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ISLAMABAD: Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Thursday announced that his party will challenge the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision regarding reserved seats in the

Supreme Court

PM reviews five-year roadmap for economic progress

zation and technology, while the per acre yield in the agriculture sector would also be increased with the use of technology The loss-making government institutions would be privatized on priority basis he added

The meeting was informed in detail about the roadmap for economic progress and about proposed measures in important sectors including electricity, agriculture, livestock, exports, small and medium enterprises, taxes, information technology, small and medium enterprises, investment, and privatization Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Jehanzeb, Ahad Khan Cheema, Dr Musadiq Malik Minister of State Shiza Fatima Khawaja Jehanzeb Khan and high-ranking officers attended the meeting

PPP grabs four out of six Senate seats in by-elections

InMeanwhile the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) found itself on the sidelines, once again grappling with the loss of its electoral symbol in the parliamentary realm As per the dictates of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) only parties with electoral symbols are eligible to partake in the Senate polls adhering to the same rules governing general elections Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared that a poll will be held on April 2

to fill 48 vacant seats in the Senate ‘Schedule for elections on 48 vacant seats of the Senate

Meanwhile the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued schedule for elections on forty-eight vacant seats of the Senate

According to the schedule, polling will be held on the second of next month (April) from 9am to 4pm The candidates can file their nomination papers with the returning officers from Friday (tomorrow) till Saturday

the candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by the 27th of this month In the federal capital members of the National Assembly will elect members of the Senate against one general seat and one seat for technocrats including Ulema Members of the four provincial assemblies will elect Senators for seven general seats two women seats and two seats for technocrats including Ulema from each province as well as one seat for non-Muslims from both Punjab and Sindh provinces These seats became vacant after expiration of the term of the incumbent members on the 11th of this month It is pertinent to mention here that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that polling for 48 Senate seats will be held on the second of the next month (April) The electoral watchdog said that election will not be carried out on four seats reserved for the erstwhile tribal areas “These seats have been abolished after the merger of tribal areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under the 25th Amendment of the Constitution read the statement According to the ECP the Senate polls will be carried out on seven general seats, two women seats, two technocrat seats and one minority seat

in Punjab

ISLAMABAD

S TA F F R E P O R T

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the Adiala Jail Superintendent to allow four PTI lawyers to meet party founder Imran Khan at the jail Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir passed the order while hearing the petition against the twoweek ban on meetings with Adiala inmates including Imran where the jail superintendent informed the court about receiving several requests for meetings with the former premier He added that they had orders to allow six people apart from the lawyers to meet Imran and said it was impossible for them to allow six people daily in a jail that houses seven thousand prisoners Justice Tahir expressing his displeasure said the jail superintendent had been giving new excuses during every hearing If you do not follow court orders, why should we not initiate contempt proceedings against you? In response the jail official informed the judge that he does follow court orders and showed the notification by the Punjab Home Department “We had allowed the (PTI counsels) to meet on your terms and we already have contempt pleas pending against you, replied the judge

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Ambassador of Iran Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam Thursday called for shunning religious violence and Islamophobia, emphasizing the need to take coordinated measures at the national regional and international levels especially in the Islamic countries to combat the phenomenon of Islamophobia March 15th is the International Day to Combat Islamophobia The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Pakistan while condemning all shapes of extremism religious violence and Islamophobia emphasizes the need to

take coordinated measures at the national regional and international levels especially in the Islamic countries to combat the phenomenon of Islamophobia said the Ambassador Unfortunately, the actions of some terrorist and extremist groups in the name of Islam have damaged the face of Islam and increased the wave of Islamophobia in the world In the meantime the biased highlighting and exaggeration of actions of the extremist and terrorist groups by the Western propaganda apparatus has aggravated the waves of Islamophobia Still, they are silent amid genocide and atrocities of the Zionist regime in Gaza,” he added

He said unfortunately, the Zionist and imperialist conspiracy through provocative actions such as sacrilegious desecration of the Holy Quran disrespecting the Prophet of Islam and contempt of the religious values of one and a half billion Muslim people under the pretext of “freedom of expression” has become an ordinary issue

D utch-Egyptian company acquires Advans Pak istan M icrofinance Bank

in Pakistan under the names Halan Wallet (Private) Limited and Halan Finance Limited MNT-Halan is backed by Dutch microlending company MNT and Egyptian fintech startup Halan, both of which entered a share swap agreement in 2021 giving rise to MNT-Halan with the purpose of accelerating digital transactions in the lending and payments industries On the other hand Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank Limited is a public limited company active in Pakistan’s microfinance banking landscape Advans Pakistan is the Pakistan branch of Advans group a leading international microfinance group that operates out of nine developing countries Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank Limited (APMBL), was granted a license by the State Bank of Pakistan on June 28,

2012 to operate as a microfinance bank in the province of Sindh The Bank s principal business is to provide microfinance banking and related services to the poor and underserved segment of the society as envisaged under the Microfinance Institutions Ordinance 2001 The bank has since been showing wayward performances in the scarce microfinance market of Pakistan Advans ran a loss of Rs 102 million in the calendar year 2022, and a loss of Rs 256 million, after only earning a profit of Rs 53 8 million in 2021 As of September 2023 the accumulated losses of Advans Pakistan stood at Rs 1 3 billion With accumulated losses accounting for more than 65% of the company s share capital APMBL had become a bleeding business for the Advans group international

The aforementioned acquisition entails the purchase of 100% shareholding of Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank Limited from Advans S A SICAR, Advans Luxembourgincorporated financial services firm After conducting a thorough review of the pre-merger application the CCP concluded that there are no overlaps between the merging entities ensuring that market conditions will remain unaffected post-merger This approval holds significant implications for Pakistan’s microfinance banking sector which plays a pivotal role in the country s financial inclusion initiatives According to the World Bank the sector caters to 76% of all borrowers within the financial domain and contributes to approximately one-third of all outstanding agricultural advances

G andapur orders launch of Billion Tree Plus projec t in KP

PHC orders removal of Noorul Haq Qadri’s name from ECL PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t The Peshawar High Court on Thursday ordered removal of the name of former minister religious affairs Noorul Haq Qadri from Exit Control List (ECL) A division bench of the PHC comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Waqar Ahmed heard the petition filed by PTI leader Noorul Haq Qadri against placing his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) Advocate Sikander Hayat Shah the counsel for thepetitioner argued in the court that the name of Noorul Haq Qadri had been included in the ECL He said that his client was invited by Saudi Arabia and he was set to leave for Saudi Arabia at 6pm today but due to inclusion of his name in ECL he could not leave for abroad After hearing argument the PHC directed for removal of the name of Qadri from ECL Mar wat nominated focal person for engagements with PTI founder ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir presided over the hearing of the application against the Punjab government s order regarding the ban on meetings with the detained PTI founder at Adiala jail During the hearing, Shere Afzal mentioned that they had settled a mechanism with the superintendent of Adiala jail to arrange a meeting with the PTI founder The court directed submitting an application to focal person prior meeting with PTI founder

the planet,” he added “While expressing concern about the acts of violence extremism and terrorism especially in the name of religion it condemns desecration of the religious values and provoking the feelings of the followers of F iday 15 Ma ch 2024 | KARACHI 02 nEws IRANIAN ENVOY CALLED FOR SHUNNING RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE, ISL AMOPHOBIA ISLAMABAD G h u l a m a b b a S The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has finally given the green light to the acquisition of Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank Limited by MNT–Halan Pak B V a holding company of a Dutch-Egyptian financial market player The share purchase agreement between the companies was signed, in August 2023 following which the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) gave its approval in October 2023 The approval of CCP and certain conditions precedents needed to be satisfied before the deal was considered official MNT–Halan Pak B V is a holding company headquartered in the Netherlands with subsidiaries operating

RAWALPINDI S ta f f R e p o R t Member Provincial Assembly of Punjab & Coordinator Chief Minister Punjab Shazia Rizwan who was the Chief Guest of the opening ceremony while addressing the participants said that the civilization and culture of Punjab was famous all over the world for its beauty and charm She said, Any region is identified by its culture Living nations are always proud of their culture and traditions and contribute to their development The need is that instead of giving only one day in a year to culture, we should be proud of our culture throughout the year ” Shazia Rizwan further said that Punjab s culture festivals food clothes and ancient places have thousands of colors We were the trustees of the high thoughts and actions of our forefathers, which is our responsibility to keep alive, this is the day of determination to dedicate our energies for the development, safety and uplifting of the country she added The MPA said that no matter which part of Pakistan we belong to we are Pakistanis the land of Punjab was the inheritor of great civilizations, which we were proud to present to the world On the arrival of the Arts Council, the chief guest was also given a “Chunri” Director Muhammad Shakoor said that civilization and culture are the mirror of any nation Cultural values are a beacon for the bright future of nations The flowers of peace and security bloom in the society with the promotion of positive cultural values Assistant Director Muhammad Sulaiman said that the only nations in the world are called alive and advanced which are civilized A society is successful and prosperous if its culture is sustainable Only a country can develop which has a living culture and a positive culture in its roots The same society can become the cradle of peace where positive civilization and culture are flourishing in the true sense Exhibition ‘S ohna Punjab’ organized at PAC to mark ‘Punjab Culture D ay ’ Commander Bahrain National Guard calls on General Sahir Shamshad Mirza RAWALPINDI S ta f f R e p o R t General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Commander Bahrain National Guard on Wednesday called on General Sahir Shamshad Mirza Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi Matters of bilateral professional interest and further strengthening of security and defence cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the meeting Both sides reiterated the resolve to further strengthen security and defence cooperation between the two brotherly countries Earlier upon arrival at Joint Staff Headquarters, a smartly turned-out tri-services contingent presented Guard of Honour to the visiting dignitary CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 Barrister Ali Zafar argued before the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday that reserved seats under Article 103 Section C should be given to the Sunni Unity Council On a question about the number of the seats in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies the SIC lawyer said that the party have 86 seats in the NA 90 seats in KP, 107 seats in Punjab, nine seats in Sindh and one member in Balochistan Assembly “Overall, SIC have 226 seats in assemblies and it is entitled for 78 reserved seats he added Barrister Zafar submitted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was deprived of its symbol days before general elections The Supreme Court upheld the decision of Election Commission (ECP) to deprive the PTI of its election symbol after which candidates were given different symbols to contest election as independents Yet people voted for the PTI overwhelmingly Barrister Zafar said that after winning the election as independents, they joined the SIC Eighty-six members-elect of the National Assembly 107 of the Punjab 90 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nine of Sindh and one of Balochistan assemblies joined the SIC The ECP was bound to allot 78 seats to the SIC, but it did not do so, he added The court inquired the counsel whether it was hearing the case of reserved seats of the entire country Barrister Zafar replied that the petition was for the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies The ECP is confused at differentiating between a parliamentary party and a poltical one, he asserted Upon the court observing that the SIC had not won any general seat in the Feb 8 elections, Zafar acknowledged the same and insisted that it still existed as a political party [For example if] I did not take part [in the elections] and 10 independent candidates joined me then the number of [seats] would be 10, he argued However, the court pointed out that if he had not won even a single seat, the supposed 10 independents would not be able to join him It emphasised that the word “win” had been used in the law “Did you not weaken the PTI’s case by joining the SIC?” the court wondered at which Zafar recalled that the PTI had lost its electoral symbol and was disqualified The SIC counsel argued against allocating other political parties a greater number of seats “than they had won” Here, Justice Ibrahim observed that the Parliament would then be incomplete if the reserved seats were not allocated Zafar then replied This is why we are asking you to interpret the Constitution in a manner so that this vaccuum is not created The SIC counsel said the ECP “could a l s o i s s u e a n o t h e r s c h e d u l e t h a t w o u l d e n a b l e i t t o s u b m i t t h e l i s t o f c a n d i d a t e s f o r r e s e r v e d s e a t s T h e c o u r t t h e n remarked “If you add anything to zero it equals to zero It would be a better interpretation that the election schedule for the reserve seats is released after the [general] elections Section 104 says that a day would be fixed but does not specify when ” “What law would be violated by alloting the SIC reserved seats? he asked adding that his client was only asking for its right no more or less than that Zafar then completed his arguments Subsequently, the PHC reserved its verdict on the matter ‘Q uest for reser ved seats hits a snag’ as PHC dismisses SIC petitions

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Turkish ac ademic collaboration with CUI to be strengthened fur ther: Ambassador

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Gov t forms committee to trim expenditures, pension bill

ISLAMABAD

c a s t i n g d o u b t o n i t s p o t e n t i a l f o r s i g n i f i c a n t s a v i n g s A s p e r m e d i a r e p o r t s , P r i m e M i n i s t e r S h e h b a z S h a r i f h a s f o r m e d a s e v e n - m e m b e r p a n e l e x c l u d i n g t h e d e f e n s e b u d g e t a n d i n t e r e s t p a y m e n t e x p e n d i t u r e s f r o m i t s r e v i e w t h e s e t w o a r e a s a l o n e c o n s u m e n e a r l y t w o - t h i r d s o f t h e f e d e r a l b u d g e t T h e c o m m i t t e e w h i c h i n c l u d e s f o u r g o v e r n m e n t o ff i c i a l s a n d t h r e e i n d e p e n d e n t e x p e r t s s u c h a s D r K a i s e r B e n g a l i , h a s o n e w e e k t o p r o p o s e m e a s u r e s t o c u r t a i l f e d e r a l s p e n d i n g T h e c o m m i t t e e ’s r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s i n c l u d e s c r u t i n i z i n g p e n s i o n s c h e m e s a t o p i c o f i n t e r e s t t o t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l M o n e t a r y F u n d ( I M F ) i n u p c o m i n g d i s c u s s i o n s T h e I M F h a s h i g h l i g h t e d t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s w a g e a n d p e n s i o n e x p e n s e s a s a c r i t i c a l i s s u e F o r t h i s f i s c a l y e a r t h e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y h a s s a n c t i o n e d a R s 1 4 4 t r i l l i o n b u d g e t w i t h a s u b s t a n t i a l p o r t i o n o f R s 7 3 t r i l l i o n d e d i c a t e d t o i n t e r e s t p a y m e n t s a n d R s 1 8 t r i l l i o n t o d e f e n s e , n o t a c c o u n t i n g f o r s p e c i a l p r o g r a m s D r J e h a n z e b K h a n D e p u t y C h a i r m a n o f t h e P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n w i l l l e a d t h e e x p e n d i t u r e c o m m i t t e e , w h i c h a l s o i n c l u d e s p r o m i n e n t f i g u r e s f r o m b o t h t h e g o v e r n m e n t a n d p r i v a t e s e c t o r s T h e g r o u p i s c h a rg e d w i t h r e v i e w i n g p r e v i o u s r e p o r t s i n c l u d i n g t h o s e f r o m t h e N a t i o n a l A u s t e r i t y C o m m i t t e e a n d t h e I n s t i t u t i o n a l R e f o r m s , t o f u r t h e r r e d u c e t h e f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t ’s f o o t p r i n t D e s p i t e t h e d e v o l u t i o n o f c e r t a i n s u b j e c t s t o p r o v i n c i a l a u t h o r i t i e s a p p r o x i m a t e l y e i g h t e e n f e d e r a l m i n i s t r i e s c o n t i n u e t o o p e r a t e T h e c o m m i t t e e i s s e t t o c o n s o l i d a t e p r o g r e s s m a d e i n d o w n s i z i n g t h e f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t a n d d e v e l o p a s t r a t e g i c p l a n w i t h c l e a r t i m e l i n e s T h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s e a r m a r k e d R s 7 1 4 b i l l i o n f o r c i v i l a d m i n i s t r a t i o n c o s t s , l e s s t h a n 5 % o f t h e t o t a l b u d g e t T h e c o m m i t t e e i s a l s o e x p e c t e d t o p r o v i d e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s f o r t h e P u b l i c S e c t o r D e v e l o p m e n t P r o g r a m m e a n d p e n s i o n s c h e m e s w i t h t h i s y e a r s a l l o c a t i o n s s t a n d i n g a t R s 9 0 0 b i l l i o n f o r d e v e l o p m e n t a n d R s 8 0 1 b i l l i o n f o r p e n s i o n s , o f w h i c h R s 5 6 3 b i l

B u l l s re t u r n to t ra d i n g f l o o r a s P S X g a i n s ove r 1 , 0 0 0 p o i nt s

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of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in its upcoming meeting on Monday

The bullish sentiment was further bolstered by the commencement of discussions between Pakistani officials and the

International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the second review of the $3 billion Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) The trading session saw heightened activity particularly in the automobile and refinery sectors with cement and food industries also drawing considerable attention The all-share index s volume expanded to 315 24 million shares, up from 252 75 million in the previous session while the market’s value rose to Rs10 48 billion from Rs9 24 billion

g K i a T o y o t a a n d H y u n d a i u n v e i l e x c l u s i v e d i s c o u n t s a n d i n c e n t i v e s f o r E i d c e l e b r a t i o n s

Rematch confirmed

The Trump phenomenon might overcome histor y

IT became clear by Wednesday (PST) that the most widely watched election in the world, the American presidential election, will be a rematch of the 2020 election, in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump As the primary process played out, both men won the delegates necessary to win the nomination at the convention later in the year The major change is that two men are four years older Considering their ages, that is not a negligible factor Mr Biden will turn 83 just before the Inaugural due next January Mr Trump will be 78 The USA is becoming a gerontocracy a little like the USSR did just before Mikhail Gorbachev was brought in to preside over its fall Another couple of changes that have occurred is that Russia invaded Ukraine and Israel is trying to kill off the Gazans No one is sure how Mr Trump might deal with Ukraine especially after the Republicans in Congress have shown opposition to aid As for the Gaza issue, President Biden supports Israel to the extent of vetoing any UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire, but Mr Trump favours Israel even more deeply Arab American voters face a dilemma, for to switch to Mr Trump would be like cutting off one s nose to spite one s face, but their being solidly democratic is getting Gaza no benefit Foreign policy issues have not historically determined voter preferences, and the persistence of inflation is a cause for concern Mr Trump has set up a contest which has not been seen for more than a century: a one-term President trying for a comeback Grover Cleveland the Democrat first elected in 1888 defeated in 1892 was nominated again in 1896 and won At the moment things are looking well for Mr Trump because the opinion polls show him with a five-point lead At the same time President Biden is suffering his lowest ever approval ratings Though incumbent Presidents usuallly win re-election, the signs do not seem good for Mr Biden at the moment If Mr Trump returns to the White House, the world will not just watch his actions on Ukraine and Gaza, but his actions on such issues as climate change, where he is expected to reverse the reversal of his actions by President Biden, which were in turn a reversal of his predecessor s actions As they say, it isn t over till its over

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

I s t h e s h a d o w l a i d t o r e s t ?

At Penpoint

M A N I A Z I

Thave passed away at great ages From the point of view of normalcy of procedure, Bhutto was executed very quickly The final decision was delivered on 24 March 1979, and he

rc o m e t h ro u g h f u n d a m e n t a l a n d s t r u c t u r a l r e fo r m s .

was executed on 4 April 1979 Now that the Qisas and Diyat law is followed, longer intervals ensue, as families pursue victims’ heirs, and attempt to get them to forgive the wrongdoer, for a due consideration Even at the time this execution was so speedy as to smack of haste

The Supreme Court decision was based on a very solid basis and merely confirmed what is already a consensus in society as a whole, not just legal circles: Bhutto did not get a fair trial; due process was not observed One of the aspects of the trial criticised was that the original trial was conducted by the Lahore High Court and thus one stage of appeal was eliminated While the original trial should have been conducted by a sessions court, so that one appeal lay to the high court, and then to the Supreme Court

The conviction also went against settled precedents that one could not be sentenced to death on the evidence of an approver It might be mentioned that Mr Bhutto was not accused of having fired the fatal bullet or been present on the scene but of having instructed that the murder be carried out The evidence of that instruction was given by Federal Security Force Director-General Masood Mahmood, who followed the instruction but turned approver The immediate application is to the recent conviction of former PM Imran Khan in the cipher case which was on the basis of the confessional statement of then Secretary to PM Azam Khan Also the attempt to find a Masood Mahmood might come to an end There was much pressure applied on Ahad Cheema to turn approver against Mian Shehbaz Sharif as Punjab CM just as there was severe pressure on Fawad Hassan Fawad to turn approver against Mian Nawaz Sharif but their refusal ended their careers At the same time the evidentiary value of approvers may not be denied entirely To that extent, a new judicial doctrine seems to be emerging It is possible to see lawyers in future quoting this judgement in future when arguing that due process was not followed in their client’s case For that rea-

I t s h o u l d n o t b e fo rg o t t e n t h a t w h i l e j u d g e s s e d u l o u s ly ex cl u d e t r a n s i e n t p o p u l a r

o p i n i o n f ro m t h e i r j u d g e m e n t s , p r e f e r r i n g t o b e r i g h t r a t h e r

t h a n p o p u l a r, i t i s t h e p u b l i c o p i n i o n , i n i t s i n c h o a t e f a s h i o n , w h i c h d e c i d e s w h e t h e r j u s t i c e h a s b e e n d o n e Wa s j u s t i c e d o n e i n 1 9 7 9 ? O r i n 2 0 2 4 ?

son alone it is not just a welcome judgement but a useful addition to the country s jurisprudence However there is also a danger because of that The danger is that the Supreme Court will find itself made to revisit other judgements That can be avoided for now, but will it be possible in future? The decisions during the Musharraf Martial Law are all up for review as are many decisions made since Even the Bhutto case decision can be revisited again Then there are the decisions like t h a t u p h o l d i n g t h e E l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n o f t h e bat symbol from the PTI The PTI is particularly liable to take this route because so many of its present leadership belong to the legal profession and thus for whom litigation is a default position However is the same sort of catharsis to be made available to the country as was afforded by this case? There are two backdoor entries opening to things which the Supreme Court has long decried: politics, and the reopening of settled issues First of all, it has to be conceded that the case was political Very few people are concerned with whether Bhutto got due process or not Supporters feel that he was railroaded; opponents feel he got his just deserts Because the intensity has gone out of the feeling especially that against him, the judgement has become possible without any public demonstrations Then, even if he got an unfair deal, he was executed Impugning the verdict against him cannot change that One result of the verdict is the FIR against him registered back in 1972 moves back to being an unsolved crime

Are we moving towards a greater accountability of the judiciary, or at least of its judgements? If responsibility for a crime was fixed in a manifestly unfair manner, can it really be said to be solved? Has the Supreme Court acted too late in saying what has been said frequently and widely enough so that it was not really very adventurous of the Court to join in?

If a Bench today might say that a previous Bench was wrong, could some future bench take the same view of this Bench s decision? Or does this verdict, like the previous one, end up in the court of public opinion?

It should not be forgotten that while judges sedulously exclude transient popular opinion from their judgements preferring to be right rather than popular it is the public opinion, in its inchoate fashion, which decides whether justice has been done Was justice done in 1979? Or in 2024?

The writer is a member of staff

Rowdy students

Public safet y

Radioactive pollution: Causes, containment and remedies

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, are significant sources of radioactive pollution

sium-40 These contribute to background radiation and can be released into the environment through natural processes or human activities such as mining

E

Certain materials in the Earth s crust contain naturally occurring radioactive elements When these materials are disturbed

MEDICAL FACILITIES: Radioactive materials are used in various medical applications including diagnosis and treatment Improper disposal of these materials can lead to environmental contamination

INDUSTRIAL USES: Certain industries use radioactive materials for processes such as radiography which is used to inspect metal structures and welds Mishandling or improper disposal of these materials can contribute to pollution

RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL:

The disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear reactors research institutions and hospitals if not managed properly can lead to environmental contamination This includes both low-level waste (such as contaminated clothing and tools) and high-level waste (such as spent nuclear fuel)

B NATURAL SOURCES: RADON GAS: Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is released from the Earth s crust It can accumulate in buildings, especially in basements and ground floors, leading to indoor radioactive pollution

NATURAL DISASTERS: Events like volcanic eruptions can release naturally occurring radioactive materials into the atmosphere, contributing to environmental contamination Both human-made and natural sources of radioactive pollution have the potential to impact human health and the environment The extent of the impact often depends on the level of radiation released the type of radioactive material, and the duration of exposure Effective regulation, proper waste management, and safety protocols are essential in minimizing the risk of radioactive pollution from human-made sources

Dealimg with radioactive pollution involves a combination of prevention containment decontamination and long-term management strategies aimed to minimize exposure to radiation, prevent the spread of radioactive contaminants, and ensure the safe disposal of radioactive waste

A PREVENTION AND CONTAIN-

MENT: Strict Regulatory Frameworks: Implementing and enforcing strict regulations for nuclear power plants, medical facilities, industrial applications, and waste management can prevent accidental releases of radioactive materials

tion: Techniques such as soil washing, in-situ vitrification and the use of absorbents can help remove radioactive contaminants from soil and water

BIOREMEDIATION: Certain microorganisms and plants can absorb and concentrate radioactive elements from the environment, a process known as phytoremediation for plants These organisms can then be safely harvested and disposed of as radioactive waste

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL TREAT-

MENT: Contaminated materials can be treated physically or chemically to remove or stabilize radioactive contaminants For example, ion exchange, precipitation, and filtration methods can be used to treat contaminated water

SECURE DISPOSAL OF CONTAMI-

NATED MATERIALS: Materials that cannot be decontaminated must be securely disposed of as radioactive waste, ensuring they do not pose a risk to human health or the environment

The

A HUMAN-MADE SOURCES: Nuclear Power Plants: Accidents or

disaster in 1986 and the

COSMIC RADIATION: The Earth is constantly bombarded with cosmic rays from outer space which are partially absorbed by the atmosphere but can contribute to background radiation levels

TERRESTRIAL RADIATION: Rocks and soil contain naturally occurring radioactive materials like uranium thorium and potas-

S h a r i n g i n fo r m a t i o n , t e c h n o l o g y, a n d b e s t p r a c t i c e s b e t w e e n c o u n t r i e s a n d o rg a n i z a t i o n s c a n e n h a n c e g l o b a l c a p a c i t y t o p r ev e n t , m a n a g e , a n d r e m e d i a t e r a d i o a c t i v e p o l l u t i o n a s i t r e q u i r e s a mu l t i - f a c e t e d a p p ro a c h t h a t i nvo l v e s g ov e r n m e n t a g e n c i e s , i n d u s t r y s t a k e h o l d e rs , s c i e n t i s t s , a n d t h e p u b l i c .

SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND TRAIN-

ING: Ensuring that all personnel handling radioactive materials are properly trained in safety protocols can significantly reduce the risk of accidental pollution

SECURE CONTAINMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE: Radioactive waste should be securely contained and isolated from the environment This includes using appropriate shielding materials and constructing deep geological repositories for long-term storage of high-level waste

REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND IN-

SPECTION: Regular maintenance and inspection of nuclear facilities and equipment used to handle radioactive materials can help identify and rectify potential sources of leaks or accidents before they occur

B DECONTAMINATION AND REMEDIATION: Soil and Water Remedia-

Make no mistake The ‘I’m unhappy with Israel but won’t do much about it’ polic y is Mr Biden’s polic y driven by the president’s pro-Israel sensibilities, politics and the polic y choices he faces in dealing with the current war

C LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Environmental Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of air, water, and soil in and around nuclear facilities and waste disposal sites helps in early detection of radioactive leaks and contamination Public Health Monitoring: Monitoring the health of populations exposed to radioactive pollution can help in early detection of radiation-related illnesses and guide public health interventions

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: Investing in research to develop more effective decontamination technologies and safer nuclear energy technologies can help reduce the risk and impact of radioactive pollution

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION:

Sharing information, technology, and best practices between countries and organizations can enhance global capacity to prevent manage and remediate radioactive pollution as it requires a multi-faceted approach that involves government agencies industry stakeholders, scientists, and the public

The writer is a youth motivator and former Head of the University Department of Political Science B N Mandal University Madhepura Bihar India

B o e i n g ’ s ‘ b i g t r o u b l e ’ i s a m i r r o r o f American manufacturing industr y

edly as a Zionist; no other occupant of the White House has asserted that if there were no Israel “We’d have to invent one ”

OIn short Mr Biden sees his own political life as intertwined with Israel s story The extraordinary speech he gave three days after the Hamas terror attack on Oct 7, and his visit to Israel within the first 10 days of war, set the frame Bonding with the loved ones of those who had been murdered the president spoke from personal experience about “the black hole of loss connecting the tragedies in his personal life with those of the people of Israel

Mr Biden may love Israel, but those feelings don t extend to the current prime minister of Israel Even so, as Biden biographer Evan Osnos notes, the president’s default position over the years has been not to confront Mr Netanyahu but to work with him when possible As vice president Mr Biden even served as something of a conduit to the White House for Israelis during tense periods between Mr Obama and Mr Netanyahu, and counseled caution lest the White House push Mr Netanyahu too far and force a rupture

Recently Mr Biden’s views have shifted as Palestinian deaths have mounted and the humanitarian situation in Gaza has turned catastrophic The president has been reportedly privately disparaging of the prime minister It may well be that Mr Biden now understands that Mr Netanyahu is desperate to cling to power and if necessary will do so at the expense of American interests regardless of Mr Biden s extraordinary support and an ever climbing casualty count Still by many accounts, Mr Biden is not yet ready to stop or condition military assistance to Israel or vote for a United Nations Security Council Resolution critical of Israel let alone call for a permanent cease-fire unless it is linked to the return of the hostages

If Mr Biden s personal history and his past helped shape his support for Israel, domestic politics has reinforced his pro-Israel convictions For Mr Biden and so many American politicians the line between what’s good for Israel and what’s good for America has long been blurred Being pro-Israel wasn t some craven genuflect for votes and money but a deeply held belief that good politics and good policy were one and the same, and supporting a fellow democracy fighting for survival in a dangerous neighborhood was exactly that The president’s decades in the Senate where support for Israel runs high reinforced this conflation

As Israel drifted rightward in recent years particularly during Mr Netanyahu s 12- year-

committed votes, reflects an inconvenient reality for Mr Biden: In a close general election, his unwavering support for Israel could cost him the election It s hard to see Mr Biden undertaking some significant anti-Israel actions that move him from criticizing Mr Netanyahu to renouncing him in the hope that those alienated by his proIsrael policies would return to the fold Should Mr Biden’s support for Israel waver Republicans would clearly be eager to paint the president as anti-Israel especially in an election campaign where the presumptive Republican nominee styles himself the most pro-Israel American president ever Nor is it clear how a concerted pressure campaign against the Netanyahu government would lead to a more positive outcome in the Israel-Hamas war

And that leads us to the final element constraining Mr Biden s policy choices especially the use of serious leverage The president may be increasingly uncomfortable with how Israel is waging this war and the appalling loss of life of innocent civilians, but he shares Israel’s war aims: to both eliminate Hamas’s capacity to pull off another Oct 7 and end its sovereignty in Gaza Complicating matters further this is not a conventional military conflict like the one in 1973 between Israel and Egypt, during which U S pressure and persuasion could work to produce agreements to end the conflict It’s a war against Iran-backed Hamas a terror organization that seeks to replace Israel with an Islamic state; that engaged in a rampage of indiscriminate sadistic killing and raping; and that holds hostages, many of whom are most likely still being abused Some have died in captivity

And that war is occurring in a densely populated area roughly twice the size

A viral video repor tedly filmed by Al Jazeera in 2014 showed some Boeing assembly line workers addicted to drugs The Boeing retiree John Barnett, who was recently repor ted to have “committed suicide,” had been exposing many problems at Boeing for years and even filed a lawsuit

BMr Netanyahu

The results of the Michigan primary in February, with its significant number of un-

also see how Boeing a company that was once known for quality and innovation, has gradually reached its current state over the past few decades International public opinion particularly in the US has made a lot of reflection on it including issues such as the loss of skilled engineering talent and the reckless outsourcing of production processes to cut costs However, the most significant reason lies in Boeing losing its “original intention,” shifting the core values of the company from prioritizing safety to prioritizing profit Without proper supervision and a sense of responsibility Boeing like so many American companies, seems to be coasting on a reputation it built up over decades,” as pointed out by this comment from The Guardian accurately identifying the true problems facing the American manufacturing industry The slogan of reindustrialization has been loudly proclaimed by several US administrations, with China often being the target in this process In recent days the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai accused China of harming American workers and businesses as if without China the issues in the US manufacturing industry could be easily resolved However, is this really the case? Boeing and Airbus are the two giants in the aircraft manufacturing industry that virtually face no significant competition Boeing in particular dominates the domestic market in the US It can be said that Washington s pursuit of manufacturing superiority is essentially an enlarged version of Boeing The problem however is that Boeing has now fallen behind Airbus on the international stage a situation caused by Boeing itself China has repeatedly told the US that both countries should focus on handling their own affairs rather than shifting blame onto others This is good and truthful advice but unfortunately the US seems unwilling to heed it However in the reflections surrounding Boeing, the American public opinion has largely stopped emphasizing the need for “shifting its domestic problems overseas in an attempt to find a cure ” indicating that reality is the best teacher

Obscure trust links India’s top businesses with Modi’s election war chest

h e d e c is i o n s d i r e c t i o n s a n d m o d e o f d i s b u r s a l o f f u n d s S p o k e s p e o p l e f o r t h e o t h e r g r o u p s d i d n o t r e s p o n d t o c a l l s t e x t m e s s a g e s a n d e m a i l s G o y a l a n d G a n e s h d i d n o t r e s p o n d t o q u e st i o n s s e n t v i a e m a i l a n d p o s t W h e n a s k e d o n a b r i e f p h o n e c a l l a b o u t h o w P r u d e n t f u n ct i o n e d G o y a l s a i d : “ T h a t i s s o m e t h i n g w e d o n o t d i s c u s s ” P r u d e n t – t h e l a rg e s t o f I n d i a ’s 1 8 e l e c t o r a l t r u s t s – i s l e g a l l y r e q u i r e d t o d ec l a r e h o w m u c h i t h a s c o l l e c t e d f r o m e a c h d o n o r a n d t h e t o t a l a m o u n t s d i s b u r s e d t o e a c h p a r t y B u t i t i s t h e o n l y o n e a m o n g I n d i a s f o u r l a rg e s t e l e c t o r a l t r u s t s t o a c c e p t c o n t r ib u t i o n s f r o m m o r e t h a n o n e c o r p o r a t e g r o u p Tr u s t s “ p r o v i d e o n e l a y e r o f s e p a r a t i o n b et w e e n f i r m s a n d p a r t i e s s a i d M i l a n Va i s hn a v a n e x p e r t o n I n d i a n c a m p a i g n f i n a n c e a t t h e C a r n e g i e E n d o w m e n t f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l P e a c e , a Wa s h i n g t o n - b a s e d t h i n k - t a n k P o l i t ic a l f i n a n c e i n I n d i a i s w i d e l y s e e n a s m u r k y, w i t h m o s t p o l i t i c a l d o n a t i o n s i n I n d i a u n d i sc l o s e d Va i s h n a v a d d e d

China accelerates development of new qualit y produc tive forces

BEJING s ta f f C o R R e s p o n d e n t

This year various regions and departments in China have been actively developing new quality productive forces seeking new strategies and taking proactive measures

Deputies to the 14th National People s Congress (NPC) and members of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) stressed the importance of vigorously developing strategic emerging industries such as new energy, new materials, advanced manufacturing, and electronic information

They believe this will help foster future industries accelerate the development of new quality productive forces and enhance the momentum for high-quality development With innovation playing the leading role, new quality productive forces mean advanced productivity that is freed from traditional economic growth mode and produc-

tivity development paths, features hightech, high efficiency and high quality, and comes in line with the new development philosophy New quality productive forces are in essence advanced productivity that features innovation and focuses on high quality which are of great significance for accelerating the development of a modern industrial system, said Yu Xubo, a deputy to the 14th NPC

Yu, also the chairman of Genertec, a centrally-administered state-owned enterprise noted that Genertec has teamed up with Chongqing University of Technology to promote the industrialization of the nanometer time-grating technology, which has been widely applied in advanced computer numerical control machine tools and robotics, thereby contributing to the development of the Chinese high-end equipment industry

In 2023 China s production of new energy vehicles reached 9 443 million units, up 30 3 percent from a year ago The output of solar cells, including pho-

tovoltaic cells, surged 54 percent year-onyear to reach 540 million kilowatts It also produced 7 83 million sets of service robots, with a year-on-year increase of 23 3 percent Developing new quality productive forces helps foster a batch of large-scale and influential pillar industries and also accelerates the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, thus enhancing the resilience of the Chinese economy, and effectively upgrading and appropriately expanding China’s economic output ” said president of Sun Yat-sen University Gao Song a deputy to the 14th NPC In 2023, the added value of the hightech manufacturing industry rose by 2 7 percent year-on-year, and investment in high-tech industries grew by 10 3 percent from a year ago which indicated a continuous accumulation of new momentum Developing new quality productive forces needs technological innovation which builds an engine for high-quality development through original, disruptive, and

Chinese premier stresses deep integration of sci-tech, industrial innovation

BEIJING

M a n a b R a R

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for efforts to deepen the integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation and accelerate the cultivation of new driving forces and new advantages of high-quality development Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee made the remarks during an inspection tour in Beijing on Wednesday according to XINHUA During his inspection at an operation center of the city s high-level autopilot demonstration zone, Li urged strengthening support in setting standards and factor guarantees so as to boost the development of the automobile industry and the construction of smart cities with the upgrading of the autopilot technology

At the Yizhuang office area of Chinese tech giant Baidu, the premier stressed that it is necessary to give full play to the advantages of rich application scenarios in China enhance institutional support and create a more relaxed environment for the development of the artificial intelligence industry While visiting Naura Technology Group Co Ltd Li encouraged the company to further increase sci-tech investment accelerate R&D on advanced process equipment, and better

promote collaborative innovation across the whole industrial chain

The premier also inspected the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence and called for achieving new breakthroughs with advanced resources and cooperation Li also presided over a symposium and noted that developing new quality productive forces is an intrinsic requirement and an important focus to promote high-quality development, urging efforts to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, and promote industrial innovation through sci-tech innovation to accelerate the development of a modern industrial system with advanced man-

ufacturing as the backbone Noting that artificial intelligence is an important engine for developing new quality productive forces he also called for achieving key breakthroughs in areas such as computing power, data and algorithms to let artificial intelligence better empower various industries At the symposium the premier also stressed the need to actively promote inclusive and prudential supervision on the basis of maintaining the bottom line of safety Li expressed the hope that Beijing will give full play to its advantages, take the lead in the development of new quality productive forces and play a leading role in demonstration

cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, Yu said Last year, China s annual expenditure on research and development (R&D) surpassed 3 32 trillion yuan ($462 28 billion) an increase of 8 1 percent compared to the previous year The rapid development of new technologies such as next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) and life sciences will accelerate the reshaping of the global industrial and supply chain pattern, profoundly altering the comparative and competitive advantages of countries around the world ” said Gao He emphasized the need to focus on the world s scientific and technological forefront and apply the achievements to promote high-quality development Zhao Yuliang, a member of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences believes that new quality productive forces should be developed by growing the talent chain enhancing the technology chain, activating the innovation chain and upgrading the industrial chain

Israeli tank strike killed ‘clearly identifiable’ Reuters repor ter; says UN repor t

ISTANBUL

R e u t e R s

An Israeli tank killed Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah in Lebanon last year by firing two 120 mm rounds at a group of “clearly identifiable journalists” in violation of international law, a UN investigation into the Oct 13 incident has found The investigation by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) summarized in a report seen by Reuters said its personnel did not record any exchange of fire across the border between Israel and Lebanon for more than 40 minutes before the Israeli Merkava tank opened fire The firing at civilians, in this instance clearly identifiable journalists, constitutes a violation of UNSCR 1701 (2006) and international law ” the UNIFIL report said referring to Security Council resolution 1701 The seven-page report dated Feb 27 said further: It is assessed that there was no exchange of fire across the Blue Line at the time of the incident The reason for the strikes on the journalists is not known ” Under resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 to bring an end to the war between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters UN peacekeepers were deployed to monitor a ceasefire along the 120 km (75 mile) demarcation line or Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon As part of their mission UN troops record violations of the ceasefire and investigate the most egregious cases Besides killing Abdallah, the two tank rounds also wounded six other journalists at the scene Al Jazeera's burnt out car is seen on October 15 2023 at the site near the village of Alma al-Chaab Lebanon where Reuters visual journalist Issam Abdallah was killed when a tank round hit him October 13 2023 while he was filming cross-border shelling PHOTO: REUTERS Al Jazeera s burnt out car is seen on October 15, 2023, at the site near the village of Alma al-Chaab, Lebanon, where Reuters visual journalist Issam Abdallah was killed when a tank round hit him October 13 2023 while

China slams US’s free speech charade in new repor t

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Privatization of 15 to 20 institutions necessar y, says Abdul Aleem K han

Commander Bahrain National Guard calls on Air Chief

Run for G aza: foodpanda pledges PKR 10,000 for ever y Islamabad United run

K

Paklaunch raises funding led by D isrupt.com, eyes regional expansion

Federal Minister chairs meeting to disc uss issues concerning construc tion standards, repair of buildings

upgraded drafts of the accreditation Standards for Medical Colleges (Undergraduate) accreditation Standards for Teaching Hospitals (Undergraduate), Guidelines for MBBS Curriculum, Competencies of a Medical Graduate and Medical House Job Competencies, 2024 PM&DC has been actively working on the upgradation of medical and dental standards for the past three months these standards will be implemented after the approval of the Academic Board and Council In a statement the President PM&DC Prof Dr Rizwan Taj told the media that accreditation standards for medical colleges at the undergraduate level will serve several important purposes each of which will ultimately benefit both students and the healthcare system PR

IMARAT Builders Mall

Welcomes ALCO Pakistan: A Powerhouse Par tnership for Construc tion

Islamabad:

PTI top body briefed on Khan’s cases, demands his immediate release

Per vez Elahi to contest by-polls; family signs nomination papers

and fake cases,

that order should be issued for his instant release from the unlawful imprisonment PTI Core Committee in its meeting here on Thursday discussed various issues especially the inordinate delay of appeals in cases against PTI Chairman-forlife, safety and security of his spouse Bushra Bibi and the unconstitutional recounts of votes in various constituencies in Punjab threadbare

During the meeting the PTI legal team gave a comprehensive overview to the core committee regarding the cases of Imran Khan

The forum strongly condemned the unlawful and unconstitutional incarceration of the PTI Founding Chairman in fake and frivolous cases They made it clear that the state’s intentions to subject Imran Khan to political vendetta had been fully evident from the unfair speedy trial in fabricated cases like Toshakhana and Cipher wherein he was handed down sentences in hasty manner PTI Core Committee expressed it annoyance over the unnecessary and unjustifiable tactics to delay the appeals against these black decisions of the courts

e m , I H C t o l d

Cour t grants Hassan, Hussain Nawaz bail; c ancels permanent arrest warrants