PM Sharif emphasises need for world-class talent pool in Pakistan
PHC top judge raises concer n over ‘bias’ in elevation of judges to SC
In par tnership with Profit T h u r s d a y, 4 A p r i l , 2 0 2 4 I 2 4 Ra m a z a n , 1 4 4 5 R s 2 0 0 0 | Vo l X I V N o 2 7 7 I 8 Pa g e s I La h o r e E d i t i o n ‘Reser ved Seats’: PHC ser ves contempt notices to KP speaker, deput y speaker PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday issued contempt of court notices to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly speaker and deputy speaker for not administering the oath to lawmakers elected on women and minorities reserved seats A twomember PHC bench comprising Justice SM Atiq Shah and Justice Syed Arshad Ali, heard the contempt petition against KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and Deputy Speaker Ms Suriya Bibi The PHC bench issued the notice to the respondents and sought their response at the next hearing During the hearing the petitioner took the stance that the speaker and deputy did not administer oath to the elected members on reserved seats despite court order The petitioner contended that the speaker and the deputy speaker had violated the court orders, demanding contempt proceedings against them Earlier on Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the Senate elections in KP citing delay in the administration of oath to the members on reserved seats KP Election Commissioner Shamshad Khan arrived at the assembly premises and requested a list of sworn-in MPAs from the assembly staff Simultaneously, the opposition lodged a petition with the ECP urging the postponement of Senate elections in the province Despite the stage being set and the election staff prepared, the K-P Senate polls failed to kick off at the promised hour of 9 am ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t
HIEF Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Wednesday declared that an attack of any kind on the judiciary s independence would not be tolerated Supreme Court CJP Qazi Faez Isa observed while heading a seven-member bench hearing a suo motu case about allegations made by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges regarding interference by the country s security apparatus in the judicial affairs A seven-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and justices – Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Yahya Afridi, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Athar Minallah, Musarrat Hilali and Naeem Akhtar Afghan is presiding over the hearing The proceedings are being live-streamed on the SC s website and its YouTube channel During hearing, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan appeared before the SC along with Hamid Khan, who represented former premier Imran Khan while Ahmed Hussain appeared as Aitzaz s lawyer The CJP emphasized that any encroachments on judicial autonomy would be firmly resisted indicating the possibility of convening a full court for a suo motu case on alleged intrusions into judicial proceedings Justice Isa added that only seven judges were available in Islamabad today the rest are either in Lahore or Karachi We may have a full court on the next hearing he said while concluding the hearing At the outset of the hearing, Hamid informed the court that he had requested to be made a respondent in the case At this, CJP Isa remarked, Gone are the days when it was the chief justice’s will We have constituted a committee to fix cases [for hearing] ” He noted that the court had not received Hamid s petition adding that the committee would decide on the matter once the plea was received The CJP further said it was inappropriate that petitions were reported in the media before they were even filed “When we talk about pressure being exerted, is this also exerting pressure on us in a way?” he wondered adding that he never gave in to anyone s pressure Last week it emerged that six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges out of a total strength of eight wrote a startling letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members, regarding attempts to pressure judges through the abduction and torture of their relatives as well as secret surveillance inside their homes The letter was signed by judges Mohsin Akhtar Kayani Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri Babar Sattar Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz A day later, calls emerged from various quarters for a probe into the investigation, amid which CJP Isa summoned a full court meeting of the SC judges On Thursday Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met CJP Isa where the two decided to form an inquiry commission which was later approved by the federal cabinet However, lawyers and civil society members in a joint letter had urged the top court to take “cognisance of the matter in its jurisdiction under Article 184(3) of the Constitution as this issue eminently relates to public interest and to the enforcement of fundamental rights On Monday ex-CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani tasked to head the one-man inquiry commission recused himself from the role, urging Justice Isa to “resolve the issues raised in the letter at the institutional level” ‘ AT TA C K O F A N Y K I N D ’ O N J U D I C I A R Y ’ S I N D E P E N D E N C E W O N ’ T B E T O L E R AT E D : C J P g H i n t s a t p o s s i b i l i t y o f c o n v e n i n g a f u l l c o u r t f o r h e a r i n g s u o m o t u c a s e o n d a i l y b a s i s g A G P a p p e a r s b e f o r e c o u r t w h i l e H a m i d K h a n r e p r e s e n t s I m r a n a n d A h m e d H u s s a i n f o r A i t z a z ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Day after Islamabad High Court’s judges received ‘threatening letters ’ four judges of the Supreme Court (SC) and as many judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) also received power-laced-threatening-letters , said confirmed Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Shahzad Bukhari on Wednesday Earlier in the day the Islamabad Police DIG appeared in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and informed the court that the letters were sent to the senior judges of the LHC He added that a team of law enforcers, including a team from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) reached the LHC premises and beeped up the security on the court premises ‘RAWALPINDI GPO STAMP ON LETTERS’ During the hearing of a petition concerning the cypher case a senior police official informed the IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq that the letters received by the IHC judges had been submitted for forensic examination and a report was expected within three to four days When the court inquired about origin of the letters the police official said “the stamp is not discernible” and added judges of LHC and SC have also received the letters from the same sender today The court then asked if all the letters were posted from the same postal office The CTD SSP then informed that it appears the letters have the stamp of the Rawalpindi post office He clarified that they were not posted from the GPO but rather deposited in the GPO letter box A day earlier on April 2 eight judges including Chief Justice Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) received letters containing an unknown powder, suspected to be laced with anthrax Day af ter IHC, SC -LHC judges also receive letters laced with ‘toxic chemical’ ISLAMABAD ag e n c i e S Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need for a worldclass talent pool in Pakistan due to its importance in making a difference in the success of the nation Chairing a high-level meeting here on Wednesday he said Businesses want to invest in places where the talent is; where the politics and policies are stable, and where the system works ” The meeting was aimed at ways to create a more capable workforce that was able to deliver the government s policy program effectively and also was founded on the principles of impartiality and recruitment on merit, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release Premier Shehbaz Sharif constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the finance minister to seek and firm up propositions in the policy to enhance and clarify the work pass framework currently in vogue in ministries to better support Pakistan s need for talent with the directions to submit its findings at the earliest The prime minister said, Pakistan must build a world-class talent pool because this is an age where talent makes all the difference to a nation’s success ” The meeting noted a dearth of technical input at policy making levels and emphasized its need which is imperative if the civil service is to develop new skills, improve its management of big projects and adapt to the demands of a digital age The participants of the meeting highlighted the barriers to appoint people from outside such as long timescales, processes that prevented a proper search for the best candidates and pay inflexibility that made it all difficult to attract the best talent particularly in areas of skills shortages Minister for Finance and Revenue Federal Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Dr Musadiq Malik, Ahad Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Sardar Awais Leghari Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Muhammad Jehanzeb Minister of State Shaza Fatima and high-level officials attended the meeting President Zardari, COAS Munir discuss challenges to national securit y, development ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t In a significant meeting held at the presidency in Islamabad on Wednesday President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir discussed critical issues facing Pakistan ranging from national security to development initiatives The meeting underscored the unity between the civilian government and the military in addressing challenges and advancing the nation’s interests A key focus of the meeting was President Zardari s expression of grave concern over baseless and unsubstantiated allegations leveled by a specific political party and its few individuals against the armed forces and its leadership according to a statement issued by the presidency Zardari without naming Imran Khan s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emphasised the importance of dealing with such disruptive elements with iron hands indicating a resolve to safeguard the integrity and reputation of the armed forces During the discussion Gen Munir briefed President Zardari on the ongoing army operations against terrorism and highlighted the army s operational readiness against conventional threats PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t In a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Wednesday Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan expressed concern over non-consideration for the elevation of judges to the Supreme Court from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province “I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits I am writing to your Lordship with a heavy heart and a sense of disillusionment in relation to prima facie arbitrariness discrimination and favouritism in the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court of Pakistan It is with utmost respect for your esteemed position and the principles of fairness and meritocracy that our judicial system purports to uphold that I bring this matter to your attention Justice Ibrahim wrote He said that there were four vacancies in the Supreme Court but only one vacancy was filled by appointing his brother Honourable Judge Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan of Balochistan High Court the then Chief Justice Balochistan High Court It was a profound disappointment when I learnt that only one judge and that too from your own province, was appointed in the Supreme Court despite the fact that there were four vacancies I am genuinely happy for my brother Mr Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan but why my candidacy was not considered notwithstanding my seniority eligibility and availability of vacancies in the Supreme Court, he added Justice Ibrahim said that he is the second senior most chief justice among the chief justices of all high courts in Pakistan I am also a member of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) and Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan I had legitimate expectation that my candidature would be at least included in the list for consideration to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Had I not been found fit to be appointed as Judge of Supreme Court after due process by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, I would have happily accepted the JCP s decision, he added He expressed the belief that considering the substantial backlog the CJP might feel inclined or even obligated to promptly fill the vacancies particularly given the sentiment among the countrymen that they are being deprived of swift justice The taxpayers, who pay for our salaries, expect that vacancies are filled immediately so that the court may operate at full strength and dispense justice There is a duty to act diligently This decision of solitary appointment has left me perplexed and seeking genuine answers I have been thinking about possible reasons for not filling the vacancies but no logical and persuasive reason could come to mind he added Justice Ibrahim mentioned that he had been faithfully serving for 31 years, characterised by steadfast commitment, dedication, and numerous contributions that, in his opinion, not only benefited the community but also upheld the highest standards of the judicial system Throughout my service I have endeavoured to embody the virtues of integrity, impartiality, and a steadfast commitment to justice, principles I believed would naturally pave the way for recognition and career advancement based on merit I have been deciding high-profile cases amidst peculiar law and order situation and political turmoil in our motherland wherein my commitment to uphold the rule of law and supremacy of constitution has been unshakable and unyielding the top judge wrote My dedication to serve the masses and uproot injustice in each and every form, whatsoever, has been a source of personal pride and a testament to my commitment to the values we hold dear in our profession Similarly it is yet a distinction that while referring to my 31 years judicial career wherein I can safely hold my integrity before Almighty Allah that I have only performed to the best of my conscious, within the legal premise and without any fear or favour ” Chief Justice PHC expressed his “surprise and deep concern over the decision to not even consider his candidacy for elevation particularly in light of his dedication performance, and contributions to the judiciary I appreciate that decisions of appointing judges in the superior courts are complex and multifaceted involving considerations that may not always be apparent to all Nevertheless in the spirit of transparency the norms of fairness and the continued trust in our judicial system, I take the honour to question as to what prompted the solitary elevation of my brother Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan when three vacancies were and are still vacant where as none other was considered, he said Justice Ibrahim said that it is also mindboggling that presently there are three honourable judges in the Supreme Court of Pakistan from Balochistan whereas from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa there are only two Therefore, while comparing the two provinces on any analogy whatsoever, desirably there would be one more vacancy for the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa It seems that allocation of seats of Hon ble Judges in Supreme Court is out of proportion giving rise to a genuine discontentment in provinces especially Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa which, in size as well as in terms of portfolio of cases, has enormously swelled after merger of the erstwhile FATA ” Unfortunately I lack the personal connections that often play a role in such elevations This lack of advocacy or lobbying on my behalf should not be a deterrent to recognising the merit and the commitment that I have demonstrated towards upholding justice And it is with this faith that I am constrained by my conscience to pen down the facts before your lordship the Hon ble Judges and my Supreme Institution before I lay off the robes
C
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 g Fo r m s c o m m i t t e e t o e n h a n c e Pa k i s t a n ' s w o r k p a s s f r a m e w o r k a n d t a l e n t s u p p o r t p o l i c y 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
Quaid s mausoleum on April 28 Despite three requests made to the South DC for permission, no response was received PTI emphasizes that public gatherings are a democratic right, urging the Commissioner Karachi and the South DC to ensure security arrangements along with granting permission Furthermore PTI has initiated preparations to launch a movement against the government In this regard, PTI has successfully united several opposition parties under one roof Following Eid, PTI intends to launch a vigorous protest against the federal government with PTI and Jamaate-Islami jointly leading the demonstrations Notably Maulana Fazlur Rehman has already shown opposition to the government, and an invitation will be extended to him for inclusion in the alliance Under the leadership of Mahmood Khan Achakzai, PTI and JUI will march together while Jamaat-e-Islami could also secure a significant role within the alliance In a significant development opposition parties convened a Grand Alliance meeting on Tuesday, discussing the possibilities of collaboration Prominent figures including Liaquat Baloch from Jamaat-e-Islami Mahmood Achakzai from Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Akhtar Mengal from Balochistan National Party Gohar Khan from PTI and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas from MWM attended the meeting Asad Qaiser from PTI and opposition leader Umar Ayub also participated deliberating on matters concerning the opposition alliance Formal announcements regarding decisions made during the meeting are expected soon
Petroleum sales rise by 4% in M arch amid economic revival, reduced smuggling
Thursday 4 Apr l 2024 LAHORE 02 NEWS PR OFIT N e w S D e S k T H E federal government has sanctioned adjustments to the petroleum pricing structure effective from April 1 2024 This decision allows the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to revise the exchange rates applied to petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) for the upcoming fortnight Specifically, an exchange rate adjustment of 34 paisa for petrol and 56 paisa for HSD has been authorized The adjustments are in direct response to the global surge in petroleum prices prompting an increase in domestic rates Consequently the price of petrol will rise by Rs10 59 per litre marking a new price point of Rs207 60 per litre, up from the previous Rs197 94 per litre Conversely, the high-speed diesel sees a decrease in its ex-refinery price by Rs3 52 per litre adjusting the price to Rs265 53 per litre from the prior rate of Rs269 05 per litre Despite these changes, the interfreight equaliser margin for petrol will remain constant at Rs5 30 per litre However the margin for HSD will witness a slight reduction of 33 paisa settling at Rs3 66 per litre The distribution framework including the distance margin and dealer margin for petrol, will maintain its current figures at Rs7 87 and Rs8 64 per litre respectively, while an increment of 20 paisa is applied to the extra margin on HSD The ex-depot pricing exhibits a significant upturn for petrol by Rs9 66 per litre pushing the price to Rs289 41 per litre In contrast, HSD will experience a drop of Rs3 32 per litre, adjusting the price to Rs282 24 per litre Noteworthy is the continuation of a zero sales tax policy on both petrol and HSD, alongside the enforcement of a petroleum levy of Rs60 per litre on both commodities G O V T A D J U S T S P ET R O L E U M P R I C E S , I M PA C T I N G P S O ’ S E X C H A N G E R AT E PR OFIT ag e N c i e S The Punjab government has approved Wheat Procurement Policy 2024-25 under which the provincial cabinet fixed the minimum support price of wheat for the year 2023-2024 at Rs 3 900 per 40 kilogram Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired the fifth meeting of the provincial cabinet at the CM s office on Wednesday Regarding the agriculture sector, CM Maryam Nawaz reiterated her commitment to ensure the interests of small farmers are protected at all costs She said Rs 1 5 lakh interest-free loans would be given to small farmers for buying farm inputs like seeds, fertiliser, and pesticides, under the best and most historic farmer cards in the history of Pakistan The cabinet also approved the establishment of Special Speedy Trial Courts in Punjab for the logical conclusion of criminal cases related to rape, child abuse, domestic violence, electricity theft, and others through speedy trials Advocate General Punjab briefed the cabinet about the proposed amendment in the defamation law and the establishment of special trial courts He said that in a defamation case, the degree must be completed within 90 days and the trial within 180 days He added defamation notices would be given simultaneously through major newspapers social media courier service and registered posts to avoid complaints of non-receipt and delay AGP apprised the cabinet that this amendment would be presented soon in the Punjab Assembly for seeking approval The chief minister appreciated the move and said the culture of lying and false accusations must end The cabinet also approved the formation of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legal Affairs, and amendments to the Alternate Dispute Reservation Act, 2019 The provincial cabinet removed Chairman Drug Court Gujranwala on complaints of misconduct Punjab govt fixes wheat suppor t price at Rs3,900 per 40kg PR OFIT N e w S D e S k Pakistan witnessed an increase in petroleum sales in March 2024 with figures reaching 1 15 million tonnes marking a 4% rise compared to the same period last year This surge is attributed to the slight recovery in economic activities and efforts to curb the smuggling of petroleum products The oil sales data highlighted that petrol sales went up by 3% totaling 0 57 million tonnes Additionally High-Speed Diesel (HSD) saw a significant uplift of 17% amounting to 0 46 million tonnes In contrast furnace oil (FO) sales experienced a sharp decline of 48%, dropping to 0 04 million tonnes, reflecting the reduced reliance on FO-based power plants On a month-to-month comparison petroleum sales exhibited a growth of 3% in March 2024 This increase is partly due to the shorter month of February and a rising price trend in Motor Spirit (MS), which saw a 5% growth HSD off-take also witnessed a 4% month-to-month increase Conversely, FO dispatches saw an 11% decrease Looking at the broader fiscal year the first nine months saw an 11% decrease in petroleum product sales totaling 11 34 million tonnes down from 12 80 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year This downturn was evident across major petroleum products, including MS, HSD, and FO The year-on-year improvement in oil sales marking the first in 21 months is seen as a positive sign of economic stabilization Despite challenges such as oil smuggling from Iran, which is estimated at 4,000 tonnes daily, the overall market outlook appears to be improving Among the notable companies, Attock Petroleum (APL) reported a decrease in sales while Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Shell Pakistan (SHEL) both reported increases PSO, in particular, noted an 11% yearon-year rise in sales, bolstering its market share to 51% in March 2024 The report also cautions about potential challenges ahead, including the impact of smuggling and possible government policy changes such as increasing the Petroleum Development Levy or introducing an 18% GST, which could further affect sales PR OFIT N e w S D e S k The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has formally requested the Commerce Ministry for the authorization to export sugar, citing a significant surplus in production This move is aimed at addressing the domestic market s price surge according to officials within the Commerce Ministry The request follows a period where sugar mills engaged in competitive bidding for sugarcane, resulting in purchase prices reaching as high as Rs600 per 40kg surpassing the support prices of Rs400 and Rs425 per 40kg in Punjab and Sindh respectively Despite an adequate crop yield, this aggressive procurement led to a spike in production costs Consequently, PSMA is exploring export as a strategy to mitigate the financial impact and potentially influence local sugar prices In its communication with the commerce minister PSMA highlighted the sugar sector as a pivotal agro-based industry in Pakistan, second only to textiles It underlines the industry’s annual contribution of Rs800 to Rs1 000 billion to the economy through various sectors including agriculture transportation and retail Furthermore, the sector is a significant tax contributor, adding approximately Rs125 billion to government revenues and providing employment to 1 5 million individuals The association also pointed out that Pakistan’s sugar production exceeded its annual consumption demand with a total of 7 5 million metric tons (MMT) produced against a need of 6 MMT, leaving a surplus of 1 5 MMT at the end of the 2023-24 crushing season PSMA advocates for the government to permit the export of at least 1 MMT of sugar in two phases to optimize market conditions and prevent exploitation by international buyers PSMA seeks expor t green-light for surplus sugar amid price hike concerns g A S S O C I AT I O N P O I N T S O U T T H AT PA K I S TA N ' S S U G A R O U T P U T R E AC H E D 7 5 M M T, S U R PA S S I N G A N N UA L D E M A N D O F 6 M M T g C A B I N E T A P P R O V E S W H E AT P R O C U R E M E N T P O L I C Y 2024 - 25 g Y E A R - O N - Y E A R I M P R O V E M E N T I N O I L S A L E S I S S E E N A S A P O S I T I V E S I G N O F E CO N O M I C S TA B I L I Z AT I O N g A N E XC H A N G E R AT E A D J U S T M E N T O F 34 PA I S A F O R P E T R O L A N D 56 PA I S A F O R H S D H A S B E E N AU T H O R I Z E D
Bulls dominate PSX as KSE-100 gains over 800 points amid rate cut expectations PR OFIT N e w S D e S k The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) experienced an upward trajectory on Wednesday as the benchmark KSE-100 index climbed by over 800 points or 1 3% mainly due to positive sentiment developed by progress on privatisation along with foreign portfolio investment in government papers According to the PSX website the cement and steel sectors led the bulls’ movement backed by transport technology and communication and commercial banking sectors The benchmark index gained 869 77 points or 1 3% to close at 67,756 03 level This surge also follows a period of modest gains linked to a lower-than-projected inflation rate of 22 months prompting expectations of a potential rate cut in coming months Market analysts highlighted market optimism particularly with the progress on the privatization efforts for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and the influx of foreign portfolio investment Some experts have recognised the impact of improved cement sales figures and foreign investments in rupee-denominated government papers on market dynamics Profit reported on Tuesday that cement despatches increased by 3 85% to 3 941 million tons in March 2024 against 3 795 Million tons despatched during the same month of last fiscal year Cement exports also increased by 38 02% as the volumes increased from 438 433 tons in March 2023 to 605 142 tons in March 2024 The overall market optimism is further supported by structural reforms and privatization efforts, indicating a positive outlook for Pakistan’s economic environment and investor confidence PR OFIT M o N i to R N g D e S k Pakistani rice scientists have dismissed claims from India that Pakistan has appropriated two high-yielding basmati varieties urging the government to counter what they call baseless assertions aimed at affecting Pakistan s rice exports Dr Muhammad Ijaz of the Rice Research Institute refuted the allegations stating that the genetic makeup of the Pakistani rice varieties is distinct from those developed in India, as reported by Dawn Recent accusations from Indian agricultural circles allege that Pakistani rice firms have engaged in seed technology piracy by renaming and selling Indian-developed basmati rice varieties in international markets The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) claims that the Pakistani rice export companies are marketing PUSA 2011 and 1509 varieties as Kainat 2011 and Kissan Basmati In response Dr Ijaz countered these allegations attributing them to competitive motives linked to the rise in Pakistani rice exports The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has approached the Rice Research Institute, requesting DNA profiles of specific rice varieties for third-party assessment to validate their claims of distinctiveness The Pakistani rice industry has expressed concern over these accusations, fearing potential impacts on their exports Industry leaders are calling on the government to actively address and rebut these claims to protect Pakistan s basmati rice market The situation recalls previous disputes, notably India s unsuccessful bid to secure an exclusive Geographical Indication tag for basmati rice, highlighting ongoing tensions between the two nations over rice trade
rice pirac y accusations g PAKISTANI RICE SEC TOR IS WORRIED ABOUT POTENTIAL EX PORT IMPAC T FR OM THESE ALLEG ATIONS Ser vices sector trade deficit widens by 554% in eight months of FY2023-24 PR OFIT N e w S D e S k The trade deficit in the services sector widened by a mammoth 554 74% to $1 89 billion in the first eight months (July-February) of the ongoing fiscal year 2023-24 compared to $288 97 million in the corresponding period of last year As per data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) the trade deficit in services increased by 177% to $157 90 million in February, up from $57 million in the corresponding month last year Services sector exports reached $627 05 million in February, marking a 6 11% increase from $590 96 million in the same month last year During the first eight months (July-February) of FY24 service exports slightly declined by 1 37% to $5 08 billion from $5 15 billion in the same period last year In rupee terms, the export of services grew by 11 08% in February to Rs 175 06 billion up from Rs 157 59 billion in the corresponding month last year During the first eight months of FY24 the services sector recorded a significant improvement of 22 34% to Rs 1 44 trillion against Rs 1 18 trillion in the same period of last fiscal year In FY23, service exports stood at $7 30 billion, up 2 78% from $7 10 billion in the preceding year Meanwhile the import of services increased by 21 14% to $784 95 million in February from $647 96 million in the corresponding month of last year The import of services increased by 28 18% to $6 97 billion in 8MFY24 compared to $5 44 billion in the corresponding period last year In FY23, the import of services contracted by 38 04% to $8 01 billion against $12 94 billion in the preceding fiscal year LHC orders ECP to decide on plea of Mar yam Nawaz’s rival in 15 days LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t Sending the petition filed by Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz’s rival candidate in the February 8 general elections seeking the court order for the provision of attested Forms 45 Form 47 and Form 49 to him to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ordered the commission to give its verdict on the petition in 15 days Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh heard the petition filed by Mehr Sharafat Ali who had contested the election as a PTI-backed independent candidate and had lost to PML-N candidate Maryam In his plea, Mehr stated that on February 8, he was winning the election by a wide margin, but later the election results were changed to declare Maryam the winner from the constituency He further said that he still had not been provided Forms 45 47 and 49; therefore it was prayed to the court to order the provision of these forms to him PTI seeks SHC approval for rally at Quaid’s mausoleum on 28 April KARACHI S ta f f R e p o R t Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a gathering near the mausoleum of the Quaid-e-Azam after Eid According to details, PTI has approached the Sindh High Court for permission to hold the gathering, with the possibility of a hearing on Friday, April 5 Barrister Ali Tahir on behalf of PTI stated in the application that they intend to hold a gathering near the
Pakistan refutes Indian basmati
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frontline [in defending judiciary] and for sure, my fellow judges would be standing with me in this And we never accept interference “If someone has another agenda to do so and so then they may become the
committee has been established Its members include the secretary of the local government department, the special secretary of the health department, the chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), the director general of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the
Thursday 4 Apr l 2024 LAHORE NEWS 03 President Zardari, COAS Munir discuss challenges to national securit y, development
The army chief also extended congratulations to Zardari on his appointment as the President of Pakistan and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, conveying sincere wishes for a successful tenure Furthermore the COAS outlined the army s contributions to development initiatives particularly in the regions of Balochistan and KhyberPakhtunkhwa President Zardari acknowledged the significant role played by the armed forces in safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan commending their efforts towards social uplift in affected areas In reaffirming Pakistan s steadfast commitment against terrorism, the president reiterated the nation s resolve to respond with full force through all elements of national power He stressed the importance of unity in facing common challenges and fostering national progress During the meeting President Zardari paid homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation, underscoring their enduring legacy of resilience and strength He reiterated the nation’s unwavering commitment to honouring the sacrifices of the Shuhadas and their families holding them in the highest esteem The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of solidarity and determination to uphold the values of peace security, and progress in Pakistan Gov t mulls to star t child registration at bir th WEB DESK The government is considering a new initiative to streamline administrative procedures and ensure easy access to vital documents by registering children at birth, eliminating the need for subsequent visits to union council offices for birth certificates To develop recommendations for this process a
Civil Secretariat, chaired
Punjab
Zahid Akhtar Zaman
attended by NCRC Chairperson Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq During the meeting it was decided to appoint the Secretary of Implementation and Coordination as the focal person to enhance coordination with the NCRC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 An FIR pertaining to the apex court incident was registered at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station on the complaint of Mohammad Iqbal Khan incharge of the SC s Receipt and Issue Department The case was registered under PPC Section 507 and ATA Section 7 In the FIR, the complainant said that the mail was received on March 29 or 30 through the post office and was subsequently dispatched and received by the personal secretaries of the SC judges after inspection He said that today the administration in-charge called him and pointed out that in four letters, addressed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and three other judges, “a white powder-like chemical” was present He said three of the letters were sent by Gulshad Khatun, from an “unknown address” and the fourth was sent by Sajjad Hussain who also had an unknown address Khan said the police were immediately alerted about the matter to take action against the two individuals saying they had attempted to spread fear and harassment The FIR went on to say that the police reached the apex court around 12:30pm and seized the four opened letters from Khan It added that a mixture of white powder was found on the letters further saying that a police team arrived to conduct an initial analysis of the substance The FIR said the content of the letters referred to Tehreek Namoos-i-Pakistan, criticised the judicial system and used the word Bacilus Anthracis to issue a threat F O U R L H C J U D G E S A L S O R E C E I V E ‘S U S P I C I O U S L E T T E R S’ Four judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) received suspicious letters and two of them informed the Chief Justice of LHC Court sources claimed to have received suspicious letters from two judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) including Justice Miss Alia Neelam and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan A L L J U D G E S I N F O R M E D T H E L H C C J: Lahore DIG Ali Nasir Rizvi also confirmed that the four LHC judges have also received suspicious letters “Now the investigation is going on and it is being checked from other courts as well he said C O U R I E R C O M PA N Y E M P L O Y E E D E TA I N E D: The DIG said an employee of a private courier company has been detained in connection with suspicious letters to the LHC judges He said that he and Lahore Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana also met LHC Senior Puisne Judge Justice Shujaat Ali Khan regarding the matter and fully briefed him on it Rizvi said the letters were handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department for investigation The DIG refused to elaborate on the nature of the letters or to which judges they were sent, saying that it was “too early” to share anything since the matter was under investigation He said a meeting with specialists and experts was scheduled for today which would discuss all aspects of the incident after which information would be released to the media Earlier, eight judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) reportedly received suspicious letters, raising security alarms within the judicial community According to judicial sources when the staff of two judges opened the letters they discovered a mysterious powder inside The nature of the powder remains unknown, prompting immediate intervention from law enforcement authorities A team of experts from the Islamabad Police swiftly arrived at the Islamabad High Court to investigate the matter further They are currently engaged in examining the contents of the letters and determining the nature of the powder D ay af ter IHC, SC-LHC judges also receive letters laced with ‘toxic chemic al ’ LAHORE S tA f f R e P o R t
Punjab representative of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) A meeting was held at the
by
Chief Secretary
and
H E Punjab Cabinet has approved the establishment of special courts for speedy trial of rape and child abuse cases in the province The Provincial Cabinet approved the establishment of speedy trial courts during its fifth meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz here on Wednesday As per the decision of the cabinet, the legation for the establishment for the speedy trial courts would be soon tabled in the Punjab Assembly for approval Provincial Ministers the Chief Secretary the IG Police and other high officials participated in the meeting and briefed the CM on the matter In the meeting, a briefing on amendment to the defamation law and establishment of the special court was given to the Chief Minister The meeting was briefed that in a defamation case the degree must be completed within 90 days and the trial within 180 days while defamation notices can be given through major newspapers, social media, and couriers The Punjab Cabinet also approved the amendments to the Punjab Alternate Dispute Resolution Act 2019 and the formation of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs In the meeting the Punjab Cabinet approved the removal of the chairman of the Drug Court Gujranwala on the complaint of misconduct Addressing the meeting, CM Maryam Nawaz said the culture of lying and false accusations should be changed PUNJAB CABINET GREENLIGHTS SPECIAL COURTS FOR SPEEDY TRIAL OF RAPE, CHILD ABUSE CASES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 At the same time the top court took suo motu notice of the matter and constituted a seven-member bench to hear the case A day ago Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan and the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) filed separate but similar petitions to join the suo motu proceedings The top judge also expressed his displeasure at lawyers calling for a suo motu notice: The lawyers are saying to take a suo motu [notice]; then they should leave their practice Justice Isa said that Hamid could not be considered a representative of lawyers as the president of a bar association was already present for that role AGP Awan then read out the press release issued by the top court after the meeting between the CJP and PM Shehbaz on March 28 Justice Isa recalled that he met the IHC judges the day he received their letter If we had not given importance to this matter, then could this meeting not be held after Ramazan?” he asked At one point during the hearing the CJP said If there is any kind of attack on the judiciary s independence, I would be at the
Supreme
Bar president
enact
pressure
he added C O N T E N T S O F L E T T E R B Y I H C J U D G E S: Dated March 25, the letter was signed by IHC Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri Babar Sattar Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz It mentioned seven instances of alleged interference and intimidation to influence the outcome of cases of interest” by the intelligence officials, pointing out that when two out of three judges in the bench hearing the plea to disqualify PTI leader Imran Khan for concealing his alleged daughter opined that the case was not maintainable they were pressured by operatives of the ISI through friends and relatives The situation got so stressful that one of the judges had to be admitted to hospital due to high blood pressure the letter said According to the six judges the matter was brought to the notice of the IHC chief justice and the then-CJP The former informed the judges that he had spoken to the DG-C of ISI and had been assured that no official from ISI will approach the judges of the IHC” The letter complained that interference on the part of intelligence operatives continued even after IHC CJ s assurance It also referred to the abduction of an IHC judge’s brother-in-law by armed men who claimed to be ISI operatives The victim was administered electric shocks and forced to record a video making false allegations, apparently against the judge “Subsequently, a complaint was filed against the judge of IHC before the SJC accompanied by an orchestrated media campaign to bring pressure to bear upon the judge to resign The letter revealed that in May 2023, an IHC inspection judge reported to the chief justice that district court judges were being intimidated and crackers were thrown into the house of one additional district and sessions judge The judge was even called to the IHC to verify the claims which he confirmed But instead of probing the allegations, the judge was made officer on special duty and transferred to IHC, before being sent back to Punjab as he was a judicial officer on deputation” The letter said that last year during routine maintenance an IHC judge found that his official residence had been bugged with spy cameras concealed in his drawing room and bedroom When data from surveillance equipment was recovered it showed that “private videos of the judge and his family members were stored The matter was brought to the attention of the IHC chief justice There has been no determination of who installed the equipment and who is to be held accountable the letter added Along with their letter to the SJC the six judges also attached copies of letters written to Justice Farooq on May 10, 2023 and Feb 12, 2024 The letters mentioned among other complaints efforts of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) personnel to pressurise IHC judges and probe into the tax records of at least one judge to seek a certain outcome They added that it was imperative to determine whether there was a “policy on the part of the executive implemented by intelligence operatives” to intimidate judges [The] allegations of interference by operatives of ISI have been dealt with and relief has been granted to a former judge of IHC who was wronged We believe that while such action was necessary, it may not be sufficient ” the letter said about Justice Siddiqui’s case The judges noted that the SJC s code of conduct for judges did not outline the response to such incidents that are tantamount to intimidation and interfere with judicial independence They called for a judicial convention to discuss the interference of intelligence officials “that undermines independence of the judiciary The consultation would help the Supreme Court to determine a course of action that judges could take when they find themselves at the receiving end”, the letter said ‘At t a c k o f a ny ki n d ’ o n j u d i c i a r y ’s i n d e p e n d e n c e wo n’t b e to l e r ate d : C J P ‘Reser ved Seats’: PHC ser ves contempt notices to KP speaker, deput y speaker CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 Subsequently, the ECP issued a notification announcing the postponement of polls, citing its earlier order from March and the upheld decision of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) The notification highlighted the failure to administer oaths as required under Article 218(3) of the Constitution resulting in an incomplete electoral college KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati had filed a review petition against the recent directive from the PHC The court had instructed him to administer oaths to opposition MPAs elected to reserved seats setting the stage for a legal battle amid political tensions In response to the PHC s March 27 verdict Speaker Swati represented by Advocate Ali Azim Afridi, lodged the petition In the review plea, Swati contended that the high court order failed to grasp the factual context regarding the requisitioned session It highlighted the absence of information regarding the summoning of a session for the upcoming Senate elections or the inclusion of the matter in question as Agenda Item No 1 of the first business day ISLAMABAD A P P Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that under the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan wanted to further strengthen trade and business ties with brotherly country United Arab Emirates (UAE) During a meeting with the UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi here he said that there was a need to create a common road map for the improvement of the economy During the meeting discussion was held on issues of mutual interest including bilateral relations, promotion of cooperation in various sectors The minister said that Pakistan and the UAE enjoyed strong ties based on common heritage and multilateral cooperation People of Pakistan consider UAE as their second home the minister said adding the first flight of Emirates Airline was flown by a pilot of PIA which was a great example of cooperation between the two countries He said that late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had very close relationship with the leadership and people of Pakistan The minister briefed the UAE ambassador about the economic initiatives of the present government He said that tax reforms were being brought in Federal Bureau of Revenue a d efforts were being done for digitalization of the economic sector Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem AlZaabi said that according to the vision of the leadership of both countries, the UAE believed in the further development of bilateral relations The UAE has always helped Pakistan in difficult times stands by Pakistan's economic development he remarked The ambassador strongly condemned the recent terrorist incident in Bisham Attaullah Tarar appreciated the vision and efforts of the UAE leadership for the development and transformation of the country
strengthen fur ther trade
UAE,
Court
or the chief justice and
his will We will not tolerate
of this kind,
Pakistan wants to
ties with
says Tarar
other hand, there is no agreement on the principles themselves, it is futile to debate somebody on what a particular text actually means (application of principles) before first developing a consensus on what those principles are or ought to be
Knowing the fundamentals of text reading then are indispensable if one wants to avoid the endless frustration of getting the author s intent wrong, and/or finding oneself in situations where discussions with those who do not see eye-to-eye with one on the intended meaning of the author bear no fruit at all Way too frequently though nearly not enough care or effort is expended which means that either these fundamentals are not known at all or are known only in
e d o n wo rd s
i
l e r e p o r t e d t o h av e b e e n u t t e r e d a l m o s t ex cl u s i v e ly by t h e d ev i lp o s s e s s e d fo l k s N o t o n e s t o b e o u t d o n e , t h e r e a r e c o u n t l e s s M u s l i m s w h o i n s i s t t h a t c e r t a i n ev e n t s mu s t h av e h a p p e n e d b e c a u s e t h e Q u r a n q u o t e s c e r t a i n p e o p l e m a k i n g a l l e g a t i o n s t o t h a t e f f e c t T h ey f a i l t o n o t e t h a t a f t e r q u o t i n g t h e m , t h e Q u r a n n o t o n ly r e j e c t s t h e a s s e r t i o n s bu t ex p l a i n s w hy t h ey a r e f a l s e
by using religion as a weapon
purely Hindu society; a society where no community belonging to any other religious school of thought would be allowed to survive If all goes well according to the RSS desires and the planning of the BJP under the guidance and command of Mr Modi, we would find not even a single Sikh Muslim or even Christian in the country in the next 20 years Demolition of ancient mosques churches and gurdwaras and their conversion into Hindu temples, seems the first step to that destination
On February 9, at least five people were killed and dozens others injured during a protest sparked by the demolition of a mosque and of a religious school in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand Reports say that on February 8 these buildings in Haldwani Town were bulldozed by the municipal authorities without issuing any prior notices On the other hand the government officials said that the two buildings were built without getting proper permission However, the local people are of the opinion that in Haldwani Town not even a single building was constructed after getting permission from the Municipal authorities as it is a very old area They say that if it were a building of a Mandir, it would never have been demolished so ruthlessly Whatever is being done against the worship-places of religious minorities in India, is the part of an ‘officially- supervised’ move against the minorities there; it is not the result of any hatred among different communities as Hinduism never preaches hatred; it is simply the result of an effort of winning the political battle
In the first week of May 2023 the Indian state of Manipur witnessed a horrible wave of violent attacks on churches which resulted in demolition, destruction and even burning of around 249 churches in just the first 36 hours Archbishop Lumon expressed his deep grief over ‘the silence of Modi, the cluelessness of
It seems a matter of just a few years that we would not find even a single Muslim, Sikh or Christian living an honourable life in IndiaÊs Hindu society But at the same time we cannot ignore the strong presence of the ÂIndia National Developmental Inclusive AllianceÊ type of organizations which are giving a real tough time to Modi and his desires
04 Thursday 4 Apri 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 S e n a t e e l e c t i o n P E R H A P S the most remarkable thing about this Senate election is that one Assembly could not elect any members Senate elections are supposed to be boring Even though they are held according to the single-transferable vote method of proportional representation the results should be fairly predictable and should follow party lines However in the sole Assembly where it has a majority the PTI is refusing to administer oath to the members for reserved deats 21 on women’s seats four on minority seats notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan as it wants the seats allocated to the Sunni Ittehad Council which the independents it backed have joined This is not merely a principled stand, but has an effect on the Senate results, because the Senate results would be affected Because the 91 SIC MPAs were excluded, the JUI(F) s seven general seats entitled it to 11 reserved seats, while the PML(N) s seven seats got it nine reserved sears However, the reserved seat members had not been able to take oath, because no session of the House was being summoned The ECP postponed the poll until the notified members could take oath How long can the House not meet? It must pass a budget for example in a couple of months, and when the House meets, the notified members will turn up to be given oath Even without the KP members, the ruling coalition has a majority in the Senate, and thus can legislate It can also elect its candidate Chairman, provided the election takes place However, the accession of strength from KP would have enabled the ruling coalition to think about a two-thirds majority Though the Senate can elect a Chairman and Deputy Chairman even as it is, the fact that one province is missing half its delegation makes a mockery of a House that is supposed to represent the provinces, as symbolized by the qual representation given to each province, as well as their being elected by the provincial assemblies One of the unfortunate features of this election was the way caretakers figured The caretaker PM was elected from Balochistan, and the caretaker Punjab CM from Punjab This is in addition to the initial caretaker Interior Minister becoming Balochistan CM The Senate may be becoming the backdoor through which caretakers sneak back into politics This should be acknowledged as a problem, and tackled The failure of the KP A ssembly to elec t S enators threatens the rest of the process M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor Lawlessness I N Pakistan, not a single day goes by when we do not hear about some heart-wrenching incident involving heinous crimes Earlier this month, a distressing incident took place in Hyderabad where a young girl law student Yusra Batool was gunned down in cold blood while she along with her brother also a law student was returning home after appearing in examinations They were intercepted by a man in a vehicle who opened fire, killing the girl on the spot Her brother sustained two bullets in the head and is said to be in a critical condition When will this brazen lawlessness end? When will the state take strict action to protect the people? G AKBAR PALIJO LARKANA English dominance I am writing to highlight the profound impact of the English language on socio-economic disparities in Pakistan Despite the nation s linguistic diversity, English reigns supreme as a symbol of privilege and opportunity Originating as the language of colonial rulers, English has entrenched itself as a prerequisite for success in higher education, judiciary, major industries and governmental and private sectors perpetuating the socioeconomic divide In Pakistan s post-colonial landscape English serves as a potent political and economic tool wielded by the privileged elite to maintain dominance The elite s control over quality education perpetuates a cycle of exclusion Access to private English-medium schools facilitates inclusion into influential circles, while those lacking proficiency in English face marginalisation and are denied broader opportunities for advancement Recognising the paramount importance of English middle-class parents aspire to enrol their children in English-medium schools viewing proficiency in the language as a pathway to a brighter future Schools play a pivotal role in shaping societal norms and values, with the adoption of English as the medium of instruction cementing its status as a cultural capital As Pakistan grapples with the dominance of English, educators and policymakers must critically assess its value and implications ensuring equitable access to quality English education to prevent it from becoming a barrier to social inclusion and equitable opportunities TALHA HYDER KARACHI Karachi congestion I would like to draw attention to a pressing concern that affects the daily lives of countless residents in Karachi: traffic congestion resulting from overpopulation As a resident myself I have experienced firsthand the challenges posed by congested roads and gridlocked intersections Karachi being one of the most populous cities in Pakistan is grappling with the consequences of rapid urbanisation and unchecked population growth which has led to a strain on our infrastructure, particularly our road networks This results in significant disruptions to daily routines and productivity and poses health and safety risks To address this issue, we need substantial investment in transportation infrastructure including the expansion of public transit systems and effective traffic management strategies Additionally urban planning initiatives must prioritise sustainable development practices to manage population growth effectively By raising awareness and advocating for practical solutions, we can work towards creating a more livable and sustainable city for all Karachiites SYEDA NABEEHA IRFAN KARACHI 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 I NDIA is an intelligently chosen name for the new political alliance against the BJP The abbreviation ‘INDIA’ stands for ‘India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance This alliance is being led by the Indian National Congress and its basic target is to challenge the BJP s hegemonic designs in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024 All parties included in this alliance are of the opinion that the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi is damaging India s image as a secular democracy The member parties of this alliance are determined to revive and preserve the identity of India as a secular state as expressed in the Constitution of India By crushing down the Constitution, the BJP always remains engaged in targeting, punishing and suppressing specific minority groups; the Muslims are at the top of the list Recently on March 28 a Hindu mob torched a mosque and injured about 12 people besides setting other peoperty on fire in the Chittorgarh area of Rajasthan According to Kashmir Media Service, a rally of Hindu goons while passing a Masjid set it on fire and indulged in violence against the Muslims in Chittorgarh The KMS revealed that 12 people sustained injuries during the incident Reportedly several shops and bikes had also been burned It was also reported that someone among the attackers made a video clip of this violent activity and posted it on social media with derogatory remarks The most pathetic thing is the indifferent attitude of the BJP government in response to this incident; some experts are of the opinion that this indifference is intentional The BJP government is doing all possible to make things painfully difficult for all minorities living in India and this all is being done under the command of Mr Modi and support of the RAW In a recent write- up appearing in the East Asia Forum Robin Jeffry said From a young age Modi has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) a Hindu-supremacist organization whose inspiration stems from Italian fascism of the 1920s The social and cultural goals of the RSS call for the creation of a state in which the strong central rule of a Hindu supremacist party and its leader brings about the rebirth of a golden Hindu civilization Mr Modi is no doubt working very hard to change Indian society into a
interior Minister Amit Shah and indecisiveness of the local government regarding that wave of violence Same were the reservations of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church with reference to the dumbness of the authorities He said, It is shameful that even though Christian churches have been destroyed and thousands have been left homeless those at the helm of the administration are still not ready to condemn such activities or reject the rioters Reports say that it is the RAW behind all such brutal activities and this organization is under Modi s direct command Even in India people say that RAW no longer means The Research & Analysis Wing, but now means the Rogue Assassins Wing of the BJP The RAW is doing its best to convert India into a purely Hindu state under the guidance and command of Mr Modi It seems a matter of just a few years that we would not find even a single Muslim, Sikh or Christian living an honourable life in India’s Hindu society But at the same time we cannot ignore the strong presence of the ‘India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance type of organizations which are giving a real tough time to Modi and his desires The writer is a freelance columnist Get lost if you are not a Hindu! How t h e B J P i s u s i n g R AW f o r i t s n e f a r i o u s e n d s ALI SUKHANVER R E A D I N G is a simple enough task but reading to understand is a different matter altogether It requires a complex skill-set facility in the use of which varies from person to person But like any other skill it needs to be learnt The process of learning consists of picking up its abstract principles (or fundamentals) and then applying those principles to specific texts that one comes across depending on one’s interests and needs No matter how much one may have honed this skill however one is expected to still slip up occasionally Also there will be the inevitable differences among various individuals when it comes to understanding the same text, because in varying degrees we are all different from one another In many cases however, provided there is consensus on the principles it can be shown (at least a worthwhile effort can be made to show) that an error has been committed while applying those principles Even if the other party is not ultimately won over the discussion, at any rate, is meaningful in its own right If, on the
vague
they can be ex-
help Over the
the
has had the misfortune of encountering numerous individuals who deliberately
to misunderstand things But he has also come into contact with many others who sincerely wanted to figure out the author s intent while he produced the text For whatever it is worth it is for this latter category that a brief review of some essentials of text reading and understanding are being presented here: The first principle of text-reading is so obvious that in a perfect world it wouldn’t even require listing Way too many mistakes are made in this regard however reminding us that this is not a perfect world There is for instance a long and unfortunate history of private (or esoteric) interpretation of religious texts although secular texts are routinely misinterpreted this way too The principle is this: At all times, one needs to be faithful to the words used by the author This means that whether verse or prose an arbitrary meaning cannot be assigned to any of its words This rules out any meaning unfamiliar to native speakers of that tongue; in other words anything that has origins in the imagination or wishful thoughts of the reader Languages are dynamic things Words have a way of evolving, taking on new meanings with the passage of time, and/or ceasing to be used in some of their older meanings One failsafe recipe for getting the meaning of a text wrong is giving today s meanings to a word written (say) 300 years ago or vice versa This is also a common error that needs to be looked out for So much for what a certain word cannot be (must not be) taken to mean Figuring out what it does mean instead requires some additional work For in all languages there are multiple meanings of any given word; which one of them is intended by the author is something that needs to be figured out No dictionary can settle this question Nor can it tell whether a particular word has been meant by the author literally or figuratively Elaborate theologies have come into existence on the basis of literal interpretation of words of revealed texts– words that were quite obviously used metaphorically It is the construction of the sentence (idiom, figures of speech, etc) as well as the context that will decide issues such as this The context can be anything ranging from what immediately precedes the sentence at hand to the larger scheme of the work This is how words sentences paragraphs sections and chapters are understood if it is prose (words lines couplets stanzas and finally the complete poem, if it is verse) When it comes to poetry, the creator ’s poetic licence must also at all times be recognized One does not give a good account of oneself when one takes a poet’s exaggerations which serve a legitimate poetic purpose too literally in order to attribute to him a silly outlook Finally it is vitally important to note while reading a text, whose lips a certain set of words emanates from and whom it is addressed to Without an explicit disclaimer to that effect, it is generally understood (correctly) that characters in a play or a novel do not necessarily reflect the author ’s opinions– not all characters at any rate Nobody therefore takes something said by a criminal to a policeman in such a work to be the author s philosophy or his message to the world at large Unfortunately, all bets are off when it comes to divine texts, those poems and non-fiction prose works in which the author chooses the dialogue form– a popular device in philosophical texts There is no shortage of Christians therefore who have built intricate religious philosophies based on words in the Bible reported to have been uttered almost exclusively by the devil-possessed folks Not ones to be outdone, there are countless Muslims who insist that certain events must have happened because the Quran quotes certain people making allegations to that effect They fail to note that after quoting them the Quran not only rejects the assertions but explains why they are false Reading to understand is not a piece of cake But it can be done if one tries hard enough And If one wants to understand, of course The author is a connoisseur of music literature and food (but not drinks) He can be reached at www facebook com/hasanaftabsaeed Reading to understand E a s i e r s a i d t h a n d o n e T h e r e i s n o s h o r t a g e o f C h r i s t i a n s , t h e r e fo r e , w h o h av e bu
r
n
a
sort of way– in a form where
pected to be of little
decades,
author
wanted
i l t i n t r i c a t e
e l i g i o u s p h i l o s o p h i e s b a s
i
t h e B
b
HASAN AFTAB SAEED
velopment
Fin Pakistan’s educational landscape With the aim of standardizing educational practices and enhancing the quality of education across the country the SNC was designed to be implemented in three phases starting from Grades 1-5 in 2021-22, Grades 6-8 in 2022-23, and Grades 9-12 in 2023-24 However, the implementation of this curriculum has exposed a myriad of challenges particularly in provinces like Balochistan where the cultural linguistic and economic landscapes differ significantly from the national average Therefore it is useful to examine the implications of implementing SNC without equipping the staff for effective outcomes
Balochistan known for its rich cultural diversity historical significance and diverse traditions stands as evidence of Pakistan s cultural mosaic Yet the SNC s uniform approach fails to acknowledge the unique characteristics of Balochistan, leading to a disconnect between the curriculum and the region’s educational needs While the Federal government mandated the adoption of the SNC for Grades 1-5 in all provinces except Sindh financial constraints forced Sindh and Balochistan to adopt it in 2022 This delay in implementation highlighted the disparities in resource allocation and the challenges inherent in aligning a national curriculum with local contexts due to budgetary constraints
The educational landscape of Balochistan reflects a complex web of socio-economic challenges, perpetuating educational disparities and obstructing the region s de-
a
The disparity between high-end English medium private schools, low-fee private and public schools and religious Madrassas exacerbates existing class differences widening the gap between privileged and marginalized communities Despite government initiatives to increase enrollment through incentives such as fee waivers, stipends, and free books, approximately 22 5 million children remain out of school, stressing the urgent need for targeted interventions to address educational inequities
While the introduction of the SNC represents a commendable effort to standardize educational practices and enhance the quality of education, its implementation in Balochistan has raised significant concerns
One fundamental challenge posed by the SNC is its failure to account for the cultural diversity of Balochistan The cultural landscape of Balochistan is characterized by its linguistic diversity, with multiple languages spoken across the region However, the SNC s onesize-fits-all approach disregards specific linguistic needs of the province, perpetuating educational inequality and limiting upward social mobility
The curriculum s emphasis on English as the primary language of instruction for grades 1 to 3 particularly in teaching subjects such as Mathematics and Science, has raised concerns about accessibility and comprehension for students accustomed to local languages and teachers’ unpreparedness towards the curriculum The disconnect between the curriculum and the linguistic preferences in the province creates barriers for students to effective learning, blocking their academic progress and limit-
ing their future opportunities
In addition to linguistic barriers, the SNC’s implementation has highlighted the challenges inherent in adapting a uniform curriculum to meet the diverse needs of students The curriculum s focus on traditional subjects such as Islamiat and Social Studies, taught in English, poses significant challenges for students accustomed to the instruction in Urdu The lack of resources and trained educators further compounds these challenges exacerbating educational disparities and hindering the academic achievement of students
Moreover, the decision to shift from Urdu to English as the medium of instruction of the curriculum in Balochistan directly impacts students particularly those facing economic constraints that limit their access to resources and support This transition exacerbates existing inequalities by imposing additional barriers to learning for students who cannot even afford uniforms or textbooks, thereby further marginalizing economically disadvantaged individuals
On the other hand educators are surrounded by limited financial and technical resources this situation further obstructs their capacity to effectively equip students with the essential skills for future employment opportunities Furthermore, teachers in government schools frequently lack proficiency in English as a result students with comparatively better backgrounds are forced to take supplementary education from English academies while those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are left without such opportunities Consequently,
the discrepancy between the curriculum and Balochistan s economic requirements worsens the region s unemployment rates, blocking economic growth and perpetuating cycles
provinces
employment-to-population ratio of 44
percent followed by Sindh (42
whereas Balochistan stands at 38 6 percent Additionally equipping educators with contextual training programmes will bridge the gap between the national curriculum and the requirements of Balochistan, ensuring that students receive quality education that prepares them for success in the 21st-century workforce To equip the existing teachers training programmes are not sufficient for the whole of Balochistan Therefore, additional training programmes and the inclusion of in-service teachers in technical and vocational education (TVET) would be helpful Particularly focusing on the local context will bridge the gap between the national curriculum and the needs of Balochistan Wellprepared educators are the cornerstone of successful curriculum implementation Balochistan is investing only Rs 605 million Rupees in teacher training programmes – where educational reforms should ensure that educators are equipped with the pedagogical tools to deliver an engaging and impactful curriculum Addressing these challenges requires a series of comprehensive reforms of educational policies Although the curriculum is good enough to counter inequalities, equipping teachers for better communication delivery of the lesson is essential Inclusive policies community involvement and culturally relevant content are essential for creating a curriculum that resonates with the
A reimagined curriculum, at the forefront of these reforms, becomes the guiding compass for the educational journey of Balochistan As we embark on this transformative effor t, let us envision an educational landscape where ever y childÊs potential is unlocked, where communities actively par ticipate in shaping the future , and where BalochistanÊs youth emerg e as empowered ag ents of chang e . Through educational reforms, we sow the seeds for a brighter and more resilient Balochistan.
‘ Th e at t a c k o n I ra n’s co n s u l ate s h o u l d p a r t i c u l a r l y ra i s e a re d f l a g f o r Wa s h i n g to n a s i t d e m o n s t rate s I s ra e l ’s re a d i n e s s to i g n i te t h e e nt i re re g i o n , e ve n i f i t m e a n s t h at t h e U S a n d a l l i t s t ra d i t i o n a l a l l i e s i n t h e re g i o n wo u l d s u f f e r d e va s t at i n g co n s e q u e n ce s’
Is Hezbollah ready for full-scale war with
region Furthermore integrating practical professional and personal development skills and vocational training into the curriculum will empower students with the tools needed for employment and entrepreneurship, fostering economic self-sufficiency and community development Introducing STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) education digital literacy and critical thinking skills into the curriculum will equip students with the tools needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving global landscape, fostering a generation of innovators and problem solvers
But before introducing STEM and digital literacy the availability of uninterrupted internet, mobile networks and computer hardware is also required in which Balochistan is lagging behind all other provinces Embracing technology and modern educational methodologies will enhance learning experiences making education more accessible and engaging for students
In conclusion as Balochistan strives for progress and development, the reform of the national curriculum in Balochistan emerges as a critical priority The creation of an inclusive culturally sensitive and contextually relevant curriculum is not just an educational necessity but a fundamental step towards building a cohesive and thriving society It is time to listen to the voices of Balochistan, appreciate its rich heritage, and pave the way for a brighter future through an education system that truly understands and reflects the needs of its people Educational reforms in Balochistan must be holistic addressing not only the content but also the methodologies infrastructure and community engagement that shape the educational experience A reimagined curriculum, at the forefront of these reforms becomes the guiding compass for the educational journey of Balochistan As
Th e Le b a n e s e g ro u p’s ro c ke t ‘re vo l u t i o n’ h a s f u e l l e d a d ra m at i c c h a n g e i n i t s m i l i t a r y
c a p a b i l i t i e s s i n ce t h e l a s t co n f l i c t i n 2 0 0 6
IRGC officers only proxies and arms shipments,” he continued “Since the Gaza war a shift was already there to target high-ranking Iranian commanders Some sources claim the attack was a response to an assault on an Israeli ship last night at the port of Eilat, attributed to Iraqi militias This suggests another new rule of engagement by Israel: direct retaliation against Iran for any attacks by its proxies ” Azizi added that the strike is also seen as a message to both Iran and [President Bashar] alAssad s regime in Syria: Israel s capability and willingness to escalate its response to the presence of Iranian forces in Syria Numerous experts including Azizi wondered whether Israel informed the United States ahead of the attack A White House spokesperson said that Biden is aware of reports attributing the strike to Israel and that his team is looking into it Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft said on social media that “this is the exact type of conduct that usually prompts the U S to label a country a pariah or rogue state ” This is BIG – the kind of war-abetting escalation Biden claimed he was preventing Did Israel strike
rocket attacks from their neighbourhoods Thus, rather than winning hearts and minds like classic western counterinsurgency tactics, the Dahiya doctrine aims to create a civilian environment hostile to targeting Israel by bombing hearts and minds Tactically this has degraded some of Israel s adversaries But strategically it has inadvertently created stronger enemies (see Barak s quote above) - and it could lead to another full-scale war Hezbollah is not the same force that it was in 2006 The group’s current military capabilities are superior to the vast majority of non-state forces and to several small states ground forces
Its military wing is primarily a land force, combining light and motorised infantry with short-to-mid-range rocket artillery assets Hezbollah’s manpower is estimated to number up to 100 000 fighters and reservists The tip of Hezbollah s spear is the Radwan Force an elite unit whose manpower is estimated at between 2,000 and 3,000 fighters The unit is experienced in sniping operations, close-quarter battles in built-up areas, and incursions behind enemy lines Hezbollah’s ground forces also include anti-tank and anti-armour units The organisation - according to my count since 2006
- has demonstrated more than 19 types of anti-tank guided missiles and unguided rocket systems, including Russian-made, laser-guided Kornets and American-made, wire-guided TOWs in its arsenal
In terms of armour Hezbollah learned to fight with tanks during the Syrian war For protection the bulk of its armour arsenal is in Syria, not Lebanon, due to Israeli air superiority in Lebanese skies The armour arsenal is primarily composed of relatively old Soviet-made T-54/T-55 and T-72 tanks
Its shells are estimated to number more than 145,000 of various calibres These are mainly used in short-range, defensive operations As for Hezbollah’s rocket artillery, “revolution” is an appropriate term to describe what has happened with
southern Lebanon on the one hand and Israel on the other have been gradually escalating As of mid-February the number of rocket attacks launched from southern Lebanon was consistently exceeding the number launched from Gaza The current average - about 100 rockets a day - is not far from the 2006 average of about 120 a day
STRONGER ENEMIES: Israel s socalled Dahiya doctrine which involves using disproportionate force on civilian infrastructure in territories hostile to Israel to punish its enemies, is currently being applied to Gaza, and with a lesser intensity to southern Lebanon In essence civilians are punished for permitting armed fighters to launch
LAND AIR AND SEA: Hezbollah s units, however, are much more capable and experienced in anti-tank infantry warfare, than in tank warfare Historically, Israeli forces have been masters of the latter Hezbollah according to my research has more than 13 types of air defence systems including shoulder-fired/man-portable guided missile systems and short-range anti-aircraft artillery Air defence, however, remains among its weakest combat branches Beyond the land domain Hezbollah has limited assets in the air (unmanned aerial vehicles) and sea (a small fleet of fast lightly armed assault craft) It also has some capabilities in electronic and cyber warfare, alongside an intelligence apparatus well-experienced in psychological warfare, information operations and counter-espionage In addition it has secure communication networks including a fibre optics network independent of the Lebanese state Hezbollah s land power is concentrated in rocket and infantry artillery, including light, medium and heavy mortars
Thursday 4 Apr l 2024 COMMENT 05 I R A N I A N and Syrian officials on Monday accused Israel of bombing Iran’s consulate in Damascus an attack one expert called a war-abetting escalation that U S President Joe Biden claimed he was preventing in the Middle East Seven people including Iranian diplomats and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) senior commander Gen Mohammad Reza Zahedi were killed in the airstrike which according to the BBC occurred at approximately 5 p m local time and flattened the multistory building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital s Mezzeh district Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein AmirAbdollahian described the strike as “a violation of all international obligations and conventions Faisal Mekdad his Syrian counterpart condemned what he called a heinous terrorist attack Israeli officials declined to comment on the attack Israel has increased airstrikes targeting IRGC and Hezbollah militants inside Syria since the Hamas-led Oct 7 attacks Israeli strikes against Hezbollah have also killed hundreds of militants and civilians in Lebanon Hamidreza Azizi a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, called the consulate attack a significant escalation in tensions This attack is viewed by some in Iran as a declaration of war by Israel against Iran ” Azizi wrote on social media It represents a shift from previous engagements directly hitting Iranian soil represented by its consulate in Syria as opposed to targeting IRGC officers in Syrian sites In earlier stages, Israel would refrain from targeting
the Iranian embassy annex – ie Iranian territory – to elicit a response to justify a larger war? Has Biden caved to Israel on regional war as well?https://t co/TgA8FZkJ7C Trita Parsi (@tparsi) April 1 2024 The U S accuses such states of seeking to destroy the rules-based order Parsi noted But so far Biden has acquiesced to Israel s conduct in this area as well as all other aspects of Israel s slaughter in Gaza Parsi accused Israel of “seeking to either destroy these norms or create a new normal in which it much like the U S will be untouchable above these laws and norms He also called the Damascus strike the kind of war-abetting escalation Biden claimed he was preventing The U S has also bombed Syria as well as Yemen, Iraq, and Somalia since Oct 7 Palestinian Policy Network fellow Tariq Kenney-Shawa said: “What the Biden administration means by taking every measure to avoid regional escalation is that they re making sure only Israel is allowed to escalate Deploying aircraft carriers, airstrikes in Yemen/Syria/Iraq, all of that is to make sure Israel can provoke but no one can respond ” While Parsi wondered if Israel attacked Iran’s consulate its sovereign territory to elicit a response to justify a larger war Antiwar com editor Dave DeCamp went further accusing Israel of trying to provoke a war with Iran to get the U S directly involved An important aspect of Israel s conduct –and Biden s acquiescence to it – that has gone largely unreported: Israel is engaged in a deliberate and systematic effort to destroy existing laws and norms around warfare Even during wartime embassies are off-limits Israel just pic twitter com/oA6JEhtUs5 Trita Parsi (@tparsi) April 1 2024 Iranian journalist Mona Hojat Ansari wrote for The Tehran Times that the far-right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that by plunging the region into a maelstrom of chaos and entangling the United States in another pointless war in West Asia that would drain American resources, it may find a chance to survive as an apartheid establishment ” “The attack on Iran’s consulate should particularly raise a red flag for Washington ” she added as it demonstrates Israel s readiness to ignite the entire region even if it means that the U S and all its traditional allies in the region would suffer devastating consequences Brett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams ‘ A d e c l a r a t i o n o f w a r ’ a g a i n s t I r a n
O R M E R Prime Minister
Single National
Imran Khan s introduction of the
Curriculum (SNC) in 2021 was considered to have marked
milestone
of poverty and inequality In contrast,
like Punjab have a higher
2
1 percent)
we embark on this transformative effort let us envision an educational landscape where every child s potential is unlocked, where communities actively participate in shaping the future, and where Balochistan’s youth emerge as empowered agents of change Through educational reforms we sow the seeds for a brighter and more resilient Balochistan The writer ia a Research Fellow at the Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN), Quetta The SNC will only work if the teachers are properly trained “ W H E N we entered Lebanon, there was no Hezbollah former Israeli leader Ehud Barak once said We were accepted by perfumed rice and flowers by the Shia in the south It was our presence there that created Hezbollah ” Indeed Israel’s operational victory in Lebanon in August 1982 created a strategic threat: Hezbollah s Islamic Resistance The five-division-strong nonstate force has shown levels of military prowess and combat effectiveness that far surpass anything the Palestinian Liberation Organisation ever approached Hezbollah has fought two wars with Israel The first a 15-year guerrilla-intensive conflict between 1985 and 2000 resulted in a Hezbollah victory but with significant costs It degraded Israel s political will, rather than its military capabilities The second war was even more surprising Between July and August 2006 Hezbollah displayed a mastery of infantry warfare anti-armour tactics and cyber and information operations It kept up rocket attacks throughout the war, despite being overwhelmingly outnumbered and outgunned The 2006 war ended in at least a draw with Israel - a military result not achieved by any Arab state force since 1948 Today Israel and Hezbollah seem to be heading towards a third round But what are the military prospects if that happens? Since 7 October, exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and its allies in
its arsenal between 2006 and 2024 in terms of quantity range precision and payloads FAR FROM A RESOLUTION: In 2006, Hezbollah launched an average of 120 (overwhelmingly) unguided rockets a day for 34 days or about 4 000 in the entire war Currently estimates of Hezbollah s arsenal are in the range of 150 000 rockets and missiles with significantly varying ranges, payloads, guidance and other features For example, the Falaq-1 rocket has a range of around 10 kilometres and a small warhead of 50 kilograms compared with the Zelzal 2 missile which has a range of more than 200 kilometres and a warhead of 600 kilograms Both are unguided and imprecise As we navigate the potential unfolding of a full-scale war, it is painfully clear that each predicted scenario lacks a strategic blueprint for fostering a better peace Longer-range rockets and missiles are a strategic problem for Israel Even if Hezbollah s ground forces were pushed back to north of the Litani River, this would not end their striking capabilities Hezbollah has an estimated 65,000 rockets or missiles with a range of up to 200 kilometres and 5 000 missiles with a range longer than 200 kilometres This means they could still strike Tel Aviv from north of the Litani River, albeit not with the same intensity In the most optimistic scenarios, the principles of conventional deterrence and the capacity for mutual strikes could prevent or delay the onset of a full-scale war Currently Israel s stance along its northern frontier is partly characterised by a defensive posture, amid the risk of a possible Hezbollah ground incursion This could change quickly into a more offensive posture Such a shift would necessitate the redeployment of Israel s first- and second-tier brigades from Gaza to the north following a deescalation or ceasefire in Gaza The situation, however, remains far from a resolution As we navigate the potential unfolding of a full-scale war it is painfully clear that each predicted scenario lacks a strategic blueprint for fostering a better peace This underscores the precariousness of the current situation, while highlighting the dire need for a visionary approach to achieving a just stability in the region Dr Omar Ashour is the founding chair of the Critical Security Studies Programme at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and the director of the Strategic Studies Unit at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies
Israel?
summra hamid S i n g l e n a t i o n a l c u r r i c u l u m a n d B a l o c h i s t a n
DREAMS B r e t t W i l k i n s
EAST EYE O m a r a s h O u r
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county government announced the suspension of classes and work in response to the aftershocks
Soon after the fatal earthquake Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that Chinese mainland is willing to provide disaster relief assistance The mainland is concerned about the situation and extends sincere sympathy to the Taiwan compatriots affected by the disaster Zhu noted The Chinese on the other side of the Taiwan Straits are also closely following the earthquake disaster in Taiwan island The “Taiwan earthquake” became a top 10 hashtag in Sina Weibo with about 1 48 billion reads and 551
S even food aid workers, including foreign nationals k illed in Israel attack
China s mega-market to bring enormous oppor tunities to world: FM spokesperson
BEIJING: The good start of China s economy this year is a bright spot for the global economy China is opening wider and wider to the world and China’s mega-market will bring enormous opportunities to the world a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday The latest increase in China’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) and nonmanufacturing PMI attracted wide attention from international media S ta f f C o r r e S p o n d e n t
Thursday 4 Apr l 2024 LAHORE 06 NEWS CORPORATE CORNER RUDA , Scoda establish twin cities pact , redefining urban development dynamics LAHORE S ta f f r e p o r t Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) and Punjab Central Business District Authority (PCBDA) have cemented pivotal collaborations with eight esteemed Chinese hi-tech and education sector-leading companies marking a significant milestone in urban development and investment initiatives The Chief Operating Officer of both the authorities Mansoor Ahmad Janjua, emphasized the transformative potential of the partnerships, stating, "Together RUDA and PCBDA will not only shape the landscape of tomorrow but also redefine the way we perceive and interact with urban spaces He further added These MoUs signify more than just a legal agreement; it symbolizes a shared commitment to excellence, sustainability, and inclusive growth " Of particular significance, the partnership between RUDA and Scoda stands out as a beacon of collaborative urban development Representing a twin cities pact this alliance seeks to leverage the expertise and resources of both entities to drive sustainable development and innovation in urban infrastructure The visionary approach of the Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, aims to position Punjab as an economic hub through strategic policies and public-private partnerships Emphasizing the digital transformation of Punjab the government aims to attract global tech giants and foster innovation Notable projects like the NSIT project of PCBDA, integrating IT, education, and film city components, exemplify this vision In his address, Mr Janjua highlighted the collaborative spirit between Pakistan and China, stating "It is a testament to the power of collaboration and the belief that by working together we can achieve remarkable feats As we witness the signing of this historic document let us not only celebrate the partnership between Ravi Urban Development Authority and Scoda but also reaffirm our collective resolve to build a future that is not only prosperous but also sustainable and inclusive ” he added The partnerships between RUDA PCBDA and Chinese companies underscore the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and China, strengthening the foundation of the PakChina friendship TAIPEI ag e n C i e S A T least 10 people were confirmed dead, 934 were injured, and 56 people trapped awaiting rescue after a 7 3-magnitude quake struck the east coast of Taiwan island on Wednesday local media reported on Wednesday with the rescue being underway in the worst-hit region of Hualien A 7 3-magnitude earthquake jolted an area of sea near Hualien in China’s Taiwan at 7:58 am Wednesday (Beijing Time) followed by two aftershocks which measured 6 0-magnitude and 5 9magnitude at 8:11 am and 8:35 am respectively according to the China Earthquake Network Center (CENC) According to the statistics of local meteorological department in Taiwan, as of 19:30 on Wednesday, 190 aftershocks had occurred, including 97 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or above Taiwan-based media reported According to local Taiwan media reports a landslide occurred in Hualien a county closest to the epicenter, after the earthquake, causing vehicles to be hit by falling rocks With a population of abut 100,000, Hualien county is known for its mountainous terrain Among the dead persons three were hikers who were hit by falling rocks one was a bus driver killed by falling rocks as well Videos on social media revealed some buildings in Hualien were seriously damaged and partially collapsed Local authorities said there are still people waiting for rescue in these buildings Taiwan s local weather authorities said the earthquake is the largest one since a 7 3-magnitude quake in 1999 Aftershocks of magnitude 6 5+ to 7 0 may occur over the coming three to four days The Hualien
000 comments as of 22:00 on Wednesday Most mainland net users expressed their wishes and kindness that Taiwan compatriots could stay peace and safety Some said they are standing with Taiwan compatriots and hope them to overcome difficulties as soon as possible Fourteen years ago when a massive 8 0-magnitude earthquake struck Wenchuan, Southwest China s Sichuan Province in 2008, the Taiwan region donated NT$7 05 billion ($2 2 billion) in aid to the mainland, NT$5 05 billion of which was from the private sector and people from all walks of life according to media reports Ma Ying-jeou the then Taiwan regional leader at the time of the Wenchuan earthquake, was visiting Guangzhou on the mainland on Wednesday After visiting a Chinese revolutionary martyrs’ cemetery he sent a brief condolence to Taiwan people in his speech A massive earthquake happened off Hualien waters I hope everyone s safe AT L E A S T 1 0 D E A D , 9 3 4 I N J U R E D A F T E R S T R O N G E S T E A R T H Q U A K E I N D E C A D E S H I T S TA I W A N I S L A N D GAZA n e w S d e S k World Central Kitchen reported the death of seven of its aid workers in an Israeli Defense Forces assault in Gaza leading to a temporary cessation of its activities in the area CEO Erin Gore of WCK expressed, “This act against WCK signifies a broader assault on humanitarian entities operating in extreme crisis zones where food becomes a warfare tool Such actions are indefensible The organization confirmed the identities of the deceased, including the youngest, 25-year-old Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha from Palestine The seven World Central Kitchen workers killed by a Israel military strike The British victims were John Chapman 57; James Jim Henderson 33; and James Kirby, 47 Also perishing were Damian Sobol, 35, from Poland; Jacob Flickinger, 33, holding U S and Canadian citizenship; and Australian Lalzawmi Zomi Frankcom 43 The 7 people killed on a WCK mission in Gaza on Monday were the best of humanity They are not faceless or nameless They are not generic aid workers or collateral damage in war ” – José Andrés Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu post-surgery acknowledged the inadvertent targeting in Gaza committing to thorough investigation and preventive measures for future incidents Following the event, Netanyahu affirmed Israel’s regret and the ongoing investigation reiterating the commitment to facilitate humanitarian assistance in Gaza Israeli President Isaac Herzog extending sympathies to Andres, assured a detailed inquiry into the unfortunate event Herzi Halevi, Israel’s military chief labeled the airstrike a severe error clarifying the unintended nature of the attack and extending apologies to WCK and the affected families INTERNATIONAL
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, relayed President Joe Biden’s condolences to WCK founder Jose Andres acknowledging the organization s significant global humanitarian efforts Biden assured that he would insist on Israel s protection of humanitarian aid personnel John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, expressed profound dismay at the incident highlighting the challenge of delivering aid in Gaza and calling for improved Israeli military protocols to safeguard civilians and aid workers Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for accountability over Frankcom’s death, lauding her altruistic spirit and extending condolences to her loved ones U S Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Paris confirmed discussions with Israel regarding the airstrike, advocating for a comprehensive and unbiased probe to ascertain the facts of the incident Blinken acknowledged the significant toll on humanitarian workers in the conflict with U N Secretary General Antonio Guterres reporting the deaths
196 aid personnel,
in the ongoing Hamas-Israel
REACTION
of
including 175 U N staff,
strife
AF WO holds event to boost its drive to double enrollment in its charitable schools
KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t
Large number of philanthropists donors corporate sector representatives and diplomats attended an event
PRL upgrades supplemental agreement with OGR A to ensure long-term sustainability
ta f f r e p o e r t Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) is all set to sign a supplemental agreement with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) This agreement will pave the way for a transformative upgrade and expansion project that will double PRL's refining capacity from 50 000 barrels per day (bpd) to 100 000 bpd Crucially the project will also enable PRL to produce EURO V standard fuel, which will save the company billions of rupees annually in penalties for non-compliance with environmental regulations
These agreements followed the inking of a deal with the regulator, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), to access incentives outlined in the new refinery policy
The upcoming signing of the supplemental agreement will significantly enhance the incentives offered in the amended brownfield policy approved in February 2024, highlighting PRL s proactive approach to regulatory compliance and its determination to capitalize on the incentives outlined in the new refinery policy
The expansion undertaken by PRL represents an investment aiming at ensuring long-term sustainability, with plans to increase
Motor Spirit production by more than six times, High-Speed Diesel by three times, and the eventual elimination of Furnace Oil from its product portfolio Without these upgrades and expansion the longterm sustainable operation of the company will remain a question mark
In the meantime, PRL is ensuring that its existing operations remain sustainable by focusing on operational excellence Consequently PRL achieved and surpassed production targets for the second quarter of 2023-24 demonstrating a significant improvement in its production mix and setting new industry standards
07 NEWS Thursday 4 Apr l 2024 LAHORE CORPORATE CORNER ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t I N recognition of their exceptional contributions four distinguished faculty members of COMSATS University Islamabad were honoured with prestigious civil awards during the recently held Pakistan’s Day Celebrations President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Mr Asif Ali Zardari acknowledged the outstanding achievements of recipients both nationally and internationally in their respective fields In the ceremony held at the President House in Islamabad Farrah Mahmood Rana Associate Professor Department of Arts and Design received Pride of Performance in the field of Arts Farrah is a graduate of the National College of Arts Lahore specializes in Asian Miniature Painting Besides 4 Solo Shows Farrah has participated in more than 160 National international Group exhibitions held in U S A, Canada, U K, Austria, France Hong Kong China Azerbaijan Tehran Jeddah India Bangladesh U A E Bahrain and Greece She is recipient of the prestigious Charles Wallace Visiting Fellowship Award (UK) for the excellence in the Traditional Miniature Art The Art House (Wakefield,UK) awarded her the Artist in Residence in 2009, the Austrian Federal Chancellery awarded her in 2006 and CAMAC (France) awarded her in 2014 She has served as Chairperson at the Department of Art and Design COMSATS University (CUI), Islamabad Campus Muhammad Balighur Rehman, Governor Punjab while presiding the ceremony held at Governor House, Lahore conferred civil awards on behalf of President of Pakistan to three COMSATS University faculty members Dr Jamshed Iqbal Professor who is currently the Head of Center for Advanced Drug Research, CUI Abbottabad Campus was awarded with the Sitara-iImtiaz in the field of Science Dr Iqbal has over 400 international publications with an accumulated impact factor of 1500+ To date he has completed over PKR 200 million research projects and has secured 3 international and 3 national patents He has established modern approaches for the drug development to treat the cardiovascular and diabetes like disease C I V I L AW A R D S C O N F E R R E D O N C O M S AT S ’ FA C U LT Y M E M B E R S I N S C I E N C E , E N G I N E E R I N G A N D A R T S KARACHI
s
to get support for the philanthropic drive of a Karachi-based non-profit to increase the number of students from backward communities in its charitable schools Among the distinguished guests were Malaysian Consul, HE Herman Hardynata Ahmad, and two sons of the UAE Consul General in Karachi Atiq and Syed The primary focus of the event was to raise funds to further the noble mission of the non-profit Al-Furqan Welfare Organisation (AFWO) in providing education to children from deprived communities The five-year goal of AFWO is to double the number of students enrolled in its charitable schools and expand its geographical reach by establishing new school branches within Karachi as well as in Sindh Dr Chishti shares insights on Emerging Global Trends, Narratives in Textbooks at NUML Islamabad 3rd April 2024: Dr Muhammad Ilyas Chishti a Tenured Associate Professor at NUST Islamabad was honoured as a distinguished guest speaker at a faculty development seminar hosted by department of English NUML Rawalpindi campus on March 28, 2024 His expertise stems from his postdoctoral fellowship in Applied English Linguistics at University of Helsinki Finland mentored by Prof Dr Sanna-Kaisa TanISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Pearl-Continental Hotel, Muzaffarabad has been recertified by ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP an esteemed international standard for food safety management two years in a row ISO 22000 is recognized worldwide as a comprehensive framework that ensures the highest levels of food safety, covering processes from farm to fork The recertification audit, conducted by the globally renowned TUV Austria, encompassed on-site evaluations and a meticulous examination of documentation policies and procedures Addressing the positive audit results Chief Operating Officer Education and Hospitality Division Hashoo Group, Haseeb A Gardezi remarked, Our commitment to excellence will only grow stronger with such humbling accolades, spurring our motivation for exceptional service provision for many years to come " EAM (In-charge Hotel) Pearl-Continental Hotel Muzaffarabad Aamir Ayyub shared his thoughts on the achievement Our teams work hard to ensure premium services across the board for our valued guests We are grateful for these recertifications and will continue enhancing our service standards and maintain excellence for all ” ISO 22000 is an internationally accepted standard for food safety management systems providing a comprehensive framework to ensure the safety of food products throughout the supply chain It covers processes from primary production to consumption, emphasizing a holistic approach to food safety Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to food safety that identifies evaluates and controls potential hazards throughout food production Developed in the 1960s by NASA in collaboration with the Pillsbury Company to ensure the safety of space food, HACCP has since become a global standard in the food industry These audit outcomes celebrate Pearl-Continental Hotel Muzaffarabad’s exemplary ideals as no major or minor non-conformity was identified during the comprehensive assessment showcasing the team s unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest stanFederal Capstone prize distribution ceremony held at PEC ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t We are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the Federal Capstone Prize Distribution ceremony held at PEC on 2nd April,2024 The event aimed to recognize and reward outstanding achievements in the fields of Civil & Allied, Mechanical & Allied, Electrical & Allied, Mining, Agriculture, Chemical & Allied and Computer & Allied Distinguished guests including Lt Gen Moazzam Ejaz graced the occasion with their presence underscoring the significance of the event The ceremony commenced with the name of Almighty Allah followed by welcoming and appreciation remarks delivered by Engr, Azhar-ul-Islam, Vice President ICCI, GB member PEC A notable highlight of the event was the address by Engr Mir Masood Rashid the Convener of the PEC Pakistan Development Committee who provided insights into the ongoing efforts and initiatives fostering growth and development within the region and extending a warm reception to all attendees Pearl- Continental Hotel, Muzaffarabad attains ISO -22000 & HACCP recer tific ation for second consec tive year Anti-gas theft crackdown unravels 124,800 Cms / year gas stolen KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t SSGC's Security Services and Counter Gas Theft Operations (SS&CGTO) Wing along with SSGC Police and Recovery Department conducted a joint raid on AlHabib Sweets and Bakers in Nazimabad Karachi The culprit was found using gas directly through a service line Total calculated connecting load of gas stolen was 260 cubic feet / hr SSGC Police summarily lodged FIR against the bakery miscreant involved in theft The appropriate claim is being raised accordingly In an antigas theft crackdown by SSGC's Customer Relations Department (CRD) in Yaqoob Shah Basti in Karachi s Mangophir area revealed volumes of gas being stolen through direct line with complete disregard for law Raiding team found residents extending illegal gas connections through rubber pipes from 15 fake service connections for supplying gas to 130 houses In addition, 20 houses were caught stealing gas through 4 meters CM Mar yam Nawaz regrets death of traffic police cop LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Regrets the Death of a Traffic Policeman in the Line of Duty Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed deep grief and sorrow over the death of a traffic policeman, Rashid Malhi, who fell under a trailer in Harunabad while performing his duty Madam Chief Minister prayed May Allah grant the martyred high place in Jannat ul-Firdus and grant patience to the bereaved family National Insurance Company selec ts PTCL to expedite digital transformation journey ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) and National Insurance Company Limited have signed an agreement for provision of Smart Cloud Services bundled with allied licenses Muhammad Basharat Qureshi Group Vice President Enterprise Solutions, PTCL and Khalid Hameed, Chief Executive Officer, National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) signed the agreement at a ceremony recently held at NICL s Head office in Karachi Umar Farooqi Group Director Enterprise Solutions, PTCL, Tariq Aziz, Executive Director, National Insurance Company and Bilal Kully General Manager Information Technology National Insurance Company were also present on the occasion along with other senior officials PTCL provides the National Insurance Company with its state-ofthe-art infrastructure solutions that are equipped with the latest technology in-built managed security and DDoS filtering solution During the signing ceremony Muhammad Basharat Qureshi Group Vice President Enterprise Solutions, PTCL, said, We are pleased to sign an agreement with National Insurance Company to support them in fulfilling their business needs PTCL being a national company is leading the digitization effort across the country Through such partnerships PTCL continues to play its key role in the development of technology infrastructure by providing innovative and secure solutions to the corporate & public sector that will further contribute towards the overall economic growth of the country On the occasion, Khalid Hameed, Chief Executive Officer, National Insurance Company, said, “In light of the current fast-paced banking activities specially through mobile and online platforms regular upgrades to the security apparatus are crucial Shan Foods unveils new corporate identit y amid growing global presence KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Shan Foods one of Pakistan s longstanding food companies has unveiled its brand new corporate identity under the name of Shan Shares The culinary giant, which dominates the South Asian cuisine landscape in more than 70 countries worldwide, has been famous for its ‘Taste Happiness’ tagline since its inception from a single-room operation in 1981 The company has remained actively involved in community efforts geared towards its amplifying its Corporate Social Value (CSV) since its early days Through consistently impactful welfare work in different collaborations, Shan Foods tends to showcase itself as a peoples’ brand, dedicated to uplifting and empowering the underprivileged Speaking about the new corporate identity Sammer Sultan the co-chairperson of Shan Foods said: CSR has always been close to us and the company We have seen many areas where in our farmer-to-consumer chain where we can create a positive impact through our resources and our influence , hence, establishing the Shan Shares as yet another feather in the hat for the company KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Raqami Islamic Digital Bank Limited is proud to announce that two of its esteemed leaders have been honored with the prestigious awards of Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Sitara-e-Pakistan by the Government of Pakistan in the prestigious award conferment on auspicious occasion of the National Day The awards were conferred at an investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, attended by ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and family members of the recipients of the awards Mr Abdullah Al-Mutairi Chairman Raqami Islamic Digital Bank Ltd (RIDBL) and CEO of EnerTech Holding Company has been conferred with the Sitara-e-Pakistan in acknowledgment of his exemplary leadership in energy innovation With prior roles at the National Technology Enterprises Company and Kuwait Investment Authority, Mr Al-Mutairi’s expertise in finance and sustainability is profound Beyond boardrooms, Mr Al-Mutairi advocates for environmentally conscious practices as Vice-Chairman of the Kuwait Green Building Council and has also been recognized with the Energy Innovator of the Year award His commitment to sustainable development is unwavering, inspiring positive change worldwide Raqami Islamic D igital Bank announces two of its leaders honored with S itara- e -Imtiaz, S itara- e -Pakistan UoG student leads team as environmental initiative takes root at FC College LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t In a significant step towards environmental stewardship Muhammad Hammad Mir a 10th-semester BS Architecture student from the University of Gujrat spearheaded a ground-breaking project at FC College Lahore, the other day The initiative, titled Empowering Environmental Responsibility: Implementing Waste Segregation at FCCU,” was sponsored by UGRAD Pakistan and aimed to instill a culture of sustainability within the campus community The project saw the strategic placement of waste segregation bins throughout the college grounds coupled with an educational seminar to bolster awareness among students and faculty This endeavor was the brainchild of the Bio-Enviro Educators-BEE, a dedicated team of eight members hailing from various universities across Punjab province The successful completion of this project marks the fifth such environmental venture by the BEE team reflecting their ongoing commitment to ecological education and action Their efforts were recognized in the FCCU newsletter, highlighting the project s significance and the team s contribution to the college s green initiatives In a statement, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Mushahid Anwar lauded Mir ’s efforts, saying “I believe you outdid yourself this day Your teachers must be proud of your unswerving motivation and dedication towards this project Tower Spor ts secures satellite rights for ICC cricket events in Pakistan until 2025 KARACHI s ta f f r e p o r t Tower Sports a subsidiary of HUM Network Limited (HNL) has secured exclusive satellite rights for ICC cricket events in Pakistan until the end of 2025 This groundbreaking agreement solidifies Tower Sports position as the premier destination for cricket enthusiasts across the nation, offering unparalleled access to six flagship ICC World events Geoff Allardice CEO of the ICC expressed excitement about the partnership stating Pakistan is a very important market for world cricket with a large and passionate fan base
S entences given to Imran Khan won’t ‘sustain’ before honest judge: S anaullah
lacklustre response in defending itself and pushing its narrative compared to the one being pushed by its rival PTI Sanaullah said that the situation doesn t call for the government s defence as such
mer premier securing bail Responding to a question on other PML-N leaders statements suggesting that the PTI founder was still being “facilitated” by the judiciary or the establishment Sanaullah turned down such rumours His remarks come as the IHC on Monday suspended Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi s 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana case
When asked about whether the sentences awarded to the PTI founder were planned and were based on someone s “directions”, Sanaullah said that he wasn’t aware of any such instance “How can I say that the judges acted on someone s directions? he said Elaborating on PML-N s experience in the general elections, the politico said that not only did the PTI wrongfully use the victim card over arrests of seconders and proposers of its candidates along with the rejection of nomination papers but the soaring inflation specifically utility bills caused the people to blame the last Shehbaz Sharif-led government On the issue of the IHC judge s letter and whether the government s seemingly
The government should not defend [if what has actually happened that has been alleged by the IHC judges] “There should be an inquiry [into the matter] and action should be taken against those found guilty including if there s anyone from the judiciary itself along with politicians and the establishment, the former security czar said “The SC would hold the establishment and the politicians accountable, but will not summon its own people ” he said
Nothing will happen because everyone is involved Sanaullah said while calling for a greater dialogue terming it as the only solution preventing the establishment, judiciary, media and politicians all coming together for a “new beginning”
PR OFIT
m o n i to R i n G d e s k
The government approved the criteria for potential buyers to acquire majority stakes in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) setting the net worth requirement at a minimum of Rs30 billion or $100 million
According to a news report, the Privatisation Commission’s board ratified the prequalification criteria for bidders and established a prequalification committee led by Privatisation Minister Abdul Aleem Khan This occurred on the same day the government opened bidding for 51% to 100% stakes in PIA, setting a May 3rd deadline for investors’ Statements of Qualification submissions
20222023,
The commission issued the Expression of Interest and the draft Request for Statement of Qualification (RSOQ) to attract investors for divesting up to 100% shares
Financially, a bidder must have a net worth of at least Rs30 billion or $100 million per the board s approved criteria For consortium bids the collective
export and import figures reflect a narrative of resilience, adaptation, and steady growth In the fiscal year 2019-2020 Pakistan’s exports stood at $21 394 million while imports amounted to $44 553 million Despite facing global economic uncertainties and trade disruptions Pakistan managed to maintain a robust export performance The following fiscal year, 2020-2021, marked a notable uptick in both exports and imports Exports surged to $25,304 million, signaling a positive trajectory amidst the prevailing challenges Similarly imports witnessed a significant increase reaching $56 380 million as imports were relaxed by the government As the world grappled with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fiscal year 2021-2022 posed unique hurdles for Pakistan’s trade sector Despite these challenges, Pakistan’s exports soared to $31,782 million, marking a substantial growth trajectory This remarkable achievement underscores the resilience and adaptability of Pakistani exporters in navigating the evolving global trade landscape However imports surged to $80,136 million, highlighting the increased demand for essential commodities and raw materials amid the pandemic-induced disruptions
KP bans uplift wor th Rs5.5b approved during Mahmood Khan’s tenure
pRayeR timinGs FA J R S U N R I S E Z U H R A S R M AG H R I B S H A 4 : 5 0 5 4 7 1 : 3 0 5 : 0 0 6 : 2 8 8 : 1 5 Thursday 4 Apri 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 LAHORE s ta f f R e p o R t T HE Punjab Advocate General on Wednesday informed the Lahore High Court that an amount of Rs1 2 million per month was being spent on the expenses of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in jail T h e A G P m a d e t h e r e v e l a t i o n d u r i n g the hearing of a petition by a single judge of the Lahore High Court (LHC) comprisi n g C h i e f J u s t i c e M a l i k S h e h z a d A h m e d K h a n T h e p e t i t i o n w a s f i l e d b y P T I L a w y e r s F o r u m P r e s i d e n t A f z a a l A z e e m P a h a t s e e k i n g t h e p r o v i s i o n o f f o o l p r o o f s e c u r i t y f o r h i s p a r t y s f o u n d e r I m r a n Khan in jail The petitioner argued that the Adiala jail authorities had banned meetings with former Prime Minister Imran Khan due to security concerns He said the life of the PTI founder was in danger in the jail requesting the court to order to provision of foolproof security to Mr Khan in the jail During the hearing, the lawyer for the petitioner said that the Advocate General had shown grace that he would give an update on the matter on which the Advocate General Punjab (AGP) told the court that he had collected information and brought with him The AGP stated that Imran Khan had been kept in one cell and six cells around that very cell had been kept empty as security measure, which were also reserved for him “Therefore all the seven calls are allocated to Mr Khan he added The AGP continued that there was one security officer for 10 prisoners each in the Adiala Jail However, in case of Imran Khan, 14 security officers have been appointed solely for him The former prime minister ’s food is cooked in a special kitchen where no food is cooked for anybody else” he added On this the lawyer of PTI founder said: We are happy with what the Advocate General Punjab has shared The AGP continued to say that they had also installed CCTV cameras worth R500,000 for security of Khan and his monthly expense was amounting to Rs1 2 million To which PTI lawyer Asad Manzoor raised the point that the PTI founder was not allowed to meet his wife and the latter had filed an application in this regard During the argument, Chief Justice Malik Shehzad remarked that “there was no need to be loyal to the king more than the king this is a very important matter we cannot allow everyone in it The LHC CJ further said: We respect the petitioner Afzaal Pahat There are PTI supporter all over the country, but we do not know who are in the party ” Later, the court adjourned the plea for further hearing till after Eid R S 1 . 2 M B E I N G S P E N T O N M O N T H LY E X P E N S E S O F P T I F O U N D E R I N J A I L , A G P T E L L S L H C LAHORE s ta f f R e p o R t Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Rana Sanaullah has said that sentences awarded to Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to damage PML-N s election campaign and would not “sustain” if heard by an honest judge “The cases in which the PTI founder was sentenced [before the February 8 polls] significantly damaged us [PML-N] in the elections due to the victim card used by the PTI The manner in which the case proceedings were held and the sentences were awarded they would not sustain before a judge who upholds principles of justice, Sanaullah said while speaking to a private news channel on Tuesday “The judge would either remand back the case or would exonerate him [Khan] ” the PML-N leader added while stressing that the party has no objection to the for-
net worth must be Rs30 billion, with the lead bidder possessing at least Rs8 billion or $25 million Additionally non-airline enterprises in the bidding consortium must have an annual revenue of at least Rs200 billion or $700 million Currently, the government owns around 96% of PIA s total issued shares and plans to sell this loss-making entity by June Foreign-owned airlines cannot acquire majority stakes in Pakistani airlines due to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Act and regulations necessitating foreign investors to collaborate with local counterparts for bidding In preparation for privatisation, the government is clearing the airline of legacy loans through a segregation scheme and Scheme of Arrangement A new PIA Holding Company was approved to become the parent entity of the existing Pakistan International Airlines Company (PIACL), which will retain core assets, liabilities, staff, and rights under operational agreements including air service and code sharing agreements fuel supply passenger sales and foreign loans Gov t announces four public holidays for Eidul Fitr ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o Rt The federal government on Wednesday announced a four-day holiday for the occasion of Eidul Fitr According to a statement released by the Cabinet Division the holidays have been scheduled from Wednesday, April 10, to Saturday, April 13, providing a four-day long break for citizens to celebrate the holy festival Eidul Fitr is a significant festival in the Islamic calendar, celebrated at the end of the Holy month of Ramazan T yrian White case likely to resume after Eid ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o R t The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is likely to take up after Eid a petition filed against former prime minister Imran Khan for concealing his alleged daughter Tyrian White, according to court officials The matter has been virtually shelved since May 2023, when the IHC chief justice dissolved a three-member bench hearing the case after the opinions of two judges regarding the petition s maintainability were uploaded on the court s website A three-judge larger bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir had reserved its verdict on March 30, while Justices Kayani and Tahir had opined against the petition’s maintainability After the majority judgement was made public the IHC CJ formed a new bench comprising Justices Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri Arbab Mohammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz As per the IHC rules the senior-most judge presides over the proceedings in a case and the registrar s office fixes hearings with the presiding judge s consent A senior IHC official told that the case file was sent to the presiding judge Justice Jahangiri in this case last year and he advised the registrar office to keep the matter pending as he was supposed to intimate the date of hearing ISLAMABAD s ta f f R e p o R t Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq on Wednesday summoned the interior secretary on April 17 to explain reasons for the disruption of social media platform X formerly (Twitter) which has been inaccessible since February IHC CJ Aamer Farooq issued the directive while presiding over the hearing of a petition by Ehtisham Abbasi, challenging the “ban” on X (Twitter) During today’s hearing the joint secretary of Interior appeared before the court and presented a report on the disruption of the social platform However the IHC CJ expressed his dissatisfaction at the report saying What manner is this, what is this attitude? CJ Farooq asked the joint secretary to “assist the court, what is this? You have not brought any files or anything [ ] everything was done deliberately everything has been shut Shall I summon the secretary? During the hearing the secretary stated that X was disrupted on the basis of reports by intelligence agencies At this, the IHC CJ asked the official to produce documents adding that he had been summoned to provide details He then told the secretary to provide documents and concrete evidence, rather than make verbal statements in court It is to be noted that X has been disrupted in Pakistan since February 17 when former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha accused the chief election commissioner and chief justice of Pakistan of being involved in rigging the February 8 general elections NetBlocks, an organisation that monitors accessibility issues on the internet, On February 17 confirmed that a “national-scale disruption has hit X in Pakistan in the aftermath of widespread protests in the country triggered by the alleged vote rigging in general elections Rights bodies and journalists organisations have condemned the muzzling of social media while internet service providers have also lamented losses due to disruptions The United States had also called on Pakistan last month to lift restrictions on social media platforms On March 20 the interior ministry informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) that the social media platform was blocked in February pending further orders on the reports of intelligence agencies The interior ministry’s admission came days after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar acknowledged that X was “already banned when the new government took over the reins from the caretaker set-up saying there was no official notification for the clampdown At the previous hearing, the IHC had sought a detailed report from the interior ministry regarding the outage of the social media platform During proceedings the joint secretary then went on to say that content uploaded online was a threat to national security I have told you not to make speeches, give me reasons,” the IHC CJ replied He also expressed his dissatisfaction at the report submitted in court today saying: “My secretary can draft a better report than this He questioned whether the secretary was appearing in court for the first time “The report says that content which is against national security is uploaded to social media which is why it was shut down He said that there must be some evidence of this, asking whether the interior ministry shut down the social media platform on the reports received by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Referring to the report presented today the IHC CJ said There are no reasons [stated] in this This is based on speculation He then remarked, Call the interior ministry secretary He (joint secretary) can’t handle this ” He also directed to submit the directives issued by other courts on the issue There is malice in every institution What can I say the chief justice said I will summon the interior secretary only then will something happen There are [similar] cases in other courts Let s see who lifts [the restriction first] Let’s see which court decides first ” he said “Whatever the threats are give detailed reasons and evidence the IHC CJ said adding that a report based on speculations should not be submitted Elections have concluded Let s finish this now Let the interior secretary come then we will see If the secretary is unable [to give reasons], then I will summon the prime minister, he remarked The joint secretary urged the court to give “one more chance” The court then summoned the interior ministry secretary at the next hearing on April 17 and directed him to produce evidence on the threat to national security The petition was filed by Ehtisham Abbasi, a resident of Islamabad, and named the information ministry and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) as the respondents in the case It urged the high court to issue directives to the respondents to immediately lift the ban on X (Twitter) access in the interest of justice It argued that the “act of the respondents against journalists particularly in the recent past is highly violative” of Article 19 of the Constitution (freedom of speech)
C J summons interior secretar y on April 17 in X block ade case G ov t a p p r ove s c r i t e r i a fo r b u ye r s t o a c q u i r e m a j o r i t y s t a ke s i n P I A SWAT s y e d s h a h a b u d d i n The Ali Amin Gandapur-led PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has banned at least 471 developmental projects approved and undertaken during the tenure of former chief minister Mahmood Khan in Swat district The work on most of these developmental projects worth Rs5 5 billion was started and so far the government owes Rs320 million to the contractors which have been spent on these projects Under Order No 10-51/4252-58/, issued by the KP Planning and Development Department, instructions have been issued to the Director General (SDU) Planning and Development Department and the divisional commissioners of KP that work on all the ongoing developmental projects approved and initiated under the District Development Committee should be completely stopped immediately After this development work stopped immediately on at least 471 schemes, including streets, roads, and water supply in the Swat district Former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan through the members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) had at that time approved these schemes According to sources, Rs5 5 billion had been allocated for these projects, and work on most of them was started too So far Rs320 million were spent on these projects Local masharan (elders) have resented the provincial government s decision, saying a blanket ban on developmental projects would only result in aggravating the problems of the masses With the closure of these projects Swat will not only face shortage of water, but also the people will face difficulties due to non-construction of streets,” they argued g N e t w o r t h r e q u i r e m e n t s e t a t R s 3 0 b o r $ 1 0 0 m
IHC
Ahmad Farooqui reposted as secretar y MoC ISLAMABAD G h u l a m a b b a s In a swift move by the federal government Saleh Ahmad Farooqui a BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, has been reinstated as Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) less than a month after his transfer from the ministry Notably, Farooqui holds the distinction of being the longest-serving secretary in the history of the ministry Farooqui was transferred from the MoC and directed to report to the establishment division on March 4 2024 Muhammad Khurram Agha assumed the position following Farooqui s departure, only to be reassigned as Secretary Interior, leaving the post vacant once more After a mere 28 days since his transfer, Farooqui has been reappointed as Secretary of Commerce, effective April 2 2024 Documents confirm his unparalleled tenure in the ministry attributed apparently to his extensive experience within the ministry and its affiliated departments Farooqui has held the position of Secretary MoC since July 2020 Prior to his tenure as Secretary MoC, Farooqui served as the Secretary of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), an attached department of the ministry Later he was posted as Special Secretary in the ministry in June 2020 Analysis of export/import trends: In recent years Pakistan s trade landscape as per PBS data has
remarkable
encapsulating both
and
the fiscal
Saleh
witnessed
shifts,
challenges
triumphs From
year 2019-2020 to
the nation’s
