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PM DIRECTS STAKEHOLDERS TO PURSUE SIFC INITIATIVES TO HELP REAP DIVIDENDS Friday, 17 November, 2023 I 2 Jamada Al-Awal, 1445

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Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 138 I 8 Pages I Karachi Edition

COAS REASSURES PAKISTAN ARMY’S UNDAUNTED g COMMITTEE EXPRESSES EXTREME RESOLVE TO BACKSTOP GOVT INITIATIVES SATISFACTION ON OVERALL PROGRESS ISLAMABAD

GHULAM ABBAS

ARETAKER Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday directed all the stakeholders to vigorously pursue Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC)’s initiatives through a collaborative approach to reap the dividends in short to medium terms besides, initiating processes for long term endeavours in greater interest of the country.

The prime minister said this while chairing the 7th meeting of the Apex Committee of SIFC that was attended

by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, members of the federal cabinet, provincial chief ministers and high level government officials.

The meeting was held to review various initiatives being led through the SIFC forum, according to a statement

issued by the PM’s Office.

In the meeting, the ministries presented progress on projects identified in key sectors and gave plans to further improve the ecosystem for realising the envisaged investments in a timely manner.

The committee showed extreme satisfaction on overall progress under

the umbrella of SIFC, appreciated the enhancing level of engagements with friendly countries, both public and private entities, and outreach strategy to proactively engage investor’s community, which was translating in enhanced traction and approvals at domestic and global stage.

SC links non-implementation of Faizabad verdict to May 9 events ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has lamented that the violence continued to be perceived as a permissible means to attain one’s goals as evident from the May 9 incidents.

The remarks made by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa came as a three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by the CJP, and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aminuddin Khan, heard a review petition filed against the SC’s 2019 judgement in the Faizabad sit-in case.

Following Wednesday’s court proceedings, the government announced a three-member commission to identify those who planned, financed, and supported a sit-in at

Islamabad’s Faizabad area six years back—a dharna that had brought a little-known religious party, the Tehreek-iLabbaik Pakistan (TLP), into the national spotlight.

According to the government’s notification, the commission will also recommend legal action against the planners and executors of the protest which disrupted lives in the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad between November 6 and November 27, 2017.

As a result of the protest, the PML-N government had to sack its law minister Zahid Hamid. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of the sit-in on November 21, 2017. Later, a division bench led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa on February 6, 2019 unveiled its verdict in the sit-in case, criticizing the role of intelligence agencies in the saga. Soon after assuming office of the

Sindh govt files plea challenging SC’s military courts ruling ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The caretaker Sindh government filed an intra-court appeal on Thursday challenging the Supreme Court’s (SC) October 23 judgment, declaring the trial of 103 civilians in military courts unconstitutional.

The provincial government has appealed to the apex court to declare the five-judge bench’s order null and void, as well as grant a stay on the implementation of the order till this appeal is decided.

Moreover, the Sindh government has requested for the clauses set aside by the apex court bench to also be restored.

Those who attacked army installations on May 9 – following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan – should be tried in military courts, the government has maintained in its appeal.

It has further pleaded that the SC did not correctly take into account the law, or the facts of the matter.

A five-judge bench of the apex court had last month unanimously declared the trial of civilians in military courts as null and void and or-

dered that the 103 accused in cases relating to the violence on May 9 and 10, 2023 be tried under the ordinary criminal laws.

The court through the 4-1 majority also declared certain clauses of the Army Act as ultra vires the Constitution and of no legal effect. One judge of the bench, reserved his verdict on one para, though siding with the bench on the remaining paras.

The bench, led by Justice Ijazul Ahsan and including Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Mazahir Naqvi, and Justice Ayesha Malik heard the petitions that had challenged the trial of civilians allegedly involved in the May 9 violence in the military courts.

The petitions, questioning the legitimacy of trying civilians in military courts, were filed by former chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja, senior lawyer Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and others. The other day, the apex court was informed that trial of 103 people in the military custody had already begun.

The apex court announced a short order following hearing of the case on Monday. The five-member bench unanimously declared that

civilians would be tried under ordinary criminal laws of the land in relation to such offences.

“Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing the trials of civilians and accused persons, being around 103 persons who were identified in the list provided to the Court by the learned Attorney General for Pakistan by way of CMA No.5327 of 2023 in Constitution Petition No.24 of 2023 and all other persons who are now or may at any time be similarly placed in relation to the events arising from and out of 9th and 10th May, 2023 shall be tried by Criminal Courts of competent jurisdiction established under the ordinary and / or special law of the land in relation to such offences of which they may stand accused,” the court order said.

The court further declared that any “action or proceedings under the Army Act in respect of the aforesaid persons or any other persons so similarly placed (including but not limited Constitution Petition Nos.24, 25, 26, 27 & 28 and 30 & 35 of 2023 6 to trial by Court Martial) are and would be of no legal effect.”

Raid on Gaza’s largest hospital continues, Israel orders evacuation in ‘safe areas’ GAZA

AGENCIES

Israel renewed its military operation at Al Shifa Hospital on Thursday a day after it launched a raid on Gaza’s largest medical facility, targeting what it says was a Hamas command center hidden beneath thousands of patients, medics and displaced people. “Tonight we conducted a targeted operation into Shifa hospital,” said Major General Yaron Finkelman, the head of army operations in Gaza. “We continue to move forward.” Both Israel and its ally the United States claim Hamas has built tunnels below the Al Shifa complex, something Gaza’s governing body and the directors of the hospital have strongly denied.

The enclave’s health ministry said on Thursday that Israeli armored bulldozers had “destroyed parts of the southern entrance” of the hospital after it raided the site, interrogating patients and staff. Before Israel first sent troops into the hospital complex on Wednesday, UN agencies estimated that 2,300 patients, staff and displaced civilians were sheltering at Al Shifa.

“All men 16 years and above, raise your hands,” a soldier shouted in accented Arabic through a loudspeaker at those inside seeking refuge inside the hospital on Wednesday. “Exit the building towards the courtyard and surrender,” the soldier ordered, a journalist trapped inside because of the fighting told AFP. About 1,000 male Palestinians, their hands above their heads, were soon led into the vast hospital courtyard, some of them stripped to their underwear by Israeli

soldiers checking them for weapons or explosives, the journalist said. Hours later, some 200 remained in their underwear, forced to stand beside tanks used in the military incursion into the medical facility.

The plight of the hospital had drawn international alarm, with patients and displaced civilians trapped inside without fuel, oxygen or basic supplies. Medics said dozens of patients had died in recent as a result of Israel’s siege, including three newborn babies in incubators that lost power. The Israeli army has labelled the raid a “precise and targeted” operation against Hamas, which launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for the strikes, which killed 1,200 people. Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry said the death toll from the Israeli assault has now topped 11,500, including thousands of children, as calls for a ceasefire mounted.

‘URGENT’ PAUSES: The UN Security Council on Wednesday set aside deep divisions over the conflict to agree a resolution calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in fighting. The resolution – which passed thanks to abstentions from the U.S., Britain and Russia – called on Hamas and Israel to protect civilians, “especially children”. Israel has agreed to temporary localized pauses in fighting, but has rejected calls for a broader ceasefire. “The UN Security Council’s resolution is disconnected from reality and is meaningless,” Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

The apex committee reviewed progress on various measures undertaken to improve investment climate and approved policy level interventions to further improve investors’ confidence including repatriation of profits, strengthening domestic dispute resolution mechanism, infrastructural and human resource development and speedy operationalisation of EXIM Bank.

The committee also directed to make a comprehensive strategy to address oil and gas issues in a sustainable manner by investing in relevant industries. The apex body reviewed and appreciated the progress on privatisation of state-owned enterprises and directed to keep the process at fast pace.

The army chief reassured undaunted resolve of Pakistan Army to backstop government initiatives in various domains for sustainable recovery of the economy.

chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) in September this year, Justice Isa listed for hearing the petitions that had been filed against the SC’s February 2019 verdict.

“This Court vide judgment dated 6 February 2019 (‘the Judgment’) traced the history of orchestrated violent protests in Pakistan (paragraphs 20-23), and sounded a warning for the future,” the written order, authored by the CJP, stated on Thursday. “However, the concerns expressed by us almost 5 years ago were disregarded by successive governments. Review petitions and applications were filed and these were not fixed for hearing, which hindered the Judgment’s implementation.”

The order said that no responsibility was affixed, nor was anyone held accountable for the violence of the past.

“It is not surprising that violence continued to be perceived as a permissible means to attain one’s goals. Victims of those striving for an independent judiciary, an inclusive and tolerant Pakistan were disregarded without justice; the nation suffered the consequences, as evident from the recent events of 9 May 2023,” said Justice Isa.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Pakistan’s economy revives after IMF deal and reforms; claims Dr Shamshad ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan’s economic activities have been restored following the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the successful implementation of reforms, Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Dr Shamshad Akhtar said on Thursday. In a media interaction, she said the reforms also led to the improvement of the business environment besides boosting the investors’ confidence.

She said The government would continue its efforts to achieve the stability of the overall economy and balanced growth, by reducing debts and carrying out development priorities as well as governance reforms in government enterprises.

She told the media that a staff-level agreement was reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday that would later be approved by the IMF Executive Board in the coming days.

After the staff-level agreement, Pakistan will receive about 70 million US dollars, after which the amount of assistance to Pakistan under the IMF programme will reach about 1.9 billion dollars.

The Finance Minister said that Pakistan had entered into a standby agreement with the IMF to receive $3 billion in July 2023. Under this agreement, “we have made several successful reforms in the last few months that have revived economic activities, through our initiatives. The business-friendly environment improved investor confidence and Pakistan also received support from international partners after these reforms.

The finance minister said that “we have steadfastly implemented the budget for the fiscal year 2024 as adjustments were made in energy prices. Similarly, due to better management of foreign exchange, we have helped to reduce financial and external pressures and inflation in the last few months”.

She said that IMF also expected that the inflation rate would decline further in the coming months.

However, Dr Shamshad said that along with these positive changes, “we also realize that Pakistan faces significant external risks, including geopolitical tensions and commodity prices.”

With increasing commodity prices and tough global conditions, Pakistan will continue its efforts to achieve overall economic stability and balanced growth, she added.

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OIL PRICES SLIP ON US CRUDE BUILD AND CHINA DEMAND WORRIES

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Friday, 17 November, 2023 | KARACHI

NEWS

PROFIT

reuters

IL prices edged lower on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session as signals of higher supply from the United States met concern over lacklustre energy demand from China.

Brent futures were down 70 cents at $80.48 a barrel by 1250 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) shed 65 cents to $76.01. Both benchmarks fell more than 1.5% in the previous session.

WTI’s front-month contract also traded below the price for the second month, a structure known as contango, suggesting that investors expect prices to increase. The

front month’s discount to the second month traded at minus 17 cents on Thursday.

“Clearly, the decline in crude oil prices and the weakening of the structure is an ominous sign; one that implies an oversupplied physical market,” said Tamas Varga of oil broker PVM. Worries have been amplified by the U.S. crude stocks that the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said rose by 3.6 million barrels last week to 421.9 million barrels, far exceeding analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll.

U.S. crude production held steady at a record 13.2 million barrels per day (bpd).

Varga said the fall in crude prices flies in the face of recent estimates of global demand-supply fundamentals from OPEC

Three police constables kidnapped in Turbat

Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday took three constables hostage who were deputed at a police check post in Turbat, Balochistan, officials said.

Constables Naeem, Nadeem and Sameer were on duty at the Singani Sarmomin police checkpoint when armed men took them away at gunpoint. The attackers also snatched two sub-machine guns and magazines from the policemen, officials added.

Police and security personnel rushed to the site and launched a search operation. No arrest has so far been reported. Meanwhile, a man was arrested for forcibly entering the Quetta cantonment area late on Wednesday evening, said the officials.

They said the suspect, identified as Essa Khan, did not stop at the entry checkpoint for identification. Investigations are continuing, they added. Security forces have killed seven terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in general area Kiri Machan Khel, Tank district. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement, said the operation was carried out on the night between Nov 14 and 15 on reported presence of terrorists.

PHC issues notices to IG, DC for contempt of court PESHAWAR

staff report

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday has issued notices to the Inspector General of Police (IG) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Mansehra for contempt of court in connection with the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI)’s attempt to hold a workers’ convention in Mansehra. A two-member bench of the PHC, comprising Justice Ejaz Anwar and Justice SM Atiq Shah, heard the contempt petition filed by PTI against the administration for not allowing the party to hold the convention despite court orders. During the hearing, PTI’s lawyer, Shah Faisal Atman Khel Advocate, informed the court that the party had applied for permission to hold the convention but was denied. He further stated that the administration had even dismantled the stage and removed chairs set up for the event. In response, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Daniyal Chamkani explained that the DC had sought verification from the District Police Officer (DPO), who did not grant permission. Justice Ijaz Anwar questioned the rationale behind this decision, pointing out that the convention was not intended to be held on a public road but within a closed compound. He emphasized that the court had previously allowed PTI to hold a convention or meeting in a closed venue. The court issued notices to the IG and DC Mansehra, seeking their responses and adjourning the hearing until November 21.

Karachi police register murder case of biomechanical engineer

backed up by the recent weekly EIA reports either,” said Varga.

One of the factors likely to be spooking investors is an expected slowdown in Chinese oil refinery throughput. Runs eased in October from the previous month’s highs

RAWALPINDI INp

At least one soldier was martyred during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district, said the InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday. The soldier, identified by the military as Lance Naik Muhammad Ejaz Khan, belonged to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The military’s media wing said that “sanitization of the surrounding areas is

being carried out to neutralize any other terrorists found in the area”.

In a separate IBO, at least four terrorists were killed in the Badaber area of Peshawar.

ISPR identified one of the terrorists as a high-value target (HVT) commander Samiullah aka Shenay, along with commander Salman aka Ahmed, Imran aka Muhammad, and Hazrat Umar aka Khalid.

According to a statement by ISPR, the eliminated terrorists “remained actively involved in numerous terrorist

activities, including extortion and target killings in the area.” The military’s media wing added that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from them.

“Security Forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.”

Earlier, security forces killed seven terrorists in an IBO in the general area of Kiri Machan Khel in the Tank district of KP. The media wing of the military said that the security forces carried out the

Bilawal Bhutto vows to double wages, fight inflation, empower youth ABBOTTABAD

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed determination to establish a government prioritizing youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, and inflation control, with plans to double wages over a five-year period.

While addressing a PPP workers’ convention in Abbottabad on Thursday, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari thanked the party’s supporters, particularly the women, and highlighted the deep-rooted relationship between the PPP and the people spanning three generations.

He also expressed gratitude for the warm welcome during his Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tour.

Bilawal acknowledged former President Zardari’s accomplishments and the party’s contributions, emphasizing the need to continue the mission of Quaid-e-Awam, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He called for a collective effort in the upcoming elections to implement the PPP’s

staff report

A murder case of a biomechanical engineer has been registered in the Sachal Scheme 33 area of Karachi on Thursday. According to the details, on the complaint of Fahimuddin Sheikh, the relative of the victim, a murder case of biomechanical engineer Sohaib Nasir has been registered in Sachal police station, Karachi.

Fahimuddin in his complaint stated that he received a call from his sister when he was on duty, informing him about his brother-in-law’s accident, upon arriving at the hospital, he found his brother-in-law had passed away. As per FIR content, the victim left the house along with his wife Dr Nazia at 9:30 am and dropped her off at Karachi Medical and Dental College, meanwhile, between 1 and 2 pm he was shot dead near Sir Syed Chowk Scheme 33. The police after registering the case swung into action to apprehend the accused murderer.

IBO on the reported presence of terrorists.

“An intense exchange of fire took place during the operation, due to which seven terrorists were sent to hell,” it said. “The terrorists’ hideouts were also busted during the operation.” According to the ISPR, the forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the killed terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities, including recent target killings of policemen in Tank and surrounding areas.

SCCI calls for further cementing Pak-U.S bilateral trade and economic ties PESHAWAR

staff report

staff report

manifesto and ideology.

Addressing pressing issues like inflation and unemployment, Bilawal advocated for a new mindset and leadership focused on serving the people rather than engaging in divisive politics. He underscored the PPP’s commitment to empowering farmers, workers, and the common people, proposing initiatives like the ‘Kissan Card’ and ‘Benazir Mazdoor Card.’

He emphasized the PPP’s historical role in combating poverty and called for a departure from past politics to pave the way for a

prosperous, modern Pakistan.

Bilawal insisted on the people’s right to choose their representatives. He criticized the politics of the past and stressed the need for a new political system that serves the people.

Bilawal announced the continuation of party conventions in Mardan, Peshawar, Naushera, Dir, and Chitral, expressing confidence in the PPP’s victory and its role in forming the next government. In the face of challenges during past elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bilawal asserted that the PPP would triumph this time.

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fuad Ishaq said new discoveries made in oil, gas and other natural resources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but geological survey wasn’t conducted since last two decades, therefore, urged U.S to provide assistance in conducting a geological survey in the province. Emphasizing on further cementing Pak-US bilateral trade and economic relations, the SCCI chief invited US companies and investors to make investment in the potential sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He made these remarks during a meeting with U.S Consul General in Peshawar Mr Shante Moore, who visited the chamber house on Thursday, according to a press release issued here. On the occasion, the SCCI senior vice president Sanaullah Khan, vice president Ijaz Khan Afridi, former presidents Haji Muhammad Afzal, Zahidullah Shinwari, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, Sherbaz Bilour, executive members Hafaf Ali Khan, Monawar Khurshid, Kashif Amin, Qurtul Ain and Fahad Amin, Khalid Sultan Khawaja, Ashfaq Ahmad, Saleem Bokhari, Ihsanullah, Muhammad Akhtar, Saddar Gul, Fazl e Wahid, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Women chamber Peshawar vice president Aneela Khalid, traders and industrialists were present.

Police recover two abducted girls from Islamabad FAISALABAD

staff report

The two girls, abducted from the Faisalabad University town area, were successfully recovered from Islamabad, police said on Thursday.

Punjab police successfully arrested two individuals, identified as Nasir and Hameed, and recovered the girls, who were allegedly kidnapped on October 09.

According to the police officials, the arrest was made possible with the help of social media chat and ID. Last year, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cybercrime circle swung into action after the alleged harassment and torture of a medical student

in Faisalabad.

The FIA cybercrime circle has also registered a case against the prime suspect, Sheikh Danish, over the complaint of the affected medical student. Danish’s wife Maham and his daughter Ana were also nominated in the harassment and torture case.

The intelligence agency’s cybercrime circle sealed case number 125 which was registered under sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and seven provisions of the Penal Code of Pakistan.

Prior to this development, a local court handed over the prime suspect – Sheikh Danish – to police on physical remand until August 23 in a case related to the abduction and torture of a female medical student in Faisalabad.

PKR strengthens; PSX soars past 57,000 points as IMF deal boosts confidence KARACHI

as industrial fuel demand weakened and refining margins narrowed.

In the Middle East, with the IsraelHamas conflict appearing to be escalating in Gaza, U.S. officials on Wednesday vowed to enforce oil sanctions against Iran, which

Four wanted terrorists killed, soldier martyred in KP IBOs

TURBAT

staff report

and the International Energy Agency (IEA), both of which predicted supply tightness in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, October inflation data from major economic hubs including the euro zone, the United States and the UK have also been encouraging, he added.

Even China, where the property sector remains in trouble, is seeing green shoots of economic recovery. Its economic activity perked up in October as industrial output increased at a faster pace and retail sales growth beat expectations.

“The current price drop is taking place amid a seemingly auspicious backdrop, which suggests that investors simply do not buy into the ‘Q4 stock draw’ narrative; something that is not

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PKR experiences a recover y of over Rs2, reaching a one-week high of Rs286 against USD in interbank market PROFIT

News Desk

The Pakistani Rupee has strengthened against the US dollar, and the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) surged past the 57,000-point level for the first time ever on Thursday following a successful review by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The benchmark KSE-100 index rose by 716.96 points or 1.26% and closed at a record high of 57,397.02 points, the highest level in PSX’s history.

The positive market sentiment was bolstered by successfully completing the first IMF review for the 9month Standby Agreement (SBA).

This development also impacted the Pakistani rupee,

which experienced a recovery of over Rs0.76, settling at 287.38 against the US dollar in the interbank market.

On Wednesday, the rupee had depreciated 0.09% to settle at 288.14 against the US dollar.

The Pakistani rupee also showed recovery in open market as currency dealers said the local unit was being quoted at 289 for selling and 286 for buying purposes for customers.

Over the past 10 days, the PSX gained over 4,000 points, marking a 34% increase in the past year. The surge is attributed to early signs of economic recovery and the announcement of the forthcoming general election date. Simultaneously, the rupee-dollar exchange rate rebounded, ending the previous 17 consecutive working days’ downward trend.

SAPM Malik paves the way for skilled manpower deal with Saudia ISLAMABAD

staff report

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Jawad Sohrab Malik, has officially sealed a significant agreement to supply skilled manpower to Saudi Arabia, particularly for NESMA’s ongoing and future projects. SAPM Jawad Sohrab Malik formally signed the agreement during a meeting with Samer Essam AbdulSamad, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nesma & Partners, in Riyadh.

Speaking on the occasion Malik highlighted the importance of this agreement, stating, “This marks a substantial collaboration between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. It will open avenues for exporting an abundant Pakistani workforce, contributing significantly to Saudi Arabia’s vital infrastructure and development objectives.”

SAPM Malik expressed that this agreement signifies a crucial partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, facilitating the export of an ample Pakistani workforce to contribute significantly to Saudi Arabia’s vital infrastructure and development objectives. Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farooq, the Director General of the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, and the Community Welfare Attaché were also present.

HEAD BREAKS SOUTH AFRICAN HEARTS AS AUSTRALIA SET UP WORLD CUP FINAL WITH INDIA Friday, 17 November, 2023 | KARACHI

NEWS

T

INDIA

Staff RepoRt

RAVIS Head starred with bat and ball as Australia set up a World Cup final clash with India after a tense three-wicket win over South Africa in Kolkata on Thursday. Chasing a tricky 213 for victory, Australia wobbled after Head hit 62 but Steve Smith (30) and Josh Inglis (28) helped the five-time champions reach their target with 16 balls to spare in the second semi-final in Kolkata.

As Australia reached an eighth World Cup final, South Africa were left to rue a fifth semi-final loss despite David Miller’s 101.

Australia slipped to 137-5 and then 1937 before Mitchell Starc (16) and skipper Pat Cummins (14) kept their nerve to steer the

team home.

Left-hand batsman and part-time offspinner Head stood out after taking two wickets and then with his 48-ball innings laced with nine fours and two sixes.

Australia were in trouble when they were five down as spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi struck in quick succession to rattle the middle-order.

Maharaj bowled Head, who was dropped on 40 and 57, and Shamsi, a leftarm wrist spinner, trapped Marnus Labuschagne lbw for 18 and bowled Glenn Maxwell for one in his next over.

Australia started the tournament with two losses but registered their eighth straight win. Starc led the bowling charge with figures of 3-34 and Cummins also picked three wickets to bowl out South Africa for 212 in 49.4 overs.

Left-arm quick Starc struck in the first over to send back South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, who had said he was not “100 per cent fit” at the toss, for a fourth-ball duck. Josh Hazlewood claimed the wicket of in-form Quinton de Kock for three as Cummins took a stunning catch.

De Kock, who will quit one-day international after the World Cup, ended with 594 runs including four centuries to sit behind the tournament’s leading batsman Virat Kohli (711).

The new-ball bowlers kept up the attack with the wickets of Aiden Markram (10) and Rassie van der Dussen (six) as South Africa slumped to 24-4 and were 44-4 when rain interrupted play. Klaasen and Miller hit back after the 45-minute rain break as the two put on 95 runs but Head broke through to bowl Klaasen for 47.

Head trapped Marco Jansen lbw on the next delivery to be on a hat-trick, which was saved by Gerald Coetzee, who put on a 53run partnership with Miller.

Daewoo Express to introduce 200 China-manufactured electric buses ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

Daewoo Express, one of Pakistan’s leading inter-city transport service providers, is planning to introduce 200 China-manufactured electric buses gradually in the next two years.

If it goes as planned, it will be the first EV-based inter-city bus service in Pakistan, according to a report published by Gwadar Pro on Thursday.

The electric buses were expected to start operations during the summer of next year, and all 200 buses will be in operation by mid-2026.

The electric buses will operate on short routes of a maximum distance of 225 kilometers so that they don’t have to stop during the journey to charge, as it would be

SC links non-implementation of Faizabad verdict to May 9 events CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The written order of the Supreme Court acknowledged the manipulation that took place in the handling of review petitions in the Faizabad sit-in case. “With humility, and setting an example for others to follow, this Court acknowledges the manipulation resorted to in the Supreme Court by not fixing the said petitions and applications. The Supreme Court endeavours to regain the confidence of the people by acknowledging this, and will be demonstrating that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated. Truth sets one free and makes institutions strong. The people of Pakistan deserve nothing less.” The order stated that it is long overdue that every institution acts transparently and responsibly and when wrong is done it is incumbent to acknowledge it. “Ignoring wrongdoing or offering a bare denial of it, when the facts suggest otherwise, is to have lived a lie, and perpetuated it; it is also against the interest of the public whose taxes fund all public institutions.” It said that the lack of trust in public institutions engenders autocracy and threatens democracy. “If individuals begin to overshadow the institutions they work in, they cause irreparable harm, diminish their institution, and render them as their alter ego,” the order said.

Justice Isa said that it should not need reminding that every decision of the Supreme Court is binding and must be implemented by all executive authorities as stipulated in Articles 189 and 190 of the Constitution. “Implementation however may be forestalled when review petitions and other applications are pending. However, all review petitions and applications have now been disposed of. It now needs to be considered whether we should invoke the constitutional power of contempt under Article 204 of the Constitution in case the Judgment is not implemented.” However, the order acknowledged that those who were in government when the judgment was given are no longer in government and the composition of the Election Commission has also changed. “It would not be appropriate to hold the present incumbents responsible for the actions/inactions of their predecessors, particularly when they have demonstrated that they want to implement the decision of this Court,” it added. The SC order stated that the federal government has also constituted a commission and given it two months to do its task, saying that the court expects it will do so within the allotted time. “The Election Commission of Pakistan had on the last date sought thirty days to do what it had undertaken and this period has not expired yet.

The Election Commission of Pakistan should submit its report without waiting for the next date.”

Bannu police repulse terror attack BANNU

Staff RepoRt

The Bannu police have repulsed a terrorist attack on a police pick late Wednesday night. According to a police spokesman, unknown militants stormed the Sapina police picket in Banu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with heavy weapons late at night. The police promptly and effectively retaliated and repulsed the attack. The terrorists managed to escape while taking full advantage of the darkness. Earlier in February, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) foiled terrorist attack and claimed to kill seven of them in crossfire in North Waziristan. As per details, the terrorists attacked CTD team in North Waziristan, when they were moving suspected terrorists to Bannu.In the crossfire with the security forces, three suspects in custody and four terrorists of the banned outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were shot dead.

inconvenient for passengers.

These 200 electric buses will run on 17 short routes, such as Karachi to Hyderabad; Peshawar to Rawalpindi; Lahore to Faisalabad; Lahore to Sialkot etc.

“We will have charging facilities at all of our terminals where these electric buses operate,” said Sheriar Hassan, General Manager at Daewoo Express.

The company representative said that it is difficult to predict how the introduction of these electric buses will affect inter-city fares, as no one knows what the price of diesel and electricity will be by the time these buses are introduced. “However, it should be remembered that the upfront cost of electric buses is significantly higher than that of diesel buses. If this pilot project of 200 buses is successful, we may consider entering into the electric bus manufacturing business,” he added.

Raid on Gaza’s largest hospital continues, Israel orders evacuation in ‘safe areas’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

“Israel will continue to act until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are returned,” he added.

The Israeli foreign ministry in response called on the Security Council and the international community to “stand firm on the prompt release” of all the kidnapped. “Extended humanitarian pauses are untenable as long as 239 abductees remain in the hands of Hamas terrorists,” it said.

Israel’s army claimed an initial raid in Al Shifa had uncovered military equipment, weapons and what spokesman Daniel Hagari described as “an operational headquarters with comms equipment”. A video narrated by another Israeli army spokesman showed rifles, ammunition and ammunition magazines inside an area he identified as Al Shifa’s MRI scanner building.

Hamas said the video was staged. Other Palestinians said that even on its face it depicted nothing like the vast underground militant headquarters complex that Israel had claimed was inside the compound. Kenneth Roth, former head of Human Rights Watch, said on social media platform X: “Israel will have to come up with a lot more than a handful of ‘grab and go’ rifles to justify shutting down northern Gaza’s hospitals with its enormous cost for a civilian population with urgent medical needs.”

The U.S. did not give Israel any kind of green light for its raid, the White House said on Wednesday, adding that such decisions were for the Israeli military. U.S. President Joe Biden later said Hamas had committed a

war crime by housing “their headquarters, their military hidden under a hospital.” But he warned Israel to be “incredibly careful” of harming civilians during the operation.

Witnesses have described conditions inside the site as horrific, with medical procedures performed without anesthetic, families with scant food or water living in corridors, and the smell of decomposing corpses filling the air. “The protection of newborns, patients, medical staff and all civilians must override all other concerns,” UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said. “Hospitals are not battlegrounds.”

EVACUATION ORDER IN SOUTH GAZA Israel ordered civilians to leave four towns in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, raising fears its war could spread to areas it had told people were safe.

Leaflets dropped overnight from aircraft told civilians to leave the towns of Bani Shuhaila, Khuzaa, Abassan and Qarara, on the eastern edge of Khan Younis, Gaza’s main southern city. The towns, collectively home to more than 100,000 people before Israel’s assault on the Strip, are now sheltering tens of thousands more who fled other areas.

“The acts of Hamas terrorist group require the defense forces to act against them in the areas of your residence,” the leaflets said. “For your safety, you need to evacuate your places of residence immediately and head to known shelters.” Residents said the area came under heavy bombardment overnight.

Israel has already ordered the evacuation of the

Hyderabad accountability court rejects bail for Iqbal Z Ahmed in Rs28bn money laundering case CONTTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

Learned counsel for the accused persons has argued that the accused persons Iqbal Z Ahmed and Salamat Ali have obtained post arrest bail under section 497 Cr.P.C and other accused persons obtained pre-arrest bail under section 498 Cr.P.C from the honourable High Court by common order dated 3103-2020 and thereafter, accused persons were appearing before the trial court and charge was framed against them.

Learned counsel for the accused persons has argued that honourable High Court recalled bail applications only because surety bonds were withdrawn and on merits on which the bail was granted has not been set aside hence the accused persons are entitled for concessions of bail and again argues bail application on merits that accused persons are directors/shareholders of registered companies that have caused no loss to government exchequer, they are private individuals of private companies therefore there is no question of misuse of authority and also argued hat accused persons are regular tax payers and there is no any material evidence against them for any mis-appropriation of applications/accused namely Iqbal Z Ahmed is 77 years of age and accused Qazi Hamayon Fareed is 80 years of age and suffering from multiple diseases.

On the other hand, Learned

Special Prosecutor, NAB has vehemently opposed the bail application and argued that the bail was granted to the accused persons by the Hon’ble High Court’ vide order elated 31-03-2020 and later on, the application for return of sureties of the accused persons were moved before the honourable High Court and NAB was served through notices and Special Prosecutor for NAB has also appeared before the Honourable High Court and the applications were allowed for return of sureties and bail ‘was recalled of all the accused persons as per order dated 08-08-2023 and 30-08-2023.

Thereafter, the accused persons have not appeared before the honourable court for restoration of their bail with fresh sureties nor challenged the order of the High Court before any forum and orders are in the field.

Learned Special Prosecutor, NAB has also argued that the bail application under section 497 Cr.P.C does not disclose any fresh ground for second bail application and also argued that the grounds of merits, medical as well as old age of some of the accused persons were considered by the High Court and the bail was granted but after the recall of bail the present bail application no any fresh ground is taken and also argued that it is well settled law that for moving second bail applications there should be fresh grounds but in the present case no any new of fresh ground

and even no any argued that there is no any fresh ground in the bail application and prayed for the dismissal of the application and also argued that the law cited by learned counsel for the accused is totally different from the facts and circumstances of the instant case.

As per Accountability Bureau, Hyderabad’s orders, it is admitted position that accused persons have not challenged this order before any forum nor appeared before the High Court for restoration of their bail with another surety the order is existing in the field.

It is also admitted position that the bail was granted to accused persons on merits as well medical and old age grounds by the High Court but the perusal of this bail application under section 497 Cr. P.C does not disclose any fresh ground nor during the arguments learned counsel has agitated any fresh ground and no any medical certificate is attached with bail application and it is well settled law that in second bail application there must be fresh grounds for consideration of bail but in the present case no any fresh ground is mentioned or agitated and the order of the High Court has not been challenged before any forum therefore, since there is no any fresh ground in the bail application.

I am of the humble view that the accused persons have not made out case for grant of post arrest bail and the same is hereby dismissed, said

03

The left-handed Miller smashed eight fours and five sixes in his 116-ball knock.

The final is on Sunday at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

Pakistan’s economy revives after IMF deal and reforms; claims CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

DR SHAMSHAD She said that reducing debts through financial stability and carrying out development priorities is our priority.

For this purpose, it is necessary to control the federal and provincial expenses and improve the increase in revenues. She said that it is necessary to strengthen the social safety net for the better protection of the economically weaker segments of society. In the financial year, under the Kafalat Cash Transfer Programme, stipends will be provided to 9.3 lakh families. The Finance Minister said that under the standby agreement, it has been agreed to reduce costs in the energy sector and restore efficiency in the sector. The circular debt of the power and gas sectors has crossed 4 per cent of our Gross National Product (GNP). Urgent action is needed to bring it down. We have started work in this regard and electricity and gas rates have been adjusted. she said that continuing the exchange rate policy based on market dynamics and increasing foreign exchange reserves are among our priorities. She said the government’s priorities included a dynamic and accommodating monetary policy to bring inflation back to its target. She said that the process of governance reforms in government enterprises would continue would further improve the business environment, promote investment and create job opportunities.

LGs nurseries of democracy, vital for country’s prosperity: Khurshid Kasuri LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

Senior politician and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri has said that local governments are nurseries of democracy which are essential for the development and prosperity of the country. He was addressing at the launching ceremony of Senior Analyst Salman Abid’s book ‘A Case of Local Government’ organized by Punjab University and Department of Political Science at Al Raazi Hall here on Thursday. Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood, Executive Director PILDAT Ahmed Bilal Mahboob, Senior Journalist Sajjad Mir, Political Analyst Dr Asim Allah Bux, Dean Faculty of Business, Economics and Administrative Sciences Prof Dr Mumtaz Anwar Chaudhry, Chairperson Department of Political Science Prof Dr Irum Khalid, faculty members and students were present on the occasion. In his address, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri said that the importance of the common man increases in the system of local governments and the country gets leadership from the grassroots level. He said that when he went to China in the 90s, the city looked like Karachi, the first chemical plant was also built in Kala Shahkakoo, but the country suffered from problems due to lack of governance. The former minister said that urbanization will lead to many problems including water, food, employment and security. He said that the development funds should be given to the elected representatives of the local governments instead of the members of the provincial and national assembly.

04 COMMENT

The Nazis of today

IMF deal

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The staff-level agreement should set the stage for meaningful reforms

Planning to throw out the Gazans

HE reaching of a staff-level agreement with the IMF was greeted with both a further rise in the KSE Index and a rise in the value of the rupee.

The KSE index had been rising for some days, and was already at a record high, when it gained even more on Thursday to close at over 57,000 points for the first time in its history. The dollar, which had been falling for several previous sessions, rose Rs 0.76, following appreciation on Wednesday. There was a reason for the euphoria; the agreement was expected, because the IMF had not met any resistance from the government to any of its conditions, no matter how onerous. Previous programmes had run into trouble at the very first review, mainly because governments had jibbed at the conditions that were laid out by the IMF. The release of the second tranche of $700 million, brings to $1.7 billion the total disbursement by the IMF, leaving $1.3 billion still to be disbursed. The review for its disbursement is likely to be among the first responsibilities of whatever government is elected on February 8. Then there is the stage of the next IMF programme, which is already being talked about. Indeed, the SBA was made in July, just before the dissolution of the previous National Assembly, and was envisaged as a sort of stopgap arrangement to cover the caretaker period. The staff-level agreement is important because it means that other multilateral and bilateral donors will be ready to lend Pakistan money with which it will service its foreign debt.

The parties which are contesting the coming election must focus on this, so that both voters and the IMF can learn what are their ‘red lines’, but more importantly, so that they can find out the gameplan of the parties for getting out of the debt trap. Foreign direct investment from Gulf countries through the Special Investment Facilitation Council will help, but it will not suffice.

Crudely put, the country must sell to the world more than it buys from it, so that it can pay off the foreign loans it took. Then there is the separate but related problem of domestic debt. The government is no longer servicing that debt without borrowing from the banking system, and thus crowding out private credit. The reforms that will have to be made to achieve this require parties to make clear what demands they will place on the country. Only the PML(N) has established a manifesto committee, and even that has not met yet. The rest seem unconcerned.

At Penpoint M A NiAZi

HE proposal in an Israeli office to send the Gazans to Canada is incredibly arrogant for a number of reasons. First it assumes that Canada will take so many people in. There are three million Gazans, and it is a safe assumption that Israel will leave about two and a half million to be disposed of somehow. Second, it assumes that the Israel attack on Gaza is inevitably going to result in a victory.

As regards the first assumption, it makes assumptions about the power of Canadian Jewry that may come up against resistance. While Canadians have shared in the guilt of the Holocaust, the relaxation of immigration barriers has also created a white supremacist group, which will presumably be hostile to even more Palestinians coming in, and in numbers which would change the demography of all of Canada. With a population of 38 million, adding about three million more people would be problematic. Will even Canadian Jewry want to help clean up the mess Israel has made?

One insidious problem that might make Canadian Jewry oppose such a move, or at least make it ambivalent about supporting it is that Canada’s anti-migrant forces will be strengthened. Such forces, which are not in the Canadian mainstream at the moment, are anti-Semitic and racist. They will roil up rancour against Palestinians, but also against Jews.

The dilemmas posed to Canadian Jewry will be posed also to American Jewry. A minority of any such migrants will end up in the USA. There is a small Palestinian community in the USA, and any Gazan relatives will be attracted. Once settled in Canada, migrants find the USA relatively easy to shift to. If the USA attempted to set up barriers which came in the way of free USCanadian movement, that would be problematic.

It might be blithely seen as a solution in an Israeli government office, but Canadian Jewry is also likely to be made uncomfortable when such a large number of migrants get the vote. Migrants so far have few opinions about Jews, and can take them or leave them. However, these migrants will have a visceral dislike of Israelis, and their Zionist supporters abroad, and by extension Canadian Jewry. While the incident of the murder of a Palestinian child took place in the USA, by the Jewish landlord of the building he lived in, its implications for Canada are brought into being by this proposal.

The implications of searching for a haven, a refuge, for an entire people should have dangerous echoes in the minds of Jews. After all, for about 50 years, they had the world exercised about where the Jews should go. Jews had been content to go about their lives as followers of a minority religion, looked down upon by ‘natives’. The rise of nationalisms in the 19th century led to the ideas of Jews too being a nation, needing to find Zion, a national homeland.

One of the first schemes was for Jews to be allotted part of the East Africa Protectorate, the so-called ‘Uganda Plan’ even though it falls in what is today

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami

part of Kenya. The Zionist Congress of 1903 actually considered it, because the problems faced by Jews in Europe had been shown by the Kishinev pogrom in 1903, when 49 Jews were killed. Then there was the 1905 pogrom there, part of a series of 80 pogroms that took place in the Russian Empire at the time of the abortive Revolution of that year.

The ‘Uganda Plan’ was not the only one to try to divert Jews to Africa instead of Palestine. The Nazis themselves contemplated a scheme to send the Jews of Europe to Madagascar. In 1940, the Nazis Adolf Eichmann proposed settling a million Jews a year in Madagascar, which was a French colony due to fall into German hands with the defeat of France. However, later in the year, the ‘East African Solution’ was abandoned in favour of the ‘Final Solution.’

Fascist Italy also came up with an offer to settle Jews from both Europe and Palestine in certain areas of Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland, but nothing came of the plan. That cannot be said of Birobidzhan, a patch of land in the Soviet Far East, where a Jewish Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was set up in the Stalin Years, but which collapsed under Stalin’s antiSemitism combined with the creation of Israel itself.

Canada was considered briefly, but quickly rejected by Ionists, because of the bad experience of the Doubokhors, or Russian ‘Spirit-Wrestlers, whose late 19th century migration en masse from Russia, may have inspired the present idea.

Another strand which is becoming confused is the non-Jewish left, which had traditionally supported Jews and Zionism. However, in the USA, Christian Zionism became strong, where Zionists gained the support of many Christian fundamentalists. Christian Zionists hold that the return of the Jews to the Levant is a precondition of the Second Coming of Christ. At the same time, the Palestinian cause was initially supported by the left, because the USSR saw Israel as a kind of American colony in the Middle East.

However, the left may support the Palestinian cause because the slaughter is awful, and supporting Israel means supporting the killing of babies and the bombing of hospitals. One consequence of supporting Gazans is it means supporting Hamas, which is an explicitly Muslim-fundamentalist organisation. While it hotly denies being terrorist, it does not deny that it believes in ‘political Islam’. As it derives from the Ikhwanul Muslimeen, the present bombing has put Western leftists at least on the same page, and perhaps in bed, with Islamists.

However, the left and the Islamists might be left to

Elections, Negativity and Anti-establishment Narrative Editor Umar Aziz M. A. Niazi Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Efforts to win cheap popularity ignore the Army’s role

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Abdul bAsit Alvi

HE Pakistan Army stands as a multifaceted institution that has significantly influenced the nation’s trajectory. Its impact extends well beyond traditional duties of safeguarding borders and ensuring national security, touching various aspects of citizens’ lives and the country as a whole.

In addition to its defensive role, the Army has been a leading force in providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief during crises. Its swift response to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and other calamities have been pivotal in saving lives, offering aid, and reconstructing communities.

The Pakistan Army actively engages in diverse development and infrastructure projects across the country. Through initiatives like the Army Welfare Trust and Frontier Works Organization, it has played a pivotal role in constructing roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure, particularly in remote and underdeveloped regions.

Contributions extend globally, with participation in numerous United Nations peacekeeping missions, earning international recognition for efforts in maintaining peace and stability.

Furthermore, the Army is committed to providing education and healthcare facilities. Establishing schools and colleges, especially in areas lacking educational resources, and operating military hospitals serving both military personnel and civilians, exemplify dedication to the public welfare.

The Army has excelled in collaboration with civilian governments, effectively assuming roles that ideally belong to them. Its invaluable service to the nation remains an integral part of the journey towards a more stable, prosperous, and harmonious future.

Following this, there’s a prevailing trend characterized by negativity. Negativity infiltrates the very fabric of society,. Whether through cynicism, pessimism, or disdain, it profoundly affects the collective mindset.

Negativity is prevalent within our political landscape. It’s often convenient to attribute every controversy to the establishment. In Pakistan, negativity gains quick popularity, and is propagated by leading political leaders, media figures, and public figures to propagate negativity. Many newspapers, journalists, writers, and public figures spread negativity and false news to boost their popularity. There’s a general belief that negativity attracts more attention than positivity, and politicians and media personalities exploit this.

Pakistan is approaching general elections on February 8. It’s become a trend among certain unsuccessful leaders to blame the establishment for interfering with them, whereas the reality is quite the opposite. The Pakistani establishment plays a positive role in ensuring smooth elections. Their involvement isn’t to influence the outcome but to safeguard the process, infrastructure, and most importantly, the safety of citizens exercising their democratic right.

Their responsibilities in facilitating smooth elections are multifaceted and crucial. During elections, one of the primary roles of the Pakistani establishment is to ensure security. It is responsible for maintaining law and order, providing a secure environment for citizens to cast their votes without fear of intimidation, coercion, or violence. Their presence acts as a deterrent against disruptions or threats that could compromise the fairness of the process.

The Army’s logistical capabilities are invaluable during elections. They aid in transporting election materials, setting up polling stations in challenging terrains, and providing essential support to election officials. Their expertise in managing large-scale operations significantly contributes to the efficiency of the electoral process.

Safeguarding critical infrastructure, like communication networks and power supplies, is another vital role. Ensuring their uninterrupted functioning is essential for the smooth conduct of elections, as any disruption could affect the process and citizen participation. In the unfortunate event of natural disasters or unexpected crises, the military’s expertise in disaster response

Our Army is a source of pride for the nation, and the free and secure environment we live in is due to the sacrifices of our brave Army.

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

The writer can be at abdulbasitalvi@gmail.com Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Zionists should look hard at what Israel has become. Or perhaps it has not become anything, and is merely showing its true self. Now Israel is not taking revenge for October 7; it is taking revenge for the pogroms, and for the Holocaust. worry about ideological purity, while the Canada idea shows what the Zionists plan for the West Bank, which has so far been the focus of Israeli attention, though there have been deaths there. Israel seems to have given up on the idea of settling in Gaza, though the present conflict may have revived the idea. However, if Gazans can be forced to flee, so can West Bank residents, and that would be much more attractive for the Israelis.

The Jews have been twice uprooted from the country, but the Palestinian residents have not. They may have been Muslim for 1300 years, but were Christian before that, and probably Jewish even before that. Israel basically consists of European Jews, mostly from Russia, especially Ukraine, some directly, some via the USA. However, while the Zionists achieved some ethnic cleansing in 1948, the task has not been accomplished.

However, Israel does not seem to contemplate the results of moving out the Gazans. The Doukhobors have not shown many signs of wanting to go back, but as the recent episode of Hardeep Singh Nijjar showed, Canada has problems with the Khalistan movement because of a large number of Sikh migrants. Can it really afford another migrant community with memories of an ancestral homeland and a yearning among some for its freedom?

Zionists should look hard at what Israel has become. Or perhaps it has not become anything, and is merely showing its true self. Now Israel is not taking revenge for October 7; it is taking revenge for the pogroms, and for the Holocaust. While not all Gazans were responsible for October 7, some were. But none, particularly not the babies and toddlers now being butchered, were born at the time of the Holocaust.

The writer is a member of staff

Editor’s mail

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

and humanitarian aid becomes indispensable.

They step in to provide necessary assistance, maintain order, and ensure that the electoral process continues with minimal disruption.

The establishment serves as an unbiased overseer and protector of the electoral process’s integrity. Its presence aids in preventing electoral fraud, coercion, or irregularities, thereby maintaining fairness and transparency. It’s essential to emphasize that the establishment’s participation in elections adheres to the country’s laws and operates under civilian oversight. Its role remains non-partisan, solely focused on ensuring the integrity and smooth operation of the electoral process, respecting the will of the people and the democratic principles of the nation. The armed forces’ role in facilitating seamless elections is invaluable. Their contributions to ensuring security, stability, logistical support, and safeguarding the democratic process are crucial in upholding democratic principles and enabling citizens to freely and safely exercise their right to vote.

Their dedication to the sanctity of the electoral process fortifies the pillars of a robust democracy.

Additionally, the establishment is staunchly committed to remaining neutral. It’s imperative for our politicians to understand this reality.

There has been a tendency among politicians to seek support from the establishment to win elections. However, when the establishment exhibits neutrality, some elements tend to blame the forces. One political party targeted both civilian and military installations, and when higher authorities opted for military court proceedings, they began speaking against the Army.

Our Army Chief and the Pakistan Army have played a significant role in the country’s economic revival for the first time. The dollar rate has decreased, anti-smuggling measures have been initiated, the SIFC has been set up, and an agricultural revolution is underway.

It’s crucial for everyone to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our Army to the nation. Under the leadership of COAS Gen Asim Munir, our Army is wholeheartedly committed to maintaining neutrality, a stance that should be comprehended by all segments of society.

The Army has pivotal professional responsibilities, and involving them in controversies isn’t constructive. The nation comprehends this reality and will reject the anti-establishment narrative in the forthcoming elections. The people clearly discern who is right and who is wrong.

By rejecting anti-state elements, the nation will exhibit its maturity.

Our Army is a source of pride for the nation, and the free and secure environment we live in is due to the sacrifices of our brave Army. Efforts to create divisions between the people and the Army will falter, and the country will progress towards prosperity through the collaborative efforts of all societal pillars.

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Friday, 17 November, 2023

reached

Childhood cancer

I recently came across a three-year old boy from Bannu in a wheelchair holding a toy. There were tears on his face. Startled, I asked his father why he was crying. He told me the child’s eyes get like this because of the position of tumours inside his head, and that the condition was getting worse.

He then told me his story of going to different doctors and local hospitals in Bannu in search of treatment for his ailing child. The doctors kept treating the child for different suspected illnesses, including infections, but the possibility of cancer never crossed their minds.

After a few weeks, they stumbled on a doctor who suspected cancer after which the family travelled several hours to reach a specialised cancer hospital. The father was full of hope once the treatment started. He could see a pathway. Chemotherapy and radiation gave him the hope that his son had a fighting chance.

His story, like many others, included a series of misdiagnosis at local/primary healthcare level. This could be because cancers in children are less common than in adults. According to the Punjab Cancer Registry Report 2022, 92.4 per cent reported cases of cancer are related to adults and 7.6pc to children.

Talking to this person, I realised that we need to develop an ecosystem to support children fighting cancer and give them a chance to live their best lives. We need to raise awareness among parents as well as healthcare professionals about symptoms and diagnosis of childhood cancers in a timely manner. Parents must watch out for symptoms like unexplained fever, changes in eye or unusual reflection, frequent infections, lumps, bone or back aches or stomach ache that do not go away, unexplained bruises, and blood in urine. Any unusual symptom deserves to be assessed by a qualified doctor without delay.

MARIAM KHAN LAHORE

Ban on smoking

RECENTLY, I happened to travel to Dadu in a local bus in which passengers were constantly smoking cigarettes throughout the journey.

When the bus stopped at a hotel on the way, I found many people were smoking there, too. Smoking is associated with a multitude of serious health issues, including breathing problems, cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Considering these health risks, it is imperative that cigarette smoking be banned in public areas and workplaces to safeguard the health of both the smokers and the non-smokers who are forced to become passive smokers.

FAROOQUE KHOSO JOHI

Deception

AIRLINE tickets are becoming costlier by the day, with airlines telling everyone it is owing to government taxes/fees or charges. They are wrong.

As a routine practice, airlines mention various amounts against codes which people take as taxes. The list of codes can be viewed on the website of International Air Transport Association (IATA). It is paradoxical that double charges are being recovered from passengers for the development of two different airports under differing codes. The national airline, for instance, charges the passengers travelling to Toronto for infrastructure development under code YD, and it also recovers a fee as Canadian airport improvement charges under code SQ. Also of interest are codes YQ and YR. The airlines are boosting revenues while passing on the blame to the government.

KHALED ISLAMABAD

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

COMMENT 05

Why India and the USA differ on Bangladesh’s election

Friday, 17 November, 2023

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Each has its fish to fry

Ali AkbAr rouf

N November 10, the foreign and defence ministers of the USA and India met in New Delhi.

The question of Bangladesh’s politics and its next national parliamentary election naturally came up during the two nations’ discussion of the global situation. Although the issue was not raised at the joint press briefing after the meeting, India’s Foreign Secretary, Vinay Kwatra, said that India had explicitly told the USA that Bangladesh’s politics and elections are strictly domestic affairs, and India did not believe any kind of action in this area to be justified in the interests of regional stability.

For a few months, the USA exerted some kind of pressure on India. India has already stated its opinion on the subject without making any secret of it. It should be remembered that India’s perspective was expressed to the US administration for the first time during the ModiBiden summit meeting in Washington. However, it is vital to investigate why the USA is putting pressure on India.

As a sovereign nation where the people naturally do not see such excesses by another state as a good omen, we have seen in the past, and we are seeing it again in the run-up to the elections in Bangladesh, that the USA and the rest of the Western world always express unwanted concerns under the guise of democracy, freedom of speech, political stability, human rights, and so o . This action is not only repugnant but also defies all conventions of diplomatic decorum. It is easy to figure out that by sending different delegations to the country at different times, applying pressure, imposing conditions, and, most importantly, using the diplomatic missions stationed in the country to criticise the internal policies of the government and indirectly incite the anti-government political parties, they are trying to drag Bangladesh backward.

Despite Bangladesh’s enormous prosperity and unhindered economic progress, why are the USA and the Western world is bullying it, using democracy and human rights? For good cause, the question arises: why aren’t they paying more attention to the persecuted Palestinians in the Middle East? In the face of constant provocation by Israel’s aggression and mass killing of women and children, the so-called concern about democracy, elections, and human rights in Bangladesh reflects the USA’s hypocrisy.

Bangladesh’s bilateral ties with a number of countries, notably Japan and the USA, have already reached their golden jubilee— 50 years of relationship. However, in this case, Bangladesh and India have a special connection that will never change. Bangabandhu Sheikh

Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation, said in Kolkata in 1972 that “the relationship between the two countries is eternal.” The primary cause of this is India’s active participation in Bangladesh’s independence struggle as well as shared national objectives. However, after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975, a long half decade of undemocratic state management, internal instability, terrorism, and radical religious fundamentalism influenced Indian security and politics.

During this time, the ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence service) utilised these corrupt actors to further its own agenda at the expense of Bangladeshi democracy. During this entire period, the USA provided active support to Pakistan.

Pakistan’s failure to develop democracy after 1947 and the blow to Bangladesh’s democratic spirit are due to the same formula. It’s crucial to understand why India and the West have such divergent perspectives on Bangladesh. In actuality, Western interests are aligned with American ones. The whole Western world views the globe through the prism of America, not only in the instance of Bangladesh but also globally. There are good grounds for differing views with India on this matter.

In recent years, the influence of China, a major power in Asia, has increased, as has its distance from India. Meanwhile, India’s sphere of influence in South Asia has also suffered a lot. All the other countries except Bangladesh have pro-Chinese governments at the moment. India has a lot of bilateral interests in social, political, and economic fields with Bangladesh. Along with that, India’s internal security, especially the political instability of the seven states of North-East India, has been completely under India’s control for the past decade and a half. Behind this is the special contribution of the Bangladesh government.

Several Indian separatist groups have previously utilised Bangladesh for their own nefarious ends, but the present government’s stringent measures in this area have greatly alleviated the political situation in India.

Similar to this, a number of terrorist, militant, and fun-

damentalist organisations that are active in Bangladesh have crossed the border and set up themselves in India to continue their operations, endangering the security of that nation. In recent years, the government of Bangladesh has taken significant action in this area. Consequently, both India’s and Bangladesh’s security worries have been significantly reduced.

We must keep in mind that US-India ties and Bangladesh-India relations are not on the same scale. In this perspective, geopolitics and regional politics must be analysed separately. Bangladesh and India have the world’s fifth-largest geographical border. Beyond border security, the future prosperity of both nations is dependent on the two countries’ sustained stable ties. Despite the fact that national interests are at the centre of these bilateral interactions, relations with Western nations are influenced by the larger geopolitical backdrop. Changes in geopolitics have a crucial effect in transforming relations in this scenario.

Despite this, the USA continues to encourage India to shift its position on Bangladeshi politics. It understands that without the collaboration or inactivity of regional powers such as India, it would be unable to effect the necessary transformation in Bangladeshi politics. There is no way to claim that the present Bangladesh administration is gaining Indian backing by making any form of compromise.

It should also be remembered that the current USIndia relationship is guided by a strategic approach in light of geopolitics, which has been ongoing since the time of then-US President Bill Clinton in the mid-1990s.

There have been many changes in global politics. The Russia of that time is challenging US power today by overcoming the fragile situation. Even the Americans do not acknowledge the existence of a unipolar global order.

In the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, India is importing Russian oil, ignoring the eyes of the West. India’s oil imports from Russia have reportedly increased 10-fold during the embargo, and by May last year, India had saved $5 billion. Despite the bitter relationship with China, the common position of China and India on Russia has created obstacles to the influence of the West in world politics. At the same time, China’s and India’s sympathy for the oppressed people of Palestine has morally questioned the position of the West in the Middle East. The threat of China and India having a stance against the USA in almost all aspects of current world politics has become a cause of great concern for it.

Despite this, the USA continues to encourage India to shift its position on Bangladeshi politics. It understands that without the collaboration or inactivity of regional powers such as India, it would be unable to effect the necessary transformation in Bangladeshi politics. There is no way to claim that the present Bangladesh administration is gaining Indian backing by making any form of compromise. In this case, mutual understanding has acted as the most important regulator in facing some common challenges. Bangladesh’s strong diplomatic skills assist it in maintaining a balanced diplomacy. Based on this, the nation would be able to retain its dignity by resisting any foreign intrigues in the coming days.

Israel plans to replace Palestinian How ChatGPT can change workers with people from India the future of jobs The writer is a freelance columnist

New Delhi’s promised delivery of migrant workers also comes despite Israel’s well-documented mistreatment of Palestinian workers

A

MIDDLE EAST MONITOR mohAmmAD Asif khAn

MIDST Israel’s ongoing genocide on Gaza, the Israel Builders Association has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s farright coalition government to expedite the process of bringing workers from India to fill the jobs vacated by displaced Palestinians.

“We are currently in talks with India, awaiting approval from the Israeli government,” explained Haim Feiglin, the association’s vice president, as reported by Voice of America. “We aim to recruit between 50,000 and 100,000 workers from India in order to restore the sector to its usual functioning.”

The work permits of all Palestinians from Gaza working in Israel have been cancelled amidst the ongoing war. “There will be no more Palestinian workers from Gaza, and the workers who were in Israel when the war broke out will be returned to Gaza,” said Netanyahu’s office.

Tel Aviv has been pursuing the option of getting workers from India for the past few months, with the war now being cited as an immediate reason for the initiative. In May, during Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s visit to New Delhi, Israel and India signed an agreement to enable 42,000 Indian workers to go to the occupation state, with 34,000 earmarked specifically for the construction sector.

The move will fill the void left by displaced Palestinian workers whose work permits have been revoked.

According to CNN, workers who were unable to cross through an Israeli checkpoint since 7 October have reported being physically tortured by the Israeli authorities in detention centres. These workers were later deported to the Gaza Strip and had to cross the border on foot.

“We sacrificed, and they treated us like livestock over there,” Wael Al-Sajda told Voice of America as he pointed to his ankle fitted with an identification bracelet.

Al-Sajda was among the 18,000 or so Palestinians from Gaza allowed to work in menial jobs in Israel.

Many of them found employment in sectors such as restaurants, retail or construction. They either stayed in Israel temporarily or commuted daily, sending earnings back to their families in Gaza.

These work permits were highly sought after in Gaza, where the unemployment rate is nearly 50 per cent. Israel restarted the issue of such permits in recent years as a measure to stabilise Gaza and exert a “moderating” influence on Hamas, despite the broader blockade aimed at weakening the movement.

Palestinians normally comprise around 25 per cent of the workforce in Israel, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This number has been increasing steadily over the years, mainly due to limited job opportunities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“We are at war, and the Palestinian workers, who are a significant percentage of our human resources in

the sector, are not coming and are not permitted to work in Israel,” said Feiglin.

The unemployment rate in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip this year stands at 24 per cent, with the total labour underutilisation at 31 per cent. This means that a significant number of Palestinians are either unemployed or underemployed, and that working in Israel is a major source of income for many Palestinian families.

The Israeli occupation has had a significant impact on the Palestinian economy. The Israeli government’s restrictions on movement and trade make it difficult for Palestinians to find jobs. Moreover, Israel’s policies of land confiscation and settlement expansion have displaced many Palestinians from their homes and businesses. The Palestinian Authority’s weak economy is also a factor in the high unemployment rate. The PA relies on foreign donors for its survival, and its economy is fragile.

Commenting on the decision to replace Palestinian workers with people from India, Dr Mosheer Amer, Professor of Linguistics at the English Department of the Islamic University of Gaza, said that, “This is part of an overall scheme to inflict pain and suffering on the Palestinian people, especially in light of the high rates of unemployment among the Palestinian labour force.”

Those who travel to Israel daily have to wait in long lines at security checkpoints in order to get to work. These workers are obliged to contribute roughly 2,500 shekels (around $650) per month for a work permit. “This arrangement predominantly serves the middlemen who unlawfully market these permits, yielding an annual profit of around one billion shekels from approximately 40,000 Palestinian labourers,” said Amer.

Palestinian workers in Israel earn significantly less than Israeli workers, even when performing the same job in dangerous and low-skilled jobs, such as construction and agriculture. They are also often subjected to physical and verbal abuse by their employers and Israeli settlers.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is looking into claims of unfair treatment and abuse of Palestinian workers in Israel. “This will have serious economic repercussions for thousands of Palestinian households which are dependent on incomes generated from work inside Israel,” confirmed Dr Amer. “Any decrease in the number of Palestinian workers will have very negative effects on the Palestinian economy and the wellbeing of the population.”

Indian trade unions have opposed the proposed use of more workers from India, and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has condemned the Israeli government’s harsh treatment of Palestinian workers and is urging the Indian government not to send workers, especially construction workers, to the occupation state. It also called on workers to resist any such government directive.

“We will not let Indians steal the bread meant for Palestinians,” insisted Tapan Sen, general secretary of the CITU. “Instead, we call upon the Indian government to endorse the recent UN Resolution, which calls for an immediate ceasefire by Israel and a humanitarian truce, ultimately striving for a Palestinian homeland within the pre-1967 borders, free from any occupation.”

In recent years, India has grown closer to Israel, and support for Palestine has dwindled significantly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. India has also abstained from voting on a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing war.

There are currently 20,000 Indians employed in Israel, primarily in caregiving roles. Despite the ongoing war, a significant number of them opted to remain in the country, citing a sense of security and the appealing salaries as key reasons for their decision.

THE RINGER

Derek Thompson

Derek Thompson: ChatGPT is 1 year old this month.

We have had what feels like nine different hype cycles.

There’s been a flood of investment into anything that calls itself artificial intelligence. The White House wants to regulate it. Artists want to sue it. Marc Andreessen says it’s going to save the world. Effective altruists say it’s going to destroy the world. I have a much more prosaic place that I want to start with you. I want to know how to use this technology. I want to know how people are actually using this technology—not how they might use it five, 10 years from now, [but] how it’s actually being used right now. So let’s start with you, Kevin. Out of the suite of tools that calls itself generative artificial intelligence, what’s useful? How are you using it?

Kevin Roose: I use it for so many different things, and I guess the way that I’ll start is with work. So I am a journalist and a podcaster. I have experimented with using ChatGPT, Bing, Claude, etc. in many ways in my journalism. I’ll start with what I have found it is not useful for: writing my column. That is a thing that I am glad that it is not good at, but these tools are not good at producing highquality outputs when it comes to things like newspaper columns. That is just something that maybe I have resisted turning over to it because I have some pride in authorship, but it’s also pretty generic. It sounds like a Wikipedia article sometimes. So unless you give it very detailed instructions, it’s probably not going to spit out a high-quality column about something new that is happening in the world of tech.

So that is what I’m not using it for, but what I have been using this stuff for is almost everything else. So I have a podcast. We interview guests. I start almost every brainstorming process about what to talk about with a guest by asking ChatGPT, “What are some questions that this person might be able to answer?” I have used it to remind myself of things. The other day, we did an episode about AI wearables, these gadgets that you can put on your lapel that’ll record everything and use AI to analyze it. And I was thinking to myself, “I remember reading some story, some science-fiction story, about one of these devices,” but I couldn’t remember what it was.

So I just asked ChatGPT, “What is the science-fiction story about a wearable AI device that records everything?” And it came back and it told me, “Well, that was Ted Chiang’s The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling.”

And that was, in fact, the story I had been thinking of.

So I’ll use it for brainstorming. I’ll use it for research, for summarizing white papers. There’s a feature that’s been in Claude, which is the chatbot from Anthropic, for several months now where you can upload a PDF and say, “Summarize this for me.” So I use that a lot. I’ve also used it for things like, “Show me some empirical research about the effects of Airbnb and other short-term rental sites on urban housing prices.” That’s the kind of thing that these models are very good at. So I found it less useful as a way to write and more useful as a way to come up with the creative grist for writing.

Thompson: A lot of people’s interactions with the stories of generative AI circulate around this concept of hal-

lucinations. The first thing they think of when they think of ChatGPT is, “Oh, it often lies.” So you’re a New York Times journalist. What are your fact-checking protocols when you’re using ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude?

Roose: Yeah. So I always, if I’m going to use something that one of these chatbots tells me in a podcast or an article, I always check it against reality. That’s definitely a shortcoming of these models. And I found that they’re best at tasks that don’t require a high degree of precision or factual accuracy. But I also think that this hallucination problem is not as severe as maybe some people make it out to be. For most tasks, in most disciplines, it actually is pretty good at giving you the right answer or something approximating the right answer.

Thompson: I think it’s really interesting that you point out that it’s not so much about truth as it [is about] idea generation, about stirring creativity, about getting you unstuck. And I also totally agree that while it’s not particularly good at replacing humans and offering the final product of something like a New York Times column or an Atlantic column, it’s very good at being a copilot for getting you up to that final stage of writing the final product, whether it’s summarizing a body of research, summarizing a research paper, or surfacing research papers about a certain topic. You mentioned that you use it both in work and also outside of work. How do you use generative AI, ChatGPT, etc. outside of work?

Roose: All kinds of things. I’ve started trying to experiment with it as almost like a conversational practice coach. So if I have to have a tough talk with a friend or I’m nervous about some speech I have to give or something, I will practice on the AI first and have it pretend or role-play as my friend or the audience of a talk and just give me feedback. I’ve used it to come up with fitness plans, for meal prepping. I’m also using it to teach myself things. One of my goals for this year is to learn how to code in Python. And so I just made a custom GPT the other day that is my Python teacher, and it’s giving me lessons, and I can actually learn how to code using this chatbot as my personalized tutor.

Thompson: How have those difficult conversations with friends gone after you began with ChatGPT to help coach, rehearse your way through these future conversations?

Roose: Really well. Part of it is that it’s just useful to ask questions like, “How would a person with this personality type respond to this kind of conversation?” and just have it practice that interaction. I don’t use this all the time, every day, for every social interaction. I don’t want to give that impression. But I have tried it out on that kind of thing. And I would say it’s been fairly helpful. There’s a lot of talk right now about AI as a therapist, and people are trying to use it for that purpose. And I would say right now, it is probably not as good as the best human therapists and certainly doesn’t know as much about you, doesn’t have the history that a really seasoned therapist would have. But for basic stuff, for like, “I’m feeling really stressed at work; help me understand why that might be,” that kind of thing I’ve found that AI can actually be pretty good at, especially as an addendum to traditional therapy or just talking with a friend or a loved one.

06 NewS

XI, BIDEN CONCLUDE ‘STRATEGIC, HISTORIC AND DIRECTIONAL’ SUMMIT

A

SAN FRANCISCO

staff correspondent

FTER four hours of face-to-face, in-depth and comprehensive talks, the Chinese and US leaders concluded a significant China-US summit on Wednesday local time that is seen as strategic, historic and directional, forming a forward-looking “San Francisco vision” and setting the direction for a healthy, stable, and sustainable development of China-US relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Joe Biden for a summit at the Filoli estate in the south of San Francisco on Wednesday local time. The two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic, overarching and directional issues concerning China-US relations, as well as major issues concerning world peace and development.

The two sides agreed to promote and strengthen dialogue and cooperation in various fields, including to establish China-US government talks on AI, to establish a working group on counter-narcotics cooperation, and to resume, on the basis of equality and respect, high-level military-to-military communication, the China-US Defense Policy Coordination Talks, and the China-US Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meetings and to conduct telephone conversations between theatre commanders.

They also agreed to work toward a significant further increase in scheduled passenger flights early next year and to expand educational, student, youth, cultural, sports and business exchanges.

This China-US summit sent a positive and stable signal to the world, indicating that both China and the US are intent on easing and stabilizing bilateral relations and seeking opportunities for cooperation, some experts said. The meeting not only advanced the resolution of specific issues, improving bilateral relations, but also established a consensus for the development of China-US relations in the next phase, making plans and forming “a road map,” they noted.

Some experts hailed this highly anticipated summit as injecting greater certainty and new momentum into an uncertain world.

A slew of outcomes from the summit in-

Friday, 17 November, 2023 | karaChi

Planet ‘big enough’ for both US, China to succeed, says Xi WASHINGTON

staff correspondent

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had their first faceto-face meeting near San Francisco on Wednesday and both underscored the need to re-engage and de-escalate tensions.

In his opening remarks, President Biden stressed the need to prevent competition from escalating into conflict while President Xi emphasised that turning backs on each other was not an option for the United States and China.

The summit was held at the Filoli Historic House and Garden in Woodside, California. The talks covered various complex issues, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Biden aims to enlist China’s influence with Iran to prevent an escalation in Gaza conflict and wants Xi to use his leverage to halt North Korea’s arms supply to Russia.

Biden highlights the need to prevent competition from escalating into conflict According to the US media, the discussions also covered measures to curb the

dicates that it has become apparent that both Beijing and Washington no longer harbor illusory hopes for a rapid breakthrough or significant improvement in relations, some experts said. However, both sides also recognize the benefits of keeping tensions at the current level and preventing further deterioration.

Whether this summit can be seen as an important milestone in the overall progress of bilateral relations, and whether the two countries can continue to move forward is the real test of the sincerity and determination of the US side, especially after the Chinese leader had articulated comprehensively China’s stance on stabilizing and improving bilateral ties, Chinese experts said.

VARIOUS RESULTS “The two heads of state had a very good, comprehensive, and in-depth meeting at the Filoli estate,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a group of reporters after the

7th Silk Road International Exposition kicks off in China’s Xi’an

flow of fentanyl from China to the US. The reopening of military communication channels, closed by Beijing after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit last year, was also on the agenda.

In his address to President Biden and the US delegation, President Xi emphasised the evolving global landscape since their last meeting in Bali a year ago. He acknowledged the world’s recovery from the Covid pandemic but noted sluggish momentum of the global economy.

Reflecting on the historical fluctuations in Sino-US relations over the past 50 years, Xi highlighted that despite challenges, the relationship consistently progressed. “It is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other, and conflict and confrontation has terrible consequences for both sides,” he said.

“The world at large is big enough for the two countries to succeed.”

Xi expressed optimism about the ample opportunities for both countries to thrive in the vast expanse of the world and eagerly anticipated discussing various global issues during the summit.

In a press-accessible segment before the summit, Biden expressed gratitude for Xi’s visit to the US and reminisced about their previous meeting in Bali.

Biden underscored the need to navigate competition without descending into conflict, echoing sentiments echoed by his administration in the past. He highlighted the importance of clear understanding between leaders, stating, “I value our conversation because I think it’s paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader, with no misconceptions or miscommunication.”

Earlier, Biden arrived at the meeting site, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary Commerce Gina Raimondo, and his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

The primary goal of the summit is to restore communication channels, particularly in the military, to avoid potential conflicts. The talks address various contentious issues, including military tensions around Taiwan, disinformation campaigns, human rights violations, and economic concerns.

summit on Wednesday.

The outcomes of the China-US summit are multifaceted. On the basis of mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, the two sides discussed dialogue and cooperation in various fields, reaching over 20 points of consensus in areas such as political diplomacy, cultural exchanges, global governance and military security, Wang said.

What the US received from the summit is the restoration of communication and cooperation in multiple channels, including anti-drug law enforcement and military. What China wants from the meeting is to openly and confidently form a manageable future for bilateral ties from a strategic level, Jin Canrong, associate dean of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told media on Thursday.

During the four-hour meeting, the two leaders also communicated comprehensively

on global challenges such as the PalestinianIsraeli conflict, the Ukraine crisis, climate change, and artificial intelligence. They further explored the proper way for the two major countries to coexist and clarified the major responsibilities shared by China and the US, Wang said.

Lü Xiang, an expert on American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that “the US is very concerned about the Ukraine crisis and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, and the two leaders would surely have mentioned these topics during their meeting, because the US desperately needs help. China will firmly maintain its neutral and fair stance for promoting peace and seeking the possibility of mediation.”

UNSTOPPABLE REUNIFICATION On the Taiwan question, Xi emphasized during the summit with Biden that it remains the most important and sensitive issue in

US Senate passes stopgap bill, averts government shutdown for now

XI’AN

staff report

The 7th Silk Road International Exposition (SRIE) opened Thursday in Xi’an, the capital city of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, with high-standard opening-up and highquality development on the agenda. Themed “Trade Expansion, Interconnectivity, Mutual Prosperity,” this year’s exposition features six thematic exhibitions spread over an area of 72,000 square meters. Since its launch, the SRIE has achieved fruitful results in building a highland of reform and opening up and promoting the large-scale development of China’s western region in the new era. The previous six expositions attracted over 600,000 visitors. The total contracted investment amount in foreign projects and domestic joint projects reached $45.4 billion and over 8 trillion yuan, respectively. During this year’s SRIE, many international and domestic conferences, forums and series of activities will be held, including the opening ceremony and Silk Road Economic Belt International Cooperation Forum, guest of honor country activities, guest of honor province activities, Silk Road Expo key project promotion conferences and centralized signing ceremonies. This year’s SRIE has added, for the first time, an exhibition area for the five Central Asian countries, an exhibition area for international friendly cities in Shaanxi Province, an exhibition area for major foreign cooperation projects, and a South Korean commodity exhibition area at the international exchange exhibition. Jointly hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, the exposition goes on until November 20.

US

agencies

The US Senate averted a looming partial government shutdown by passing a stopgap spending bill with an 87-11 vote, which now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.

This move comes as a temporary solution, providing just over two months of breathing room until the next deadline on January 19. The measure drew bipartisan support, reflecting a rare consensus in modern US politics.

The bill, produced by Speaker Mike Johnson, maintains spending levels established in a May agreement with Biden and avoids contentious issues like abortion.

The avoidance of a government shutdown is significant, given the recent fiscal standoffs and near-miss scenarios that have brought Washington to the brink of defaulting on its substantial debt. The previous near-miss in October led to the ouster of Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

While Democrats welcomed

the cooperative approach, some hardline Republicans expressed discontent with the compromise.

Despite the temporary resolution, they vowed to address federal spending concerns when funding expires again. Representative Chip Roy emphasised the expectation of a fight upon lawmakers’ return.

The legislation extends funding for various sectors, including military construction, veterans benefits, transportation, housing, urban development, agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and energy and water programs until January 19. Funding for other federal operations, including defence, would expire on February 2.

These recurring battles over funding and potential government shutdowns have hampered progress on other crucial proposals, such as President Biden’s $106 billion aid request for Israel, Ukraine, and US border security.

The constant fiscal uncertainties have hindered lawmakers from addressing key issues and obligations, showcasing the urgency for a more stable and comprehensive fiscal approach.

UN Security Council calls for pauses in Gaza fighting for aid UNITED NATIONS reuters

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting between Israel and Palestinian Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip for a “sufficient number of days” to allow aid access.

The 15-member council overcame an impasse, which saw four unsuccessful attempts to take action last month, to adopt a resolution that also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held

by Hamas.

The United States, Russia and Britain, who are council veto-powers, abstained from Wednesday’s vote on the resolution drafted by Malta. The remaining 12 members voted in favour.

The council stalemate has largely been centred on whether to call for a humanitarian pause or a ceasefire.

A pause is generally considered less formal and shorter than a ceasefire, which has to be agreed by the warring parties. The United States has backed pauses, while Russia has pushed for a ceasefire.

Russia failed in a last minute bid to amend the resolution to call for a truce leading to a cessation of hostilities. Russia abstained because there was no call for an immediate ceasefire, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council.

The resolution was the fifth council attempt to take action since Israel says Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostage in a surprise assault on Oct. 7. The text also does not condemn the Hamas attack – a point of contention for Israel’s ally, the US, and Britain. “Ultimately, the United States could not vote ‘yes’ on a text that did not condemn Hamas – or reaffirm the right of all member states to protect their citizens from terrorist attacks,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council after the vote.

Britain also abstained because there was no condemnation of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

“The barbarity of those attacks should be clear to us all,” Britain’s UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council. “But let me be absolutely clear, it was vital and overdue for the council to speak on this crisis and

we strongly support the resolution’s purpose: to get aid in, and hostages out.”

The council called “for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a sufficient number of days to enable … the full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access.”

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, which rules Gaza, striking the enclave of 2.3 million from the air, imposing a siege and invading with soldiers and tanks.

Gaza health officials, considered reliable by the United Nations, say about 11,500 Palestinians are confirmed killed. “Hamas has deeply embedded itself within the civilian population in Gaza,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

“But we have been clear at the highest levels: Hamas’s actions do not lessen Israel’s responsibility to protect innocent people in Gaza.”

The Security Council attempted four times in two weeks in October to act. Russia failed twice to get the minimum votes needed, the United States vetoed a Brazilian-drafted resolution and Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted resolution.

The resolution adopted on Wednesday demands compliance with international law, specifically the protection of civilians, especially children. It also calls on all parties not to deprive civilians in Gaza of basic services and humanitarian aid needed for their survival, welcomes the initial, limited deliveries of aid, but calls for that to be increased.

China-US relations, and China values the positive statements made by the US side during the Bali meeting.

The US side should take real actions to honor its commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence,” stop arming Taiwan, and support China’s peaceful reunification. China will realize reunification, and this is unstoppable, Xi stressed.

This time, the Chinese top leader openly and directly urged the US side to support China’s efforts for “peaceful reunification,” and this is a significant message to the US and the world, Jin noted.

As the US side has repeatedly expressed its concerns about a potential war in the Taiwan Straits, it’s necessary to let the US understand that “if one day a war breaks out in the region, it means China has completely lost hope for peaceful reunification, most likely due to US interference,” and that’s why China urges the US not to arm the island of Taiwan, said Lü.

If the US doesn’t want to see a war, the correct solution is to support China’s efforts to realize reunification peacefully. And if the US shows duplicity on this matter or does the opposite to disrupt China’s peaceful reunification process, the US will see undesired consequences, said experts.

Biden said during the meeting with Xi that the US adheres to the one-China policy, welcomes dialogue between government agencies at various levels, and is ready to maintain open and candid communication with China to increase understanding, avoid misperceptions and manage differences.

Biden said the US does not support “Taiwan independence” and has no intention to have a conflict with China.

UNCERTAINTIES REMAIN The substantial outcomes of the XiBiden summit help to weave “more resilient ties” for China-US relations, especially, for example, when China showed ample goodwill on the restart of drug control cooperation mainly following a demand from the US side, some experts said.

But it is very important to ensure that the established working groups and communication channels are effectively utilized, they said, noting that US domestic politics could pose a number of challenges to bilateral relations.

CORPORATE CORNER

Managing Director PBMAmir Fida Paracha along with ICT police and participants during training session for Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal drivers at PBM head office Islamabad

Director NIMA, gave a brief introduction of the working domain of NIMA

ISLAMABAD

staff report

The National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA), Islamabad organized lectures on Maritime related topics for students and members, Faculty of Contemporary Studies (FCS), National Defense University Islamabad on 16 Nov 23. The lectures were attended by 60 x FCS / NDU students of BS, MPhil & PhD and faculty members. Director NIMA, Islamabad Cdre. Bilal Abdul Nasir extended a warm welcome to the esteemed guests. Director NIMA, Islamabad gave a brief introduction of the working domain of NIMA for the information of guests. He later shed light on “Maritime Security”, emphasizing the strategic importance of Pakistan's maritime sector and highlighting the significance of the Indian Ocean in global maritime security. Additionally, Mr. Kamran Hamid Hashmi delivered an enlightening lecture on "Major Powers Interests in the Indian Ocean”.

High Rank Delegation from Kuwait Embassy Visits Safe City Islamabad; meets ICCPO ISLAMABAD

staff report

According to the details, a high-ranking delegation from Kuwait Embassy Islamabad visited Safe City Islamabad and met with the Islamabad Capital City Police Officer (ICCPO), Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, a public relations officer said. He said that the delegation was briefed on the stateof-the-art cameras and visited the police operations center hall. ICCPO highlighted the comprehensive procedures and benefits and emphasized the role of Safe City Islamabad in various sectors. On the occasion, the SSP Safe City Islamabad was also present. The ICCPO informed the high-ranking officials of the Kuwait Embassy and the Director General of the Anti-Narcotics Force that Safe City Islamabad is playing a significant role in various departments through modern technological projects.

Friday, 17 November, 2023 | KARACHI

CORPORATE CORNER

Chairman Sehgal Company Ikram Majeed Sehgal presenting his book to Nabeel Parvaiz Kayani, CEO GN Enterprises. PR

OGDCL, KUFPEC partner to explore joint business opportunities and expertise sharing

T

PESHAWAR

AZIZ BUNERI

RANSPeshawar, the company that operates Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) service has proposed reducing the number of buses on feeder routes due to on-going financial crisis. The company is seeking provincial government’s support and seeking a total of Rs950 million, citing non-payment of outstanding balances by the provincial government.

The BRT administration has urgently urged the provincial government to promptly clear the outstanding dues, emphasizing that Rs580.60 for August and September were not paid, and by the end of the current month, the outstanding dues will reach Rs950mn. The company

said that Immediate payment is essential to address the financial difficulties leading to the restriction of BRT services.

Sources reveal that insufficient funds

are forcing thr company to limit operation of BRT services on feeder routes such as Kohat Road, Charsadda Road, and Ring Road. In the next phase, buses

Release of Rs100bln fund to help in uplift of tribal districts: Minister PESHAWAR

STAFF REPORT

A senior level delegation from Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), Kuwait, led by Mr. Tareq M. Ebrahim (EVP – Operations) and including Mr. Ali Taha Al-Temimi (Country Head – KUFPEC, Pakistan), Mr. Bader Al-Matar (Manager Asia Region), Mr. Nawwaf AlSalem (Manager Exploration), Mr. Khaled Al-Athainah (Manager Exploration, Pakistan) and Mr. Abdul Ghafoor (Sr. Specialist Geologist, Pakistan), visited OGDCL Head office today and met with Mr. Ahmed Hayat Lak MD / CEO along with senior management team of OGDCL. During the visit, an MOU has been signed between the two companies. The objective of this MOU is to formalize joint evaluation of potential business opportunities in upstream projects in Pakistan and internationally, participation in bid rounds, joint studies, formation of a pool of technical experts / specialists from both companies. PR

Unity Foods CEO Highlights Agricultural Opportunities for Investorsat The Future Summit

KARACHI: Unity Foods Limited, a leading agroproducts company, is the Principal Sponsor of the 7th Edition of The Future Summit, a 2-day event that brings together leading experts and thought-leaders across sectors to deliberate on key issues and opportunities posed to Pakistan. The theme of this annual event this year is “The Big Picture.” Farrukh Amin, the CEO of Unity Foods was the key note speaker, he opined that as far as the Big Picture for Pakistan is concerned, there are several opportunities in the agriculture sector that local and foreign investors can take up. In the midst of current economic challenges there has been a drop in per capita income due to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and floods in 2022. Other nations too have faced similar adversities, with currency depreciation also in Japan, China, and Egypt. He emphasized the agricultural sector's potential in Pakistan, noting its large population, extensive irrigation network, and significant global rankings in wheat, rice. PR

Gas theft crackdown: Another 53 connections disconnected in Punjab, KP and Islamabad

LAHORE: During the ongoing crackdown against gas pilferers, SNGPL continued raids in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad, disconnecting another 53 connections while 180 under billing cases processed ; Rs 5.66 million fine imposed In Lahore, the regional team disconnected 06 connections on illegal use of gas and another 5 on use of compressor and 52 Under billing cases have been processed. The team also imposed fine of Rs 2.49 million against gas theft and under billing cases and lodged one FIR against gas pilferes.In Bahawalpur the company disconnected two connections on the use of compressor and 58 Under billing cases have been processed .The regional team in Multan disconnected 1 connections on illegal use of gas,25 Under billing cases have been processed.The team imposed fine of Rs 0.03 million against gas pilferes. PR

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Minister for Tribal Affairs, Dr Aamir Abdullah was optimistic that release the committed funds worth Rs100 billion would surely help resolve issues relating to uplift activities in the tribal districts.

These views were expressed by

him while addressing a tribal jirga held in the Deputy Commissioner’s Committee Room at Wana, district headquarters South Waziristan on Thursday. The jirga was attended by Deputy Commissioner (DC) South Waziristan Lower Nasir Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Kashmir Khan, District Police Officer (DPO) Farmanullah Wardag and district heads of various

THE FUTURE SUMMIT, jointly hosted by HBL and Nutshell, ends with the resolve to rethink the Big Picture!

department and tribal elites.

The tribal elders highlighted problems on the occasion. Development projects, law & order and hurdles in uplift schemes in the district were discussed in detail.

The tribal elders especially complained regarding unfulfillment of commitments made at the time of the merger of erstwhile Federal Administered Tribal Area.

TRNC envoy thanks Pakistan for supporting 40 years celebration

om Hayatabad rout will also be restricted, and various stops will be terminated.

Moreover, TransPeshawar is taking measures to cope with financial challenges, including initiating layoffs of employees. The provincial government is also grappling with severe financial crises, and despite multiple attempts, it has been unable to secure funds from the federal government. This financial strain has not only affected the BRT service but also other developmental projects, causing delays.

Due to the lack of funds, the provincial government is unable to meet ongoing expenditures, leading to the non-payment of salaries to project employees. The financial constraints are negatively impacting various projects, raising concerns about the financial stability of the provincial government.

Pharmaceutical Industry plans to enhance export by $1 billion in FY24: DRAP CEO

KARACHI: The government, along with all stakeholders of the sector, has set a target to enhance pharmaceutical exports to $1 billion in the current financial year from $713 million in exports in the last financial year.This was stated by Asim Rauf, CEO Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), in a press briefing held on the concluding day of 20th PharmaAsia.The government is working proactively in collaboration with all stakeholders of the pharmaceutical sector, including pharmaceutical companies, raw material producers, and universities, to increase the footprint of this sector in different countries.We held a high-level meeting on the sideline of this conference to set up a plan to achieve the target of $1 billion in exports in the current financial year, he added.Asim Rauf said the government is facilitating the private sector to establish five API plants to increase the production of different medicines at a local level for relying less on imported brands while ensuring the medicines should be available at low prices in a domestic market. PR

National Bank on-boarded new billers in NBP Digital App

KARACHI: THE FUTURE SUMMIT (TFS) 7th Edition concluded on its second day, with yet another impressive lineup punctuated with thoughtprovoking conversations and engaging dialogues.

Under the theme THE BIG PICTURE, the 7th Edition of TFS was jointly hosted by Nutshell Group and HBL, powered by Unity Foods Limited, in strategic partnership with the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) and CORPORATE PAKISTAN GROUP.Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Caretaker Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue, joined the audience virtually, she shared her views, “Pakistan has the potential to become a major economic player. PR

ISLAMABAD: Representative of TRNC Dilsad Senol has thanked Pakistan for its whole-hearted support on the issue of Cyprus. She expressed these views on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.Chairman Senate Defence Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Senator Shahzad Waseem, Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, Ambassador of Turkiye Mehmet PIicaci, Director General Ministry of Foreign Affairs Imran Haider, Representative of TRNC Dilsad Senol and others attended the reception.Dislad Senol further hoped relations between TRNC and Pakistan would grow further even in the days to come.She also thanked her motherland Turkiye for its support. PR

Solar Industry Leaders Unite to Drive Clean Energy Adoption in Pakistan

UMT Holds its 25th Convocation 3799 Graduates Awarded Degrees

In continuation to its digital banking services, NBP has onboarded new billers in NBP digital app features. NBP customers can also pay their utility bills for FESCO, IESCO, and QESCO through NBP digital app easily. This will not only enhance customers’ experience but also facilitate to make payments swiftly. PR

Mari Petroleum Signs MoU with KUFPEC

Solar companies, manufacturers, importers, and installers from across Pakistan are converging in the provincial metropolis to rally behind government initiatives aimed at promoting clean energy usage in the country. This gathering, organized by the Pakistan Solar Association (PSA), brings together around 400 industry members dedicated to discussing comprehensive plans to maximize the utilization of solar energy for a cleaner and sustainable future.Amid a growing global focus on renewable energy, the solar industry in Pakistan is stepping up to play a pivotal role in reshaping the nation's energy landscape. Amir Chaudhry, President of the Pakistan Solar Association, expressed his excitement about supporting the government's initiatives, stating, "We are going to formulate ideas that will translate government’s vision into reality, aiming to improve the country's clean energy usage by 60 percent." PR

LAHORE: University of Management and Technology (UMT) held its 25th Convocation 2023 on Thursday, November 16 at Johar Town campus, Lahore. A total of 3799 graduates were given degrees in various disciplines on this occasion.

According to the details 3083 Bachelor, 133 Master, 553 MS/MPhil and 30 PhD degrees were conferred.

Furthermore, 44 Patron Gold Medals, 53 Rector Silver Medals, 09 Rector Academic Excellence Awards (Gold), 08 Certificates of Excellence, 03 Certificates of Merit, 06 Research Publication Awards for MS/MPhil students, 02 Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad Medal Awards, 01 Khurram Murad Medal Award, 01 Mubarak un Nisa Medal Award, 01 Dr Muhammad Ahmed Medal Award, 02 Greenair Medal Awards, 01 Fast Excellence Award, 01 Yasir Memorial Award and 07 Rector Awards for Entrepreneurship. PR

Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) K.S.C.C to collaborate, jointly evaluate, and participate in bidding for selected blocks both in and outside Pakistan in addition to evaluation of potential farm-in opportunities. The MoU also covers to explore synergies to conduct joint studies for identified countries / regions and form a technical hub of specialist to provide expert opinions and suggest solutions for exploration, subsurface and drilling operations. The parties have also agreed to strengthen strategic relationships, technical capabilities and knowledge transfer between them through potential secondment opportunities in each other offices and fields at their own cost. PR

HBL and the Bank of China sign an MoU on Strategic Cooperation to enhance regional trade

FINCA Microfinance Bank explores potential merger or acquisition with TPL Corp, Abhi Limited

UNHCR and PPAF Collaborate to Empower Afghan Refugee Families with Sustainable Livelihood

Zong 4G Celebrates UAE National Day with Enhanced Connectivity through Roaming Bundles

ISLAMABAD: As the UAE’s National Day approaches, Zong 4G’s UAE Roaming Bundles, truly embody the spirit of celebration and unity.

These bundles not only provide seamless connectivity for travelers but also serve as a testament to Zong 4G's commitment to fostering connections during this special occasion.In the spirit of celebration, Zong 4G has simplified the activation process for UAE Roaming Bundles. Users can easily subscribe to these bundles through the My Zong App (MZA) or by dialing *4225#, ensuring hassle-free connectivity. Zong 4G remains committed to providing a seamless experience for users, allowing them to focus on the celebrations rather than the logistics of staying connected. PR

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FINANCIAL CRISIS: PESHAWAR’S BRT PROPOSES RESTRICTION OF BRT SERVICES NEWS

KARACHI: HBL and the Bank of China (BOC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Strategic Cooperation at the BOC headquarters in Beijing, China. Liu Jin, Vice Chairman & President - Bank of China, Sultan Ali Allana, Chairman HBL, and Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO - HBL represented their respective institutions.

The signing of the strategic cooperation memorandum signifies HBL and BOC’s commitment to drive economic empowerment and regional connectivity. The cooperation between HBL and BOC will facilitate seamless trade opportunities, benefiting businesses in South Asia, Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. PR

KARACHI: FINCA Microfinance Bank is taking initial steps to explore a potential merger or acquisition with TPL Corp, Abhi Limited, with a non-binding letter of intent, subject to the approval of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The two organizations share a commitment to financial inclusion in Pakistan and believe that a combination could create a more effective force for good.“FINCA Microfinance Bank, Ltd. is committed to spreading financial inclusion across Pakistan, enabling more low-income Pakistanis to invest in their futures and their communities,” said FINCA Pakistan CEO Jahanzeb Khan. “We are excited to investigate how a combination of our two institutions can add value to the services we provide our customers.” FINCA Pakistan is part of FINCA Impact Finance (FIF), an international network of 16 microfinance banks, with nearly 40 years of experience in empowering tens of millions of people to build their financial health. TPL Corp is a diversified financial services company with a presence in insurance, investment banking, and asset management.Both parties will work diligently to explore the potential combination and to reach an agreement that is in the best interests of all stakeholders, customers, employees, and shareholders PR

The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has embarked upon the distribution of productive livelihood assets to Afghan refugee families under the UNHCR funded Poverty Graduation Programme (PGP) for Afghan Refugees. Currently in its fourth phase, the programme is committed to empowering over 3,000 Afghan Refugee families residing in six refugee camps in Districts Nowshera, Quetta, Pishin and Islamabad. This would enhance their self-reliance and livelihoods by equipping them with transferable skills applicable in both Pakistan and Afghanistan upon their return. PR

subsidiary MULTIPLE FACTORS PREVENTED IMRAN’S SSGC’s allowed to import LNG ‘RAPPROCHEMENT’ WITH MILITARY: ALVI without bidding

Friday, 17 november, 2023

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ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

RESIDENT Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday stated that multiple factors contributed to the failure of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s bid for rapprochement with the military.

In an interview with VOA, President Alvi said that his interactions with the prime minister primarily revolve around governmental affairs. He added that even during Imran Khan’s tenure as premier, discussions on personal matters were largely absent from their exchanges.

The president emphasised the necessity of a level-playing field for all political parties to ensure transparent and credible elections.

Regardless of the outcome, the president pledged to uphold his responsibility of administering the oath to the elected candidate, whether it be Nawaz Sharif or any other individual.

Regarding speculations surrounding the formation of a “king’s party” ahead of the elections, Alvi opted not to comment, expressing concern that such statements could potentially drag him into a controversy.

To another question, Alvi explained that he did not believe in politics of vio-

lence and therefore condemned the May 9 incidents. “Also, the governments should not create such a situation which may lead to violence,” he added.

The president also unequivocally dismissed any doubts surrounding the potential delay of the general election, asserting that the judiciary, executive, and political leaders are in unanimous agreement on the scheduled date of February 8.

President Alvi said that through his letter, he invoked the government’s attention towards the apprehensions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

To a query, the president said the

Constitution did not allow the president to take “practical” action to ensure the transparency of an election. “The president has no other way but to bring such issues to the notice of the government,” he said.

He said that the office of the president did not have an administrative authority, however, the points raised by it held a significant value.

Emphasising the shared responsibility of the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure a level-playing field for all political parties, the president commended the

government’s commitment to this principle, expressing the nation’s trust in their assurance. Stating that he represents all Pakistanis rather than any specific party, Alvi pledged to identify and address issues whenever they arise.

Addressing the Supreme Court’s role in establishing unanimity over the election date, the president expressed confidence in the judiciary.

Commenting on the expulsion of illegal Afghan refugees, Alvi endorsed the government’s decision, citing the country’s economic constraints. Any review of this decision, he noted, rests with the apex committee.

President Alvi also addressed the cross-border infiltration issue, stating that despite evidence provided to the interim Afghan government, no action was taken against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

He urged the Afghan administration to take practical steps and emphasised that there was no communication gap between Islamabad and Kabul.

Touching on the Palestine issue, the president reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding support for Palestinians and its efforts to raise the Gaza situation at international forums. He emphasised that the resolution of the Palestine issue lies in a two-state solution.

Hyderabad accountability court rejects bail for Iqbal Z Ahmed in Rs28bn money laundering case PROFIT

AHMAD AHMADANI

Pakistan re-elected to UNESCO Executive Board for 2023-27 terms PARIS

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan has been re-elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with highest number of votes in the group.

According to details, Pakistan’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO based in Paris, France in a statement said Pakistan was re-elected for the term 2023-2027.

“We are thankful to member States for their support and trust. Pakistan will continue to work together with all members states in advancing our shared objectives,” a statement issued from Paris said.

The statement said it was a matter of immense pride to have been entrusted with the responsibility to serve on the Executive Board. “Pakistan will avail this opportunity to continue to contribute to the policymaking, development of norms, advancement of global priorities, and effective oversight of programs and activities of the Organization,” it said.

The statement emphasized that Pakistan values the everrelevant and crucial role of UNESCO as a universal forum to promote the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind and advancement of global peace and development through education, science, culture and communication.

“As an ardent advocate of multilateralism, Pakistan will endeavour to strengthen our collective efforts at UNESCO, including by building bridges across regions and forging consensus on key issues for tangible outcomes and impact on ground,” it said.

The statement highlighted that as a partner, Pakistan would continue to extend proactive support for the SIDS Operational Strategy and Global Priorities — Africa and Gender Equality.

“Pakistan’s re-election is a testament to its longstanding support for and constructive role at the United Nations,” it said.

The Accountability Court in Hyderabad, Sindh, has denied bail to Iqbal Z Ahmed and five co-accused, citing the absence of fresh grounds for their release.

The decision came during a hearing where Farooq H. Naek, the counsel for the accused, and Jane Khan, Special Prosecutor for NAB, presented their arguments.

Farooq H. Naek, learned counsel for accused persons each namely, Iqabl Z. Ahmed, Fasihuddin Ahmed, Raziuddin Ahmed, Asim Iftikhar, Qazi Humayon Fareed and Salamat Ali. Jane Khan, Special Prosecutor, NAB was present on the occasion of Accountability Court Hyderabad’s hearing on the request of Naseem Akhtar, Incharge Judge, Accountability Court Hyderabad, in its order dated 16-11-2023, said, by this order, I intend to dispose of post arrest bail application filed on behalf of above named accused persons under section 497 Cr.P.C read with section 9 (b) of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The brief facts of the reference are that all accused persons with a common intention and in connivance with each other during the period from 20-10-2011 to 20-08-2019, have maliciously declared the sale of LUB Gas Pvt. Ltd as Rs.72 billion respectively with sheer intention: to cover up the injection of black money into the corporate bank accounts of JJVL, Lub Gas and NGL regarding extraction from the gases supplied by the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL/Government Exchequer.

It is also mentioned in the references that the documentary evidences/record seized from the SSGCL reveals that SSGCL supplied the LPG worth Rs 22.88 billion and contrary to that of JJVL declared ias sale as Rs 43.43 billion which became 200 percent more than the actual sales or LPG received from the SSGCL, whereas the record of sales tax return submitted by the JJVL to the Federal Boar of Revenue (FBR) reveals that the total sale of JJVL was Rs 35 billion. It has

transpired during investigation after further verification that JJVL supplied 347,625,565 metric tons out or 614, 285 metric ton of LPG to its owned five companies, which was 57pc of total LPG sale as declared to Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the value of 57% sale was Rs 21.79 billion. If this figure was extrapolated to 100% this tantamount at Rs 38 billion which again was lower than self-declared figure of Rs 72 billion and deposited into top eight banks accounts opened at Habib Metro Bank (HMB), Summit Bank and Bank of Punjab and the same amount was withdrawn with the signature of accused Iqbal Z Ahmed. The analysis of said accounts have further established that the deposits included loan facility of Rs 24.45 billion, intra accounts and companies transferred Rs 35 billion, transferred from Lub, PPRL, Star Power And transferred from accused persons each namely Fasih-u-din Ahmed, Razi-ud-din Ahmed, Asim Iftikar and Salamat Ali was as Rs 25.95 billion and cash of Rs 1.289 billion, hence total was Rs 156.76 billion, thus difference of Rs 16.54 billion (inclusion of cash) has been identified . As per corruption and corrupt practices and money laundering /layering as defined in section 9(a) of NAO, 1999 and section 3 of AMLA, 2010 respectively, laundered the amount worth more than Rs 28 billion in the following manner: The loss related to JJVL by accepting the sales as Rs 72 billion was Rs 16.54 billion. However, on actual sale it would be more than Rs 22 billion.

The loss identified against Lub Gas was Rs 7.7 billion The loss identified Mehran LPG for cash was Rs 625 billion.

The loss of accused Iqbal Z Ahmed’s personal accounts was Rs 4.069 billion Total loss was Rs 28.995 billion (Rs 16.54+ 7.7+ Rs 0.625+ 4.069).

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

217,825 Afghan nationals repatriated from KP in two months PESHAWAR

STAFF REPORT

A total of 217,825 Afghan nationals have been repatriated from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to their native country during the last two months.

According to KP Home Department, majority of the immigrants – 214,194 were repatriated through the Torkham border.

“This figure encompasses 18,167 families, comprising 60,307 males, 47,221 females, and 106,666 children, who have been sent across the border from September 17 till date,” it said. Moreover, 3,212 Afghan nationals crossed the border at Angoor Ada in the Lower Waziristan border, and 410 at Kharlachi in the Kur-

ram district.

“On November 15, a notable repatriation took place, with 522 families, including 525 males, 493 females, and 974 children, were

sent back to Afghanistan via the Torkham border. Simultaneously, 233 illegal foreigners were deported through Torkham,” the Home Department said.

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PAKISTAN SSGC-LPG (PVT) LIMITED (SLL) HAS BEEN PERMITTED TO PROCURE 20,000 TONNES OF LPG PER MONTH FROM NOVEMBER 2023 TO MARCH 2024 THROUGH SPOT CARGOES PROFIT

NEWS DESK

The government has once again decided to rely on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports in response to the current gas supply challenges. A subsidiary of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has been granted permission to import gas without going through a bidding process.

As per reports, Pakistan SSGC-LPG (Pvt) Limited (SLL), a subsidiary of SSGC, has been allowed to procure 20,000 tonnes of LPG per month from November 2023 to March 2024 through spot cargoes.

The exemption covers four rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) that regulate the bidding process and contract award.

SLL’s request for exemption was submitted to the PPRA through the Petroleum Division on October 3, 2023. Earlier this year, on June 9, 2023, the government, following the PPRA board’s recommendation, granted SLL exemption from specific rules for the purchase of spot LPG cargoes from April 2023 to September 2023.

The PPRA board also suggested that the Ministry of Energy should follow the principle of ‘lowest price’ for the whole quantity and split the required quantity from various suppliers at the same lowest price if needed.

This is not the first time that the government has waived PPRA rules for LPG imports. Last year, the previous government had also given a similar exemption to SLL, which faced criticism from the LPG industry and dealers’ association. They accused the company of inflating the prices and violating the notified rates of the regulator.

LPG is considered an alternative fuel for domestic and commercial consumers, especially in areas where natural gas is not available. After reviewing a summary submitted by the Cabinet Division, the federal cabinet approved the proposal.

Adeel Mangi: Biden nominates Pakistani American to appeals courts

WASHINGTON STAFF REPORT

President Joe Biden nominated a Pakistani-American attorney to become a federal appeals court judge as part of a continued effort by the White House to diversify the federal judiciary.

Biden nominated Nicole Berner, the general counsel of Service Employees International Union, to the Richmond, Virginia-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals and New Jersey attorney Adeel Mangi to join the Philadelphia-based 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals.

Pakistan-born Adeel Mangi began his legal career in 2000 at Patterson Belknap and in 2010 became a partner.

His cases include a successful legal challenge on behalf of Muslim communities in New Jersey seeking to open mosques in Bernards Township and Bayonne.

The only two other Muslim Americans to serve as Biden appointed life-tenured federal judges to trial courts, and a fourth’s district court nomination is pending.

Biden also on Wednesday nominated three new district court judges in Oregon and Indiana, a state with two Republican senators, whose support will be needed for the two nominees to win Senate confirmation under the Senate’s “blue slip” custom.

The Democratic president has so far won Senate confirmation for 154 lifetime federal judicial nominees, the vast majority of whom have been women or people of color.

His decision to nominate Berner heeds calls from progressive advocates for the White House to appoint more pro-union labor lawyers to the bench at a time of rising unionization efforts nationwide and strikes in major industries.

Elahi reaffirms commitment to stand alongside Imran Khan LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhary Parvez Elahi said that nobody asked him for the press conference so far, making it clear that he was with Imran Khan and would be there for him. “I stand by Imran Khan and will continue to be there for him,” said Chaudhary Parvez Elahi while talking to the reporters in Lahore on Thursday. He said that he was jailed in a cell just

next to Imran Khan in Adiala jail.

He stated that the delegations from the IMF and the European Union visited Imran Khan in the jail. Elahi claimed that the PTI would get maximum votes in the upcoming elections that their rivals would surprise.

Elahi expressed confidence in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) securing a significant number of votes in the upcoming elections, reaffirming his commitment to stand alongside Imran Khan. Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench sum-

moned a comprehensive report within a week regarding the petition filed against the inadequate facilities provided to Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in Adiala Jail.

During the court hearing, Sardar Abdul Razzaq Khan, advocate for Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, argued for improved facilities in line with his client’s political and social stature.

The lawyer highlighted allegations of interference during meetings by the Narowal Bar, disrupting purposeful discussions in family and lawyer interactions.

Published by Asad Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk