World leaders congratulate Asif Zardari
Torrential rains batter flood-ravaged Gwadar, other Balochistan areas
QUETTA S TA F F R E P O R T Torrential rains wreaked havoc on Sunday in the already flood-ravaged Gwadar and other regions of Balochistan, throwing routine life out of gear and multiplying miseries of the populace Commenced Saturday evening the showers turned main roads and streets into waterponds with knee-high water, inundating low-lying areas in Gwadar and its neighbouring districts In Kech the rainwater wreaked havoc suspending
The
and
Meteorological Department reported rainfall of
over the
T wo ‘terrorists’ killed as explosive goes off during transpor tation in Peshawar
PM Shehbaz increases Ramazan Package to Rs12.5bn
in
hours accompanied by 10mm in Turbat and 2mm in Or-
Turbat, and Jiwani Weather forecasts from the Met Office predict
Gwadar Jiwani Pasni Ormara, Panjgur, Kharan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, and Awaran districts today Furthermore the Met Office issued a warning of potential flash flooding in local nullahs of Gwadar Kech, Turbat, and Panjgur, cautioning that snowfall may disrupt traffic in northern Balochistan until March 13
Chagai Noshki
Washuk Mastung Sibbi Nasirabad Zhob Sherani Barkhan, Musakhel, Kohlu, Jhal Magsi, Loralai, Ziarat, Quetta, Chaman, Pishin Kila Abdullah and Kila Saifullah are also anticipated to experience similar weather conditions with snowfall on hills expected to persist until
March 13, as per the Met department Simultaneously, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Balochistan has issued an alert urging residents to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions in the face of adverse weather conditions
Meanwhile the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) Pakistan has mobilised an emergency relief convoy to support the flood victims of Gwadar
This humanitarian initiative saw the dispatch of five containers loaded with 9 000 food packages and 9 000 shelters totalling 875 tonnes from Islamabad to the rain-impacted areas of Gwadar, a news release said
The departure ceremony held at the Jinnah Stadium Sports Complex Islamabad this morning was attended by Chief Minister of Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti, Saudi Ambassador, Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al Maliky along with the officials from NDMA
The NDMA has diligently coordinated with PDMA Balochistan, ensuring seamless liaison with local authorities, facilitating inter-provincial transit and securing the necessary clearances to guarantee unimpeded delivery of this crucial aid
Upon arrival, the consignment will be entrusted to the PDMA Balochistan and local administration who will oversee the equitable distribution of the relief item to the communities ravaged by the rains in Gwadar
85 Palestinians killed in Gaza in last
In par tnership with Profit M o n d a y, 1 1 M a r c h , 2 0 2 4 I 2 9 S h a ’ b a n , 1 4 4 5 R s 2 0 0 0 | Vo l X I V N o 2 5 3 I 8 Pa g e s I La h o r e E d i t i o n ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T P A K I S TA N People s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday was sworn in as the 14th President of Pakistan at a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa administered oath to the newlyelected President at a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif all three service Chiefs and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza Moreover, Chief Ministers, Governors Foreign Diplomats Speaker and Deputy Speaker NA PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other dignitaries also attended the ceremony President Asif Ali Zardari became the 14th President of Pakistan to serve the country for a second term Earlier, he had served the country as president during 2008-2013 He was elected for the constitutional slot by majority vote of the electoral college comprising members of the Parliament and four provincial assemblies on Saturday paving way for him to assume the office of President of Pakistan for the historic second time in country s parliamentary history ASIF ALI Z ARDARI SWORN IN AS 14TH PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN GAZA/RAFAH A G E N C I E S At least 85 Palestinians were killed and 130 others injured in the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, the territory s Health Ministry said on Sunday “The Israeli occupation committed eight massacres against families in the Gaza Strip leaving 85 martyrs and 130 injured during the past 24 hours the ministry said in a statement Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them, the statement said “The death toll from malnutrition and dehydration rose to 25 ” it noted adding: “72% of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza are children and women Flouting the provisional ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 31 045 Palestinians have been killed mostly women and children and 72 654 injured since Oct 7 according to Palestinian health authorities Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1 200 people The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN Israel is accused of genocide at the ICJ An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza Hostilities have continued unabated, however and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe HUNGER EVERYWHERE IN GAZA: UNRWA: Meanwhile the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Sunday that hunger has spread all across the Gaza Strip amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the enclave “Hunger is everywhere in Gaza ” UNRWA said in a statement The UN agency said humanitarian conditions are tragic in the Palestinian strip as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is set to start on Monday “The situation in the north is tragic, where aid via land is denied despite repeated calls ” it said “Ramadan is approaching The death toll continues to rise Humanitarian access across the Gaza Strip and an immediate cease-fire are imperative to save lives, UNRWA said
31,045 ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has increased the volume of Ramazan Package from Rs7 5 billion to Rs12 5 billion, and directed for enhancing its outreach to facilitate the masses during the upcoming holy month Along with Utility stores and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) mobile units would provide edible items at subsidised rates, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release on Sunday In the initial phase, 1,200 mobile points and 300 permanent relief centres will be established The prime minister wishes that maximum relief should be extended to the poor Besides designated points trucks would also supply foodstuff to different areas On March 7, the prime minister announced a Rs7 5 billion subsidised Ramazan package A total of 39 6 million people would be provided food items during the holy month at rates subsidised by 30 percent The items under BISP included flour, rice, pulses, ghee, sugar, syrup and milk The subsidy on flour would be Rs77 per kg and on ghee Rs70 respectively
24 hours as toll rises to
LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T Punjab Police on Sunday took into custody Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja during the party’s protest against the rigging in recently held general elections Confirming the arrest of his father Balakh Sher Khosa son of Latif Khosa expressed concern over the incident It has come to our attention that Sardar Latif Khosa has been taken into custody, an act that is utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable ” stated party leader Sher Afzal Marwat on his official X handle It has come to our attention that Sardar Latif Khosa has been taken into custody an act that is utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable The authorities in Punjab need to quickly stop this unfair behavior The liberty to protest in a peaceful manner is a right of ours , Sher Afzal Marwat wrote on his X account Taking to X Sher Afzal Marwat called the arrest “utterly deplorable and wholly intolerable adding that the authorities in Punjab need to stop the unfair behaviour Salman Akram Raja, another prominent PTI leader, was also detained by police Advocate Muhammad Mehr Salim was among those arrested alongside Raja Meanwhile rallies and demonstrations organised by PTI supporters and activists, were witnessed across the country with gatherings reported in Rawalpindi Karachi Kandhkot Tank and other urban centres In Lahore, according to media reports, authorities deployed a heavy police presence on Mall Road and surrounding areas to maintain order resulting in several PTI workers being arrested from GPO Chowk Similar preparations were made in Karachi, where police and Sindh Rangers were stationed outside the Korangi Deputy Commissioner ’s office ahead of anticipated protests Tensions flared in Rawalpindi as PTI demonstrators clashed with police after being denied entry into the city via the Khanna Pul route Several party workers were apprehended only to be released later In Tank PTI supporters marched from Sabir Bazaar to the Town Hall ground, expressing their grievances Protests also erupted in Faisalabad, Vehari Khushab Islamabad Multan Gujranwala and other cities indicating the widespread dissatisfaction among PTI supporters over the alleged electoral malpractice In a statement, Shehbaz Khosa said his father was arrested by station house officer (SHO) Cantt “We have no information where the police have taken him [Latif Khosa] he said SCBA condemns arrest of Salman Akram Raja, Latif Khosa P T I ’ s K h o s a , S a l m a n A k r a m Ra j a a r r e s t e d d u r i n g p r o t e s t a g a i n s t b a l l o t r i g g i n g
traffic
obstructing connecting roads
Pakistan
21 millimetres
Gwadar
past 24
mara,
ongoing rain and thunderstorms with isolated showers in Turbat Kech
PESHAWAR S TA F F R E P O R T Two alleged terrorists were killed on Sunday and another injured when explosives they were transporting detonated prematurely in Board Bazar on Nasir Bagh Road The police confirmed the blast and killing of the suspected terrorists saying they were transporting explosives on a motorcycle when it went off killing them on the spot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Kashif Aftab Abbasi said that they were carrying 4 to 5 kilograms explosives elaborating that no evidence of suicide attack was found The SSP while speaking to the media said the three suspects were riding a motorcycle which was carrying four to five kilogrammes of explosives when the blast occurred The police official added that it would be too early to determine the intended target as the investigation is ongoing According to the police the injured and the bodies were shifted to a hospital and a heavy police contingent reached the scene of the incident and commenced a search operation The bomb disposal unit s report clarified that the explosion was not a suicide explosion but a premature detonation during the transfer of explosives The investigation team said no civilian casualties were reported The motorcycle-riding terrorists became unintended casualties of their explosive material and the detonation occurred before reaching their intended target Rescue 1122 staff reached the site soon after the blast and removed the dead and the injured to Khyber Teaching Hospital Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the blast and sought a report from IG Police PM Shehbaz Sharif and Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also strongly condemned the terrorist attack “We are thankful to Allah Almighty that we were saved from a great loss ” remarked the premier while expressing gratitude for the swift and effective response of the Peshawar police The PM further emphasised the unwavering commitment of the police and security forces, characterising them as a steadfast barrier against terrorism PM Shehbaz also affirmed the collective determination to eliminate terrorism in the country g O U T G O I N G P R E S I D E N T, P M, T H R E E S E R V I C E S C H I E FS, A N D C H A I R M A N C J C S C A M O N G OT H E R S AT T E N D C E R E M O N Y g C H I E F J U S T I C E O F PA K I S TA N A D M I N I S T E R S O AT H TO N E W LY- E L E C T E D P R E S I D E N T AT A I W A N - E-S A D R g 1 , 2 0 0 M O B I L E P O I N T S A N D 3 0 0 P E R M A N E N T R E L I E F C E N T R E S W I L L B E E S TA B L I S H E D C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03
Following oath-taking on Sunday the Presidents of Iran Turkiye and China congratulated Asif Ali Zardari on his election as the 14th President of Pakistan Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Asif Ali Zardari on his victory for the coveted office of president of Pakistan In his message Xi Jinping asserted China and Pakistan are good neighbors good friends good partners and good brothers He said the two countries have achieved fruitful results in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and maintained a high level of development of bilateral relations The Chinese President said Beijing is ready to work with President Asif Zardari to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries Separately in a message President of Iran Syed Ebrahim Raeesi in a message congratulated Asif Ali Zardari on his election as the president of Pakistan President Raeesi expressed hope that during his presidency, the relations between the two countries, having historical cultural and religious history will be more developed and deepened than before The Iranian President stated As always, and especially in the new era, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its readiness to expand relations with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ” Separately the President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan also congratulated Asif Zardari on his election as President
ISLAMABAD:
PISLAMABAD
S ta f f R e p o R t
The
ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t As a part of its efforts to provide authentic information about various propoor schemes the internationally acclaimed Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is utilizing different social media platforms to facilitate existing and intending beneficiaries and counter
ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) announced to carry out a million march toward the United States embassy on the 27th of Ramadan to express solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine Addressing a Gaza Solidarity March in Islamabad JI Ameer Sirajul Haq said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also failed to play its due role for Palestinians and just is restricted to statements only
Our parliament also passed ineffective resolutions and now the lawmakers don t even talk about the situation of Gaza,” he added Sirajul Haq said that millions of people would be marching towards the American embassy on the 27th of Ramadan Speaking on the political situation in Pakistan the JI chief said that the economy of the country cannot improve till the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are in power “These two families have ruined Pakistan and the country cannot be put on
the path of prosperity until they are removed from power, Sirajul Haq added He said that newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari took the oath with all those who looted the country around him Speaking on the occasion JI leader Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that Israel is carrying out a massacre in in Palestine He said that the United States vetoed the ceasefire resolution three times in the United Nations Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that unlike the rulers the people of America and Europe have supported Palestine
/ 03339100619), DG Religious Affairs (03006831822), and Office Administrator Auqaf Peshawar (091-9330427)
Pakistani oranges reach Russia after landmark journey
involved a total of 16 trucks that travelled from Sargodha in Punjab to Russia The trucks travelled over 6,000 kilometres to reach their destination The trucks were carrying the kinow variety of Pakistani oranges According to details, fourteen of the
reached Russian
Derbent while the other two reached Grozny A special ceremony was organised to welcome the trucks which was attended by officials from the transport union, Russian customs and Pakistani embassy The journey has successfully exhibited Pakistani ability to reach foreign markets by road which will also prevent wastage of high-quality agricultural produce at home Statistics show that almost 40% of agricultural products are at risk of being spoiled
M d y 11 M h 2024 | LAHORE 02 NEWS PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t
R O V I N C I A L Minister for Food Zahir Shah Toru on Sunday said that a well thought strategy had been evolved to provide maximum relief to the people in Holy month of Ramazan As many as 736 000 families registered under the Ehsaas program will get Rs10 000 each through cross-cheque to bring transparency and more than five million people of the province will benefit from this move, he said while talking to the media delegation led by Mardan Press Club President M Bashir Adil and addressing the party workers at his residence Zahir Shah Toru said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will definitely meet the Prime Minister for the rights of province There will be purposeful and meaningful negotiations with the Centre Restoring law and order will be the top priority of the incumbent government, he said Zahir Shah Toru arrived in Mardan today for the first time after taking the oath of his office He was warm welcomed by a large number of party workers and people at the Ring Road He said that the Chief Minister will meet the Prime Minister not only for a photo ses-
but he will hold purposeful negotiations for the constitutional rights of the province and will not compromise on the rights of the province He said that for this purpose the opposition would also be taken into confidence it was not a matter of a single person, rather, it was the issue of rights of the province and he would go to any extent for this He said that if the center refused the due rights of the province they would consider other options including approaching the Supreme Court The provincial food minister said that in the month of Ramadan, hoarding, adulteration and collection of excessive prices would not be tolerated at all Clear instructions have been given to the administrations of all the districts Bazaar checking will also be carried out at night time he added Zahir Shah Toru said that the development of the province was linked to peace so it had been decided to prepare a plan of action with all stakeholders to end terrorism and restore peace He said Pakistan is mired in debt and Imran Khan is being punished only because he has been raising his voice to save the country from the torment of debt since day one The provincial minister said that it was the mission of the provincial government to give relief to the poor people The relief policy has been changed in this Ramadan and it has been decided to give benefit to 5 million poor people he expressed Along with this he said cash assistance will also be given to widows and disabled persons for which a policy will be formulated soon S T R AT E G Y E V O LV E D T O P R O V I D E R E L I E F T O P E O P L E I N R A M A Z A N : K P M I N I S T E R W E should avoid bodyshaming the way rich people should avoid wealthshaming So nobody should call Anant Ambani fat Yeah he might weigh more than average and that is the result of a chronic disease that made him heavier than average The result is that he has become the low-hanging fruit of fatshaming But the response of the family has been to give him the most expensive wedding the world has ever seen It cost Rs 10 billion That s Indian rupees and it s an obscene amount True, Anant is the son of Mukesh Ambani, one of the world s richest men, but he still reminds one of ‘Fat Man’, the US nuclear bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki to end World War II It just goes to show that no matter how rich your daddy is if you re going to be fat you re going to be fat And it s not as if Anant has got other redeeming qualities He s not good at cricket, like Azam Khan who’s got to be one of the weightiest men ever to keep wickets for Pakistan Or any other sport for that matter even though throwing the hammer and shotput are usually best done by hefty guys Or the tug o war, where the anchor of the team is usually picked for his sheer weight Young Anant is not exceptionally bright for he dropped out of Brown University without taking a degree He s not jawdroppingly dumb either for he got into Brown, which is Ivy League Whatever the reason, he got married to a childhood sweetheart, a daughter of family friends, Radhika Merchant As they were both from Gujerati bania families I’m sure she faced family pressure to stick by him when he suddenly got fat after their engagement The wedding was starstudded Both Mike Zuckerberg and Ashton Kuchner performed, while Rihanna attended Or was it Rihanna who performed? Anyway, Jeff Bezos wasn’t there nor was Donald Trump His daughter Ivanka was though No guest was murdered Normally that would be a given but after Balaj Truckanwala, you can t be sure it s over until it s over The PIA stewardess who slipped in Toronto stayed there and didn’t go to India for the wedding Apparently PIA air hostesses slip quite frequently in Toronto This airhostess was not even the first this year but the second And last year there were seven And apparently, so many have slipped, that those who have are now advising those who want to slip how to One of the essential steps is to burn one’s passport apparently And once you get in make sure you don t report for the return flight I wonder whether the impending privatization of the national airline has any relation to this desire to settle abroad, specifically in Canada? Anyhow, the privatization is going full speed ahead and Shiehbaz Sharif is doing what Umar Ayub presumably wouldn t have done which is rushing through the privatization Elsewhere, I see that Gazans aren t getting much luck Israel is not just continuing its attacks, but is doing its damnedest to make sure that no aid gets through However Sweden s and Canada s decision to resume aid to UNRWA the UN Relief and Works Agency which was founded specifically, in 1949, to provide relief and help to Palestinian refugees Some aid is being airdropped but that does not seem viable what with five people killed when a pallet of food aid fell on them after its p;rachute failed Israelis called for this to stop, as it was only encouraging the Palestinian resistance They shouldn’t object for the crowds of Palestinians getting into the sropzone provided convenient targets Does anyone remember how many Jews were killed when manna fell from the sky in the Sinai? The Israelis want the Gazans thrown into the Sinai it seems And they begrudge them even what falls from the sky Gaza was in bad shape before the present invasion which is now in its sixth month It had not recovered from previous invasions, or the covid-19 epidemic, and could have tipped into starvation anyhow But this This is too much But for whom? What really shook me was the appeal by a Palestinian on social media in the name of Islam It s not just the governments and the militaries that will have to answer but all of us who call ourselves Muslims, on the Day of Judgement It s a scary thought to go into this Ramazan, because the Almighty might be infinitely Merciful, but He is also Just And if Palestinians don’t forgive us I don t know if He will Bodyshaming and getting wed City NoteS M a N i a z i LESCO promises uninterrupted power supply during Sehar and Iftar LAHORE: Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) revealed plan for uninterrupted supply of electricity during Sehar and Iftar during holy month of Ramzan On the instructions of the Ministry of Power Division LESCO has constituted special teams consisting of BS9 to BS18 officers and officials to ensure uninterrupted supply of power to the consumers during Sehar and Iftaar time LESCO Chief Shahid Haider assured public that ininterrupted power supply will be provided to them in all regions during Ramzan He added that a control room has also been set up at the LESCO headquarters for monitoring of the entire supply system All the officers including the LESCO chief will be available in the control room to monitor the situation LESCO chief Shahid Haider further said that a separate team of Grid System Operation Circle will ensure provision of additional trolley transformers in all subdivisions while burnt transformer to be replaced within three hours S ta f f R e p o R t Professor behind ar tificial rain project removed from post
In a shocking development the professor who conducted the first artificial rain experiment in the provincial metropolis to tackle the smog issue was removed from his post According to the details, the Head of the Geography Department, Prof Dr Munawar Sabir, was removed from his position at Punjab University Dr Munawar Sabir was a member of the Artificial Rain Experiment team and the Punjab Government Commission The Sources revealed that a woman, 10 years junior to prof Munawar Sabir, has been appointed as the head of the Department of Geography at Punjab University It is pertinent to mention here that On December 16 2023 for the first time in the country s history a total of 48 flares were fired during the first artificial rain experiment in different areas of Lahore to combat the smog crisis in Punjab The former caretaker Punjab Chief Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, told the news conference that the first artificial rain has been made in Pakistan for which he is grateful to the UAE team S ta f f R e p o R t
sion,
LAHORE:
Logistics
due to lack of cold storage However, reefer services can keep the products fresh even during long-distance travel Staff RepoRt Bahawalpur Police seek Sindh’s assistance for hostage recover y LAHORE: The Bahawalpur District Police sought the Sindh police assistance for ‘safe recovery of the abducted member of Rescue 1122 by the Katcha area Dacoits In this connection the Bahawalpur District Police Officer (DPO) wrote a letter to the Sindh Police officials, seeking assistance in the arrest of the kidnappers and the recovery of the hostage In the letter DPO Bahawalpur revealed that the kidnappers had contacted the relatives of the victim for ransom It is worth mentioning here that the Punjab Police formed a team under the Superintendent of Police (SP) to recover the abducted rescue personnel, however, the team failed to recover the kidnapped rescue official The dacoits of the Katcha area are demanding a ransom of Rs 10 million for the release of the individual while the families have started collecting donations in this regard S ta f f R e p o R t
ISLAMABAD: Trucks bearing Pakistani oranges reached two Russian cities in what is being hailed as an important milestone for regional trade The operation carried out by the National
Cell
trucks
city
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to convene on Monday for the holy month of Ramazan moon sighting at the office of Administrator Auqaf in Peshawar under the chairmanship of Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad The meeting will witness the participation of esteemed members from both Central and Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees including Director General Syed Mushahid Hussain Khalid from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Ghulam Murtaza from the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission Dr Sardar Sarfaraz from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, and Zainul Abedin from the Ministry of Science and Technology Among the distinguished members of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee are Yasin Zafar Allama Dr Muhammad Hussain Akbar Mufti Faisal Ahmed Qari Abdul Rauf Madani, Mufti Ali Asghar Attari, Mufti Yusuf Kashmiri, Mufti Zameer Ahmad Sajid, Pir Syed Shahid Ali Jilani, Maulana Abdul Malik Brohi Maulana Ashraf Ali Mufti Qari Mehrullah Sahibzada Syed Habibullah Chishti and Maulana Asad Zakaria Qasmi Representatives from the Zonal Committee Peshawar include Maulana Ehsanul Haq, Maulana Mufti Fazlullah, Maulana Muhammad Ali Shah Maulana Syed Abdul Basir Rostami Allama Abid Hussain Shakri and Mufti Atiqullah Qadri along with other esteemed scholars Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad emphasized that similar meetings of zonal committees across the country will be held at their respective headquarters in Lahore Karachi Quetta and
Islamabad to decide the moon sighting of the month of Ramazan 1445 AH Azad appealed to all citizens of Pakistan to be vigilant in sighting the moon of Ramazan, expressing hope for a unified day of fasting for the country He also provided contact information for inquiries regarding moon sighting: Chairman (0321-9410041
fake information The BISP has earlier launched its Whatsapp channel for disseminating public awareness about its initiatives which has now over 7,000 followers According to an official source the BISP had urged the existing and intending beneficiaries to follow the official Whatsapp channel of BISP to get all the valid information about the programmes The citizens can follow the BISP Whatsapp channel through this web link: https://www whatsapp com/channel/002 9VaL06DJ9Bb602I388U2l Earlier, the BISP, under the supervision of Chairperson BISP, Dr Amjad Saqib has launched a modern call center in collaboration with the National Telecommunication Corporation for providing authentic information related to the programme and promptly addressing grievances The individuals can contact the call center at 080026477 to register complaints or seek information about the program Listing other initiatives taken by the BISP the official source revealed that the launch of BISP Saving Scheme Mobile Registration Centers establishment of Endowment Fund, Digital and Financial Literacy Training for women, increase in the quarterly Kafaalat stipend up to Rs10 500 and partnership with six banks for improving payment mechanism were among the prominent steps taken recently BISP utilizes social media platforms for public awareness about schemes Central Ruet- e -Hilal Committee meets for Ramazan moon sighting today JI announces million march towards US embassy KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t Revival of the Pakistan Steel Mills would surely help in boosting our economy but the provincial government of Sindh and the Centre are not interested in it said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday He said in a statement that recently Iran has expressed willingness to revive the PSM and previously Russia and China had also shown keen interest in this regard but our own rulers want to sell precious lands of the PSM to real estate tycoons against hefty commissions and kickbacks He said worldwide steel making is a very profitable sector and even the PSM was a profitable entity before a corrupt political government deliberately ruined it through excessive recruitments He said the same government had also doomed the PIA through excessive recruitments; however, no action was taken to these mega corrupt politicians who still enjoy high offices in Pakistan He said there are rumors that a special export industrial zone would be established on the land of the PSM Others say that a technology park would be established there Yet others say that this land has been allocated to a private steel mill belonging to some Middle East tycoons He said this land belongs to the people of Pakistan and Sindh and it must be saved from real estate tycoons and mega corrupt politicians and their parties Altaf Shakoor said that the PSM should be revived and rerun with help of Iran or China or Russia as Pakistan needs steel for its different sectors He said that the SIFC should ensure that this precious land is only used for genuine industrial purposes and not given to the real estate mafia He said revival of the PSM would boost the local economy by providing quality steel at reasonable prices He demanded from the Prime Minister Sindh chief minister and the chief of army staff to ensure that the real estate mafia doesn t get the land of the PSM and this deliberately ruined national project should be again revived in the larger interests of the country and nation He said the corrupt elements behind the doom of the PSM should be punished severely as per law and constitution
Iran willing to revive Pakistan Steel Mills: PDP chief
TThe Syndicate also deferred implementation of the amended LPR (Leave Before Retirement) under the pressure of the Academic Staff Association (ASA) and members Syndicate who strongly advocated against the amended laws
The members came hard on the acting vice chancellor Dr Khalid Mehmood, who they said was abusing the powers of the vice chancellor officer in his current position as pro vice chancellor
The syndicate did not allow PVC to appoint Mian Ahmad Hanan as chairperson Department of Journalism Studies after the retirement of Dr Bushra Hameedur
Rahman The members – Dr Sardar Asghar Iqbal and Dr Islam asked the committee to read in detail the heart-burning letter of Dr Bushra written on her retirement day regarding two illegal transfers to her department just for the lust to become HoD despite of their irrelevant experience
Dr Bushra wrote to the Syndicated that: two parachute transfers, Dr Mian Hanan Ahmad vide letter No D/213/Est-1 and Dr Muhammad Rashid Khan vide letter No D/214 both dated 26-01-2024 have been made to my Department of Journalism Studies days before my retirement in sheer violation of established practice only to appoint HoD on political basis instead of merit I did not allow their joining and have
11 die in road accidents in Sindh, Punjab cities
A sif Ali Z ardari sworn in as 14th President of Pakistan
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
The members of the ruling alliance supported the former president and PPP stalwart Asif Ali Zardari against Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai who was backed by Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) WHO IS ASIF ALI ZARDARI? Asif
Ali Zardari, is the widower of Pakistan’s first female prime minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Born on July 26 1955 in Karachi
Asif Ali Zardari is the son of Hakim Ali Zardari, a tribal chief and prominent landowner Zardari served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013 and was the first politician to complete a full term in office He has been a member of the national assembly of Pakistan since August 2018
Since December 27, 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir
Bhutto, he had been leading the PPP
His son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is the chairman of PPP Zardari served as a member of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1993 and from 1993 to 1996 After Benazir
Bhutto s return to power in 1993, he served as minister of the environment (1993–96) and federal minister for investment (1995–96) in her government
On January 2008 he was elected as Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party following the assassination of
Passpor t office’s warehouse caught fire in Karachi, old files, record burnt into ashes
Saudi Arabia
for
people of Gwadar He also spoke Urdu and chanted the slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ while announcing relief items for Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti paid his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for announcing relief items for Balochistan Climate Change is a huge challenge for all of us Gwadar received record rain this year and we are trying hard to rehabilitate the victims, Bugti said Earlier, the port city of Gwadar was declared a calamity-hit area following torrential rains last month Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also visited the areas of the coastal city which suffered damage due to torrential rains last week As many as 3,100 houses in Gwadar, and 2,500 in Jiwani were damaged Besides, 95 houses were completely destroyed and more than 200 cattle were killed The officials claimed that 355 people were accommodated in government residences 800 were rescued and shifted to their relatives homes Pakistan Army and Navy established medical camps to provide health facilities to the victims
Three more children died of pneumonia in Punjab
LAHORE
M d y 11 M h 2024 | LAHORE NEWS 03 LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t
H E Punjab University Syndicate members Saturday locked horns in a nearly seven-hour long session to decide on policy matters regarding the establishment of a new Daska Campus adoption of amended LPR laws proposals to establish an IT Tower media city appointment of HoDs in 15 departments/ schools The syndicate members decided not to allow the establishment of the Daska Campus without proper feasibility study and financial impact assessment report because the varsity is already facing an economic crunch with around Rs2 7 billion deficit in the backdrop of hue and cry during the establishment of the Pothohar campus in Gojar Khan on the desire of then-Speaker NA Raja Pervez Ashraf
serious reservations ” She said in her letter that Dr Shabbir Sarwar associate professor was the senior most in the department after her retirement and on merit he deserves to be appointed as HoD HEC representative Dr Nazir Hussain and HED Representative also supported the appointment of Dr Shabbir however the PVC was predicted to sue some unknown pressure Member syndicate Sardar Iqbal refused to take charge as head of Kashmiriyat Department in protest against what he called unjust policy of pick and choose and violation of merit in the appointment of HoDs Also PVC was in favour to appointment but he refused M e a n w h i l e D r F a r a h K a n w a l w a s appointed as Head of School of Chemistry, Dr Kashif Rathore as Director Institute of Administrative Science HEC r e p r e s e n t a t i v e r e p r i m a n d e d D r K h a l i d for inappropriate and uncalled-for comments about HEC Furthermore Prof Dr Munawar Sabir who made artificial rain in Lahore, Punjab, was removed from his post Prof Dr Munawar Sabir was the Head of Department of Geography, Punjab University, Lahore New head of the Department of Geography is a ten-year junior professor Dr Munawar Sabir was also a member of the Artificial Rainfall Team and Punjab Government Commission BEIJING S ta f f R e p o R t China’s renowned bridge construction has cooperation with many Belt and Road countries and hope to come to Pakistan to build more infrastructure projects said Gao Zongyu Deputy to National People s Congress (NPC) from Hubei province of China We have built bridges in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Croatia and other European countries We really hope we can come to Pakistan and to build more infrastructure and transportation projects he told APP during a meeting of the Hubei province held on the sidelines of Two Sessions in Beijing Gao, also chief scientist of China Railway Corporation Limited and chief expert of China Railway Bridge Survey and Design Institute Group Co Ltd informed that China s bridge construction with Hubei as a pacesetter has taken the lead in the world, and it is now a well-recognized brand of Chinese construction He said, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge built over 70 year ago marked the beginning of large-scale modern bridge construction in China and added today China boasts over one million bridges spanning rivers, lakes, seas, plateaus, and canyons, playing a vital role in underpinning economic and social development He said the success of Chinese construction can be attributed to the following factors including a collaborative innovation system among industry academia research, and application; a comprehensive supply chain encompassing theory, materials, design, construction, equipment, and operation and maintenance; a large number of dedicated engineers and highly skilled workers with sound knowledge and considerable experience; as well as the grand vision of developing China s strengths in transportation and promoting the Belt and Road Initiative With the high-quality development in the new era new requirements need to be met for Chinese construction Gao expressed the confidence that through continuous innovation, China will achieve the smart and green transformation of the bridge industry in the near future “In doing so we will make big strides on the path from Chinese construction to smart Chinese construction and contribute to the high-quality development of China s transportation, as well as infrastructure connectivity between China and participating countries of the Belt and Road Initiative and even the whole world Gao said in his career as a bridge engineer for nearly 40 years, the Pingtan Strait Road-Rail Bridge is the most unforgettable project he has ever engaged in However Chinese bridge builders faced the challenges squarely and made a series of technological innovations We established a joint forecast system for wind and wave conditions, which enabled us to accurately predict the arrival time of strong winds at the construction site and determine when we could conduct construction ”He said thanks to these technological innovations with seven years of strenuous efforts we managed to withstand 29 typhoons, including super typhoons such as Soudelor, Haitang, and Maria, and completed the project at the end of 2020 P U S Y N D I C AT E C R I T I C I S E S P V C O V E R M I S U S E O F V C O F F I C E , A U T H O R I T Y LAHORE p R e S S R e l e a S e Cresset Pakistan s pioneering Fashion Accelerator announces its remarkable journey of strategic expansion and visionary leadership propelling the fashion industry to new heights of success In a dynamic landscape where innovation is key, Cresset stands at the forefront, navigating diverse avenues of success From delivering strategic insights to mastering e-Commerce finesse from ensuring manufacturing excellence to orchestrating global retail expansion Cresset remains dedicated to its clients' triumphs As the premier Fashion Accelerator in Pakistan Cresset takes pride in the trust bestowed upon it by esteemed fashion labels The organization humbly acknowledges the opportunity to collaborate with renowned fashion houses, navigating uncharted territories of achievement together A testament to its commitment, Cresset proudly announces the successful navigation of a brand's journey into the competitive USA market now entering into the United Kingdom via retail expansion This remarkable feat underscores the visionary collaboration of Asad Malik and Mohsin Naveed Ranjha, who have led the charge with unwavering dedication and foresight "This journey is a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence and innovation," remarked Asad Malik CEO Cresset "We are grateful for the trust of our esteemed clients and humbled by the opportunity to redefine success in the fashion industry As Cresset continues to chart new territories of success its commitment to innovation collaboration, and visionary leadership remains unwavering The organization looks forward to forging new partnerships and breaking new ground in the dynamic world of fashion Cresset redefines fashion success with strategic expansion, visionary leadership C hina’s bridge construc tion willing to build infrastruc ture projec ts in Pakistan
man caught while allegedly disposing of wife’s body KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t Karachi police arrested a man allegedly trying to dispose of the dead body of his wife after murdering her in Korangi Industrial Area Police caught the man after he dumped the dead body in a water drum in Allah Wala Town The man identified as Babu is a resident of Chanesar Goth in Karachi He lived there with his wife and four children According to police, Babu allegedly killed his wife by suffocating her with a pillow three days ago Police added that a patrolling team arrested the man after chasing him Investigations about the incident are underway Police said that the killing could be an incident of honour killing The woman s body has been shifted to Jinnah Hospital while the accused is being held in custody pending further action Prices of vegetables sky rocketed in Bahawalpur BAHAWALPUR S ta f f R e p o R t The prices of vegetables have sky rocketed ahead of the holy month of Ramazan becoming out of purchasing power of common man APP learnt on Sunday that commission agents of Fruits and Vegetables Market and traders dealing with business of vegetables have increased prices of vegetables and fruits by 20 percent to 100 percent making them out of reach of common man who is already suffering from inflation Tomato which was available at Rs 100 per kilogram few days back, now had taken sudden jump to Rs 200 per kilogram ahead of the holy month of Ramazan Onion which was being sold out at Rs 120 to 150 per kilogram now its rate had increased to Rs 240 per kilogram Potato was also available at Rs 40 per kg its price has increased to Rs 60 to 70 per kg Garlic was being sold at Rs 500 to 600 per kg, now is available at Rs 650 to 800 per kg while the holy month of Ramazan is likely to fall on Tuesday, 12th March 2024 Shimla chilly is being sold out at Rs 500 per kg Lemon at Rs 100 to 200 per kg maithi (fenugreek) at Rs 80 per kg and cabbage at Rs 100 to 150 per kg
Karachi
KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t As many as 11 people were killed while over a dozen were seriously injured in three accidents in Nawabshah, Larkana and Chakwal on Sunday S I X D I E I N P I C K U P, T R U C K C O L L I S I O N I N N AWA B S H A H: Six persons were killed while 15 were seriously injured when a Datsun pickup, carrying a wedding guests, collided with a truck on the National Highway in tehsil Qazi Ahmad of Nawabshah The dead and the injured were shifted to tehsil headquarter hospital Qazi Ahmad Police said that women and children were among the dead and the injured T H R E E D I E I N R O A D A C C I D E N T N E A R M O H E N J O D A R O: Three people, including two children, were killed when a tractor trolley crashed into their motorcycle near Mohenjo Daro in Larkana Those who died were identified as Ahmad Ali Khero fiveyear-old Bismah and four-year-old Sajan Ali Soon after learning about the incident police reached the site of the accident T W O D I E I N R O A D A C C I D E N T N E A R C H A K WA L: Similarly, two persons lost their lives when a Mazda truck heading from Rawalpindi to Lahore slammed into a tractor trolley on the motorway at Kalar Kahar near Chakwal in Punjab
KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t Old files huge record of the warehouse burnt into ashes as fire broke out in Passport Office s warehouse in Karachi s Saddar area on Sunday Abrar Sheikhm, station fire officer in Saddar said at 5am early in the morning rescue officials were informed about the fire incident 4 fire brigade vehicles and a snorkel took part in the operation and controlled the fire after an hour As a result of the fire incident the entire record and old files of passport office burnt into ashes The reason behind the cause of fire could not be confirmed yet
GWADAR S ta f f R e p o R t Saudi Arabia has announced relief package for calamity-hit Gwadar as hundreds of houses were damaged due to torrential rains in the port city According to a Sunday report the ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al Maliky visited Balochistan and announced relief measures for the people of Gwadar “We’ll help our Pakistani brothers in this difficult time ” the ambassador said after meeting the Balochistan chief minister Sarfraz Bugti The ambassador announced 9 000 shelter camps and 9,000 ration bags for the calamity-hit
announces relief package
calamit y hit Gwadar people
Pneumonia
children
Punjab
Sunday As per the available information one of the dead children of pneumonia was belonging from Lahore In the ongoing year 2024 pneumonia has unfortunately taken 479 lives just in Punjab whereas 272 new cases of the disease have been reported currently in the province of which almost 37 cases are from Lahore The total number of cases in Punjab has reached on more than 38000 in the year
S ta f f R e p o R t In its continuing and shocking prevail
has claimed three more lives of
in the last 24 hours in
on
his wife His achievements under 18th Amendment he gave away the presidential powers to strengthen parliamentary democracy and bolstered provincial autonomy, coined political reconciliation, helped policies that encompassed freedom of media, revolutionized telecommunications revived Pakistan’s energy sector opened Pakistan to foreign direct investment and strengthen state-owned enterprises
PPP government under his leadership got a consensus among all the political parties on the seventh National Finance Commission (NFC) award which increased the provinces’ financial autonomy The PPP-led government also unveiled the Aghaz-i-Huqooq-i-Balochistan package aimed at fast track progress and development in the province To eradicate crippling polio disease from the country President Asif Ali Zardari also launched Pakistan s National Emergency Action Plan 2011 The historic Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was also a Zardari’s brainchild that became the first widely acknowledged social safety net in the region that earned accolades internationally In 2013 former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and former President Asif Ali Zardari agreed to build an economic corridor between the two countries which gave birth to the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) The historic milestone of Belt and Road Initiative further enhanced the mutual connectivity between the two countries opened vistas of progress and development and generated unprecedented employment opportunities to Pakistanis While he also helped reset the contours of the country’s foreign policy garnering international community s support on various regional and global issues Z A R D A R I S E C U R E D 411 VO T E S A G A I N S T A C H A K Z A I’S 181: According to a notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following the poll the ruling coalition’s candidate secured 411 votes while the PTI-backed candidate received 181 votes from the Electoral College Zardari bagged 255 votes in the Senate and National Assembly while the SIC candidate and PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai only secured 91 votes The former president swept the votes in the Sindh Assembly bagging 151 while PkMAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai managed nine votes Except for the K-P Assembly where the PPP leader did not get the majority vote Zardari won most of the votes in all other provincial assemblies by a comfortable margin In KP, Zardari got 17 votes versus Achakzai s 91 In Punjab, the former president secured 246 votes and the PkMAP leader got 100 votes
The
S m o g w a r n i n g
Pu n j a b m e e t i n g o n e nv i ro n m e n t s h o u l d m a ke a l l re a l i ze t h e p ro b l e m i s m o re i m m e d i at e t h a n c l i m at e c h a n g e
AT one level the stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb who also has the Environment and Climate Change portfolio was perhaps a little late for there is little that can be done this season about it, and any reforms will carry over to next winter However, it is good to see that the Punjab government is not satisfied, as its predecessors have been, to leave the problem for the future Ms Aurangzeb, who did her postgraduation in environment from King’s College London, should be familiar with the problem It should be clear to all that climate change does not cause pollution but the other way around If climate change is to be handled, it is through controlling air pollution The smog phenomenon is the result of industrial pollution as well as fossil fuel burning by vehicles and power plants Controlling these must be a priority, which should include ensuring that substandard fuels are controlled Another problem Ms Aurangzeb took cognizance of was plastic pollution Plastic shoppers are bad news Disposing of the plastic by burning may be simple, but it needlessly spews particles into the air that help Further not only does the plastic cause untold damage when
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
Aof IPRs protection A February 14 Guardian published article ‘WTO fails to reach agreement on providing global access to Covid treatments’ pointed out in this regard The World Trade Organization has failed to reach an agreement to waive intellectual property rights on Covid-19 tests and treatments for poorer countries Members of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) council said it could not reach consensus after years of discussion, despite the “considerable efforts” of members Campaigners said the news was a slap in the face Research published last year found that more than 50 percent of Covid deaths in low and middle-income countries could have been avoided if people had the same access to vaccines as in wealthy states According to data published by the World Health Organization in January 2023 75 percent of people living in highincome countries have been vaccinated compared with fewer than 25 percent in low-income states
This is unfortunate to say the least and raises considerable worries for developing countries in particular a number of which are already under high debt distress, have limited fiscal space, and have seen weak multilateral spirit– both in terms of provision of climate compensation both in terms of climate finance and a meaningful level of debt relief– to enable them to meaningfully spend towards climate change resilience and appropriately preparing for an otherwise likely Pandemicene phenomenon, both in terms of public health sector preparedness, and adequate vaccine availability Already, developing countries in particular need to spend to provide meaningful stimulus to the economy to come out of the stagflationary situation that a number of developing countries are facing including Pakistan and to unclog the supply side to reduce the cost-push channel of inflation, for which lower prices of vac-
Already the level of global inequality is in a ver y precarious situation, which has seen sharp rise since the pandemic, and calls for much improved trading rules towards developing countries, along with a more broad-based, and progressive global tax regime
W h a t ’ s t h e e n d g a m e ?
W h a t ’s
cines– as and when the need arrives God forbid in the case of an otherwise likely global pandemic– and a reformed WTO allowing for greater trading gains for everyone on more equitable footings, is long overdue Already the level of global inequality is in a very precarious situation, which has seen sharp rise since the pandemic and calls for much improved trading rules towards developing countries along with a more broad-based and progressive global tax regime Highlighting the serious inadequacies of current tax system in turn favouring moneyed interest a February 27 Oxfam press release Less than 8 cents in every dollar of tax revenue collected in G20 countries comes from taxes on wealth, says Oxfam’ pointed out ‘Less than eight cents in every dollar raised in tax revenue in G20 countries now comes from taxes on wealth reveals new analysis by Oxfam today ahead of the first meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Sao Paulo, Brazil By comparison, more than 32 cents in every dollar (over four times as much) is collected from taxes on goods and services Taxes on food and other necessities for example shift more of the tax burden onto lower-income families Oxfam s research also found that the share of national income going to the top 1 percent of earners in G20
Violent games
well go bankrupt We obviously can t afford it In one way or the other, the political set-up installed at the centre does not present a rosy picture It might well just crumble down under the weight of its own contradiction, leaving aside for a moment any external influences to start factoring in
Moreover the experiment is not good for democracy Millions of young voters came out for the first time, to vote for their preferred candidate They have made apparent their prefer-
make it hard for the ruling coalition to govern the multitudes of the people utterly opposed to them Quite rightly a number of political commentators are prognosticating the release of Mr Khan as the death warrant for the ruling coalition at the centre Last but not the least, later this year, American presidential elections are to be held There are fair chances of a president opposed to the establishment s interference in politics of getting elected He might just order the review of the American policies (its apparent endorsement of the election results, and in their wake the establishment-backed political set-up), in which case the political set-up would be left with no other option than to vacate Otherwise the consequences would be disastrous Pakistan might
for all the frailties Pakistan is afflicted with; it might well just exacerbate them It is an experiment in a vacuum
The writer is a freelance columnist
04 Monday 11 March 2024 COMMENT Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965 I K arachi – Ph: 021-32640318 I Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545 I Web: www pakistantoday com pk I Email: editorial@pakistantoday com pk
it enters the food chain,
vast amounts of plastic are killing off marine life However, the preliminary nature of the stage at which the province is, can be assessed from the fact that the meeting decided to commission a survey of the province’s first Zoological Survey and first Digital Wildlife Survey While Ms Aurangzeb must be lauded for having decided on these surveys, eyebrows will be raised at previous governments for having neglected this task At the same time as efforts are made at the provincial level, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz must also use her connections at the federal level particularly with her uncle Shehbaz Sharif the Prime Minister The problem cannot be handled by the provincial governments alone but requires support from the federal government In turn the federal government alone cannot tackle the problem, but must work with other countries on this issue Climate change may well be the greatest threat to humanity since the threat of nuclear war, but such problems as smog and plastic disposal affect everyone more immediately and more directly They must be tackled or life will literally not be worth living
but
I T has almost been four years since the PUBG game was banned in the country by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) The decision had brought relief to the parents but unfortunately the ban was later lifted The game is causing harm to children and affecting their thinking patterns We keep hearing reports of young people killing or harming each other under the influence of this violent game Many countries, including India, China and Afghanistan, have already banned the game for quite some time It is time we moved to save our youth from this and all other violent games that are freely available in the market SAFIULLAH FAISAL SHEIKHUPURA
T H E people of Karachi are facing a lot of difficulties due to inadequate natural gas supply Cooking meals for families has become a herculean task especially in winters when the gas demand is high Moreover, commercial entities and industries are also bearing the brunt of the crisis that affects their operations and productivity The authorities concerned should resolve the matter and ensure uninterrupted supply of natural gas to Karachiites MUHAMMAD QASEEM KARACHI
THE students of Govt Girls Higher Secondary School in Kunchiti Dasht a well-populated village between Turbat and Gwadar, are deprived of their basic academic facilities, such as proper classrooms, tables, chairs, school halls, libraries and even water This deprivation directly violates the educational rights of the students Despite consistent pleas, the authorities have not taken any action These persistent problems are having a negative impact on the students’ academic journey The current govern- ment must ensure that all students in rural areas have access to necessary resources for a quality education JALASHK BALACH DASHT Testing center Q U E T TA serves as the sole testing centre in Balochistan for both Federal Public Service Commi- ssion (FPSC) and the Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) exams Candidates from remote areas travel thousands of kilometres to the provincial capital for these crucial exams often bearing a substantial financial burden The journey to Quetta entails not only transportation costs but also expenses for accommodation meals and other required necessities Many candidates simply cannot afford such a burden, and have to skip the exams There is an urgent need to establish more testing centres in the province to reduce the financial burden on the aspirants, and to ensure due accessibility and inclusivity in the recruitment process SHAZIA IQBAL TURBAT Cultural menace A L L over the world festivals bring pleasure to the people However in Pakistan aerial firing happens to be the hallmark of festivities Despite an official ban, many people continue to follow the troublesome tradition All of us, as a nation, must change our way of thinking ADEEL AHMED MALIK RAWALPINDI E d i t o r ’ s m a i l Send your letters to: Letters to Editor Pakistan Today 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah Lahore Pakistan E-mail: letters@pakistantoday com pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively W H AT S the endgame? The question rages on in almost everyone s mind Where are we exactly heading? Is not the political setup installed, through sham elections a sure recipe for a colossal disaster? Is not the experiment a political nonstarter? On a prime facie basis at least that seems to be the case Remember, the time of cobbling up the political setup at the centre Though the favoured powers this time, and their primary sponsors, were expecting entirely different results in the elections they were stunned by the silent coup carried out by the wider citizenry that made them struggle hard in the quest of finding a viable political setup at the centre The intense public-infused moral pressure further made the task difficult There were reports of the primary beneficiary declining to accept the government at the centre Nevertheless it had to The political field was set for them The thing that it could not perform is a topic for another piece Reflective of the reports, in a late-night press conference and visibly everyone feeling distraught, the ‘coalition of the willing announced’ that they had reached a formula on forming the government All else they talked about was PM would be from PML(N) President Zardari would be their joint candidate for the presidency The press conference in itself reflects the scheme of things to follow The future looks bleak For one, the public is not the concern Had they been a concern the PML(N) would have gracefully accepted its defeat after shamefully collaborating in the political persecution and making to pass the real winning party and its supporters through all kinds of trials and tribulations They did not stop at that and reached the Election Commission asking for a share in the reserved seats of the SIC They do not represent the public Nor does the public care much for them Their concern is for seeking political rents and they are getting it For the time being Second their sponsor would not remain in the position forever The position had to be vacated sooner or later What happens after that is for anybody’s guess If the new Chief comes with a new agenda and decides to wind the clock back (or forward) then what would be-
of the installed political setup? A couple of jolts, behind the scenes, would spell its doom Not that they are not aware of the tragic reality, but in the lust of power, they are comfortably disregarding it Third sooner or later their primary competitor and the hearts of the teeming millions Mr Imran Khan would have to be released The political nature of the cases coupled with the false and faulty proceedings provides enough ground for their reversal when they are presented for adjudication in the higher judiciary Known for political agitation he is certainly going to
Gas supply
Educational neglect
come
ences They have chosen democracy over autocracy Pakistan belongs to them They have to come forward and take it reigns in the coming years The political set-up installed at the centre is an affront to their democratic aspirations It might well shake their confidence in Pakistan and their future in the country Their voices matter They need to be respected Pakistan is dangerously going down a path of descent The famed 1971 elections spelled the doom of a once united Pakistan; the imposed political set-up in the wake of the 2024 elections portends something much darker The imposed political set-up can t not be a panacea
t
e e n
?
Tayyab Pa k i s t a n i s d a n g e r o u s l y g o i n g d o w n a p a t h o f d e s c e n t . T h e f a m e d 1 9 7 1 e l e c t i o n s s p e l l e d t h e d o o m o f a o n c e u n i t e d Pa k i s t a n ; t h e i m p o s e d p o l i t i c a l s e t - u p , i n t h e w a k e o f t h e 2 0 2 4 e l e c t i o n s , p o r t e n d s s o m e t h i n g m u c h d a r k e r. T h e i m p o s e d p o l i t i c a l s e t - u p c a n Ê t n o t b e a p a n a c e a f o r a l l t h e f r a i l t i e s Pa k i s t a n i s a f f l i c t e d w i t h ; i t m i g h t w e l l j u s t e x a c e r b a t e t h e m I t i s a n e x p e r i m e n t i n a v a c u u m
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number of countries, especially in the global South are suffering from acute debt distress While this calls for reining in overboard austerity policies globally in general, since a significant cause of the current wave of inflation– still on the higher side in a number of countries including Pakistan– seen in the wake of Covid pandemic was due to global supply shock there is also a need that countries need lower walls of intellectual property rights (IPRs), and more balanced trading rules in favour of developing countries in general so that they can manage their balance of payments account in a better way During the pandemic for instance covid vaccine production and access received a lot of hurdles due to unnecessarily high levels of IPRs that did not allow any meaningful collaboration between countries to produce ample vaccines for meeting the overall global needs A 9 May 2022 Guardian published article ‘Affordable Covid drugs kept out of reach by sluggish WTO [World Trade Organization] pointed out in this regard There is still a long way to go before South Africa and other developing countries can manufacture Covid vaccines and treatments quickly and without paying the huge charges demanded by the big US and European drug companies Max Lawson, cochair of pressure group People’s Vaccine Alliance said:
is a tragedy that it has taken almost two years and millions of deaths to reach this point and a travesty that the action proposed falls well short of what is needed Lawson said the WTO continues to place corporate interests over the needs of global health It adds more unnecessary barriers than existed before negotiations began and failure to act now on treatments
Having
to
high
“It
and tests is inexcusable
said that, even after two years WTO is still
reach any meaningful solution to the unnecessarily
levels
countries has increased by 45 percent over the last four decades During the same period, the top tax rates on their incomes has fallen by roughly a third (from around 60 percent in 1980 to 40 percent in 2022) ’ The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona and previously worked at International Monetary Fund Prior to this he did MSc in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom) and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan), among other places He is author of Springer published book (2016) ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth He tweets @omerjaved7 A b e t t e r g l o b a l t r a d i n g a n d t a x r e g i m e n e e d e d The world is not ready for another emergenc y D r O m e r J av e D
Cpeace stability and security international organizations including the united nations (un) regional bodies, and non-governmental or-
worldwide notable milestones include the end of colonial conflicts, such as the independence of namibia in 1990, and the resolution of interstate disputes, such as the peace process in northern ireland mediated by the un international organizations play multifaceted roles in conflict resolution encompassing mediation, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and post-conflict reconstruction Mediation efforts by organizations such as the un aim to facilitate dialogue and negotiation between conflicting parties with the goal of reaching mutually acceptable agreements and preventing the escalation of violence Peacekeeping missions, authorized by the un Security Council, deploy military and civilian personnel to monitor ceasefires, protect civilians, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid in conflict zones Humanitarian agencies such as the international Committee of the red Cross (iCrC) provide life-saving assistance to populations affected by conflict, including food, shelter, and medical care Additionally, international organizations support post-conflict reconstruction efforts by promoting reconciliation rebuilding infrastructure and fostering economic development in war-torn societies
The effectiveness of international or-
ganizations in resolving conflicts varies depending on a myriad of factors including the nature of the conflict, the level of cooperation among stakeholders, and the resources available for intervention While some conflicts have been successfully resolved through international mediation and peacekeeping others have proven more intractable due to deep-rooted political social and economic grievances Success stories such as the peace process in Mozambique facilitated by the un, demonstrate the potential of international organizations to broker durable peace agreements and facilitate post-conflict reconstruction However challenges such as the resurgence of violence in conflict-affected regions the persistence of humanitarian crises, and the spread of extremism underscore the limitations of international efforts in achieving lasting peace international organizations encounter numerous challenges in their efforts to resolve conflicts ranging from sovereignty concerns and lack of political will to the presence of spoilers or non-state actors Sovereignty issues often arise when governments perceive external intervention as a threat to their authority and legitimacy, hindering efforts to mediate disputes or deploy peacekeeping forces Additionally the politicization of humanitarian aid and the manipulation of ethnic or religious identities by conflicting parties can exacerbate tensions and undermine peacebuilding efforts More-
International organizations play a vital role in conflict resolution by mediating disputes, providing humanitarian assistance , and facilitating peacebuilding effor ts While their inter ventions have contributed to the resolution of some conflicts, challeng es such as sovereignty concerns, political obstacles, and the emerg ence of new security threats pose significant obstacles to their effectiveness.
over the proliferation of asymmetric threats such as terrorism and cyber warfare poses new challenges to the traditional tools and methodologies used by international organizations in conflict resolution Despite these challenges, international organizations remain indispensable actors in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts To enhance their effectiveness policymakers practitioners and researchers must prioritize the following strategies:
1 Strengthening multilateral cooperation and coordination among international organizations regional bodies and national governments to address root causes of conflicts and promote sustainable peace
2 increasing funding and resources for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance efforts to meet growing demands and address emerging threats
3 investing in conflict analysis early warning systems and innovative technologies to anticipate and respond to emerging challenges and mitigate risks
4 Promoting inclusive dialogue and reconciliation processes that engage all stakeholders including women youth and marginalized communities in decisionmaking and peacebuilding efforts
aid in conflict-affected regions
W h y a r e A p p l e , A m a z o n , G o o g l e a
F5 Supporting local capacity-building initiatives and empowering civil society organizations to play a more significant role in conflict resolution and peacebuilding at the grassroots level As an advocate for global peace and security i firmly believe that international or-
ganizations play a crucial role in resolving conflicts and promoting stability in our increasingly interconnected world Their efforts to mediate disputes, provide humanitarian aid, and facilitate peacebuilding initiatives have saved countless lives and prevented the escalation of violence in conflict-affected regions However it is essential to acknowledge that international organizations face significant challenges and limitations in their pursuit of conflict resolution, including political obstacles, resource constraints, and the complex nature of contemporary conflicts Despite these challenges i am optimistic about the future of conflict resolution efforts led by international organizations provided that we continue to prioritize multilateral cooperation, invest in conflict prevention strategies, and empower local communities to play a more active role in building peace International organizations play a vital role in conflict resolution by mediating disputes providing humanitarian assistance and facilitating peacebuilding efforts While their interventions have contributed to the resolution of some conflicts, challenges such as sovereignty concerns, political obstacles and the emergence of new security threats pose significant obstacles to their effectiveness By addressing these challenges and implementing the recommendations outlined in this article, international organizations can enhance their capacity to resolve conflicts and promote sustainable peace and security worldwide
The writer is a freelance columnist
Monday 11 March 2024 COMMENT 05
ollowing a lengthy investigation the united States Justice Department is set to file a lawsuit against Apple for potentially breaching antitrust laws The department alleges Apple is using hardware and software limitations that make it harder for rival companies to compete with iPhones and iPads if the filing goes ahead it will mean each of the big four tech companies – Amazon Meta google and Apple – will have been sued by the uS federal government within the past five years for monopolistic business practices As the digital market continues to grow many countries including the European union Japan the united Kingdom the uS China South Korea india and Australia have all either introduced or plan to introduce, competition legislation specific to tech firms But what are antitrust laws? And how are the tech giants breaching them? WHAT ARE ANTITRUST LAWS? Antitrust laws originated with the uS Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 This law banned business arrangements which restrained trade and prohibited attempts to monopolise Over time, the Sherman Antitrust Act evolved into what are today s antitrust laws, adopted in countries all over the world Antitrust laws are enforced at domestic levels and allegations of breaches of these laws pertain to domestic markets These laws – also known as competition laws – prohibit business practices that promote unfair monopolies, stifle competition and reinforce dominance or power in recent years, technology products – whether apps or physical products like phones and computers – have been under an enormous amount of scrutiny Calls for regulating the development and use of technology have a dominant focus on artificial intelligence Meanwhile the business practices of tech giants are garnering less public attention So it s noteworthy that the antitrust lawsuits filed against the big four focus on the companies, not just their products The allegation is these companies are concentrating the market and therefore charging higher markups for their goods and services while having less incentive to innovate in ways that benefit consumers How are tech giants breaching antitrust laws? Of the big four, Apple is not the first to be accused of breaching antitrust laws in the past decade, the European union has fined google a total of €8 25 billion (A$13 6 billion) for three separate breaches of Eu s antitrust laws These related to misuse of google Shopping to disadvantage competitors in 2017, unfair dominance of the Android operating system market in 2018, and abusive practices in online advertising in 2019 The advertising business accounts for 80% of google’s income While google and its parent company Alphabet did enact some changes to their practices following these Eu rulings to date google has not paid these fines and continues to appeal them in various instances in 2020, the uS Justice Department also filed an antitrust lawsuit against google for monopolising multiple digital advertising technology products The ongoing lawsuit claims google monopolised the ad tech stack – the key technologies publishers and advertisers use to sell and buy ads it is alleged google neutralised or eliminated ad tech competitors through acquisitions, which forced publishers and advertisers to use its products in 2021 the uS Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 uS states sued Meta claiming the tech company eliminated competition by buying up its rivals The two biggest purchases under scrutiny are instagram which was purchased for uS$1 billion in 2013, and WhatsApp, which was purchased for uS$19 billion in 2015 The lawsuit alleges these purchases eliminated competition which had the potential to challenge Meta’s dominance in 2023 the uS Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general sued Amazon claiming the tech company used anticompetitive and unfair strategies to maintain a position of dominance in the market The uS lawsuits against google, Meta and Amazon are ongoing, with no decisions handed down as yet WHAT IS AUSTRALIA DOING TO PROTECT CONSUMERS? The Australian federal government has also been investigating global tech giants Since 2021 the government has investigated legislative methods for protecting Australian consumers One example is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) news media bargaining code The code requires digital platforms operating in Australia to compensate domestic news publishers for the use of their content Despite these advancements Chandni gupta Deputy CEO and Digital Policy Director at the Consumer Policy research Centre points out: There are gaps in both Australia s privacy laws and the consumer law, which can leave Australians with far fewer protections online than consumers in the uS and other countries The ACCC released its second Digital Platform Services inquiry interim report in 2021 The report s findings indicate google s Play Store and Apple s App Store have significant market power in the distribution of mobile apps in Australia, and measures are needed to address this Examples of measures the ACCC proposed include increasing transparency and providing greater choice of default apps for consumers in 2023 ACCC chair gina Cass-gottlieb publicly addressed the dangers of the big four The commissioner referred to the tech giants as serial acquirers and raised concerns about their measures for extending and protecting their market power Zena Assaad is a Senior Lecturer School of Engineering Australian National University
n d M e t a f a c i n g a n t i t r u s t l a w s u i t s a n d h u g e f i n e s ?
O n F L i C T is an inherent aspect of human interaction stemming from divergent interests competing values and unequal distribution of resources However when left unchecked, conflicts can escalate into violence, displacement, and human suffering, with far-reaching consequences for individuals, communities, and entire nations in the global arena the resolution of conflicts is imperative for maintaining
mediating disputes, providing humanitarian assistance and facilitating peacebuilding
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leveraging their mandates expertise and resources these organizations contribute to conflict resolution efforts around the world
addressing conflicts
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back to the aftermath of World War
the establishment of the League of nations in 1919 Despite its noble objectives, the League faced inherent limitations, including the absence of major powers such as the uSA whose decision not to join may have doomed the League to failure and the inability to enforce collective security measures effectively Following the devastation of World War ii, the united nations was founded in 1945 with a renewed commitment to preventing future conflicts and promoting international cooperation Since then the un and its specialized agencies have been at the forefront of conflict resolution efforts conducting peacekeeping operations facilitating diplomatic negotiations, and providing humanitarian
ganizations (ngOs), play a central role in
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u r i n g the freezing depths of the Cold War 40 years ago i pestered friends in Brussels to get me some nato bumper stickers to put on my car i wanted to irritate and challenge my modish, foolish, gullible Oxford neighbours, victims of Moscow propaganda Those neighbours were the very people who have now become warmongering Blairites keen for us to bomb distant countries But back then they hated nato They plastered their houses with peacenik posters Many camped out at the u S Air Force base at greenham-Common protesting foolishly against the presence of American cruise missiles They were utterly deluded, except for those among them (and there were some) who actively wanted the Soviet union to dominate all of Europe And they failed though it was quite a narrow thing They failed because nato held together under very great pressure from the Kremlin and from the European Left The consequences were vast Having exhausted itself in one last failed effort to destroy the Free West, the Communist Evil Empire sickened and died Many things contributed to that death, but i am still sure the battle over cruise missiles, and the resolve of nato were decisive now here is the odd thing The nato alliance set up in 1949 specifically to prevent a Soviet takeover of Western Europe still exists almost 33 years after the collapse of the Soviet empire i can think of no other alliance created to deal with a particular menace, which still exists long after that menace melted away Even more surprising nato has actually got bigger since its enemy vanished Something needs to be explained here We should therefore be very grateful to Peter Apps a British Army reservist and reuters columnist for writing a thorough history of nato from birth in 1949 to today The book started life under the rather exalted working title ‘Sacred Obligation’ But it should be called ‘The World’s Most Successful Bluff ’ For, like most such security pacts a bluff is what nato was and still is Mr Apps spends a great deal of his time chronicling the endless unresolved tension between the mighty rich u S nato s backbone and muscle and Europe its vulnerable and weak underbelly it was of course this tension which the uSSr ceaselessly sought to exploit nato s famous promise, that an attack on one would be attack on all, was and remains a very wobbly gamble History features sad examples of such bluffs being called and exposed The normally bellicose Lord Palmerston wriggled out of Britain s 1860s pledge to defend Denmark against Prussia when he realised it would get us into a war we would lose neville Chamberlain s 1939 guarantee to protect Poland from germany failed to deter Hitler from invading Even worse, when the invasion came, Britain did nothing As for relying on the u S in the age of Donald Trump beware Do not forget (Trump hasn t) how fiercely determined America was to stay out of European quarrels in 1939 and for years afterwards Washington only went to war against Berlin after Hitler declared war on America, not the other way round Any careful reader of this book will begin to wonder whether nato far from being a promise of aid in time of trouble, is in fact a good way of avoiding any real obligation to fight The much-touted Article 5 of nato s charter is not quite the magnificent guarantee of armed support from the strong to the weak that it appears to be Members pledge to assist an attacked nation ‘by taking forthwith individually and in concert with the other Parties such action as it deems necessary including the use of armed force read carefully, this means that if a nato member does not deem armed force to be necessary, it can send a note of protest instead, or make a fierce speech at the united nations The u S would never have signed or ratified a treaty which obliged it to go to war which is why the clause is so weak All the small poor ill-armed countries on nato s eastern edge would be well advised to read it very carefully The key first 40 years of nato show how cautious, limited and risk-averse it has been its recent reinvention as a kind of mini-united nations task force has been mainly outside its original area in former Yugoslavia Libya and Afghanistan its founding membership was carefully restricted to countries already well outside the Soviet sphere of influence it stood aside when Moscow s tanks crushed the 1953 East Berlin rising, the 1956 Budapest revolt, and the 1968 Prague Spring it did precious little when Moscow ordered Poland’s Communist rulers to strangle a democratic and Christian rebellion by imposing brutal martial law there from 1981 to 1983 Where the West did stand up to Soviet power in Europe mainly in West Berlin it tended to be the u S which did most of the standing i suspect it is still much the same in a fascinating passage, Apps describes a recent scene at nato s Joint Force Command in the Dutch town of Brunssum He says ‘officials in its 24-hour operations room described their main role as stopping the ukraine war spreading to alliance territory’ Well quite For who knows what stress would be placed on nato if thanks to some rash incursion or off-course missile it faced a direct war with russia? Of course, the task of avoiding the spread of war into nato territory would be much easier if nato had not expanded so far east in the past 30 years But its leaders were warned in 1997 the greatest and toughest anti-Soviet u S diplomat of modern times george Kennan said shortly before he died: Expanding nato would be the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-Cold-War era recalling his generation s successful handling of Soviet power, he sighed: This has been my life, and it pains me to see it so screwed up in the end ’ W ou ld NATO really go to w ar w ith Ru ssia - or is it one big blu ff? a R Z o o a f R I d I T h e r o l e o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s i n c o n f l i c t r e s o l u t i o n A n d w i l l i t p ro te c t co n s u m e r s ?
DAILY MAIL P e T e R H I T C H e n s ‘Expanding Nato would be the most fateful error of American polic y in the entire post-Cold-War era’ CONVERSATION Z e n a a s s a a d
HIsrael
More than 31 000 Palestinians mostly women and children have since been killed
Death toll from Indonesia floods, landslides rises to 21
Holy month of Ramazan begins in Gulf as moon sighted in Saudi Arabia
PR OFIT
and
On
The pact, aimed at enhancing investment and exports, was signed in New Delhi, as confirmed by India’s Trade Minister Piyush Goyal
This agreement known as the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), seeks
President Biden says Netanyahu ‘ hur ting Israel more than helping’
WASHINGTON
M d y 11 M h 2024 LAHORE 06 NEWS
JAKARTA A G E N C I E S The death toll from flash flooding and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to 21 an official said Sunday with six people still missing Torrential rains on Thursday triggered the disaster in Pesisir Selatan regency in the West Sumatra province, with more than 75,000 people forced to evacuate “As of Sunday, 21 people were found dead and six people remained missing ” Fajar Sukma an official from West Sumatra disaster mitigation agency told a foreign news agency on Sunday A village located on a hillside in the Sutera subdistrict was struck hard, with around 200 families in the area left isolated after a landslide followed by flash flooding, Fajar said A local official earlier put the death toll at 18 with five missing Rescuers were searching for the missing on Sunday as authorities focused their operation on three areas affected by the disasters local search and rescue official Abdul Malik said Today s search involves around 150 people from disaster organisations in West Sumatra,” Abdul said in a statement Doni Gusrizal, a senior official from the Pesisir Selatan disaster mitigation agency said waters had started to recede after the flooding but added that access to areas affected by the landslide remained difficult because of hilly terrain In the Padang Pariaman regency, also in West Sumatra, heavy downpours earlier this week caused rivers to overflow and triggered floods and a landslide killing at least three people according to a statement from the local disaster agency Indonesia is prone to landslides during the rainy season and the problem has been aggravated in some places by deforestation, with prolonged torrential rain causing flooding in some areas of the archipelago nation A landslide and floods swept away dozens of houses and destroyed a hotel near Lake Toba on Sumatra in December killing at least two people
farmers committed suicide during BJP rule: Samajwadi Par t y LUCKNOW A G E N C I E S The President of Samajwadi Party in India, Akhilesh Yadav has said that nearly 0 1 million farmers have committed suicide since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the country Akhilesh Yadav in a statement said the farmers demand for minimum support price (MSP) is legitimate so it should be implemented and there should be a legal guarantee because agriculture is the backbone of the economy He said if farmers and agriculture in the country will be destroyed it will also have a bad effect on the economy He further said the upcoming general elections are very important If we want to save our Constitution and democracy then BJP has to be wiped out, he added Akhilesh Yadav said on one side some want to protect the Constitution and, on the other, there are those who want to abolish the Constitution He said those who came to power in 2014 are going to be out of power in 2024 He said that Hitler was also in power for ten years and now Modi has also completed ten years so now he also has to go ‘Modi govt’s policies negatively impacted every sector of society’ The President of Indian National Congress chapter in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir Vikar Rasool Wani has said that under the ten-year rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party every sector of society has suffered greatly in various aspects According to Kashmir Media Service, Vikar Rasool Wani addressing a meeting of his party workers in Banihal, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir said that every sector of society particularly the people of Kashmir had been negatively impacted by the policies and decisions of the Modi government He highlighted that the Modi government had deprived the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir of their rights to jobs and land by converting it into a union territory GAZA A G E N C I E S
0.1m
U N G E R has spread all across the Gaza Strip amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the enclave the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said Sunday “Hunger is everywhere in Gaza,” UNRWA said in a statement The UN agency said humanitarian conditions are tragic in the Palestinian strip as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is set to start on Monday The situation in the north is tragic, where aid via land is denied despite repeated calls,” it said “Ramadan is approaching The death toll continues to rise Humanitarian access across the Gaza Strip and an immediate cease-fire are imperative to save lives UNRWA said Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1 200 people were killed More than 31 000 Palestinians mostly women and children have since been killed in Gaza and over 72 600 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza leaving its population particularly residents in the north on the verge of starvation The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food clean water and medicine while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed according to the UN Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza Hundreds of Israeli academics urge govt to prevent famine in Gaza More than 700 Israeli academics have called on their government to take urgent measures to prevent famine in the Gaza Strip
has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1 200 people were killed
in Gaza, and over 72,600 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza leaving its population particularly residents in the north on the verge of starvation According to Haaretz newspaper 730 Israeli academics signed a petition demanding urgent measures to prevent starvation in Gaza The signatories said they “cannot stand opposite to the humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes in the last few weeks in the Gaza Strip They warned that mass deaths in Gaza would turn into an indelible stain on Israel The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Sunday
hunger
Strip
Israel s
the enclave
that
has spread all across the Gaza
amid
ongoing offensive on
N E W S D E S K
Sunday, India
the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), a consortium of four nations including Norway Switzerland Iceland and Liechtenstein finalized a trade agreement valued at $100 billion
to foster economic growth and job creation through increased exports and investments According to Goyal EFTA will channel investments into India currently the world s fifth-largest economy over a span of 15 years The deal comes as a result of prolonged negotiations, extending over 16 years Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the agreement’s role in reinforcing a mutual commitment to open and equitable trade Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin highlighted the benefits of the agreement for both parties, noting the opportunity for EFTA countries to tap into a significant growth market while enabling India to draw more foreign investment from the bloc This influx of investment is expected to lead to the creation of quality jobs in India EFTA, founded in 1960, aims at promoting free trade and economic integration among its member countries R OME A G E N C I E S Pope Francis has said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the white flag and negotiate an end to the war with Russia that followed Moscow s full-scale invasion two years ago and that has killed tens of thousands Francis made his comments in an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI well before Friday s latest offer by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war Erdogan made the fresh offer after a meeting in Istanbul with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy Zelenskiy has said while he wants peace he will not give up any territory The Ukrainian leader s own peace plan calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from all of Ukraine and the restoration of its state borders The Kremlin has ruled out engaging in peace talks on terms set by Kyiv A spokesman for Zelenskiy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pope s remarks In the interview Francis was asked for his position on a debate between those who say Ukraine should give up as it has not been able to repel Russian forces, and those who say doing so would legitimise actions by the strongest party The interviewer used the term “white flag” in the question It is one interpretation that is true Francis said according to an advance transcript of the interview and a partial video made available to Reuters on Saturday It is due to be broadcast on March 20 as part of a new cultural programme “But I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag and negotiates Francis said adding that talks should take place with the help of international powers “The word negotiate is a courageous word When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate ” Francis said It was believed to be the first time Francis has used terms such as white flag or defeated in discussing the Ukraine war although he has spoken in the past about the need for negotiations In a statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope had picked up on the term “white flag” spoken by the interviewer and used it to indicate a stop to hostilities (and) a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations Last year the 87-year-old pope sent a peace envoy, Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, to Kyiv, Moscow and Washington to sound out leaders in those countries “One may feel shame ” Francis said about negotiating but how many dead will it (the war) end up with? (One should) negotiate in time find a country that can be a mediator, Francis said, mentioning Turkey among the countries that had offered “Do not be ashamed of negotiating, before things get worse,” said Francis, who has made hundreds of appeals for what he calls “martyred Ukraine” Asked if he was willing to mediate Francis said I am here In another part of the interview speaking of the war between Israel and Hamas Francis said: “Negotiating is never a surrender” Last month Zelenskiy said that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the Russian invasion in February 2022 and that tens of thousands of civilians had been killed in the occupied areas of the country g DEAL SEEKS TO FOSTER ECONOMIC GROWTH, JOB CREATION THROUGH INCREASED EXPORTS, INVESTMENTS H U N G E R E V E R Y W H E R E I N G A Z A , U N R E F U G E E A G E N C Y S AY S I n d i a i n k s $ 1 0 0 b t ra d e d e a l w i t h E F TA b l o c Po p e s ay s U k r a i n e s h o u l d h ave ‘c o u r a g e o f t h e w h i t e f l a g ’ o f n e g o t i a t i o n s
RIYADH A G E N C I E S The crescent moon of Ramazan was sighted in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries on Sunday marking the beginning of the holy month the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported This marks the beginning of a period of fasting and spiritual reflection for millions of Muslims in the kingdom and across Arab and Middle Eastern nations The announcement paves the way for devout Muslims in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to embark on their first day of fasting on Monday in accordance with Islamic tradition Meanwhile the moon was not sighted in Australia the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, meaning the first day of Ramadan in these countries will be on Tuesday, March 12 In Pakistan, the meteorological department has already predicted the sighting of the Ramazan moon on March 11 If observed this would mark the beginning of Ramazan on Tuesday March 12 in the country Ramazan holds immense significance for believers worldwide, with fasting observed from dawn until sunset, accompanied by prayers and acts of charity The sighting of the crescent moon, a significant event in the Islamic calendar signals the start of Ramazan a month-long period of heightened spirituality and devotion for Muslims In Saudi Arabia and other regions observing the Islamic calendar Ramazan is a time of community, family gatherings, and special nightly prayers known as Taraweeh Muslims around the world use this sacred month to seek forgiveness, engage in acts of charity, and strengthen their bonds with loved ones US Muslims launch anti-Joe Biden election campaign ahead presidential vote NEW YORK A G E N C I E S A campaign called “One Million Muslim Vote for Trump” has been launched by the Muslim Council of America to undermine Joe Biden in the US presidential election as a result of his support for Israel s massacre of innocent Muslims in Palestine As Rana Zaman Saeed Chairman of the Muslim Council of America, told reporters on Sunday, he will contact representative organizations of Muslims in every state of the US and convince them to vote for Donald Trump instead of US President Joe Biden he will persuade them to do so As a result of Joe Biden’s support for Israel in the slaughter of 30 000 innocent Muslims in Palestine and the fact that Israel still has the full support of the American president, he advised Muslims to vote for Donald Trump by giving him one million votes By reaching out to other communities besides Muslims, he said they should find Joe Biden responsible for the massacre of women
A G E N C I E S US President Joe Biden has said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hurting Israel more than helping with his handling of the war with Hamas, even as Biden stressed he would not abandon support for Israel “What’s happening is he has a right to defend Israel a right to continue to pursue Hamas Biden told MSNBC s Jonathan Capehart on Saturday But he must, he must, he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken ” “In my view he’s hurting Israel more than helping Israel [ ] it s contrary to what Israel stands for And I think it s a big mistake Biden added More than 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and 69 465 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 In what was a contradictory exchange with his interviewer, Biden said “they cannot have 30 000 more Palestinians dead as a consequence of going after Hamas militants Asked whether an Israeli invasion of Rafah would be a red line for him with Netanyahu, Biden said: “It is a red line but I’m never going to leave Israel The defense of Israel is still critical So there’s no red line (in which) I m going to cut off all weapons so they don t have the Iron Dome to protect them Biden insisted, however, that Netanyahu “must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken He reiterated his call for a six-week ceasefire for hostage releases and aid delivery though negotiations appear to have stalled Biden announced during Thursday’s State of the Union plans for the U S military to lead the construction of a port along the coast of Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea to boost the amount of aid getting to Palestinian civilians Progressives have called for the White House to back a permanent cease-fire in the conflict but Biden and others have said such an agreement would allow Hamas to regroup Instead, the administration has instead backed a temporary pause in fighting that would last at least six weeks and allow hostages to get out and more aid to get into Gaza On Tuesday more than a quarter million voters cast ballots for uncommitted or no preference in Democratic primaries, largely viewed as a protest of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war “I don t blame them for being upset There s families there There are people who are dying They want something done about it And they re saying, Joe, do something, do something,” Biden said Saturday on MSNBC “But the idea that they all think it’s genocide is just not that s a different situation he added
Ho te l M e h r a n r
PA K I S TA N A N D C H I N E S E E X P E R T S F O R G E A G R I C U LT U R A L A L L I A N C E
ISLAMABAD
S
TO strengthen agricultural collaboration between Pakistan and China, the Diplomatic Insight Group (DIG) has hosted a distinguished delegation from China comprising top agricultural scientists and business leaders According to Gwadar Pro this significant gathering aimed at fostering discussions on innovative agricultural practices, sustainable development, and the promotion of international agricultural cooperation according Dr Farhat Asif Chairperson of Diplomatic Insight Group and CEO Mr Muhammad Asif
Noor welcomed the Chinese delegation to their office The delegation included Prof Dr He Cheng from China Agricultural University, Prof Dr Wang Jingyu from Northwest A&F University, and executives from leading companies like Tianjin Henrylead Biotechnology Development Co Ltd and Fujian Shengnong Biotechnology Co Ltd etc
The Diplomatic Insight Group s subsidiary the Centre for Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Studies- Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), is already playing a crucial role in enhancing Pakistan’s agriculture sector Through organizing seminars webinars and conferences and facilitating Chinese agricultural companies in Pak-
istan IPDS is at the forefront of bridging the knowledge and technology gap between Pakistan and China in agriculture
The discussion was enriched as the participants discussed the future of agriculture and livestock management, including discussions on the growth of livestock advancements in vaccinations and the manufacturing of dairy products like cheese Particular emphasis was placed on the innovation in technological and scientific methods to enhance the health and productivity of cows, buffaloes, and other livestock, showcasing a shared vision for a more sustainable and efficient agricultural future One of the most enlightening parts of the meeting was around the implementation of ad-
vanced scientific and technological strategies in livestock management
The experts explored the development of comprehensive vaccination programs for poultry, innovative cheese manufacturing processes, and breakthroughs in improving the health of cows and buffaloes
These discussions highlighted the potential for significant improvements in animal welfare and productivity and emphasized the importance of sustainable practices in the global food supply chain
This meeting has laid the groundwork for future joint ventures, exchange programs and research initiatives that promise to bring about transformative changes in agriculture and livestock management across the globe
PIAF makes best use of platform to resolve business matters, economic uplift
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) Chief Fahimur Rahman Sehgal in the lead of Pattern-in-Chief Mian Anjum Nisar, along with former Chairmen Muhammad Ali Mian and Mian Abuzar Shad, Senior Vice President Lahore Chamber, Chaudhry Zafar, PIAF members, Malik Khalid Sheikh Sajjad Afsil Shaban Akhtar Umar Sarfaraz Ahsan Shahid Ashfaq Ahmed and market officials visited the
FBR chairman addresses IRS officers of 50th STP
ISLAMABAD: The passing out ceremony of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) Officers of
Specialized Training Program (STP) was held at IRS Academy in Lahore Malik Amjed Zubair Tiwana Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) graced the occasion as the chief guest which was also attended by ExChairpersons and senior officers of FBR
Addressing the ceremony, the Chairman FBR congratulated the officers for successfully completing the STP and wished them well for their future career Talking about the significance of tax collection and compliance the Chairman expressed optimism that revenue collection target for the ongoing year will be achieved He commended the IRS officers for their efforts in ensuring implementation of tax laws across the country The Chairman also praised the Director General IRS Academy for imparting quality training to the officers Emphasising the importance of continuous learning and development he encouraged the officers to use their newly acquired skills to improve tax administration in Pakistan The graduating officers were presented with certificates and awards for their outstanding performance during the program The STP is a rigorous training program designed to equip IRS officers with the skills PR
Deputy
of Police (Grade-17) were promoted to the rank of Superintendent of Police (Grade-18) In another meeting, which was held at Central
Office Islamabad under the chairmanship of Additional IG (South Region), 45 Inspectors (Grade-16) were promoted to Deputy Superintendents of Police (Grade-17) PR
NCHR organises multi stakeholder dialogue to disc uss issues faced by HBWs
ISLAMABAD: Extensive discussion was held on Issues faced by women home-based workers and the collaborative effort required to solve these issues at a dialogue held to commemorate International Women s Day (IWD) The dialogue was organised by UNDP in collaboration with National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) partnering with HomeNet Pakistan, All Pakistan Women’s Association Multan and Multan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aligned with this year s theme of IWD Invest in Women: Accelerates Progress the Multistakeholder s Dialogue on Investing in Pakistan Home-Based Workers for Accelerated Progress Towards Gender Equality” was aimed at discussing the multi stakeholder approach required for real-world outcomes for the right holders PR
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h a d va n c e E i d b o n u s e s KARACHI: In anticipation of Ramazan and Eid celebrations, Hotel Mehran is pioneering by providing advance bonuses to its employees who observe these sacred occasions Additionally, the hotel is commemorating International Women's Day with special events to honor the invaluable contributions of women in the workforce Staff is my strength Yasir Ahmed declared underscoring his profound appreciation for the talented individuals who bring the hotel's vision to life each day He emphasized the importance of fostering a supportive and nurturing work environment where employees feel valued empowered and motivated to excel in their roles As a hospitality industry leader we understand the significance of cultural and religious observances to our employees said Yasir Ahmed General Manager at Hotel Mehran PR B M P c a l l s fo r p r o m o t i n g i n d u s t r y a n d l owe r i n g p r o d u c t i o n c o s t ISLAMABAD: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry s (FPCCI) Businessmen Panel (BMP) has said that business community has been facing tough challenges because of limited business In this context, he sought attention of the government for formulation of regional provincial and central level task force and formulation of sector wise regional policies which would help the government address the problems confronted by exporters The FPCCI former president and Businessmen Panel (BMP) Chairman Mian Anjum Nisar called for promoting industrialisation and enhancing exports through lowering cost of production paying early refunds to solve liquidity crunch and relaxing import policy for industrial raw material PR
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K A R A C H I: In a remarkable celebration of cultural exchange and unity, SZABIST University's Karachi Campus, in collaboration with Turkish Alumni In Pakistan (TULIP) hosted a vibrant event at its premises The chief guest for the evening was the esteemed Consul General of Turkey H E Mr Cemal Sangu The event began with a warm welcome from Prof Dr Mohammad Altaf Mukati, Vice President of academics at SZABIST University, acknowledged the diverse gathering, expressing enthusiasm for the cultural and educational exchange Mr Halil Ibrahim Basaran Karachi Program Coordinator at TIKA added a layer of significance to the event with his address He shed light on TIKA s role in promoting cultural harmony and collaboration The highlight of the evening was the address by H E Mr Cemal Sangu, the Consul General of Türkiye Mr Sangu shared valuable insights into the diplomatic and cultural significance of the event but also emphasized educational empowerment especially for women PR
TÜRK Lezzet Festivali 2024 inaugurated by Turkiye CG
main commercial centers of Lahore including Baden Road Cooper Road and adjacent markets, and held meetings with the officials of the organizations Addressing the meeting, PIAF chairman Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol called for taking all steps to ensure a business and investment-friendly environment as it was imperative for economic progress PR LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T The Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) Lahore built under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has won the prestigious award Brands Icon of Pakistan 2023 in the category of Metro Rail Transit System here THE BRAND ICONS of Pakistan 2923 is among those brands that have become the undisputed representative of their own categories in the mindset of the consumers in the society of Pakistan The segment of Brands Icon of Pakistan 2023 is classified as the Brands that have achieved the status of an icon of excellence and have given an identity to the categories they belong to The Orange Line Metro Train Lahore already won two prestigious awards at the recent Brands of the Year Awards 2021 The service won top awards ‘Emerging Brand of the Year’ in the urban rail transit category and CEO of the Year 2021 both presented by Brands Foundation OLMT official told Gwadar Pro that it is an absolute honor for us to have received prestigious award that represents the commitment and dedication of the entire Orange Line team to serve its local community in the best way possible C P E C ‘O r a n g e L i n e Tr a i n ’ r e c o g n i z e d a s B r a n d s I c o n o f Pa k i s t a n 2 0 2 3 ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T The UN Resident Coordinator Office in Pakistan, UN Women and the Embassy of Denmark hosted an International Women’s Day (IWD) Gala in Islamabad highlighting the importance of investing in women to shape a better future for all in Pakistan The gala titled Empowering Women: A Smart Investment for Pakistan was building on this year s IWD s theme, Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress ” It emphasized that empowering women economically and ensuring women’s and girls’ rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure a prosperous and just economy and an inclusive and fair society Let today be not only a celebration of the amazing abilities and achievements of women and girls across Pakistan but also the turning point where we committed to reinforcing our collective efforts to invest in their advancement and well-being, said Mr Mohamed Yahya, UN Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan, in his welcome remarks “When women overcome challenges achieve gender equality and fully participate in society everyone wins Pakistan has put efforts towards gender equality and women empowerment over the years, and has passed a number of prowomen legislations Women s labour force participation doubled from 13 per cent in 1992 to 22 5 per cent in 2018 but it remains among the lowest rates in South Asia and in the world Most women workers are concentrated in the informal economy while women s key role in agriculture remains undervalued and, often, unpaid or underpaid “As we gather to celebrate International Women’s Day, it is with immense pride and gratitude that we acknowledge the remarkable contributions of women in Pakistan and across the globe, said Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) We celebrate the resilience and achievements of women and girls around the world Let us remember that gender equality is not just a women s issue but a human rights issue that requires the effort of all genders and we must continue to advocate for justice, equality, and dignity for all ” Achieving gender equality is one of the pillars of the cooperation agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Pakistan and is at the heart of the United Nations Global Goal 5 Fang Wang, wife of Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan and Acting President of Islamabad Foreign Women’s Association welcomed all guests during the ceremony and thanked them for attending the event During the gala which was hosted at the Residence of the Ambassador of Denmark representatives of the Government of Pakistan, Ambassadors, Representatives of UN agencies and leaders from the Private Sector pledged to drive progress toward gender equality and the empowerment of women Empowering Women: A Smar t Investment for Pak istan President Karachi Press Club Mr Saeed Sarbazi Secretary Shoaib Ahmed and Member Governing Body Ms Mona Siddique award Communication Manager ORIC NED University of Engineering and Technology Ms Farwa Hassan for her work in the field of Journalism and Public Relations PR Famous businessman and advisor to the Federal Board of Investment, Feroz Alam Shah, is presenting a bouquet to Japanese Consul General Hattori Masaru on the occasion of the Japanese Emperor's birthday PR Obeikan Investment Group of Saudi Arabia; InfoTech Group of Pakistan and Valyrian Systems of US have signed a trilateral agreement to offer global healthcare delivery platform PR S o n e r i B a n k ’s S h a r e h o l d e r s m e e t i n g a p p r o ve s 2 0 2 3 a n n u a l r e s u l t s KARACHI: The annual audited financial statements of Soneri Bank Limited for the year ended 31 December 2023 were approved by the shareholders of the Bank in their 32 nd AGM held in Lahore and through video-link via Zoom on Friday 08 March 2024 The meeting was chaired by Mr Alauddin Feerasta, Chairman of the Board, with Mr Muhtashim Ahmad Ashai, President and Chief Executive Officer and other members of the Board of Directors and Senior Management also in attendance The Bank posted profit before tax (PBT) of Rs 12 357 million and profit after tax (PAT) of Rs6 075 million in the year 2023 as compared to Rs 4,554 million and Rs1,883 million respectively in 2022; which represents a healthy growth of 171 35% and 222 61% respectively as compared to last year PR NH&MP greenlights promotion of 166 officers during DPC meeting ISLAMABAD: An important meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for the promotions of National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) officers were chaired by Federal Secretary Communications Ali Sher Mehsud, Additional IG (South
NHMP Central Police
Islamabad
166
next ranks
approved
10
N at i o n a l R a n k i n g Te n n i s To u r n a m e n t c o n c l u d e s at P O F Te n n i s C o m p l e x ISLAMABAD: the 4th Chairman POF Board, National Ranking Tennis Tournament concluded here at POF Tennis Complex Wah Cantt The Director General Commercial POF graced the final as chief guest who witnessed the nail-biting contest M Shoaib defeated Top seed Aqeel Khan in the men s single final match with 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 The Chief Guest distributed prizes among the winners Hamza Roman won the under-18 category In the Boys under 14 category Hassan Usmani bagged the title In the Seniors 45 above category Talha Waheed & Israr Gul won the title Abdullah Adnan & Mudasir Murtaza won the men s doubles title In the Girls under 18 category, Soha Ali won the title In the Ladies singles category Sara Mehboob won The tournament was organized under the auspices of the POF Sports Control Board PR
Region) Munir Sheikh and DIG (Establishment and Discipline) Dar Ali Khattak in Ministry of Communications and
Office
In these meetings
officers from different ranks were promoted to the
It was formally
by Secretary Communications and IG NHMP Salman Chaudhry A meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee was held at the Ministry of Communications under the chairmanship of the Federal Secretary for Communications
Superintendent
Police
50th
g U N, D A N I S H E M B A S S Y H O S T G A L A TO C E L E B R AT E I N T E R N AT I O N A L W O M E N ’ S D AY
OKhan was imperative for achieving this goal He emphasized the importance of accepting the mandate given by the nation saying that the first step towards uniting the country is to recognise the public mandate Responding to allegations regarding breach of constitutional mandate, the former president said that if his opponents had any complaints regarding his tenure
then they should approach courts with their complaints If they want to file a case under Article 6 [treason] then they are welcome,” Alvi said adding that he adhered to the constitution and took decisions according to his knowledge Furthermore he said he wasn t
Asifa Bhutto to become first lady of Pakistan
SECP sets new guidelines for trust liquidation by corporate restructuring companies
PM thanks world leaders for their congratulatory messages
The prime minister appreciated Peshawar police for thwarting a terrorist attack
that
Shaheen says ‘mafias’ imposed on country as KP CM demands judicial probe into poll-rigging
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR
PTI
Pakistan’s trade deficit with regional countries marginally increases
Published by Asad Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965 Email: newsroom@pakistantoday com pk PRAYER TIMINGS FA J R S U N R I S E Z U H R A S R M AG H R I B S H A 5:40 6:20 1 30 5:00 6:10 8:00 Monday 11 March 2024 nEwS
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T After taking oath of his office President Asif Zardari on Sunday announced the formal recognition of Asifa Bhutto as the First Lady of the country This landmark move elevates Asifa Bhutto to the prestigious position of First Lady, marking a significant chapter in the nation’s political history According to sources privy to the development President Zardari will declare Asifa Bhutto as the first lady of Pakistan After the official declaration, Asifa Bhutto Zardari will be given the protocol and privileges befitting the First Lady This decision is particularly noteworthy as Asifa Bhutto is set to become the first daughter of a president to hold the title of First Lady It is worth mentioning here that the status of the first lady goes to the wife of the President of the country in general ‘President’s house open for all political parties’ Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Faisal Karim Kundi said that newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari can bring together all stakeholders and political parties Speaking in a private TV channel s programme Faisal Karim Kundi said that in 2010, the PPP got the 18th constitutional amendment passed unanimously despite not having a simple majority in the parliament “This shows that Asif Ali Zardari can bring all stakeholders and political parties together ” he added The PPP leader said that the process of election is now over and all efforts would be made to bring everyone together and take the country forward He said that all parties including the opposition would be invited on national issues “The doors of the President’s House are open for all political parties Asif Zardari will play an important role in taking the country out of crises Faisal Karim Kundi said Responding to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, the PPP leader said that peaceful protest is a democratic right but no one could be allowed to take the law into their hands “Those who damage government property cannot be spared he added PR OFIT N E W S D E S K The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has unveiled a set of detailed guidelines for the liquidation process of trusts managed by corporate restructuring companies Issued on Saturday these guidelines mandate that any decision to liquidate a trust must be communicated to the Corporate Restructuring Board within seven working days Failure to adhere to this timeline could lead to the SECP initiating proceedings against the corporate restructuring company involved Under the new SECP framework, the liquidation of a trust can occur under several circumstances, with the prerequisite that a threefourth majority of the trust s beneficiaries approve the action Such circumstances include the fulfillment of the trust s initial objectives, such as the acquisition, disposal, resolution, or settlement of non-performing assets and the subsequent distribution of net proceeds as outlined in the trust s constitutive documents Additionally the liquidation process may be triggered if the corporate restructuring company faces liquidation, bankruptcy, has a liquidator appointed over its assets loses its license or is found without a valid license The guidelines also cover situations where the trust is deemed commercially unviable or its objectives unattainable, as well as any other events deemed by the corporate restructuring company as necessitating liquidation Upon deciding to liquidate a trust the corporate restructuring company is required to present relevant information regarding the realization of the trust’s property to its board of directors A liquidator will then be appointed to oversee the liquidation process after which a comprehensive report on the proceedings will be presented to the board of directors by the corporate restructuring company The SECP has emphasized that throughout the liquidation process both the corporate restructuring company and the appointed liquidator must comply with the applicable provisions of prevailing provincial trust laws, ensuring a structured and lawful approach to the dissolution of trusts
g N E W G U I D E L I N E S R E Q U I R E N OT I F Y I N G C O R P O R AT E R E S T R U C T U R I N G B O A R D O F A T R U S T L I Q U I D AT I O N D E C I S I O N W I T H I N S E V E N W O R K I N G D AY S KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T
U T G O I N G president Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday stressed the need for collaborative efforts to steer the country out of crisis, saying that the release of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan was imperative to unite Pakistan Speaking to journalists in Karachi the PTI leader pointed out his longstanding efforts towards fostering national unity saying that he had always endeavored to unite the country, as he believed that Pakistan s progress hinged upon unity Arif Alvi, however, said the release of PTI founder Imran
a constitutional expert but made decisions using the best advice I received Alvi highlighted his stance against corruption, underscoring it as a fundamental principle that he has consistently upheld “I have always stayed against corruption and I have remained committed to this principle throughout my career he added Responding to a question, Arif Alvi mentioned receiving a cipher and emphasised the importance of adhering to oaths regarding the handling of classified information He pointed out that he had condemned the events occurred on May 9, stressing the importance of investigating the violence He reiterated his unwavering support for Imran Khan, asserting that the latter remains his leader Arif Alvi also underscored the necessity for collective efforts to improve the economic situation cautioning against relying solely on International Monetary Fund (IMF) The presser comes after PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari was sworn in as the 14th President of Pakistan on Sunday officially taking over as the head of the state for a historic second time after winning presidential election a day earlier Zardari had secured 411 electoral votes on Saturday to defeat his opponent and chief of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Mehmood Khan Achakzai who could only bag a total of 181 electoral votes according to the Election Commission of Pakistan RELEASE OF INCARCERATED PTI FOUNDER IMPERATIVE TO UNITE COUNTRY: DR ALVI PR OFIT N E W S D E S K Pakistan has experienced a slight increase i n i t s t r a d e d e f i c i t w i t h n i n e r e g i o n a l states amounting to $4 539 billion during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, up from $4 516 billion in the same period last year This 0 5 percent rise is primarily attributed to higher imports from China and India despite a notable growth in exports to these countries as well as Sri Lanka According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) while exports to the region particularly to China and Sri Lanka, showed significant improvement, rising by 21 64 percent to $2 613 billion from $2 148 billion year-on-year the overall trade gap widened due to a 7 32 percent increase in imports which reached $7 152 billion China remains the predominant destination for Pakistani exports within the region, accounting for over 60 percent of the total Exports to China surged by 44 55 percent to $1 726 billion contrasting with a decline in the previous fiscal year However imports from China also rose by 7 65 percent to $6 959 billion underscoring the heavy reliance on Chinese goods India emerged as the second-largest import source for Pakistan, with imports increasing by 15 12 percent to $120 62 million despite a slight decrease in exports to India Trade with other regional partners showed mixed results with exports to Afghanistan and Bangladesh facing declines, whereas exports to Sri Lanka and the Maldives improved The trade figures highlight the ongoing challenges and dynamics of Pakistan’s trade relationships within its regional neighborhood reflecting both opportunities for growth in exports and the pressures of increasing imports on the trade balance
S TA F F R E P O R T
peo-
money and hass nothing to do with the welfare and development of the masses Described the PML-N and the PPP – two major parties of the ruling alliance – as mafias who allegedly wanted to launder the people’s money, he claimed that “illegal MNAs” were being brought up while accusing the Election Commission of Pakistan of playing the role of facilitator in this process Without presenting proof, he accused the two parties of looting the people Like his party leader Khan he vowed to protect the rights of the people Our struggle will continue until our PTI founder comes out he said while talking about incarcerated former prime minister Khan PTI Senator Faisal Javed hailed the PTI founder as one of the biggest leaders of the country saying that Imran Khan was the only leader after the founder of Pakistan Quad-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah While addressing supporters of the party in Peshawar, he demanded that the former prime minister and all party leaders be released Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur claimed that there was foreign interference in the internal matters of the country, saying the PTI founder should be given a fair trial and an investigation commission should be formed on the cypher case Gandapur demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan should form a judicial commission on the case related to the diplomatic cable He further demanded that the reserved seats of the party, which were allocated to other political parties after the Election Commission of Pakistan s decision should be given them back The KP CM demanded the judiciary to take strict action against alleged rigging and manipulation of election results “First Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) was subjected to pre-pollrigging as nomination papers were stolen and later party mandate was stolen by rigged and forged election results , he said He reiterated his party s demand for the resignation of the chief election commissioner, saying the CEC had failed to abide by his constitutional oath and therefore had no right stay on this constitutional post anymore The KP CM asserted that international institutions and observers had raised questions on the credibility and fairness of the election and denied to accept transparency of the election results He insisted the rule of law and justice must prevail and they would be ready for a re-election if promised transparency and fairness Gandapur said he did not accept the victory of newly-elected President Asif Ali Zardari saying he wasn t elected by Form-45 voters Ali Amin Gandapur refused to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Asif Zardari, labeling it a violation of the constitution to attend the ceremony of a candidate who won by undemocratic practices
leader Shoaib Shaheen on Sunday regretted that a mafia has been imposed on the country and the nation, saying the mafias only wanted to launder the
ple’s
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday thanked President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Muizzu President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wikremesinghe Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina for their congratulatory messages on his election as Prime Minister In separate posts on X, the prime minister thanked the President of the Maldives and said that Pakistan remained committed to deepening its relations with the Maldives Similarly in another post on his X account the prime minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda for his letter of felicitations on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan “Look forward to working closely with him to realize the true potential of cooperation between Pakistan and Nepal he further posted In a related post Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in response to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's congratulatory message, said that he looked forward to working with her to further strengthen the Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship To a message of felicitation from President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wikremesinghe the prime minister said that he was confident that relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka would continue to grow from strength to strength during the days ahead T E R R O R I S T AT TA C K I N P E S H AWA R C O N D E M N E D: Prime Minister Muhammad
Sharif
a terrorist incident
the Board Bazaar of Peshawar on Sunday
departed
bereaved
Shehbaz
strongly condemned
in
The prime minister prayed for the high ranks of the
souls and expressed condolences with the
families, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release He also directed the provision of all possible medical treatment to the injured The prime minister reiterated his resolve to root out terrorism
hell
scourge
terrorism
Gallup sur vey finds over whelming majorit y of educated youth voted for PTI ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T The fresh exit poll survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan on Sunday revealed that an overwhelming majority of the country’s educated youth voted for the PTI in the general elections held on February 8 The survey disclosed that on the other hand those illiterate and less educated people preferred to vote for the PML-N and the PPP As per the survey results, 41 percent of PTI voters were those, who were either matriculate or postmatriculate and were aged between 18 and 24 years While the results show only 21 percent of the youth with the same educational background voted for the PML-N It has also been revealed that 35 percent of graduates and post-graduates were those who cast their votes in favour of the PTI, while 15 percent voted for the PML-N and 10 percent for the PPP On the other hand those illiterate are more supportive of the PML-N and the PPP as 29 percent of people belonging to this background voted for the PML-N while 23 percent in favour of the PPP Contrary to that, the PTI has managed to secure the support of 21 per cent of such people The survey shows that 31 per cent of those with their education up to middle voted for the PML-N; 26 per cent for the PTI and 15 per cent for the PPP g C H I N A R E M A I N S P R E D O M I N A N T D E S T I N AT I O N F O R PA K I S TA N I E X P O R T S W I T H I N R E G I O N, A C C O U N T I N G F O R O V E R 6 0 P E R C E N T O F TOTA L
The prime minister said
they had saved the people from a huge loss and terrorists were sent to
Police and security forces had always been standing like solid wall against terrorism, PM Office Media Wing in a press release quoted the prime minister as saying He also reiterated the resolve to eradicate
of
forever
