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COURTS STANDING BEHIND EVERY POLITICAL PARTY FOR ELECTIONS: CJP ISA thursday, 4 January, 2024 i 21 Jamada Al-sani, 1445

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SC issues notices to Chief Secretary, IG Punjab on PTI’s plea for level playing field

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ISLAMABAD

Directs Khosa to approach tribunal and then contact SC if matter remains unresolved

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HIEF Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Wednesday declared that courts were standing behind every political party regarding elections while leading three-member bench hearing PTI’s contempt plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for violating directives on level-playing field.

On Wednesday, a three-member bench, headed by CJP Isa and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali, heard the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition regarding the level playing field in elections.

The court issued a notice to the Chief Secretary and IG Punjab, seeking their response on PTI’s plea for a level playing field. The hearing was adjourned until January 8, Monday.

At the outset of the hearing, the PTI’s lawyers submitted additional

documents to the Supreme Court stating that the nomination papers of 668 key PTI leaders, as well as around 2,000 proposers and seconders have been rejected.

According to the additional documents, 56 cases of snatching of nomination papers of PTI leaders took place, while proposers and seconders were also arrested, and it was decided to place video evidence in this regard in the Supreme Court.

Besides that, police also picked

Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 186 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition

up proposers and seconders of the party’s candidates, read the documents.

At the outset of the hearing, PTI counsel Latif Khosa and Shoaib Shaheen came to the rostrum.

During the hearing of the case, CJP Isa expressed indignation at the prefix of Sardar along with the name of PTI lawyer Latif Khosa. He remarked that the Sardar-Nawab system ceases to exist now and would not be tolerated in court.

The chief justice told Latif Khosa that his government of the PPP legislated on abolishing the chieftaincy system, while now his sons had also become sardars. At this, Khosa replied that it was written by the stenographer and wouldn’t happen again.

Justice Mazhar asked whether the PTI had approached the ECP on the SC’s verdict and that the “main case” had been dealt with on Dec 22 as the contempt plea was not a new case. He further asked whether the electoral body or its provincial branches had made a decision or issued any new directives. Khosa replied that the ECP had not given the PTI any directives. Here, the chief justice ordered Khosa to explain his legal and constitutional points rather than “starting a political lecture like everyone else”.

The CJP asked how the inspector generals and the chief secretaries were related to the ECP and ordered the PTI counsel to provide evidence.

Khosa responded that he had provided the details in his applica-

SC seeks ‘comprehensive’ report from commission on enforced disappearances ISLAMABAD

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a “comprehensive report” on missing persons from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, along with the details of all production orders issued so far.

The orders were passed as a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali heard a set of pleas. Among the petitioners was Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan who highlighted how the unlawful practice of enforced disappearances continued unabated, haunting generations upon generations.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances commission, headed by Justice Javed Iqbal, was established in 2011 to trace missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or tion, to which Justice Isa said the party could make only the ECP a respondent in the contempt plea and that a separate plea needed to be filed for action against individuals.

The CJP noted that if nomination papers had been rejected, an appeal could be filed against the rejection.

Khosa informed the SC that 668 nomination papers of the PTI had been dismissed, to which Justice

Ex-spymaster, Shahbaz Sharif ‘skip’ Faizabad sit-in probe hearing g

Probe panel considering recording Lt-Gen (r) Faiz Hameed’s statement via video link ISLAMABAD

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Former ISI chief Lt-Gen (r) Faiz Hamid and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif failed to appear before the Faizabad inquiry commission formed to probe the 2017 protest sit-in staged by Tehreek-eLabbaik Pakistan (TLP).

The commission had summoned the former spy chief on Tuesday and former premier Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday (Jan 3) for recording their statements.

According to sources, the commission is considering the option of record Gen (r) Faiz Hameed’s statement through video link.

This was the third time that the former ISI chief remained absent from the hearing being conducted by the inquiry commission, which earlier summoned him in the second week of December last year and then on December 29, sources said. However, the first notice couldn’t be delivered. Meanwhile, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif fails to appear before the Faizabad Dharna Commission.

Shehbaz Sharif was the chief minister of Punjab when the infamous Faizabad dharna (sit-out) took place near Rawalpindi.

The commission has already recorded the statements of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, Fawad Hasan

Fawad and several bureaucrats and police officers. The Faizabad sit-in commission on Monday summoned former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on January 3 to record his statement in the case.

According to sources, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president was summoned as he was the chief minister of Punjab during the sit-in.

In November last year, the caretaker federal government constituted the inquiry commission for the implementation of the Supreme Court’s 2019 Faizabad verdict.

The probe panel was constituted on the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan under the chair of IGP (r) Akhtar Ali Shah after the apex court rejected the factfinding committee report constituted by the government.

IHC bars authorities from ‘removing, harassing’ Baloch protesters ISLAMABAD

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday barred the capital authorities from removing the Baloch protestors sitting outside the National Press Club. The Baloch protestors filed a petition in the IHC against the ‘harassing’ of Islamabad police with the protesters. The IHC, responding to the plea, issued an order and barred the police from removing Baloch Family members who were sitting outside the National Press Club. The court emphasized the importance of safeguarding the rights of individuals engaged in peaceful protests. It directed the police authorities not to ‘harass’ the people sitting outside the National Press Club. The court adjourned the hearing till January 05 and directed the Deputy Commissioner and SSP Operations to appear personally in court on January 5, addressing the matter in their individual capacities. During a press conference, the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said that the issue of Baloch families from Balochistan was being projected in negative and in sharp contrast to realities as Balochs were standing with the state of Pakistan. Responding to different media queries during his visit to the Business Facilitation Center, the prime minister said that terrorists and armed militants had been involved in the killing of people of Balochistan. “They were killing doctors, lawyers, and teachers, “Anwaarul Haq Kakar stated. He reassured them that the state would fight with them with all force as they could not be given license to kill people.

The prime minister, referring to criticism by a section of the media, said that the government was not fighting with the Baloch families and regretted that efforts were made to spread confusion and mingle things together.

On November 15, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa had remarked that the commission would be empowered to summon anyone, including former army chiefs, prime ministers and chief justices.

The inquiry commission is required to submit its report to the top court on January 22.

The probe panel has also summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on January 3 (today), sources had told Geo News on Monday.

Earlier, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, then-secretary to PM Fawad Hasan Fawad and other senior officials serving in Islamabad and Punjab who were involved in the episode had appeared before the probe panel.

FAIZABAD VERDICT In November 2017, the top court had taken suo motu notice of the three-weeklong sit-in, which was held against a change in the finality-of-Prophethood oath, termed by the government as a clerical error, when the government passed the Elections Act 2017.

The sit-in was called off after the protesters reached an agreement with the government.

On February 6, 2019, a two-member bench of the apex court comprising the now-CJP Isa and Justice Mushir Alam recommended that persons, issuing an edict or fatwa to harm another person or put another person in the harm’s way must be dealt with iron hand and prosecuted under relevant laws.

It also ruled that the intelligence agencies must not exceed their respective mandates. Later, the bench disposed of a suo moto case regarding the 2017 Faizabad sit-in staged by the TLP. The 43-page verdict issued by the two-judge bench and published on the apex court’s website read: “Every citizen and political party has the right to assemble and protest provided such assembly and protest is peaceful and complies with the law imposing reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order.

“The right to assemble and protest is circumscribed only to the extent that it infringes on the fundamental rights of others, including their right to free movement and to hold and enjoy property.”

Imran, Fawad Ch indicted in contempt of ECP, CEC case ‘in absence of lawyers’ RAWALPINDI

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday were indicted in contempt of the Election Commission of Pakistan and the chief election commissioner (CEC), the lawyers confirmed.

An ECP bench, comprising four its members presided over the proceedings in Adiala Jail, where were both Imran Khan Fawad Ch have been incarcerated. The case was heard in-camera by a fourmember bench of headed by Nisar Ahmed Durrani in Adiala Jail and further hearing of the case was adjourned till January 16.

PTI lawyer Intazar Hussain Panjutha posted on his x account that Imran was indicted in the absence of his lawyers. “No one has seen such a controversial election commission in the history of Pakistan,” he said. During the hearing, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) formally indicted Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry. Both individuals, however, vehemently denied the charges leveled against them.

Imran Khan accused the Election Commission members of bias, alleging a lack of impartiality in the proceedings.

The ECP commission provided copies of the case to the former prime minister and the ex-federal minister, summoning witnesses to record their statements on January 16. The further hearing of the contempt of the election commission case was adjourned until January 16, following which Election Commission

organisations responsible for it.

While hearing a case on the chronic malaise of enforced disappearances today, the SC instructed the commission to prepare a report on all the missing persons cases and provide production orders issued “in each of the cases” to the Attorney General for Pakistan within 10 days.

As the proceedings commenced today, Ahsan’s lawyer Shoaib Shaheen read out loud previous judgments issued on the matter in court. He also mentioned the Faizabad sit-in case. However, the CJP asked how the case was linked to enforced disappearances.

“Enforced disappearances are not directly mentioned [in the order] but it mentions the role of intelligence agencies,” the lawyer said. At that, the top judge remarked that the Faizabad sit-in verdict had upheld the fundamental right to protest.

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Mazhar wondered how the court could understand the matter without being provided with the figures for the forms accepted.

Justice Mazhar also noted that the plea stated that data had been gathered via social media platforms and the names of a few had not been stated.

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PTI to move SC as PHC ‘returns bat’ to ECP; restores December 22 order PESHAWAR

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The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday vacated a single-bench’s December 26 order and restored the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) December 22 order which had stripped the PTI of its electoral symbol ‘bat’. A single-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Khan announced the reserved verdict on a review plea filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the singlemember bench’s December 26 order. Following the decision on Wednesday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced to approach Supreme Court (SC) against the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict, restoring Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order which had stripped the party of its electoral symbol ‘bat’. Advocate Qazi Anwar and Barrister Gohar Khan represented the PTI while Sikandar Basheer Mohmand appeared on behalf of the ECP in the court. On December 26, the Peshawar High Court’s single-judge bench announced the verdict on PTI’s petition challenging the ECP’s verdict, which had stripped PTI of using the ‘bat’ symbol. The decision comes as a blow for the party which has been clamoring for a level playing field in the run-up to the general election. In case a party fails to obtain an election symbol through a judicial intervention, its candidates have to contest for the national and provincial assemblies’ seats as independents. In that case, it would not be possible for them to join the PTI, even after winning the elections, because they can only join a party duly enlisted with the ECP. ‘FLAWED DECISION REVERSED’ Speaking to Geo News, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said that the PHC’s original decision to suspend the ECP order was flawed. “I thought it would be reversed, if not by the high courts then by the Supreme Court (SC) and that is what has happened,” he said. At the same time, Mehboob expected the case to end up in the top court. “This is a very big decision. The PTI will suffer a huge setback and that is why the SC will finally decide it,” he said.

More than 100 killed in terrorist attacks near tomb of Iranian Guards’ Soleimani

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DUBAI

Agencies

members left Adiala Jail.

In October 2022, the ECP had initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI chief, former party leader Asad Umar and Fawad for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and the electoral watchdog.

However, instead of appearing before the ECP, the three had challenged the ECP notices and contempt proceedings in various high courts arguing that Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017, which is the statutory provision regarding the commission’s power to punish for contempt, was against the Constitution. The PTI leaders had also sought from the high courts a declaratory relief from the charges.

But in January 2023, the Supreme Court had allowed the ECP to continue proceedings against Imran, Chaudhry and Umar, and on June 21, the ECP decided to frame charges against the trio.

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Two explosions caused by ‘terrorist attacks’ killed more than 100 people and wounded scores at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate top commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed in a 2020 US drone attack, Iranian officials said on Wednesday.

Iranian state television reported a first and then a second explosion during an anniversary event at the cemetery where Soleimani is buried in the southeastern city of Kerman. “The blasts were caused by terrorist attacks,” state media quoted a local official in the Kerman province as saying.

Babak Yektaparast, a spokesperson for Iran’s emergency services, was reported later as saying 73 people had been killed and 170 injured. The semiofficial Nournews had said earlier that “several gas canisters exploded on the road leading to the cemetery”. State TV showed Red Crescent rescuers attending to wounded people at the ceremony, where hundreds of Iranians had gathered to mark the anniversary of Soleimani’s death. Some Iranian news agencies said the number of wounded people was much higher. “Our rapid response teams are evacuating the injured… But there are waves of crowds blocking roads,” Reza Fallah, head of the Kerman province Red Crescent told state TV.

02 NEWS

PAKISTAN’S DOLLAR BONDS EXPECTED TO RALLY IN 2024: REPORT g

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ECP announces Jan 22 deadline for postal ballot applications ahead of elections ISLAMABAD

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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set January 22 as the deadline for receiving applications for postal ballot papers for the upcoming General Elections for the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistan.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), this provision is exclusively offered to government officials, armed forces personnel, and individuals in public offices, along with their spouses and children residing in a location different from the registered constituency. Additionally, individuals in detention and those with physical disabilities unable to travel, possessing a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) with a physical disability logo issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), are eligible to cast their votes through postal ballots.

Likewise, individuals appointed by the Returning Officer, such as police personnel assigned duties at polling stations different from their designated voting location, must submit their postal ballot applications to the Returning Officer within three days of their appointments.

The ECP clarifies that these applications should be made using the specified form and submitted to the Returning Officer of the relevant constituency in which these individuals are registered as voters. Those who receive postal ballots will not have the privilege to cast their votes in person at the polling stations.

Alternatively, individuals can download the application forms from the Election Commission of Pakistan’s website, www.ecp.pk.

Influenza causing respiratory illness among people across Pakistan: NIH

BONDS, WHICH ALMOST DOUBLED IN VALUE IN 2023, ARE STILL ATTRACTIVE TO INVESTORS WHO SEE PAKISTAN AS A HIGH-YIELD EMERGING MARKET: BLOOMBERG PROFIT

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NVESTORS foresee a second consecutive year of rally for Pakistan’s dollar bonds as the government is expected to secure another bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

The bonds, which almost doubled in value last year, are still attractive to investors who see Pakistan as a high-yield emerging market with a stable currency and improving economic outlook, according to UBS Asset Management

Govt completes privatisation of Heavy Electrical Complex g

IMS ENGINEERING LTD PAID RS1.4B FOR 96.6% SHARES IN HEC AND ALSO TOOK OVER ADDITIONAL LIABILITIES OF RS752M PAYABLE TO BANK OF KHYBER ISLAMABAD

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2ND JANUARY, 2024: Share certificates of HEC being handed over to Chairman IMS Engineering in the presence of Caretaker Federal Minister for Privatisation, Fawad Hasan Fawad.

The government has successfully privatised the Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC), a power transformer manufacturing facility, by handing over the share certificates to the buyer M/S IMS Engineering (Pvt) Limited on Tuesday.

The buyer paid Rs1.4 billion for the 96.6% shares in the HEC and also took over additional liabilities of Rs 752 million payable to the Bank of Khyber.

The bank issued an NOC for the conclusion of the transaction.

This was the first entity-level strategic transaction since 2015 and the fifth attempt at privatising the HEC with prior unsuccessful efforts in 2006, 2011, 2013 and 2015.

Earlier,the Privatisation Commission executed the bid on February 21, 2022 for selling 96.6% stakes in the HEC to IMS Engineering at Rs 99.999 per share which would fetch Rs1.41 billion for the government. PEL and Waves-Singer were unsuccessful bidders.

plans for better utilisation of the facility and expect to make exports of 250-300 million dollars in two to three years.

He also informed that they are replacing the current setup with state-ofthe-art German-made machinery and equipment and will also endeavour to meet local demand which is currently met through imports.

HEC is located in Hattar Industrial Estate, Haripur near the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor route and has an annual production capacity of 3,000 MVA.

The bid for the government’s 14.4 million shares was carried out as per the transaction structure approved by the Federal Cabinet in December 2020.

The caretaker Minister for Privatisation Fawad Hasan Fawad congratulated all the stakeholders who contributed towards the sale agreement and hoped that the privatisation would result in increased productivity, new employment, tax revenue and foreign exchange earnings for the country.

The chairman of IMS Engineering, Mahmoud Haq, said that they have

Mushahid hosts Christmas party in honour of sanitary workers, terms them ‘real VIPs’

ISLAMABAD

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A subtype H3N2 Influenza-A virus, causing severe respiratory illness in people across Pakistan, reported on Wednesday, citing the National Institute of Health report. The National Institute of Health (NIH) in its recent report stated that thousands of severe respiratory illness cases are being reported every week across Pakistan. The health experts revealed that the Influenza virus can be dangerous for the elderly and people with weakened immune systems The report further added that the real cause of severe respiratory illness is because of the subtype H3N2 Influenza-A virus, not COVID-19, as the rate of coronavirus cases in Pakistan is less than one percent. Meanwhile, the NIH in its report further added that the RSV is causing illness among children across the country. The health experts warned the patients not to consume antibiotics if they have influenza symptoms and suggested using a mask and washing hands frequently to prevent the disease.

and William Blair Investment Management.

Suleman Rafiq Maniya, an independent wealth manager in Karachi, predicts that the bonds can gain as much as 37% in the next 18 months. Pakistan signed a standby arrangement (SBA) of $3 billion with the IMF in July 2023, which enabled the South Asian nation to avert a sovereign default.

The loan programme also proved a catalyst for Pakistan’s dollar bonds and helped them to rank among the top performers in the world last year. While the gains are expected to moderate, reforms such as raising fuel and electricity prices may open the door

ISLAMABAD

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Senator Mushahid Hussain, who represents the Federal Capital in the Senate, held a Christmas-cum-New Year’s Party in honour of sanitation workers at the E7 Park, which was attended by about 150 persons. Lauding the hard work, role and contribution of sanitary workers to keep Islamabad ‘clean and green’, he said: ‘you are the real VIPs, given your honesty, dedication and hardwork and

we are proud of you’. He also awarded shields of appreciation to two retiring sanitary workers: Yaqoob Masih, who served for 42 years, and Saifur Rahman, who served for 38 years.

Talking to the media, Senator Mushahid Hussain said that knowing Islamabad is a city of the elites, where VIP Culture is prevalent and only VIPs are acknowledged or honoured, he wanted to set a different example, by ‘honouring our unsung heroes’, the poor, underclass belonging to the Christian community,

who are the weakest and most oppressed section of Pakistani society. He said ‘usually, in Islamabad, we only honour VIPs or those holding high office’. He said the ‘sanitary workers are the real VIPs, because they serve selflessly, above and beyond the call of duty, at meagre salaries, and it is because of them that our city is so clean and beautiful’.

Senator Mushahid Hussain said that ‘we must uphold Quaid e Azam’s vision of equality for all Pakistanis, irrespective of religion, caste or creed’ and respect the National Flag where the white colour honours non-Muslim Pakistanis.

He also said ‘humanity should be paramount and the real worship is serving humanity, above any prejudices or any consideration of colour, caste or creed’. Last year too, Senator Mushahid Hussain arranged a similar function in honour of Manzoor Masih, a retiring sanitary worker and other members of CDA Sanitation staff. The head of CDA Labour Union, Chaudhry Yasin, and Senator Fawzia Arshad, PTI Senator from Islamabad also participated in the function.

ECC maintains wheat support price for 2023-24 g

DECISION TO RETAIN PREVIOUS YEAR'S SUPPORT PRICE OF RS 3,900 PER 40 KG IS MADE IN RESPONSE TO CHALLENGES POSED BY 2022 FLOODS AND ECONOMIC CONSTRAINTS PROFIT

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The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet declined the Ministry of National Food Security and Research’s proposal to elevate the support price of wheat for the upcoming crop year (2023-24) to Rs 4,000 per 40 kg. Instead, the ECC has chosen to retain the previous year’s support price of Rs 3,900 per 40 kg.

The decision, reached after consultations with provincial governments, aims to provide consistency and avoid a substantial increase seen in the support price during 2022-23.

The Food and Agriculture Ministry’s summary highlighted that the ECC, in its March 1, 2023 meeting, fixed the profitable support price at Rs 3,900 per 40 kg,

allowing for a 44 percent profit margin.

This adjustment was made in response to the challenges posed by the 2022 floods and economic constraints in rural areas.

The ECC considered the average cost of production for an average farmer at Rs 2,495 per 40 kg.

While the Agriculture Policy Institute (API) proposed a cost of production at Rs 3,304 per 40 kg for the upcoming wheat crop, the provincial governments unanimously submitted recommendations to set the minimum support price at Rs 4,000 per 40 kg.

The ECC also received data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), indicating an average wheat price of Rs 4,939.38 per 40 kg and wheat flour at Rs 2,831.33 per 20 kg. Additionally, the International Grains

Council reported Black-Sea wheat prices at USD 245/MT (FOB) or USD 323/MT (CNF) at Karachi.

To address the demand-supply gap of 2.40 MMT in the country, the private sector has been encouraged to import wheat.

As of December 4, 2023, 20 private vessels have imported 1,147,795 MT of wheat, with an additional 1.00 MMT expected by the end of February 2024.

Due to delays in provincial responses, the announcement of the support price has been postponed, impacting the ideal time for wheat sowing in mid-November.

The recommendations from provincial

governments varied, with Punjab proposing Rs 4,000 per 40 kg, followed by Sindh at Rs 4,000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Rs 4,100, and Balochistan at Rs 400 per 40 kg.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Commerce have supported the Ministry of NFSR’s recommendation to set the profitable support price at Rs 4,000 per 40 kg. The summary has been forwarded to the ECC for consideration.

Thursday, 4 January, 2024 | ISLAMABAD

for another loan.

“They seem committed to this IMF program, and that is a significant point because it suggests there is a big likelihood for them to get another bailout,” said Johnny Chen, fund manager at William Blair in Singapore.

“There is also strong potential for reforms to pick up momentum after the elections,” he added. An index on Pakistan’s dollar bonds gained 93% in 2023, the best performance in emerging markets after El Salvador, Bloomberg report said.

In November last year, interim finance minister Shamshad Akhtar had said that Pakistan may seek a fresh loan from the IMF to save its fragile economy.

Investors are trying to gauge the risks as Pakistan goes for elections a month before the current IMF program ends in March.

Meeting the IMF’s stipulations has not only assisted Pakistan in securing funds from friendly nations but has also garnered support from other multilateral lenders.

Shamaila Khan, head of emerging markets and Asia Pacific at UBS Asset Management in New York, highlights a significant reduction in the risk of default in 2024 due to Pakistan’s compliance with the IMF program, emphasizing the criticality of the country’s adherence to these guidelines as the base case for investors.

Cement exports rise 156%, offset by 4% dip in domestic sales in December PROFIT

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Cement exports experienced a remarkable growth of over 156% in December, marking the third consecutive month of expansion, while domestic consumption experienced a nearly 4% decline. The surge is attributed to a substantial increase in overseas demand, particularly evident in a 155.85% rise in export dispatches, totaling 524,656 tonnes in December 2023. Conversely, local dispatches saw a decline of 3.81%, amounting to 3.536 million tonnes, indicating a slowdown in domestic construction activity. The latest data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) reveals a total rise in cement dispatches of 4.63% year-on-year, reaching 4.06 million tonnes. North-based cement mills exhibited nearly flat growth, dispatching 3.012 million tonnes, while south-based mills reported a 20.50% increase, reaching 1.048 million tonnes in December 2023. Further analysis shows that north-based mills dispatched 2.936 million tonnes domestically, experiencing a 0.69% decline, while south-based mills saw a 16.62% reduction, dispatching 600,073 tonnes locally. The export landscape reveals a 39.58% increase in exports from northbased mills and a substantial 197.87% surge from south-based mills in December 2023.

Concerns have been raised within the industry regarding negative growth in domestic dispatches over the past four months, with industry representatives urging government attention to address operational challenges, specifically related to the new Axle Load regime and Track and Trace system.

Exports surge by 22.21% in December, reaching 18-month high

PROFIT

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Pakistan’s merchandise exports have witnessed continuous growth for the fourth consecutive month, attaining an 18-month high in December, marking a recovery in export-led industrial growth. The latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) indicates exports proceed at $2.82 billion, reflecting a 22.21% increase compared to the corresponding month last year. On a month-on-month basis, exports increased by 9.29%. In the first half of FY24, exports registered a 5.17% growth, reaching $14.98 billion. The rise in December suggests a rebound in the textile and clothing sectors, with indications of securing global orders.

Caretaker Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz noted the December exports at $2.8 billion and expressed confidence in reaching the $3 billion potential. He said that the ministry aims for export-led development to achieve $8 billion monthly through a new policy under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) framework.

Meanwhile, imports declined by 12.25% to $4.52 billion in December, with negative growth persisting. On a monthon-month basis, imports decreased by 0.55%. The import bill for July-December FY24 fell by 16.28%, totaling $26.13 billion. In FY23, imports decreased by 31% to $55.29 billion, and the government targets $58.69 billion for FY24. The trade deficit narrowed by 34.29% to $11.14 billion in July-December FY24, compared to the same period last year. In December, the trade deficit contracted by 40.13% to $1.70 billion.

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MOHSIN DAWAR SAFE AFTER ATTACK ON VEHICLE IN NORTH WAZIRISTAN’S MIRANSHAH Thursday, 4 January, 2024 | ISLAMABAD

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MIRANSHAH

Staff RepoRt

ORMER lawmaker and National Democratic Movement (NDM) Chairman Mohsin Dawar remained unhurt after his vehicle came under fire in North Waziristan’s Miranshah on Wednesday, police said.

North Waziristan District Police Officer (DPO) Rohan Zeb said Dawar was targeted during an election campaign in the

area. “The vehicle carrying the former lawmaker was bulletproof,” he told reporters.

Zeb said security guards accompanying Dawar responded with gunfire, adding that the attackers used short machine guns (SMGs) in the assault.

The DPO said an additional contingent of police had been sent to the NDM leader after the attack.

Separately, in a social media post, the NDM said terrorism had been increasing in Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to the policies of the state regarding

PTI to move SC as PHC ‘returns bat’ to ECP; restores December 22 order CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

He said that keeping the facts of the case in mind, the PTI “showed haste” in conducting intra-party polls and did not properly conduct them. “If they had done so, then such a situation would not have arisen,” he said.

HEARING OF THE CASE: As proceedings started on Wednesday, PTI counsel Qazi Anwar stated that the ECP was not a judicial institution, adding that seeking court intervention for or against its own verdict constituted contempt of court.

He explained his absence in court yesterday, citing delays caused by security personnel stopping his vehicle at four different points.

Anwar reflected on the changed circumstances today, stating, “During the tenures of Gen Ziaul Haq and Gen Pervez Musharraf, no one bothered my family, but I cannot say the same about the current situation.”

Justice Khan said the court had nothing to do with what was happening outside the court.

The PTI counsel inquired about the ECP’s authority to challenge a high court order. He pointed out that the ECP had not yet issued a certificate for PTI’s intra-party polls and expressed concern about the approaching deadline of January 9.

Anwar further questioned the ECP, seeking an explanation for the rejection of nomination papers for PTI candidates. In response, the judge affirmed, “We will ask them [the commission] about it.”

Anwar went on to claim that all parties, except the PPP, hatched a conspiracy to keep the PTI out of the electoral battle. He further asserted that the Constitution mandated free and fair elections. For his part, the ECP lawyer noted that the PTI had secured a stay order against the commission’s verdict. “We have the authority to file a writ,” he said.

He clarified that the ECP did not delist any party, adding that while the PTI remained a listed party, it failed to conduct elections in accordance with the rules.

Explaining the decision to nullify the intraparty polls, the ECP counsel informed the court that the polls were declared null and void because “they were not according to the Constitution”. After listening to the arguments, the court reserved its verdict.

PTI TO MOVE SC FOR “BAT” SYMBOL AFTER PHC ORDER: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday announced to approach Supreme Court (SC) against the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict, restoring Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order which had stripped the party of its electoral symbol ‘bat’.

Talking to journalists outside Peshwar High Court, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan dubbed the PHC’s verdict “biggest reflection of the ECP’s biasness”, saying that it has decided to approach Supreme Court (SC) against the today’s order.

Gohar Khan questioned over the “legitimacy of election” after the ECP deemed the PTI’s intra-party polls “unconstitutional” and revoked the party’s iconic ‘bat’ electoral symbol. “If you take away the ‘bat’, the world will not recognise your election,” he said.

the Taliban.

“How will a level playing field be provided to Mohsin Dawar in such a dangerous environment?” it asked, demanding an immediate investigation into the attack.

The party added that the local administration was responsible for making security arrangements for candidates contesting in the upcoming general elections.

“We demand the election commissioner to immediately call an emergency meeting regarding the security of candidates in KP,” the NDM said.

Imran, Fawad Ch indicted in contempt of ECP, CEC case ‘in absence of lawyers’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

The incident comes a day after the bodies of at least six people were found in the North Waziristan district. According to police, the bodies of the barbers, who had been running shops in Mir Ali bazaar for many years, were discovered in agricultural fields after being abducted and executed in the night by unknown assailants.

Courts standing behind every political party for elections: CJP Isa CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Khosa clarified that all the complaints were from the PTI. CJP Isa reiterated the option to appeal the rejection, to which the lawyer replied that copies of the rejection were not being given and the path to appeal was “blocked”. At this, the chief justice remarked: “You think the high court is so helpless it cannot call the [returning officer (RO) and ask] ‘why have you rejected the nomination papers’?”

“We are trying to push through democracy but every day, we come across people not wanting to go into elections,” the CJP said, as he expressed his displeasure at Khosa for making the IGs respondents in his plea. “The courts are standing behind every political party for elections. We have repeatedly said so,” the top judge observed.

Justice Isa then directed Khosa to approach the election tribunal and then contact SC if the matter was still unresolved. At one point during the hearing, the CJP wondered how the court could accept the PTI’s contempt plea without listening to the other respondents and how it could direct for “accepting a party’s [nomination] papers and rejecting those of others”.

The court subsequently summoned the ECP officials to the rostrum. The CJP inquired about the deadline for filing an appeal against the rejection of nomination papers, to which the ECP’s director-general of law replied that today is the last day. For his part, Khosa argued that he had made the IGs respondents as the ECP had issued directives to them on the party’s complaint. When asked about the copy of the complaint, the counsel replied he had not attached it with the contempt plea.

Khosa asked whether the ECP had fulfilled its responsibilities by only giving directives to the provincial authorities, at which Justice Isa told him to stay within the scope of the contempt plea.

The top judge noted that the election commission had on Dec 26 submitted a report on the implementation of the SC’s directives. Here, Khosa urged the apex court to adjourn the hearing till tomorrow, at which CJP Isa directed the PTI counsel to submit a response to the ECP’s report first and provide details of what happened after Dec 26.

Upon Khosa saying that “everything has appeared on the media”, the chief justice said he does not watch the media.

“Not just cosmetic implementation; you are the protector of basic rights [so] you

should ensure transparent elections,” Khosa said to the CJP Isa. The chief justice stated that the PTI had not “made a particular allegation” in its contempt plea, adding that the party had also made similar accusations during the 2013 general elections but nothing had come out of it. Khosa argued that the situation back then had no comparison to the current circumstances. The top judge remarked that incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had been appointed by the PTI. “There cannot be a stronger order than our Dec 22 one. If you have made any complaint to the election commission after that, then you may tell us,” the CJP added.

Meanwhile, Justice Mazhar asked the ECP officials whether the body was providing the PTI with a level playing field, to which the ECP’s law DG replied that “every complaint” of the PTI had been forwarded to the relevant authorities and was decided according to law. However, Khosa contended that a “blind eye cannot be turned to people picked up from outside RO offices”, adding that his own son was arrested.

The chief justice inquired whether the Punjab advocate general was present in the courtroom, to which the additional advocate general said he was not.

Are National Highway Authority losses really as bad as they’re being made out to be?

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

“In its quintessence, the entirety of the nation’s motorways find their place on the NHA’s balance sheet. Possessing such an abundance of assets necessitates their annual depreciation, in accordance with accounting protocols. Depreciation is treated as an expense in accounting and can quickly escalate to billions when even a modest 1% or 2% is applied, given that the motorways are appraised in the trillions,” Khan elaborates.

Why do we need to depreciate the NHA’s roads? The answer lies in accounting practices. Financial statements are normally prepared for a period of twelve months; however, not all investments can yield returns within this span of time. “From an accounting perspective, any expense whose period or utility exceeds a year is prorated,” explicates Aamir Younas, a Partner at EY Ford Rhodes.

Depreciation, therefore, empowers businesses to distribute the cost of tangible assets — such as a sophisticated piece of machinery or a fleet of sleek cars — over several years for accounting and tax purposes. There exists a myriad of depreciation methods, including the straightforward straightline and various forms of accelerated depreciation.

The NHA, in particular, cannot always operate within the confines of a twelve-month period — if at all. Let’s hypothesise that a road constructed by the NHA carries a price tag of Rs 1 billion. The NHA’s primary source of revenue for this would be toll collection. It is highly improbable that the NHA will manage to amass more than Rs 1 billion in toll fees to generate a profit within a single year, for a multitude of reasons. The NHA acknowledges this reality and instead projects the financial viability of the road over a more extended time horizon.

If the road boasts an operational life of ten years, then the NHA will allocate a depreciation expense against the toll revenue it collects over a decade. What will this depreciation expense amount to? It’s the cost of the road divided by the operational life of that road, based on the matching concept — ten in our example. In essence, it is the allocation of fixed expenditure cost over a period of time or over the lifespan of the asset.

Moreover, depreciation is a noncash expense. Noncash expenses are those expenses that, while recorded in the income statement, do not involve an actual cash transaction.

“It’s not a cash expense. It’s not a cash loss. Even if that non-cash item is

an expense, it does not impact the budget, and that doesn’t imply that the state-owned enterprise is inefficient,” Khan asserts.

But why are the NHA’s depreciation expenses so astronomical to begin with? Revisiting Khan’s explanation of asset creation, the NHA’s non-current assets have soared from Rs 4.3 trillion in fiscal year 2019 to a staggering Rs 5.7 trillion in fiscal year 2022. All of this will have to be depreciated. Furthermore, the report indicates that the depreciation is based on the revaluation of NHA’s assets. What does that mean?

Higher depreciation.

Imagine a road that spans one kilometre. A decade ago, it would have taken a mere Rs 10 lakh to construct it.

Today, however, the same road would incur a staggering Rs 40-50 lakh in construction costs. As the NHA re-evaluates the value of this road, the depreciation expense inevitably rises in proportion. This is not an isolated case.

The NHA has applied this revaluation method to all of its assets, as the report reveals. Consequently, the depreciation expense has soared.

Then there’s the dearth of information in the report, leaving many accounting issues unresolved. For instance, what depreciation method is being employed.

Meanwhile, former Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry has challenged the jail trial in the High Court.

Fawad Ch argued that holding a jail trial in the case constitutes a misuse of powers and infringes upon the petitioner’s basic human rights. In his plea to the court, Fawad Chaudhry has urged the cessation of the jail trial and called for an open court proceeding against the petitioner. He further requested the court to direct his presentation before the Election Commission. The High Court is expected to deliberate on these challenges in due course.

Talking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Hiba Fawad Chaudhary, the former information minister’s wife, said both Fawad and Imran had been indicted by the ECP. Quoting her husband, she said he argued before the ECP that there was a reference against one of the members of the bench hearing the case. She also said that Fawad was indicted despite not having submitted his reply to a show-cause notice issued to him by the commission. She requested the ECP to allow her husband to respond to the show-cause notice before conducting further proceedings.

Fog leads to cancellation of 30 flights at Islamabad Airport ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

As many as 30 flights of PIA and other national and international flights had to be cancelled after dense fog disrupted the flights’ operation at the Islamabad International Airport on Wednesday.

The flights, which were cancelled, had to shuttle between Islamabad and Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, Islamabad and Beijing, Islamabad and Sharjah, Islamabad and Riyadh and Islamabad and Jeddah. Similarly, PIA’s flights to Gilgit and Skardu were delayed for several hours. The situation is no different with the flights of other airlines such as SereneAir, Airblue and AirSial which were delayed for over 12 hours. PIA’s incoming flight from Dubai landed at the airport after a delay of 18 hours.

Police lodge FIR against PTI leader’s dead father DERA GHAZI KHAN Staff RepoRt

What could be described as a weird incident, Dera Ghazi Khan Border Police in Karor Laal Esan registered an FIR against the father of former PTI MNA who had passed away seven years ago. Abdul Wahid Khan Niazi, father of Abdul Majeed Khan Niazi, was wanted by the police in the case registered under the 16 maintenance of public order (MPO). The incident, which has left people astonished, raises a question mark over the professionalism of the country’s law-enforcement agencies as such incidents are seldom heard of in other countries.

Earthquake jolts Islamabad, adjacent areas ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

The federal capital Islamabad and its neighbouring regions experienced a sudden jolt today as earthquake tremors sent shockwaves across the landscape, causing panic among residents. According to the private news channel, the seismic activity was also felt in Rawalpindi, Attock, and Chakwal. The seismological centre said that the magnitude of the earthquake was 4.9 on the Richter scale, the depth of the earthquake was 137 kilometres underground, the epicentre was the Afghanistan-

SC seeks ‘comprehensive’ report from commission on enforced disappearances CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Justice Isa then asked the lawyer to only provide details of the Baloch protesters who faced police action in Islamabad last month.

At one point, while Shaheen read out the court’s judgment on the abduction of journalist Matiullah Jan, the CJP asked why the lawyer was mentioning that case now. “Did the government at that time accept responsibility?” the judge inquired.

Shaheen replied that the then PTI government had intervened to expedite the recovery of the said journalist. However, the top judge intervened and said: “Don’t take credit. It was an egg on the face and I am surprised that not a single head rolled as a consequence.”

“When something has been established by video recording, an abduction taking place and presumably state agencies involved in the abduction, look the other way. No consequence. Then why govern? If you had taken a stance then, not a single missing person would have been picked up thereafter,” Justice Isa remarked, noting that Matiullah Jan’s case was “the only documented case”.

Shaheen argued that anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan was also abducted and footage of the same was available. He added that Riaz had called him to express that he was willing to come to court. The lawyer also referred to other political activists who were “picked

up” but the court inquired why they did not say the same themselves.

“Please don’t start pleading cases of powerful people who are well-settled and have all the resources in the world and when they want they can come to court. And when they don’t want they don’t come to court.

Don’t become their spokesperson,” the CJP lamented, adding that the PTI lawyer was making the case political.

Subsequently, the bench called Defence of Human Rights Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua to the rostrum. She said her husband was “forcefully disappeared” in 2005 during the tenure of Gen Pervez Musharraf and the then chief justice had taken a suo motu notice of it.

Upon being asked the reason for being picked up, Janjua said there was no reason in her mind. She added that her husband had been declared dead by the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and demanded that the SC takes up her case again.

“I just want to know the truth for myself, for my children that what happened [to my husband],” Janjua said. Upon being inquired who should be approached for these answers, she said the military and the army chief should be questioned.

Subsequently, the CJP directed the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan to present a report on the mat-

ter. “I don’t see why this government or those in charge of various institutions would want to assume responsibility if someone else earlier had done something illegal. There is every reason that if they have some information, they will tell you,” the judge remarked.

Justice Isa added that the concerned ministries in the matter would be the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence.

Continuing her arguments, Janjua said that the issue of enforced disappearances had been prevalent over the years. The CJP reiterated that a date-wise and name-wise list of missing persons should be presented in court to resolve the matter.

At one point, the top judge asked the AGP if he was prepared to make a statement on behalf of the federal government that no person would be picked up illegally without due process of law. “Absolutely,” Awan replied.

“We want it in writing. Who will give the statement?” Justice Isa asked, noting that the court wanted people on the highest level to give the statement. “We want this on behalf of the Government of Pakistan. This country is fractured from within and part of it is derailment of democracy and that is a major cause.

“In Balochistan, missing persons are a separate issue. In KP, it is slightly different […] there also is a very horrible other element: people are being killed for ethnicity, people are being killed for sectarian rea-

sons,” the CJP remarked.

At one point, lawyer Faisal Siddiqui, who has been assisting the Islamabad High Court on the matter of enforced disappearances, said the SC had constituted a special bench in the past that oversaw the proceedings of the missing persons commission.

“The bench had to look at cases in which the production orders were not implemented,” he said, to which the CJP asked how could the commission issue production orders when it was unaware of the whereabouts of a person.

Siddiqui explained that the commission determined in the early stages of the cases pertained to enforced disappearances or not, lamenting that the government did not implement the orders of the commission. “Production orders have been issued in 700 cases but implementation has been done in only 51 cases,” he added.

For his part, the commission’s representative told the court that 46 missing persons had been recovered this month. When the court inquired if cases of enforced disappearances were being reported these days, he replied in the affirmative, adding that the commission formed a joint investigating team when it received cases. Here, all the petitioners including Janjua and Ahsan, said they were dissatisfied with the commission.

After listening to all the parties, the CJP

narrated the order of the day. He said the court would only hear the cases pertaining to people who were still missing, noting that those who had returned could approach the court themselves. He also appointed Faisal Siddiqui an amicus curiae of the court.

Talking about Baloch protesters’ sit-in in Islamabad and the police action against them, Justice Isa said: “We don’t want these sort of tactics employed by a responsible state. If someone wants to protest, let them protest to their heart’s content.”

He said people had a right to protest unless they were doing something violent.

“Their right to protest must not be in any matter curtailed, let alone by force,” Justice Isa concluded. The hearing was subsequently adjourned for two weeks.

SHUTTERDOWN STRIKE: Meanwhile, photos shared by the Balochistan Yakjehti Committee, one of the organisers of the Baloch long march against extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Islamabad, showed deserted streets as businesses remained closed in Gaddani, Noshki, Khuzdar, Turbat and other areas.

A day earlier, Baloch protesters — who have been camping in freezing cold outside the National Press Club in Islamabad — called for a shutterdown demonstration across the country after their seven-day ultimatum to the government expired.

04 COMMENT

Three months later: Still no lessons learned

Umpire’s finger goes up

T

Once again, the PTI is deprived of its symbol

HE Election Commission of Pakistan’s review petition succeeded against the Peshawar High Court’s decision striking down its taking away the ‘bat’ symbol of the PTI, and the party’s internal elections, which saw Barrister Gohar Ali Khan elected Chairman, have once again also been stuck down. There is now a very limited time in which to obtain a decision on an issue which affects the entire election. The last date for allotment of symbols is January 13, and the matter must be decided by then. Parties are quite adept at issuing tickets on that date, leaving it to candidates to file on time.

This is the second blow for the PTI after it saw the rejection of the nomination papers of a large number of candidates at that stage. It has become a double whammy: even if the symbol is restored, the frontrunners for allotment have had their papers rejected; even if their appeals are accepted, the symbol will not be available for allotment. The PTI therefore needs both the symbol to be restored and the nominations of its potential candidates to be accepted, to have a fighting chance in the election. It almost seems as if there is some force which does not want the PTI to participate in the polls, which fears that despite the May 9 attacks, the electorate would still vote for the PTI candidate in droves.

The PTI is apparently facing the sort of pre-poll rigging that will more or less oblige it to claim that it was robbed, no matter what the results. It may not even have to win more than a handful of seats to claim that it was deprived of office. That is a blot on whoever is conducting the election. That the 2018 elections were ham handed does not justify the present version of creating a level playing field. Apart from the very real factor or the need for party, or rather even candidate, symbols among an illiterate electorate, it should not be forgotten that many people, perhaps millions, perhaps even a majority, had decided to vote for the PTI, and now stand deprived of that, even though it is a fundamental right. That will have to be kept in mind by the judicial forums that consider the case, and it will be up to the PTI’s lawyers to argue the case intelligently.

No one is left to negotiate

O

Washington Watch Dr JAMeS J ZOgby

NE day last week, The New York Times printed two separate articles describing Israeli and Palestinian reactions to the ongoing war that, together, paint a disturbing portrait of where we are three months after October 7.

The piece about Israelis was headlined “Oct. 7 Is Forcing Israelis to Rethink Their Identity,” with the subhead “Attack has Shaken Belief in a Sanctuary, but Also Unified a Divided People.” The Palestinian article, datelined “Jenin Camp,” was titled “Facing Israeli Troops and Destruction, Yet Vowing to Survive” and featured a pullout quote, “‘The killing, the invasion, the raids—it will all fuel even more resistance.’”

Much of the Israeli article focuses on a few data points about Ultra-Orthodox Jews now expressing interest in serving in the military— something they have always resisted— and Palestinian citizens of Israel saying that, despite their feelings of fraternity with their people in Gaza, they would prefer to live under Israeli rule than to be governed by Hamas.

None of this should be surprising, as it resembles the initial unity experienced by Americans after 9/11. But it is important to recall that emotional responses only temporarily bridge fault lines that if unaddressed will reemerge in the future.

As the article makes clear, the fault lines remain.

While the idea of Israel as a sanctuary that can protect Jews has been shaken, the sense of unity and identity now shared by most Israeli Jews is in their Jewishness and their feeling of distrust for Palestinians and any peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

They may still dislike their prime minister, but they remain supportive of the slaughter in Gaza and silent about the ongoing violence perpetrated by police raids and settlers in the West Bank.

If the Israelis thought that their massive assault on Gaza and their intensified repression in the West Bank would succeed in subduing Palestinians, the other Times article and a poll of Palestinian attitudes covered a week earlier, establish that the opposite has happened. Seventy percent of Palestinians support the attack launched by Hamas on October 7. And opinion

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor Umar Aziz M. A. Niazi

in the West Bank and Gaza now favors Hamas’ leadership over that of the Palestinian Authority.

While the numbers of dead and wounded in Gaza have been publicized— 21,000 killed, over 55,000 wounded— the impact of the Israeli raids across the West Bank are less well known. In the Jenin camp, the Israelis have subjected its residents to a Gaza-like assault. Here’s the Times description of the situation: “Electricity lines have been damaged, water tanks punctured, and paved roads turned into little more than pebbles and dirt. The stench of sewage hangs thick in the air. Over the past two months around 80% of the roughly 17,000 have temporarily moved…” And during that short span, 330 Jenin residents have been arrested and 67 have been killed.

In the face of this, one resident is quoted saying, “What the Israelis are trying to do with all this destruction is create a state of despair and drive a wedge between the people in the camp and the resistance— so people blame the resistance. What they don’t realize is that our biggest strength is our unity.”

Three months ago, when this horrific conflict was just beginning, I wrote an article lamenting that neither Israelis nor Palestinians had learned the lessons of the past— namely that just as violence will not end the occupation, neither will violence end resistance to the occupation. I noted that because we‘ve been down this path before, we should know that when it’s over we will find ourselves right back where we started, except that there will be more dead, more anger, and more extremism on both sides. The problem, of course, is that while this dance of death between Israelis and Palestinians continues to unfold, the USA has demonstrated that it too hasn’t learned any lessons.

After warning Israel against making the mistakes we made in Afghanistan, we stood by silently as they did just that. We cautioned them not to target civilians and then shipped them the bombs that continue to take a massive toll in civilian life and passively accepted the genocidal intent of their actions. And we have blocked all international calls for a ceasefire.

It’s not as if Israel hid its intentions. Prime Minister Netanyahu three times noted that the fate of the Palestinians would be that of the Amalek, Old Testament victims of a genocide. His Defense Minister said

Executive Editor

Much needs to be done

M

KOMAL ASLAM

ANY young people not having jobs is a big problem in the world.

This is also a challenge in Pakistan right now. To solve this, we need to look at the main reasons for it and find ways to help young people get jobs.

This will not only benefit them but also help the country grow economically and socially. The lack of good education and job skills is a big reason why young people can’t find work.

This is a serious problem because it can lead to hopelessness and misery. A report says that one-third of young people in Pakistan are unemployed. Even those who are educated are having a hard time finding jobs that match their qualifications. Many people apply for jobs, but there are not enough positions available. This can lead to frustration and, in some cases, involvement in crime.

High unemployment rates also make young people vulnerable to crime groups. Some end up working in dangerous conditions or being forced into illegal activities. The situation is made worse by inflation and a lack of opportunities. The government needs to take action to lower inflation, stabilize the currency, and provide better education and job training for young people. This will help create more opportunities and reduce stress.

Population growth also needs to be managed, taking lessons from other countries like Iran and Bangladesh. Empowering women in the workforce is crucial for economic progress.

The current economic situation discourages people from starting their own businesses. Encouraging startups and providing a good environment for them is important for creating jobs.

Innovative solutions, like focusing on the gig economy and supporting startups, can help address unemployment. Technical skills should be a priority for young people to improve their job prospects. The mismatch between job requirements and skills needs to be addressed through better education and training.

Youth unemployment is a big social problem that can lead to crimes, homelessness, drug addiction, and family tension. It also negatively impacts the economy by reducing consumption and investment. Managing population growth, empowering women, and supporting entrepreneurship are key steps to improve the situation.

Many young people in Pakistan don’t have jobs, and this is causing big problems

for the country. There are different reasons for this. First, the government doesn’t have enough money to spend on creating jobs, especially for young people. Also, the number of young people looking for jobs is increasing, but there aren’t enough opportunities.

The lack of funds, slow economic growth, and problems with infrastructure make it even harder to create new jobs. As the population grows, there are fewer chances for young people to find work. This makes competition for jobs very tough, and many young people struggle to find good jobs.

This unemployment issue affects both rural and urban areas in Pakistan. The future of the country and its progress are at risk because many young people can’t find work.

Pakistan has a lot of young people, around 62 million, but about half of them don’t have jobs. This is one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the world. One reason for this is that not many people in Pakistan have formal education, only 43 percent. Because of this, many young people can’t find jobs that match their skills and qualifications. The lack of good education and training programmes also means that young people don’t have the skills they need for many jobs. This leads to long-term unemployment, where people can’t find meaningful work.

Pakistan’s economy is not doing well, and there isn’t much money to create new jobs. The country also has a weak job market with low wages and job security. Many young people end

Gaza should be flattened and called Palestinians “animals”, saying they would be treated as such. And now leading members of his party are calling for Israel to reoccupy Gaza after driving out a significant number of its residents into Egypt or to other countries that would accept them. The US response has been feeble.

In addition to merely stating no to re-occupation and no to forced relocation, the USA has proposed a “plan” for moving forward that can only politely be described as adding insult to injury. The idea that the Palestinian Authority would be able to govern Gaza in the wake of the Israeli genocide is delusional. As is the notion that this or any future Israeli coalition would be ready to move toward a negotiated twostate solution. The reasonable question one might ask is: “Negotiate what?” With Gaza devastated; with Israeli settlements gobbling up territory making a contiguous Palestinian state impossible; with settlers and the Israeli military rampaging and “cleansing” Palestinians from their homes and properties in the West Bank and Jerusalem; with no possible Israeli coalition government ready to accept an independent Palestinian state; with the PA weakened and Hamas crippled; and with the USA refusing to rein in Israeli abuses and excesses—what would be negotiated and with whom would either side be able to negotiate?

If we’ve learned anything from the last three months, it is that bad behaviour left unchecked will grow and fester. The USA enabled this situation to become what it is. Until we recognize that the creature we helped to foster is an apartheid state that is committing genocide and find the political courage to demand a ceasefire and pull the plug on future political and military assistance, the cycle of violence and repression will continue. It all begins with us learning lessons from our past and present failures and then changing course.

By itself, this won’t end the conflict, but it will create an environment in which Israelis will be forced to confront the costs involved in the path their leaders have chosen and Palestinians can feel hope that their plight is understood. This could mark the beginning of a long process of transformation that could lead the way to peace.

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

If weÊve learned anything from the last three months, it is that bad behaviour left unchecked will grow and fester. The USA enabled this situation to become what it is. Until we recognize that the creature we helped to foster is an apartheid state that is committing genocide and find the political courage to demand a ceasefire and pull the plug on future political and military assistance

The issue of unemployment in Pakistan Joint Editor

Thursday, 4 January, 2024

Editor’s mail

up in poorly paid and insecure jobs that don’t provide enough for them or their families. The informal sector, which is not well-regulated, doesn’t offer good job opportunities for young people either.

Political problems in the country make it harder for businesses to grow and invest, creating even fewer job opportunities. Many young people also lack resources like money, technology, and mentors to help them find good jobs.

The government’s lack of investment in key areas like industry and agriculture also means fewer job possibilities.

Another big issue is that many young people can’t get loans or money to start their own businesses. The country’s financial sector is not well-developed, making it hard for young people to become entrepreneurs. The recent covid19 pandemic has made things worse by causing many companies to close down, leading to more job losses.

There are many reasons why young people in Pakistan don’t have jobs, including a lack of education, political problems, and economic issues. To fix this, the government needs to address the root causes and find ways to create more jobs. Pakistan should also encourage international investors to come to the country and create more job opportunities. Prioritizing education and job possibilities for young people is crucial for a better economic future in Pakistan.

The writer can be at anamaslam2018@gmail.com

reached

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

Water contamination

OVER the past few weeks, numerous reports and complaints from residents have surfaced about the quality of our drinking water. Many individuals have suffered serious health issues, including gastrointestinal problems and skin irritations, either through consumption or direct contact with the water.

The presence of contaminants not only poses a threat to our health but also jeopardises the well-being of our entire community. It is crucial to take immediate action to investigate the source of this contamination and implement effective measures to ensure the safety and purity of our water. I kindly request that you initiate a thorough investigation into this matter to identify the root cause of the contamination.

AIMAN RASHID ISLAMABAD

Begging system in Pakistan

BEGGING, a clear sign of destitution, reflects complex economic and social challenges in Pakistan. The nation’s beggary issue is intricately linked with problems such as unemployment, low education levels, and insufficient social safety nets. In Pakistan, begging has transformed into a profession rather than a necessity, with 25 million out of 230 million people being professional beggars.

This social problem is visible across towns and cities, near mosques, events, and crowded public spaces. Economic hardships, religious tensions, and a growing scarcity of essentials have exacerbated begging in Pakistan.

Urbanisation has also contributed to the rise of beggars in expanding cities, as families migrate in search of better living conditions. To address begging, a comprehensive approach is crucial. Social welfare, education, and career training can help policymakers establish sustainable livelihoods. Public awareness campaigns, dispelling misconceptions, and strict law enforcement against exploitative begging are vital. To eradicate begging, society must confront poverty, promote education, and foster community engagement.

ISHAA SADIQ ISLAMABAD

Fading pages, rising screens

There are many reasons why young people in Pakistan donÊt have jobs, including a lack of education, political problems, and economic issues. To fix this, the government needs to address the root causes and find ways to create more jobs.

Pakistan should also encourage international investors to come to the country and create more job opportunities.

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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THE reading habit has gradually become rare in Pakistan in recent times, ranking among the lowest reading nations globally. People spend more time on social media and streaming platforms than engaging with books or newspapers, resulting in a knowledge deficit in our society. This decline is primarily attributed to global digitalization, significantly impacting reading habits. Smartphones and smart screens have replaced traditional book reading, although audio book versions are now available. However, they lack the inherent benefits obtained through actual book reading. Despite digitalization’s influence, no significant steps have been taken to restore the lost value of print, leading to the rapid decline of print media. Many newspapers have ceased operations, and the remaining ones have reduced their page sizes. In the United States alone, approximately 2,200 local print newspapers closed between 2005 and 2021.

Developing a reading habit can occur through various means. It naturally arises as an inheritance from parents, significantly influencing a child’s reading behavior. During childhood, access to interesting books can foster a lasting reading habit. Children are drawn to books with captivating images, playing a crucial role in shaping their reading habits. Exploring books and gaining knowledge tends to cultivate a desire for continuous learning and reading, leading to the development of a consistent reading habit. Moreover, forming a habit of reading newspapers can be achieved by engaging with intriguing, valuable, and informative articles written by creative authors.

UBAID SAHIL SWAT

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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COMMENT 05

Japan’s Cooperation align with the Dynamics of Bangladesh’s Blue Economy Thursday, 4 January, 2024

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Abu SufiAn

HE blue economy is one that is centred on ocean resources, the economics of harnessing the enormous seas and the diverse riches that lie under their surface. That is, if any maritime resource contributes to the country’s economy, it falls into the blueeconomy stage. The blue economy has long been used in wealthy nations. The blue economy has a great contribution to the core economies of the countries. Recently, attempts have been undertaken to incorporate the contribution of the blue economy into the Bangladeshi economy. If Bangladesh’s potential is realised, the country’s economy will shift dramatically.

Bangladesh’s entire marine area is now 118, 813 square kilometres, which is almost equal to the country’s land area. After gaining control of the maritime border, this sector has enormous potential for economic growth in Bangladesh.

Hilsa is in high demand in many nations throughout the globe, including Bangladesh.

Hilsa accounts for 16 percent of all seacaught fish in Bangladesh. In addition, the Bay of Bengal has 475 species of fish and 36 kinds of prawns. These prawns are likewise in great demand. It is suspected that oil and gas mines exist inside Bangladesh’s territorial waters.

About 13 million Bangladeshis work in fishing, while 6 million work in the salt production and shipbuilding sectors. Around 30 million people in the country thus rely on the sea for their survival and livelihood. Keeping these issues in mind, the Bangladesh government has already undertaken 26 initiatives to-

wards economic development centred on the sea. These include shipping, coastal shipping, seaports, passenger services by ferry, inland waterways, shipbuilding, ship recycling industry, fisheries, marine aquatic products, marine biotechnology, oil and gas, sea salt production, ocean renewable energy, blue-energy, mineral resources (sand, gravel, and others), marine genetic resources, coastal tourism, recreational water sports, yachting and marines, cruise tourism, coastal protection, artificial islands, green coastal belt or delta planning, human resources, maritime safety and surveillance, and marine aggregate spatial planning (MSP).

The ocean provides more than $6 billion to the Bangladesh economy each year and has the potential to create much more cash. The marine area is almost as large as the country’s land area and is rich in precious resources.

The marine domain includes 26 blocks obtained from India and Myanmar. Those concerned believe that leasing these blocks might yield around 40 trillion cubic feet of gas.

In 2017, the government established the ‘Blue Economy Cell’ inside the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. To fully realise Bangladesh’s marine economy potential, five types of strategies have been adopted. These include completing the multidimensional marine resource survey as soon as possible, increasing the number of coastal vessels, modernising and expanding the capacity of sea ports, bolstering the activities of both deep- and shallow-water fishing, introducing marine ecotourism and boating, and maintaining clean seashores and seaports.

The current government is giving special

JAckSon GArrett

OU’VE heard of nepo babies, those fortunate sons and daughters of Hollywood’s elite (and Britain’s, too). They’ve got nothing on kleptobrats. Kleptocracy is a sort of catchall term for governments where leaders prioritize their own prestige and personal enrichment over the welfare of the population. Dictators and oligarchs rule through violence, strip the local resources, and pocket the money that could’ve gone to the development of their country. Often, they spend that money on their kids: the kleptobrats.

Inevitably, the kleptocrat will look around at the country they’ve plundered and decide it’s no place for their children to grow up. While their citizens live in abject poverty, they treat their kleptobrats to luxurious lifestyles in the West with the best schools, mansions, cars, and parties money can buy.

Take, for instance, Equatorial Guinea’s playboy prince Teodorin Nguema Obiang, who used Patriot Act loopholes and looted money to go to school in the US, buy a Malibu mansion, private jet, speed boat, a fleet of cars, party with America’s biggest musicians, and become the world’s biggest Michael Jackson memorabilia collector—including the white crystal glove. I followed that story in the latest episode of Offshore, the show where we break down how the rich live above the law, set up systems to do it. Take a look: But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Fancy schooling, of course, is a key privilege of the kleptobrat— partly because, unlike banks and many financial institutions, universities have no obligations under US law to look into the source of money they’re paid, no matter how much. (The same is true for real estate escrow accounts.)

So when it was time for North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Il’s son to go to school, he sent Kim Jong Un to Switzerland, where he reportedly earned the nickname Dim Jong Un. Bo Xilai, the notoriously corrupt and powerful Chinese politician, sent his son to Harvard with a Porsche, then to Oxford where he partied on stage with Jackie Chan. Xi Jingping

sends his daughter Xi Mingze to Harvard.

In Russia, it got so bad that in 2016, a bill was introduced to ban Russian officials from offshoring their children’s education. It failed.

Instead, Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, sent his daughter to school in Paris, where she and her mother have a $2 million apartment, according to CNN. She’s quoted as saying the Russian education system is a “true hell.” I wonder who could fix that? The daughter of Sergei Lavrov, Putin’s foreign affairs minister, goes to school in London with a $5.8 million apartment.

The big man himself, Vladimir Putin, is very secretive about his family, but there are reports that his children with former Olympic gold medal gymnast Alina Kavaeva are hidden away in Switzerland.

Saif Al-Islam, son of infamous Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi went to college in London. Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, crown prince of Bahrain, went to college in the US and UK. Bashar Al-Assad, the nepo baby dictator of Syria, spent time training as an eye doctor in London. All three of them went on to be a part of governments that brutalize their citizens.

And then there are the parties.

Mutassim Gaddafi, the late son of Muammar Gaddafi, paid Beyonce $1 million to perform at his New Year’s Eve party in St. Barts that also had Usher, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, and Jon Bon Jovi in attendance. In Kazakhstan, Kanye West performed at the wedding of the dictator’s grandson for $3 million, Elton John for the dictator’s son-in-law’s birthday for $1.5 million, and Nelly Furtado for the dictator’s daughter.

Isabel Dos Santos, the Interpol-wanted daughter of Angolan dictator José Eduardo Dos Santos, has hosted concerts by Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.

Nothing says “GIRL POWER!!!!!”—as Nicki wrote in an Instagram post—quite like looting your country’s oil industry to the tune of $3.5 billion while half your country lives on less than $2 a day with the 16th worst life expectancy in the world.

Sure, everyone wants to give their kids the best lives possible.

Most of us just don’t impoverish and brutalize an entire population to do it.

via cooperation, FDI, loans, and grants.

Japan is one of these nations’ major development partners. As a result, Japan’s involvement in the area is expected to increase.

Second, the Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt plan is critical to further strengthening Bangladesh-Japan ties. Furthermore, Japan may seek to improve regional connections in order to spur economic growth. Japan has already committed $200 million to the development of a new cargo port in Yangon, Myanmar.zzzz The nation also collaborates closely with India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Third, the Big-B Initiative is critical for improving ties and collaboration with the Bay of Bengal’s coastal area. Bangladesh is crucial in this aspect. Because of the country’s strategic location between the Indo-Pacific area, which includes the Bay of Bengal from the sea, and South Asia and Southeast Asia from the land, Japan’s plan to connect Big-B BIMSTEC and ASEAN is expected to strengthen regional ties.

Fourth, non-traditional security challenges such as economics, energy, connectivity, and natural catastrophes are of great significance to coastal nations. The significance of the blue economy in exploiting deep-sea resources, the development of Portland, and increased connectivity in the area necessitate Japan’s investment in basic infrastructure such as dependable electricity and communications, as well as an optic fibre across the gulf. These strategic components of the Bay of Bengal are critical to the littoral nations’ mutual prosperity.

As traditional geopolitics transforms anew, with the Gulf regaining centrality in the larger Indo-Pacific arena, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia see their perspectives increasingly converge and feel the need to converge more significantly. The Big-B Plan has significant implications for India, Bangladesh’s Look East policy, and Thailand’s Look West policy. It is also useful for multilateral forums like BIMSTEC, ASEAN, and MGC. Therefore, if the existing challenges can be mitigated, it is expected that Japan’s cooperation will definitely be met in this regard.

How Denmark’s ban on Quran burnings could be a double-edged sword The writer is a freelance columnist

Supporters, mostly Muslims, welcome what they see as long-overdue protection against Islamophobic hate speech and incitement

The insufferable kids of dictators and oligarchs are living it up with stolen fortunes VICE.COM

Following sea demarcation, 26 new blocks were established, 11 of which are shallow sea blocks and 15 of which are deep sea blocks. After that, a long time passed with no sign of development. Contracts for exploration in just four blocks have been signed with foreign businesses, according to the most recent 2019 statistics. However, Bangladesh was unable to drill a single well.

The remaining 22 blocks are motionless. The good news is that since 2016, a marine research and survey vessel, the RV Meen Shandhani, has been conducting surveys of bottom and surface fish, including sea prawns, down to a depth of 200 metres in the ocean. One encouraging development is that Bangladesh and India have previously inked a bilateral agreement on the marine economy. Additionally, China and Japan have also shown willingness to reach a compromise arrangement.

The Bangladesh government is also building a deep-sea port known as the Matarbari Deep-Sea Port. Additionally, the thermal power plant that China and Bangladesh are jointly developing in the Payra coastal region would present a number of opportunities.

However, the coal issue has already hampered the power plant’s output. Despite this, it is projected that the bright economy will open the doors to possibilities within a few years.

For several reasons, Japan, a long-time ally, may lend a helping hand to Bangladesh’s blue economy and emerge as a vehicle for collaborative growth. To begin, Japan has traditionally maintained positive connections with nations such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, and Sri Lanka

As traditional geopolitics transforms anew, with the Gulf regaining centrality in the larger Indo-Pacific arena, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia see their perspectives increasingly converge and feel the need to converge more significantly. The Big-B Plan has significant implications for India, BangladeshÊs Look East policy, and ThailandÊs Look West policy. It is also useful for multilateral forums like BIMSTEC, ASEAN, and MGC.

Meet the kleptobrats, the world’s worst nepo babies

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attention to developing skilled human resources to exploit the blue-economy opportunities. Recently, the government has established the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute and a Maritime University for marine research and human resource development. Bangladesh has also signed a bilateral agreement with India on the maritime economy. China has offered to sign a MoU agreement. Japan has also expressed interest in investment. If additional important resources such as gas, seafood resources, port development, and tourism are extracted as planned, they are expected to generate a huge amount of money per year by 2030.

According to a 2015 report by the Economic Intelligence Unit, in recent years, the governments of various coastal countries and islands around the world have begun to look to the sea as a new front for the economy.

The countries are adopting a policy of growth based on the sea economy. Despite the potential, Bangladesh’s maritime victory has passed for a long time, but we are lagging behind due to various reasons.

Experts say that apart from livestock, there is valuable sand, uranium, and thorium in 13 places in the Bay of Bengal. These contain precious metal elements like ilmenite, garnet, zircon, rutile, and magnetite. Moreover, there is a lot of clay suitable for making cement under the sea in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Article 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mentions the exploration and conservation of marine resources in sustainable development. Therefore, in order to meet the SDGs by 2030, the importance of extracting marine resources is immense.

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MIDDLE EAST EYE AlAin GAbon

FTER months of passionate controversy, Denmark recently enacted a law banning “inappropriate treatment of writings with significant religious importance for a recognised religious community”. Publicly tearing, burning or defiling texts such as the Quran is now punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison.

The object of a lengthy parliamentary examination and heated national debate, the bill was first proposed in August, with a goal to pass it before Christmas. Mission accomplished.

The debate had already crossed Denmark’s borders and become international, gaining momentum in countries such as Sweden and reminding us that although the proposed law was often presented as antithetical to Europe’s traditional liberal values, such as free speech, it was neither a novelty nor an exception.

In fact, Denmark is just the latest to join a group of 10 EU countries - including Austria, Poland, Belgium, Greece, Finland, Germany, Italy, Estonia and Romania - that have imposed various bans on the desecration of religious texts.

Prior to the legislative proposal, Denmark had witnessed a wave of public burnings of Islam’s holy book, whose sacred nature and status for Muslims might seem hard to understand for non-Muslims in a northern European society that is among the most irreligious in the world.

The shock, trauma, pain, humiliation, outrage and even fright that pious Muslims can experience when they see the Quran publicly burned and desecrated, sometimes in front of their own mosques, might have no resonance in the lived experiences of most Danes.

But the ban is understandable. For months, Quran burnings in European countries have fuelled a deepening crisis with economic, diplomatic, political and security consequences, both domestic and international.

PROVOCATIVE STUNTS: Muslim countries and their governments have forcefully condemned such provocative stunts. Ambassadors have been summoned and large crowds have expressed outrage. Several terrorist plots have been foiled, and by the end of summer, Sweden’s terror alert had been raised to “high” (the fourth level on a five-level scale). Clearly, public order was under threat.

In such circumstances, Denmark’s government could not stand idly by as provocateurs sowed discord and put the nation at risk, both at home and abroad. Thus, the Danish government was forced to try to strike a delicate balance between its genuine commitment to free expression, and its national security and international

interests, which seem to have been the law’s primary driver - ahead of considerations for the religious sensitivities of Muslims.

The ban does not signal a strong stance in defence of Islam and Muslims, or even respect for this community; nor does it inscribe itself in a policy against Islamophobia. Nowhere in the official justifications, declarations and texts can such words and motivations be found. The government is simply afraid of retaliation and blowback, amid concerns over its domestic security and foreign policy. Furthermore, the law will be reviewed in three years and may turn out to be temporary.

In the meantime, there is a real risk that by trying to put out a fire, the government may ignite others. International public opinion is deeply divided between supporters and opponents of the law, and those who sit uncomfortably in the middle.

Supporters, mostly Muslims, welcome what they see as long-overdue protection against Islamophobic hate speech and incitement. They have said that free expression is invoked in cases such as these to justify Islamophobia and cloak anti-Muslim hatred in the noble rhetoric of constitutional liberties, thus turning hate speech into free speech.

They further argue that these provocations are symbolically violent acts that drive and fuel not only the rise of the far right across Europe, but Islamophobia and hatred of Muslims. When sustained over a long period of time, this represents a real danger to Muslims’ physical safety and their rightful place in their own societies.

This side of the debate rightly emphasises that there is no absolute freedom of expression, even in the most advanced democracies, where fundamental civil liberties always exist within frameworks and limitations, and that free speech must be counterbalanced with other fundamental rights, such as religious freedom.

Entire categories of expression, such as racism, hate speech, slander and defamation, are typically removed from what is considered acceptable free speech, and they are usually criminalised. There is a very large consensus for this.

SAFEGUARDING FREEDOMS: Despite the fact that it is no stranger to attacks on civil liberties, thus leaving it open to accusations of hypocrisy, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has nonetheless mounted a substantial legal argument in defence of banning Quran burnings.

The OIC emphasises that the exercise of freedom of expression entails certain duties and responsibilities according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, along with other principles enshrined in the UN Charter and other international documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At a minimum, these arguments should be heard and more widely publicised.

The Swedish government has itself declared: “We want to safeguard the freedom of expression in Sweden. The basic principle is that it is and will remain permissible to express even such views that others perceive as offensive or insulting. This does not mean that everything is allowed. For example, rules on incitement to racial

hatred set limits.”

Critics and opponents argue that such prohibitions constitute terrible capitulations to foreign pressure from authoritarian and undemocratic states, such as Saudi Arabia.

They argue that this represents an abdication of the right to free expression, setting a precedent that can only reward and embolden the enemies of freedom, jihadists included, and put more pressure on western states to further restrict criticism of Islam while abandoning their most cherished values.

Critics also note that the new legislation constitutes a historical regression to the blasphemy law that Denmark abolished in 2017, and a reinstatement of bigotry through the reimposition of religious norms on a whole society, including those who are not religious. It might also violate certain international covenants to which Denmark is a signatory.

The slippery slope or Pandora’s box argument is often invoked out of fear that such precedents make it easier to restrict other types of free speech that are offensive to some, or risk undermining other fundamental civil liberties, including those of Muslims, in the name of respect for other groups.

POTENTIAL TO BACKFIRE: Indeed, rather than fighting anti-Muslim bigotry and Islamophobia, this law may prove counterproductive in many ways, potentially harming Muslims themselves.

By restricting free speech, including the expression of hatred of or resentment against religions - to be distinguished from hatred against people, since laws are supposed to protect people but not religions, ideologies or texts - it could fuel the narrative of those on the far right who have always claimed that Islam is inherently incompatible with the values of our democratic, pluralistic societies, and that Muslims do not acknowledge these principles and thus do not belong in our “western civilisation”.

Rather than countering far-right Islamophobic extremists, the law could actually serve them by seemingly confirming their “incompatibility of Islam and the West” narrative.

It may even backfire on Muslims’ own freedoms of expression and religion, given that much of their religious expression has already been targeted by bans under various pretexts, including maintenance of public order, itself invoked in this ban. Such measures are frequently double-edged swords.

Finally, some Muslims have argued that the Quran itself does not call to ban blasphemy, but instead advocates for continued dignity, patience and resilience in the face of adversity, humiliation and insults.

In any case, now that the law has been passed, we can observe what effects it will have in Denmark and across the rest of the western world - and whether it will ultimately help to improve relations between Muslims and those who hate Islam, including the sacred Quran.

Dr Alain Gabon is Associate Professor of French Studies and chair of the Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, USA.

06 NEWS

US WARNS ISRAEL, CLARIFIES GAZA BELONGS TO PALESTINIANS

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Thursday, 4 January, 2024 | ISLAMABAD

WASHINGTON ageNCies

HE United States rejected the inflammatory and irresponsible statements from Israeli Ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir and clarified there should be no mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Far-right Israeli ministers Itamar BenGvir and Bezalel Smotrich said this week that Israel should “encourage emigration” from the coastal enclave, home to an estimated 2.3 million Palestinians.

“If there are 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs in Gaza and not two million Arabs, the entire discussion on the day after [the war ends] will be totally different,” Smotrich said on Sunday, calling for the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians.

The Israeli army has said it is “prepared for any scenario” after a strike in Beirut that killed Hamas’s deputy chief, stoking fears the war in the Gaza Strip could boil over into wider regional conflict.

A high-level security official in Lebanon

told foreign news agency that Saleh al-Aruri was killed along with his bodyguards in a strike by Israel, which has vowed to destroy Hamas after the movement’s shock October 7 attacks.

Assange, Snowden cases show freedom of press ‘merely a tool’ to smear other nations: Chinese Foreign Ministry BEIJING

staff CoRRespoNDeNt

The cases of Assange and Snowden have long since exposed that so-called freedom of the press is merely a tool for these countries to attack and smear other nations, and when it comes to their own interests, they absolutely do not care about press freedom, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday. “Certain countries, under the guise of the socalled Media Freedom Coalition, are slandering Hong Kong’s freedom of the press and attacking the HKSAR government’s lawful enforcement efforts, backing antiChina and Hong Kong disruptors like Jimmy Lai, toward which China strongly disapproved of and firmly opposed,” said Wang Wenbin. Some countries including the UK and the US recently issued a statement in the name of the Media Freedom Coalition, accusing the Chinese central government and the HKSAR government of using the National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong to suppress journalism, and urging China to adhere to its international human rights commitments and legal obligations. Their meddling in Hong Kong affairs under the pretext of freedom of the press is nothing but a display of their reluctance to accept Hong Kong’s thriving development and an attempt to prolong their past privileges and influence in Hong Kong, which are in vain, the spokesperson said. Hong Kong is a society governed by law, where laws are strictly followed and violations rigorously pursued.

Since the implementation of the NSL for Hong Kong, Hong Kong society has transitioned from chaos to governance, and from well governed to prosperity.

US reaches ‘deal’ to extend military presence at Qatar base WASHINGTON ReuteRs

The United States has reached a deal to extend its military presence at a base in Qatar for another 10 years, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The base in question is the Al Udeid Air Base, which is located in the desert southwest of Doha and hosts the largest US military facility in the Middle East, the source said, asking to not be identified. The development was reported first by CNN. The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The tiny Gulf state has played a key role in mediation talks with Hamas and Israeli officials in relation to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages captured by the Palestinian resistance group in its October 7 cross-border attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. US President Joe Biden has regularly spoken with the emir of Qatar since October 7 on securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and on boosting aid to Gaza, where Israel’s assault since the Hamas attack has killed over 22,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. There has also been criticism of Qatar by some in the US Congress over Hamas’ presence in the country.

A bipartisan group of 113 US lawmakers on October 16 sent a letter to Biden asking him to put pressure on countries who support Hamas, including Qatar. Qatar is also a major non-NATO US ally, a designation granted by the United States to close, non-NATO allies that have strategic working relationships with the US military. The Gulf state has also been a channel for US dialogue with the Taliban since the American pullout from Afghanistan in 2021. It played a role in mediating deals that in late 2023 led to some Americans being freed

by Venezuela and Iran in prisoner swaps.

A second security official confirmed the information, while Hamas TV also reported Israel had killed Aruri in Lebanon.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari did not directly comment on the killing, but

ple and our nation will never be defeated”.

Hamas’s bloody October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people, most of them civilians.

Militants also took around 250 hostages back to Hamas-ruled Gaza, of whom 129 remain in captivity, according to Israeli figures. After the attack, the worst in its history, Israel began a relentless bombardment and ground offensive that has killed at least 22,185 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Israel’s army said soldiers in Gaza had killed “dozens of terrorists” in fighting on Tuesday, and had also raided a weapons storage compound in the southern city of Khan Yunis. In the aftermath of a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Palestinians rushed to rescue victims and retrieve bodies from the rubble.

“There are about 12 martyrs until now, mostly children. What was their fault?

Among them my one-month-old son, what did he do to Israel?” asked Ghazi Darwish.

“My other son is five years old, he was also martyred.”

said afterwards that the military was in “very high state of readiness in all arenas, in defence and offence. We are highly prepared for any scenario.”

Israel has previously announced the deaths in Gaza of Hamas commanders and officials during the war, but Aruri is the most high-profile figure to be killed, and his death came in the first strike on the Lebanese capital since hostilities began. The strike adds to widespread fears that the nearly threemonth-old Israel-Hamas war could become a wider regional conflagration.

Hamas said Aruri’s death would not lead to its defeat, while its Lebanon-based ally Hezbollah vowed the killing would not go unpunished, calling it “a serious assault on Lebanon… and a dangerous development”.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing and said it “aims to draw Lebanon” further into the war.

Aruri, who lived in exile, is accused by Israel of masterminding numerous attacks.

Following his death, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said that a movement “whose leaders fall as martyrs for the dignity of our peo-

China’s top banks tighten exposure to smaller peers to curb credit risk PROFIT

ReuteRs

Some of China’s top banks have sharpened scrutiny of smaller peers’ asset quality and have tightened standards for interbank lending, three sources said, in an effort to curb credit risk as a deepening property debt crisis ripples through the economy.

Two of China’s biggest state-owned banks and a leading joint-stock bank have stepped up reviews of smaller lenders over the past couple of months to identify those with poor asset quality and have a high risk of default, the sources said. The two state-owned banks have decided to reduce interbank lending limits and set shorter maturity periods for smaller peers deemed high risk, said two of the sources.

All the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, have direct knowledge of the matter.

The move comes amid growing worries about the health of the smaller banks in the world’s second-largest economy, as a deepening property sector crisis and ballooning local government debt make them the weak link in the financial system. The cautious approach taken by some big banks in dealing with smaller peers could exacerbate capital woes for

the latter as they have fewer other fundraising options, which could force Beijing to step in with more supportive measures.

While the larger Chinese banks mainly use customer deposits – a stable and long-term funding source – to make loans, in recent years smaller lenders have been aggressively borrowing from local rivals to raise funds.

China’s mid-sized and smaller banks account for roughly half of the trading volume in the interbank lending market, data from the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), which is overseen by the central bank, showed.

One of the sources, a senior official at the leading joint-stock bank which is among those to review credit exposure to smaller peers, said the bank had tightened its criteria for lending to smaller banks.

As part of that, it has stopped purchasing bonds issued by smaller banks that have total assets below $40 billion, said the source.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the watchdog overseeing all aspects of China’s $63 trillion financial sector, did not respond to Reuters request for comment.

LIQUIDITY GAP As China grappled with the impact

of the slowing economy on the financial system, the local authorities have been taking measures to support the banking system, especially the smaller ones to maintain financial stability.

As part of those measures to prevent financial risks, some of China’s local governments sold record amounts of socalled special bonds last year to inject capital into troubled small regional lenders.

The state media reported last month, citing the Central Economic Work Conference held on Dec. 11-12, during which top leaders set economic targets for 2024, that it was necessary to effectively resolve risks in small and medium-sized banks.

Although roughly 4,000 small banks are not by themselves seen as a systemic risk, the concern is that enough of them have largely funded themselves via short-term money market borrowing, posing a collective danger in the event a few of them fail.

Greater use of interbank lending for funding purposes makes banks more sensitive to counterparty risk.

While the country’s Big Five banks, including the likes of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (601398.SS) and Bank of China (601988.SS), dominate the sector, smaller banks still account for a quarter of assets, according to

regulatory data.

The second source at one of the big state-owned banks said some of the small lenders his firm had reviewed and deemed risky were in highly indebted areas such as parts of Northeast China, the Inner Mongolia region, and Henan province.

Rates for negotiable certificates of deposit (NCDs), usually a routine fundraising tool for small lenders, have risen steadily since August, partly due to a liquidity gap in recent months amid a heavy debt supply.

The interest rate on one-year NCDs sold by small and medium-sized rural commercial banks reached 2.84% in mid-December, the highest level since August, according to a research note by Chinese brokerage TF Securities.

In a sign of growing stress, 10 small and medium-sized banks have defaulted on commercial paper at least three times over six months last year, according to a statement released on Nov. 30 on the Shanghai Commercial Paper Exchange website.

The banks include regional lender Ningxia Helan Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd., based in northwest China’s Ningxia region, and Shaanxi Baoji Weibin Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd., located in northern Shanxi province, the statement said.

Killing of Hamas deputy leader in Beirut raises risk of Gaza war spreading BEIRUT/ GAZA ageNCies

Israel assassinated Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanese and Palestinian security sources said, raising the potential risk of war in Gaza spreading well beyond the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Arouri, 57, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel launched a shattering air and ground offensive against the group almost three months ago after its shock assault on October 7.

The Gaza health ministry said 207 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recorded Palestinian death toll to 22,185 in nearly three months of war in Gaza.

Lebanon’s heavily armed Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern border since the war in Gaza began in October. Hezbollah attacks have severely degraded Israel’s surveillance capabilities in the border region and have inflicted significant casualties on the Israeli forces.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has warned Israel against carrying out any assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a “severe reaction.”

Hezbollah said on Tuesday it had targeted a group of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Marj with missiles, fol-

lowing Arouri’s killing.

Israel has long accused Arouri of lethal attacks on its citizens, but a Hamas official said he was also “at the heart of negotiations” conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages.

Israel neither confirmed nor denied carrying out the killing, but its military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario.

“The most important thing to say tonight is that we are focused and remain focused on fighting Hamas,” he said when asked by a reporter about the reports of Arouri’s killing.

‘WAITING FOR MARTYRDOM’ Israel had accused Arouri, a co-founder of the Hamas’ military wing, the Izz-el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, of ordering and supervising Hamas attacks in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for years.

“I am waiting for martyrdom and I think I have lived too long,” Arouri said in August 2023, alluding to Israeli threats to eliminate Hamas leaders whether in Gaza or abroad.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Iran said Arouri’s killing would “undoubtedly ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers, not only in Palestine but also in the region and among all free-

dom-seekers worldwide.”

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouri’s killing, chanting, “Revenge, revenge, Qassam!”

Shortly before Arouri’s killing, Hamas’ paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal.

He reiterated that Hamas’ conditions entailed “a complete cessation” of Israel’s offensive in exchange for further release of captives.

Israel believes 129 captives remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during Israeli air strikes and botched rescue or escape attempts.

Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state.

In Washington, the State Department denounced as “inflammatory and irresponsible” statements by Israeli cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar BenGvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. Such statements underscore fears among some in the Arab world that Israel wants to drive Palestinians out of the land where they envision a future state, repeating the mass dispossession of Palestinians when the settler-colonial state of Israel was created in 1948.

Xinjiang fosters new advantages of ice-snow industry URUMQI

News Desk

Leveraging its abundant ice-and-snow resources, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in northwest China has developed new business forms and products, and fostered new advantages of its ice-snow industry in recent years. More and more people to experience the charm of the ice and snow leisure tourism.

At the Jiangjun Mountain ski resort in Altay, Xinjiang, Huang Jianzhong and his family from Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province, put on skiing equipment and got ready to go on the slopes with their coach.

“In previous winters, we came here for only sightseeing. This year we specifically hired a coach to teach my children how to ski,” Huang told People’s Daily. Nowadays, more and more tourists, like Huang and his family, would visit Xinjiang to experience the joy of winter sports.

Lyu Yaoping, a coach from a skiing training center at the Jiangjun Mountain ski resort, told People’s Daily that the training center had only about 50 coaches when she joined it four years ago, and the number today has exceeded 180. Besides, the number of relevant venues has also increased year by year. Today, Xinjiang is home to 101 ski resorts, 27 indoor ice rinks and 60 ice-snow amusement parks.

In addition to winter sports, Xinjiang fully utilizes its resources such as scenic spots, parks, ice and snow venues, and themed towns to host events such as ice and snow photography exhibitions, ice sculpture exhibitions, and snow sculpture exhibitions. The public’s enthusiasm for ice and snow continues to rise.

Chi Shaoquan, deputy governor of Fuhai county in Altay, noted that the county was preparing to host a winter fishing festival that would take place soon. So far, Fuhai county has held 16 sessions of the festival, benefiting both the aquaculture and tourism industries.

In a workshop in Altay, Kuanishbek Slanbek, a master craftsman of ancient fur skis production, was busy making his products. Altay is the birthplace of skiing, and fur skis were an important tool for winter production and daily life in ancient times. Today, the craft of fur skimaking has regained vitality thanks to winter sports.

According to Kuanishbek Slanbek, those who purchase the fur skis are mainly skiing enthusiasts. They use the skis to experience local-style skiing, and some buy the products as souvenirs.

It takes about 15 days to make a pair of fur skis, which are priced at around 1,000 yuan ($140). Since the beginning of this winter, Kuanishbek Slanbek has already made 60 pairs and still has pending orders.

“I have trained a group of young people to make fur skis. This has not only increased our income, but also ensured the inheritance of this craft,” Kuanishbek Slanbek said.

Thursday, 4 January, 2024 | ISLAMABAD

CORPORATE CORNER

KARACHI

Shahab omeR

BoK, Millat Tractors Ltd sign MoU PESHAWAR

Staff RepoRt

Bank of Khyber (BoK) and Millat Tractors Limited signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at facilitating easy access to the diverse range of cutting-edge products that Millat Tractors Limited has for farmers and SMEs. The MoU was signed by Sajjad Hussain, Regional Head of Sales, Millat Tractors Limited, and Shumail Afghan, Manager of Sales Support & Marketing with Imran Yaqub, Head of Agriculture Finance, BoK. Senior executives from both organizations were present on the occasion. This partnership, between BoK and Millat Tractors Limited, promises to play a pivotal role in driving agricultural growth and economic development within the region. BoK will provide farmers and SMEs with tailored financing solutions and a streamlined loan process to make acquiring any of the high-tech agricultural machinery, including advanced tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems that Millat Tractors Limited has to offer, easier than ever before.

Minister Aneeq champions interfaith dialogue for global peace QUETTA

Staff RepoRt

Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed, on Wednesday emphasized the crucial necessity of dialogue between religions and civilizations to establish global peace during a seminar in Quetta. He underscored that the purpose of the meeting with Ulema and Mashaykh was to strengthen religious harmony and mutual respect. The seminar included notable figures such as Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, Maulana Anwarul Haqqani, Mufti Roozi Khan, Dr. Attaur Rahman, Sardar Jasbir Singh, Dr. Anand Bhatia, Nadir Gul Barech, Rev. Simon Bashir, and Roshan Khursheed Barucha. Minister Aneeq reiterated the government's proactive measures to foster interfaith harmony, emphasizing the importance of comprehending contradictions for a peaceful society and highlighting Islam's teachings on dialogue among religions. He asserted, "To achieve global peace, adherence to Islamic principles is imperative." Sardar Jasbir Singh earlier underscored the contributions of all minorities in Pakistan to the nation's progress, emphasizing the full religious freedom enjoyed by minorities in the country. Dr. Anand Kumar Bhatia emphasized the collective responsibility in promoting inter-religious harmony, stating, "It is the duty of the Muslim majority in Pakistan to safeguard the rights of minorities."

Bishop Simon Bashir stressed the significance of understanding differences to cultivate respect for other faiths, urging minorities to contribute positively to the country while disregarding rumors.

Zong 4G’s Digital Transformation gets boost with CMMI maturity level 3 appraisal ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

Pakistan's leading telecom operator Zong 4G celebrates the attainment of Maturity Level 3 (ML3) of the prestigious Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) by ISACA. CMMI is a well-recognized framework for enhancing software development practices The CMMI Maturity Level Appraisal represents a validated collection of best global practices that urge organizations to establish and measure essential capabilities, addressing prevalent business challenges. It aims at empowering organizations to consistently deliver highquality products. By delivering consistent, high-quality software solutions, Zong is establishing itself as a leader in the digital landscape. This achievement marks a benchmark for Zong's digital journey and will also enhance its competitive edge. Zong's commitment to excellence extends beyond internal processes. The company actively invests in nurturing its talent pool, fostering a culture of innovation, and embracing cutting-edge technologies. This unwavering dedication positions Zong as a driving force in Pakistan's digital revolution. Appreciating this accomplishment, the official Spokesperson for Zong 4G stated, 'This recent achievement is an outcome of the exceptional hard work and dedication exhibited by Zong 4G's team to ensure the enhancement of digital technology in Pakistan. We are confident in our capability to provide world-class software services and solutions always, and the acquirement of CMMI Maturity Level 3 appraisal further demonstrates the organization's future objectives. This appraisal will open doors to many new and exceptional opportunities for Zong 4G and we are looking forward to that. '

07

TRAGIC FIRE ERUPTION AT AGHA STEEL INDUSTRIES LEADS TO CASUALTIES, RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS NEWS

A recent incident at Agha Steel Industries located in Karachi has raised significant concerns about workplace safety and corporate transparency. The incident involved a bucket of molten metal falling from a height, igniting a fire, and triggering an explosion in a transformer. Despite attempts by Agha Steel Industries to downplay the situation, the company, which is listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), eventually disclosed the incident publicly.

Social media reports indicate multiple casualties, including Abid Somroo, a graduate of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology. The accident underscores the perilous working conditions in these steel industries, marked by inadequate safety standards and a disregard for worker safety and rights. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of government oversight, where necessary permissions are often obtained through

illicit means. Public response on social media platforms has been critical, with many expressing skepticism about the government’s ability to conduct a fair and comprehensive investigation into the incident. They argue that such events often become opportunities for the government to extract funds from business owners rather than address the underlying safety issues.

A LinkedIn user emphasized the tragic nature of the incident and the unacceptable neglect of worker safety standards. They called for international organizations like the International Labour Organization, Human Rights Watch, and The Danish Institute for Human Rights to take notice of such incidents and advocate for worker rights and safety.

Another individual highlighted the chaotic response at the incident site, noting employees’ lack of urgency and the absence of firefighters with proper equipment. This observation raises questions about the existence of emergency protocols and the commitment of businesses to

safety, which is often only strengthened when the cost of incidents surpasses the cost of implementing safety measures.

In light of this incident, it’s important to note Agha Steel Mills’ stature as a fully automatic steel manufacturing company in Pakistan. With significant melting and rolling capacities, it plays a major role in the Pakistani steel industry. The company’s plans for an IPO, potentially the largest in the steel sector in five years, further underscore its industry prominence.

Speaking to Profit, Hussain Agha, Executive Director of Agha Steel Industries, expressed deep sadness over the incident. However, in a material information disclosure to the PSX by Agha Steel Industries, it was reported that the incident occurred in the electric control room, affecting two transformers. Two team members, Abid Hussain Soomro and Jamil Shaheen, lost their lives during the incident. The company pledged to support their families and offered employment to a family member of each victim. The announcement also

Expert hails Xi’s annual speech as ‘visionary, forward looking’ Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan

The annual address of president Xi Jining was people and prosperity’s oriented, giving hopes of better and qualitative life in term of good education,a generation of new jobs, easy access of health care and medical services. Thus it presented a holistic and comprehensive model of rigorous community development. President Xi pledges of jointly working for peace, development and international cooperation for mutual benefit is commendable.

His speech showcased the Chinese wisdom and die hard spirits to overcome all internal and external difficulties sailing its macro-economy from the shores of uncertainties to banks of socio-economic prosperity, stability and sustainability during 2023. Thus it remained resilient and dynamic because of its leadership’s determination and economic diversification.

Unfortunately, China confronted with floods, typhoons, earthquakes and natural disasters along with economic hardship but China’s people’s friendly policies successfully mitigated all difficulties.

Xi’s speech was futuristic, fas-

emphasized that the incident was emotionally tragic for the company and assured that operations would resume in 10 days. The company asserted that there was no safety lapse and that it treats its team as family. Agha Steel Industries Ltd is listed on the PSX under the symbol “AGHA,” engaged in manufacturing and selling steel bars, wire rods, and billets. Despite its technological advancements and market presence, the incident raises serious questions about its commitment to safety standards.

The incident at Agha Steel Industries adds to a history of factory fires in Pakistan, the history of factory safety in Pakistan is marred by several catastrophic incidents, including the 2012 Karachi textile factory fire, claiming 289 lives, and a Lahore shoe factory fire causing 25 deaths. Despite these tragedies, there appears to be a continuous struggle in improving safety standards and enforcement in Pakistani factories, highlighting an ongoing challenge in the industrial sector of the country.

Pakistanis reject Afghanistan’s project on Kunar River hampering water supply ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

cinating to advance Chinese modernization through persuasion and implementation of the new development philosophy on all fronts, speeding up building the new development paradigm, promote high-quality development, and safeguard security.

It was vivid reflection to protect its national sovereignty, unification and extending support to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to harness their distinctive strengths, better integrate them into China’s overall development, and secure long-term prosperity and stability is appreciable. Thus it demonstrated the true spirits and the glory of the

rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Last but not least, his commitment to work with international community for greater conflict resolution to achieve the optimal levels of the common good of humanity, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and make the world a better place for all covers all aspects of economic globalization, justice world, Global South and quick economic recovery during 2024.

It is crystal clear that through BRI China would be in better position to build a community with a shared future for mankind through diverse, high-quality cooperation.

The people of Pakistan rejecting Afghanistan’s construction of a project on the Kunar River with the help of India have said that whatever Afghanistan is doing poses a threat to Pakistanis, especially the Pashtuns.

They say that Afghanistan, with the help of India, has taken on the initiative of water aggression by stopping water supply to the agricultural land of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through this project. “Afghanistan does not have its own resources, so it is receiving foreign aid,” the people have complained, insisting that Pakistan has sacrificed for these people and lost thousands of its own. “Afghanistan is not a fully recognised country, as many countries have not yet recognised its government,” the public is of the view. “Whatever Afghanistan is doing is at the behest of India.” “Whenever Afghanistan encounters difficult times, Pakistan has always been the first to stand by it,” as per the people. “Kabul, on one hand, raises its voice for the Pashtuns and on the other, suspends water supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” “These actions expose Afghanistan’s real intentions towards Pakistan.”

Pakistani senators call for OIC tribunal to try HABIBMETRO Israel for war crimes amidst Gaza conflict

strengthens digital presence with Kuickpay

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

A powerful assembly of distinguished voices convened at Riphah International University in Islamabad under the banner of the 'Save Gaza Campaign'. The roundtable witnessed the participation of esteemed figures including Khalid Quddumi, Representative of Hammas in Pakistan, Senators Mushahid Hussain Syed, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Danesh Kumar, Gurdeep Singh, Palwasha Khan, human rights activist Amina Masood Janjua, along with notable personalities such as Hamid Mir, Dr. Rashid Aftab, Ajmal Baloch, Rizwan Shabbir Kayani, Dr. Nigar, Javeria Arshad, and Qaiser Ahmad Raja.

The speakers, unified in their stance, issued a resounding call for an immediate ceasefire and an unequivocal cessation of the ongoing genocide perpetrated against the Palestinian people by Israel.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed emphasized the urgency for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to establish a tribunal to investigate and hold Israel accountable for its egregious war crimes, condemning the atrocities targeting innocent children and women. The forum further call for OIC to convene its forthcoming meeting in Al Qudus, demonstrating a collective resolve to address the pressing issues facing Palestine.

Expressing unwavering solidarity, the forum ex-

KARACHI

Staff RepoRt

hibited unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their struggle for justice and peace. It was underscored that Pakistan stands steadfastly by Hammas and the Palestinian cause, recognizing Hammas as the democratically elected government of Palestine.

Moreover, the forum highlighted the intrinsic connection between the Kashmir and Palestinian issues, emphasizing that the support for Palestine runs deep within the fabric of Pakistani sentiment. The enduring solidarity with Palestine is not merely a political stance but an inherent part of the Pakistani identity, underscoring the interconnected struggles for self-determination and justice in both regions. This bond reflects the shared aspirations for freedom and human rights, echoing the resonance of intertwined destinies between the people of Kashmir and Palestine.

HABIBMETRO recently signed an agreement with Kuickpay to further enhance its digital presence and provide its corporate customers with an extended array of seamless payment options. The signing ceremony was attended by senior management from both organisations. Khurram Shahzad Khan - President & CEO, HABIBMETRO along with Amanullah Sheikh - Head Corporate, Investment & Transaction Banking, Muhammad Jawad Shami - Head Transaction Banking and Ahsen Abidi - Senior Manager Transaction Banking were present at the occasion. Kuickpay was represented

by Syed Saqib Ali - Group CEO, Arbab Ali - Managing Director, Syed Tasawur Hussain - CCO and Umair Ahmed Baig - COO. HABIBMETRO is leading the way in the digital evolution of Pakistan’s banking ecosystem.

The Bank’s partnership with Kuickpay, the swiftest and most reliable online payment channel in the country, is aimed at creating more possibilities and enhancing convenience for our customers. Through this agreement, HABIBMETRO will allow payments from an added range of payment service providers who are connected through the Kuickpay platform.

KU workshop emphasizes IP rights, responsibility, challenges KARACHI

Staff RepoRt

The Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization of the University of Karachi organized a two-day long workshop for the faculty capacity building on IP Rights at the KU Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday.

The chief guest of the inaugural session of the first day of the workshop, the Chairman of Sindh Higher Education Commission, Professor Dr S. M. Tariq Rafi during his address mentioned that he believes this workshop would help create awareness among the faculty members and scholars that Intellectual Property (IP) Rights will give legal protection to research work of our teachers, scholars, and researchers. He asked them to learn more about IP Rights, its responsibilities, prospects, and challenges in detail.

He shared that the provincial HEC is taking steps to bring academia and the business community closer so that our universities do not lose talent and their

products can be safeguarded through IP Rights.

The Chairman Sindh HEC Professor Dr Tariq Rafi shared that unfortunately, Pakistan is one of the countries where copyrights are not followed according to international standards, and IP Rights are a big issue in academia and research.

“We are providing all possible support to teachers and researchers to carry out their research and register creative works under IP Rights. There is a need to further legislate on it.”

He informed the audience that the country is producing the best IT experts but still, we are lagging in the IT industry and export at the global level and one of the major reasons is that we have a huge gap between academia and industries.

He observed that we have to adapt the curriculum as per the market’s demand and shared that most of the curriculum is outdated which is why fresh graduates face hardship in getting jobs after completion of their studies. He hoped that the faculty members and the

administrations of the varsities would surely resolve this matter at the earliest for the better interest of higher education and students.

Meanwhile, the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that the KU is one of the universities which have taken field experts on boards at the department level and making necessary changes in their curriculum after getting inputs from the relevant industry.

He observed that the tragedy of this country is that rather than doing justice to their responsibilities the department and individuals attempt to fulfill the responsibilities of others. He mentioned that the University of Karachi can provide manpower to the industries as per their needs.

The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi said that without the collaboration of the industries and universities, nations cannot be developed, academia provides brains and manpower while industry gives jobs in societies and the varsities can provide sustainable solutions to in-

dustry’s problems through the research conducted in the universities.

He informed the audience that Sindh HEC has been supporting the universities in the province with the grants received by the universities regularly, while the federal HEC is continuously cutting the funds of the universities.

Earlier, the KU Director ORIC Dr Syeda Hoor Ul Ain shared that the workshop is being organized to help the faculty members and researchers in the commercialization of their research. She mentioned that this event aims to enhance knowledge and skills on IP Rights and their implications for academic research, innovation, and commercialization.

She further said that the primary objective of this learning initiative is to equip faculty members and scholars with the patent drafting skillset. The program also aims to raise awareness and provide valuable education on navigating the intricacies of IP rights. The workshop aims to join hands to promote commercialization at the University of Karachi.

TICKETS TO BE FINALIZED WITHIN TWO DAYS, AS CONSULTATION WITH KHAN COMPLETED: GOHAR NEWS

P

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

AKISTAN Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said that he completed the consultation process with the PTI Founding Chairman Imran Khan and the allotment of tickets would be finalized within two days.

During his information interaction with journalists here on Wednesday, PTI Chairman stated that he held meeting with PTI Founding Chairman pertaining to the allotment of party’s tickets to get his final nod about the potential party’s candidates for the much-needed general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024.

Barrister Gohar expressed his disappointment over the Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict, restoring Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order which had stripped the party of its iconic electoral symbol ‘bat’ because it was not just the PTI’s electoral symbol but was also the symbol of the expectations of millions of Pakistani people.

He said that Imran Khan sacrificed

his party chairmanship for protecting the party’s electoral symbol “bat” for the people of the country, for democracy and the prosperity and development of Pakistan.

PTI Chairman lamented that the electoral watchdog was chasing the case like it had never done so in the past, urging the Supreme Court (SC) to take the needful and immediately intervene to thwart the conspiracy to deprive the PTI of its electoral symbol to block the way of horsetrading to save democracy in the country.

He reminded that the apex court had already settled that snatching the electoral symbol was tantamount to dissolving a political party and this right only lies with the apex court in Article 17 of the Constitution.

However, he stated: “If you take away our electoral symbol, will all of them contest as independent candidates? If this happens, who will be responsible for horse-trading after the polls?”

PTI Chairman asked that there a total of 227 reserved who played an important role in the election of the president and prime minister, which would be gone to the party contesting elections on electoral

Former finance minister Sartaj Aziz laid to rest

symbol, adding that the PTI could not be deprived of 227 reserved seats come what may. Barrister Gohar Khan made it clear that all the brutal and unlawful tactics were being used against PTI and its leaders and workers, which clearly indicated that these people were even scared of their under-19 team.

PTI Chairman pointed out that look at the situation how PTI was being treated for the last over a year, as the ECP was being used to corner PTI at all costs, which was no service to the country because giving government to a party having 20 or 25 percent public support against the party having support of over 70 percent of the nation would be a great injustice to the country and the nation.

He recalled that the PTI was conducted the most transparent intra-party elections but out of the total 175 registered political parties, the electoral body only targeted PTI, clearly depicting that all these unjust actions were taken to sideline and push against the wall the most popular political party of the country.

However, he stated that all these biased, illegal and constitutional measures

were being taken to deny PTI its electoral symbol “bat”, which put serious questions on the transparency and fairness of elections.

PTI Chairman went on to say that that the PHC’s verdict was the clear reflection of the electoral watchdog’ biasness and prejudice, announcing to that the party would move the top court against this decision. Barrister Gohar Khan emphasized that if you take away the “bat”, the world will not recognise your election.

He expressed his optimisms that the apex court would get them the “bat” back, demanding that the SC to instantly intervene before it was too late.

However, he reiterated that the PTI would not boycott the election and they would contest the polls under any circumstances.

PTI Chairman said that the entire state machinery was brought to a standstill to oust the PTI of electoral race because they were well-aware of the fact that PTI would trounce its political opponents conveniently if free, fair and transparent polls were held on February 8, 2024.

PHC grants Zartaj Gul protective bail in late night hearing

ISLAMABAD

PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

Staff RepoRt

Former foreign minister Sartaj Aziz was laid to rest at the H8 Graveyard in Islamabad. Sartaj Aziz’s family members, relatives and friends attended the funeral prayers in large numbers. Sartaj Aziz’s family members, relatives and friends attended the funeral prayers in large numbers. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Dr Tariq Fazal, Chaudhry Tanveer Hussain, Shakeel Awan, Farhatullah Babar, former federal minister Nisar Memon, Ijaz Ul Haq, Sardar Mehtab Khan, Raja Zafarul Haq, Siddique Alfarooq, Zubair Qasuri, and former PIO Rao Tehseen Ali Khan also attended the funeral prayers. Ambassadors of various countries including the Kuwaiti envoy were also present in the funeral prayers. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former finance minister Sartaj Aziz had passed away on Tuesday night. President Dr Arif Alvi also expressed his grief over the demise of former Finance Minister and Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz. He prayed to the Almighty for peace of the departed soul.

The Peshawar High Court late Wednesday night granted protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former state minister Zartaj Gul. Gul faces alleged corruption charges and was booked in August last year.

Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, taking up Gul’s petition for protective bail, barred the police from arresting her. The court instructed the PTI leader to submit surety bonds on Thursday. As per details, Chief Justice PHC Muhammad Ibrahim heard the plea seeking protective bail and barred police from arresting the former minister Zartaj Gul. Earlier, Zartaj Gul, apprehensive about arrest, declined to leave the court premises.

In an emotional moment, she apologised for the violent riots on May 9, which ensued after the arrest of the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Speaking to media after filing her bail plea, the PTI leader expressed uncertainty about the upcoming elections, stating, “I can’t say whether I am contesting the election or a war.” She asserted, “I can go to any court.

I will not leave here until I get bail.” Last year in Au-

Thursday, 4 January, 2024

pRayeR timingS FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

6:20

1:30

4:00

Are National Highway Authority losses really as bad as they’re being made out to be?

7:00

5:10

6:45

PROFIT

Daniyal ahmaD

The Federal Footprint, State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) consolidated report for fiscal year 20202022, unveiled on Sunday, paints a rather grim picture. It lays bare the startling revelation that Pakistan’s 31 SOEs have collectively incurred a colossal loss of Rs 730 billion in the fiscal year 2022 alone. The primary offender in this financial debacle is the National Highway Authority (NHA).

The NHA not only registered losses worth Rs 169 billion in fiscal year 2022, but also saw its total accumulated losses soar to Rs 1.2 trillion. Is this a cause for concern? Maybe. The NHA’s losses are largely a byproduct of accounting practices, owing to the nature of its operations. Its losses are predominantly depreciation, and do not impact the national exchequer — at least in the short to medium term.

So, what’s going on? First and foremost, the NHA’s profitability. The NHA has consistently posted a gross profit each year from fiscal year 2019 through to fiscal year 2022. Moreover, it has reported an operating profit each year, with the sole exception of fiscal year 2019, over the same period. The catch, however, is that these gross and net profits have failed to crystallise into net — or final — profits.

The NHA has endured a net loss each year over this span, culminating in a total cumulative loss of Rs 691 billion over the aforementioned four-year period. This has led to the total accumulated loss reaching a staggering Rs 1.2 trillion in fiscal year 2022.A “The government transfers funds to the NHA as a cash development loan through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). This loan then appears on the NHA’s balance sheet, against which the NHA creates an asset,” explains Ammar Habib Khan, an independent economic analyst.

Pervaiz Elahi again shifted to Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

gust, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Zartaj Gul was booked on ‘corruption’ charges. The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) team conducted a raid at Zartaj Guls’ residence to arrest her but she was not at home. The Punjab ACE claims that she has been summoned several times in corruption cases but the PTI leader did not appear before the anti-corruption court.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI leader is accused of giving contracts for various developmental projects to her ‘front men’ at a lower rate by taking ‘bribes’.

RAWALPINDI

Staff RepoRt

PTI senior leader and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was shifted from Adiala Jail to Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) on Wednesday morning after his condition deteriorated. Pervaiz Elahi was suffering from heart pain and chest infection. His initial medical check-up was done at the prison hospital. According to jail sources, Pervaiz Elahi was transferred to RIC due to worsening medical condition. His medical checkup, including necessary medical tests, will be done at the RIC.

Published by Asad Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk