Epaper_23-10-3 LHR

SeCurIt y perSonnel Involved In CroSS-border SmugglIng to ‘FaCe Court martIal’: bugtI

including its executioners and sympathisers ”

He further stated, “No matter what kind of violence it is our security forces have the capacity and they have won the fight against terrorism by demonstrating courage

I strongly believe that our enemy does not have much capacity

Bugti also lamented the divide in our society and called on ending it

“Only the state can exercise violence and this is our consensus There is zero tolerance for it You will see changes in days to come he said asserting that Pakistan was resolved to remove all terrorists

If someone wants to impose their agenda through gunpoint, they are mistaken Only the Constitution will prevail At one point, the minister also said that recent attacks were not “unexpected” because Pakistan had decided to become a “hardened state” hence the “reaction was due Terrorism is a complicated fight and they don t have anything else except suicide bombing State institutions have to protect every inch of the land This is a difficult fight but not an impossible one We will fight this,” he vowed

S C g i v e s o p e n c a l l t o s u b m i t f a c t s s u r r o u

The Supreme Court (SC) has invited all persons and organizations to disclose facts pertaining to the Faizabad sit-in by October 27, 2023 as the court will resume proceedings on eight review petitions filed against the February 2019 verdict on November 1 In a written order issued on September 28 the court invited all individuals and parties – civil private or governmental – to submit in writing through affidavits if they wish to disclose facts pertaining to the matter

The court observed that adjournments have been sought” and “certain parties are not in attendance” while “some have publicly stated that they knew what had happened yet the judgment did not consider their point of view

This is surprising given that it was noted in paragraph 17 of the judgment that: All the hearings in this case were conducted in open court We had permitted those aggrieved and those whose interest may be affected to come forward and had also permitted them to file documents and written submission ” the apex court noted in its written order

IN T E R I M Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said on Monday that the army chief had told his people that security personnel involved in cross-border smuggling would face court martial and arrests

Earlier this month, the interim government decided to launch a massive crackdown on smugglers hoarders and illegal immigrants while also announcing a cash reward for those citizens who will provide information on these activities

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had also directed authorities concerned to strictly curb the smuggling of sugar, petroleum products, urea, agricultural products and other items of daily use

In response to a question during a press conference in Islamabad today Bugti said: If I say that border security forces weren t involved in [smuggling] it won t be right as the [smuggled] items are transported via trucks Pakistan s army chief has told his people very clearly that there won’t only be court-martials, but those involved in such activities would also be sent to jail ” he stated Bugti added that the accountability method within the army was not a public affair hence it did not come to the public knowledge However he stated that the army s accountability system was seen in the aftermath of the May 9 violence

On rising terrorism, the minister said several apex committee meetings were being held to address the issue promising that “you will see changes in the days

C Y P H E R C A S E

to come

His statement comes as the country is reeling from deadly bombings in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in recent days

Last week, a grisly suicide blast targeting a 12th Rabiul Awwal procession in Balochistan’s Mastung claimed the lives of over 50 people including a police officer Four Pakistan Army soldiers were also martyred during an operation in Zhob which is located at a five-hour distance from Mastung

The same day, a second bomb attack took place in KP’s Hangu, which targeted a police station’s mosque in the city Five people were killed, and 12 were injured as the mosque’s roof collapsed in the explosion’s impact

While a probe revealed that the Islamic State Khorasan was behind the Hangu attack the caretaker government has claimed that Indian spy agency RAW was behind the Mastung carnage

During the media talk on Monday, flanked by Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, Bugti said he would address the issue of rising terrorism in a media talk tomorrow

We have a limited time and limited mandate and we want to fix things that are meant for daily basis I must say we do not have any softness for anyone irrespective of how influential they are,” he asserted

In response to a question, the interior minister said the Mastung bombing and other terror incidents were being probed

RAW s involvement had been found in incidents that occurred previously in Balochistan The current bombing is being investigated and once done, we will share details

Talking about poll security Bugti said it was the government s responsibility

We held a meeting with the Election Commission of Pakistan today and we will hold more meetings he revealed, adding that the government would request the state institutions whenever the need for security arose

Questioned about the return of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif who is expected to land in the country on Oct 21 after four years Bugti said it was “encouraging and clarified that his statement pertaining to Nawaz s arrest upon return was misinterpreted by the PML-N

Ever since the PML-N announced the elder Sharif s return, there has been discussion regarding whether Nawaz would be arrested at the airport given the cases pending against him It must be noted that Nawaz was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018 The cases are still sub-judice

The elder Sharif left the country in November 2019 on medical grounds following his conviction in a corruption case but never returned Nawaz s departure took place approximately 20 days after the Islamabad High Court’s order which granted him temporary relief on medical grounds in the Al Azizia case

Earlier this month Bugti had said in a TV interview that Nawaz would be arrested if he failed to get bail

His statement was, however, bashed by the PML-N who called him out for exceeding jurisdiction

Talking about the matter during the press conference today Bugti said Nawaz was a leader who had spent years in jail along with his daughter but at the s a m e t i m e s t a t e d t h a t w e w i l l t r e a t a l l c i t i z e n

In any event we are providing another opportunity to all to submit in writing through affidavits if they want to disclose facts pertaining to this matter The learned AG [Attorney General of Pakistan] however states that the matter attends to events of a certain period and its scope should not be extended ” stated the written order

Last week as the court took up review petitions pending since 2019 a three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan as well as Justice Athar Minallah, it was informed that the Ministry of Defence the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) wished to withdraw their pleas

Similar applications had earlier been filed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and currently ‘detained’ Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid had sought adjournments citing various reasons for which their counsels could not appear In its written order the top court recounted the questions that were raised at the previous hearing: Why the matter was not taken up by the apex court in the past four years

The simultaneous filing of these review petitions and the reason behind doing so Whether constitutional and statutory bodies acted independently in filing the same Whether, as claimed by some, the February 2019 judgment has been implemented

IHC reser ves verdict on FIA request for in-camera hearing of Imran’s bail plea

ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Islamabad High Court (IHC) has reserved its decision on FIA s request for conducting an in-camera hearing on the bail plea of former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the cipher case

At the outset of the court proceedings on Monday IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that it had to be decided whether the hearing would be in-camera or in open court He said that the court would fix a date for rehearing the case

At this juncture, lawyer Salman Safdar requested the court to fix the next hearing in a couple of days on which the Chief Justice

said that the office would schedule the case for hearing FIA Prosecutor Shah Khawar Advocate appeared in the court and said that the trial could not be made public under the Official Secrets Act He said today we were going to file an application in the trial court

The Chief Justice raised the question that the matter of the trial was different could the bail hearing be held in-camera Speaking to the lawyers, the CJ said that he did not know about this He asked the lawyers to see to it

He said the statement was to be made in the trial court it was the trial court’s jurisdiction whether it allowed an in-camera hearing or the open court Shah Khawar Advocate said that the cipher was a secret document and who would decode this document

The court inquired whether there was any code of conduct or SOP related to the cipher The special prosecutor said that during the hearing of the bail application, some important documents and statements were to be kept before the court the statements of some countries were also to be brought on record if this process was public relations with some countries might be affected

The code of conduct relating to the cipher was read out in the court Manwar Dagal advocate said that the coded message is different for each country Shah Khawar Advocate said that the cipher is a secret document that is kept confidential in any case the cipher comes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

NEPRA HIKES POWER TARIFF BY RS 3.28 PER UNIT

quarter of FY2022-23

Earlier consumers were paying an extra Rs1 25 per unit due to ongoing quarterly adjustments with these adjustments set to conclude in September Now the new Rs1 25 per unit charge will persist, with an additional Rs2 03 per unit added for the next six months

FBR collects Rs 63bn of surplus taxes in the first quar ter of F Y24 September revenue collec

tion

target surpassed by Rs 40bn

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

‘Bring more people to welcome Nawaz Sharif and get Honda 125 bike’

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is gearing up for the highly anticipated return of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on October 21 marking his comeback to Pakistan after a four-year absence In a bid to create an unforgettable welcome, a PML-N leader has announced a unique incentive – a brand new Honda 125 motorcycle – for individuals who bring more people to greet their supremo Nawaz Sharif A viral video circulating on social media captured the moment when a prominent PML-N party worker whose identity remains undisclosed made an exhilarating announcement during a public gathering Flanked by large images of Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, the party worker declared “This is a big announcement I hope my team will win You are all being told that whoever brings more people to welcome Nawaz Sharif on October 21 will get a Honda 125 The promise of a Honda 125 motorcycle as a reward for mobilising the masses to welcome Nawaz Sharif has already sparked conversations across Pakistan Furthermore the unnamed party worker clarified the geographical scope of the prize by stating The award will be given; this is NA 135 it covers two provincial constituencies

245 ‘financers of militants’ arrested in KP this year: repor t

PESHAWAR

S ta f f R e p o R t

As many as 245 “financers of militants ” have been arrested and 198 cases registered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during the ongoing year says a report issued on Monday According to a report 71 cases have been registered in Peshawar region followed by Khyber where 67 cases have been registered Similarly, 10 cases have been registered in Mohmand and Mardan each The document, however, reveals that the law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) have failed to trace 65 financers despite lodging cases against them The report tells that total 777 persons have been nominated in these cases of whom 15 have been killed in encounters

ery on incremental sales use of system charges Market Operator Fee and the FCA impact on T&D losses for the fourth

Originally the Power Division had requested an increase of Rs 6 20 per unit for the fourth quarter of the 2022-23 fiscal year for ex-Wapda distribution companies (DISCOs) to address Rs 146 billion financing gap within three months However, due to fear of public outcry against the steep tariff hike, they later sought Rs 3 55 per unit increase over six months NEPRA has now granted permission for positive quarterly adjustments of Rs135 5 billion applicable to the fourth quarter of FY 2022-23 These charges will

be recovered from consumers of exWAPDA Distribution Companies between October 2023 and March 2024

The power regulator also recommended that the government consider maintaining a uniform consumer-end tariff for K-Electric (KE) and state-owned distribution companies, even after privatization potentially through direct or indirect subsidies Consequently KE consumers will be billed at a rate of Rs3 2814 per kWh with recovery taking place over the same six-month period from October 2023 to March 2024

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has collected Rs 2 04 trillion during the first quarter of the current financial year against an assigned target of Rs 1 97 trillion thus exceeding the target by Rs 63 billion

According to FBR the tax department has also put in efforts to achieve its revenue target for the month of September, 2023 Against a target of Rs 794 billion, FBR was able to collect Rs 834 billion, while refunds amounting to Rs 37 billion were issued

According to FBR severe import compression was witnessed during the month of September 2023 This means that the amount of revenue generated from the imports fell significantly During the month of August, taxes at import stage were collected at Rs 299 billion whereas during September, taxes at import stage were only Rs 254 billion The FBR was able to make up the shortfall of Rs 45 billion through domestic taxes especially direct taxes like income tax

PR OFIT

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

The government of Pakistan has decided to adopt strategies similar to those implemented by China and Indonesia concerning the utilization of its armed forces in specific sectors

As per a report by BR the decision was officially communicated through a notification from the Board of Investment (BoI), which outlines the formation and functions of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) Here are the details of the threetiered structure of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)

1 A P E X C O M M I T T E E – S I F C:

The Apex Committee of SIFC will include the following members:

n Prime Minister

n Federal Ministers from various key ministries, including Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (PD&SI), Finance, IT & Telecom, National Food Security & Research (NFS&R) Power Water Resources Industries and Production Defence Defence Production and Investment, Law & Justice

n Chief of the Army Staff

n Provincial Chief Ministers (by special invitation)

n National Coordinator from the Pakistan Army

n A Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, who will serve as the Secretary to the Apex Committee

2 Executive Committee – SIFC:

The Executive Committee of SIFC will consist of the following members:

n Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives (PD&SI)

n National Coordinator from the Pakistan Army

n Federal Ministers from Defence NFS&R IT & Telecom Power Information & Broadcasting

n Ministers of State for Petroleum Finance

n Provincial Ministers from Agriculture, Mines and Minerals, IT, Energy Board of Revenue Irrigation Finance Planning and Develop-

ment and Investment

n Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SIFC Secretariat)

n Provincial Chief Secretaries

n Director General from the Pakistan Army (SIFC Secretariat)

n Secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

n Secretary from the Board of Investment (Secretary SIFC Secretariat will act as the Secretary to the Executive Committee)

3 Implementation Committee –SIFC Secretariat:

The Implementation Committee of SIFC coordinated by the SIFC Secretariat will include the following members:

n Special Assistant to the Prime Minister

n Secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

n Director General from the Pakistan Army

n Secretary from SIFC Secretariat (BS:21)/ Additional Secretary (BoI)

n A representative from the Pakistan Army

n Five Sector Coordinators

n Five co-coordinators from ex-Pakistan Army personnel (A dedicated Additional Secretary from the Board of Investment will serve as Secretary to SIFC Secretariat, as well as Secretary to the Executive Committee and Implementation Committee)

n Co-Opted Members: Finance Secretary Secretary from the BOI Secretary from the Economic Affairs Division, Chairman of the FBR, Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) (to be nominated by the SBP Governor) and Provincial Focal Persons

S E C TO R A L D I V I S I O N S:

The SIFC will be divided into various Sectoral Divisions, each focusing on specific areas of interest:

n Defence Division (i) Defence Secretary; (ii) Secretary Defence Production; (iii) representative of Pakistan Army; (iv) representatives of SPD, DGDP and DPEs

n Agriculture Division (i) Secretary,

Ministry of NFS&R; (ii) Secretary

Ministry of Water Resources; (iii) representative of Pakistan Amy

n Mineral Division (i) Secretary Ministry of Petroleum; (ii) representative of Pakistan

n Information Technology Division (i) Secretary, Ministry of IT & Telecommunication; (ii) Pakistan Army n Energy Division (i) Secretary Ministry of Power; (ii) Secretary Ministry of Petroleum; (iii) Secretary, Ministry of Industries and Production;(iv) representative of Pak Army and; (v) representative of FWO

Key Objectives of the SIFC:

The SIFC will primarily concentrate on investment and privatization in five critical areas: Defence, Agriculture, Minerals, Information Technology and Telecommunication, and Energy (hereinafter referred to as the “Relevant Fields”) Its core functions include:

n Acting as a Single Window for multi-domain cooperation in the relevant fields, with a particular focus on GCC countries and other nations to facilitate investment and create an enabling policy environment

n Developing a long-term roadmap for growth, development, and investment in the relevant fields, while seizing immediate opportunities

n Raising awareness of Pakistan’s untapped potential in these sectors

n Improving the ease of doing business by eliminating systemic and bureaucratic obstacles, optimizing coordination between federal and provincial levels, and expediting decision-making and project implementation

In line with practices observed in countries like China and Indonesia the SIFC will coordinate the utilization of Pakistan s Army for specific purposes

To ensure effective progress monitoring the Apex Committee Executive Committee and Implementation Committee will convene quarterly monthly and fortnightly meetings, respectively, to oversee the development of each Sectoral Division

However, this target was exceeded majorly on the back of indirect taxation Subsequent power tariff and fuel subsidy hikes may have contributed to an increase in revenue for the FBR but they simultaneously pose serious inflationary threats for the general public Meanwhile the FBR for the second time this year, has extended its deadline to file personal income tax returns in hopes to broaden the tax net A feat that the FBR has failed to achieve significantly in the past

Punjab gov t moves LHC against bail granted to May 9 accused

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Punjab government on Monday approached the Lahore High Court against the decision of the anti-terrorism court to grant bail to the accused of the May 9 tragedy The prosecutor general filed the applications seeking bail cancellation of the May 9 accused on behalf of the Government of Punjab A two-member bench headed by Justice Aliya Neelam will hear the Punjab government petitions On September 23, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore granted postarrest bail to nine accused out of 63 involved in the case of Jinnah House attack following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in May The PTI leaders who were granted bail by the ATC included Sanam Javed, Shah Bano, Ashmia Shujah, Rubina Jameel, Mubeen Qadri, Syed Faisal Akhtar, Ali Hassan, Afshan Tariq, and Muhammad Qasim The prosecution had placed its arguments that the accused persons were fully involved in creating mayhem and there was substantial evidence of their involvement in the attack on Jinnah House It requested the court to dismiss their bail pleas However, the court accepted the arguments of the counsels for the accused who contended that they had been implicated in a forged case merely to disgrace them despite the fact that they had nothing to do with this case The Sarwar Road police had lodged a case against the accused on the charge of creating a law and order situation and vandalizing the Jinnah House following the arrest of the PTI chairman

Hyundai charges into battle with the S anta Fe. Who are they taking on?

PR OFIT

Da n i ya l a h M a D Hyundai Nishat, the Pakistani arm of the global automotive giant, has unveiled its penultimate sports utility vehicle (SUV) the Santa Fe The car takes aim at both the hottest car on the market and the king of the local automotive industry immediately upon launch and it might just have what it takes to be a problem for the rest of the industry for a myriad of

The vehicles’ exteriors boast alloy wheels, LED headlamps and a panoramic sunroof among other features Inside occupants are treated to ventilated seats an advanced infotainment system and various adjustable seat options Safety is paramount with features such as six airbags, parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera (exclusive to the Signature model)

Having said that, two aspects stand out as potential game-changers for the industry Firstly the competitive pricing of both models could disrupt the market dynamics Secondly the introduction of the Santa Fe marks it as only the second hybrid vehicle available in Pakistan a significant milestone in the country s automotive history

The Santa Fe’s price tag has certainly raised eyebrows

Just a month before its launch whispers of a price range between 1 3 and 1 7 crores were circulating However the sub 1 5 crore price point has made it a more enticing option than initially anticipated

“The price point is rather appealing,” comments Suneel Sarfraz Munj, Co-Founder of PakWheels “It’s a welcome addition to the market and if they maintain this pricing I believe they ll generate substantial sales Munj adds Echoing this sentiment Shaheel Shahzad

Co-Founder of Bloombig Overdrive states Hyundai has hit the nail on the head with the launch of Santa Fe

The price point is excellent and the introduction of a Hybrid engine is a commendable initiative ”

The standard Santa Fe dubbed the Santa Fe Smart finds itself in direct competition with the current sensation in Pakistan s automotive market The Santa Fe is approximately Rs 8 lakh pricier than Haval s H6 HEV

While this might seem significant, it only represents a 7% increase from the H6 s Rs 1 21 crore price tag

So, what does the additional Rs 8 lakh offer? The Santa Fe with its larger dimensions offers a more spacious interior making it an ideal choice for larger families or those who value extra room It can comfortably accommodate up to seven individuals However the H6

HEV, being taller and having a higher ground clearance, offers an edge in off-road driving experiences

In terms of performance the H6 HEV takes the lead

Despite having a smaller engine displacement of 1 497 cc compared to Santa Fe s 1 598 cc it outperforms with a higher horsepower of 240 HP @ 5,500 RPM and torque of 530 Nm @ 4,400 RPM This means you can expect better acceleration and pulling power from the H6 HEV Fuel efficiency is another critical factor for many drivers Here again the H6 HEV shines with better fuel efficiency in both city and highway driving conditions

In terms of comfort features and quality of life features, both vehicles are decked out so much that most of them are standard across both of them

Notable exceptions would be that the Santa Fe Smart does not come with a heads-up display like the HEV but compensates for it by offering heated seats

Choosing between the two would require nitpicking

However the most significant difference between the two (no pun intended) is size The Santa Fe is the larger vehicle and subsequently holds a special allure for domestic buyers

READ MORE: CAN KIA BE KING, OR DO THE

However long story short: bigger is better when it comes to sales Munj and Shahzad concur that the Santa Fe could challenge Haval s dominance However, they were uncertain whether it would be able to persuade prospective buyers for the Toyota Fortuner Whilst Shahzad found it difficult for more Fortuner buyers to want to shift to the Santa Fe altogether Munj believes the car might have some success with those buyers looking to only buy for their families and drive it within the city Munj did not, however, extend the same level of optimism to those Fortuner buyers who buy the vehicle for its off-roading capabilities

The Toyota Fortuner ’s most economical variant the Fortuner 2 7G is a staggering Rs 11 lakh pricier than the Santa Fe Signature Yet the disparity in features is perhaps even more pronounced than the price gap Aside from the inherent benefits of the Fortuner being a more comprehensive SUV, it falls short in comparison to the Santa Fe Signature when it comes to features The Fortuner 2 7V, which boasts similar features to the Santa Fe Signature such as leather seats is a jaw-dropping Rs 34 lakh more expensive than the Signature This highlights the unique advantage that the Santa Fe holds

In Pakistan, Toyota’s Fortuner and Revo were the sole vehicles operating beyond the Rs 1 5 crore threshold The Revo for all its worth is a very specific type of vehicle and not one that frequently comes up in discussions about everyday vehicles Until recently prospective car buyers had to make a leap of Rs 30 lakh from Haval s HEV to the base variant of the Toyota Fortuner if they desired a seven-seater vehicle Or perhaps a leap of Rs 60 lakh if they wished to purchase standard company equipped leather seats Now there s an option that sits comfortably in the middle for car buyers an option that not only saves them money but also offers them more features at a lower price point, provided they re willing to forego off-roading with their vehicle The Rs 1 5 crore mark also holds special significance in the Pakistani automotive market Rewinding just a few years back to when Audi e-tron first launched in Pakistan it was introduced at roughly the same Rs 1 5 crore price point This was when the car s popularity soared and it became a common sight on the roads of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore However, when the rupee depreciated in value, the e-tron nearly tripled in price and we saw a decline in purchases

Moreover Profit acknowledges that KIA’s Sorento is another vehicle that offers prospective buyers the utility of seven seats in a larger profile but that vehicle comes with its own unique set of challenges

T h r e e - t i e r s t r u c t u r e o f S p e c i a l

nve s t m e n t Fa c i l i t at i o n C o u

PRESIDENT ALVI DIRECTS CDNS TO REIMBURSE RS1.2M TO FRAUD VICTIM WOMAN

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

PR E S I D E N T Dr Arif Alvi has directed the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) to reimburse an amount of 1 2 million rupees with profit to a fraud victim woman

It should be mentioned that the money was fraudulently withdrawn from the woman’s account through the issuance of a fictitious cheque book and affixing her fake signatures on the withdrawal slip Dr Arif Alvi on Monday asked CDNS to

Jaranwala tragedy: Interim Punjab gov t declines formation of judicial commission

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

Punjab Caretaker government has rejected the proposal of Lahore High Court (LHC) to constitute a judicial commission to probe into Jaranwala tragedy While informing the court

Additional Advocate General Punjab Ghulam

Sarwar Nahang asserted that the Punjab government had already constituted a JIT to investigate the incident Constitution of a separate judicial commission for the same cause was not necessary, he told Justice Asim Hafeez conducted the hearing of the petition filed by Bishop Azad Marshall Earlier the Lahore High Court had instructed the Punjab chief secretary to take a decision in connection with a petition seeking formation of a judicial commission for an inquiry into the Jaranwala tragedy The direction for the provincial chief secretary came from Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi when the public prosecutor responded in negative on being questioned if a judicial commission was formed to look into the incident In the plea the petitioner had requested the high court to issue orders for an inquiry into the Jaranwala tragedy by a judicial commission, contending that the fundamental rights of the minority community (the Christians) had been violated in the incident The petitioner pleaded that the method being employed for investigation had met sluggishness and the Christian community doubts if this method will live up to their expectations fort justice

Man killed as passengers of Pakistan Express clash over seat

ISLAMABAD

S

A man was killed when passengers of Karachi bound Pakistan Express clashed over seat dispute According to INP passengers of 46DN Pakistan Express train clashed claiming This is my seat A 50-year-old passenger identified Sanaullah s/o Sher Muhammad travelling with family from Alipur to Faisalabad was killed in the clash Key accused Nadeem s/o Muhammad Boota got down as train slowed near Chak Jhumra railway station and fled the scene The family of murderer was taken into custody but later set free The body was shifted to hospital for postmortem and police after registering a case against the accused started raids for his arrest

Cour t defers plea against Khawar Maneka’s physical remand

OKARA

S ta f f R e p o R t

A court in Okara on Monday adjourned the hearing of former first lady and PTI Chairman

Imran Khan s wife Bushra Bibi s ex-husband

Khawar Farid Maneka s petition against his eight-day physical remand in a corruption case until October 4 Hearing of the case, which was due to be held on September 30, had to be adjourned until today on account of the absence of Additional and Sessions Judge Naeem

Shaukat Senior Civil Judge Abrar Ali Khan had on September 26 granted to the police eight-day physical remand of Maneka in the case of occupying Auqaf Department s land and

refer the matter to FIA for proper investigation so that the delinquent officials of CDNS involved in the scam may be brought to the book and punished The president issued these directions w h i l e d e c i d i n g o n a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n f i l e d by CDNS (the Agency) against the decis i o n o f t h e Wa f a q i M o h t a s i b d i r e c t i n g

CDNS to refer the matter to FIA for thor-

ough investigation

As per details the complainant Abida

Riffat had alleged that she was maintaining a Pensioners Benefit Account with CDNS in Rawalpindi She found out in 2021 that an amount of Rs 1 2 million had been fraudu-

lently withdrawn from her account in 2019 through another cheque book which was never issued to her She lodged a complaint with CDNS for investigation and recovery of her defrauded amount, but the matter was investigated in a superfluous manner and she was informed that she could not produce any evidence in support of her claim Feeling aggrieved she approached the Wafaqi Mohtasib which asked CDNS to investigate the matter through FIA CDNS then filed a representation with the President against the Mohtasib’s decision President Alvi in his decision observed

that CDNS in its letter dated 28 12 2021 had admitted that Rs 1 2 million were withdrawn from her account through the fake transaction on 23 05 2019 by affixing a fake signature on the withdrawal slip He noted that during an internal inquiry conducted by CDNS, an officer had given a statement in which he alleged that the disputed amount was fraudulently misappropriated by a gunman and the cashier and the Agency had not associated the said officials in the inquiry proceedings This, he added, depicted that the process of inquiry was not transparent and CDNS was opposing the entrustment of the matter to FIA without any

Nazim Jokhio murder: SHC adjourns

Jam Awais disqualification plea

KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t

The Sindh High Court on Monday adjourned a petition seeking disqualification of Jam Awais MPA key accused of Nazim Jokhio murder till Nov 08

The election commission sought further time from the court for submitting its reply Advocate Wazir Khoso appeared before the court on behalf of Jam Awais The plea has become redundant after dissolution of the provincial assembly, the counsel argued Reconciliation is not a crime, Jam Awais s lawyer said Jam Awais Gohram, Speaker Sindh Assembly Chief Secre-

tary Sindh and the election commission were made party in the petition filed by Barrister Ali Tahir

“Jam Awais has paid Diyet

and trustworthy, petitioner said PPP MPA Jam Awais Gohram Jokhio and his men were booked in October 2021 for torturing an activist Nazim Jokhio to death as he tried to stop his foreign guests from illegal hunting of houbara bustard an endangered specie, in the Memon Goth area of Karachi The family of deceased Nazim Jokhio in an affidavit filed in court consented to pardon Jam Awais and others in the high-profile murder case

We have reached to a compromise with the accused the court may acquit them, an affidavit of Shireen Jokhio, widow of Nazim Jokhio, read

May 9 vandalism: S anam Javed, others sent on judicial remand

LAHORE

S ta f f R e p o R t

In vandalism case, Sanam Javed Khan and other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) woman activist on Monday were sent on a 14-day judicial remand

According to the report submitted by the police to the court, Sanam Javed Khan was identified in the case related to attack police van Police urged the court to grant the physical remand of PTI women activists in police van attack case

However the court rejected the physical remand plea and sent the PTI women activist on 14-day physical remand where Ashima and Shah Bano were discharged from the case upon no evidence of their involvement in the vandalism case

Earlier Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

(PTI) women activists were re-arrested moments after release from Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore

As per details, policewomen force arrested the PTI activists and took them from Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore

The re-arrest came after the PTI women activists were released from jail but their families refused to take them home as they were fearing the re-arrest

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) had ordered to release Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) activist Sanam Javed Khan and other party activists in Jinnah House attack case

The court approved the bail pleas of PTI activists Sanam Javed Khan Robina Jameel Afshan Tariq Ashma Shuja, Shah Bano, Faisal Akhtar, Qasim, Ali Hasan and Hussain Qadri In should be mentioned that on May 9 this year violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after the former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan were arrested at the Islamabad

High Court (IHC) The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest with Balochistan Punjab Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order Army installations and Corps Commander s house in Lahore came under attack during a protest by PTI workers

It was also reported that Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi sustained severe injuries while clearing

LHC ser ves notices to respondents in c ase ensuring general elec tions

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday served notices to the respondents in a case ensuring general elections in Pakistan within 90 days

The LHC while hearing the plea moved by Barrister Muqsat Saleem issued notices to the respondents including the Election Commission of Pakistan the president of Pakistan and others The court observed no political party is interested in ensuring elections within 90 as a plea has been moved from

an individual The plea moved by Barrister Muqsat stated that holding general elections in January is a violation of the constitution and the court s orders

The plea further stated that President Arif Alvi should be ordered to announce the election date and nullify the

SC gives open c all to submit fac ts surrounding Faizabad sit-in

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The apex court invited “any party or any one” to submit before it any facts they wish to disclose by October 27 before the matter resumes for hearing on November 1

Several review petitions were filed against the verdict authored by now Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on February 6 2019 This judgment pertained to a sit-in staged by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Faizabad in 2017 In this scathing judgment, authored by Justice Isa, it directed the country’s intelligence agencies, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Intelligence Bureau (IB) Military Intelligence (MI) and the army s media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), not to exceed their constitutional mandate The judgment

notification issued by the ECP regarding elections in January Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that general elections would be held in the last week of January 2024

The electoral body was under immense pressure from the political parties regarding the announcement of the election date

The announcement came days after the ECP said it had scheduled a meeting with political parties next month to discuss the code of conduct for general elections

specifically addressed the role of intelligence agencies during a 20-day sit-in organized by the TLP at the intersection of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in November 2017

The TLP had initiated the protest in response to alleged changes made in lawmakers’ oath affirming that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the last messenger of Allah through the Elections Bill 2017 – during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz s (PML-N) government The protesters demanded the resignation of the then-law minister, Zahid Hamid These protests disrupted daily life in the twin cities for 20 days leading to multiple rounds of negotiations between the government and protesters Ultimately, Zahid Hamid resigned on November 27, 2017, meeting the TLP s demands On November 21, 2017, the SC initiated suo motu proceedings regarding the sit-in On November 22 2018 a two-judge bench comprising Justice Isa and Justice Mushir Alam reserved their ruling

justification The president concluded that Wafaqi Mohtasib had rightly observed that the matter of fraudulent withdrawal of the amount had not been properly investigated and directed it to refer the matter to FIA He upheld the Mohtasib s decision with the direction to CDNS to submit a compliance report to Mohtasib within 30 days

Pak-Turkiye condemn terrorism, vow cooperation for its eradication

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan and Turkiye on Monday strongly condemning the acts of terrorism taking place in respective regions have vowed for joint efforts for its eradication Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi and Head of Turkish Religious Affairs Dr Ali Arbash in a telephonic conversation said Pakistan and Turkiye standing together against terrorism vowed to combat those who target innocent civilians and attempt to undermine Muslim nations through their mutual cooperation In a joint statement, they said Islam was a religion of peace and safety and any individuals or groups that perpetrated violence against innocent humanity were enemies of Islam

Such individuals organizations or entities have no connection to Islam, they added Dr Ali Arbash, expressed his heartfelt condemnation of the recent terrorist incidents in Mastung and Hangu He also expressed gratitude on behalf of Turkiye’s government and people for Pakistan s strong condemnation of terrorism Tahir Ashrafi emphasized the brotherly bond between Pakistan and Turkiye stating that recent acts of terrorism in both countries were unacceptable to the entire Muslim world He reassured that Pakistan’s government and people stood shoulder to shoulder with their Turkish brethren Both leaders agreed to enhance cooperation on important national and international matters Furthermore, they prayed for the elevation of martyrs ranks and the swift recovery of the wounded

Mar yam’s flopped show exposed claims of Nawaz’s popularit y: Saif

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Barrister Dr Muhammad Ali Saif has said that flopped show of Maryam Nawaz has exposed the forged claims of popularity of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif among the masses Commenting over the public gathering of Chief Organizer of PML-N, he said that Maryam Nawaz keeping in the view the results of last gathering would organize in narrow streets in future Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that Nawaz Sharif who remained absconder was now returning back to make fake claims of revolution in Pakistan

He said that the PML-N supremo changes his viewpoint every day to come into power

The PTI leader said that the PML-N was offering motorcycles to people for welcome of Nawaz Sharif which was a pleasantry

While return to Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif needs to bring back the looted nation exchequer along with him, he suggested “Maryam’s uncle wasted Rs10 billion for his cheap publicity Prisoners of Lahore Jail will welcome Maryam s father and he will be garlanded with handcuffs instead of flower garlands Barrister Saif said that Nawaz Sharif should also confirm his return ticket because if PTI chief comes out of jail, the PML-N supremo will found it difficult to flee

Pakistan needs to do better

AS you read this, a spate of arrests and detentions is being carried out against Afghan refugees across the country And as is the case with such measures, there are plenty of extra-judicial excesses committed by the officers of the state during this exercise But even the actions within the ambit of the law definitely deserve to be questioned

Yes Pakistan has not signed the 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of refugees But for the same matters to be decided by an archaic-sounding Foreigners Act has no place in a modern democracy

It’s not the name that this paper has an issue with, but the arbitrary - and inhumane - manner in which the refugees deemed not to have proper documentation are treated

Some of the authorities are citing an increase in crime as the reason behind the drive Now, the correlation between Afghan refugees and crime is often parroted unthinkingly but never actually put through greater statistical scrutiny In fact, several reports have come in, disproving any such link

But it is suspected that it is, in fact, the increased tensions between the Afghan (de facto) government and Pakistan that is causing the latter to take out its brunt on the Afghan nationals The irony in this state of affairs is palpable The previous two Afghan dispensations were cooperating with the Pakistan government in the war against terror, having taken out several key members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistan (TTP ) Now the government of Pakistan seems to want to take out the Taliban’s inaction against another kind of Taliban, on the demographic that despises the Taliban enough to choose not to live in the country that they now govern Pakistan has had a role to play in the hellish lives that the people of Afghanistan have to live now Influential quarters within the country have also benefited from it For the state to take out its frustrations on a most sensitive and precariously positioned community, reeks of an inhumane childishness

Pakistan has made its bed; now, it has to lay in it

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

IN daily life, a man meets all sorts in his home and office, in parks and malls Some individuals give him pleasure by entering howsoever briefly his space; others by leaving it There are some who are pleasant enough in casual conversations but are a ruination of any discussion that requires even an iota of basic human intelligence After making his fair share of errors in this regard, the author is convinced that avoiding these specimens like poison is the only sensible policy In the cases where that is not possible – when the culprit happens to be the boss a colleague or one s better half for example – the next best option is to limit one s interactions with him or her to small talk: how the weather, and a whole lot else sucks, for example

The first type of individual to be avoided, or contact with him or her curtailed to strictly-as-needed levels is one who say in a discussion on the relatively small garment sizes for Indonesian people is apt to say something like: But I know an Indonesian man who is 6 feet 8 inches tall and look around triumphantly as if it were the most insightfully incisive comment possible under the circumstances

It is obvious that this type of individual cannot

wrap his or her head around abstract ideas such as average and probability That an acquaintance s grandfather lived to 100 despite smoking two packs of cigarettes a day is for him or her, an unassailable argument in favour of the salutary effects of tobacco

In theory, one can laugh this brand of stupidity off, but such is the relentless consistency of this breed that the laughing-off task tends to becomes a painful struggle after a while which is hardly conducive to one s peace of mind This display on such an individual s part is not merely indicative of the individual s inability to understand arguably the simplest abstract idea of all (mathematical mean), but invariably a sign of a rather low overall IQ Therefore, what is expected of this type of person on almost any topic under the sun is precisely the kind of nonsense that must be shunned if one wants one s universe to keep making any sort of sense

Experience says that there is no use trying to educate this lot either, for not only are these fellows astoundingly slow on the uptake but are super stubborn as well So, the chances are that the very next time (even if that is barely minutes after your painstakingly comprehensive sermon on the concept of average and standard deviation) the subject of the short Indonesian average height is under discussion this person is apt to find it impossible to resist the temptation of chipping in with his contribution to the discourse by bringing up the tall Indonesian of his acquaintance Therefore do yourself a favour by saving your breath And in future encounters make sure to keep a safe distance from the fellow – a distance not less than the height of the aforementioned Indonesian gentleman

The second item on our list is the type that arrives at unhesitating conclusions regarding the most complex scientific or social question, conclusions that are based on a single factor and usually the most superficial one at that This type struggles with the fact that most phenomena in life depend on multiple factors and therefore require a multi-variate analysis When he finds out that women are generally paid less than men for the same job in a given profession, he is apt to conclude that that must be so on account of their gender Or to deduce that carrot is the definitive cure for

T h e f i r s t t y p e o f i n d i v i d u a l t o b e a vo i d e d , o r c o n t a c t w i t h h i m o r h e r c u r t a i l e d t o s t r i c t l y - a s - n e e d e d l e v e l s i s o n e w h o , s ay i n a d i s c u s s i o n o n t h e r e l a t i v e l y s m a l l g a r m e n t s i z e s fo r

I n d o n e s i a n p e o p l e , i s a p t t o s ay s o m e t h i n g l i k e : „ B u t I k n o w a n I n d o n e s i a n m a n w h o i s 6 f e e t 8 i n c h e s t a l l , ‰ a n d l o o k a ro u n d t r i u m p h a n t l y a s i f i t w e r e t h e m o s t i n s i g h t f u l l y i n c i s i v e c o m m e n t p o s s i b l e u n d e r t h e c i rc u m s t a n c e s

Repatriation pressures

SI N C E the abrupt Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 Pakistan has served as a safe haven for Afghan citizens who have been forced to flee their country The current situation is characterized by a concoction of instability pervasive violence and a dire humanitarian crisis that together create a precarious tableau It is noteworthy that Pakistan s refugee policy has changed, especially in light of recent events Nearly 400,000 Afghans have been reported to have illegally crossed into Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban made a comeback in their home country in August 2021 which has made the problem worse Additionally a startling 700 000 Afghan nationals have been discovered living clandestinely in Pakistan without the proper legal permission

In the dangerous crucible of the protracted Afghan conflict, which is marked by the unrelenting triad of death destruction and displacement (hereinafter referred to as the 3Ds) marked by the dichotomy of security and humanitarian considerations takes root However Pakistan has made a significant policy change in response to domestic and geopolitical pressures, signaling its intention to repatriate a sizeable contingent of about 1 4 million Afghan refugees who have settled inside its sovereign borders without permission Contextualizing this policy announcement in light of the simmering tensions between the neighboring countries is important given its tangible repercussions

Moreover, Pakistan has extended help on several fronts throughout this drawn-out engagement with the Afghan refugee crisis In an

In the dangerous crucible of the protracted Afghan conflict, which is marked by the unrelenting triad of death, destruction, and displacement (hereinafter referred to as the 3Ds), marked by the dichotomy of security and humanitarian considerations, takes root

effort to promote regional stability and political reconciliation it has diplomatically offered its support to the newly established Afghan government This selfless deed is a long-standing decades-old aspect of Pakistan s ethos rather than a recent development But, the burdensome task of giving shelter, food, and a glimmer of hope to those refugees who have sought refuge within Pakistan’s borders has also been taken on by Pakistan despite the country s own resource shortages

Despite the fact that the recent requirement to launch a rigorous crackdown on the high number of Afghan citizens living in Pakistan highlights a concerning reality It seems that Pakistan is confronted with a situation that is getting worse and that it is unable to effectively handle The majority of these undocumented Afghan residents do not uphold the rules of the law or maintain a low profile, upsetting the delicate balance of society by engaging in a variety of criminal activities They have a negative impact on crime which is demonstrated by the alarming total of 12 359 crimes against people that were committed in this particular year These offenses include, but are not limited to, rape, sodomy, kidnapping, attempted murder, criminal intimidation, and violent acts against members of law enforcement or other government officials

The third type of person to be avoided is the sceptic whose idea of fun is to torpedo any discussion on how best to approach any problem by raising epistemological doubts about the inability of man to know anything with any sor t of cer tainty, including what is right and otherwise .

snoring because one of his friends who a month after developing a sudden liking for carrots had stopped snoring This fellow obviously has no clue regarding correlation, fair sampling, and method verification The third type of person to be avoided is the sceptic whose idea of fun is to torpedo any discussion on how best to approach any problem by raising epistemological doubts about the inability of man to know anything with any sort of certainty including what is right and otherwise If accepted, this makes the pursuit of knowledge in any domain a futile activity He is also apt to point out that even if, for the sake of argument, one knew what was right, the long-term effects of one’s immediate actions are too complicated to predict This makes any and all discussions on precautions planning and preparation rather pointless Even mild exposure to such folks can be detrimental to your mental as well as physical health They may not know what is right for them; but trust yourself to know what is good for you: depriving yourself of the company of such individuals in this case

Now we come to our fourth (and thankfully last) type: a self-proclaimed determinist who makes no secret of his reservations about the impossibility of free will His pet contribution to any moral issue is the rhetorical question: Why should men be answerable for their acts when they are predestined to do what they do?’ This type of person is too obtuse to realize that if he genuinely believes this philosophy his entire life (as he actually lives it based on the presumption of responsibility reward and punishment) is a big lie The other alternative (that there is no contradiction in his philosophy and practice) makes him an outright danger to society, for there is no knowing what his ‘destiny’ may make him do next In either case, it is best to keep him at arm’s length preferably more 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

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

Pakistan because they are unable to obtain official visas which is mainly due to the Pakistani government s tightening of visa requirements in recent years

Last but not least, a thorough analysis is required to resolve PakistanÊs Afghan refugee conundrum, which is mired in the complex interplay of security rights and humanitarian responsibilities

Banking scam

It is necessary to reveal that groups of criminals with ties to Afghanistan actively recruit soldiers who are well-equipped with deadly weapons to fight for land-grabbing factions in exchange for astronomical sums of money, which frequently come with the ruthless assassination of their opponents Many Afghan nationals resort to shady border crossings into

In addition there is a palpable air of dread surrounding many Afghan expatriates who are hesitant to return to their native country because of the Taliban regime’s documented history of violating numerous human rights In order to collaboratively unravel the current conundrum or at the very least outline a realistic course for resolution Kabul and Islamabad must proactively convene a round-table discussion As long as both parties demonstrate a shared commitment to eradicate the virulent threat of terrorism collectively and protect the welfare of their respective citizenry, it is possible to accomplish two goals with a single effort The antecedent government s law enforcement agencies and a large number of civilians continue to operate with some level of trepidation as a result of the turbulent aftermath of a protracted and bloody civil war Last but not least a thorough analysis is required to resolve Pakistan s Afghan refugee conundrum, which is mired in the complex interplay of security rights and humanitarian responsibilities Policymakers are compelled to navigate perilous waters in their search for a lasting solution that respects the sanctity of human rights while preserving national interests and security imperatives because of the trajectory of this issue, which is supported by historical precedents and contemporary exigencies

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

RECENTLY, I received a call from a Universal Access Number (UAN) of the bank where I have an account I could not respond to the first two calls I searched it on the internet and found that it was my bank’s telephone number

When I received the call from the same number again I responded There was a man on the other side who said my account was being blocked and told that if I wanted to continue my account I had to cooperate with him He said he had sent a number to my phone and I had to read out the number to him As soon as I did that, he hung up As I soon came to know, much to my grief, that he first changed the password of my digital bank account and then transferred money to a digital wallet leaving a mere Rs16 in the account How did he access my bank account I wonder It is so frustrating to think that the information of an international Islamic bank s customer is not safe How would a customer know if the person on the other side of the call is a bank official or otherwise when he is calling from the actual bank number?

When I realised that I had been scammed, I went to the nearest bank branch, and informed the officials that their number was being used for fraudulent purposes The reply of the bank staff was amazingly cruel “It is a matter of only a few thousand rupees People have lost millions of rupees they told me in response before getting busy with their own things Was it a reasonable answer? The office of the banking ombudsman I guess, would like to take a look at such affairs

IMAMA KHALID HYDERABAD

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 non-organelles and organelles have been differentiated wrongly on page 67 The BTBB administration needs to rectify such mistakes without any delay

HATIR ASLAM GRESHA

Loans for solar energy

E L E C T R I C I T Y is a basic necessity but many poor families in Pakistan cannot afford it anymore The electricity crisis has worsened in recent months due to the government s failure to provide reliable and affordable power Many people have turned to alternative sources such as solar systems, but they are also costly and scarce

The government can help the poor by taking the several measures It should offer loans to help people arrange solar panels or other renewable energy systems This would allow them to generate their own electricity and save money The government can partner with banks or microfinance institutions to provide low-interest loans in this regard

Community-owned solar farms may also be considered as they can provide electricity to poor families at a discounted rate This would create a collective and sustainable source of energy for the poor, and also generate income for the community BILAL JAMAL SIDDIQUI KARACHI

Kabul and Islamabad must work together to find a workable solution

IN D I A used to boast that she has long maintained with Canada a bilateral relationship built on shared values, including democracy, human rights, and the rule of law The cobweb of this myth was exploded when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “accused India of involvement in Nijjar ’s murder” In June 2023 Nijjar the chief of the Khalistan Tiger force was shot dead in British Columbia Canada claims to have credible evidence that India masterminded and executed this murder on the Canadian soil

The Five Eyes have supported Canada s allegation India surmises that that the Five Eyes might have provided irrefutable evidence to Canada The word “eyes” connotes top secret classification The alliance includes Canada the United States Australia New Zealand and Britain This organisation uses cutting-edge technology tools like satellite imagery cryptanalysis sigint traffic analysis etc

In Episode 1314 of Cut the Clutter, Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of the Print explains what the alliance is, traces its roots in World War II, and unwraps the secrecy around its operations until about a decade ago

The Khalistan movement which emerged in the 1970s and early 1980s advocates for the creation of a separate Sikh homeland within India While the government had previously suppressed the movement it has recently gained momentum, particularly among a Sikh Diaspora in Canada India fears the movement would intensify not only in India but also spill over to Diaspora in the other countries

H O W T H E M O V E M E N T B E G A N: In 1995 India

s Supreme Court clarified that the term Khalistan was not seditious and could be used to further a non-violent movement The term first appeared in a pamphlet in the 1940s During The pamphlet demanded Sikhistan and Azad Punjab, but the Second World War and other events overshadowed the demand As time went by Pakistan weakened and India grew stronger by devouring even the Princely States

The attack on the Golden temple and anti Sikh riots/massacre of 1984 rejuvenated the Khalistan movement However, fissures within the Sikh community weakened the movement Badal family damaged Sikh institutions in the last two decades; The Sikhs are now badly divided Half the population – the women; onethird population – the Dalits; and about 40 per cent Hindus remain silent spectators to the movement The better-off Sikhs also preferred to stay mute

The total Sikh population worldwide is about 26 mil-

I

n d i a - C a n

a

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p a t o v e r p r o - K h a l i s t a n a c t i v i s t m u r d e r

Why is India irked so much?

lion Around 18 million live in Punjab, four to five million live in the rest of India, and another three to four million live abroad These Sikhs spread out from Assam to Kutch Kashmir to Tamil Nadu are mostly well settled and have businesses spread across the country

Since BJP s debut all minorities are being persecuted in India The Hindu majoritarian government is trying to carve out a Hindu Rashtra (nation) Muslims are lynched, Christians targeted, and Parliament reverberates with religious chants

Most social movements in the Punjab had been peaceful except the two One by Guru Gobind Singh the tenth Sikh guru, against Mughal rulers, and the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in erstwhile Punjab in the form of Khalsa Raj from 1801 to 1839 Modi’s nightmare is that Jat sons of the soil may join the Khalistan movement A year-long farmer ’s protest against draconian farm laws compelled macho (56-inch chest) Narendra Modi to rescind them

The farmers believed that the laws were intended to favour crony capitalism (Adanis, Advanis and their ilk)

The farmers perceived them as a surreptitious and predatory unilateral attempt to take away their lands, their single source of livelihood Diaspora sympathizers flooded protesters with food fruit and even quintals of American almonds (from US-based toot brethren)

To express solidarity with the farmers 18 opposition parties have decided to boycott the Indian president s address (January 29, 2021) to joint sitting of the parliament at the start of the budget session (The Hindu January 28, 2021) They criticised the government for obduracy when 155 farmers braving water cannons tear gas

The famersÊ stamina baffled the arrogant Modi governmentÊs imagination The farmers turned their trolleys into makeshift dormitories The sick and tired farmers were relieved to be replaced with fresh batches from homes far afield

:

and lathi charges have already lost their lives

To strongman’ Modi’s chagrin the protest assumed an all-Indian dimension as Bhim-army chief Chandra Sheikhar Azad founder of Azad Samaj party (open-society party) joined the protesters with declaration ek juth ho kar larna hai (we have to fight united)

The famers’ stamina baffled the arrogant Modi government’s imagination The farmers turned their trolleys into makeshift dormitories The sick and tired farmers were relieved to be replaced with fresh batches from homes far afield Women back home plunged into the fields to take care of cultivated land and livestock

S I M M E R I N G P R O B L E M S: The Punjabi farmer is debt-ridden Over 2000 farmers commit suicides every year The limit of bank loan per acre was enhanced nearly six times By 2006 the limit was enhanced to Rs 3 lakh per acre while net profit per acre hovered around Rs 50 000 Banks also softened the earlier harsh conditions for loan approvals in the name of helping farmers The decade that followed found farmers entangled in a debt trap, with arhatiyas (middlemen) on one side and banks on the other

The average debt among small and marginal farmers is nearly eight times their annual income compared to 2 7 times among medium and large farmers In contrast to the pre-Green Revolution period small and marginal farmers now lease out their lands to rich farmers Thus the rate of suicide is also high among small and marginal farmers as compared to rich farmers

Rural indebtedness is an enormous problem: of the more than 9 000 farmers who killed themselves in the 20002018 periods 88 per cent were deep in debt Unemployment at 6 8 per cent; 34 per cent among women in the State

Fertilizer consumption per hectare is 223 46 kg

compared to national average of an irrigation canal in Fatehpur village of Patiala district in Punjab no longer carries water for irrigating the fields Farmers now depend on tube wells which have caused the water table to drop drastically in the region Mechanisation and the use of insecticides squeezed labour demand The introduction of new cash crops slashed the demand for labour to nearly two months in a year that is only during the peak periods The introduction of paddy crops in Punjab also attracted trained and cheap labour from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh at the cost of local labour

The continuous neglect of canal irrigation has shrunk the area under canal irrigation from 37 per cent to 27 per cent Free power supply to more than 14 lakh tube wells also added to the neglect of canal irrigation The excessive extraction of underground water through tube wells has pushed 75 percent of rural blocks into the dark zone (an area where groundwater depletion exceeds the rate of recharging) It is believed that in the next 15 years, agriculture in Punjab will face a severe crisis for want of irrigation water

Groundwater levels are falling by 0 49 metres a year

At the current rate of depletion groundwater in the first 100 m will get exhausted by 2029 and drop below 300 m by 2039

It is time India stopped blaming the pro-Khalistan movement as there are genuine grievances to be addressed

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics business administration and law He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail com

S a u d i - I s r a e l n o r m a l i s a t i o n : T h e g r a n d i l l u s i o n

There will be no peace bet ween Israel and any Arab nation until the Palestinian conflic t is resolved through shared sovereignt y over the land

It s about anointing the new western leaders of the region It s about shutting China and Russia out of the Gulf as anything other than trading partners

Former US President Barack Obama s pivot to the Pacific, and Trump’s “deal of the century”, have become fused into one All three presidents have torn up the search for a solution to the Palestinian conflict For the rich Gulf states it s all about playing the market getting the highest price from the highest bidder Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have all gone through the same traumas as nations that were once dependent on western finance, technology and military support Iran, Russia and Turkey have all travelled the same journey They are roughly in the same place on US power projection in the 21st century although their outward statements and alliances may differ

Anyone who thinks that S audi Arabia will be cemented into the western camp as a result of recognising Israel is living in Cloud Cuckoo Land

former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin the latter pledged no more war no more bloodshed no more attacks That meeting took place in 1977 A year later Israel invaded southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, and it did so again in 1982 to expel the Palestine Liberation Organisation

The same false promises were made at Oslo in 1993 with documents signed on the same wooden table used for the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in 1979

The New York Times said at the time that Oslo would eventually allow Palestinians to run their own affairs as Israeli troops pull back within months from the Gaza Strip and Jericho in a first step”

PEACE IN OUR TIME? The peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan were dotted with hosts of clandestine meetings between Arab and Israeli leaders just as Mohammed bin Salman and Netanyahu have met secretly

historic Palestine and the diaspora who see Israel as a colonial apartheid regime No signature of any new treaty will change that There will be no peace between any Arab nation and Israel until the Palestinian conflict is ended by Israel agreeing to share sovereignty over the land And the next time an Israeli leader declares “peace in our time” I would advise everyone in the vicinity of its warplanes and drones to dive for cover

David Hearst is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Middle East Eye

AGE OF CONSENT

MIDDLE EAST EYE dav i d H E a r S T

GE N E R A L LY speaking, the region’s about as stable as it has been in many years a senior US administration official told the Washington Post before US President Joe Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly last week

Five countries lie in ruins, four of them as a consequence of US intervention; and three more, whose rulers are backed by Washington, teeter on the verge of bankruptcy “I believe a lot of that is due to some pretty smart - often backroom - US diplomacy the senior official continued without a hint of irony Pride of place in the US diplomatic trophy cabinet is now being given to Biden s efforts to get Saudi Arabia to recognise Israel

Having been a noted sceptic when the process was being handled by former US President Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner Secretary of State Antony Blinken now speaks about it with the zeal of a convert

He has said that normalisation between two of Washington s closest Middle East allies would be a transformative event , while National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has noted that the parties involved have a “broad understanding of many of the key elements”

The latest piece of an increasingly complicated jigsaw puzzle is the Saudi agreement to nuclear oversight by the UN atomic watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency US help with nuclear enrichment is one item on a growing shopping list of Saudi demands

Before that, there was talk of a US security pact But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues to dangle the trinket of his signature without sacrificing his relationship with China

ANOINTING WESTERN LEADERS: In his latest interview with Fox News, Mohammed bin Salman denied that talks had been suspended over Israel s extreme rightwing government: “Every day we get closer [to a deal]

It seems for the first time a real one serious ” Nor would he be dissuaded from supporting Russia in Opec+ saying it s all about supply and demand and China whose leader President Xi Jinping is trying to do the best for his country Arab normalisation with Israel means radically different things to different parties For a US that is having considerable trouble withdrawing from the region after two decades of botched interventions the gains of such a pact are geo-strategic

Once believers in the western dream as the motor for development, they are now profoundly disillusioned and determined to fashion their own futures with their own alliances

REBRANDING THE SAUDI CROWN PRINCE:

A n y o n e w h o t h i n k s t h a t S a u d i A r a b i a w i l l b e c emented into the western camp as a result of recognisi n g I s r a e l i s l i v i n g i n C l o u d C u c k o o L a n d W h a t Riyadh is doing is spreading its bets - which, in the circumstances, is sensible

Even in personal terms - and policy set by an absolute ruler is exclusively personal - Mohammed bin Salman is closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin than he is to most others on the world stage

Both started as rank outsiders in their respective systems They were dismissed by their peers, underestimated by their enemies, and found their way to the top with maximum ruthlessness

For Israel normalisation with its Arab neighbours is about sealing its place as the dominant military and hitech power in the region It has never been about parity the search for an equal partnership with its Arab neighbours - or even about a European colony coming to terms with the fact that it is in the Middle East However, many agreements are signed, Israel will always insist on military superiority in conventional and nuclear arms

DECLARING VICTORY FOR ZIONISM: For the current ultranationalist leadership of Israel there is also a strong internal ideological component at play, which has little to do with deconfliction, let alone peace Normalisation with Saudi Arabia is all about declaring the victory of the Zionist project Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose words are rarely to be ignored said as much at the UN General Assembly Palestinians cannot have a veto over peace he said I believe that we are at the cusp of an even more dramatic breakthrough - an historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia Such a peace will go a long way to ending the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Netanyahu said “It will encourage other Arab states to normalise their relations with Israel It will enhance the prospects of peace with the Palestinians It will encourage a broader reconciliation between Judaism and Islam between Jerusalem and Mecca, between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael All these are tremendous blessings

Parading another of his infamously deceptive maps, which obliterated Palestinian lands, Netanyahu declared victory He and Israel are under a grand illusion

A new beginning has been declared many times before When former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat met

Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres and his defence minister, Yitzhak Rabin, met King Hussein of Jordan on the outskirts of Aqaba in the dead of night in 1986 Hussein it is now known visited Israel clandestinely three times bringing gifts like gold pens topped with the symbol of the Hashemite crown Cabinet member Yigal Allon even received a German assault rifle Hussein and Rabin enjoyed a smoke together

All touching details, but none of them have changed the course of history Indeed, they emboldened Israel to continue and deepen its occupation and blast its neighbours at the first sign of trouble

Has public opinion changed about Israel among Jordanians and Egyptians as a result of these treaties? If anything, Israel is as hated now as it ever was Uppermost in any Arab mind is Israel s treatment of the Palestinian people Three decades after Jordan’s peace treaty, Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, announced that Israel would build a new barrier along the 300km border with Jordan Young Jordanians are routinely refused visas to cross it There is no peace between the two nations The Ukrainian Jewish leader of the Revisionist Zionists, Vladimir Jabotinsky, saw and said this very clearly He wrote: To imagine, as our Arabophiles do, that [the Palestinians] will voluntarily consent to the realisation of Zionism in return for the moral and material conveniences which the Jewish colonist brings with him is a childish notion which has at bottom a kind of contempt for the Arab people; it means that they despise the Arab race, which they regard as a corrupt mob that can be bought and sold, and are willing to give up their fatherland for a good railway system There is no justification for such a belief

“It may be that some individual Arabs take bribes

But that does not mean that the Arab people of Palestine as a whole will sell that fervent patriotism that they guard so jealously and which even the Papuans will never sell

Every native population in the world resists colonists as long as it has the slightest hope of being able to rid itself of the danger of being colonised ”

Arab leaders have enjoyed warm relations with their Israeli counterparts for decades some even before the creation of Israel itself The claim that Israel is surrounded by Arab regimes who represent an existential threat was an illusion debunked by the work of the New Historians on 1948 and every war since Israel had highly placed spies in the centres of power in Arab regimes; from Eli Cohen in Syria to Ashraf Marwan in Egypt Marwan was the son-in-law of Gamal Abdul Nasser and a close aide to Anwar Sadat Israel s problem has always been with the Palestinians living in

Studies have shown that a considerable propor tion of girls bet ween 16 and 18 years of age refuse to testify against the accused There have been demands to separate the age of consent from the age of marriage

TRIBUNE

One would be hard-pressed not to agree with the Law Commission s recommendation of retaining the age of consent under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act There is merit in the argument that reducing it from 18 years to 16 might have a detrimental effect on combating child marriage and trafficking The risks are far too many That said the concerns raised by various high courts and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) over the stringent 2012 law warrant an intervention It has been observed that the purpose of the POCSO Act was to safeguard children from sexual exploitation, not to criminalise consensual relationships between young adults To that effect, the law panel’s suggestion needs serious consideration It has called for introducing guided judicial discretion for sentencing in cases involving tacit approval of children in the 16-18 age bracket The government would do well to initiate the process for making legislative changes Striking a balance between protecting children and respecting the autonomy of young adults is a complex matter The age of consent according to the CJI DY Chandrachud poses difficult questions for judges The presumption of the law he has pointed out is that there is no consent in the legal sense below the age of 18, regardless of whether consent is factually present between the two minors A petition in the Supreme Court, seeking decriminalisation of consensual sex, says such adolescents have the physiological biological psychological and social capacities to assimilate information and understand the risks Studies have shown that a considerable proportion of girls between 16 and 18 years of age refuse to testify against the accused There have been demands to separate the age of consent from the age of marriage The stakeholders need to take note of the key issues at stake

SIKH ORGANISATIONS REITERATE ENTRY DENIAL TO INDIAN DIPLOMATS ACROSS UK GURDWARAS

Khalistan martyrs sacrifices and is not a recent or contentious development

Madam WADA Naoko celebrates Autumn at the Ambassador’s Residence

SI K H organisations in the United Kingdom (UK) have reiterated their long-standing prohibition on Indian diplomats entering Gurdwaras, a restriction initiated following the 1984 attack on Sri Darbar Sahib

This decision comes in response to the recent denial of entry to the Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami at Gurdwara Albert in Glasgow by Sikh activists protesting the assassination of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar by Indian state agents

The Sikh groups in the UK have strongly defended their stance emphasising their dedication to the Khalistan cause

In a collective statement from various Panthic Jathebandia organisations in the UK, they responded to accusations made against them in the Indian media regarding the incident While the Indian government condemned the denial of entry to the Indian diplomat the Sikh groups and Gurdwaras have countered by alleging India s involvement in the

persecution of Sikhs and the recent killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar as evidence of their claims

Hardeep Singh Nijjar who served as the Coordinator of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Canada, was assassinated by Indian agents in July, allegedly for his leadership in the Khalistan Referendum campaign in Canada He was also the President of Canada’s largest Gurdwara where he was killed

The Sikh groups have called upon the

KE Maintains No Significant Change In Loadshed Regime

KARACHI: KE maintains that there has been no significant change in the loadshedding regime for its service territory under the amended schedule published on the company s website which is effective immediately This schedule follows KE s review of its network of 2 000 feeders for

PTA Conducts

Successful Raids against Illegal Internet Ser vice Providers

During the raid one illegal wireless point to point (P2P) link/antenna was also confiscated PR

Indian High Commission to address accusations made by the Canadian Prime Minister regarding their alleged involvement in Nijjar s assassination in Canada They have also urged the commission to acknowledge their role in the death of proKhalistan activist Avtar Singh Khanda, who passed away shortly after Nijjar’s assassination The Sikh groups maintain that their practice of refusing entry to Indian officials visiting Gurdwaras is a longstanding demonstration of solidarity with

The Indian media s characterisation of the incident as an attack and their labelling of the three Sikhs as extremists,” “Khalistani goons,” and “terrorists” demonstrates how far the Indian media is willing to go to discredit and criminalise Sikh expressions of dissent

Panthic Jathebandia invoked the ban that traces its origins to 1984 when Indian officials were initially barred from entry They consider this ban as a distinct manifestation of their support and a reaction to the mistreatment of Jagtar Singh Johal in 2018

The UK Sikh Gurdwaras said: In February 2018 over 255 UK Gurdwaras reaffirmed their commitment to this ban in reaction to Johal s unjust detention and harsh treatment Later, in September 2018 this ban was expanded to include police officers influenced by police raids initiated by the Indian government against Sikh activists advocating for Jagtar Singh Johal s release In many Gurdwaras worldwide, including Sri Darbar Sahib, strong support for Sikh martyrs is clear

C hina’s National D ay: PL A releases shor t film expressing hope for reunific ation across Taiwan S traits

BEIJING

Following a trilogy of Mid-Autumn Festival themed animations the PLA Eastern Theater Command released another animated short film called “Dreams Come True on the Fuchun River” on Sunday which marked China’s National Day expressing the shared cultural heritage and hope for reunification between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits

The short film adopts a personification technique and features the ancient-style elves the Master Wuyong and Remaining Mountain in animated form

They vividly narrate the story of The Master Wuyong Scroll currently housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei

Inspired by the Escape from the British Museum a series made by Chinese social media influencers which centers on a jade teapot that turns into a woman and escapes from the British Museum, the two elves return to the Chinese mainland and reunite with the “Remaining Mountain Scroll housed in the Zhejiang

Provincial Museum creating a story of reunification, and fulfilling dreams on the banks of the Fuchun River

Experts pointed out that the topic chosen by the Eastern Theater Command is rich in content and profound in meaning From the separation of cultural relics that accompanied the relocation of the Palace Museum to the island of Taiwan over half a century ago to the joint exhibition in Taipei in 2011 promoted by intellectuals from both sides of the Taiwan Straits to the current situation of being separated by the Straits and facing each other across the sea, the fate of the painting “Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains” is a vivid portrayal of cross-Straits relations It not only embodies the shared roots and origins of the Chinese people, but also depicts the joys and sorrows of Chinese compatriots, they said The video incorporates elements such as aircraft carrier formations and J-20 fighter jets highlighting the tremendous progress and ever-changing capabilities of the Chinese People s

Liberation Army (PLA)

It also demonstrates the PLA s firm determination to safeguard national sovereignty and security After the “Master Wuyong” meeting the “Remaining Mountain the short film uses the grandeur of the Hangzhou Asian Games to symbolize the prosperity and strength of the motherland

When the two elves return to their beloved hometown located near the Fuchun River after years of separation they not only fulfill their own dreams but also evoke a shared national sentiment and patriotism in the hearts of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Straits It also expresses the common aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the Straits to become closer and reunite

Compared with the arduous journey of the jade pot in the British Museum, the return journey of the “Master Wuyong” and “Remaining Mountain” in this short film goes smoothly It demonstrates the constant guardianship and steadfast defense of the PLA over the return journey across the Taiwan Straits

After Ank ara bombing, Turkey hits back in Iraq and at home

ISTANBUL A G E N C I E S

Turkey said it unleashed air strikes on militant targets in northern Iraq and detained suspects in Istanbul overnight, hours after Kurdish militants said they orchestrated the first bomb attack in the capital Ankara in years On Sunday morning two attackers detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara, leaving them both dead and wounding two police officers The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group claimed responsibility

The defence ministry said many militants were neutralised a term mostly used to mean killed in air strikes that destroyed 20 targets –caves, shelters and depots used by the PKK in Iraq’s Metina, Hakurk, Qandil and Gara regions

Turkey has stepped up military ac-

tion against the PKK in northern Iraq over the last few years in operations it says are conducted under self-defence rights arising from Article 51 of the United Nations charter

The PKK is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and European Union It launched an insurgency in southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict

On Sunday CCTV footage obtained by Reuters showed a vehicle pulling up outside the interior ministry s main gate in Ankara and one of its occupants quickly walking toward the building before being engulfed in an explosion

The bomb killed one attacker and security forces killed the other the interior minister said The blast rattled a district that is home to ministries and the parliament, in an attack coinciding with the reopening of the assembly

ISLAMABAD P R

The spirit of valuing each season as well as seasonal transitions are deeply rooted in Japanese culture During transition from summer to winter, and from winter to summer, people in Japan especially respect the significance of nature Fruitful autumn is just as festive as beautiful blooming spring in Japan

To keep this spirit alive Madam WADA Naoko spouse of Ambassador of Japan hosted an event at the Ambassador s residence titled How Beautiful the Moon is to welcome the autumn season together with friends from diplomatic community in Islamabad The event started with an informative lecture regarding the significance of autumn to the Japanese people The main theme was Tsukimi(Japan s Moon-Viewing tradition) This autumn tradition has been uniquely expanded into various scenes such as festival, art and Japanese cuisine Madam WADA highlighted the spirit of celebrating change of seasons while she is in Pakistan where it is currently transiting from a very hot summer to cooler autumn She said that celebration of full moon is a very old tradition and is widely practiced in Japan even to this day

Shops Auctioned In PHA Residencia

ISLAMABAD N E W S D E S K

A total of 17 commercial shops located in PHA Residencia Sector I-16/3 Islamabad were offered for auction by the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation and the Ministry of Housing and Works This auction was held at Islamabad Hotel, in Sector G-6 Melody

The event witnessed a substantial turnout of investors who displayed keen interest in investing in the available shops On this occasion 11 shops were auctioned while numerous other attendees expressed their intent to purchase shops in the future signal-ling a positive and encouraging trend The auction was supervised by the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works Ghulam Sarwar while other committee members included Director Estate, Director Finance and Director Admin The chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation Muhammad Shahid Hussain While expressing his views on the event appreciated the efforts of the management and officers of PHA Foundation for the successful public auction and expressed his satisfaction with the management of the event

SECP Inaugurates World Investor Week 2023

KARACHI P R

Mr Abdul Rehman Warraich, Commissioner, Securities Market Division Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) formally inaugurated the World Investor Week 2023 in Pakistan in a grand ceremony organized by the Pakistan Mercantile Exchange (PMEX) in Karachi on October 02 2023 The said week (Oct 02-08) will comprise of week long investor outreach, education, and awareness events titled ‘Financial Inclusion Festivals’ organized by Pakistan Mercantile Exchange with the support and guidance of Investor Education Department SECP These events will comprise of exhibitions by stock and commodity brokers and asset management companies at Millenium Institute of Technology and Entreprenship (MiTE), Institute of Business Administation (IBA), KElectric, Sui Southern Gas Company Limited

Chaudhry Usman Nisar Chairman Panjtan Group met with the newly appointed High Commissioner of Pakistan to Malaysia H E Syed Ahsan Raza Shah at Pakistan High Comission Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia PR

IEEEP Fair to be held from 3rd to 5th Oc tober 2023 at K arachi Expo Centre

K A R A C H I: Prepare for the highly anticipated IEEEP Fair 2023 taking place from October 3rd to 5th 2023 at the prestigious Karachi Expo Centre

Being organized by IEEEP Karachi Center and Badar Expo Solutions this year s event promises to be a remarkable showcase of sustainable innovation, featuring over 265 National & International Brands along with the active participation of 100+ leading Pakistani companies The theme for this year invites attendees to immerse themselves in cutting-edge solutions that transcend traditional boundaries Day 2 of the fair will be especially enlightening as it hosts a series of informative seminars on key topics such as "Make in Pakistan", " Building & Construction Industry," and "Engineering

Procurement Challenges in Textile and Other

Sectors" These sessions promise valuable insights into the latest trends and challenges in the fields of engineering and procurement The event organizers extend their sincere gratitude to esteemed sponsors and partners whose unwavering support is pivotal to the success of this event Attendees are encouraged to participate in shaping a brighter and more sustainable future at IEEEP Fair 2023 Here, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders explore groundbreaking solutions and contribute to the ongoing revolution in the energy sector For comprehensive event details and convenient registration, please visit the official website of IEEEP Fair 2023 Don t miss this extraordinary opportunity to be part of the driving force behind progress in Pakistan and beyond PR

The wait is over; Hyundai has launched much-anticipated Hyundai S anta Fe Hybrid

SI R B A Z Khan on Monday ascended Cho Oyu peak in Tibet China the world s sixth highest peak, becoming the first Pakistani to climb 13 mountains above 8,000 metres (26,247 feet) Khan and his teammate Naila Kiani climbed the 8 188 metres (26 863 feet) Cho Oyu peak in over 28 hours using a marathon alpine-style climb and without supplementary oxygen, said Alpine Club of Pakistan, the country s official mountaineering organization, in a statement Kiani became the first Pakistani woman climber to summit 10 peaks above 8 000 metres the statement added

(26

in the world Alpine Club Secretary General Karrar Haidri told Anadolu Shishaspangma is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at 8,027 metres

PEC launches STEM educ ation to engage students to engineeringeduc ation

ISLAMABAD P R

The 28th Annual General Meeting

(AGM) of Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) was held on 1st October 23 in Quetta on Sunday A large number of engineers from all over Pakistan participated the moot

A sizeable number of young engineers from every corner of Balochistan also showed up for the meeting

The meeting presided over by Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council Engr Najeeb Haroon was graced by Balochistan Governor Malik Wali Khan Kakar, Minister for Education Qadir buzdar Minister information Jan Achakzai former mister Science and technology

Changaiz Jamali and Senator Ruksana Zubari

Engr Najeeb Haroon shared the performance of the Council during the last two years He said over 2500 young engineers have been inducted in the industry under the Graduate Internship Program launched by the council He further said this program would continue in the future

Engr Haroon said the council is trying its level best to attract young people to engineers education as this trend is on decline became of other professions fields in

the education In order to do so the Council has started STEM education to engage school going students so that the engineering education could be encouraged

Engr Haroon also shared the detail of the efforts that PEC has taken to tackle the issue if cost escalation of development projects in the country

Talking about the issue of technologists he said all three sections of engineering such as engineers technologists and technicians have their separate domains They shall continue playing their part in the development of the country

He informed the moot of the performance of the Committees of the Council working in various sector Malik Wali Khan Kakar Gover-

nor Balochistan said he was happy to see such a congregation of engineers in his province We can make best use of engineers for Balochistan We appreciate their expertise

He said the engineers should play their part in renewable technologies and power as our province is facing very different situation in power sector We are facing days of loadsheding in rural areas

He called upon engineers to work for the people of Baluchistan

He touched the quality of works and referred to issues developed in the dams during recent floods in Balochistan

Being the Chancellor of universities he stressed on research and development in the universities of Balochistan

AKU research highlights effec tiveness of inter ventions to improvetex tile workers health

KARACHI P R

LAHORE: Hyundai Nishat Motor (Private) Limited (HNMPL) the fastest-growing automotive brand in Pakistan, has launched Santa FE Hybrid, a locally assembled D-SUV hybrid vehicle on Sunday Hyundai Santa Fe will be available nationwide in two different Variants Smart (FWD) priced at 12 990 000 and Signature (AWD) priced at 14 699 000 In recent weeks the automotive industry of Pakistan was abuzz with an expectancy of a high-tech Product launch by HNMPL The wait is finally over as the company has launched the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid This highly awaited unveiling is now set to redefine the automotive landscape in Pakistan, and will definitely elevate HNMPL's position in country’s auto sector Despite the challenges posed by the current economic situation HNMPL remains steadfast in its mission to introduce innovative vehicles to the Pakistani market The Hyundai SANTA FE Hybrid is no exception; it represents a leap forward in the SUV segment, promising unmatched performance, style, and hybrid technology PR

Zong 4G Celebrates C hina's National D ay and MidAutumn Festival with Exclusive International Roaming O ffer

I S L A M A B A D: Zong 4G is excited to celebrate cultural diversity and togetherness by introducing China Roaming Prepaid Bundles on China s National Day on October 1st and the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival These bundles bridge geographical distances and embrace the rich tapestry of global traditions and celebrations reflecting Zong s commitment to connecting people across borders Zong 4G s exclusive international roaming prepaid bundles enhance the Chinese holiday experience, offering an exclusive opportunity to stay connected with uninterrupted connectivity Offering resources starting from 30 minutes, SMS and 1 GB data to 90 minutes, SMS, and 5 GB data On top of that only data offers including 1 GB 3 GB and 5GB are being offered as well starting from as low as just Rs 950 Zong 4G s China Roaming Bundles offer travelers an incredible opportunity to immerse themselves in the essence of China Whether you're exploring the bustling streets of Beijing, savoring authentic cuisine in Shanghai or admiring the natural wonders of the Great Wall our bundles ensure you stay connected with your loved ones and share your adventures seamlessly PR

Persistent cotton dust exposure leads to the development of a disease called byssinosis a disease

prevalent among textile workers in LMICs due to limited access to occupational health and safety measures With an initial cohort of 2031 workers from 38 textile mills in Karachi the study tested a low-cost intervention package to ascertain if it would mitigate the adverse respiratory effects experienced by these workers The interventions comprised training in occupational health for all workers and managers regular refresher sessions formation of workplace committees to enforce a health and safety plan including wet mopping and safe disposal of cotton dust, and provision of face masks The results showed clear improvements in respiratory symptoms and lung function of the textile workers F u n d e d b y t h e We l l c o m e Trust for a period of three years the findings of this important research can be applied to the larger

textile landscape helping workers i n P a k i s t a n a n d e l s e w h e r e s t a y s a f e a n d m i n i m i z e t h e i r d i s e a s e burden Discussing the study outc o m e s , P r o f P a u l C u l l i n a n , f o rm e r l y o f I m p e r i a l C o l l e g e L o n d o n i n v o l v e d i n t h e s t u d y s a i d S t u d i e s o f t h i s c a l i b e r o n occupational health interventions are extremely rare and this work has promise for large-scale uptake s i n c e t h e m u l t i f a c e t e d i n t e r v e ntion was designed to fit the local context in Pakistan There is no o b v i o u s r e a s o n w h y i t c o u l d n o t be rolled out more widely nationa l l y, a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y I n t h e 2 0 0 y e a r s w e h a v e b e e n f a c e d with byssinosis, this work repres e n t s a l a n d m a r k i n i t s c o n t r o l " He underlined the importance of t h e s e s i m p l e y e t t r a n s f o r m a t i v e interventions advocating for their widespread adoption for the benefit the workers

KU VC Professor D r K halid Iraqi inks different agreements in Iran

ISLAMABAD

P R

The vice chancellor of the University of Karachi Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi has signed a memorandum of understanding and a memorandum of cooperation with the University of Isfahan Iran during his visit to the Iranian city

The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi is invited to the fifth Mustafa (PBUH) prize award ceremony The international event serves as the paramount platform for acknowledging excellence in the realm of science and technology and is arranged annually by the Mustafa (PBUH) Science and Technology Foundation

Tehran Iran

The KU and the UI Iran have inked the MoU documents to establish a scientific collaboration with the universities of the two countries The heads of both varsities have agreed to provide a joint platform for research activities for the students and faculty of both countries

Both universities would invite outstanding scientists of one party in another country to contribute to enhancing joint collaboration They have also talked about establishing varsity branches in either party s country

As per the MoU both parties have agreed to give admission to postdoctoral researchers, and co-supervising postgraduate dissertations, theses, and associ-

examinations as well as reviewing dissertations

ated

and these at the postgrad level

The KU and UI will carry out joint research projects and scientific journals and will publish joint research articles besides holding seminars webinars workshops and conferences and they will also launch books on various topics

Both universities have agreed to provide research funding opportunities and grants, and they will cooperate in teaching academic courses and joint or dual degree programs They will also provide international internships and arrange skill training programs for students of both countries

Meanwhile, the MoC was signed to foster academic connections, deepen cultural understanding, and make necessary arrangements for student and faculty exchange programs The heads of both universities agreed that students would remain on the campus for at least one academic year and they would be exempted from tuition fees and admission charges at the host institution

The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi and the President UI Professor Hossein Harsij signed these documents during the fifth Mustafa (PBUH) prize award ceremony They believed that the collaboration between these two influential varsities in the Islamic world would be mutually beneficial and contribute to the advancement of science and technology in Islamic countries

metres (29 029 feet) Mount Everest – the world s tallest peak Kiani, a Dubai-based Pakistani banker and a mother of two, gained prominence after images of her wedding shoot at the K2 base camp in 2018 went viral on social media

S potify suppor ts emerging talents in Pakistan by launching an “ invite - only ” global community for influencers

KARACHI: Spotify recently launched its global VIP club at an event held in Karachi Organized with a mission to redefine the audio experience for the influencer community in Pakistan the program focused on educating digital creators about how Spotify acts as a partner in enriching their careers and aspirations Spotify s invite-only VIP club offers a money-can t-buy experience with its members being able to visit unique events as well as offices all over the world, get exclusive access to data and products, and receive the in-and-out app experience to engage more deeply with their audiences This program is designed to collaborate with the greatest Pakistani talents and build a Spotify community through deeper focus on education PR

Empowering Women Led Tech Innovations: She Loves Tech Pakistan 2023 Wraps Up in Collaboration with HBL

KARACHI: The leading non-profit tech startup CIRCLE, in collaboration with HBL, proudly announces the victor of the 2023 She Loves Tech Pakistan competition, an event marking its successful seventh year This win will propel Sehrish Raza Founder and CEO - BizB to represent Pakistan on the global stage at the She Loves Tech finale in Singapore Oct 25-28 CIRCLE Women dedicated to fostering innovation financial inclusion and entrepreneurship among women in Pakistan brought She Loves Tech to the country in 2017 She Loves Tech, a globally renowned platform is now the world’s largest women and startup competition happening in 70 countries providing crucial opportunities for women in technology to showcase groundbreaking ideas connect with industry leaders and access invaluable PR

charge of BankIslami

Mr. Riz wan Ata takes

as its New President & CEO

K A R A C H I: BankIslami, Pakistan’s leading Islamic financial institution has appointed Mr Rizwan Ata as its new President & CEO Mr Rizwan Ata has bought with him a wealth of experience and a profound understanding of the Islamic banking industry to his new role Having been associated with BankIslami for the past five years in the capacity of Group Head Distribution Mr Rizwan

Ata has played a pivotal role in driving the bank s exceptional growth and success during this period

Moreover, he also held the position of Deputy CEO before taking the charge as the President & CEO of BankIslami Before joining BankIslami Mr Rizwan

Ata held various leadership positions in both local and international banks He served as the Group Head of Islamic Banking at Bank Alfalah the Group Chief of Islamic Banking at Allied Bank, and held leadership roles at Meezan Bank as the Group Head of Branch Network and SME His extensive experience also includes leadership roles at Emirates Bank International PR

v i a b l e M AG N E TO M Fre e M a x m a ke s a c c e ss a f fo rd a b l e A n d w h e re c o nve n t i o n s h ave l i m i te d o u r th i n k i n g , M AG N E TO M Fre e M a x b re a k s o u t o f c o nve n t i o n s to ex p l o re n ew c l i n i c a l o p p o r t

e e q u i p p e d t o m e e t t h e e v o l v i n g h e a l t h c a r e c h a l l e n g e s o f P a k i s t a n We r e m a i n d e d i c a t e d t o s u p p o r t i n g u n d e r s e r v e d c o m m u n i t i e s i m p r o v i n g h e a l t h c a r e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , a n d p r o m o t i n g h e a l t h a w a r e n e s s p r o g r a m s t h a t b e n e f i t c o u n t l e s s l i v e s A s t h e o n l y M e d - t e c h c o m p a n y w h i c h i s p r i n c i p a l l y p r e s e n t i n P a k i s t a n w e r e c o g n i z e t h e c h a l l e n g e s p o s e d b y p o l i t i c a l a n d e c o n o m i c f l u c t u a t i o n s N e v e r t h e l e s s o u r u n w a v e r i n g c o m m i t m e n t r e s i l i e n c e a n d s t r a t e g i c a p p r o a c h h a v e e n a b l e d u s t o n a v i g a t e t h e s e o b s t a c l e s a n d e m e r g e s t r o n g e r r e a f f i r m i n g o u r c o m m i t m e n t t o t h e w e l l - b e i n g o f t h e p e o p l e w e s e r v e O v e r t h e y e a r s , w e h a v e m a d e s i g n i f i c a n t s t r i d e s i n a d v a n c i n g m e d i c a l t e c h n o l o g y e m p o w e r i n g h e a l t h c a r e p r o f e s s i o n a l s , a n d i m p r o v i n g

p a t i e n t o u t c o m e s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y O u r c u t t i n g - e d g e d i a g n o s t i c a n d i m a g i n g s o l u t i o n s h a v e b e e n i n s t r u m e n t a l i n e n a b l i n g e a r l y d i s e a s e d e t e c t i o n p r e c i s i o n m e d i c i n e , a n d p e r s o n a l i z e d p a t i e n t c a r e I n t h e s p i r i t o f c e l e b r a t i n g u n i t y G e r m a n U n i t y D a y, l e t u s a l s o c e l e b r a t e t h e u n i t y w i t h i n o u r o r g a n i z a t i o n o u r p a r t n e r s h i p s a n d o u r s h a r e d v i s i o n f o r a h e a l t h i e r P a k i s t a n O u r j o u r n e y w o u l d n o t b e p o s s i b l e w i t h o u t t h e d e d i c a t i o n o f o u r e m p l o y e e s t h e t r u s t o f o u r p a r t n e r s a n d t h e s u p p o r t o f o u r v a l u e d r e a d e r s a n d s t a k e h o l d e r s

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Healthineers Pakistan hosted a Healthcare Convention at the prestigious President House (Aiwan-e-Sadr) in Islamabad The Honorable President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi and the First Lady of Pakistan Begum Samina Alvi graced the convention with their presence The convention held on July 13 2023 brought together healthcare policy makers Ambassadors head of foreign missions h e a l t h c a r e professionals thought leaders and innovators to discuss and advance healthcare solutions for everyone everywhere a global priority that resonates closely with Siemens Healthineers purpose and vision The convention began with an address from Mr Khurram Jameel MD & CEO Siemens Healthineers Pakistan expressing gratitude to the Honorable President Dr Arif Alvi and First Lady Samina Alvi for providing the opportunity to host such an esteemed convention at the President House He welcomed all the d i g n i t a r i e s highlighting the commitments of Siemens Healthineers to elevate the healthcare system in Pakistan setting the stage for an insightful discussion

Tisha Boatman, Senior Vice President, Global Access to Care, Siemens Healthineers, took the stage to deliver a significant address, emphasizing on reinforcement of healthcare systems through preventative care approach She also expanded on the recently announced World Health Organization s (WHO) resolution on S t r e n g t h e n i n g diagnostics capacity’ and its implications from the Member States She concluded with a compelling overview of Siemens Healthineers' global initiatives in preventive care, showcasing the t r a n s f o r m a t i v e potential of early intervention and holistic healthcare strategies

A highlight of the convention was the poignant speech by Nadia Jamil, a breast cancer survivor, who shared her personal journey of resilience against the disease Nadia passionately advocated for early detection measures and called for the establishment of a sustainable cancer care ecosystem ensuring equitable access to quality care for all citizens

In a moment of recognition Siemens Healthineers Pakistan took the opportunity to honor exceptional individuals and organizations for their s i g n i fi c a n t contributions to healthcare ecosystem in Pakistan

The recipients of the recognition awards were

p g and enhancing healthcare services across the nation Honorable President Alvi took to the stage where he emphasized the paramount importance of raising health awareness and augment investment in healthcare ecosystem He underlined the pressing need for advancement in the health and education sectors of Pakistan

Despite the limited resources a developing country like Pakistan should give priority to health and education of the people he stressed that preventive measures and widespread awareness was vital to prepare people against the onslaught of l i f e - t h r e a t e n i n g diseases

Lastly Mr Ole Per Maloy MD & CEO MESA Siemens Healthineers expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Honorable President Dr Arif Alvi and First Lady Mrs Samina Alvi for the gracious welcome of Siemens Healthineers at the President House and hosting the momentous Healthcare Convention He praised their unwavering dedication and commitment to improving healthcare in the country He also reaffirmed Siemens Healthineers' resolve to work towards the shared vision of accessible healthcare for all Khurram Jameel remarked "We are deeply honored to be invited to host this distinguished gathering at the President's House and we profoundly understand the responsibility of holding such a position to drive positive change in the healthcare field Our gratitude extends to all our guests and supporters who contributed to the success of the event Together, we have brought our nation a step closer to achieving comprehensive and equitable healthcare services I commend the dedicated team of Siemens Healthineers', whose passion and hard work played a vital role in making the convention a resounding success The convergence of distinguished guests at the President s House was an extraordinary occasion that ignited productive deliberations and fostered collaborations that will continue to advance healthcare in Pakistan

Following the insightful session the delegates were treated to an exquisite dinner at Aiwan-e-Sadr As the convention concluded on a high note Siemens Healthineers reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing collaborating with stakeholders policymakers and healthcare professionals to collectively steer towards positive change and make a lasting impact