Profit NAWAZ SAYS RETURNED TO ‘SAVE PAKISTAN’ In partnership with
Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 112 I 8 Pages I Karachi Edition
Sunday, 22 October, 2023 I 5 Rabi us Sani, 1445
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TERMS ‘GOOD TIES’ WITH NEIGHBOURS PREREQUISITE FOR COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENT
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LAHORE
g PML-N SUPREMO REACHED SAYS HE HAD SERVED g RECALLS HOW HIS GOVT COUNTRY WITH CONDUCTED NUCLEAR TESTS ISLAMABAD FROM DUBAI VIA LOYALTY WHENEVER IN 1998, STEERED COUNTRY CHARTERED FLIGHT AND THEN WAS GIVEN A CHANCE OUT OF DARKNESS IN 2014-15 PROCEEDED TO LAHORE
SALEEM JADOON
AKISTAN Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif has termed the ‘good relations’ with neighbours vital for development of the country. The former PM who landed in Pakistan on Saturday after spending four years in selfimposed exile was addressing a historic ‘homecoming’ rally organized by the PMLN at Minar-e-Pakistan ground to celebrate the return of their leader. The PML-N leaders from across the country along with contingents of enthusiastic supporters attended the rally at Minar-ePakistan ground which was adorned with dazzling electric lighting. Nawaz Sharif while addressing the party leaders and activists said, “I am among you after several years but was proud of longstanding relationship with you and love you accorded to me.” The PML-N supremo noted that he had served the country with loyalty whenever he
was given a chance, adding that he had resolved the issues of Pakistan and never hesitated from any sacrifice.
PML-N chief succeeds in mobilising Lahoriites LAHORE
SHAHAB OMER
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made a triumphant return to Lahore, marking his presence with a massive rally that saw participation from all corners of the country. Departing from Lahore Airport via helicopter, Nawaz Sharif was headed to the rally site. A helipad, set up near the Shahi Qilla at Diwan Khas, awaited his arrival. After landing, he took a moment for prayer. Hamza Shahbaz accompanied Nawaz Sharif to the rally by car. On reaching the stage, Nawaz Sharif warmly greeted his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, and acknowledged other leaders. An emotional moment was witnessed when the former Prime Minister and his daughter, Maryam, shared a heartfelt embrace, both visibly emotional. Before the rally’s commencement, attendees honored the national anthem, followed by a Holy Quran recitation. The Minar-e-Pakistan Grounds featured
two stages. Nawaz Sharif addressed the audience from the primary stage near the Minar platform, while the MSF set up a secondary stage near the main entrance. Delegates from every province, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, gathered at the Jalsa site. Local leadership from all these areas, flanked by their local representatives, marked their presence. From dawn, groups of workers started gathering, their numbers peaking by afternoon. Many had arrived at Minar-e-Pakistan the day before, notably from Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir. To host these workers, tents were set up in Greater Iqbal Park, equipped with amenities for their stay. Each tent bore the name of its respective district, sorted by provinces and divisions. The majority of tents hailed from Faisalabad and Gujranwala. By daybreak, these tents were removed to enlarge the rally area.
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PM’s participation in BRF reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to CPEC, shared prosperity
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar recently concluded his significant visit to China, which reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to timely completion of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, a flagship of Belt and Road Initiative, besides profusely advocating the need for collective efforts for regional connectivity and shared prosperity. The prime minister had been to Beijing, China to participate and address the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. Chinese President Xi opened the Forum with about 140 nations in attendance. Besides PM Kakar, the dignitaries at the forum included Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Addressing the High-Level Forum of BRF titled ‘Connectivity in an Open Global Economy’, Prime Minister Kakar appreciated President Xi’s vision for creating a global community with shared future and the Belt -and-Road Initiative which held immense significance for global connectivity, common development and shared prosperity. The visit coincided with another milestone in the bilateral ties as the two countries are celebrating the 10th anniversary of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In his address, the caretaker prime minister highlighted the crucial role of
CPEC in generating new economic opportunities in Pakistan. Underscoring its salience for Pakistan’s robust economic development, he endorsed the Chinese proposal for developing CPEC as a corridor of growth, innovation, livelihood, green economy, openness and inclusiveness. He also underlined the need for a united global response to address complex transnational challenges faced by humankind and to prevent backsliding on the gains achieved under UN Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda. He emphasised the urgency of addressing infrastructure gaps in the developing world by investing in transportation, energy and digital economy. On the sidelines of the Forum, he also met with the leaders of different countries including Russia, Kenya and Sri Lanka. He also held meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang as well as the senior leadership of the Communist Party of China and discussed the ways forward to deepen bilateral relations. During his meeting with the Chinese president, the two sides, discussed various dimensions of the multi-faceted PakistanChina relationship, and reaffirmed their longstanding and steadfast friendship, allweather strategic cooperation, economic and trade ties, and CPEC. Caretaker Prime Minister Kakar, in a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, reaffirmed the time-tested and ironclad friendship between Pakistan and China and agreed to further strengthen high-level dialogue and engagement. “In a warm and cordial atmosphere, leaders of the two countries had in-depth exchanges of views and reached extensive consensus on strengthening the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, practical cooperation in various areas, and international and regional issues of mutual interest,” a joint statement said. The two sides reaffirmed that mutual trust remained at the core of China-Pakistan relationship. During an interaction with the Chinese think tanks and scholars, the prime minister termed CPEC a manifestation of strategic relationship which proved as a “catalyst of growth, poverty alleviation and jobs creation”.
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He recalled regretted the “false” cases against him, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, party’s vice president and his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other party leaders. However, he said, no one abandoned the PML-N flag. “Who are they who separate Nawaz Sharif from his nation?” he asked, recalling making Pakistan a nuclear power and “ended” loadshedding in the country during his time as the prime minister. “Do you remember those 18 hours of loadshedding? Who ended it?” he asked, noting that it was under his leadership that the power issue was resolved. The former premier stressed that “some wounds never heal”, recalling how he couldn’t pay the final respects to his mother, father or wife despite repeated requests in jail. He said that these women won’t be there to receive him at his home like they did in the past. He then recalled the time when he was given the news of his wife’s death. Referring to Pakistan’s nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, the former premier said that then-United States president Bill Clinton and other world leaders pressured him not to conduct tests. “There will be record present in the Foreign Office that Bill Clinton offered me $5 billion in 1999 for not carrying out nuclear tests, but my conscience did not allow me to accept the thing which was against Pakistan’s favour,” he claimed.
“If someone else would have been in my place, could he have said this in front of the American president,” he added.
CAIRO/GAZA
then a lull until sirens sounded in the port city of Ashdod some 40 km north of the Palestinian enclave. There was no immediate word of casualties in either incident. Hamas on Friday freed Americans Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and her daughter Natalie, 17, who were among around 200 kidnapped in its Oct. 7 cross-border attack on southern Israel by militants of the Islamist movement. An image obtained by Reuters after their release showed the two women flanked by three Israeli soldiers and holding hands with Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the captives and missing. They were the first hostages confirmed by both sides in the conflict to be freed. Israel has amassed tanks and troops near the fenced border around the small coastal enclave for a planned ground invasion with
Nawaz Sharif maintained that they conducted the nuclear tests and gave India a befitting response. “Are our [PML-N] governments toppled down and verdicts are issued against us for refusing the US and taking stance for the interest of Pakistan?,” he asked. Speaking of the inflation, the former premier compared how roti and petrol’s costs way higher today than when he was in power. “Was I ousted for this reason? It was said that Nawaz Sharif was ousted for not taking salary from his son,” he said. “You are the public, you tell, do you agree with such decision?” he asked the charged crowd at Minar-e-Pakistan jalsa. He further said that no one in Pakistan would be unemployed if his party was allowed to continue the “1990s economic model”. Unfortunately, he said, today, the condition was so bad that one has to think if they can feed their children or pay electricity bills. “People are committing suicide, and borrowing money to pay the bills.” “During my tenure, the poor had enough financial resources to at least to seek healthcare and get himself treated,” he claimed.
Return of proclaimed offender under ‘covert deal’ murder of justice: PTI ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Spokesperson dubbed the homecoming of the convicted proclaimed offender under a covert and clandestine deal as a “murder of justice” and “humiliation of the nation”. PTI spokesperson said that the national criminal, who should have been in jail, got bail within few minutes by trampling the justice system. He said that the convicted fugitive was given special concession to materialize the notorious London plan, as neither any judge had any health issue nor had any urgency to go on leave. PTI spokesperson said that fragility of our judicial system could be judged from the fact that a convicted person who escaped to London on a Rs 50 stamp paper was granted bail without court’s appearance. However, he recalled that, contrary to it, the country’s most popular leader, implicated in nearly 200 false cases, was denied bail sans appearing in person in the
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court despite being injured. PTI spokesperson contended that the mothers and daughters of the nation, who have been imprisoned in the jails for the last 4 months in fabricated and bogus cases, were looking towards honorable judges for justice against unjustified delay in the proceedings of their cases. He called the wastage of the state resources worth billions of rupees on reception of a certified thief was an insult to the nation, adding that the warrant of the person who stole vehicles from Toshakhana was canceled without any objection. PTI Spokesman stated that it would be a joke with the country and the nation to pin hope of economic revival from those who build properties, palaces and factories abroad with the nation looted money. He made it clear that the person, who was responsible for the country’s economic catastrophe during his three stints of rule including the last 17-month-long devastating government, was actually a national criminal.
Palestinians demand ceasefire instead of food as aid arrives in Gaza amid Israeli bombing AGENCIES
First trucks bearing emergency humanitarian aid since Israel began a devastating siege of Gaza 12 days ago entered the enclave from Egypt on Saturday after further heavy Israeli bombardment overnight that killed dozens of Palestinians. Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel’s brutal retaliatory air and missile strikes have killed at least 4,137 Palestinians, including hundreds of children, while over a million of the besieged territory’s 2.3 million people have been displaced. The United Nations said the convoy included life-saving supplies that would be received and distributed by the Palestinian Red Crescent. Palestinian group Hamas said the delivery included medicine and limited amounts of food but not fuel. Palestinian health officials said the lack of fuel was jeopardising the lives of patients including people injured by air strikes. Fourteen medical centres have already suspended operations for want of fuel. UN officials say at least 100 trucks daily are needed to cover urgent, life-saving needs and that any aid operation must be sustainable at scale – a tall order now with Israel carrying out devastating bombardments of the enclave day and night. Israel kept up heavy bombardment of ‘targets’ throughout Gaza overnight on Saturday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “fight until victory” following the release of the first two hostages by the enclave’s ruling Hamas group. After Netanyahu signalled no pause in Israel’s aerial onslaught and expected ground invasion, its military claimed fighter jets had struck a “large number of Hamas terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip” including command centres and combat positions inside multi-story buildings. Local media said Israeli aircraft had struck six homes in the north of Gaza, a coastal enclave that is one of the world’s most densely populated places, killing at least 19 people and injuring dozens. The Israeli military reported a fresh salvo of rockets from Gaza against southern Israeli border communities before dawn,
the objective of annihilating Hamas, after several inconclusive wars dating to its 2007 seizure of power in Gaza. “Two of our abductees are at home. We are not giving up on the effort to return all abducted and missing people,” Netanyahu said in a statement released late Friday night. “At the same time, we’ll continue to fight until victory.” Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, said the hostages were released in part “for humanitarian reasons” in response to Qatari mediation efforts. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said achieving Israel’s objectives would not be quick or easy. “We will topple the Hamas organisation. We will destroy its military and governing infrastructure.
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Cairo summit ends without breakthrough
CAIRO: Arab leaders attending the Cairo Summit for Peace on Saturday condemned the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, while European nations emphasised the need to protect civilians amid relentless Israeli bombing. Notably, Israel and high-ranking US officials were absent from the meeting, and as a result, there was no consensus reached on how to contain the ongoing violence. The summit was initiated and hosted by Egypt, with the hope of gathering support for peace and reigniting efforts to address the long-standing Palestinian quest for statehood. Unfortunately, the meeting concluded without leaders and foreign ministers agreeing on a joint statement. This occurred two weeks into a conflict that has claimed the lives of thousands and resulted in a humanitarian crisis in the blockaded Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million people. Diplomats present at the talks had limited expectations of a breakthrough, as Israel was preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza with the goal of eliminating the militant Palestinian group Hamas, which had launched attacks on Israeli towns on October 7, causing the death of 1,400 people. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s airstrikes and missile strikes had, by that point, resulted in the deaths of at least 4,385 Palestinians since the Hamas attack. While Arab and Muslim nations called for an immediate halt to Israel’s offensive, Western countries generally focused on more modest objectives, such as providing humanitarian relief to civilians. King Abdullah of Jordan decried what he described as global silence regarding Israel’s attacks, which had led to the deaths of thousands in Hamas-ruled Gaza and left over a million people homeless. He called for a balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “The message the Arab world is hearing is that Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli ones,” he said, adding he was outraged and grieved by acts of violence waged against innocent civilians in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians would not be displaced or driven off their land. “We won’t leave, we won’t leave,” he told the summit. France called for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza that it said could lead to a ceasefire. Britain and Germany both urged Israel’s military to show restraint and Italy said it was important to avoid escalation. The United States, Israel’s closest ally and a vital player in all past peace efforts in the region, only sent its Cairo charge d’affaires who did not address the meeting in public. AGENCIES