs the Gaza Strip On top of the technical failure of the IDF, it is also surprising that the Wehrmacht’s intelligence apparatus wasn’t able to pick up any chatter from the open air prison that Gaza is

Several Western states have released statements condemning Hamas while emphasizing Israel’s right to self-defense However, they tend to overlook the root cause of the ongoing conflict: the actions of the far-right Israeli government, which has subjected Palestinians to a reign of terror

Furthermore, fervent extremists have been organizing highly provocative marches in the occupied city of Jerusalem, deliberately provoking Palestinians near Al Aqsa These individuals have also been responsible for vandalizing churches in the sacred city, launching attacks on Christian pilgrims and residents Their actions are fueled by a discriminatory government aiming to remove all non-Jewish inhabitants from Palestine The tension had been escalating over months and the events on Saturday were a response to a prolonged cycle of violence and humiliation

The cycle of violence will persist unless Palestinians attain justice, as Israel repeatedly suppresses them No elaborate agreement avoiding the fundamental matter of Palestinian nationhood can succeed, regardless of the sophisticated public relations tactics used The Israeli occupation must cease, and the Palestinian people deserve justice

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

EX P E RT I S E is a great thing, and one can do worse than investing the time and effort at one’s disposal to become competent in a field of one’s interest The problem with expertise and competence however is that they are not necessarily transferable to areas outside one s line of work Far too many otherwise intelligent men have trouble understanding this simple fact, usually with consequences that are either very unfortunate or exceedingly funny

It is true that all other things being equal on average a man who has demonstrated genuine competence in one sphere of life is way less likely to spew ranked nonsense about another field of inquiry even if the latter does not happen to be his strong suit Even when he ventures opinion outside his specialty, he is apt to be much less ridiculous in the positions he takes than the man who is not competent in any area whatsoever For even the guesses of an intelligent man are usually sensible Besides from the painstakingly laborious process of acquiring of expertise in one area he is expected to realize that there is no road

to becoming an expert except persistent hard work; in other words that competence comes easy in no field of inquiry This type of person is therefore expected not to make a fool of himself by offering halfbaked opinions on things he has not yet got a hold of By dint of habit, his utterances are therefore expected to be exercises in care and caution Unfortunately, this does not always happen for expectations and reality can be notoriously distinct from one another Success in one area especially if it is accompanied by renown has a way of making many individuals to overestimate their competence in other fields as well

They are too quick to start preaching on topics that they should be studying instead

Admittedly some skills are transferable to other fields: for example facility for mathematics to almost any quantitative arena such as statistics computing or actuarial science Or technical skill in one area to other areas of the same, or similar, domain: for example, a man with knowhow in automotive technology is likely to be generally good at managing and troubleshooting most other technical devices and gadgets as well So far so good But it is rather easy to overdo it So the moment the aforementioned technical geek starts believing he is qualified to speak authoritatively on religion or world peace for example, it should be obvious to all that he has overstepped the boundaries of the region where his opinions should be taken seriously on reputation alone – a reputation earned in a completely different sphere of life

Unfortunately this is not always obvious to his listeners and to the expert himself Way too frequently expertise is offered (and accepted) outside the niche in which it has been earned If you, reader, have ever had occasion to listen to some esteemed physicist on politics or sociology or the like, the chances are that the performance would have been disappointing probably outright cringeworthy in places Although famous successful men have a way of voicing their opinions on almost any subject under the sun it so happens that religion is the arena of choice for these celebrities to air their expert opinion They are not all antagonistic to re-

S t a r t i n g f ro m a d o l e s c e n c e a n d w e l l i n t o my t h i r t i e s , I k e p t s t r u gg l i n g i n va i n t o r e c o n c i l e t h e f a c t t h a t s o m e ex t r a o rd i n a r i ly cl ev e r m e n h a d s o m e r e a l ly s i l ly i d e a s a b o u t t h e wo r l d O n ly a few ye a rs ag o d i d i t d aw n o n m e t h a t t h e m o s t f u n d a m e n t a l r e a l i t i e s o f l i fe w e r e s u ch a s c o u l d b e p e rc e i v e d by t h o s e w h o c a n n o t p e rc e i v e a ny t h i n g e l s e , w h i l e t h e s a m e r e a l i t i e s c o u l d e a s i ly e s c a p e t h e n o t i c e o f t h o s e w h o d o n o t f a i l t o n o t i c e t h e m o s t m i nu t e o f d e t a i l s e l s ew h e r e . Â D e fe r r i n g t o t h e ex p e r t Ê i s a g r e a t p o l i cy – j u s t m a k e s u r e t h a t h i s a r e a o f ex p e r t i s e i s r e l eva n t t o t h e i s s u e a t h a n d !

Hubris and espionage

eral Assembly Resolution 37/43 states that populations seeking independence and emancipation from colonial subjugation are entitled to do so In light of the ongoing Israeli occupation and colonialism in Palestine Operation Al-Aqsa Flood must be seen as a manifestation of the armed Palestinian resistance In fact the continuation of the occupation and the continued denial of Palestinian rights has led to the exact explosion about which there was forewarning

Or technical skill in one area to other areas of the same , or similar, domain: for example , a man with knowhow in automotive technology is likely to be g enerally good at managing and troubleshooting most other technical devices and gadg ets as well. So far, so good. But it is rather easy to overdo it.

ligion Some of them are exceedingly devout to the extent of wearing their religion on their sleeves But regardless of whether they enthusiastically preach religiosity or atheism, their ideas are invariably clichéd and superficial Owing to their success and fame in one field they are usually taken seriously in other fields as well A bit too seriously indeed for anybody s good Most human beings are prone to an irresistible u rg e f o r h e r o - w o r s h i p , a n d t h e r e f o r e i t i s u n d e rstandable for them to mistake genius on the part of somebody in one area for infallibility in another a r e a , h o w s o e v e r f a r- r e m o v e d f r o m t h e f i r s t B u t the ‘genius’ himself does not demonstrate a very high level of intelligence either when he too starts taking himself that seriously outside his genuine area of expertise There is little difference between famous chemists who, on the strength of their quite genuine scientific accomplishments, dismiss all religion as nonsense; and the religious scholars who discover quantum mechanics in revealed texts For some unknown reason the latter end up becoming objects of much sterner criticism and humiliation than the former Starting from adolescence and well into my thirties, I kept struggling in vain to reconcile the fact that some extraordinarily clever men had some really silly ideas about the world Only a few years ago did it dawn on me that the most fundamental realities of life were such as could be perceived by those who cannot perceive anything else while the same realities could easily escape the notice of those who do not fail to notice the most minute of details elsewhere Deferring to the expert is a great policy – just make sure that his area of expertise is relevant to the issue at hand!

The author is a connoisseur of music literature and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

TH E recent conflict between Israel and Hamas has sparked a new cycle of escalating violence in the already unstable region, which is characterized by an unexpected multi-pronged attack coming from the Gaza Strip This attack which included aerial naval and ground operations was planned by the Hamas Israel quickly retaliated forcefully resulting in a deadly bombardment of the blockaded coastal enclave This most recent outbreak of hostilities highlights how long-lasting and unresolvable the ongoing conflict has been, with a tragically high death toll the indoctrination of succeeding generations under occupation and the enduring threat of rocket barrages and bombings The possibility of a ground invasion by Israel raises the stakes and poses risks to both the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and any Israeli hostages who may be held inside the region

However diverse perspectives become apparent in the global discourse Some have claimed that Israel s military and intelligence apparatus utterly failed to counter Hamas offensive While simultaneously reiterating Israel s inherent right to self-defense, diplomats and political figures, primarily from Western countries and elsewhere, have characterized it as a “unprovoked” and “terrorist” act World leaders have been shocked and alarmed by the audacity scope and complexity of Hamas s attacks which have reverberated across the international stage

According to international law, states are not allowed to engage in any kind of military occupation no matter how long it lasts Further affirming the right to use “all available means including armed struggle United Nations Gen-

The Gaza-Israel border was marked by an imposing physical barrier that was built at great expense, giving IsraelÊs leadership assurance that Hamas would be discouraged from launching a significant offensive.

Those who claim that the attack was unprovoked fundamentally misunderstand the dynamics at play; in reality this is a response to the systemic and deliberate intimidation that the current Israeli government practices, wherein provocations exacerbate existing wounds Meanwhile the current priority is to step up global efforts

This attack, which included aerial, naval, and ground operations, was planned by the Hamas Israel quickly retaliated forcefully, resulting in a deadly bombardment of the blockaded coastal enclave .

The international community must move quickly to activate a credible peace plan that is conducive to a two-state solution, as stated in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement This strategy is crucial for protecting civilian lives Saudi Arabia and other steadfast supporters can claim a legacy of unwavering commitment to this pursuit spanning decades even though it may involve formidable challenges Similarly Saudi Arabia Egypt Jordan and the Abraham Accords signatories, namely the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, find themselves in charge of the crucial task of de-escalation They would have to put pressure on their developing diplomatic relations with Israel if the current hostilities were to continue

There have been comparisons drawn between the recent events profound effect on the Israeli population and the resonant shockwaves the 9/11 attacks sent through the American psyche

It is crucial to recognize the particulars of this crisis though The majority of recent violence

has been experienced by both Israelis and Palestinians, but the current situation stands out due to a systemic breakdown in Israel s security system Therefore the truth is that this story was a sophisticated ruse all along Similar to how the American public felt after the 9/11 attacks the recent turn of events has left the Israeli population in a state of profound disbelief How is it conceivable that a dispersed group of militants could pull off such a feat is a question that permeates the collective consciousness How were they able to outwit the tenacious Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli intelligence apparatus? While concrete solutions are still elusive, hubris seems to be a factor an overestimation of the power of sheer military might in dissuading Hamas coupled with a disregard for addressing the underlying, long-term problems plaguing the region

Although, due to their sophisticated espionage capabilities the Palestinian entities have a strong ability to be discerned in minute detail, which has been the foundation of Israel’s traditional mode of operation

The Gaza-Israel border was marked by an imposing physical barrier that was built at great expense giving Israel s leadership assurance that Hamas would be discouraged from launching a significant offensive This confidence resulted from a conviction that the terrible repercussions of such actions would persuade Palestinians to rebel against Hamas It was thought that Hamas had shifted its attention to a protracted ceasefire and a beneficial live and let live agreement

Nadir Ali is a Public Relations Officer (PRO) at Safe City Islamabad, Pakistan He can be reached at hafiznadirali7@gmail com

Textbook mistakes

T E X T B O O K S published by the Balochistan Textbook Board (BTBB) meant for various classes are taught in many federal institutions as well because they are actually good It is unfortunate however that there are some flaws particularly in IX grade textbooks For instance English adjectives are used as adverbs The IX grade biology textbook has several blunders On page 64 Robert Brown is said to have discovered nucleus in 1831, whereas on the very next page the text says it happened in 1833 The former is correct, by the way On page 66, while differentiating prokaryotes and eukaryotes, the text says that prokaryotic cells lack nuclear membrane around the nucleus In reality prokaryotes have no nucleus Likewise nonorganelles and organelles have been differentiated wrongly on page 67 The BTBB administration needs to rectify such mistakes without any delay

HATIR ASLAM GRESHA

Deadlier than ever

T H E completion of the Gilgit-Skardu road has made it one of the most picturesque routes anywhere in Pakistan This is the old Silk Route that connected Central Asian regions with the rest of the world Back in the day, the route was a deadly affair Now in its modern avatar the road quite ironically has become even deadlier and I tell you why

The road is so smooth for driving that people tend to speed up their journey while enjoying the scenic route A moment of inattention is enough to cause a major accident, especially near the Asmani Mor in the Rondu region of Gilgit-Baltistan The road has many twists and turns, as it zigzags through mountain ranges The relevant authorities should take immediate steps to avoid such tragedies by imposing and enforcing a strict speed limit by putting up speed-checking cameras Also the fitness of vehicles used by travel companies needs to be ensured on a regular basis

QASIM JAMIE SKARDU

Discriminator y policy

T H E R E is a strange, illogical and discriminatory lack of coordination between the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the National Savings for a particular segment of retired workers

Those working with public and private organisations registered with the EOBI on attaining the age of superannuation with a minimum 15-year history of regular contributory payments are entitled to monthly pension

The amount has recently been scaled up to Rs10 000 but it is still being disbursed at the old rate of Rs8,500, but that is a different story for some other day Coming back to the policy stuff, if medically declared unfit to work by the Social Security Board and the EOBI Board separately owing to blindness paralysis or any other ailment a worker is still entitled to pension even if the tragedy strikes before the age of superannuation

However any private-sector worker either declared physically unfit before superannuation or even those who retire after attaining 60 years of age are not considered EOBI pensioners by the National Savings

As these EOBI pensioners are not considered pensioners, they are not allowed by the National Savings to invest their retirement benefits or savings in pensioner schemes, like Behbood Savings Certificates or any savings certificate of high yielding monthly profit This facility is said to be only for retired public-sector employees It is incomprehensible that when one government institution has been disbursing monthly pension to registered organisations without any discrimination why another government department has been refusing to accept them as pensioners, especially when in doing so it is depriving them of their due right NAVEED

Icertainly join the voices of many leaders who condemned Hamas attack in the strongest terms

With that said, I am not as surprised as many that this attack in fact has taken place and claimed the lives of so many innocent Israelis, nor will I be surprised by the ongoing Israeli retaliation that will certainly claim the lives of hundreds if not thousands of Palestinians including many innocent civilians I m not surprised because like many of us who have been following the development of events between Israel and the Palestinians in the last few years, especially the past several months, I easily came to the conclusion, and stated so a number of times in my writing, that it was only a question of time when such a flare-up would take place

This unprecedented and unimaginable attack by Hamas from the land air and sea must have taken months to plan train and prepare for execution And yet Israel s most sophisticated intelligence agencies did not detect even a hint of such a devastating plan What does that say about the Israeli government, led by an arrogant and selfconceited prime minister Netanyahu who brags about Israel s unmatched military capabilities and preparedness?

While Netanyahu was busy plotting to crush Israel s democracy through his so-called judicial reforms and reinforcing Israel s security in the West Bank by sending thousands of troops to protect the settlers who have been rampaging against the Palestinians, Hamas was preparing for this deadly attack on an unprecedented scale, claiming the lives of as of this writing 700 Israelis and abducting over 100 while exposing Israel s vulnerability in the eyes of its strongest enemies including Hezbollah and Iran

The timing of Hamas attack obviously was not accidental It was planned to take place exactly on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War It was meant to crudely remind the Israelis that the Palestinians’ rights and aspirations are not a box to be checked off as Netanyahu recently described when asked about the prospective normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia

No Israeli could have possibly believed that a socalled ragtag group with firecrackers, as some Israeli officials have described Hamas, that has been under blockade for 18 years would be in a position to mount an attack of such magnitude sending tens of thousands of Israelis to shelters cowering in fear For decades the Israeli government has led the public to believe that the Palestinians will not cease their fight for independence unless Israel enacts brutal force against them This attack has

All-out war

Hamas’ brutal attack could have been avoided

proven this claim false; that even under the harshest circumstances the Palestinians will never give up their fight for freedom and independence by answering violence with violence, and will never succumb to Israeli forces

The current Israeli government, whose minister in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank, Bezalel Smotrich called earlier this year for wiping out the Palestinian village of Huwara and has given free reign to settlers to harass Palestinians at every turn did nothing but usurp the last vestiges of hope for the Palestinians to be free again To treat the Palestinians as if they are the occupier rather than being occupied, as Smotrich has claimed, is not only outrageous but self-defeating, as has been proven over the last 75 years For Saturday’s brutal attack by Hamas to occur under the watch of the most militant government in Israel s history has only proven its ineptitude and that ignoring the Palestinian problem will happen at Israel s peril Hamas knew too well that the people of Gaza would suffer massive losses of life and destruction for attacking Israel on such an unprecedented scale The extent of the casualties and destruction inflicted by Israel already attests to that They have nevertheless taken such a deadly but calculated risk because they were determined to change the dynamic of the conflict with Israel and create a new paradigm and force Israel to reevaluate its position toward the Palestinians I found it interesting that Hamas spokesperson didn’t call for Israel’s destruction but rather called for an end to violations against Palestinians, stating

“We want the international community to stop atrocities in Gaza against Palestinian people our holy sites like Al-Aqsa All these things are the reason behind starting this battle This is in response to the provocateur Itamar Ben-Gvir, who since he assumed the position of National Security Minister, has deliberately visited the Temple Mount, which by a 1967 agreement between Jordan and Israel Jews have been barred from visiting

Whereas Hamas’ militant wing the Al-Qassam Brigades has never reconciled itself with Israel s existence and must be destroyed Israel should send a clear message that it is willing to initiate peace negotiations with moderate Palestinian leaders to create a long-term reconciliation process that will lead to a permanent solution It is time for Israel to realize that the policy of going to Gaza to ‘mow the lawn’ every few years has failed miserably and accomplished nothing but deepen their resistance The recent horrifying attack attests to this perilously misguided Israeli policy

Although Israel has every right to defend itself and crush the irredeemable Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists, who are backed by Iran and Hezbollah and will not accept Israel’s reality Israel must also remember that the vast majority of the Palestinian people want to live in peace and accept Israel s right to exist Sadly though extremist governments such as the current one led by Netanyahu, portray the Palestinians as if they were all terrorists and can never be trusted; hence, they must be handled with an iron fist

H a s H a m a s e n d e d B i d e n ’ s

b i d f o r a S a u d i - I s r a e l d e a l ?

For how many more decades will Israel hold to this baseless perilous and counterproductive notion before it realizes the Palestinians are vastly ordinary people who want to live a normal life just like any Israeli? They should remember that hopelessness breeds despair, and despair breeds anger and resentment, which in turn leaves the Palestinian people with feeling no choice but to resort to violence and risk death rather than live a life of endless despair This reminds me of the absurd position of those Republicans who oppose gun control in the United States in the aftermath of mass shootings After such an occurrence, they settle for sending prayers and condolences to the bereaved families, insisting that this is not the time to talk about significant gun control laws, as if their prayers and condolences would stop the next mass shooting But this obviously was never the case as mass shootings continue claiming the lives of more than 50 000 Americans each year and no effective gun control has been enacted So is the case with any new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, or Israel and the Palestinians No ceasefire or condemnations will stop the conflict between the two sides Those who are seeking peace stability security and prosperity in the Middle East should remember that if Israeli-Saudi normalization is established and it does not incorporate a clear path for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict it is nothing but a recipe for increasing regional violence and destabilization far beyond what we have seen thus far

It is time for the Biden administration, which has been paying merely lip service to the two-state solution like all of its predecessors to act on its formal position and insist that it s time for Israel to take this conflict with the Palestinians seriously The Biden administration must not assume for a moment that another ceasefire, regardless of its scope, will provide a lasting solution Moreover, the Saudis must make it publicly clear that there will be no normalization of relations with Israel unless a clear path is established that would lead to a permanent solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Saying so publicly will allay the Palestinians concerns that they will not be left behind to fend for themselves while sending a clear message to the Israeli public that a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be part and parcel of any agreement between Israel and Saudi

The shor t answer is no, but many a star will need to align before negotiations can resume

Indeed former president Donald Trump and several other Republican presidential candidates sought to directly blame the Biden administration for the Hamas attack by pointing to Mr Biden s recent decision to unfreeze $6 billion in South Korean payments for Iranian oil in order to secure the release of Americans being held hostage by Iran Mr Trump falsely described this money as “American taxpayer dollars” that helped fund the attacks

In reality the South Korean money was transferred to a third-party account in Qatar and can only be used for humanitarian purposes Moreover, none of it has yet been spent Nonetheless, his Republican opponents will seek to pummel Mr Biden for somehow being responsible for the Hamas attack on Israel if nothing else because they allege he has created an atmosphere of American “weakness”

Arabia consistent with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative

In the final analysis it is only when the Israeli public demands en masse a new peace initiative will any Israeli government act in earnest toward that end

Indeed, it is not enough for the Israelis in times of crisis to unite They must now unite to demand a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict They must now pour into the streets by the hundreds of thousands, akin to their protests against Netanyahu’s sinister effort to reform the judiciary and remain relentless until their government agrees to enter into credible negotiations with the Palestinians Failing to do so is to simply be waiting once again, for the next horrifying conflagration that may even be more severe than this attack, and cause incalculable losses of life that no Israeli could imagine in their wildest nightmare

Once the horrifying war has come to an end and some sort of ceasefire takes place tragically after thousands have been killed on both sides a commission of inquiry should be set up to investigate how the Netanyahu government was caught off-guard There is no doubt that this government has taken the relatively passive resistance of the Palestinians for granted, and never contemplated that they would ever be in a position to wage such an unprecedented assault Those who are responsible in the government will have to be held accountable and pay the price

Furthermore, the opposition leaders Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman, and Merav Michaeli, should heed Netanyahu’s call for a unity government on the condition that once the war ends that he should resign and new elections be held

Short of that the Israeli public must demand the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Netanyahu Instead of attending to Israel s national security needs, he has been busy plotting to severely undermine the judiciary and sacrifice the national interest only to save his own skin He has betrayed the oath of his office, and must now vacate it to restore dignity and confidence to the title that he undeservedly carries

Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies alon@alonben-meir com

IS R A E L I Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spent the past three decades sounding the alarm about Iran’s nuclear programme and threatening to attack the country on countless occasions Most recently in September he said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran must face a credible nuclear threat before his office corrected the record to “credible military threat”

After Hamas’s attack on October 7, Netanyahu may finally be able to act on his threats

US and Europe have joined in by making the case for Iranian involvement

The Wall Street Journal even reported – based on interviews with unnamed local sources – that Iranian officials and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were directly involved in orchestrating and planning the attacks over several weeks US officials have said they haven’t seen evidence of Tehran’s involvement yet

ON Saturday morning, the Biden administration awoke to the fact that a massive attack on southern Israel by Hamas had probably demolished its ambitious efforts to reshape the Middle Eastern strategic landscape US officials were amazed that Israel was caught by surprise, despite the intense surveillance and human and signals intelligence that tracks activity in the Gaza Strip

For now, the game-changing and increasingly plausible effort to redraw the Middle Eastern strategic landscape by brokering Saudi-Israeli normalisation and strengthen the US hand against Iran in the immediate term and China in the long term is at the very least on hold It could be the case that Tehran even strongly encouraged Hamas to launch the offensive precisely to sabotage a Saudi-Israeli rapprochement Israel has vowed to respond with crushing blows against Hamas, which has apparently seized dozens of Israeli hostages So the likelihood is a prolonged military campaign with little restraint by Israel s powerful military to kill as many Hamas leaders militants and supporters and destroy as much of its infrastructure and equipment as possible

The track record of powerful militaries taking on much weaker guerrilla forces in smaller territories is replete with a chronic inability to prevent huge civilian casualties and, typically massacres whether intended or accidental The Israeli military has undertaken numerous operations of this kind mainly in Lebanon and Gaza Israelis will probably feel less compunction than ever about Palestinian civilian casualties given the scale and intensity of the Hamas attack But others especially the Arab world, will be enraged and appalled, potentially inhibiting Saudi normalisation with Israel

The Saudi government’s initial statement called on all sides to show restraint but also cited Riyadh’s “repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continuation of the occupation the deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights and the repetition of systematic provocations That language, in particular, caused considerable consternation among several key Biden administration officials One of the goals of the attack, already at least partially successful is surely to drive a wedge between Riyadh and Washington because there remains a fundamental difference between them regarding the occupation and the Palestinians in policy but even more in attitude

The instinct of Saudi leaders cognisant of not only their pro-Palestinian domestic audience, but also their country s role as a regional Arab and global Muslim leader, is to never lose sight of Palestinian rights and grievances US politicians, on the other hand tend to compete over who can be more pro-Israel especially when Israelis are being killed

The future of Mr Biden s triangular normalisation initiative depends on Israel s response to the attack Given the scale of the assault and the radical failure of Israeli security measures regarding Gaza, a return to the prevailing status quo in Gaza may not be acceptable to most Israelis But the alternative may mean the direct reoccupation of all or much of Gaza Hamas and its Iranian backers are undoubtedly hoping the violence spreads to the West Bank and especially occupied East Jerusalem And Iran may press Hezbollah in Lebanon to enter the fray plunging Israel into a protracted multi-front campaign that would tempt Israeli hardliners to create a new security structure by, among other things, annexing large chunks of the occupied Palestinian territories and possibly expelling Palestinians Hezbollah has already obliged by firing some missiles in the Shebaa farms

But it s also conceivable that Israel will have the wisdom to recognise that this attack is an effort to goad them into an overreaction and will, instead, limit their military response in Gaza and do their utmost to prevent violence spreading to the West Bank, Jerusalem or Lebanon Saudi leaders, too, may recognise that this is an all-out effort to sabotage their own diplomatic overtures towards Israel and thereby obtain a much-coveted formal security guarantee from Washington

There are many local and domestic reasons for Hamas s attack but it s also certainly an effort to scupper a US triangular agreement with Israel and Saudi Arabia It may well succeed But the three parties might recognise the attack for what it is, and move as quickly as possible to resume talks and redouble efforts to bridge remaining differences If it’s this threatening to their mutual enemies what more evidence is required of the potential benefits of such a deal?

The Biden administration is certainly going to try to make that point, both at home and abroad Whether they can convince Israel to show restraint and Saudi Arabia to remain open to normalisation despite the coming violence remains to be seen

The final question for Mr Biden is that, assuming the current conflict makes his grand bargain impossible before the next presidential election if he gets a second term can the parties pick up more or less where they were a few days ago?

That doesn t only depend on him winning re-election It also hinges on what new security arrangements Israel decides to impose on Gaza, and possibly the West Bank It s almost impossible that the context for a “Significant Palestinian Component” of such a deal won’t be significantly altered at the end of the current fighting So all parties especially Riyadh are going to have to recalculate when the dust settles

For Mr Biden the best-case scenario may be making the triangular deal with Israel and Saudi Arabia a second term agenda item If Hamas and Iran wanted to upend, and at least postpone, Mr Biden’s proposed US-Saudi-Israeli agreement, they’ve probably already succeeded

Hussein Ibish is a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute and a US affairs columnist for The National

The gruesome scenes in southern Israel have provided the Israeli prime minister with the necessary pretext and international backing for a wider response Netanyahu has both a political and a personal stake in all this A drawn-out regional conflict would block or at least postpone any official accountability for his utter failure to prevent Hamas s attack from happening in the first place and could also put his multiple indictments on corruption charges on an indefinite hold

Overnight, he transformed from a failed and embattled prime minister to a wartime leader, with opposition parties clamouring to join him in a national unity government He declared war and ordered an immediate retaliation against Hamas s stronghold in Gaza The Israeli army unleashed a vicious campaign of bombardment on the overpopulated Gaza Strip, killing more than 500 people, and preparing for a potential land invasion Netanyahu has not elaborated on the next phases of the war but he has received the unconditional support of Western governments to do what it takes as long as it takes to defend Israel

The administration of US President Joe Biden has gone even further, providing Israel with more arms and ammunition, dispatching its most modern and sophisticated aircraft carrier, the Ford, along with a number of destroyers to the Eastern Mediterranean and beefing up other forces stationed in the region enough to start World War III

Biden s motivation for the escalatory deployment is, reportedly, strategic deterrence, meant to ensure that no enemies of Israel can or should seek advantage from the current situation” But historically Israel has never allowed any foreign boots on its soil and is in no need of the US armadas to take on Hamas Biden s incentive therefore could also be political, ie to ensure that the GOP doesn t exploit the Israeli drama at his expense ahead of the presidential elections in 2024 Already, Republican opponents have tried to link Biden’s recent prisoner swap deal with Iran which involved the unfreezing of $6bn in Iranian assets to the Hamas attacks

But Netanyahu and his fanatic ministers may have something very different in mind for the US deployment, that goes beyond military deterrence and political posturing He may try to widen the scope of the war to include Iran His government has already accused Iran of supporting and directing Hamas s operation as it has previously done about other Palestinian attacks on Israelis Scores of Israel supporters and neoconservatives, as well as media pundits in the

For its part Iran has called the attack a spontaneous Palestinian action in self-defence but officials have not tried to hide their glee at Israel s misfortune They have expressed confidence that the attack will deter further Arab, meaning Saudi, normalisation with Israel, and eventually lead to its downfall

Meanwhile Iran’s ally the Lebanese Hezbollah has praised the Hamas operation and engaged the Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, threatening greater involvement if Israel enters Gaza Iran and its allies’ temerity may well come back to haunt them, just as Israel’s hubris did –leading to its utter humiliation at the hands of Hamas fighters Neither Iran nor Israel is learning from history as they continue to escalate their proxy conflict towards war

For years, the Israeli army and secret services have sabotaged the Iranian nuclear programme and targeted Iranian assets abroad Iran for its part has supported various client armed groups in the Middle East attacking US and Israeli allies

Despite his bluster and bravado Netanyahu couldn t and wouldn t attack Iran without a green light and support from the US But the bloody attacks are a game-changer, giving the Israeli prime minister the perfect opportunity to realise his fantasy of crushing Iran, by tricking the Biden administration into war

This will not be easy considering Biden s presumed commitment to end the forever wars reflected in the humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 His administration has also moved to prioritise the great power competition with China and Russia, especially after the latter ’s invasion of Ukraine But in reality the US has not withdrawn from the Middle East it has merely moved around its forces and military assets in the region Biden himself has vowed to not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran

Once the case against Tehran’s role in the attacks has been fully articulated by Israel and the US they might first try to pressure it into facilitating the release of Israeli captives taken by Hamas – a top priority for Netanyahu

If Iran refuses and chooses to use Hezbollah as leverage against Israel, this could well trigger a wider confrontation that draws in the US with incalculable consequences Unfortunately, in the adulterated world of Washington politics unconditional US support of Israel is the only thing that Republican and Democrats agree on It is crucial to remember that the situation in 2023 is vastly more challenging and complicated than the leadup to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which ended in utter disaster for the US and Iraqis A repeat against Iran is sure to be far worse for all concerned

Marwan Bishara is a senior political analyst at Al Jazeera

N e t a n y a h u i s d r a w i n g t h e

U S i n t o w a r w i t h I r a n

XI MEETS US SENATORS, STRESSES STABLE BIL ATERAL TIES, COOPERATION

future development

the spirit of being responsible to the people of the two countries and to history

CH I N E S E President Xi Jinping met with a US congressional delegation led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in Beijing on Monday, emphasizing the importance of a stable China-US relationship and cooperation while rejecting the confrontational mentality and the Thucydides trap claim Chinese experts said the fact that President Xi personally received Schumer and his delegation reflects the great importance China attaches to bilateral relations and reflects China’s expectation that the US political community through the lawmakers visit can gain a deeper more objective and rational understanding of China and Beijing s external policy Schumer’s visit is viewed as the continuation of momentum following a slew of highlevel interactions since US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China in June which analysts believed will strengthen the guardrails to prevent bilateral ties from spiraling out of control, and create an atmosphere for a possible meeting of heads of state during the APEC leaders’ meeting in November

More importantly the Chinese side hoped that the US side will translate the positive rhetoric during the visit into concrete actions in its China policy according to experts

DEMONSTRATE BROADMINDEDNESS: During meeting with Schumer, President Xi underlined that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world How China and the US get along will determine the future of humanity

According to Xi, competition and confrontation is not consistent with the trend of the times Still less can it fix one’s own problems and address the challenges facing the world China maintains that the common interests of the two countries far outweigh their differences, and the respective success of China and the US is an opportunity, rather than a challenge, to each other

The “Thucydides Trap” is not inevitable and Planet Earth is vast enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of China and the US Xi said

Given the high degree of integration between the Chinese and US economies and their closely entwined interests, both countries stand to benefit from each other ’s development A post-pandemic global recovery meeting the climate challenge and resolving international and regional hotspots all require China-US coordination and coop-

eration, Chinese President remarked

As two major countries China and the US should demonstrate the broadmindedness vision and readiness to rise to the occasion expected by the international community, and act with a sense of responsibility to history, to the people and to the world, Xi noted

China gave a high-profile reception to Schumer a politician considered to be a hawk on China which shows the great importance Beijing attaches to China-US relations in order to deal with bilateral ties in a positive, pragmatic and rational manner, Diao Daming, a professor at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday Li Haidong a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University told the Global Times that Xi has elaborated on China s principled position on China-US relations in

This helps Schumer and his delegation to understand China more deeply, and to better understand the nature of China’s internal and external policies ” Li said Senator Schumer and other members of the delegation expressed their appreciation to the Chinese side for its hospitality They said that a stable US-China relationship is of vital importance not only to the two countries, but also to world peace and development China’s development and prosperity is good for the American people he added US senators said that the US side does not seek a conflict with China nor does it seek to decouple from it The US is willing to enhance dialogue and communication with China in an open and candid manner based on mutual respect responsibly manage the bilateral relationship and stabilize and strengthen US-China relations The US side looks forward to strengthening bilateral trade and investment cooperation with China, and increasing communication and cooperation on such issues as climate change, drug trafficking and regional conflicts the senators said according to a readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry The senators words show that they are satisfied with this trip to China, Li said, But China hopes that the US can be consistent with its words and deeds, and turn the positive rhetoric during the visit to China into concrete action in the same direction ”

Xi also explained to Schumer the legitimacy rationality and intrinsic vitality of China s development path and its broad prospects for

It is hoped that the two legislatures will have more interactions, dialogues and exchanges to increase mutual understanding and make a positive contribution to the stabilization and improvement of the ChinaU S relationship Xi remarked

Over the past period no matter how frequent the exchange of visits between senior officials of the US and Chinese administrations has been, the US Congress has always had China hawks undermining bilateral relations Diao said China hopes that this visit especially the direct interaction between lawmakers and Beijing will broaden the channels of communication, and give the Congress a better and more objective perception of China, thus better stabilizing the US-China relationship, Diao noted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday also met with Schumer Wang expressed hopes of developing healthy bilateral ties, which requires rationally managing differences and forming a more accurate understanding of China for Washington, according to media reports Schumer is the latest high-level American politician to visit China as Washington seeks to ease tensions and promote the headof-state meeting during November s APEC leaders meeting in San Francisco

Meeting with the Chinese leader and top diplomat maintains the momentum of highlevel dialogue between China and the US after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s China trip Regarding Schumer s experience his meeting with Xi certainly creates a better environment for a possible Xi-Biden meeting, Diao said

duped by Hamas

They caused us to think they wanted money, the source said

“And all the time they were involved in exercises/drills until they ran riot ”

A careful campaign of deception ensured Israel was caught off guard when the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched its devastating attack enabling a force using bulldozers hang gliders and motorbikes to take on the Middle East s most powerful army Saturday’s assault, the worst breach in Israel’s defences since Arab armies waged war in 1973 followed two years of subterfuge by Hamas that involved keeping its military plans under wraps and convincing Israel it did not want a fight

While Israel was led to believe it was containing a war-weary Hamas by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers the group’s fighters were being trained and drilled often in plain sight a source close to Hamas said

This source provided many of the details for the account of the attack and its buildup that has been pieced together by Reuters Three sources within Israel’s security establishment, who like others asked not to be identified also contributed to this account Hamas gave Israel the impression that it was not ready for a fight said the source close to Hamas, describing plans for the most startling assault since the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago when Egypt and Syria surprised Israel and made it fight for its survival

Hamas used an unprecedented intelligence tactic to mislead Israel over the last months, by giving a public impression that it was not willing to go into a fight or confrontation with Israel while preparing for this massive operation,” the source said Israel concedes it was caught

off guard by an attack timed to coincide with the Jewish Sabbath and a religious holiday Hamas fighters stormed into Israeli towns, killing 700 Israelis and abducting dozens Israel has killed more than 400 Palestinians in its retaliation on Gaza since then This is our 9/11 said Major Nir Dinar spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces They got us They surprised us and they came fast from many spots – both from the air and the ground and the sea ” Osama Hamdan the Hamas representative in Lebanon told Reuters the attack showed Palestinians had the will to achieve their goals regardless of Israel s military power and capabilities

‘THEY RAN RIOT’: In one of the most striking elements of their preparations, Hamas constructed a mock Israeli settlement in Gaza where they practiced a military landing and trained to storm it the source close to Hamas said adding they even made videos of the manoeuvres Israel surely saw them but they were convinced that Hamas wasn t keen

JIANG ZAIDONG AMBASSADOR OF CHINA

Ten years ago bearing in mind the wellbeing of all humanity President Xi Jinping propounded the idea of building a global community of shared future answering a question raised by the world by history and by the times: Where is humanity headed? It introduces a new approach for international relations, provides new ideas for global governance, opens up new prospects for international exchanges and draws a new blueprint for a better world

During the past decade to put this significant idea into practice China proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), guiding the advance of human society across these three dimensions To turn people’s longing for a better life into reality China also promotes the endeavor to build an open inclusive clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace universal security and common prosperity The past ten years have seen the vision of a global community of shared future increasingly enriched, implemented and supported

To improve understanding and expand consensus in the international community the Chinese government published the white paper A Global Community of Shared Future: China s Proposals and Actions on September 26th to introduce the theoretical base practice and development of the idea

As it is highlighted in the white paper, throughout history, peace and development have been the primary aspirations of humanity Living on the same planet, all

on getting into a confrontation the source said

Meanwhile, Hamas sought to convince Israel it cared more about ensuring that workers in Gaza, a narrow strip of land with more than two million residents had access to jobs across the border and had no interest in starting a new war Hamas was able to build a whole image that it was not ready for a military adventure against Israel, the source said

Since a 2021 war with Hamas, Israel has sought to provide a basic level of economic stability in Gaza by offering incentives including thousands of permits so Gazans can work in Israel or the West Bank, where salaries in construction, agriculture or service jobs can be 10 times the level of pay in Gaza “We believed that the fact that they were coming in to work and bringing money into Gaza would create a certain level of calm We were wrong another Israeli army spokesperson said An Israeli security source acknowledged Israel s security services were

As part of its subterfuge in the past two years Hamas refrained from military operations against Israel even as another Gaza-based Islamist armed group known as Islamic Jihad launched a series of its own assaults or rocket attacks

N O I N K L I N G: The restraint shown by Hamas drew public criticism from some supporters again aimed at building an impression that Hamas had economic concerns not a new war on its mind the source said

In the West Bank, controlled by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah group, there were those who mocked Hamas for going quiet In one Fatah statement published in June 2022 the group accused Hamas leaders of fleeing to Arab capitals to live in luxurious hotels and villas leaving their people to poverty in Gaza

A second Israeli security source said there was a period when Israel believed the movement’s leader in Gaza Yahya Al-Sinwar was preoccupied with managing Gaza rather than killing Jews At the same time, Israel turned its focus away from Hamas as it pushed for a deal to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia, he added Israel has long prided itself on its ability to infiltrate and monitor Islamist groups As a consequence the source close to Hamas said a crucial part of the plan was to avoid leaks

Many Hamas leaders were unaware of the plans and, while training, the 1,000 fighters deployed in the assault had no inkling of the exact purpose of the exercises the source added

countries adjacent or distant large or small developed or developing are members of an emerging community of shared interests, responsibility, and destiny, whose wellbeing and security are interrelated Only when appropriate attention is paid to the collective future of humanity is it possible that the wishes of every country, people and individual come true Whatever we may encounter on our journey ahead the only right choice is to work together for the benefit of all

Among the earliest and living practices in implementing the idea, and exemplary in terms of universal and shared benefit, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been fruitful along its 10-year journey, cementing the solid foundation of our ironclad friendship

According to statistics, the CPEC has brought a total of 25 4 billion US dollars in direct investment 155 000 direct jobs 510 kilometers of expressways 8 200 megawatts of power capacity and 886 kilometers of core power transmission grid to Pakistan injecting strong momentum into Pakistan s economic and social development Pakistani leaders and all sectors of the society all applaud the achievement and speak highly of the project October as the most beautiful month in China s golden autumn is featured with great events Soon China will host the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, to bring more development opportunities to the world with our latest achievement China, with the spirit of extensive consultation joint contribution and shared benefits is ready to take this opportunity to promote the world’s earliest realization of GDI GSI and GCI with Pakistan so as to provide more stability and positive energy to regional and world peace and development I strongly believe that as long as we are guided by the important consensus reached between President Xi Jinping and Pakistani leaders, focus on building a closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era with faster paces and take high-quality construction of the CPEC as the platform the all-weather strategic cooperation between China and Pakistan will constantly deepen and strengthen, allowing us to better protect mutual interest and benefit both peoples amid the change on a scale unseen in a century May China and Pakistan enjoy lasting prosperity! Chin-Pak Dosti Zindabad!

‘Paratroopers War ’: How Hamas duped Israel as it planned devastating attack

CORPORATE CORNER FROM IMRAN KHAN TO PM K AK AR: US BUSINESSMAN TAHIR JAVED JOINS CABINET

Xiaomi 13T Series Photo Exhibition: A Night of Visual Mastery and Celebration!

L A H O R E: Xiaomi a global leader in consumer electronics hosted an unforgettable evening of visual artistry and celebration at the highlyanticipated Xiaomi 13T Series Photo Exhibition

The event took place on October 7th, 2023, at Packages Mall with a repeat performance scheduled for October 8th, offering attendees multiple opportunities to experience the power of photography and the Materpiece in Sight: Xiaomi 13T Series smartphones

The exhibition venue was filled to the brim with an enthusiastic and diverse audience From photography enthusiasts to smartphone aficionados, the event brought together individuals from all walks of life who share a passion for creativity and innovation The vibrant atmosphere buzzed with excitement and conversation Xiaomi created more than 2000 live portraits in true style today PR

Hyundai SANTA FE Hybrid lands in K arachi for a closer experience

CA R E TA K E R Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has appointed a former donor and a close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan as his Special Assistant on Investment Texas based Pakistani-American businessman Muhammad Tahir Javed has been given the investment portfolio and has joined the cabinet with immediate effect, according to a notification by the Prime Minister’s Office The PM has approved the same perks and privileges as the minister of state for Muhammad Tahir Javed who has donated money to and campaigned for Imran Khan and the PTI in the United

States while he was Prime Minister This appointment of Tahir Javed, who owns US-based multi-millions dollar health company Riceland Healthcare, has expanded PM Anwar Haq Kakar’s cabinet to six members contributing to a total of 28 members in the caretaker cabinet Tahir Javed describes himself as a Pakistani American entrepreneur, investor, business magnate, and philanthropist on his social media profiles Tahir Javed campaigned for Imran Khan and the PTI while the party was in power but he has become a fierce critic of Imran Khan in recent months calling Imran Khan a failure as PM whose only claim to fame is his celebrity status as a cricketer He said in a recent interview that he did his best for Imran Khan and campaigned for him, especially during Khan’s

visit to the USA in November 2019 but it turned out that Imran Khan was not trustworthy He has said that Imran Khan s visit to the US was a waste because it didn’t materialise into any success or benefits for Pakistan because Imran Khan had no substance no plan and no vision

But when Imran Khan was in power Tahir Javed publicly complimented Imran Khan for his successful USA visit and for highlighting important issues

In November 2019, Imran Khan especially paid tribute to Tahir Javed for his services saying Mr Tahir Javed has been instrumental in setting up a Pakistan Congress Foundation that has played a key role in revival and activation of Congressional Pakistan Caucus at the 116th Congress Tahir Javed has boasted that he per-

Another 91 gas connec tions disconnec ted in Punjab, KP and Islamabad

ISLAMABAD

P R

During the ongoing crackdown against gas pilferers, SNGPL continued raids in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad, disconnecting another 91 connections while imposing fine of Rs 5 million and 234 under billing cases processed

processed SNGPL s team in Mardan 01 connection was disconnected on illegal use of gas The team also booked an amount of Rs 0 42M against gas theft

In Sialkot, the company disconnected 01 connection on use of compressor 02 on illegal use of gas while another 105 booked against Under billing cases

sonally arranged Imran Khan s meetings with over 63 US Senators during his visit PTI has said that Tahir Javed managed only three Senators while the remaining were brought by the efforts of the Embassy and the then government In the pictures released Tahir Javed was seen standing next to Imran Khan during these meetings in the USA and the two also met at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington at the conclusion of the visit too Tahir Javed met Imran Khan in Islamabad and said: “Had the immense pleasure to meet up with Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan Congratulated him for giving the rights to overseas Pakistanis to exercise their vote in the future ballot exercises & commended him on his speech at the UN general assembly on Islamophobia ”

PSHRM & Engage Consulting Honor Top Workplaces in Pakistan at BPTW Awards 2023

L A H O R E: Hyundai Nishat Motor Private (Limited) (HNMPL) has organized an exclusive event in the city of Karachi on Sunday, 8th October 2023, in a bid to provide a closer experience of company’s latest SUV masterpiece, the all-new Hyundai SANTA FE Hybrid

After the successful launch event of the Hyundai SANTA FE Hybrid SUV in Lahore last Sunday the HNMPL management decided to equally provide the citizens of the country s biggest cosmopolitan city, Karachi, a chance to get a closer look into the classic high-tech SUV variant HNMPL Chief Executive Officer Hassan Mansha said “Hyundai SANTA FE Hybrid has received an extremely overwhelming response nationwide after the launch and we are pleased to provide the people of Karachi to witness the greatest story never told PR

S unridge Foods hosts Nutrition International Delegation to Showc ase Pioneering Food For tific ation and Swiss Technology

In Lahore the regional team disconnected 11 connections on illegal use of gas and another five on use of compressor and 1 Fir has been launched against gas theives In Bahawalpur the regional team disconnected seven connections on use of compressor while another and 05 under billing cases processed The company disconnected 10 connections on illegal use of gas while another three connections on the use of compressor 15 under billing cases have been processed in Multan The regional team imposed fine of Rs 0 086M against gas pilferers In Sheikhupura, five connections were disconnected on illegal use of gas and amount booked of Rs3 445

against gas theft and Under Billing by the region

In Peshawar and Karak the company disconnected 17 connections on account of direct use of gas and illegal connections The regional team also launched 2FIRs against gas theives In Rawalpindi the regional team disconnected seven gas connections on direct and illegal use of gas and 02 under billing cases have been

The regional team in Gujranwala 03 meters were disconnected on illegal use of gas and amount of Rs 0 468M have been booked against gas theft and under billing cases

In Gujrat 02 connection were disconnected on illegal use of gas

The company disconnected 10 connections on illegal use of gas in Islamabad

In Sahiwal, 11 connections were disconnected on illegal use of gas while another 67 under billing cases have been booked The regional team in Faisalabad 37 under billing cases processed and 04 disconnected on illegal use of gas

Fine of Rs 0 72M was also imposed against gas pilferers

Confronting Pakistan’s Population Growth and the Urgent Need for Reform

ISLAMABAD P R

The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) Islamabad successfully concluded a seminar on Mitigating Pakistan s Population Challenges Distinguished speakers included Senator Dr Sania Nishtar and Ms Samia Liaquat Ali Khan, Director Impact, Tabadlab, Islamabad Pakistan Air Marshal Farooq Habib (Retd) Senior Director at CASS delivered the Concluding Remarks; while Air Vice Marshal Nasser ul Haq Wyne

(Retd) moderated the proceedings

Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan

K A R A C H I: Sunridge Flour Plant, a leading name in the food processing industry was honored to welcome a distinguished delegation from Nutrition International led by Ms Kristin Hall Global Portfolio Director Large Scale Food Fortification

The visit, which also included Dr Irfan Ullah, Deputy Country Director Pakistan, and their team of Provincial Program Managers and Zonal Managers Sindh aimed to explore the end-to-end manufacturing process of wheat processing into flour and the advanced fortification techniques employed at Sunridge Foods Sunridge Foods takes immense pride in being the pioneer of state-of-theart PESA Swiss technology for flour processing in Pakistan, and it stands as the sole processing plant in the country equipped with this cutting-edge Swiss technology The Nutrition

Healthx Pakistan and Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Join Forces

(Retd) Advisor on Aviation to the Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan and President of CASS presented mementos to the distinguished speakers In his Opening Remarks, Air Vice Marshal Nasser ul Haq Wyne

(Retd) underscored the intertwined significance of Water Education Economy and Population as fundamental pillars influencing the wellbeing and security of a nation Drawing attention to the National

Security Policy 2022, hailed as ‘citizen-centric’, he acknowledged its emphasis on human security However he expressed concerns over the existing gaps between policy creation and its subsequent implementation Reflecting on Pakistan s demographic journey, he highlighted the country’s exponential population growth from 32 million at its independence in 1947 to a staggering 250 million in the present year marking an almost eightfold increase in 76 years Senator Dr Sania Nishtar, in her in-depth address on Population Dynamics and Socioeconomic Impacts underscored the pressing challenge of

NUST think tank holds roundtable on ‘Expanding BRICS and the New Alignments ’

L A M A B A D: The NUST Institute of Policy

Studies (NIPS) organised a high-level roundtable on Expanding BRICS and the New Alignments Moderated by Mr Amir Yaqub, Director NIPS, the roundtable witnessed multinational participation consisting of senior diplomats academics veteran state officials think tank experts scholars and students Dr Asad Majeed Khan Pakistan s former Foreign Secretary delivered the keynote address on the impact of BRICS s expansion on prevailing global geopolitics He highlighted that BRICS represents 41% of the world population, 24% of the world GDP and more than 16% share of the world trade He stated that BRICS is both undergoing the process of institutionalisation and strategically expanding its external relations thereby solidifying its position as a prominent global player He underscored that while the case for Pakistan s closer engagement with BRICS is indeed strong, the country could expect unique challenges in terms of the question of the membership of the global grouping In the roundtable s second keynote on the expansion of BRICS and the new alignments Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan DG NIPS proposed the concept of New Geoeconomics He argued that the new geoeconomics can be viewed as a global response to the geopolitical upheavals of the last two decades This response he said is based on the efforts of emerging states to resist traditional power

population growth as a pivotal factor in Pakistan’s development trajectory, affecting vital sectors such as infrastructure economy and security

Highlighting the exponential growth in population she illustrated that Pakistan had witnessed a growth rate that is notably higher than many other Asian nations A primary concern she broached was Pakistan’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) which alarmingly has remained stagnant since 2005 at 3 6 This statistic becomes especially concerning when juxtaposed with countries like Saudi Arabia, traditionally conservative societies that have nonetheless managed to significantly reduce their TFR

Pink Riders and TPL Insurance Launch

Groundbreaking Bike Insurance Produc t with Breast Cancer Coverage

K A R A C H I: The Pakistan Society of Human Resource Management (PSHRM) and Engage Consulting recently hosted the 'Best Place to Work Awards Gala 2023' at Beach Luxury Hotel, marking 15 years of celebrating workplace excellence in Pakistan With over 140 participating companies this event underscored the importance of fostering exceptional workplace cultures PR

Visit D ubai and Real Madrid announce landmark global par tnership, suppor ting the destination’s ambitious growth plans for the next dec ade

DUBAI: Visit Dubai and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol two leading brands with joint values ambitions and a dedication to excellence and innovation, have kicked-off a landmark collaboration The multi-year agreement promises a range of exciting activations, special fan moments and unique experiences for Dubai and Real Madrid fans The newly formed alliance will equally serve as a powerhouse platform to create new growth opportunities for both institutions and support Dubai s ambitious plans as part of its recently announced Dubai Economic Agenda – D33 PR

Mobilink Bank Receives CFA Society Award for Best Digital Banking Ser vices 2022

I S L A M A B A D: Mobilink Bank’s outstanding accomplishments have garnered recognition at the prestigious 20th Annual Excellence Awards hosted by the CFA Society Pakistan The Bank was honored with the coveted title of Best Digital Banking Services Award of the Year 2022 within the Microfinance Bank Category, solidifying its position as a trailblazer in the digital banking arena

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Furthermore, Mobilink Bank was titled ‘Runner-up in the Gender Balanced Workforce Award category These accolades not only reflect Mobilink Bank s dedication to excellence but also emphasize its ongoing efforts to redefine industry standards and drive positive change in the financial sector Mobilink Bank is part of the VEON group, a global digital operator that provides converged connectivity and online services across seven countries As part of its digital operator strategy VEON is transforming people s lives by creating opportunities for increased digital inclusion and by driving economic growth across countries that are home to more than 8% of the world s population Addressing these achievements, President and CEO Mobilink Bank, Ghazanfar Azzam said “Receiving the prestigious Best Digital Banking Services Award reflects the Bank s dedication to delivering cutting-edge financial

CCOE LIKELY TO END FREE ELECTRICIT Y FACILIT Y FOR WAPDA , DISCOS, GENCOS, NTDC, PITC OFFICERS

TH E federal government has decided to end free electricity facility for

Imran, Qureshi to be indicted in cypher case on October 17

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan and former foreign minister and party vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi will be indicted in cypher case on October 17

Copies of the challan were distributed among the accused in the cypher case during the proceedings of the Official Secrets Act special court at Adiala Jail on Monday Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain declared that the indictment will be announced on October 17 and adjourning the hearing until then

Special prosecutor Zulfiqar Navi, defence lawyer Salman Safdar were present in the court when the FIA investigating officer submitted the copies of the callan in the court which were later distributed among the accused The court proceedings are being conducted inside the Adiala Jail due to security reasons

Nawaz’s Oct 21 address to set direction for Pakistan: Shehbaz

LAHORE

S TA F F

PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif said the address to be delivered by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Oct 21 would set the direction for Pakistan and they were going to make every effort for fixing the state of affairs under his leadership

In a message to the party workers on Monday, Shehbaz said the PML-N supremo’s return was set to prove a milestone towards achieving unity and economic progress in the country as he would lead the election campaign across the country

In this context he added that the multiple regional and world crises demanded harmony and economic strength to guarantee Pakistan s success The PML-N president praised the party workers for finalising preparations to welcome the elder Sharif saying the commitment shown by men women and youth to the PML-N was exemplary

Nawaz had always played a historic role in rescuing the country from different crises and fulfilling the aspirations of masses, Shehbaz said, adding that he would repeat the same yet again to save the people from the current mess Addressing the party workers, he advised them to act with traditional spirit during the final defining phase and said their success was that of Pakistan as well

May 9 vandalism: ATC extends interim bail of PTI leaders

PESHAWAR

S TA F F R E P O R T

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday extended interim bail of former ministers lawmakers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in May 09 and 10

vandalism cases Hearing bail petitions of former provincial ministers and assembly members the court extended bails of Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash, Sher Ali Arbab, Asif Khan and others in cases of violent incidents on May 09 and 10

ATC extended interim bails in case number 221 and 222 till October 17 The court also ordered the accused to join investigation of cases with regard to attacks on properties including Radio Pakistan and the provincial election commission s office

They said that instead of giving 700 units to grade 18 officers of GENCOs, it is recommended to give them Rs 26 460/month They said it is also recommended to give Rs 42 720/month to grade 19 officers instead of supply them free 1000 units while Rs 46 992/month to grade 20 officers of GENCOs instead of supplying them 1100 units/month In-

stead of supplying 1300 free units to grade 21 officers of GENCOs, it is recommended to give them Rs 55 536/month said sources WAPDA employees were not included initially in the proposal However they have been added now in the light of discussion held in a meeting at Prime Minister s Office dated 27th August 2023 duly attended by Chairman, sources added

It is also learnt from sources that WAPDA employees were enjoying free electricity facility since 1974 and some of them allegedly used to sell the free electricity facility to earn money They said that supply of free electricity to officers of grade 16 will continue while free units left over each month are rolled over to subsequent months They said the monetization rate for officers will remain fixed at the July 2023 tariff

The Finance Ministry has so far opposed both free units and monetization, said sources

1,700 ‘illegal’ Afghan nationals arrested in Karachi so far: Home Minister

Sindh interim Home Minister retired Brigadier Haris Nawaz on Monday said authorities have so far arrested

1,700 Afghan nationals illegally residing in Karachi

“All illegal immigrants living in Sindh would be deported ” he said in a media talk outside the office of West Zone deputy inspector general of police

The development comes a week after the caretaker government gave an ultimatum to all undocumented immigrants including Afghan nationals to leave Pakistan by October 31, or else risk imprisonment and deportation to their respective countries

It was 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

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i z at i o n o f

ISLAMABAD S

T C a r e t a k e r P r i m e M i n i s t e r ( P M ) A n w a a r u l H a q K a k a r h a s d irected to accelerate the procedure o f p r i v a t i z a t i o n o f t h e S t a t eO w n e d E n t e r p r i s e s ( S O E s ) f a cing financial losses

The directives were issued by the prime minister during a meeting with the Caretaker Minister for Privatization Fawad Hassan Fawad on Monday

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar emphasized that the privatization of such SOEs was vital to save the national

o s s

a k i n g S O E s m u s t b e a c c e l e r at e d, d i r e c t s K a k a r

exchequer from further financial loss

The prime minister in this regard lauded the role played by the Privatization Facilitation Council Last month the caretaker premier had directed authorities to expedite the privatization process of loss-making Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) PM Minister discuss issues relating energy petroleum division affairs Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was called on by Caretaker Minister for Energy Muhammad Ali on here on Monday Premier and caretaker federal minister discussed matters relating

to energy and petroleum division’s affairs during the meeting Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was briefed on measures being taken to promote foreign investment in mineral sector in Balochistan and other parts of the country under Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) The meeting was also briefed on energy reforms measures and crackdown against the power thieves The caretaker prime minister appreciated the energy ministry and law enforcement agencies for launching operation against the power thieves

Pakistan condemns UP CM’s statement about taking back ‘S indhu’

Pakistan on Monday condemned the highly irresponsible remarks made by Indian state Uttar Pradesh s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about taking back Sindhu the region around the Indus River in southern Pakistan saying that the provocative remarks were inspired by the gratuitous assertion of “Akhand Bharat”

According to India Times Adityanath stated on Sunday that if the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple (the site of Babri mosque) can be reclaimed after 500 years, there is no reason why the Sindhu province cannot be taken back

“We condemn the highly irresponsible remarks made by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh a key member of India s ruling dispensation and a follower of the bigoted Hindutva ideology at the National Sindhi Convention in Lucknow It is equally condemnable that the so-called reclamation of the Ram Janmabhoomi has been cited by the chief minister as a template for reclaiming the region that constitutes

part of Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement

She said that history bore witness that a Hindu supremacist mob had brazenly demolished the historic Babri mosque on December 6, 1992, to take back the claimed birthplace of Lord Rama in Ayodhya

She said that the chief minister s provocative remarks were inspired by the gratuitous assertion of Akhand Bharat (undivided India)

These remarks manifest a revisionist and expansionist mindset that seeks to subjugate the identity and culture of not only India’s neighbouring countries but also its own religious minorities They also reflect a perverse view of history ” the spokesperson remarked

She said that it was a matter of grave concern that such ideas were being increasingly peddled by individuals belonging to the BJP-RSS combine to further their divisive and parochial political agenda

“Instead of nurturing hegemonic and expansionist ambitions, the Indian leaders should resolve disputes with neighbouring countries and work with them to build a peaceful and prosperous South Asia she further said

Imran Khan protests ‘poor ’ jail conditions during c ypher c ase hearing

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)

Chairman Imran Khan on Monday lodged a strong protest against “treatment meted out to him” in Adiala jail during the hearing of the cypher case and asked he be treated like any other prisoner said his lawyer Salman Safdar Safdar was speaking to the media after attending a special court hearing of the cypher case held in the Adiala jail “The chairman protested that he was provided with a room where it was difficult to live it is also difficult to move or walk in the cell, said Safdar He added that he felt that the PTI chief ’s blood pressure was high during today’s hearing “The PTI chief strongly protested during the hearing in the

court, said Safdar Moreover, the lawyer asked that the trial of the case be conducted in an open court so the public could be aware of it He added that it was not right to hold the trial in jail

Meanwhile, the PTI chief s other lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat disclosed that the PTI chief and his

deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi were presented in a “cage type” place for the hearing Not even terrorists are presented in such a manner said the lawyer Marwat also expressed annoyance over the judge s attitude, claiming that Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain’s had adopted a confrontational style during the hearing

Following the government deadline, a crackdown has commenced across the country on illegal immigrants, particularly Afghan citizens Last week a meeting of the Sindh Apex Committee attended by caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar and Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir was informed that pockets where illegal Afghan nationals were concentrated in the province had been identified

The provincial government had informed the meeting that an action plan to implement the federal government’s policy on illegal foreigners’ repatriation plan had been shared with the interior ministry

Talking to media persons today Nawaz said the Sindh government was preparing a mechanism under which registered immigrants would not be touched

He said committees led by concerned SSPs and deputy commissioners were being formed in which representatives of all institutions would be included in action against illegal immigrants Illegal Afghans the home minister stated would be sent back home in buses through the Chaman border in Balochistan while registered Afghans would not be touched

Law enforcement agencies kill five terrorists in Zhob IBO

RAWALPINDI

S TA F F R E P O R T

Law enforcement agencies on Monday night killed five terrorists in an Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) in the general area Sambaza in Zhob District

An army officer and a Havaldar embraced martyrdom while fighting against the terrorists “On night 8/9 October 2023, security forces conducted an intelligence based operation in general area Sambaza Zhob District on reported presence of terrorists During the conduct of operation terrorists were surrounded and after intense exchange of fire five terrorists were sent to hell says an official handout issued by the army s media wing, ISPR However, in ensuing exchange of fire, Major Syed Ali Raza Shah (Age 31 years, resident of Sargodha District) who was leading the operation from the front and Havaldar Nisar Ahmed (Age 38 years resident of Vehari District) having fought gallantly paid the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat Security forces of Pakistan are indebted & proud of our brave men and pay homage to their chivalry and sacrifices for the motherland, which further strengthens our resolve to uproot the menace of terrorism from the country ” the handout said Sanitization of the surrounding areas is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area

IHC issues notices to former generals Bajwa, Faiz over ‘misleading inter views’

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spy chief Lt Gen (retired) Faiz Hameed on a petition seeking action against them for allegedly violating laws pertaining to retired servicemen by distorting facts of various events during media interviews Besides the former military officials IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq also issued notices to journalists Javed Chaudhary, Shahid Maitla and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on citizen Atif Ali’s petitions

The petition alleged that the journalists wrote two articles based on the interviews of the retired generals for viewership which had a negative impact on the society

The petitioner further alleged that under the guise of freedom of speech, a criminal act was committed and a request was filed for the registration of a case but no action had been taken yet

Senate body recommends sending all employees working on deputation to their parent depts

The Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training on Monday unanimously recommended to send all the employees back to their parent departments who were initially recruited as teachers and holding administrative posts at various ministries Chairing the meeting of the Committee, Senator Irfan-Ul-Haq Siddiqui categorically directed to revert all the teaching staff on deputation holding administrative assignments in Ministry of Federal Education and Professional to their parent departments with immediate effect The Senate Body debated that all such

employees were politically powerful blue eyed individuals and does not like to render their services as teachers therefore manage to be posted on various administrative post through influence The committee observed that this practice was badly affecting the quality of education The Chairman Committee Senator Irfan Siddiqui concluded that all the teachers on deputation be sent back to their respective educational institutes immediately The caretaker Minister for Federal Education and Professional Mr Madad Ali Sindhi agreed with this view point and assured the committee that immediate action will take place on committee recommendations The committee also discussed at length the progress on extension of time and details

of proceedings of the Ministerial Committee constituted under Dr Niaz Ahmed Vice Chancellor Quaid-e-Azam University for regularisation of daily wagers teachers and increase in their salaries The minister said that the list of employees recommended by the FPSC will be issued appointment letters within this week Similarly the matter regarding daily wagers will be discussed in the same committee to permanently resolve this long standing issue and the report in this regard will be submitted to the committee by 13th Oct 2023 The committee was told that since the salary of daily wagers is being enhanced as per committee recommendations from 25000/rps to 32000/rps per month the case

is under AGPRs consideration on which the chairman committee directed the Director General FDE to make sure that the salaries are paid immediately at the previous rates and the enchanced amount may be paid once the budget is approved The chairman committee senator Irfan Siddiqui asked the HEC officials to invite the representatives of effected daily wagers to have their view point The committee also discussed in detail report on re initiating summary for the National Technology Council Act and Service Structure of technologist The chairman committee strictly inquired as to why the act is pending before the ministry for 7 months It was stated by the HEC representative that the committee constituted to look into this matter

has been officially notified as directed by the Senate Committee in its last meeting and sought time to finalise the recommendations It was also apprised that the act has been returned from the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) with certain observations The committee chair directed to finalise report on the matter and submit within 15 days

The meeting was attended by Senator Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani Fawzia Arshad Engr Rukhsana Zuberi, Molvu Faiz Muhammad and Senator Falaz Naz The Caretaker Minister for Federal Education and a professional Training Madad Ali Sindhi and other senior officials of related departments were also in attendance

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