Epaper_24-03-21 LHR by Pakistan Today

TPakistan will not tolerate cross-border terror attacks: PM

In par tnership with Profit T h u r s d a y, 2 1 M a r c h , 2 0 2 4 I 1 0 Ra m a z a n , 1 4 4 5 R s 2 0 0 0 | Vo l X I V N o 2 6 3 I 8 Pa g e s I La h o r e E d i t i o n IMF Pakistan reach staff-level agreement on final review of $3bn SBA PROFIT (N e w s D e s k ) : The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan on the second and final review of the $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) paving the way for the release of the last tranche from the lender This agreement needs approval by the IMF s Executive Board, upon which the remaining access under the SBA $1 1 billion will become available to Pakistan An IMF team led by Nathan Porter visited Islamabad from March 14-19, 2024, to hold discussions on the second review of Pakistan’s economic program supported by the SBA GWADAR/ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

HE security forces on Wednesday killed eight terrorists and repulsed an attack by militants on a complex outside the strategic port of Gwadar, security officials and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti confirmed However two brave soldiers – Sepoy Bahar Khan and Sepoy Imran Ali – having fought gallantly, sacrificed their lives and embraced Shahadat during the intense exchange of fire, said the military’s media wing Armed with guns and bombs the militants stormed the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) complex just outside the port that houses offices of government departments intelligence agencies and paramilitary forces said Saeed Ahmed Umrani, a government commissioner The militants detonated several bombs before launching a shooting attack and trying to storm the complex he said In a post on social media platform X Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said eight militants were neutralised by security forces , adding: The message is loud & clear Whosoever chooses to use violence will see no mercy from the state ” There were reports of at least one soldier killed and others wounded Umrani said The military did not give details Statement from the United Nations Department for Safety and Security said several explosions followed by continuous firing were reported during the attack on the complex, adding that the facility hosts several government and paramilitary offices The statement added there were no immediate reports of casualties elaborating that seven personnel from three UN agencies based in Gwadar and two UN agencies on missions were safe and accounted for The military said in a statement issued later in the evening that a group of eight terrorists attempted to enter Port Authority Colony in Gwadar which was successfully thwarted by the security forces personnel Own troops employed for security responded immediately and effectively engaged the terrorists and in ensuing fire exchange all eight terrorists were sent to hell the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said A large quantity of arms ammunition and explosives was also recovered from the killed terrorists However, during the intense exchange of fire, two brave soldiers; Sepoy Bahar Khan (age: 35 years resident of District DG Khan) and Sepoy Imran Ali (age: 28 years resident of District Khairpur) having fought gallantly sacrificed their lives and embraced Shahadat said the military s media wing Security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation remain determined to thwart attempts of sabotaging peace and stability of Balochistan and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve ” it added The Majeed Brigade of the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the attack, in a statement, saying its militants attacked Pakistan intelligence agencies offices E I G H T T E R R O R I S T S G U N N E D D O W N A S AT TA C K O N G PA C O M P L E X F O I L E D g T w o j a w a n s e m b r a c e m a r t y r d o m r e p u l s i n g a t t a c k c l a i m e d b y M a j e e d B r i g a d e o f B L A g Tw o t e r r o r i s t s k i l l e d, t w o o t h e r s i n j u r e d i n s e p a r a t e I B O c o n d u c t e d i n N o r t h Wa z i r i s t a n ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stated that Pakistan will not tolerate any more cross-border terror attacks on its soil, reaffirming the commitment to wipe out the menace of terrorism as was done previously Chairing the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday PM Shehbaz Sharif said security of the geographical frontiers of Pakistan is a redline, highlighting the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war on terrorism

desires to have cordial relations with the neighboring fraternal countries to promote trade and economic relations However it is not acceptable that the land of the neighboring country is used for terrorism in Pakistan,” he added Shehbaz Sharif proposed the formulation of a joint strategy with the sincerity of purpose to defeat the scourge of terrorism He said collective efforts against terrorism will help establish peace in the region and address other issues such as that of poverty SHARIF VOWS TO REVIVE PAKISTAN’S ECONOMY Turning to the economic situation Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country is compelled to secure another IMF package He however affirmed the commitment to revive the economy and help it stand on its own feet We have made a conscious decision to minimize borrowing and gradually rid the country of loans The premier said an enabling environment will be created to attract investments across various sectors including agriculture, industries Information Technology and mines and minerals He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council is serving as a robust platform to facilitate investment in the country Alluding to the pending tax cases worth twenty-four hundred billion rupees, the Prime Minister appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa to direct the courts to dispose of these cases at the earliest PM Shehbaz Sharif also expressed the resolve to enhance the tax base and bring the potential sectors into the tax net

“Pakistan

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03 C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 03

Ser vices sec tor ’s trade deficit declines 52% MoM in Februar y

IT expor ts increase 32% YoY to

$257mn in Februar y

after which they held a detailed meeting The meeting covers issues including internal security and situation at the borders

FM underlines significance of economic-diplomacy to attract investments

ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o R t

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday stressed that in addition to conventional diplomacy Pakistan needed to prioritize economic-diplomacy in the current circumstances In this regard, he said all missions of Pakistan abroad should focus on attracting investments, the foreign minister said while interacting with officers of Pakistan High Commission in London a press release said FM underlines significance of economicdiplomacy to attract investments The foreign minister said that Pakistan was blessed with significant natural as well as high quality human resources The country had all the potential to become a great economy provided a coherent approach was adopted to bring fiscal discipline and curtail external deficit he added The only requirement of the day is to manage these resources in an effective manner, he stressed The foreign minister said that all stakeholders, including line ministries, needed to work handin-hand with a team spirit to strengthen Pakistan both internally and externally FM underlines significance of economic-diplomacy to attract investments Dar said that Pakistan was undergoing challenging times, however, the incumbent government was committed to provide relief to the common man, adding moreover on international fronts Pakistan was engaging with partners for mutual cooperation

Thursday 21 March 2024 LAHORE 02 NEWS Foreign direct investment in Pakistan declines 17% in 8MF Y24 PR OFIT N e w s D e s k Net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan fell by 17 1% in the first eight months (July-Feb) of fiscal year 2024 totaling $820 6 million according to the latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) FDI was recorded at $1 570 billion from July to February of FY24 compared to net FDI of $990 2 million during the same period of last fiscal year Meanwhile, an outflow of $750 3 million was also reported February 2024 however marked a 16% increase in net FDI to $131 2 million compared to $113 4 million in February 2023 Notably January experienced a significant FDI outflow of $173 2 million Chinese investment plummeted by nearly 83% to $80 4 million, down from $472 4 million the previous year In contrast Hong Kong’s investment surged by 56% to $234 6 million constituting 29% of total FDI The power sector led with 30% of the total investment, amounting to $249 million, followed by the oil & gas exploration and financial business sectors This investment trend occurs amid efforts to bolster foreign exchange reserves in response to a dollar shortage OGRA raises monthly RLNG tariffs for SNGPL , SSGC ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o R t Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Wednesday jacked up the monthly tariff of imported re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) up to 2 5 per mmbtu for Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) The new tariff will be effective from March 1 2024 According to OGRA the decision to raise the monthly RLNG rates is attributed to the rise in the cost of supply OGRA has notified the transmission and distribution prices for both Sui companies, aiming to align them with the increased cost For SNGPL the price of RLNG has seen a notable increase of 2 58 per mmbtu on a month-to-month basis OGRA has set the price of RLNG at $12 8142 per mmbtu for March, marking a slight increment of $0 3220 per mmbtu compared to February 2024, where the price stood at $12 4922 per mmbtu Similarly the tariff for RLNG supplied through the SSGC network has also been raised The new price of RLNG for the current month has been fixed at $13 0563 per mmbtu, reflecting an increase of 0 76 per mmbtu for end consumers This figure contrasts with the previous month’s rate of $12 9584 mmbtu indicating a rise of $0 0979 per mmbtu It is pertinent to mention that the hike in RLNG prices may have implications for consumers particularly in terms of their monthly utility bills However, OGRA assures that these adjustments are necessary to maintain the stability and efficiency of the natural gas supply chain in Pakistan PR OFIT N e w s D e s k P A K I S TA N S rice exports witnessed significant growth of 85 83% during the first eight months (July-Feb) of the ongoing fiscal year FY2023-24 as compared to the corresponding period of last year According to the data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) over 3 932 million metric tons of rice valued at $2 517 billion were exported during July-February FY2023-24, as against the exports of 2 546 million metric tons worth $1 354 billion in the same period of last year Exports of basmati rice reached 472,135 metric tons worth $539 428 million with an increase of 38 43% in first eight months of FY24 as compared to exports of 366 210 metric tons worth $386 882 million in the same period of last year Meanwhile, the country earned $2 180 billion by exporting about 3 460 million metric tons of rice of other varieties which was recorded at 2 180 million metric tons valued at $967 872 million in the same period of last year On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the rice exports grew by 48 18% to 609,295 metric tons worth $402 043 million in February 2024 as compared to the exports of 564 206 million tons valued at $271 312 million in February 2023 This increase in exports of Pakistan s basmati rice is mainly due to a recent ban on rice exports by the Indian government which jacked up the demand for Pakistani commodity in the international market On the flip side food group exports from Pakistan increased by 54 05% during the first eight months of FY24 During the period from July to February FY24, different food commodities worth $4 969 billion were exported as compared to the exports of 3 225 billion in the same period of the previous year Food exports increased by 35 38% to worth $702 469 million in February 2024 as compared to the exports of $518 871 million in February 2023 Meanwhile, the imports of food commodities into the country during the first eight months of FY24 decreased by 18 33% as against the imports of the corresponding period of last year The imports of food commodities during the period under review came down from $6 687 billion to $5 461 billion On a monthly basis the food group imports grew by 5 12% in February 2024 growth as food goods valued at $739 819 million were imported as compared to the imports of 703 722 million in the same month of last year

K I S TA N ’ S R I C E E X P O R T S G R O W 8 6 % T O $ 2 . 5 B I L L I O N I N 8 M F Y 24 PR OFIT N e w s D e s k Roshan Digital Account (RDA) recorded inflows of $141 million in February 2024 bringing the total inflows into the accounts to $7 498 billion according to the latest data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) The total amount received during the eight months (July-Feb) of the ongoing fiscal year FY2023-24 was recorded at $1 13 billion down from $1 21 billion in the same period last year In February 8 895 new accounts were opened, bringing the total number of accounts to 668,701 As per SBP data, $119 million was repatriated and locally utilised leaving the Net Repatriable Liability (NRL) of RDA increased by $22 million in February Out of total $119 million $9 million was repatriated while while $111 million was utilised locally in February Total repatriation and local utilisation during the ongoing fiscal year FY24 amounted to $996 million a decrease from $1 73 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year Total repatriation and local utilisation from the RDA, from the day it was initiated, stood at $6 23 billion out of which $1 56 billion was repatriated while $4 67 billion was utilised locally A breakdown of the Net Repatriable Liability reveals that $304 million was invested in Conventional Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPC), $501 million in Islamic NPC, $32 million in equity investment $392 million in account balances and $24 million in other liabilities The highest monthly inflow into RDA occurred in June 2021 with inflows totaling $310 The highest monthly repatriation and local utilisation from RDA happened in July 2022, resulting in a reduction of $330 million in NRL of RDA Notably with the total RDA at $7 48 billion and the NRL at $1 25 billion NRL represents 16 74% of the total RDA RDA records inflows of $141mn in Februar y 2024 g TO TA L I N F LO W S I N TO R D A R E A C H $ 7 . 4 9 8 B I L L I O N ISLAMABAD G h u l a m a b b a s The Large-scale steel producers of the country have sounded the alarm on the resurgence of large-scale smuggling mis-declaration and under-invoicing of steel primarily from Iran In an urgent letter addressed to the federal finance minister, the Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) has highlighted how illicit activities are systematically crippling the local steel sector Our steel industry is in a fight for survival amidst significant challenges such as currency depreciation, soaring financial costs, and escalating input expenses, PALSP emphasized The repercussions are dire with numerous steel mills forced to cease operations and those still operational struggling at reduced capacities while they teeter on the brink of closure As the leading advocate for the local steel industry, the association underscored the pivotal role of the steel melting sector, which is besieged by multiple hurdles To weather the storm key players in the long steel industry have diversified into exporting non-ferrous products like copper ingots to China The industry s exports reached $ 1 350 billion in 2023-24, making it the 5th largest exporting sector However, PALSP expressed grave concerns that unchecked smuggling could jeopardize these efforts and endanger the survival of these ventures The representative body of large steel producers cautioned that amid an economic downturn, construction activity has ground to a halt, driving steel demand to its lowest levels The resurgence of steel smuggling therefore poses a grave threat to both the steel sector and the broader economy The association called into question the efficacy of authorities stationed at customs checkpoints and borders, mandated to prevent such illicit activities As per PALSP’s estimates approximately 500 000 metric tons of steel are smuggled into Pakistan annually primarily from Iran amounting to roughly 10% of the country s total steel production Additionally over the past decade between 0 5 to 1 million metric tons of steel have been imported annually under the guise of scrap, causing an estimated revenue loss of around 40 billion rupees annually and raising concerns of money laundering The ramifications extend beyond mere economic losses as the scourge of steel smuggling has decimated the local steel industry in Quetta and other parts of Baluchistan with over 80% of steel sales in Baluchistan sourced from smuggled goods PALSP states that smuggling and mis-declaration are not isolated incidents but organized crimes that threaten to deindustrialize Pakistan To combat this threat the steel industry appealed to the Ministry to restrict steel imports to sea routes effectively countering smuggling efforts particularly from Iran and Afghanistan The association also highlighted loopholes in import policies, allowing the mis-declaration of steel products as re-rollable scrap further exacerbating the crisis Recent data revealed fraudulent imports of over 20 000 metric tons of steel plates disguised as re-rollable scrap highlighting the urgent need for corrective action The Indus attributed this illicit activity to a combination of regulatory inertia and collusion among departments mandated to curb smuggling In light of these challenges the steel industry called for immediate and decisive measures to safeguard Pakistan s steel industry and prevent further economic losses due to smuggling and misdeclaration g 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 M E T R I C TO N S O F S T E E L S M U G G L E D A N N U A L LY I N TO PA K I S TA N , S AY S PA L S P PR OFIT N e w s D e s k Pakistan’s Information Technology (IT) sector experienced a robust growth in exports with a 32% year-on-year (YoY) increase to $257 million in February 2024 despite a slight 3% monthon-month (MoM) decline According to a report, the February figures surpassed the previous 12month average of $233 million, indicating a strong upward trajectory The annual forecast suggests IT exports may surpass the $3 billion mark for the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) This yearly growth in IT exports is backed by a steady policy adjustment by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) which increased the permissible retention limit in Exporters Specialized Foreign Currency Accounts from 35% to 50% Additionally, the stable Pakistani rupee (PKR) has motivated IT companies to repatriate and deposit their foreign earnings into local accounts The minor MoM downturn in IT exports is linked to February s reduced working days 19, compared to January’s 23 The reported export numbers reflect the remittances to Pakistan by its technology sector For the first eight months (July-Feb) of FY24 IT exports reached $2 0 billion, marking a 15% YoY increase from $1 7 billion in the same period last year Net IT exports also saw significant growth with a 31% YoY increase to $230 million in February and a 13% YoY increase to $1 7 billion in 8MFY24 In response to the growing IT sector, the government, under Prime Minister Sharif has emphasized maximizing the country’s IT export potential urging for a detailed strategy to enhance export figures Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, in a recent statement, predicted IT exports could reach as high as $3 5 billion this fiscal year Despite the optimism achieving the government s ambitious target remains a challenge with projections suggesting gross IT exports for FY24 could align closer to $3 billion, up from $2 6 billion last year

g A N N UA L F O R E C A S T S U G G E S T S I T E X P O RT S M AY S U R PA S S $3 B I L L I O N M A R K F O R F Y 24, R E P O RT g D E M A N D F O R PA K I S TA N I B A S M AT I R I C E I N C R E A S E D I N G LO B A L M A R K E T A F T E R A R E C E N T B A N B Y I N D I A

misdeclaration

Zardari on securit

situation ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o R t Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt-General Nadeem Anjum on Wednesday visited the Presidency and briefed President Asif Ali Zardari on a string of issues, sources said President Asif Zardari welcomed the ISI chief at the Aiwan-i-Sadr

Smuggling,

pose dire threats to Pakistan’s steel industr y ISI chief ‘briefs’ President

PR OFIT N e w s D e s k Pakistan s service sector recorded a trade deficit of $158 million in February 2024 marking a decline of 52 27% month-onmonth (MoM) compared to the previous month’s deficit of $331 million According to SBP’s data there was a deficit of $57 million in the trade of services in February 2023 Details from the SBP indicated that exports of services in February increased by 6 09% year-on-year (YoY) to $627 million, compared to $591 million in February 2023 However exports witnessed a decrease of 8 06% MoM compared to January 2023

in the first eight months (July-Feb) of FY2024, services exports dropped by 1 36% YoY to $5 08 billion compared to $5 15 billion in 8MFY23 Among the total exports in February the largest contributors were telecommunications, computer, and information services, amounting to $257 million, witnessing a notable increase of 31 79% YoY Other business services held the second position bringing in $122 million marking a growth of 7 02% YoY However, on a month-wise basis, Other Business Services dropped by 19 21% MoM Meanwhile, imports of services during February amounted to $785 million, reflecting a significant increase of 21 14% YoY compared to imports worth $648 million in the same period last year However imports decreased by 22 51% MoM compared to the previous month s $1 013 billion Amongst the total imports, the largest expenditure was incurred on transport, totaling $417 million during February witnessing a growth of 35 83% YoY However there was a 6 71% MoM decrease in transport imports compared to the previous month Travel services cost the country around $159 million, marking an increase of 35 9% YoY but dropping by 37 65% MoM Services imports during 8MFY24 stood at $6 971 billion marking an increase of 28 19% YoY compared to 8MFY23

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g S E R V I C E S E X P O RT S D R O P B Y 1 36% YOY TO $5 08 B I L L I O N I N 8 M F Y 24

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CM Mar yam announces housing scheme for low-income earners

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situation and avoid the further spillover of the conflict They look to China playing a greater role in deescalating the conflict and cooling down the situation, he added

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At UN, Pakistan pushes for concessional financing for clean energy

mate financing was critical for developing countries’ transition away from fossil fuels

“Without concessional finance developing countries would not be able to achieve the targets that have been set, the Pakistani envoy said Energy lies at the heart of both the 2030 Agenda and our climate goals,” he added Stressing the central role of energy in both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and global climate objectives Ambassador Akram emphasized the pressing need for a just orderly, and equitable energy transition Noting the scale of the challenge ahead, the Pakistani envoy said an additional 1000 GW

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Pakistan will not tolerate cross-border terror attacks: PM

y shrouds ‘thef t ’ of D rug Cour t Gujranwala fine money from LHC

Quetta jolted by third ear thquake in past 24 hours

12 coalminers die in Balochistan gas explosion

in 2010 Nowruz is a joint cultural heritage of the world, which promotes coexistence, peace and harmony as it is celebrated by people of different faiths ethnicities nationalities and political orientations

Zaman Park tor ture case: ATC issues notice on MPA’s bail plea

LAHORE s ta f f R e p o R t

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the prosecution on a bail petition filed by MPA Hafiz Farhat Abbas of the Sunni Ittehad Council in a case of torturing police officials at Zaman Park outside the residence of the

LHC suspends Election Commission’s notice amidst vote recount dispute

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IMF, Pakistan reach staﬀ-level agreement on final review of $3bn SBA

LAHORE s ta f f R e p o R t

Thursday 21 March 2024 LAHORE NEWS 03 HARNAI s ta f f R e p o R t At least 12 miners were killed and eight rescued after an explosion in a coal mine in Zardalo area of Balochistan’s Harnai district officials said on Wednesday The rescue operation has been just completed said the provincial chief inspector of mines, Abdul Ghani Baloch He said 20 miners were inside the mine when a methane gas explosion took place overnight He added that rescue teams recovered 12 bodies while the survivors had been taken to hospital Coal deposits are found in the western areas of Pakistan that sit near the Afghan border and mine accidents are common, mainly due to gas build-ups Mine workers have complained that a lack of safety gear and poor working conditions are the key causes of frequent accidents labour union officials have said in the past In October 2023, three miners were killed in a coal mine accident in Darra Adam Khel area of Shangla district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) The incident occurred as a result of exposure to poisonous gases within a coal mine located in the Kale Khel area This marks the second such incident within a week in which a coal miner from Shangla lost their life Just days prior a miner manager from Shangla was fatally shot in Quetta Balochistan when unidentified assailants on motorcycles opened fire on him Another coal miner was killed while four others were injured in May, last year after a blast inside a coal mine in Balcohistan’s Dukki district Police said that the mine was filled with methane gas and there was a huge explosion in the mine One collier was killed and four others sustained serious burn wounds as a result of the explosion, said a police official, adding that the injured miners were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital Dukki for treatment An emergency was declared in the hospital to treat the injured Hazardous working conditions in coal mines of Balochistan have claimed dozens of precious human lives in the past few months

LAHORE s ta f f R e p o R t The Punjab government under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a new housing scheme aimed at providing affordable housing for low-income residents The initiative targeting the construction of 100 000 houses across the province was a significant step towards addressing the housing needs of vulnerable communities A recent review meeting led by the Chief Minister discussed the project’s progress The Board of Revenue presented a list of 17 potential sites for development which will undergo further evaluation Recognizing the urgency of the project Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed officials to expedite site selection in five major cities: Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi Emphasizing the importance of accessibility, she stressed the need to choose locations convenient for residents “The house is the basic need of every family stated Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz highlighting the government s commitment to fulfilling the dream of homeownership for low-income earners This project signifies a major investment in Punjab’s social infrastructure and is expected to benefit a significant portion of the population Further announcements regarding the final site selections and application process are anticipated in the coming weeks

CONTINUED

PAGE 01 He said the FBR will be completely digitalized For this purpose the process of hiring consultants will be completed by the third or fourth week of the next month He said the digitalization process will be supervised to ensure its early completion Shehbaz Sharif said a committee has also been established to cut the expenditures of the government He assured that its recommendations will be fully implemented He said there would be zero tolerance for electricity and gas pilferage

FROM

QUETTA s ta f f R e p o R t Quetta and adjoining areas were jolted by another earthquake in the wee hours of Wednesday the third in the past 24 hours The intensity of third earthquake was recorded 5 6 magnitude on the Richter scale in Quetta city and other areas of Balochistan province adjacent to Afghan border As per the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC), the depth of the earthquake was 30 km and the epicenter of it was Shorawak area of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province adjacent to Nushki district of Balochistan that is 166 km southwest of Quetta It should be remembered that the earthquake is the third shock in Quetta in 24 hours First earthquake tremors were felt in Pak-Afghan border areas including Chaman, Quetta and Nushki on Tuesday early morning According to the PMD Islamabad the tremors of the Quetta earthquake were felt at 5:37 am and the epicenter was 160 kilometers southwest of Quetta city CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 The IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second and final review of Pakistan’s stabilisation program supported by the IMF’s $3 billion (SDR2 250 million) SBA approved in January 2024 Mr Porter said in a statement on Wednesday Porter said that Pakistan s economic and financial position has improved in the months since the first review, with growth and confidence continuing to recover on the back of prudent policy management and the resumption of inflows from multilateral and bilateral partners IMF mission chief, however, warned that growth is expected to be modest this year inflation remains above target and ongoing policy and reform efforts are required to address Pakistan s deep-seated economic vulnerabilities amidst the ongoing challenges posed by elevated external and domestic financing needs and an unsettled external environment The new government is committed to continuing the policy efforts that started under the current SBA to entrench economic and financial stability for the remainder of this year In particular, the authorities are determined to deliver the FY24 general government primary balance target of Rs 401 billion (0 4% of GDP) with further efforts towards broadening the tax base and continue with the timely implementation of power and gas tariff adjustments to keep average tariffs consistent with cost recovery while protecting the vulnerable through the existing progressive tariff structures, thus avoiding any net circular debt (CD) accumulation in FY24,” said the global lender Mr Porter noted that the State Bank of Pakistan remains committed to maintaining a prudent monetary policy to lower inflation and ensure exchange rate flexibility and transparency in the operations of the foreign exchange market Pakistani authorities also expressed interest in a successor medium-term Fund-supported program to permanently resolve Pakistan s fiscal and external sustainability weaknesses strengthening its economic recovery and laying the foundations for strong sustainable and inclusive growth the statement further added While these discussions are expected to start in the coming months, key objectives are expected to include: (i) strengthening public finances including through gradual fiscal consolidation and broadening the tax base (especially in undertaxed sectors) and improving tax administration to improve debt sustainability and create space for higher priority development and social assistance spending to protect the vulnerable; (ii) restoring the energy sector ’s viability by accelerating cost-reducing reforms including through improving electricity transmission and distribution moving captive power demand to the electricity grid strengthening distribution company governance and management, and undertaking effective anti-theft efforts; (iii) returning inflation to target, with a deeper and more transparent flexible FX market supporting external rebalancing and the rebuilding of foreign reserves; and (v) promoting private-led activity as well as the removal of distortionary protection, advancement of SOE reforms to improve the sector ’s performance, and the scaling-up of investment in human capital, to make growth more resilient and inclusive and enable Pakistan to reach its economic potential

LAHORE s ta f f R e p o R t The funds collected by Drug Court Gujranwala, reportedly stolen from the Lahore High Court (LHC) premises, remain untraceable despite the lapse of days since the filing of the first information report (FIR) According to FIR the incident unfolded when an employee of the Drug Court in Gujranwala arrived at the LHC early in the morning to deposit a substantial sum of money collected in the head of fine The employee made a shocking discovery upon returning from Fajr prayer at the court s mosque inside the LHC premises – the money, totaling Rs555,0000, had seemingly ‘vanished’ from his coat pocket Despite the FIR filed by the drug court employee Furqan allegedly nominated the employees of the contractor operating the canteen at the High Court Iqbal Lounge as accused But the nominated accused could not be investigated and neither the fine amount was recovered till now The complaint points out several differences and unanswered questions prompting demands for an unbiased probe to uncover the truth behind the alleged theft Here the question arises as to why the Drug Court employee came to the High Court while there is a facility to deposit money in Gujranwala itself The timing of the employee s coming to Lahore has also made the matter suspicious, because he came to Lahore at a time when the office hours had not started The FIR mentions three Drug Court employees as eyewitnesses raising concerns about their credibility since they allegedly saw the theft but didn t act or report it promptly Furthermore, the involvement of the court staff in the direct handling of cash transactions which deviates from standard procedures adds complexity to the case Due to these apprehensions there should be a transparent investigation into whether the fine money is really stolen or the employees have embezzled it because the security of the High Court has been questioned due to this one case

BEIJING s ta f f R e p o R t

H I N A on Wednesday called for Palestine full membership in the United Nations and a more broadbased more authoritative and more effective international peace conference to work out a timetable and road map for the two-state solution Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict China has striven for a ceasefire effective protection of civilians and de-escalation of the humanitarian crisis Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said during his regular briefing He said, recently, Ambassador

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humanitarian

close communication and coordination with the Arab countries built broad-based consensus with relevant parties in the international community and promoted the comprehensive cease fire with

sense of urgency We have closely followed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and have already provided multiple batches of emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza through bilateral and multilateral channels, he added Lin Jian said China has actively encouraged all factions in Palestine to achieve internal reconciliation through dialogue and firmly supported the Palestinians governing Palestine The Chinese side has contributed to the UN Security Council adoption of the first resolution in this regard since the outbreak of the conflict released the Position Paper of the People Republic of China on Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict and fully promoted more responsible and meaningful actions by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) he added We call for Palestine full membership in the UN and a more broad-based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to work out a timetable and road map for the two-State solution he said The spokesperson said China will continue to work with the international community to restore peace, save lives, and uphold justice It may be mentioned here, since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, the Chinese side has actively mediated among different parties Ambassador Wang Kejian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited Egypt Palestine Israel and Qatar in the Middle East recently CHINA CALLS FOR PALESTINE FULL MEMBERSHIP IN UN, ROAD MAP FOR T WO-STATE SOLUTION Nowruz festival celebrated with simplicit y ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o R t The formal advent of the Spring season Persian new year known as Nowruz was celebrated on Wednesday to mark the beginning of Iranian calender in Pakistan like other parts of the globe Nowruz is a spring festival and new year celebration named for the Persian word meaning “new day ” It is celebrated all over Asia with a variety of local traditions Nowruz is a spring festival celebrated by Parsi community in Iran Afghanistan the Central Asian states and parts of Pakistan Students professionals and families from Gilgit-Baltistan, celebrated the Persian New Year Nowruz in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi with simplicity due to Holy Month of Ramazan People pray for a successful and prosperous year ahead Nowruz has been added to UNESCO s list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009 while the United Nations through its resolution number 64/253 officially recognized 21st March as International Nowruz Day

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder ATC Judge Arshad Javed conducted the proceedings on a post-arrest bail petition filed by the MPA During the proceedings the petitioner ’s counsel submitted that his client was in jail on judicial remand in the case and his custody was no longer required for investigations He further submitted that his client did not have any link with the case and requested the court to grant him bail The Race Course police had registered a case against PTI leaders and workers on charges of throwing a petrol bomb and torturing police officials at Zaman Park

NA-133:

won from NA-133 constituency with a lead of 10,757 votes He submitted that the returning officer and Election Commission not only issued a notification for the petitioner’s success but also rejected a request for recounting votes of the defeated candidate Rana Muhammad Ishaq UNITED NATIONS s ta f f R e p o R t Pakistan has underscored the critical importance of accelerating progress towards sustainable energy goals at a meeting of a UN-based panel on the subject In his closing remarks at the meeting of Group of Friends for Sustainable Energy Ambassador Munir Akram also said that concessional cli-

Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday suspended a notice issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to a successful candidate on a petition against vote recount in the NA-133 constituency Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza heard the petition, filed by Azimuddin Zahid of the Sunni Ittehad Council, challenging recounting of votes The court also issued notices to the ECP and other respondents regarding the petition During the proceedings the petitioner s counsel argued that his client

of renewable power annually was needed to meet the 1 5-degree Celsius temperature target He stressed the importance of promoting cleaner power generation solutions, enhancing energy efficiency, and transforming energy infrastructure across sectors With the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) falling short of necessary emissions reductions he said the transition to sustainable energy requires substantial financing, pointing to the staggering investment needs, including an estimated USD 150 trillion in transition technologies and infrastructure by 2050 He underscored the need to address barriers to accessing private finance particularly in developing countries where capacity regulatory frameworks and investment certainty remain challenges Proposing a comprehensive solution, Ambassador Akram outlined a public-private entity under the auspices of the United Nations to coordinate sustainable infrastructure investment This entity would convene stakeholders, formulate comprehensive plans, promote internationally accepted frameworks, and assist in project identification and preparation Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to advancing this proposal he called for support from the international community In this context he announced plans for further elaboration through a second meeting of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Infrastructure Investment, co-chaired by Pakistan and South Africa In conclusion Ambassador Akram called on collective action to scale up investment in sustainable infrastructure and drive the global energy transition forward

the greatest

CWang Ke-

CM Mar yam announces housing scheme for low-income earners

jian visited

and

The relevant parties widely appreciated China just position and active efforts to achieve a ceasefire ease the humanitarian situation and avoid the further spillover of the conflict They look to China playing a greater role in deescalating the conflict and cooling down the situation, he added

The spokesperson said, since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, the Chinese side has maintained close communication and coordination with the Arab countries built broad-based consensus with relevant parties in the international community and promoted the comprehensive cease fire with

At UN, Pakistan pushes for concessional financing for clean energy

Pakistan will not tolerate cross-border terror attacks: PM

mate financing was critical for developing countries’ transition away from fossil fuels

Myster y shrouds ‘thef t ’ of D rug Cour t Gujranwala fine money from LHC

Quetta jolted by third ear thquake in past 24 hours

12 coalminers die in Balochistan gas explosion

Zaman Park tor ture case: ATC issues notice on MPA’s bail plea

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

LHC suspends Election Commission’s notice amidst vote recount dispute

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday suspended a notice issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to a successful candidate on a petition against vote recount in the NA-133 constituency Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza heard the petition, filed by Azimuddin Zahid of the Sunni Ittehad Council, challenging recounting of votes The court also issued notices to the ECP and other respondents regarding the petition During the proceedings the petitioner s counsel argued that his client

IMF, Pakistan reach staﬀ-level agreement on final review of $3bn SBA

Thursday 21 March 2024 LAHORE NEWS 03 HARNAI s ta f f r e p o r t At least 12 miners were killed and eight rescued after an explosion in a coal mine in Zardalo area of Balochistan’s Harnai district officials said on Wednesday The rescue operation has been just completed said the provincial chief inspector of mines, Abdul Ghani Baloch He said 20 miners were inside the mine when a methane gas explosion took place overnight He added that rescue teams recovered 12 bodies while the survivors had been taken to hospital Coal deposits are found in the western areas of Pakistan that sit near the Afghan border and mine accidents are common, mainly due to gas build-ups Mine workers have complained that a lack of safety gear and poor working conditions are the key causes of frequent accidents labour union officials have said in the past In October 2023, three miners were killed in a coal mine accident in Darra Adam Khel area of Shangla district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) The incident occurred as a result of exposure to poisonous gases within a coal mine located in the Kale Khel area This marks the second such incident within a week in which a coal miner from Shangla lost their life Just days prior a miner manager from Shangla was fatally shot in Quetta Balochistan when unidentified assailants on motorcycles opened fire on him Another coal miner was killed while four others were injured in May, last year after a blast inside a coal mine in Balcohistan’s Dukki district Police said that the mine was filled with methane gas and there was a huge explosion in the mine One collier was killed and four others sustained serious burn wounds as a result of the explosion, said a police official, adding that the injured miners were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital Dukki for treatment An emergency was declared in the hospital to treat the injured Hazardous working conditions in coal mines of Balochistan have claimed dozens of precious human lives in the past few months

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t The Punjab government under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced a new housing scheme aimed at providing affordable housing for low-income residents The initiative targeting the construction of 100 000 houses across the province was a significant step towards addressing the housing needs of vulnerable communities A recent review meeting led by the Chief Minister discussed the project’s progress The Board of Revenue presented a list of 17 potential sites for development which will undergo further evaluation Recognizing the urgency of the project Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed officials to expedite site selection in five major cities: Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargodha, and Rawalpindi Emphasizing the importance of accessibility, she stressed the need to choose locations convenient for residents “The house is the basic need of every family stated Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz highlighting the government s commitment to fulfilling the dream of homeownership for low-income earners This project signifies a major investment in Punjab’s social infrastructure and is expected to benefit a significant portion of the population Further announcements regarding the final site selections and application process are anticipated in the coming weeks

CONTINUED

FROM

QUETTA s ta f f r e p o r t Quetta and adjoining areas were jolted by another earthquake in the wee hours of Wednesday the third in the past 24 hours The intensity of third earthquake was recorded 5 6 magnitude on the Richter scale in Quetta city and other areas of Balochistan province adjacent to Afghan border As per the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC), the depth of the earthquake was 30 km and the epicenter of it was Shorawak area of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province adjacent to Nushki district of Balochistan that is 166 km southwest of Quetta It should be remembered that the earthquake is the third shock in Quetta in 24 hours First earthquake tremors were felt in Pak-Afghan border areas including Chaman, Quetta and Nushki on Tuesday early morning According to the PMD Islamabad the tremors of the Quetta earthquake were felt at 5:37 am and the epicenter was 160 kilometers southwest of Quetta city CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 The IMF team has reached a staff-level agreement with the Pakistani authorities on the second and final review of Pakistan’s stabilisation program supported by the IMF’s $3 billion (SDR2 250 million) SBA approved in January 2024 Mr Porter said in a statement on Wednesday Porter said that Pakistan s economic and financial position has improved in the months since the first review, with growth and confidence continuing to recover on the back of prudent policy management and the resumption of inflows from multilateral and bilateral partners IMF mission chief, however, warned that growth is expected to be modest this year inflation remains above target and ongoing policy and reform efforts are required to address Pakistan s deep-seated economic vulnerabilities amidst the ongoing challenges posed by elevated external and domestic financing needs and an unsettled external environment The new government is committed to continuing the policy efforts that started under the current SBA to entrench economic and financial stability for the remainder of this year In particular, the authorities are determined to deliver the FY24 general government primary balance target of Rs 401 billion (0 4% of GDP) with further efforts towards broadening the tax base and continue with the timely implementation of power and gas tariff adjustments to keep average tariffs consistent with cost recovery while protecting the vulnerable through the existing progressive tariff structures, thus avoiding any net circular debt (CD) accumulation in FY24,” said the global lender Mr Porter noted that the State Bank of Pakistan remains committed to maintaining a prudent monetary policy to lower inflation and ensure exchange rate flexibility and transparency in the operations of the foreign exchange market Pakistani authorities also expressed interest in a successor medium-term Fund-supported program to permanently resolve Pakistan s fiscal and external sustainability weaknesses strengthening its economic recovery and laying the foundations for strong sustainable and inclusive growth the statement further added While these discussions are expected to start in the coming months, key objectives are expected to include: (i) strengthening public finances including through gradual fiscal consolidation and broadening the tax base (especially in undertaxed sectors) and improving tax administration to improve debt sustainability and create space for higher priority development and social assistance spending to protect the vulnerable; (ii) restoring the energy sector ’s viability by accelerating cost-reducing reforms including through improving electricity transmission and distribution moving captive power demand to the electricity grid strengthening distribution company governance and management, and undertaking effective anti-theft efforts; (iii) returning inflation to target, with a deeper and more transparent flexible FX market supporting external rebalancing and the rebuilding of foreign reserves; and (v) promoting private-led activity as well as the removal of distortionary protection, advancement of SOE reforms to improve the sector ’s performance, and the scaling-up of investment in human capital, to make growth more resilient and inclusive and enable Pakistan to reach its economic potential

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t The funds collected by Drug Court Gujranwala, reportedly stolen from the Lahore High Court (LHC) premises, remain untraceable despite the lapse of days since the filing of the first information report (FIR) According to FIR the incident unfolded when an employee of the Drug Court in Gujranwala arrived at the LHC early in the morning to deposit a substantial sum of money collected in the head of fine The employee made a shocking discovery upon returning from Fajr prayer at the court s mosque inside the LHC premises – the money, totaling Rs555,0000, had seemingly ‘vanished’ from his coat pocket Despite the FIR filed by the drug court employee Furqan allegedly nominated the employees of the contractor operating the canteen at the High Court Iqbal Lounge as accused But the nominated accused could not be investigated and neither the fine amount was recovered till now The complaint points out several differences and unanswered questions prompting demands for an unbiased probe to uncover the truth behind the alleged theft Here the question arises as to why the Drug Court employee came to the High Court while there is a facility to deposit money in Gujranwala itself The timing of the employee s coming to Lahore has also made the matter suspicious, because he came to Lahore at a time when the office hours had not started The FIR mentions three Drug Court employees as eyewitnesses raising concerns about their credibility since they allegedly saw the theft but didn t act or report it promptly Furthermore, the involvement of the court staff in the direct handling of cash transactions which deviates from standard procedures adds complexity to the case Due to these apprehensions there should be a transparent investigation into whether the fine money is really stolen or the employees have embezzled it because the security of the High Court has been questioned due to this one case

BEIJING s ta f f r e p o r t

said, recently, Ambassador

early de-escalation

the situation in Gaza

Egypt Palestine Israel

Qatar in the Middle East for the

sense of urgency We have closely followed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and have already provided multiple batches of emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza through bilateral and multilateral channels, he added Lin Jian said China has actively encouraged all factions in Palestine to achieve internal reconciliation through dialogue and firmly supported the Palestinians governing Palestine The Chinese side has contributed to the UN Security Council adoption of the first resolution in this regard since the outbreak of the conflict released the Position Paper of the People Republic of China on Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict and fully promoted more responsible and meaningful actions by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) he added We call for Palestine full membership in the UN and a more broad-based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to work out a timetable and road map for the two-State solution he said The spokesperson said China will continue to work with the international community to restore peace, save lives, and uphold justice It may be mentioned here, since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, the Chinese side has actively mediated among different parties Ambassador Wang Kejian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited Egypt Palestine Israel and Qatar in the Middle East recently CHINA CALLS FOR PALESTINE FULL MEMBERSHIP IN UN, ROADMAP FOR T WO-STATE SOLUTION Nowruz festival celebrated with simplicit y ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t The formal advent of the Spring season Persian new year known as Nowruz was celebrated on Wednesday to mark the beginning of Iranian calender in Pakistan like other parts of the globe Nowruz is a spring festival and new year celebration named for the Persian word meaning “new day ” It is celebrated all over Asia with a variety of local traditions Nowruz is a spring festival celebrated by Parsi community in Iran Afghanistan the Central Asian states and parts of Pakistan Students professionals and families from Gilgit-Baltistan, celebrated the Persian New Year Nowruz in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi with simplicity due to Holy Month of Ramazan People pray for a successful and prosperous year ahead Nowruz has been added to UNESCO s list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009 while the United Nations through its resolution number 64/253 officially recognized 21st March as International Nowruz Day

NA-133:

won from NA-133 constituency with a lead of 10,757 votes He submitted that the returning officer and Election Commission not only issued a notification for the petitioner’s success but also rejected a request for recounting votes of the defeated candidate Rana Muhammad Ishaq UNITED NATIONS s ta f f r e p o r t Pakistan has underscored the critical importance of accelerating progress towards sustainable energy goals at a meeting of a UN-based panel on the subject In his closing remarks at the meeting of Group of Friends for Sustainable Energy Ambassador Munir Akram also said that concessional cli-

I n t e r n e t f r e e d o m

D o e s t h e I n t e r i o r M i n i s t e r ’s t a l k o f b e t t e r l a w s h i d e a n e w c r a c k d o w n ?

IN T E R I O R Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said that the Internet needs regulation Previous attempts were shot down or reversed because they violated the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution He made this anodyne statement while refusing to make any comment on the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s statement to the Islamabad High Court that the ban on X, the microblogging site previously named Twitter, had been imposed on the instructions of Interior Ministry, beyond saying that social media should not be misused Mr Naqvi himself has spent a lifetime in the electronic media, and he would know very well that full use of freedom of expression can prove embarrassing to certain individuals If these individuals are powerful enough, they will shoot the messenger, which is what banning a social media site amounts to It would perhaps not be right to single out the Pakistan government as being responsible as governments all over the world are finding the greater scrutiny of the social media a problem The essential aspect of social media is that it has broken the link between the medium and the message Even now in both electronic and print media, the message on the medium is determined by someone On social media,

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

MO S T everybody takes pride in thinking that he answers perfectly to the description of being ‘very logical’ The only exception is the group that likes to parrot the different varieties of the logic/analysis/thinking could lead you astray sentiment Such slogans sound mighty impressive but only so long as nobody thinks them through They are undone as soon as they are applied back to themselves In the practical domain too they cannot be lived up to because even their staunchest advocates must live however unconsciously according to some thought process or another however faulty or vague that may be This group clearly does not deserve any more of our time As for the rest of us, nobody likes to be considered illogical It is in this context that in debates between atheists and theists it is usually only a matter of time before the former accuse the latter of being illogical This makes the atheist feel good about himself in comparison as being a logical, superior specimen The theist, on the other hand, who is infinitely less pleased, finds himself obliged to forcefully repudiate the charge The original discussion thus gets permanently derailed To the casual bystander the theist appears to be defensive; while the theist who is on the offensive appears to him to be winning There is thus a common perception that atheists know their logic while theists are generally on shaky ground when it comes to logical thinking Now I do not for a moment deny that theists can be exceedingly illogical; many no doubt are But that is so because human beings can be extremely illogical That would include theists as well as atheists When the atheist accuses the theists in general of being illogical however, he usually does not have in mind any error in the latter s argument (which would make the theist illogical); his objection, instead, is on some premise of the theist’s argument But what he hides or honestly does not know is that the same objection can be raised against any of his positions too Which by the same token would make the atheist every bit as illogical He is usually way

P a k i s t a n D a y : A d a y o f r e c k o n i n g

M a r ki n g t h e d ay Pa ki s t a n wa s co n ce i ve d

been further frayed and interfaith tensions have increased due to the prevalence of hate speech and communal polarization fostered by extremist ideas The relevance of Pakistan’s existence as a safe haven for various religious communities is highlighted by the possibility that the situation of religious minorities in India would have been considerably worse in the absence of Pakistan as a distinct entity offering refuge for Muslims

The 23rd March parade holds profound significance for Pakistan serving as a poignant dis-

play of the nation’s military prowess and instilling a sense of pride and confidence among its citizens This annual event shows the

tic, never absolute If their source is revelation, then the soundness of the argument will be a function of how much confidence one places in the reliability of the source Whatever the case the task becomes trickier as one ascends up the chain of reasoning (as one must when it comes to fundamental issues) At that level of discourse, the truth of the axioms cannot be demonstrated

of music literature and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed A r e r e l i g i o u s f o l k s i l l o g i c a l ?

omayaimen333@gmail com

The 23rd March parade is not just ceremonial; it also serves as a reminder of the Pakistan ArmyÊs important role in preserving peace on the inside as well as the outside. Internally, the army is vital to upholding law and order, fighting terrorism, and guaranteeing the security of the populace. Through its involvement in UN-sponsored peacekeeping operations, it promotes regional stability on the outside.

Lack of integrit y

T H E official who had grabbed media hype about so-called ‘irregularities’ in elections and sudden awakening of his conscience subsequently backed out of his statements leaving one wondering if this is the stuff the officers are made of these days Bureaucrats, military officers and politicians are manifesting lack of integrity and ethical values As the social order is disintegrating, the selection process and training of officers, both civil and military, are degenerating The official concerned was neither a fool nor a patient of clinical depression Yet he chose to behave the way he did Why?

KHAYYAM DURRANI KARACHI

Gwadar in distress

H E AV Y rains have caused significant destruction across Gwadar, resulting in the loss of over a thousand homes and other structures The community is currently in need of food, clothing and medical assistance Social media posts suggest that the

have not received

Resilient route

04 Thursday 21 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

Meta or X do

message that does on their platforms It was enough to ban a paper or a channel to stop the message Unfortunately, social media has made consumers producers as well It is not just a matter of reading the content but of uploading content oneself Or if not of merely commenting or sharing Does the social media fulfil the primary function of media in a democracy, that of providing the citizen information so that he can make an informed choice? Perhaps not But then one can argue that traditional media don t It is unfortunate that whenever a government speaks of laws, it is out to hack away at freedom of expression There is a definite need for regulation but perhaps it is enough to improve the ordinary laws of the land Any libel or slander is already liable to punishment; but the justice system is so cumbersome that anyone libelled rarely sues An efficient justice system does not need new laws or special courts; it needs a government and a judiciary intent on improvement Without justice system reform, media laws will merely provide governments a tool for bending the media to it will Hopefully that is not what Mr Naqvi means

not determine the

any assistance from the government so far The federal and provincial authorities must extend all possible support to Gwadar during this critical time SIDDIQUE M B TURBAT

affectees

C L I N G I N G to overcrowded point buses, girls studying at the University of Karachi risk their lives every day The commute to and from the campus is perilous The university administration has failed to address the problems plaguing the transport department like lack of funds to have more buses to keep overcrowding at bay and to keep the currently available buses road-worthy in order to minimise the risk of accidents MOHSIN ABBAS KARACHI

I am concerned about the significant price hike in essential medicines Just a few days ago the Augmentin syrup was available for Rs220 but now it has skyrocketed to Rs344 This abrupt increase has put immense burden on the people Access to affordable healthcare is the fundamental right of the people, but exorbitant price hikes continue to violate this right on a regular basis Owing to the failure of the price-checking mechanism, it has become challenging for many to afford even essential medications The relevant authorities should ensure that essential medicines are accessible to one and all regardless of their financial situation KAMIL KHAN LANDI KOTAL Solar panel prices A M I D harsh temperature that goes up to 50 degrees celsius and long spells of loadshedding, solar panels provide relief and respite to the people in Sindh Solar energy, being an efficient source of green energy, has become a basic need of every household in the country However as the summer season is approaching the prices of solar panels tubular batteries and inverters have increased significantly especially in the interior of Sindh The government should bring down the prices to a reasonable level This will enable everyone everywhere to have due access to a source of energy that happens to be environment-friendly QAMER SOOMRO SHIKARPUR 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

S we celebrate Pakistan Day on March 23 we extend our sincere gratitude to the courageous officers and troops of our illustrious Armed Forces Also known as Pakistan Resolution Day it commemorates the momentous adoption of the Pakistan Resolution on 23 March 1940, at Minto Park, which is today known as Iqbal Park The day is celebrated nationwide throughout Pakistan Under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muslim leaders from all over India came together for the occasion As we consider this historic occasion we recognize that although Pakistan attained official independence on 14 August 1947, its conceptual foundations were laid on 23 March 1940 The quest for the establishment of Pakistan was sparked by this resolution which was conceived by the visionary leaders Quaid-iAzam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal Pakistan separated Muslimmajority areas from India and became an independent state within seven years of this resolution The Muslim awakening was started by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan Allama Iqbal provided the philosophical foundation and the Quaid-i-Azam turned it into political reality This is how Pakistan s ideological framework came to be throughout time Iqbal s understanding of Islam, which rejects the idea of a theocratic state and promotes democracy as the preferred political system is fundamental to his vision of a modern Islamic state He highlighted minorities equal rights and envisioned an Islamic spiritual democracy being established Two essential components of a modern Islamic state are the upholding of the law and the creation of an autonomous judiciary Islamic law pertaining to routine matters (Muamlaat) has to be updated to reflect the needs of the modern world The social structure of Islam is built on Ijtehad which mandates that choices about legislation be ratified by consensus ( Ijma ) using a majority vote As Iqbal goes deeper into the Qur ’an, he finds an underlying concept of “Social Democracy” within its verses one that economics may help develop into legislation Progressive legislation in these areas can help create a welfare state that is friendly to the middle class Indian Muslims demand for separate electorates resulted from their recognition of their unique identity from Hindus and their concerns about their safety in a democratic India where Hindus made up the majority To enable Muslims to live according to the precepts of the Holy Qur an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), they petitioned for a sovereign state in places where they were the majority They also wanted to create their own state in order to strengthen unity among Muslim countries If Pakistan had never come into being the treatment of Muslims Christians and Sikhs in India could have reflected the discrimination seen under the current administration led by Narendra Modi One dramatic example is the marginalization and persecution of Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs in Manipur Events like the 2019 passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which gives non-Muslim refugees from nearby nations a route to Indian citizenship have prompted largescale demonstrations and accusations of discrimination based on religion In addition, tensions and worries about human rights have increased since Jammu and Kashmir ’s special status was taken away in 2019 when Article 370 was repealed The number of reports of mob violence against Muslims and other religious minorities has increased recently with many lynchings and attacks on mosques and churches The social fabric has

Expensive medicines

ability of the Pakistani military forces to protect the country s interests and maintain its sovereignty It is a monument to their might, discipline, and readiness The unveiling of homegrown military hardware by Pakistan’s state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila which include the Haider Main Battle Tank and the Multiple Barrel Rocket Launcher Fatah-II is one of the parade s highlights It demonstrates the nation s defense technological advancements and dedication he 23rd March parade is not just ceremonial; it also serves as a reminder of the Pakistan Army’s important role in preserving peace on the inside as well as the outside Internally the army is vital to upholding law and order fighting terrorism and guaranteeing the security of the populace Through its involvement in UNsponsored peacekeeping operations, it promotes regional stability on the outside Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar demonstrates Pakistan’s resolve to protect its interests and firmly counter any provocations or threats By conducting such operations the Pakistan Army ensures the safety and well-being of the Pakistani people by sending a clear message to any aggressor that any attempt to compromise the security of the country will be met with a strong and decisive response The author can be reached at

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The choice of axioms there is more a matter of personal temperament and individual judgement than anything else Beling logical or otherwise has nothing whatsoever to do with it Atheists and theists merely employ different axioms that is all But they do it in exactly the same way Which makes no side any more (or any less) illogical than the other Neither camp has any shortage of illogical folks in various grades As for which side is what-percent more illogical than the other that is a promising doctorate research topic for anybody who aspires to a career as Uber captain The author is a connoisseur

quence of its expression But if one expects it to give answers to fundamental questions of life (‘Does God exist?’ ‘Why is there something rather than nothing?’ What is the purpose of our life? Do other people exist to name some) one is due for disappointment in the extreme Logic is merely a tool for analysis, not a source of new knowledge Mathematics, a system based on logic, is one big collection of tautologies Bertrand Russell could not have been more spot on when he observed that mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about nor whether what we are saying is true For it is us humans who give meaning to logical systems by choosing premises Logic is a system that starts from axioms, postulates or premises, and proves theorems No logical system can prove its own axioms, which must be fed into it from the outside These axioms are either truisms conclusions of higher logical systems (dependent in turn on other axioms) oral or documentary evidence generalizations of empirical data or information derived from revelation– scriptural as well as the innate ideas human minds come pre-fitted with Being deductive in nature logic yields certain conclusions But this does not mean that the conclusions are necessarily true as well If there is no error in reasoning from the premises to the conclusion it is a valid argument If the premise also happens to be true, the argument is sound as well An invalid argument can always be identified when there is a contradiction somewhere, but the difference between a sound argument and a valid one is the truth of the premises which by definition are outside the system Logic can therefore be used to prove that something is impossible or does not make any sense but logic alone will never prove something to be true There are many cases where the truth or falsehood of axioms can be established and demonstrated If it is a fact it is merely a matter of looking it up (words of a legal act for example) If they are based on empirical data then their truth will be probabilisA n d h o w a t h e i s t s m e a s u re u p o n t h e l o g i c s c a l e

Atheists and theists merely employ different axioms, that is all. But they do it in exactly the same way. Which makes no side any more (or any less) illogical than the other. Neither camp has any shor tag e of illogical folks in various grades. As for which side is what-percent more illogical than the other, that is a promising doctorate research topic for anybody who aspires to a career as Uber captain.

RThe system obliges corruption

laws in the name of the people, use their position to sustain their power, status and wealth leading to misallocation of resources and perversion of the process of decision making Systemic or endemic corruption is an integrated and essential aspect of the economic social and political system prevalent in a country, embedded in a wider situation that helps to sustain it It is universally recognized that corruption invariably is related to lack of good governance There are no two opinions about the fact that we are a society completely immersed in corruption which decidedly is the bane of our socio-economic development and national integration Our rulers, both military dictators and politicians, are equally responsible for this detestable phenomenon, which due to its trickle-down effect has penetrated into the entire fabric of our society Law enforcing agencies judiciary and government departments which are supposed to ensure rule of law, justice, checking corruption and promoting well being of the masses, are themselves afflicted with corruption to the core And regrettably there seems no end in sight to this process of self-destruction We have often been hearing from the rulers their resolve to eliminate corruption from the echelons of the government and the society as and when it suited their political interests But the fact is that whatever accountability mechanisms they put in place were meant to target their political oppo-

nents rather than an arrangement for acrossthe-board accountability Bringing systemic reforms to curb the culture of graft and entitlement has never been their priority

The military dictators who staged military coups citing corruption as the overriding consideration with the promises to put the genie in the bottle themselves ind u l g e d i n r e c k l e s s m i s u s e o f p o w e r a n d corruption to prolong their rules pushing the country further into the crucible of a precipice No wonder Transparency International declared the Musharraf regime as the most corrupt government in the history of Pakistan

The inference which can be safely drawn from the foregoing realities is that they all are chips off the same block The irony is that they relish dubbing the opponents as

corrupt Imran Khan was probably the most vociferous in hurling allegations of corruption on his political opponents His conviction in a corruption case and the revelations about corruption in Punjab and now in KPK constitute a severe slap on the face of that biggest ever demagogue My considered view is that it is impossible to eliminate corruption under the prevalent system of governance particularly until we change the way we elect our representatives Political corruption stems from the single constituency system in vogue to elect public representatives To begin with the system eliminates the chances of anybody belonging to the middle class or lower strata of the society to contest election because it involves astronomical expenditure which currently is estimated in the vicinity of Rs

Once the avenues of political corruption are plugg ed it will surely have a trickle-down effect and also help in eliminating the scourg e down the ladder People have had enough of the corruption by the ruling elite as the countr y has almost reached a tipping point The prevalent system has only produced islands of affluence in the oceans of pover ty and cannot sustain itself for long The political par ties are better advised to end the culture of confrontation and use their collective wisdom to pull the countr y out of the economic mess and to introduce the much needed chang es in the system if they want to remain relevant to the future political landscape of the countr y.

F i r s t i t w a s F a c e b o o k , t h e n

T w i t t e r. I s R e d d i t a b o u t t o

b e c o m e r u b b i s h t o o ?

100 million Then these candidates have also to pay the parties for getting the ticket to contest the election So on the average a candidate has to spend at least Rs 150 million to get through the process That makes it only possible for landed aristocracy and the elite to contest elections and maintain their grip on the political power For them politics is an industry where they invest to multiply their fortunes

Once elected, they blackmail the party leaders in the numbers game to protect their vested interests and oppose any reform agenda that threatens their privileges

The system also encourages horse-trading It also allows the non-democratic forces to play their role in the making and breaking of regimes

The country needs to switch over to a system of proportional representation to break the hold of the corrupt elitist classes and the landed aristocracy on political power to minimize the avenues of political corruption In the proportional representation system people vote for the parties and not the individual candidates thus scuttling the prospects of any rigging The parties get representation in the assemblies according to the percentage of votes cast in their favour They then submit their lists of preferences for the potential candidates to represent them They can withdraw any member because of his errant behaviour This way the most competent people having expertise in different fields get the chance to enter the assemblies and play their role in the development of the country

Once the avenues of political corruption are plugged it will surely have a trickledown effect and also help in eliminating the scourge down the ladder People have had enough of the corruption by the ruling elite as the country has almost reached a tipping point The prevalent system has only produced islands of affluence in the oceans of poverty and cannot sustain itself for long

The political parties are better advised to end the culture of confrontation and use their collective wisdom to pull the country out of the economic mess and to introduce the much needed changes in the system if they want to remain relevant to the future political landscape of the country

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail com

Who is threatening world with defense budget nearing $900b?

Linterests and obsessions, such a strategy will be less straightforward Any move to commercialise the platform further will require having to decide which subreddits – essentially which communities –are profitable and which aren t As it courts investment Reddit will also have to confront users who decide that their work in maintaining subreddits requires financial compensation Meanwhile, investors in Reddit may feel that any injection of cash would require certain parts of the Reddit ecosystem – particularly those deemed NSFW (not safe for work) – to be shut down or heavily restricted likely punishing already heavily marginalised communities such as trans people or sex workers

Uand socalled “integrated deterrence” globally, research and development of new weapons and emerging military technologies upgrading and modernizing nuclear arsenals and enhancing military capabilities in strategic competition with other major powers Despite continuous rhetoric of the China threat from US politicians, the continuously rising defense budget fully illustrates that the US is the biggest destabilizing factor threatening global peace and stability

Combining recent speeches from US politicians, it is apparent that the US military will continue to conduct military in-

terventions and so-called “deterrence” actions in regions such as the Asia-Pacific Europe and the Middle East which will undoubtedly lead to a more tumultuous and unstable world in the future For example, Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee claimed “Our defense budget should be built with the goal of deterring the threats facing our nation In addition to the European Deterrence Initiative budget specifically prepared to strengthen military containment against Russia, the US 2025 fiscal year defense budget also allocates $9 9 billion for the “Pacific Deterrence Initiative targeting China to enhance the deployment and operations of the US military in the Asia-Pacific region and increase targeted joint military exercises and patrols with allies The US media outlets believe this is a not-so-subtle strategic message sent by the Biden administration to China US Army Budget Director Major General Mark S Bennett said the spending on military exercises in the Pacific by the US Army in the new fiscal year will be significantly higher than in the 2024 fiscal year In addition to continuing to fuel the conflicts in Russia and Ukraine and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict the US will also support and condone Taiwan independence activities Although the supplemental spending bill proposed by the Biden administration to provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan region has been stalled in the House of Representatives the defense budget document released by the Pentagon on Monday shows that the $500 million initial spending request in the budget will be used to replenish US weapon stockpiles after weapons are sent to Taiwan region In addition to the $500 million in aid to Taiwan region under the presidential au-

thority the Biden administration is also seeking $100 million in the 2025 fiscal budget for the US State Department which is referred to as a historic investment in Taiwan s security, with the aim of strengthening deterrence across the Taiwan Straits ” This is the first time the US has specifically listed Taiwan region in a budget revealing the side of the US supporting and tolerating Taiwan independence forces In order to obtain more military funding, the US military has recently been hyping up the “Chinese military threat theory ” Pentagon analysts have also exaggerated China’s lead in the field of hypersonic weapons As a result the new US defense budget for the coming year has increased investment in missile defense systems and strengthened research and development efforts for hypersonic weapons In fact, since 2018, the Pentagon has invested over $12 billion in developing a variety of land sea and air-based hypersonic strike weapon systems

The new US defense budget also allocates huge funds to continue developing emerging technologies, upgrading and modernizing the nuclear arsenal, and enhancing the “nuclear triad” strike capability including the development and construction of the next-generation

Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine the B-21 Raider strategic bomber and the new generation of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles The world can see clearly that the US’ nearly $900 billion defense budget has a major goal of taking various measures to enhance the military capabilities of the US in strategic competition with other major powers seeking to achieve absolute security for the US by undermining the security of other countries, thereby allowing the US to dictate terms and maintain its global hegemonic status

Thursday 21 March 2024 COMMENT 05

I K E many people who were laid off and house-bound during the Covid lockdowns I spent an unfathomable amount of time learning an arcane skill that in no way would bolster my CV Bookbinding was a hobby many of my friends and family were surprised I d taken up – I wasn’t particularly skilled with my hands, and until then my life had largely revolved around technology and the internet I spent hours learning complicated stitching techniques the chemical composition of adhesives and how to determine by touch where paper was made All of my learning took place on a subreddit – a kind of bulletin board or forum on the website Reddit – called r/bookbinding, where a small online community of bookbinders would offer tips and advice on projects I was working on completely free of charge In my mind it was as good as a pricey art school providing a supportive, enthusiastic community that allowed me to learn the skill at my own pace –and without going bankrupt in the process Places like r/bookbinding are increasingly rare in the age of platform-based social media driven by clickbait algorithmic recommendations and invasive advertising designed to keep us scrolling for ever The internet used to be full of special-interest forums populated by anonymous users sustaining a niche community, but most have either shut down or are rarely used It is on Reddit which started life in 2005 as a link-sharing messaging board where the last remnants of the forum culture of the old internet remain But as it prepares to make its stock market debut this week, opening itself up to corporate investment and further venture capital, such communities are at risk of going extinct entirely Reddit currently has more than 70 million daily users who post across tens of thousands of subreddits organised by subjects of interest While some of these boards are fairly common and generic – r/politics to discuss current affairs, for example – what most users appreciate is the site’s appeal to niche and irreverent, if not bizarre interests Communities such as r/muglife where members post their favourite cups r/RateThisMeadow an ensemble of countryside settings from around the world or r/Sweetjeans, containing absurd, unsettling images of denim, are only some examples of what makes the site unique It’s not to say that Reddit was ever an idyllic place of course The platform has hosted subreddits containing racism misogyny and other forms of hate speech It also utilises the efforts of uncompensated volunteers who have contributed to building up its culture and keeping the site functional – a friction exposed last year when hundreds of moderators shut down their subreddits to protest Reddit s decision to charge for access to its back-end code The relationship between Reddit as a company, and the users and moderators who allow the platform to function, is the source of tension at the heart of the impending initial public offering (IPO) The company will be under far more pressure to prove its commercial value particularly at a time when interest rates are high and with a global recession looming faith in the tech industry is waning This means that Reddit will probably come up with a strategy to monetise its members For social media platforms such as Meta and X this meant flooding their platforms with advertising often at the expense of user experience But for Reddit which is built on the goodwill of users and moderators deeply invested in their own

The impending IPO has much wider implications for the future of the internet itself As the internet becomes more compartmentalised directed by large tech companies continuously chasing scale it has also become more difficult to use The dominance of advertiser-focused algorithmic feeds mean that even trying to find old friends on Facebook is a near-impossible task, while it is increasingly tricky to avoid the torrents of hate speech from users amplified by paid-for blue ticks on Elon Musk s X Even searching for basic information from recipes for weekday dinners to local traffic reports on platforms such as Google, is akin to a sisyphean task, where users are expected to dig through mounds of paid-for advertising to find the answer Of course all these problems will compound as tech companies including Reddit adopt and promote AI tools in the coming years – filling platforms with useless non-humangenerated content with no clear audience or objective, other than to chase clicks and views Little wonder that so many analysts of online culture, such as the writer Kyle Chayka, have pointed out that as big money has increasingly encroached into consumer technology the internet has become less useful to the people who use it – and more importantly nobody is having fun on it any more While Reddit s IPO may make commercial sense, it probably spells the final moments of an internet created by humans with strange and endearing interests seeking connections and community; one in which people would be willing to teach a stranger a rare obscure skill entirely for free Hussein Kesvani is a journalist who writes on digital culture and politics

E P O RT E D LY PTI stalwart Sher Afzal Marwat during a live session on X Spaces admitted that corruption was rampant in the party’s previous government in KPK and people had made not billions but trillions through it According to him former Chief Minister Mahmood Khan earns Rs 2 5 million daily from one of his mines now W h a t M a r w a t s a i d h a s n o t s u r p r i s e d the people who are knowledgeable about t h e i n - b u i l t a v e n u e s o f c o r r u p t i o n i n t h e system of governance Whoever ruled Pakistan has not only indulged in corruption himself but has also rewarded his cronies and supporters in perpetuating the culture of graft and entitlement Marwat s Guru, who used to boast that he was a certified Sadiq and Ameen as per the verdict given by a former CJP, is already in jail for indulging in corruption The fact is that he came into power through a corrupt process which is now an open secret It is not only in KPK but also in Punjab where Waseem Akram-Plus allegedly made billions through corrupt practices and shared the booty with the higher echelons of the party Corruption is generally defined as misuse of entrusted power or authority by elected politicians or appointed civil servants for private gains It usually entails embezzlement of funds, nepotism, kickbacks, bribery as well as deliberate attempts to perpetuate a system with inbuilt avenues of corruption, graft and entitlement Corruption has many forms but the major cause of concern are the systemic corruption and political corruption which generate other forms of corruption that eat into the social and economic fibre of a country besides generating social tensions and hampering its economic progress Political corruption occurs at the highest level of the political system usually at the policy formulation level when politicians and state agents entitled to make and enforce

S President Joe Biden recently proposed a $7 3 trillion US government budget for the 2025 fiscal year Among this, the defense budget of the US has once again broken records, soaring to $895 2 billion an increase of over $9 billion compared to the 2024 fiscal year nearly reaching the $900 billion mark The US defense spending for the 2024 fiscal year has already exceeded the combined military expenditures of the following nine countries, including China and Russia, accounting for about 40 percent of the global military expenditure With the US national debt surpassing $34 trillion in early 2024 equivalent to $100 000 debt per capita the US still allocates 12 percent of its government spending to defense for the fiscal year 2025, a practice of “spending lavishly on the military” that has shocked the international community Looking at the expenditure items in the 2025 fiscal year US defense budget it is clear the majority will be used to support US military interventions

MaliK MuHaMMaD aSHraf C h i p s o

e s a m e b l o

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GUARDIAN H u S S E n K E S va n i GLOBAL TIMES E D i to r i a l B A N G L A D E S H Bank s newly unveiled measures to rein in wilful loan defaulters as part of a roadmap to bring down such loans to less than 8 percent by June 2026 may deliver results if properly enforced But that s a big if given the central bank s past performance in this regard On paper its plan appears robust as it outlines stringent measures aimed at both banks and borrowers Banks, as per the new guideline, will have to form a dedicated unit called “wilful defaulters identification unit” by April 9 and must carry out all related activities through it The guideline also details the criteria for identifying wilful defaulters as well as punitive measures for those found guilty These punishments include bans on foreign travel and restrictions on trade licences Wilful defaulters may also have trouble with the registration of moveable and immovable properties and cannot become bank directors for a certain period of time They will not be eligible for any national award or any interest waiver and loan rescheduling facilities either The problem with such measures, however, is that they are seldom, if ever, enforced After all, what enables these politically connected businessmen to get their hands on loans in the first place also enables them to get out of any complication thereof If it didn t we d have seen more action on the relevant clauses of the Finance Companies Act, 2023 that also provide travel bans and trade licence restrictions as well as criminal prosecutions As things stand, the banking sector stands at a critical junction Defaulted loans soared to Tk 145,633 crore by the end of 2023 accounting for nine percent of all outstanding loans The health of 38 banks also deteriorated between December 2020 and June 2023 according to a recent estimate, owing largely to mismanagement, loan irregularities and scams The situation has reached such a point that the central bank has threatened to force “mergers and acquisitions of weak banks” if the latter fail to do so voluntarily by December this year A lot of the problems facing our banks will disappear if we could just reduce the scope for habitual defaulters So, while we appreciate Bangladesh Bank sending the message that reckless lending practices will not be tolerated we must recognise that the true challenge lies in ensuring consistent compliance with its guidelines across all banks There are also concerns about rescheduling or writing off bad loans to show improved performance, which must be addressed Regulators must go tough on wilful defaulters this time How tough can Bangladesh Bank be with wilful defaulters? EDITORIAL Da i ly S ta r

a j o r a s s a u l t o n A l S h i f a h o s p i t a l o v e r n i g h t O n c e t h e G a z a ’s b i g g e s t h o spital, it is now one of the only medical fac i l i t i e s s t i l l e v e n p a r t i a l l y f u n c t i o n i

CAIR O r e u t e r S

XTREME food shortages in parts of the besieged Gaza have already exceeded famine levels and mass death is now imminent without an immediate ceasefire and surge of food to areas cut off by fighting, the global hunger monitor said on Monday The Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC) whose assessments are relied on by UN agencies said 70% of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the 20% threshold to be considered famine The IPC said it did not have enough data on death rates but estimated residents would be dying at famine scale imminently defined as two people out of every 10 000 dying daily from starvation or from malnutrition and disease Gaza’s health ministry has said 27 children and three adults have died so far from malnutrition The actions needed to prevent famine require an immediate political decision for a ceasefire together with a significant and immediate increase in humanitarian and commercial access to the entire population of Gaza,” it said In all 1 1 million Gazans around half the population were experiencing catastrophic shortages of food with around 300 000 in the areas now facing the prospect of famine-scale death rates The prospect of a manmade famine in Gaza has brought

its war against Hamas fighters following their deadly attack on Israeli territory on Oct 7

In Gaza we are no longer on the brink of famine We are in a state of famine Starvation is used as a weapon of war Israel is provoking famine ” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a Brussels conference on aid for Gaza Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded that Borrell should stop attacking Israel and recognise our right to self-defence against Hamas’ fighters” Israel allowed “extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza by land air and sea for anyone willing to help Katz said on X and aid was violently disturbed by Hamas fighters with collaboration by the UN s aid agency

the strongest criticism of Israel from Western allies since it launchedUNRWA UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the IPC report an “appalling indict-

I n t h e r u i n s o f G a z a C i t y, t h e m a i n s e t t l e m e n t i n t h e n o r t h o f t h e b e s i e g e d G a z a s t r i p I s r a e l i

f o r c e s l a u n c h e d a

CHANGSHA S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for solid efforts to further ene rg i z e t h e c e n t r a l r e g i o n a t a h i g h e r starting point Xi also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

the process of advancing Chinese modernization Li Qiang, a

member of the Standing

previous symposium

central

ergizing

central

More efforts should be made to push forward industrial innovation led by scien-

tific and technological innovation and actively cultivate new quality productive forces, he said Xi called for forward-looking plans for future industries and a faster pace in modernizing the industrial system underpinned by advanced manufacturing

The campaign to energize the central region should be better linked with the nation s other major development strategies to help the region better integrate into and support the country’s new development pattern he said Xi urged the region to promote deep reforms and high-level opening up in a coordinated manner in its efforts to grow into a more competitive inland pacesetter for opening up He also called for efforts to coordinate ecological environment protection and green and low-carbon development and accelerate the building of a beautiful central region

Xi highlighted the need to pursue integrated development of urban and rural areas and take solid steps to advance rural revitalization across the board Efforts should be made to make highquality development and high-level security reinforce each other and enhance the capabilities of ensuring food and energy security Xi said Xi urged the related central authorities to conduct research and propose policies to further energize the central region in the new era

At the symposium Li Qiang called for efforts to faithfully study and implement the guiding principles of Xi s important speech and turn the region s geographical and resource advantages into development advantages Ding Xuexiang stressed sticking to the requirements of high-quality development to secure new achievements in further energizing the central region

President

Zelensky appealed to

s allies on Tuesday to sup-

more air defences saying

had launched 130 mis-

more than 320 attack drones and almost

guided bombs in

this month alone

week the Biden admini s t r a t i o n s a i d i t w o u l d s e n d

3 0 0 m i l l i o n i n m i l i t a r y a s s i stance to Ukraine, but added that

t w a s a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y m o v e a f t e r u n e x p e c t e d s a v i n g s f r o m military contracts the Pentagon had made Officials have not ruled out that they could find additional

savings, but they say that amount would not be enough to make up for the lack of Congressional action Experts say that Austin will face a sceptical audience in Europe It s becoming harder and harder for US leaders to travel to Europe, with the message that the United States is committed to Ukraine in the long-term ” Rachel Rizzo a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council s Europe Centre in Washington said The message of this longterm financial, military, economic commitment flies in the face of the reality of what’s happening on Capitol Hill Rizzo added At a joint press conference i n B e r l i n o n F r i d a y G e r m a n Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French P r e s i d e n t E m m a n u e l M a c r o n and Polish Prime Minister Dona l d Tu s k r e a ff i r m e d t h e i r s u pp o r t f o r U k r a i n e w h o s e ammunition-starved troops face their toughest battles since the

early days of Russia’s invasion two years ago German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Tuesday a 500 million euro ($542 55 million) aid package for Ukraine which includes 10,000 rounds of ammunition and said the United States was still a reliable partner I h a v e n o d o u b t a b o u t t h e r e l i a b i l i t y o f t h e A m e r i c a n s Pistorius said There are particularities in the political systems, and we have to deal with that,” Pistorius added European support has become increasingly key with Biden unable to get a big Ukraine aid package through Congress and much of his foreign policy energy is focused on the war in Gaza But US officials say that the reality is that without the United States European support for Ukraine will not be enough to fend of Russian forces

Exper ts laud eﬀec tiveness of Chinese democrac y, governance

RAMSTEIN BASE r e u t e r S US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday warned that Ukraine’s survival was in danger and sought to convince allies that the United States was committed to Kyiv even as Washington has essentially run out of money to continue arming Ukrainian forces Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to call a vote on a bill that would provide $60 billion more for Ukraine and the White House has been scrambling to find ways to send assistance to Kyiv, which has been battling Russian forces for more than two years Austin is leading the monthly meeting known as the Ukraine defence contact group (UDCG), held at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, of about 50 allies that have been militarily supporting Ukraine Ukraine s survival is in danger Austin said in a press conference after the meeting Zelensky appeals to Kyiv s allies to supply more air defences “Our allies and partners continue to step up the United States must also he added Austin who is traveling for the first time this year since prostate cancer treatment, did not say how Washington would support Ukraine without additional funding Officials say the lack of funding available is already having an impact on the ground in Ukraine and Ukrainian forces are having to manage scarce resources I think our allies are acutely aware of our funding situation and the Ukrainians more so than anyone because of the shortages that are resulting from us not being able to supply them,” a senior US defence official said Ukraine’s

Volodymyr

Kyiv

ply

Russia

siles,

900

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Thursday 21 March 2024 lahore 06 news

Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese premier

Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while chairing a symposium on f u r t h e r e n e rg i z i n g t h e c e n t r a l r e g i o n i n the new era In his speech Xi highlighted the central region s pivotal role as the country s important grain production base, energy a n d r a w m a t e r i a l b a s e , m o d e r n e q u i pment manufacturing and high-tech indust r y b a s e a n d c o m p r e h e n s i v e transportation hub Xi called for synergy in promoting high-quality development and writing new chapters of energizing the central region in of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese vice premier attended the symposium

Cai Qi a member

Since the

on en-

the

region was held five years ago the region s development has reached a higher level Xi said Xi also noted that further energizing the

region still faces many difficulties and challenges that require practical research to solve them

Xi calls for solid eﬀor ts to fur ther energize China’s central region

n g i n t h e n o r t h o f t h e t e r r i t o r y Israel said it had killed more than 20 Hamas fighters including a senior Hamas commander, Fayeq al-Mabhouh, in the hospital Hamas said he was a Palestinian police official tasked with overseeing the protection of aid deliveries in Gaza Negotiations for a ceasefire in the war n o w i n i t s s i x t h m o n t h w e r e d u e t o r es u m e o n M o n d a y w i t h a n I s r a e l i d e l e g ation led by the country s spy chief heading to Qatar But an Israeli official said nailing down any deal would probably take at least two more weeks, a clear disappointment for Washington which had sought a d e a l b y t h e s t a r t o f t h e R a m a d a n h o l y month last week President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call on Monday that a military operation in Rafah would deepen anarchy in Gaza and they agreed that teams from each side would meet in Washington to discuss it the White House said G A Z A ’ S C ATA S T R O P H I C F O O D S H O R TA G E M E A N S M A S S D E AT H I S I M M I N E N T, M O N I T O R S AY S UN warns 2024 to be hottest year on record, climate change accelerates GENEVA ag e n C i e S The United Nations has issued a stark warning, stating that 2024 was likely to be even hotter than 2023 which was the warmest year ever recorded according to preliminary data from the World Meteorological Organization s (WMO) annual State of the Climate report This alarming trend signifies a rapid acceleration of climate change The report highlights a series of concerning data points 2023 witnessed recordbreaking temperatures alongside an alarming increase in glacier melt rates UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern emphasizing that Earth is facing severe environmental challenges He pointed toward fossil fuel pollution as a key factor contributing to this crisis and warned of rapidly escalating climate disruptions The WMO’s data reveals a disturbing pattern In 2023 all records for warm weather were shattered By year s end over 90% of the world s oceans had warmed compared to the previous year, raising serious concerns about the impact on marine ecosystems China ramps up effor ts to attract foreign investment across diverse industries BEIJING S ta f f r e p o r t China has started revising the industry catalog of sectors encouraging foreign investment the country’s top economic planner said on Wednesday During the revision process the National Development and Reform Commission will engage in extensive communication with foreign chambers of commerce and enterprises through field investigations and seminars, said Hua Zhong, an official of the commission The revision will maintain a focus on the manufacturing sector as one of the priorities for attracting foreign investment Hua said adding that China will step up support to advanced manufacturing, modern services, advanced technology

ment and said Israel must allow complete and unfettered access to all parts of Gaza Britain s foreign minister David Cameron said he would carefully review the report: “It’s clear the status quo is unsustainable We need urgent action now to avoid a famine Israel which initially allowed aid into Gaza through only two checkpoints on the enclave s southern edge, says it is opening more routes by land, as well as allowing sea shipments and air drops The first boat carrying aid arrived last week Aid agencies say they still cannot get enough supplies through or distribute them safely especially in the north HOSPITAL ASSAULT

BEIJING S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t Experts at an international forum on democracy have said that Chinese democracy and governance, characterized by being responsive to people’s voices, have proved effective On Wednesday more than 200 guests from home and abroad including representatives of government departments and international organizations, experts and scholars, discussed topics related to democracy and global governance both in person or virtually during the third International Forum on Democracy: The Shared Human Values in Beijing Stephen Perry, president emeritus of Britain’s 48 Group Club said he believed that China is on its way to a good form of democracy saying China has a sound system of hearing the people and responding to them Chinese leaders do an enormous amount of research into what the people think, feel, experience and want ” he said The democracy of hearing the people is probably simpler in China than it is in the West he added Wang Shaoguang, professor emeritus with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, pointed out how Chinese officials go into the masses to learn about their requests In China officials are required to go to the frontlines, visit the villages and local communities They share their tables and work, and even live with the people ” he said Wang summarized this method as sticking to the line of the masses, describing it as a huge advantage of Chinese democracy The attendees agreed that in China the people’s expectations are heard by the authorities but more importantly they can be realized The greatest advantage of Chinese democracy and gove r n a n c e i s t h a t t h e r e a r e n o e m p t y p r o m i s e s , ” s a i d A l e x a nder Lomanov, head of the Center f o r A s i a - P a c i f i c S t u d i e s o f t h e Institute of World Economy and Int e r n a t i o n a l R e l at i o n s o f t h e Russian Academy of Sciences “What is written in government work plans will be implemented he said, adding that every work plan is adjusted to the needs of the Chinese people According to a report published during the forum nearly 10,000 people surveyed in 2023 in 23 countries covering Asia Europe America Africa and Oceania agree strongly with the rich connotations of China’s wholeprocess people’s democracy and consider it a benchmark for human political systems Of those interviewed, 91 4 percent believe that whole-process people s democracy enables the people to voice their needs freely, and that democracy should focus on solving people’s practical problems Forum attendees also underlined the importance of respecting the diversity of democratic practice and advocated the spirit of mutual learning “Chinese democracy and governance do work and there’s a lot about it we can learn from We should be studying China, not trying to lecture China,” Perry said The event was hosted by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council Information Office and co-organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Media Group and China International Communications Group

Ukraine’s sur vival in danger, warns Pentagon chief

Pakistan Shines at Minsk International Book Fair with Exclusive Book Launching Ceremony

o n a l B o o k F a i r t h e E m b a s s y o f P a k i s t a n c a pt i v a t e d l i t e r a r y e n t h u s i a s t s w i t h a s p e c i a l b o o k l a u n c h i n g c e r e m o n y d r a w i n g a n e s t e e m e d g a t h e r i n g o f o v e r 5 0 g u e s t s H i g h l i g h t i n g t h e e v e n t w a s t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t w o s i g n i f i c a n t p u b l i c a t i o n s : " C o l o u r s o f P a k i s t a n , " a b i l i n g u a l c o ff e e t a b l e b o o k i n E n g l i s h a n d R u s s i a n , a n d " F a i z ' s F l a m e " b y t h e a c c l a i m e d R u s s i a n w r i t e r V l a d i m i r L e s o v o y T h e A m b a s s a d o r a l s o d i st r i b u t e d c e r t i f i c a t e s o f a p p r e c i a t i o n t o s e v e r a l m e m b e r s o f B e l a r u s i a n U n i o n o f Wr i t e r s f o r t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n s i n s t r e n g t h e n i n g P a k i s t a n B el a r u s l i t e r a r y c o o p e r a t i o n T h e A m b a s s a d o r o f P a k i s t a n t o B e l a r u s S a j j a d H a i d e r K h a n l e d t h e c e r e m o n y p r e s e n t i n g " C o l o u r s o f P a k i s t a n " t o a t t e n d e e s a b o o k t h a t w e a v e s t h e r i c h t a p e s t r y o f P a k i s t a n s h e r i t a g e c u l t u r e a n d n a t u r a l b e a u t y L i k e w i s e V l a d i m i r L e s o v o y o ff e r e d a d e e p d i v e i n t o F a i z s F l a m e , s h e d d i n g l i g h t o n t h e l i f e a n d p o e t r y o f F a i z A h m e d F a i z , a l um i n a r y i n U r d u l i t e r a r y c i r c l e s E a r l i e r o n , t h e B e l a r u s i a n M i n i s t e r o f I n f o r m a t i o n a n d t h e A c t i n g F o r e i g n M i n i s t e r v i s i t e d t h e P a k i s t a n P a v i l i o n I n a g e s t u r e o f g o o d w i l l a n d c u l t u r a l e x c h a n g e t h e A m b a s s a d o r p r e s e n t e d t h e m w i t h c o p i e s o f t h e l a u n c h e d b o o k s s y m b o l i z i n g t h e d e e p - r o o t e d c o n n e c t i o n s a n d m u t u a l r e s p e c t b et w e e n t h e n a t i o n s T h i s b o o k l a u n c h i n g c e r em o n y n o t o n l y h i g h l i g h t e d t h e l i t e r a r y c o n t r i b u t i o n s o f P a k i s t a n a n d i t s c u l t u r a l r i c hn e s s b u t a l s o f o s t e r e d a s p i r i t o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l f r i e n d s h i p a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g Tw e n t y c o u n t r i e s i n c l u d i n g P a k i s t a n p a r t i c i p a t e

12-year-old girl ‘raped’ in Islamabad’s F-9 park

TFormite, The Hunar Foundation unite to empower youth and enhance educ ational oppor tunities

CDA clean-up drive goes on to free Islamabad from illegal constructions, encroachments

Karandaaz unveils GreenFin Innovations, oﬀering concessional finance for enabling green economy & combatting climate change

Careem introduces in-app donations for c ustomers in spirit of Rama zan

Chairman PTA meets State Minister

MQM-P MPA, leaders attend If tar hosted by R iz wan Housing S ociety 07 NEWS Thursday 21 March 2024 | LAHORE CORPORATE CORNER KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Formite and The Hunar Foundation have joined forces in a collaborative effort to empower aspiring youth by enriching educational resources and providing valuable industry experiences This partnership exemplifies Formite s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its mission to elevate living standards The recent signing ceremony solidified their dedication to improving living standards through Formite's exceptional range of designs and durability The joint initiative aims to broaden educational horizons and enhance the learning experience for Pakistani youth Formite will play a pivotal role in enhancing learning facilities, offering industry exposure, and providing other valuable resources to equip young individuals with the necessary tools for success in today's competitive world Farrukh Zameer Chief Executive Officer at Formite expressed enthusiasm about the partnership stating, We are thrilled to partner with The Hunar Foundation to expand educational opportunities for youth Our alliance reflects our commitment to enhancing both living and learning environments, empowering individuals for positive societal change " Tahir Jawaid Chief Executive Officer at The Hunar Foundation shares Zameer s enthusiasm and looks forward to collaborating closely with Formite to provide students with essential skills and opportunities He said, "Together, we are committed to equipping young individuals with the tools they need to thrive in today's dynamic market " Both Formite and The Hunar Foundation share a vision of championing inclusive and equitable education driving innovation and building a sustainable future for Pakistan s youth Formite, a group company of House of Habib, is Pakistan s pioneering and leading high-pressure laminates brand, renowned for its exquisite designs and durability The Hunar Foundation is a prominent educational institution in Pakistan dedicated to empowering youth through skills development and vocational training programs

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

HE newly elected President of Lahore Tax Bar Association (LTBA), Shahbaz Siddique pledged to implement a series of initiatives aimed at promoting strong and mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and China in the taxation field Recognizing the importance of collaboration between the two countries, he aims to leverage this partnership to drive economic growth and development With the acceleration of the second phase of the construction of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) there is a growing need for effective tax policies and regulations that support these investments In an exclusive interview with China Economic Net Shahbaz highlighted the significance of a robust tax framework to ensure transparency, fairness and ease of doing business for both Pakistani and Chinese companies He noted that the collaboration between Pakistan and China in taxation holds great potential including exchange of expertise investment and trade double taxation avoidance and digital taxation The two countries regularly engage in bilateral discussions and agreements to enhance economic cooperation which may include tax matters He said that Pakistan can learn from China’s experiences in tax reform administration and dispute resolution LTBA plays a crucial role in promoting tax laws in Pakistan by facilitating communication among tax professionals, providing educational seminars and advocating for effective tax policies that benefit both taxpayers and the government The President is committed to addressing the current challenges faced by Pakistan in working with China in taxation such as different tax systems, language and cultural barriers, legal and regulatory harmonization One of the key initiatives that Mr Shahbaz plans to implement is establishing a dedicated online platform for knowledge sharing and exchange among tax professionals from both countries The platform will serve as a hub for sharing best practices discussing challenges and exploring opportunities for collaboration on tax matters Furthermore, the association intends to organize bilateral tax conferences, exchange programs joint research and publications training and capacity building policy advocacy etc These events will provide valuable o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r p a r t i c i p a n t s t o d e e p e n t h e i r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f e a c h o t h e r ’s t a x s y s t e m s a n d f o s t e r m e a ni n g f u l c o n n e c t i o n s L A H O R E TA X B A R A S S O C I AT I O N V O W S T O S T R E N G T H E N C O L L A B O R AT I O N W I T H C H I N A KARACHI: The Additional Chief Secretary (Home) appointed a prominent social figure Danish Aman, as a justice of peace in jurisdiction of district South for period of two years with immediate effect KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Member of Provincial Assembly elected from Arsalan Constituency 121 of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Ali Soharri, member of Provincial Assembly elected from Arsalan Constituency 121 of Muttahida Qaumi Movement introduced Rizwan to members of Operative Housing Society Secretary Abdul Rasheed Chairman Jameeluddin Memon, and Muhammad Shah Alam Managing Committee The members and residents of Rizwan Society enthusiastically welcomed the elected representatives During the meeting Ahlian Rizwan Society informed the elected representatives about their problems and the elected representative Arslan promised that he will try to solve the problems in his constituency as soon as possible and the society officials Assured to keep in touch Ali Soorshi also expressed his happiness by meeting the members of Rizwan Society and both the elected members expressed their sincere gratitude to the members of Rizwan Society for their warm welcome On this occasion, elected chairman of UC-5 Noman Ilyas Councilor Zeeshan Ilyas Officer of Cooperative Department Usman Khaskheli Sahib Sindh High Court Advocate Mujahid Altaf Bilgrami and Secretary of Andalib Society Younis Memon were also present ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Karandaaz Pakistan a development finance platform at the forefront of promoting financial inclusion and driving digital transformation across the country, announced the launch of GreenFin Innovations (GFI), a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to scaling innovative and sustainable solutions aimed at promoting a green economy and addressing the critical challenges of climate change in Pakistan GreenFin Innovations offers a unique blend of support including concessional financing of up to PKR 50 million and tailored business development support all while fostering connections within the climate change network The initiative is committed to driving transformative change and local capacity building to address urgent environmental and climate change challenges through innovative solutions Businesses registered and ope r a t i n g i n P a k i s t a n w i t h a v a l i d N a t i o n a l Ta x N u m b e r ( N T N ) a r e e l i g i b l e f o r G r e e n F i n I n n o v at i o n s s u p p o r t T h e p r o p o s e d s ol u t i o n s m u s t a c t i v e l y a d d r e s s t h e c l i m a t e c h a n g e i s s u e s i n a d a p t at i o n , m i t i g a t i o n , o r c r o s s - c u t t i n g t h e m a t i c a r e a s Karandaaz Chairperson Salim Raza while elaborating on the initiative said GreenFin Innovations is aimed at catalysing sustainable solutions to combat climate change in Pakistan It provides blended finance in the form of concessional loans, with funding sizes varying based on the nature and scale of each project GFI will empower businesses to play a pivotal role in promoting a green economy and mitigating the impacts of climate change In the past Karandaaz has successfully provided growth capital to innovative solutions on plastic waste management, efficient water management, and air quality under their Green Challenge Fund (GCF) With the launch of GreenFin Innovations Karandaaz aims to amplify the impact recognising the urgency of building local capacity for innovation and scaling existing technologies to effectively tackle climate change challenges Shumaila Rifaqat Head of Innovation and MEL at Karandaaz said Pakistan is facing the dire effects of climate change It is imperative that local capacity to address environmental and climate change challenges is developed and in that endeavour private sector has a huge role to play To this end GFI will provide the essential support and risk capital to catalyse innovation in addressing the climate challenge

BELARUS s ta f f r e p o r t O n t h e s e c o F C n d d a y o f t h e M i n s k I n t e r n at i

d i n t h i s y e a r s b o o k f a i r

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t A 1 2 - y e a r- o l d g i r l w a s ‘ r a p e d ’ i n I s l a m a b a d ’s F - 9 p a r k o n We d n e s d a y T h e c h i l d ’s m o t h e r w h o i s a w i d o w a n d a h o u s e m a i d h a s f i l e d a c o m p l a i n t a t M a rg a l l a P o l i c e S t a t i o n a l l e g i n g t h a t t h e c h i l d w a s t a k e n o u t o f h e r h o u s e i n F11 / 1 b y a w o m a n n a m e d M e h r e e n a n d l a t e r t o F - 9 P a r k H o w e v e r, t h e c h i l d r e t u r n e d h o m e c r y i n g a t 11 p m a n d t o l d t h e m o t h e r s h e w a s ‘ s e x u a l l y a s s a u l t e d ’ T h e m o t h e r t o l d p o l

s h e i s d i v o r c e d a n d l i v e s a l o n e w i t h h e r d a u g h t e r a n d m a k e s e n d s m e e t b y w o r k i n g i n p e o p l e s h o u s e s a s a m a i d T h e F

t h e c h i l d h a d b e e n s e n t t o t h e P a k i s t a n I n s t i t u t e o f M e d i c a l S c i e n c e s f o r a c h e c k u p T h e i n c id e n t w a s n o t t h e f i r s t o f i t s k i n d i n t h e F - 9 P a r k A w o m a n h a d b e e n r a p e d a t t h e s a m e p l a c e i n F e b r u a r y l a s t y e a r a f t e r w h i c h t h e p ol i c e h a d s h o t t h e c r i m e s u s p e c t s i n a n e nc o u n t e r UW hosts 3rd Alumni Reunion to celebrate academic achievements LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t The University of Wah (UW) hosted 3rd Alumni Reunion and celebrated the academic achievements of the University and provided a platform to the alumni for networking camaraderie and fostering lifelong connections The event featured various literary activities The occasion was graced by Prof Dr Jameel-Un Nabi Vice Chancellor University of Wah, who delivered an inspiring speech that resonated with the spirit of the alumni community Director of the alumni association and distinguished alumnus shared their insights and experiences Vice Chancellor-UW presented shields to the alumni core body Hope Groups Islamabad Tagine Marketing Islamabad Wirasat com Global Study Linkers Wah Cantt and Clix Media Productions Wah Cantt sponsored the event KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Careem, the leading ride-hailing platform in Pakistan, has introduced a series of impactful initiatives this Ramzan, using technology as an enabler in the way donations are traditionally made With the aim of giving back to the community Careem has introduced a Ramzan donation car type GO Indus in partnership with Indus Hospital With every ride of the ‘GO Indus’ car type, an additional PKR 50 will be added to the customer's total ride fare All funds collected will be donated to Indus Hospital to provide healthcare support to the less fortunate members of our society The Ramzan donation car type comes as a part of Careem’s on-going commitment towards contributing and bringing a positive impact to local communities Commenting on these initiatives, Imran Saleem, General Manager Ride Hailing at Careem Pakistan said, "Ramzan is a time for reflection, compassion, and giving back to the community At Careem we are honored to play our part in serving the community and spreading kindness during this blessed month Through these meaningful initiatives, we aim to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families in need I would encourage customers to also play their part in donating wholeheartedly, thereby truly embodying the spirit of Ramzan " ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Anti-encroachment operations are being conducted across the city on the instructions of the Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) so that the land of Islamabad can be kept free from illegal constructions and encroachments These operations are being carried out by the Enforcement Directorate with the support of the district administration and Islamabad Police According to the details these operations were conducted on Islamabad Highway Sector G-9 I-11 I-9 including Bari Imam, and Khanna Pull where several encroachments and illegal constructions were demolished and the government land was retrieved The antiencroachment operation was started from Islamabad Highway and Khanna Pull where dozens of fruit stalls were removed and the road was cleared by conducting operations on both sides of the road It should be noted that these encroachments were disrupting the flow of traffic on both sides of the road after the operation these corridors were opened for traffic and one truck of goods was also confiscated Similarly in Bari Imam an illegal room and 1 four-walled build on government land were also demolished with the help of heavy machinery Moreover while taking action in Sector I-11 the illegal fence installed outside the house was also demolished In the same way during the operation in Sector I-9, dozens of stalls installed on the footpath were removed and the footpath was cleared It should be noted that car parkers including pedestrians were facing difficulties due to these encroachments Later during the operation in Sector I-10 a room built on government land was also demolished with the help of heavy machinery

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Group photo of first meeting of National Council Executive Committee of English Speaking Union of Pakistan for 2024-25 Among others Aziz Memon President ESU International and Patron-in-Chief ESUP Pervez Madraswala President ESUP and Kalim Farooqui, Immediate Past President were present

for IT & Telecom ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Maj General (R) Hafeez Ur Rehman met with State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ms Shaza Fatima Khawaja today The meeting, centered around matters including 5G spectrum auction enhancing connectivity nationwide and enhancing growth within the telecom industry During the meeting Chairman PTA emphasized on the importance of collaboration between PTA and MoITT to enhance the provision of digital services across the country He affirmed PTA's commitment to providing comprehensive support to the Ministry in its endeavors to drive digital transformation in the country The meeting also marked the first official visit of Chairman PTA to the newly appointed Minister

SPTI leader Hammad A zhar resigns from par ty positions

PTI founder, Q ureshi, others acquitted in two more c ases ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t P a k i s t a n Te h r e e k - e - I n s a f ( P T I ) f o u n d e r, A M L c h i e f , S h e i k h R a s h e e d , S h a h M a h m o o d Q u r e s h i a n d o t h e r s h a v e b e e n a c q u i t t e d i n t w o c a s e s r e g i s t e r e d a g a i n s t t h e m a t B h a r a K a h u p o l i c e s t a t i o n T h e r e s e r v e d v e r d i c t w a s a nn o u n c e d b y J u d i c i a l M a g i s t r a t e S u h a i b B i l a l A c c o r d i n g t o v e r d i c t P T I f o u n d e r I m r a n K h a n S h e i k h R a s h e e d S h a h M a h m o o d Q u r e s h i S a if u l l a h N i a z i , A a m i r M a h m o o d K i a n i , P e r v a i z K h a t t a k , A s a d U m a r, A l i N a w a z Aw a n , R a j a K h u r r a m N a w a z F a i s a l J a v e d a n d S h i r e e n M a z a r i h a v e b e e n a c q u i t t e d i n t h e B h a r a K a h u p o l i c e s t a t i o n c a s e T h e j u d i c i a l m a g i s t r a t e r es e r v e d i t s v e r d i c t a f t e r t h e c o m p l e t i o n o f a r g um e n t s f r o m b o t h s i d e s o n Tu e s d a y

PTI spokesperson seeks immediate restoration of social media site

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Sher Afzal Mar wat nominated to be PAC Chairman: Barrister Gohar

D r Yasmin c alls into question Nawaz ’s chairing of Punjab C abinet meeting

LAHORE

Central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) and former provincial minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Wednesday criticized the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for what she described as running Punjab in a manner resembling a monarchy rather than a democracy calling into question Nawaz Sharif ’s chairing meetings of the Punjab government S p e a k

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson on Wednesday came down hard on the fake Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for the suspension of social media platform X demanding an immediate restoration of the social media platform In a statement, PTI spokesperson urged instant removal of the unjustified and unconstitutional ban on the social media platform ‘X’ and said that it was the old habit of Sharifs and Zardari mafia to use traditional and social media for their negative propaganda under the guise of media legislations He said that the fake government of form-47s and its bogus ministers non-serious statements regarding the closure of social media platform X were making mockery of the so-called democratic system He went on to say that the fake government’s unjustified shutdown of the Internet especially social media websites on daily basis provided opportunities to the world to ridicule Pakistan He recalled that even the international human rights organizations were also raising voices against suspension of social media platforms for the last 32 days by the unelected rulers PTI spokesperson stated that constitution was practically suspended and the basic constitutional rights were being crushed by powerwielders during the last 23 months besides curbing freedom of speech and press had been the topmost priority of the usurper and anti-constitutional group He reminded that all coercive tactics, ranging from enforced disappearances to blackmailing families, were being utilised to target the impartial journalists and social media activists adding that the state was taking these steps to strangulate freedom of speech and press to establish its unconstitutional control over the media He continued that the people-rejected PDM-2 undemocratic government was committing violation of all fundamental constitutional rights without any fear of accountability He pointed out that the basic constitutional right of freedom of expression and press were usurped in order to hide the facts of polls fraud and to impose the people-rejected clique on the nation once again

In congressional testimony, Donald Lu favours probe into Pakistan ‘poll-rigging’

WASHINGTON S ta f f R e p o R t

hands of protestors

US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu has raised questions over fairness of Feb 8 general elections in Pakistan and recommended probe into allegations of rigging Lu on Tuesday submitted a written statement expressing concerns about irregularities in the elections but stressed the need to stay engaged with Pakistan to help it navigate through the crises it is facing ” Lu will appear before a subcommittee of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs on the topic of Pakistan After the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship Former ambassador Lu is at the centre of crises in Pakistan arose due to his alleged warning to ex-Pakistan envoy to the US Asad Majeed which was conveyed to Islamabad through a cipher Former prime minister and PTI founder mentioned the cipher in his public speeches alleging a US conspiracy to him from power in 2022 In his written testimony Lu highlighted Washington s concerns about irregularities in Pakistan which encompass restrictions on freedoms, violence, and allegations of interference in elections He mentioned that several political leaders faced obstacles, such as the inability to register specific candidates and political parties which disadvantaged them in the electoral process He also highlighted the harassment and abuse faced by many journalists particularly female journalists, at the hands of party supporters On the other, he mentioned some positive aspects” in the elections, such as a high turnout of over 60 million voters, including more than 21 million women and a record number of women and minority candidates Despite expressing concerns Lu stressed the importance of strengthening Pakistan s democratic institutions and fostering economic stability through avenues such as development grants, private sector investment, and humanitarian aid

pRayeR timingS FA J R S U N R S E Z U H R A S R MAG H R I B I S H A 5 : 0 5 6 : 0 5 1 : 3 0 5 : 0 0 6 : 1 7 8 : 0 0 Thursday 21 March 2024 NEWS 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

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ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday accepted the bail applications of five suspects in a May 9 violence case The suspects had been taken into custody for attacking Hamza Camp in Rawalpindi and damaging it A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jamal Mandokhel granted bails to Saifullah Awais Ayyaz Kamran Waqas and Nasrullah in lieu of surety bonds of Rs50 000 each During the hearing the court admonished the police and the prosecution for faulty investigation Justice Mandokhel asked whether being a worker of a party or taking out a rally was a crime “The state of affairs we are witnessing today is the consequence of banning students unions and political parties the judge said adding Can we declare a former prime minister traitor merely on the basis of a statement given by a head constable?” “Fear The Almighty Allah Where are we heading?” he wondered Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi asked what were the proofs against the suspects? Had their faces been recognized through CCTV camera footages? The investigation officer (IO) told the court that the protestors who had attacked the Hamza Camp and government buildings had broken the cameras installed in these areas Justice Mandokhel remarked that meant there was no proof against the suspects and these were merely statements given by the police officials on which the prosecution was relying upon “Why terrorism-related sections were inserted in the case he asked Speaking on the occasion counsel for the Punjab government said that the suspects had attacked the ISI Camp Justice Mandokhel retorted, “It means that you don’t have any idea what terrorism is ” Let me tell you, the judge went on to say that what had happened at Army Public School Peshawar and at Quetta courts were in fact incidents of terrorism How on earth could taking out a rally be called an act of terrorism? he questioned Justice Mandokhel further said that the police were only after political activists while no action was taken against those who were real terrorists The IO said that the suspects had attacked government buildings and military installations in reaction to the arrest of their leader It was a conspiracy, he said Justice Rizvi asked the officer whether the law enforcers had ever detected the conspiracy hatched by those who detonated bombs If you catch the real conspirators, then there will be no killings of Pakistan Army personnel at the hands of terrorists,” he remarked The footages obtained from CCTV cameras are safe “People even use their cellphones for filming scenes he added Punjab government s lawyer said that one of the allegations against the suspects was that they also had petrol bombs and they even resorted to firing Justice Rizvi asked as to who could bring petrol bombs with him “Certainly not from his home ” he added What does the investigation say about it? the judge asked The lawyer informed the court that so far the investigators had failed to find out how these bombs ended up in the

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said the US Congress committee had completely exposed the cypher drama orchestrated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder against the country, just for the sake of his personal interests “The PTI chairman’s deceit and hypocrisy has been exposed before the whole world today as Donld Lu testified before the Congress and called the cypher a complete falsehood the minister said while addressing a news conference here Tarar condemned the PTI s conspiracy in the strongest terms lashing out the party for their all the anti-state moves including May 9 riots and protests outside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Headquarters for derailing Pakistan talks with the lender on final review of the standby agreement The PTI hired lobbyists in the United States for a congress hearing on the so-called regime change conspiracy, but their leader could not evade the divine justice ” he said citing a proverb man proposes and God disposes He said hiring of the lobbyists in the US for congressional hearing was solely meant to malign the country, but it was the PTI founder who was declared a certified liar in the end The minister said the US diplomat had not only exposed the “cipher drama” but also expressed satisfaction over the credibility of the general election as well as women empowerment in Pakistan during the proceeding On the other hand, he said the PTI went to extreme length Just to double down their false narrative on the cipher which severely damaged Pakistan s diplomatic relations with other countries He said the history of Pakistan suggested seldom such instances where a person jeopardized national interests just to satisfy his ego The PTI founder waved a white paper in a public gathering and claimed that his government was being ousted in result of a foreign conspiracy the minister said accusing him of misleading the whole nation and inflicting severe damage on the country Today, he had been humiliated before whole world that was telecasted by every international media channel he added The minister called out the PTI leader for intoxicating the minds of youth He got nothing from lobbying running smear campaigns against the country and by orchestrating a conspiracy against the people, Tarar added He reiterated the government’s commitment to the national interests vowing allout measures to protect the interests of the country To a query, he said the law would take its course in the cipher case which was being heard in the high court and at the appeal stage He said the cipher case was open and shut that showed how the country’s enemies were befitted with a conspiracy and in fact penalized for that matter as well The minister also took exception to the criticism of those who only came to Pakistan during the PTI s government tenure and left as soon as it came to an end To another query he said Shehbaz Gill got a PHD degree from Malaysia on HEC scholarship and bound to serve the country He had not violated the law only but also remained on forefront for instigating the people against the state for achieving the foreign agenda against Pakistan, Tarar said, stressing on bringing such people to justice To another question he said the people who protested outside the IMF were wearing the expensive bags and shoes How came they could understand the problems of a common man who would ultimately to bear the brunt of their anti-state activities He said certainty had been returned in the market that shown positive indicators following the staff-level agreement reached by Pakistan and the IMF The minister said austerity measures were discussed in cabinet meeting at length and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the cabinet members’ decision for forgoing their salaries He said the cabinet members in fact followed into the footsteps of the prime minister who had a track record of foregoing his salaries , perks and privileges in different tenure as prime minister and chief minister Punjab ‘State, govt like parents for citizens’: SC grant bail to five suspects of May 9 case US Congress committee exposes PTI’s ‘cypher drama’: Tarar LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t Hammad Azhar the Punjab President and General Secretary of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has tendered his resignation from both positions, citing the need for effective leadership and direct access to the party’s supreme leader, Imran Khan Azhar shared his resignation letter addressed to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and General Secretary Omar Ayub Khan on his social media account announcing his decision to step down from his roles within the party In his resignation letter Azhar expressed his belief that, for the party to navigate current challenges effectively, a presence on the ground and direct access to Imran Khan is imperative He emphasised his commitment to the PTI’s ideals and stated his intention to continue serving the party as an activist despite resigning from his leadership positions Azhar s resignation comes amidst legal troubles following the events of May 9 where cases have been filed against him under terrorism and various other charges Azhar has been noticeably absent from the public eye ever since In his resignation letter, Azhar acknowledged his 13year-long dedication to the PTI and reaffirmed his commitment to the party s cause While stepping down from his formal roles within the organisation Azhar indicated his readiness to continue contributing to the party s objectives as an engaged member

RIYADH S ta f f R e p o R t

audi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral ties with Pakistan further saying that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will always stand by Pakistan in the future as well, according to a press release issued from the military’s media wing The statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) came after Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and other senior military leadership met the Saudi Arabian crown prince on Wednesday in his second official visit to the country T h e I S P R s a i d t h a t C O A S M u n i r discussed wide-ranging issues of mutual i n t e r e s t , i n c l u d i n g r e g i o n a l p e a c e a n d security bilateral defence and security cooperation with the Saudi leadership According to the press release Prince Salman said that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have historic brotherly and strong relations, adding that both countries have always stood up for each other Gen Asim Munir thanked the Saudi leadership for the warm sentiments and support for Pakistan The army chief visited Saudi Arabia for the first time in official capacity last year to enhance bilateral ties between the two countries During the visit, the army chief called on Prince Mohammad bin Salman; Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the defence minister of KSA; General Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili the chief of general staff of the Saudi Armed Forces; and Engineer Talal Abdullah Al Otaibi, the assistant minister of Defence; as well as other senior military leadership, the ISPR said Last week Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said “a comprehensive strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia was in the works after receiving a call from the Saudi crown prince C O A S , S A U D I C R O W N P R I N C E R E A F F I R M C O M M I T M E N T T O S T R E N G T H E N B I L AT E R A L T I E S F U R T H E R PM Shehbaz , cabinet members decide against taking salar y, perks ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and members of the federal cabinet on Wednesday decided to voluntarily forgo their salaries and perks as part of the government s austerity measures to minimise state expenditure The decision was made in a cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister which took up different agenda items including the briefing on Staff Level Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the constitution of PIA Holding Company and others a PM Office press release said Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb briefed the cabinet members on the Staff Level Agreement with the IMF It was told that the IMF agreement would help improve the national economy and boost investors confidence As an important headway towards the PIA s privatisation, the federal cabinet approved the formation of the PIA Holding Company Reiterating its resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country the cabinet members offered Fateha for the martyrs of a terrorist attack that took place in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan on March 16 and paid tribute to them Earlier, President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari decided against taking salary and perks, owing to economic challenges being faced by the country According to an announcement of the Presidency, “President has decided not to overburden the national exchequer by surrendering his salary and perks

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Barrister Gohar on Wednesday said that Sher Afzal Marwat will be the party s nominee for the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Talking to media here, Chairman PTI said that the Avenfield apartments ownership is still a mystery “No one knows who is the owner of these apartments who given the money and what was the price he said He said Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz appeared one day in the court and next day, cases quashed against them We request for similar justice from courts, PTI leader said “Don’t tell us after 45 years that we didn’t get justice ” he said “We have trust over courts and want early justice ” he said “I have met the PTI s founder today He has directed to nominate Sher Afzal Marwat for the office of the Chairman PAC Barrister Gohar said