PM SHEHBA Z DIRECTS NATIONWIDE PROGRAMME TO OVERCOME CHILD STUNTING
g SAYS CENTRE IN COLLABORATION WITH PROVINCES WOULD TAKE PRIORITY MEA SURES FOR BETTER CHILD GROWTH ISLAMABAD
g MEETING INFORMED A SIGNIFICANT RATIO OF PAKISTANI KIDS SUFFERED STUNTED GROWTH DUE TO LACK OF HEALTHCARE AND NUTRITION
perts attended the meeting
The provincial chief secretaries Dr Zulfiqar Ali Bhutta Dr Sajid Sufi Dr Ijaz Nabi and other experts joined the meeting via video link
The Supreme Court on Friday issued show-cause notices to independent Senator Faisal Vawda and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan s (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal for going against the Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges in a presser
The apex court has asked the leaders to appear before the bench at the next hearing A three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Irfan
Saadat Khan conducted the hearing
The notices were issued when the top court conducted the hearing on the suo motu notice taken against Vawda s press conference in which he blasted the IHC judges over their letter alleging meddling by spy agencies in judicial affairs and Justice Babar Sattar s citizenship
Stop targeting the institutions enough is enough If there is any interference by institutions, then provide evidence and we will stand together [against it],” the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader had said during the presser
Following Vawda s presser
Kamal also addressed a presser wherein he demanded the implementation of dual citizenship law in all the institutions
“IHC says there is no restriction in the Constitution a dual citizen cannot become a judge said Kamal pointing out that a member of the assembly having dual nationality is sent to home
Vawda’s news conference came after he had filed a request in the IHC registrar calling for disclosure of the correspondence between then-IHC chief justice Athar Minallah and IHC s Justice Babar Sattar about the latter s green card
The senator ’s letter referred to the social media campaign against Justice Sattar accusing him of holding a US nationality and having a business interest in a private
school in the country
In response to the smear campaign the IHC s public relations officer in the statement had said: Justice Babar Sattar has never had any nationality other than that of Pakistan He studied law at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and pursued graduate education at Harvard Law School He worked as a lawyer with a law firm in New York and while living and working in the US, was issued the Permanent Resident Card (also called green card) after being regarded as a person of extraordinary ability He left his job in the US in 2005 and returned to Pakistan and has lived and worked in Pakistan since then
The apex court s suo motu came the same day IHC responded to Senator Vawda’s letter saying:
The information sought by the high court from lawyers being considered for elevation/appointment as judge does not include information regarding residency and/or citizenship of any country other than Pakistan ”
The IHC registrar wrote the letter to Vawda on behalf of IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq maintaining that such residency/citizenship is not a disqualification for a judge under the country’s Constitution
During the hearing today Additional Attorney General for Pakistan Aamir Rehman appeared before the bench
As the hearing began, CJP Isa
asked AAG if he had watched the press conference and if it was derogatory
To this AAG Rehman said that there were muted words in the press conference that he heard
The CJP then remarked that if someone has done something bad then names should be taken adding that the targeting of an institution will not be allowed Institutions belong to the people and defaming them is not a service to the country,” remarked the CJP
He then asked the lawyer to read the constitution and law on freedom of expression and contempt of court
CJP Isa said that it seems like the press conference was done for a specific purpose “No one will be allowed to harm the institutions he added
He said that Mustafa Kamal also held a press conference after Vawda, adding that they should have spoken in the House as they are members of parliament
The Supreme Court then issued notices to both politicians summoning them before the bench It also sought the video recording and transcript of the press conferences
“Pemra should also present the details of the questions asked in the press conferences and their answers the court ordered
The apex court then adjourned the hearing till June 5
In par tnership with Profit S a t u r d a y, 1 8 M a y, 2 0 2 4 I | 9 Z i l - Q a d a h , 1 4 4 5 R s 2 0 0 0 | Vo l X I V N o 3 1 8 I 8 Pa g e s I Ka r a c h i E d i t i o n
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T P R I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the authorities concerned to launch a nationwide programme, in coordination with the provincial governments, to overcome the challenge of child stunting The prime minister chairing a meeting to discuss the issue of child stunting also called for the formulation of a comprehensive plan for the protection of children against fatal diseases, for population welfare, and for coping with the health sector issues According to the World Health Organisation child stunting refers to a child who is too short for his or her age and is the result of chronic or recurrent malnutrition Stunting is a contributing risk factor to child mortality and is also a marker of inequalities in human development PM Shehbaz said that the federal government in collaboration with the provincial governments would take priority measures for better child growth to achieve the country s bright future Similarly a nationwide awareness campaign was also equally essential to do away with the issue of stunting, he added He thanked the international experts participating in the meeting which featured the presentation of statistics on children s growth by the World Bank The participants were told that a significant ratio of children in Pakistan suffered stunted growth caused by the lack of basic healthcare and nutrition contaminated drinking water poor cleanliness and lack of awareness of children s growth Besides the statistics about the prevalence of TB, hepatitis, diabetes and other fatal diseases in Pakistan were also highlighted and suggestions were put forward to overcome them The prime minister instructed the relevant authorities to immediately present a comprehensive plan on the matter Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, PM’s Coordinator Malik Mukhtar Ahmed, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Jahanzeb Khan World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil Country Director of World Food Program Coco Ushiyama and other internationally renowned ex-
S TA F F R E P O R T
Show -caus e not ices is s ued t o Fais al Vaw da, M us t afa Kam al ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday declared that he will write a letter to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, not for personal reasons, but for the sake of the country “I’ll tell him what’s happening in Azad Jammu Kashmir and we must think about the country s direction The army and the people are not brought face to face, he said while talking to the media in Rawalpindi s Adiala Jail He said that when the beneficiaries of Form-47 are questioned they begin to pressure the judges and the media Form-47 beneficiaries are attacking Justice Babar Sattar, he stated All are trying to keep an artificial democracy running ” Khan claimed they dissolved Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments to avoid pressure from the intelligence agencies After the [former] interim PM s statement, what justification does this government have?” he questioned “[Anwaarul Haq] Kakar sent a message to Shehbaz Sharif by taunting Hanif Abbasi ” Saying that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa was a courageous person Imran questioned why the petitions of PTI about the May 9 events and the February 8 elections are not being heard “We want our trial conducted like the trials of Nawaz Sharif Asif Ali Zardari and Yousaf Raza Gilani were conducted Khan lamented that his Supreme Court appearance wasn t broadcast live I was eager to speak during the hearing, he said “I hope my next appearance will be broadcast live ” The former prime minister said that if PTI senior leaders Pervaiz Elahi and Shah Mahmood Qureshi quit the party today they will be released On negotiations with the government, Imran said that there is no point in negotiating with those who have no power When asked about his wife Bushra Bibi s medical test Khan said he does not trust the PIMS hospital s reports We suggested taking two blood samples one for PIMS and one for Shaukat Khanum I don t trust PIMS reports They previously claimed my blood had cocaine I sued them for that ” “Bushra Bibi also asked for samples to be sent to both labs The medical staff refused so she didn t give samples Khan reiterated his plan to write to the army chief Lawyers are preparing the letter, he concluded I m r a n s a y s w i l l w r i t e l e t t e r t o C OA S f o r n a t i o n’ s s a ke C O N T E M P T O F C O U R T COAS lauds Pakistan hockey team’s per formance in A zlan Shah Cup RAWALPINDI S TA F F R E P O R T Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir on Friday commended the national hockey team, the runners-up of the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament, for their outstanding performance “The hockey team has brought immense pride to the nation and we are committed to providing them with comprehensive support to ensure their continued success COAS General Syed Asim Munir stated during a meeting with the national hockey team players at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Friday The meeting was attended by Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Tariq Hussain and other PHF officials, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) During the interaction General Munir commended the team for their outstanding performance extending his best wishes to the players for their future endeavours PHF President Tariq Hussain expressed gratitude to the COAS for the opportunity to meet and interact with the team Yesterday, the team was honoured at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Federal Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar and Pakistan hockey greats including Samiullah Khan, Islahuddin Shehbaz senior and others were present Pakistan lost to Japan 4-1 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2 in normal time The Japanese goalkeeper made two excellent saves in the shootout which ended the Green Shirts hopes of lifting the title The national side returned to the country on Sunday and was given a heroic welcome at Lahore Airport where Prime Minister Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashood, former captain Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool, Muhammad Saqlain, Anjum Saeed, and other former players were present The final had to be decided on a shootout after both teams scored two goals apiece at the end of full time Japan took the lead in the shootout courtesy of Ryoma Ooka, while his teammates continued the momentum, scoring the other three Pakistan missed the first two shots, but Ammad Butt netted the ball in the third stroke Japan staged a comeback to level the score 2-2 after Pakistan scored two goals in the third quarter Kazumasa Matsumoto produced a second goal in the 47th minute Supreme Cour t bans carr ying cellphones inside cour trooms ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday banned carrying cellphones inside courtrooms after picture of the PTI founder went viral during a video link hearing of the NAB amendments case The SC staff has barred the law clerks and lawyers from carrying their cell phones in the courtroom, asking them to enter to courtrooms after leaving their cellphones outside The staff is also checking the attendants in the SC courtroom while journalists have already been barred from carrying their cellphones in the SC courtroom The development follows a picture of PTI founder Imran Khan was leaked on social media during his appearance in SC during the NAB amendments case hearing via video link from Adiala Jail It stated in media reports that the Supreme Court Police have launched an investigation into the viral picture of PTI founder Imran Khan The picture, which showed Imran Khan sitting in Adiala Jail was widely shared on social media platforms The PTI founder appeared before the Supreme Court in the NAB Ordinance 1999 amendment case via video link The investigation has begun to identify the person who took the picture which is believed to have been taken by someone sitting on the left side of the courtroom Bushra Bibi retracts ‘no-confidence’ on judge during £190 million case hearing ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Former first lady Bushra Bibi expressed no confidence in the judge on Friday during the hearing of the £190 million reference but later retracted her motion after discussions with incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and the legal team The accountability court hearing presided over by Judge Naseer Javaid Rana heard the £190 million reference during which Bushra took to the rostrum and voiced her lack of confidence in the judge conducting the proceedings She stated that the previous hearing was conducted without her presence, to which the court replied that the previous hearing was adjourned without any proceedings taking place due to security concerns cited by jail officials I am a victim of injustice and we do not trust you in the same manner that we did not trust the previous judges, said the PTI founder s wife The court then inquired from the defence team if they also shared Bushra’s sentiments The legal team said that they “have confidence in the court” and requested permission to consult with the accused During the hour and half recess former premier Imran along with the legal team reportedly explained the situation to Bushra, after which she retracted her earlier motion and reaffirmed trust in the court During the hearing today the former first lady sat in the media box instead of the family corner She also did not meet Imran or his sisters This is the first time she has refused to meet the former premier s siblings Later, she left the courtroom and called her daughters outside the courtroom to meet them After consultation, the defendant’s lawyers filed a new request in court The request prayed to conduct hearings for the case every 14 days similar to other cases which the court approved The court also did not record any witness statements today The court then issued notices for the hearing on May 22 and adjourned the proceedings until that date
AS part of its strategy to revamp
collection and support environmental initiatives, the Pakistani government is contemplating the introduction
Pakistan, China likely to forge par tnership on petrochemical refiner y next month
PR OFIT
M o N to r i N g D e s k
MCC Tongsin Resources a leading Chinese research and investment company has shown a strong interest in expanding its investments within Pakistan s mineral and mining sectors
This interest was conveyed by Wang Jicheng, Chairman of MCC Tongsin Resources during his recent meeting with Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad
The company detailed its plans to construct a mineral park in Pakistan and discussed further investment strategies with the Prime Minister In response Prime Minister Shehbaz extended a warm invitation to the firm encouraging
them to deepen their involvement in Pakistan s mining industry and assured them of the government s full support The Prime Minister emphasised the government’s commitment to enhancing foreign investment particularly highlighting the mineral sector from mining activities to the production of exportable goods The investment will receive comprehensive support for the extraction and processing of minerals, and the export of these products to boost the country’s exports he stated Ad powered by advergic com
Shehbaz directed federal ministers and officers to engage closely with MCC Tongsin Resources and included the Chief Minister of Balochistan and
relevant provincial departments in these discussions to ensure a coordinated approach Highlighting the strong bilateral ties, Shehbaz praised China’s consistent support to Pakistan especially during challenging times and expressed gratitude on behalf of the nation
The relationship between Pakistan and China has been marked by significant economic collaboration, particularly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a major infrastructural project The partnership was further reinforced during the recent ChinaPakistan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue, where both nations committed to enhancing the CPEC into a growth corridor under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative
saturday 18 May 2024 | KARACHI 02 news
C h i n e s e f i r m ex p r e s s e s i n t e r e s t i n b u i l d i n g m i n e r a l p a r k i n Pa k i s t a n g H i g h - l e v e l d i s c u s s i o n s b e t w e e n Pa k i s t a n a n d M C C To n g s i n s e t s t a g e f o r o t h e r m i n i n g s e c t o r i n v e s t m e n t s PR OFIT M o N i to r i N g D e s k
of a carbon tax on petroleum products The move aligns with the International Monetary Fund s (IMF) broader goal of implementing a uniform value-added tax (VAT) system across the economy, aimed at enhancing documentation and digitization of financial transactions The proposal for a carbon tax emerges alongside discussions about potentially increasing the petroleum levy to as high as Rs100 per liter in the upcoming budget According to a report by Dawn, officials privy to the matter suggest that these measures could significantly boost federal revenue, as these taxes are retained entirely by the central government, unlike GST revenues which are largely distributed among provinces Implementing both a carbon tax and an increased petroleum levy could attract international financial support, offering access to green bonds, e-bonds, and favorable loans and grants from global institutions The move is part of a broader effort to align the country s future development programs with global benchmarks for climate-focused public investment management The IMF has been vocal in advocating for the reinstatement of standard GST on petroleum products complemented by a petroleum levy as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the current GST framework This transformation is aimed at fostering a more inclusive and non-preferential VAT system across all sectors of the economy On the other hand, national authorities are considering reintroducing a carbon tax or raising the petroleum levy to Rs100 per liter in the next budget to enhance federal revenue This approach is favored because these revenues remain entirely with the federal government, unlike GST, which is mainly distributed to the provinces The upcoming financial measures, as discussed by government officials and the IMF also include enhancements to social welfare programs such as the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Plans are underway to link monthly stipends more closely with inflation rates to mitigate the effects of the current economic situation, focusing on improving the targeting of aid and gradually transitioning beneficiaries to income-generating activities On the revenue side the focus will be on expanding the tax base through a series of digitization and documentation initiatives The government plans to encourage voluntary registration under the Tajir Dost Scheme for retailers with penalties set to be introduced for noncompliance Furthermore non-filers may face increased withholding tax rates on bank transactions in efforts to encourage compliance Other reforms include the reconsideration of several taxation measures previously withdrawn due to parliamentary intervention These measures are aimed at bolstering the tax-to-GDP ratio which is expected to rise by an average of 1% annually, ultimately achieving a significant fiscal adjustment necessary for economic stabilization G O
O P O S E
O N TA X O N P ET R O L E U M A M I D I M F P U S H F O R U N I F O R M VAT PR OFIT N e w s D e s k Pakistan is poised to sign a significant memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China concerning a new crude-topetrochemical refinery project, during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s visit to Beijing in June This pivotal agreement is set to include collaborations with major entities such as Pakistan State Oil, Chinese oil giant Sinopec, and Saudi Aramco As per reports, officials involved in the project have highlighted that an initial joint study will be conducted by the parties to evaluate the economic viability and benefits of the refinery which is crucial for deciding future investments and the scale of the project The study s findings will be instrumental in determining the project s final parameters Saudi Aramco known for its extensive petrochemical expertise is particularly interested in the outcome of this study as it will influence its decision on whether to invest in the petrochemical or a green refinery option The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also shown interest in ensuring that Sinopec is awarded the engineering procurement and construction contract for the project reinforcing the Chinese company s prominent role Sinopec, which already has a substantial presence in Saudi Arabia through various engineering and exploration projects is well-regarded for its quality of service and has built a strong reputation amongst its clients and the broader Saudi community The proposed design of the refinery suggests a dual focus, with 70% of its capacity dedicated to refining petroleum products and the remaining 30% to producing chemical products This strategic distribution aligns with the growing demand for both energy and chemical products in the region
tax
V T P R
S C A R B
g I n e f f o r t s t o c o m p l y w i t h I M F r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s , P a k i s t a n e x p l o r e s s i g n i f i c a n t t a x r e f o r m s , i n c l u d i n g a u n i v e r s a l V A T a n d e n h a n c e d p e t r o l e u m l e v i e s g C r u c i a l M o U f o r j o i n t r e f i n e r y p r o j e c t i n v o l v e s m a j o r p l a y e r s l i k e S i n o p e c a n d S a u d i A r a m c o Tax exemptions for ex-FATA , tribal areas to end on June 30 PR OFIT A P P Federal Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb Thursday informed the National Assembly that there is no new legislation under consideration to extend tax and duty exemptions for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) regions In response to a calling attention notice regarding the proposal to withdraw tax and duty exemptions for these regions, the minister explained that these exemptions had been in place for six years and are now set to expire on June 30 The minister said the business community has advocated for a level playing field for all industries He said that the business community consistently requests the removal of provincial tax treatment and concessions, seeking equitable conditions for industries across the country Meanwhile, various papers were laid before the house These included the Report of the 1st biannual Monitoring on the Implementation of the 7th NFC Award the Mid Year Budget Review Report for the Financial Year 2023-24 the Fiscal Policy Statement 2024 the Debt Policy Statement January 2024, the Performance Monitoring Report for the current fiscal year and Audit reports of the Auditor General of Pakistan relating to the Accounts of the Federation for the years 2021-22 and 2022-23 g N o n e w l e g i s l a t i o n i s u n d e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o e x t e n d t a x a n d d u t y e x e m p t i o n s, s a y s M i n i s t e r f o r F i n a n c e PR OFIT N e w s D e s k Pakistan recorded its highest-ever monthly IT exports in April 2024 amounting to US$310 million This represents a 62% year-over-year (YoY) increase and a 1% month-over-month (MoM) rise from the previous highest of $306 million in March 2024 IT exports in April also surpassed the 12-month average of $245 million According to a brokerage note, the year-over-year growth in IT exports is attributed to three key factors: the expansion of IT export companies in the GCC region particularly Saudi Arabia; the State Bank of Pakistan s relaxation of the permissible retention limit increasing it from 35% to 50% in Exporters Specialized Foreign Currency Accounts; and the stability of the Pakistani rupee, encouraging IT exporters to repatriate a higher portion of their profits In the first 10 months of FY24 IT exports totaled $2 59 billion up 21% from $2 14 billion in the same period of FY23 Net IT exports (exports minus imports) also reached a record high of $283 million in April 2024, marking a 68% YoY increase and exceeding the 12month average of US$214 million Pakistan records highest- ever monthly IT expor ts of $310m in April IMF ‘unsatisfied’ with Pakistan’s steps of bringing real estate into tax net ISLAMABAD i N P Pakistan has reportedly failed to convince the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the steps to bring real estate sector into the tax net, sources said on Friday The fifth round of talks is underway between Pakistan and IMF as the South Asian nation is seeking a fresh bailout package to address the balance of payments issue Sources privy to the development said the IMF mission showed its consent on Pakistan s proposal of increasing tax on the sale and purchase of plots for the non-filers In order to document the real estate sector, it has been proposed to use banking channels instead of cash transactions Sources added that all records, including cutting and purchasing of plots in housing societies will be registered Data of property agents and the sale and purchase of plots will be registered in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), sources added Sources claimed that measures would be taken in the upcoming budget to end undocumented transactions in the real estate sector Furthermore, proposals to levy tax on transactions of files in the property sector will be prepared During the talks so far the fund has reportedly demanded to jack up electricity and gas prices and showed concern about the increasing losses of the state-owned entities a PR OFIT N e w s D e s k Lucky Core Industries Limited (LCI) has announced its acquisition of Pfizer Pakistan Limited s manufacturing facility and a range of pharmaceutical products According to a notice sent to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday the deal formalised through Asset Purchase Agreements signed on May 17, 2024, includes the purchase of Pfizer s manufacturing site located at B2 SITE, Karachi The acquisition encompasses several well-known pharmaceutical products and their respective registrations: Ansaid Ponstan Ponstan Forte Basoquin Deltacortril Lysovit Corex-D and Mycitracin, read the notice Additionally, LCI has secured the associated trademarks for these products, either through outright assignment or a perpetual license from Pfizer group entities The Asset Purchase Agreements outline the terms and conditions of the acquisition with the transaction s completion contingent upon meeting stipulated conditions and obtaining requisite approvals Gov t seeks extension on $15 4m energy debt PR OFIT M o N i to r i N g D e s k In a strategic move ahead of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif s visit to Beijing Pakistan has drafted a new proposal aimed at restructuring $15 4 billion in energy-related debt with China This initiative is designed to extend the debt repayment period and reduce the financial burden on end consumers by lowering energy prices Under the proposal Pakistan seeks to spread its debt repayments over an extended period potentially reducing annual foreign currency outflows by $550 million to $750 million Additionally, this could decrease energy costs by Rs3 per unit, according to Pakistani government officials The plan involves a five-year extension for the repayment of loans acquired for 21 power projects established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) While this extension would incur an additional $1 3 billion in payments, totaling $16 6 billion by 2040, it aims to provide significant short-term relief Senior government sources revealed that the proposal has yet to be presented to Chinese officials and was developed independently of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The IMF and World Bank have historically been critical of Chinese energy projects in Pakistan, citing concerns over subsidy policies and financial sustainability The premier ’s visit from June 4th to 7th is set to strengthen bilateral ties despite Western reservations about CPEC s strategic implications The visit might also influence the timing of Pakistan s b u d g e t a n n o u n c e m e n t w i t h p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f e i t h e r a d v a n c i n g i t t o e a r l y J u n e o r d e l a y i n g i t u n t i l a f t e r t h e 8 t h T h e C h i n e s e v e n t u r e s , f i n a n c e d p a r t l y a t r a t e s b a s e d o n t h e L o n d o n I n t e r b a n k O ff e r e d R a t e p l u s 4 5 % h a v e p l a c e d a s i g n i f i c a n t f i n a n c i a l s t r a i n o n P a k i s t a n i c o n s u m e r s d u e t o h i g h p o w e r t a r i ff s r e q u i r e d t o c o v e r i n t e r e s t a n d p r i n c i p a l r e p a y m e n t s d u r i n g t h e f i r s t d e c a d e o f t h e d e a l s N e g o t i a t i o n s w i t h C h i n a , e x p e c t e d t o b e c h a l l e n g i n g d u e t o B e i j i n g ’s r e l u c t ance to modify existing agreements, will involve discussions with the Chinese government power producers and banks g R e s t r u c t u r i n g c o u l d l o w e r e n e r g y c o s t s b y R s 3 p e r u n i t, e a s i n g b u r d e n o n c o n s u m e r s g I T e x p o r t s i n c r e a s e d b y 6 2 % Yo Y, 1 % M o M f r o m p r e v i o u s h i g h e s t o f $ 3 0 6 m i n M a r c h 2 0 2 4 L u c k y C o r e s e a l s d e a l fo r P f i ze r ’s K a r a c h i p l a n t, p h a r m a p r o d u c t s SBP injects Rs809.7b into market through OMOs PR OFIT N e w s D e s k The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday injected Rs 809 7 billion into the market through reverse repo and Shariah-compliant Mudarabah-based Open Market Operations (OMOs) According to OMO results issued here the SBP conducted a reverse repo purchase for tenors of seven and 28 days The central bank received two quotes for 7-day tenor amounting to Rs 89 billion offered at the rate of return ranging between 22 09% to 22 10% and 13 quotes for 28-day tenor amounting to Rs 827 7 billion at the rate of return ranging between 22 05% to 22 10% Out of these the SBP accepted two quotes for a 7-day tenor at a 22 09% rate of return For the 28-day tenor, 11 quotes amounting to Rs 658 70 billion were accepted at a 22 07 % return rate Meanwhile, the central bank also conducted Shariah Compliant Mudarabah-based Open Market Operations for tenors of seven and 28 days The SBP received three quotes amounting to Rs 62 billion for a 7-day tenor at the rate of return ranging between 22 08% to 22 11% while no bid was received for a 28-day tenor g R s 7 4 7 b w a s i n j e c t e d t h r o u g h r e v e r s e r e p o a n d R s R s 6 2 b t h r o u g h M u d a r a b a h - b a s e d
WAPDA CHAIRMAN VISITS DIAMER BASHA DAM, REVIEWS CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS
Tpremises
Pakistan, Japan agree to expand spec trum of bilateral ties
S ta f f R e p o R t Pakistan and Japan have agreed to further expand the spectrum of bilateral relations and bolster the cooperation in diverse fields The understanding to this effect came at a meeting between Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Japanese Ambassador Mitsuhiro
govt announces summer vac ations for schools
CHILAS S ta f f R e p o R t
HE Diamer Basha Dam Project is advancing steadily, with construction ongoing around the clock at 14 critical sites The project managed by WAPDA is located across the River Indus 40 km downstream of Chilas town WAPDA Chairman Engr Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani (Retd) visited the Diamer Basha Dam site to inspect the construction activities During his visit he reviewed the progress at various key points including the diversion canal guide wall diversion tunnel upstream and downstream coffer dams, permanent bridge, and the left and right abutments of the main dam The project team comprising the CEO of Diamer Basha Dam Company the General Manager/Project Director of the Diamer Basha Dam Project consultants and contractors, briefed the Chairman on the status of each site They reported that the diversion system is functioning satisfactorily The permanent access bridge downstream of the main dam site has been completed, and the adjacent approach roads are expected to be finished by next month The Chairman instructed the consultants and contractors to strictly adhere to the established construction standards to ensure the quality of work During his visit the Chairman also participated in a jirga with Gilgit-Baltistan ministers and the civil administration, discussing the resettlement of affected communities particularly the chulha package He emphasized that WAPDA values the sacrifices made by the locals for the project s construction and is committed to improving their lives through economic empowerment and social upliftment WAPDA is allocating Rs 78 5 billion for the resettlement of affected individuals and for development projects in health education and infrastructure within the project area Additionally locals are being prioritized for employment opportunities at the project The Diamer Basha Dam, the highest roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam in the world at 272 meters is scheduled for completion in 2028 The dam will have a gross water storage capacity of 8 1 MAF, irrigating 1 23 million acres of land With an installed power generation capacity of 4 500 MW the project will supply 18 billion units of green clean and affordable electricity to the national grid annually 03 NewS Saturday 18 May 2024 | KARACHI
PR OFIT N e w S D e S k The Ministry of Privatisation announced that it has received Statements of Qualification for privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from eight entities following the closure of the expression of interest submission period at 4 pm on Friday Federal Minister for Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan has said that the extended time for submitting offers for the privatization of PIA has ended and so far the Privatization Commission (PC) has received Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from eight major business groups He said that these EOIs have been submitted by these business groups in the form of individuals and consortiums and now the Privatization Commission will conduct the pre-qualification process as per the rules and regulations of the PC Ordinance 2000 According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Privatisation Fly Jinnah Air Blue Limited Habib Corporation Sardar Ashraf D Baloch Shanxi CIG Limited (China) and Gerry s International Private Limited are among those who have submitted offers so far Similarly, the Consortium Led by Younas Brothers Holdings (Private), the Consortium Led by Pak Ethanol, and the Consortium Led by Blue World City have also shown their Expression of Interest Federal Minister for Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan said that these eight entities have submitted their Statement of Qualification and Expression of Interest within the stipulated time and now the Privatization Commission would invite the eligible institutions for the next stage of the bidding process E i g h t e n t i t i e s s u b m i t S t ate m e n t s o f Q u a l i fi c at i o n fo r P I A p r i vat i s at i o n , s ays m i n i s t r y Aseefa Bhutto Zardari visits Bhutto family's mausoleum LARKANA S ta f f R e p o R t B i b i A s e e f a B h u t t o Z a r d a r i v i s i t e d t h e B h u t t o f a m i l y s g r a v e y a r d i n G a r h i K h u d a B a k h s h f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e s i n c e t a k i n g o a t h a s M N A o n 1 5 t h A p r i l S h e l a i d f l o r a l w r e a t h s a t t h e g r a v e s o f h e r m o t h e r S h a h e e d M o h t a r m a B e n a z i r B h u t t o , h e r m a t e r n a l g r a n d f a t h e r S h a h e e d Z u l f i k a r A l i B h u t t o B e g u m N u s r a t B h u t t o S h a h e e d M i r M u r t a z a B h u t t o a n d S h a h e e d S h a h n a w a z B h u t t o a n d o ff e r e d F a t e h a f o r t h e d e p a r t e d s o u l s h e r e o n F r i d a y The unopposed election victory of Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari to the National Assemby is a testament to the legacy of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and the resonance of their vision and mission that still inspires the people of Sindh to this day ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t S h a z a F a t i m a K h a w a j a M i n i s t e r o f S t a t e f o r I T a n d Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n a n n o u n c e d o n F r i d a y t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t w i l l e s t a b l i s h a h i g hl e v e l c o m m i s s i o n f o r n a t i o n a l digitisation The commission, chaired b y P r i m e M i n i s t e r S h e h b a z S h a r i f , will aim to address the paradigm shift t o w a r d s a u t o m a t i o n e n h a n c i n g t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d d e v e l o p i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e The commission is necessary due to the shift towards automation for increased transparency and infrastructure development ” said Khawaja at an event organised by Huawei Technologies at its head office to commemorate World Telecom Day World Telecom Day highlights the importance of telecommunications in improving people’s lives and fostering societal development This year’s theme “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development underscores the role of technology in advancing global prosperity Khawaja revealed that the government plans to legislate for national digitisation She also mentioned that the mobile manufacturing and exports policy is in its final stages aimed at boosting the country s exports Additionally the National Fiberisation Policy is nearing completion, which will enhance internet connectivity nationwide “ We w i l l s t r i v e t o p r o v i d e a smartphone to every person under the Smartphone for All Policy, Khawaja stated Internet and broadband access are essential rights for every citizen, not just for communication but also as s o u r c e s o f i n c o m e a n d s u p p o r t f o r v i t a l s e r v i c e s l i k e h e a l t h a n d education The minister also emphasized initiatives to maximize mobile phone exports under the forthcoming Mobile Manufacturing and Export Policy Furthermore the government is investing in the ICT sector with 85 projects worth Rs80 billion allocated to expand internet access in underserved areas through the Universal Service Fund (USF) K h a w a j a p r a i s e d H u a w e i f o r i t s efforts in building a robust ICT talent e c o s y s t e m a n d a c c e l e r a t i n g d i g i t a l i s a t i o n p r o g r e s s S h e h i g h l i g h t e d t h e c r i t i c a l r o l e o f t e c h n o l o g y a n d t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s in bridging gaps between individuals communities and nations facilitating t h e e x c h a n g e o f i n f o r m a t i o n i d e a s and knowledge Zhangzhen, CEO of the Carrier Network Business Group at Huawei, shared that the company has launched Pakistan’s first Smart Village Project in Gokina Islamabad This project provides residents with access to health and education services through remote learning Zhangzhen expressed optimism about replicating such projects in other regions to address the disparity between urban and rural development indicators High-level commission for national digitisation to be established LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t Pakistan People s Party (PPP) on Friday formed a threemember fact-finding committee to investigate the defeat of Bilawal Bhutto in the NA-127 Lahore As per details, PPP leader Hasan Murtaza said that the three-member committee comprises Asif Khan Imtiaz Safdar Warraich and Rana Iqram Rabani He said that the committee members will determine the investigation procedure on their own and will submit a report to PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf by June 15 I t i s w o r t h m e n t i o n i n g h e r e t h a t P a k i s t a n M u s l i m L e a g u e - N a w a z ’s ( P M L - N ) A t a Ta r a r c l i n c h e d v i c t o r y against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari NA-127 Lahore As per details PML-N’s A t a Ta r a r b a g g e d 9 8 2 1 0 v o t e s f o l l o w e d b y P a k i s t a n Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar w i t h 8 2 2 3 0 v o t e s a n d B i l a w a l o n t h i r d p l a c e w i t h 15,005 votes Following the defeat of party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the NA 127 election to PMLN candidate Atta Tarrar the President of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Lahore Aslam Gill also resigned The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the PPP requested Gill s resignation and a thorough investigation into the party s loss Gujranwala ATC extends Omar Ayub’s pre-arrest bail in May 9 case GUJRANWALA S ta f f R e p o R t The Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday extended the interim bail of PTI Secretary General and opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan in May 9 vandalism case The Anti-Terrorism Court heard the bail plea where Omar Ayub appeared before the court along with his counsel Babar Awan The ATC extended the pre-arrest bail plea of PTI leader opposition leader till June 8 Earlier, PTI leaders – Omar Ayub Khan, Amir Dogar, Party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and others’ interim bail was approved till May 9 in a case about the PTI rally in Islamabad District and Session Judge Awais Ahmed Khan heard the bail plea filed by PTI leaders The counsel for the PTI leaders informed the court that the administration registered a baseless and false case against the party leaders He added that every time PTI organizes a peaceful rally, cases are registered against its leaders At this the district and session court approved the interim bail of PTI leaders against surety bonds worth Rs5 000 each It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub demanded the formation of an independent commission to probe the May 9 riots He called for releasing the CCTV footage of May 9 when protesters took to the streets following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from the court
ISLAMABAD
Wada in Islamabad on Friday Speaking on the occasion, the Minister applauded the services of Japan International Cooperation Agency in the progress of Pakistan adding that both countries have a long lasting relationship of friendship and cooperation The Minister emphasized the government s efforts to expand the tax base as well as the introduction of reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue Highlighting the government’s commitment to bring the economy back on track under the vision of the Prime Minister he said several steps have been taken for the promotion of foreign investment and provision of conducive environment to investors Attaullah Tarar said that private sector is also being encouraged and economic development of the country accelerated after assuming the power of current government Matters related to the prevention of fake news and expansions of cooperation in media between both countries were also discussed Terming the fake news as a big challenge for world, the Minister called for putting efforts to overcome this challenge In his part, the Japanese Ambassador said that business friendly initiatives taken by the Government of Pakistan will make country a more attractive destination for Japanese investors
Ali Muhammad Khan to move IHC against Adiala Jail admin for denying meeting with Imran ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Ali Muhammad Khan, a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Friday his intention to move the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the Adiala jail administration after being denied a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan Expressing his frustration Khan stated I am going to the high court against the jail administration We were not allowed to meet the PTI founder during the previous visit and we are not allowed to meet him now ” Speaking to journalists outside the prison where Imran Khan is currently incarcerated the senior PTI leader revealed his plan to file a contempt of court petition against the jail authorities Khan who is also a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) recounted his own experience of being imprisoned in Adiala jail, describing how he was treated like a football, being moved around under the guise of security measures He insisted that similar tactics were being used to obstruct his meeting with Imran Khan Despite the challenges Ali Muhammad Khan expressed confidence in the country s defense and security agencies to ensure Imran Khan s safety during his appearances in Supreme Court cases He emphasized, “We believe they can take the PTI founder safely to the Supreme Court ” Imran Khan, who was ousted from the prime minister ’s office following a noconfidence motion in 2022 has been imprisoned since his arrest in August last year in connection with the Toshakhana reference Ali Muhammad Khan appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, requesting that Imran Khan be summoned to the apex court in person instead of appearing via video link This request followed Imran Khan’s first virtual appearance before the Supreme Court where he presented his arguments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law amendments case after the bench approved his plea to do so PPP forms fac t-finding committee on Bilawal’s defeat in NA-127 Lahore g D i a m e r B h a s h a p r o j e c t o n g o i n g a r o u n d 1 4 c r i t i c a l s i t e s Deput y PM to lead Pakistani delegation at SCO CFMs meeting ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, at the invitation of his Kazakh counterpart, will lead the Pakistani delegation to the regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), being held from 20th to 21st of this month in Astana, Kazakhstan The Foreign Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t The Punjab School Education Department on Friday announced summer vacations for schools and colleges across the province According to the notification issued by the education department here all the public and private schools of Punjab will remain closed from June 1 until August 14, 2024 due to summer vacations All public and private schools throughout Punjab shall remain closed from Saturday, 1st June 2024, to Wednesday, 14th August 2024, for summer vacation,” the notification stated It further added that “all schools in the province shall reopen with effect from Thursday 15th August 2024 Previously the Balochistan Education Department had also announced summer vacations for schoolchildren Meanwhile, the timings of federally-run educational institutions have been revised due to the increasing risk of heatwave According to the Secretary of Education federal educational institutions will now open from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM The new timing has been enforced with immediate effect and will remain until summer vacations The Secretary of Education mentioned that the purpose of changing the timings is to protect students and teachers from the expected heatwave
Punjab
OTTU R courts want to be invisible They want firewalls to ward off intruders No clearance of judges by security agencies No eavesdropping no surveillance Be that as it may the courts consider themselves the sole omniscient omnipotent guardians of the Constitution This view is not novel Socrates (if not a fictitious character in the Republic) proposed a guardian class to protect that society, and the custodes (watchmen) One of Socrates’ interlocutors (Glaucon) in the Republic says, “it would be absurd that a guardian should need a guard ” Leonid Hurwicz stressed this point while accepting the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2007 So far so good But there is a Latin quip quis custodiet ipsos custodes?, who will guard the guardians (judges)? Or who will watch the watchmen? Some quarters, for instance the Parliament and the Executive have qualms about judicial guardianship They also harbour the notion of being the self-styled guardians to hold power accountable Call them coguardians in Constitutional Separation of Powers All guardians are convinced that they know their divine duties better than their misguided denigrators The elected representative tells that it is they who are to exercise authority under divine sovereignty Even elected authorities under the secular Constitutions profess that they know they are there to serve the people And only they know the limits circumscribing their powers under the constitutions Besides the legislature, judiciary, and the executive, there are other Non institutions that claim “guardianship” They point out “Power corrupts and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely” (Acton) Such institutions include civil service police banking institutions and public sector undertakings
So many claimants But it is actually the people themselves who hold power to account Again we are in a cul-de-sac The so-called people are an amorphous lot without a legal identity like an institution except as voter during elections, usually not fair To conclude, the judges are no angels If angels, they too are bald (Saadt Hasan Manto , Ganjey Farishtey) So they look in the light of audio/video leaks media reports and their judgments The judges justified Martial Laws on one pretext or another They did not take a suo moto notice when a uniformed praetorian was constitutionally recognised It was only after the departure of a praetorian that the apex court smelt “foul” breath and the “smeared” pen: of a dictator The courts were generous in allowing a dictatorship (a grund norm) under “necessity” Kelsen’s Pure Theory of Law And Lo! An elected prime minister was kicked out for receivables /aqama Some others for other reasons Judgments should not have a political tinge As noted by Roedad Khan in his book Pakistan: A Dream Gone Sour, Justice Muhammad Munir, shortly before pronouncing his infamous verdict on the notorious Dosso case said: “ when politics enters the portals of justice democracy its cherished inmate walks out by the backdoor French jurist Jean Bodin tells what happens when there are too many guardians at daggers drawn Before Highest power over citizens and subjects is unrestrained by law [constitution]’ History teems with luminaries who harboured supra-constitutional hallucinations While addressing a press conference in Tehran Gen Zia-ul-Haq said What is the Constitution? It is a booklet with 10
all the unqualified staff with BA degrees and Inter certificates What is to be done? There is a dire need for concerted efforts to highlight these issues in various forums like the National Assembly and on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter Above all complaints should be filed against the school mafias who
poor people Investing in school libraries will help improve literacy rates enhance educational outcomes and foster a love of learning Let s raise a voice on different forums and equip the school with rich libraries
The writer is the Deputy Director of the Library at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad; he can be reached at writetoabidhussain@gmail com
04 Saturday 18 May 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 A n e w c a r b o n t a x o n p e t r o l e u m ?
H E federal government is said to be planning to levy a carbon tax on petroleum products in the coming budget, instead of the Rs 60 per litre increase in the sales tax in petroleum suggested by the IMF or simply increasing the petroleum levy A carbon tax would have the added advantage of allowing the government to show off how green it is enabling the issuing of green bonds and e-bonds and gaining access to all sorts of funds cheaper from multilateral financial institutions It would also mean that, as it was not included in the federal divisible pool, the federal government could keep it all It would also keep all the proceeds of a petroleum levy, but if it was to increase the general sales tax on petroleum products, it would have to share that money with the provinces The IMF wants the sales tax increased, so as to help the conversion of the General Sales Tax into a Value Added Tax, so that there can be greater documentation of the economy It would seem that the relief to the consumer gained by a substantial cut in fuel prices of Rs 15 per litre has not gone down well with taxmen who seem to see no reason why the consumer once used to pay at a certain level should not go on paying at that level or indeed a higher level At the same time goes the thinking of these taxmen, there is no reason why the provinces should benefit The only problem is that the provinces have the National Finance Commission to argue their case, and if they get petroleum levies or carbon taxes included in the federal divisible pool, then the taxmen at best can get the tax abolished, which seems to be cutting off one s nose to spite one s face Besides, it does seem short-sighted to depend much, if at all on revenue derived from petrol Though named a carbon tax the purpose is not to reduce dependence on petroleum products but to raise revenue That is a resource that will ultimately be phased out in the initial phase by solar power and natural gas The danger is that this affection for imported fuels will lead to arguments that renewables should also be taxed That is something the government should not be doing at the moment, even if the IMF suggests it The carbon tax can be seen as a means of stopping the IMF insisting that the NFC be revisited Revisiting was a bad idea, that should not lead to other bad ideas, like crushing the consumer D i d d l i n g t h e p rov i n ce s w h i l e ke e p i n g t h e I M F h a p py M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor Uniform for law students O N E immediately recognises medical students as they wear lab coats They are not even allowed to enter certain area within hospitals and clinics if they are not wearing the coat Taking cue from that I suggest that there should be something identifiable about those studying Law as well The relevant authorities should consider the proposal and introduce a specific dress code for the law students as well ABU HURAIRAH SIPYO KARACHI Street crimes in Karachi S T R E E T crime is a loose term used for criminal offences that are taking place in public spaces and refers to pick-pocketing and snatching of mobile phones wallets purses and cars When things go wrong such incidents lead to injuries and even deaths Besides there is also the element of targeted killing Just about every individual in Karachi today has a story to tell as no one is safe anymore Unfortunately, the major causes of street crimes appear to be unemployment, illiteracy and poverty, but there are other factors as well, like lawlessness, growing fundamentalism, backwardness and double standards prevailing in society KHALIQUE-UR-REHMAN KARACHI Illogical procurement I fail to understand the logic behind the allocation of imported and expensive heavy motorcycles for Karachi traffic police when locallyassembled 125cc or 150cc motorcycles serve the purpose effectively in view of the rush on just about all city roads Besides, I have never seen any traffic police official chasing down any vehicle at speeds of 100km/hour or more That being so why does the government need to spend a huge amount of money on such a luxury? Considering the current economic conditions it is high time all governments cut down wasteful expenses SHOAIB AKHTER KARACHI Power
F R E Q U E N T loadshedding in parts of Karachi is causing inconvenience to the consumers by disrupting daily lives, work and businesses The people are facing immense difficulties in completing domestic chores studying and even storing food and water The situation is particularly challenging for the elderly the young and those with medical conditions Moreover repeated outages are damaging electrical appliances and equipment resulting in significant financial losses Indeed, the people deserve to have a reliable and consistent power supply to function normally in their lives UBAID SHAH KARACHI Upgrade to high school T H E Government Boys Elementary School Bughia Muhalla in Khairpur Nathan Shah has seen a tremendous rise in the number of students enrolled As such the school now needs planned expansion to cater to the needs of all its students in every sense of the word including the critical studentteacher ratio The relevant authorities should also consider upgrading the facility to a high school status as soon as possible FARHAN KHAN DADU 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
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H E Collins English Dictionary defines a school library as “a library within a school where teachers and students can access books and other resources A school is an educational institution where students acquire knowledge, values and skills through structured instructions and learning experiences from their teacher The mission of a school library is to support and enhance the learning level of students teachers and the community through resources and services that promote literacy facilitate learning and foster intellectual growth in the community living in the schools School libraries are important in providing students with access to a wide range of informational resources like books periodicals multimedia material and digital databases in order to explore diverse topics and deepen their understanding of the subject beyond what is covered in the classroom The school library s motto is to promote students’ literacy skills to make them critical thinkers and lifelong learners in the future The school library plays a commendable role in their students cultural and intellectual enrichment It not only supports the school curriculum but also encourages students for inquiry-based learning School libraries allow students to explore their topic of interest and engage them in independent inquiry to grow professionally Some scholars believe that school libraries are great sources of inspiration in promoting their students digital literacy and intellectual curiosity School libraries are said to be vital in promoting a sense of belonging, community, and shared intellectual pursuits In other words, school libraries are essential to the educational ecosystem, fostering a culture of inquiry and promoting literacy and lifelong learning services In advanced countries like the USA China Germany and France the role of school libraries is crucial They are considered a pillar of personal growth, intellectual capability, and the lifelong journey of students, according to the American Library Association report on overall libraries As of the 2022 report there were 131 848 libraries in American states; of them public school libraries were 82 300 and private school libraries recorded as 22 991 Private schools are preferred over public schools in developing countries like Pakistan The education systems at both public and private sector schools are in a harrowing state of affairs According to education statistics of the Pakistan Institute of Education, a subsidiary part of the Education Ministry, there are a total of 313,418, which includes both public and private schools Most of these schools lack educational quality and need toilet facilities drinking water playgrounds among other things Among these alarming issues, only a few schools have small libraries to show the stakeholders how civilized we are These libraries are available in urban areas only The schools in rural areas do not even have their own buildings and the majority of the students study under the trees The situation in Sindh and Balochistan schools is that they live under God s mercy Even though the position of elite schools like Beaconhouse, city schools, convent schools, OPF and other schools serving the defence forces is that they are equipped with rich libraries playgrounds drinking water and rich laboratories they are still using these services to attract customers and show them that how literate they are The position of public schools in Pakistan is worse than that of private schools Public schools in Pakistan face numerous problems like budget constraints large student populations government oversight and emphasis on accessible education Most of the buildings in urban areas are filled with huge populations and there is no single room to
meet
school
up to 3000 books,
to a
libraries lack of qualified staff like trained librarians infrastructure challenges language barriers, and low reading culture among teachers and students A question, however, arises in mind: who is responsible for the poor culture of the libraries? Undoubtedly government authorities stakeholders of the schools educational institutions and above
maintain and sustain a library to
the intellectual growth of the children Though official documents state that each
should have a small library with
teachers diminish the library building
classroom or reserve it as a common room Various factors influence the library structure in Pakistani schools: Limited resources for school
fool
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l
M e a nt f o r s t u d e nt s, u s e d to i m p re s s v i s i to r s abid HuSSain W h a t i s t o b e d o n e ? T h e r e i s a d i r e n e e d fo r c o n c e r t e d e f fo r t s t o h i g h l i g h t t h e s e i s s u e s i n va r i o u s fo r u m s l i k e t h e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b ly a n d o n s o c i a l m e d i a s i t e s l i k e Fa c e b o o k a n d Tw i t t e r A b ov e a l l , c o m p l a i n t s s h o u l d b e f i l e d a g a i n s t t h e s c h o o l m a f i a s w h o fo o l p o o r p e o p l e
a c t o r s i n f l u e n c i n g s c h o o l
i b r a r i e s i n P a k i s t a n
or 12 pages I can tear them up and say that from tomorrow we shall live under a different system Asghar Khan in We have Learnt Nothing from History: Pakistan, Politics and Military Power, described thoughts of a former prime minister about ‘democracy’ in Pakistan “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto told me that he was sure that if I joined hands with him we can then rule together The people are stupid and I know how to fool them I will have the danda (stick) in my hand and no one will be able to remove us for 20 years Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte also harboured extraconstitutional thoughts Napoleon told Moreau de Lyonne, The constitution, what is it but a heap of ruins? Has it not been successively the sport of every party? Has not every kind of tyranny been committed in its name since the day of its establishment?” During his self-crowning in 1804 Napoleon said: What is the throne a bit of wood gilded and covered with velvet? I am the state I alone am here the representative of the people Too, elected representatives (power) are under the delusion that they are superior to all unelected institutions (judiciary) The representatives should exercise their authority under Allah’s Sovereignty within the bounds of our constitution True the courts are guards over the brute power and authority of government In so doing the courts are quite untouchable by the legislature or the executive in the performance of its duty (Harilal Kania, India’s first chief justice) But, the courts alone cannot be the guardsman of the constitution The current debate over “guardianship” is a reverberation of classical poet Juvenal s view He points out that the guardians too in relation to an imprisoned woman, are not incorruptible (Satire 6, 346–348): I hear always the admonishment of my friends: Bolt her in constrain her! But who will guard the guardians? The wife plans ahead and begins with them But who can watch the watchmen? They keep quiet about the girl s secrets and get her as their payment; everyone hushes it up The courts should avoid futile debates at public expense They should equalize their perks and privileges (pay, housing, plots, etc) with other servants of the state A common man also has some subsistence needs The writer is a freelance columnist Saman malik T h e c o u r t s s h o u l d avo i d f u t i l e d e b a t e s a t p u b l i c ex p e n s e T h ey s h o u l d e q u a l i z e t h e i r p e r k s a n d p r i v i l e g e s ( p ay, h o u s i n g , p l o t s , e t c ) w i t h o t h e r s e r va n t s o f t h e s t a t e A c o m m o n m a n a l s o h a s s o m e s u b s i s t e n c e n e e d s
h
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I can also assert with certainty that tax authorities across Pakistan will be diligently examining the records of individuals beyond politicians
ensuring that not a single penny goes to the government exchequer As for those individuals whose wealth statements are available in the public domain and who either failed to declare the m
Tassemblies the late Gen Pervez Musharraf former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz over a dozen retired generals as well as a police chief an ambassador, and a scientist
Moreover, politicians and civil servants frequently exploit their positions of authority and leverage legislative influence to create loopholes or favorable conditions for concealing illicit wealth They may also utilize personal connections and influence to access offshore banking systems or establish intricate corporate structures, fur ther complicating the tracing of asset ownership
Stopping using Facebook does affec t people’s knowledge and beliefs Those who went off Facebook responded worse to news tests, but they were also less likely to believe widespread misinformation, suggesting that the platform may be an impor tant channel for both true and fake news’
Biden should not politicize China trade war by hiking tariffs
The B iden administration’s polic y toward China is inconsistent The B iden government should prioritize urging China to embark on reforming its economy rather than “penalizing” it for politic al purposes
Bto not believe the misinformation that was circulating online On the other hand their political participation especially online also decreased The new article published in the journal PNAS is the work of more than 30 academics from U S universities and Meta researchers It is part of the macro study, which began to be published last summer in the magazines Science and Nature This research found that conservatives consume more misinformation on Facebook among other results The project is the result of an August 2020 agreement between Meta and two professors who then selected the rest of the researchers
One of the authors of the article, Stanford University professor Matthew Gentzkow, says there are two main findings from the PNAS study: “First, stopping using Facebook and Instagram in the final stretch of the election had little or no effect on political opinions their negative opinions about opposing parties or beliefs about complaints of electoral fraud Second stopping using Facebook does affect people s knowledge and beliefs Those who went off Facebook responded worse to news tests, but they were also less likely to believe widespread misinformation, suggesting that the platform may be an important channel for both true and fake news ” he says
Although the result is not completely clear for Gentzkow the finding is quite surprising: Previous research has shown that exposure to misinformation is often quite low for most people, so I was really surprised to see this effect, which was large enough to be marginally detectable,” he says
UNPRECEDENTED MACRO STUDY:
comes to measuring the real impact of a network like Facebook in democracies
This study has the same problem as the previous ones, says David García, a professor at the University of Konstanz in Germany, who commented on the summer 2023 articles in Nature “It is only able to experiment with individuals who are within a society where many other people continue to use Facebook and Instagram normally When we talk about the Facebook effect we think about what society would be like without Facebook compared to what it is like with Facebook, not what the people who do not use the network are like compared to those who do use it,” García explains
Gentzkow admits that investigating that issue is beyond the reach of academia: “It is not possible to do an experiment now to directly answer the question of what polarization would have been like if Facebook had never existed
But the experiment, at least, did clear up doubts about whether Instagram was in the same league as Facebook: the article did not find any kind of effect on the influencer-centric network “Aside from a reduction in online participation we find no significant impacts of Instagram deactivation on any other primary outcomes the article says This is true even among younger users and it suggests that despite Instagram s rapid growth Facebook likely remains the platform with the largest impacts on political outcomes
The study also found that users who went off Facebook for six weeks were more wary of the political information they saw on Facebook a shift that also occurred on Instagram: One potential explanation is that time away from a platform made users more aware of the amount of low-quality or inaccurate information to which they had been exposed, the study explains
While the study found that political participation (especially online) fell among the group that disconnected from Facebook voter intention remained the same In other words less participation online did not lead to fewer voters at the polls
Nor did Instagram and Facebook deactivation have an effect on polarization, perceived legitimacy of the elections or candidate preference Another question that the researchers wanted to answer was how important Facebook was to Donald Trump The study did not find definitive data that suggested the platform helped the former U S president Although the results are statistically insignificant they do suggest that deactivation had an effect on who participants voted for Deactivation decreased Trump favorability, decreased turnout among Republicans and increased turnout among Democrats,” the article states
Researcher David García believes that the work could have been clearer on this point: The result regarding Trump favorability is very interesting It does not reach the level pre-specified by the scientists but because the standard of evidence they had is very high If they had assumed that Facebook deactivation lowers the vote for Trump, it would have passed the test I see more important evidence than what appears in the text The effect was small for the amount of data they had but it doesn’t seem so small to me when you think about how close elections in the U S tend to be he explains Facebook invited 10
US President Joe Biden’s move to sharply raise tariffs on a range of Chinese imports is nothing but blatant protectionism and a harmful form of election politics It is not new that the United States which has been acting as the leading champion of free trade, will trample on the rules that allow trade between countries with minimal or no barriers such as tariffs This time however Washington is going too far Biden should recognize that his action has the potential of hurting the entire global economy The Biden administration has decided to impose high tariffs on an array of imports from China, such as electric vehicles (EVs) and semiconductors, citing the country’s “unfair trade practices ” Since China is likely to respond with retaliatory measures, there are serious concerns about a fresh flare-up of the trade war between the world s two biggest economies In 2018 President Donald Trump s administration began imposing punitive tariffs on a variety of Chinese industrial and agricultural imports However, these taxes did not exceed 25 percent The Biden White House has announced plans to raise such tariffs to an extraordinarily high level 100 percent for EVs and 50 percent for both legacy semiconductors older or previous generations of semiconductor devices that are not at the cutting edge of technology but are still widely used in various applications and solar cells
The Biden administration justifies these punitive tariffs by claiming that massive subsidies from
India-Iran deal
It is evident that New D elhi is going all out to make its presence felt in the neighbourhood, even if this ruffles a few feathers Inevitably, the US will have no option but to let an asser tive India have its way
Saturday 18 May 2024 COMMENT 05
E politicians, parliamentarians, and members of both civil and military bureaucracy create a formidable force to shield one another from the fallout of leaks like Wikileaks the Panama Papers or now revelations concerning Dubai properties This network safeguards those in positions of power through a compliant Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and brown-nose accountability bodies to minimize or completely neutralize the adverse effects of such leaks This notwithstanding the fact that serious concerns about the origins of these funds and potential illicit practices such as corruption, money laundering, and tax evasion not only undermine the integrity of financial systems but also deprive the government of essential revenue needed for public services and infrastructure Drawing from my experience of working as Deputy Commissioner Income Tax for more than ten years (1994-2005) I can tell with certainty that the entire accountability framework, including the FBR, would already have started rectifying the gaps in the income tax and wealth tax records of prominent Pakistani figures including three children of President Asif Ali Zardari Hussain Nawaz Sharif the spouse of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Sharjeel Memon, Senator Faisal Vawda, Farah Gogi, Sher Afzal Marwat, several members of the Sindh and Balochistan
H
and civil and military bureaucracies to determine if the properties leaked were declared, undeclared, or undervalued
their lawyers have likely already been summoned to negotiate the cost of rectifying their records a process that benefits them their legal representatives and the tax officials,
e n t i o n e d p r o p e r t i e s o r u n d e r v a l u e d t h e m t h e y a n d t h e i r i n c o m e t a x l a w y e r s a r e l i k e l y s c r a m b l i n g t o i n i t i a t e d a m a g e control measures The properties worth $11 billion in Dubai starkly contrasts with the economic realities facing the nation With foreign exchange reserves far below this figure and a significant portion of the population living below the poverty line this vast wealth disparity underscores systemic challenges in income distribution, governance, and economic development In a country where over 40 percent of the populace struggles amidst inflation rates exceeding 35 percent the concentration of such immense wealth abroad not only widens the gap between the rich and the poor but also exacerbates socioeconomic inequalities, hindering efforts to uplift marginalized communities and foster inclusive growth The $11 billion worth of leaked properties is merely the tip of the iceberg Countless other properties have been discreetly acquired and stashed away in various countries worldwide potentially totaling billions upon billions of dollars more This rampant acquisition of assets abroad significantly contributes to the impoverishment of our nation It’s a stark representation of the systemic corruption and greed that plagues our society draining resources that should be invested in uplifting our people and developing our nation As a senior civil servant who retired as the Press Secretary to the President in BS 21, I can attest to the fact that throughout one’s entire service whether civilian or military any bureaucrat can only afford a modest house and a middle-class car with one s legal income Similarly my experience as Director General of the Minister s Office for four Federal Ministers confirms that politicians can barely sustain their household expenses with their legitimate earnings let alone accumulate significant assets Any wealth beyond these modest means is likely obtained through illicit means or illegal sources of income as civil and public servants are prohibited from engaging in business activities during their service How they launder black money through an intricate web of financial transactions is intriguing The illicit funds are injected into the financial system through depositing cash into third-party bank accounts acquiring high-value assets, or establishing shell companies These funds undergo a series of transactions to obscure their origins, including transfers between accounts investments across different markets and international wire transfers through multiple jurisdictions Subsequently laundered funds are reintroduced into the economy disguised as legitimate assets, often through the sale of initially purchased high-value assets at deflated prices followed by reinvestment in legitimate businesses or the acquisition of real estate and other valuable assets Moreover politicians and civil servants frequently exploit their positions of authority and leverage legislative influence to create loopholes or favorable conditions for concealing illicit wealth They may also utilize personal connections and influence to access offshore banking systems or establish intricate corporate structures further complicating the tracing of asset ownership Parliament and the executive often collaborate to introduce tax amnesty schemes They declare previously undisclosed assets or income often attributing them to gifts received from friends relatives or loyal party supporters Through paying nominal taxes which are often a fraction of the true value of their assets, they effectively launder their illegal wealth freely, use or invest it without fear of legal repercussions Let us create a hypothetical scenario that individuals implicated in illegal asset acquisition were US citizens They could have faced various legal ramifications under the US law This includes potential charges for money laundering, stemming from transactions involving proceeds of corruption or bribery This would have led to hefty fines and lengthy imprisonment upon conviction on two accounts, failing to report income or assets gained through illicit means, subjecting them to IRS prosecution and civil penalties and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) carrying fines and imprisonment and forfeiture to seize properties and assets acquired illegally Let us create another hypothetical scenario in which the politicians, bureaucrats, civil and military implicated in the Dubai leaks were US citizens and had acquired assets as gifts from friends supporters or well wishers They could face charges of bribery targeting both the giver and recipient for exchanging something of value for official favours They could face honest services fraud charges for compromising their public duties Failure to disclose the gift or avoid decisions benefiting the giver could lead to conflict of interest violations requiring to forfeit the gift facing civil penalties and reputational damage with added consequences of legal risks, potentially tarnishing careers and undermining public trust But we all know with certainty that in Pakistan everyone will get away The writer retired as Press Secretary the the President and is former Press Minister at Embassy of Paikistan to France and former MD Shalimar Recording & Broadcasting Company Limited O f course they will
Taxpayers and
E F O R E the 2020 U S presidential election more than 35,000 Facebook and Instagram users agreed to participate in an experiment Twenty-seven percent of that randomly chosen group were paid to deactivate their accounts for six weeks The rest only disconnected for a week The objective was to analyze what happens when users disconnect from the two of the biggest social media networks in the most heated weeks of the U S political calendar The result is that hardly anything at all happens Except for one detail: the group that disconnected from Facebook (not Instagram) tended
being part
an unprecedented macro study using internal Meta data the work is also the largest ever done on social media deactivation The sample is 10 times larger than any previous experiment, according to the article The authors, however, admit that the work has its limitations when it
Aside from
of
6 million users to take part in the study and 637,388 clicked the invitation Of this figure, only 19,857 people completed the experiment, which also involved a series of surveys Participants who deactivated their account for six weeks were paid $150 On Instagram Meta invited 2 6 million users and achieved 15 585 participants D e a
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EL PAIS J o r d P é r E z C o l o m é
the Chinese
have led to overcapacity in Chinese enter-
causing artificially low-priced Chinese exports to flood global markets However Chinese-made EVs are hardly imported into the United States There is no good reason for a country to take measures that go against the principles of free trade, termed as preventive steps, without any specific damage being caused to the country s industry Michigan, where U S automakers are based, and Pennsylvania, a center for steel production, are socalled swing states or key battlegrounds that could determine the outcome of the presidential election It is clear that by raising tariffs on Chinese products the Biden administration is adopting a stance of protecting manufacturing jobs and playing tough on China to counteract Trump s attempt to regain power in the November presidential election On the other hand it is a fact that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s administration has been promoting the domestic manufacturing sector with its Made in China 2025 initiative to comprehensively upgrade Chinese industry, providing policy support to Chinese companies in the form of subsidies and tax benefits Still, the issue of overcapacity should be seen as a problem of the overall structure of the Chinese economy After years of investment-driven economic growth backed by a high savings rate China s economy is facing the problem of weak domestic consumption This structural problem is causing Chinese exports to wash over other parts of the world Moreover, the nation s real estate sector, which had been a cornerstone of China’s investment-led growth has fallen into a slump threatening the overall economic expansion Although the Xi administration should be taking steps to ramp up consumer spending it is stressing the need to expand production capacity instead Xi s claim that there is no problem of excess capacity in China is far from convincing Just last month, U S Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited China and agreed with Beijing to initiate a U S -China dialogue on “balanced economic growth From this point of view as well the Biden administration s policy toward China is inconsistent The Biden government should prioritize urging China to embark on reforming its economy rather than penalizing it for political purposes
government
prises
T H E spectre of US sanctions has failed to deter India from signing a 10-year contract with Iran to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar The deal is expected to enhance regional connectivity and facilitate trade involving India Iran Afghanistan and other nations The long-term contract was signed by Indian Ports Global Limited and the Port & Maritime Organisation of Iran Located in the restive SistanBalochistan province on Iran s southern coast the Chabahar port will offer Indian goods a gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia through a road and rail project known as the International North-South Transport Corridor Importantly the route will bypass Pakistan whose relations with Iran have deteriorated in recent months and whose ties with India have been in deep freeze for several years US sanctions on Iran over its purported nuclear programme have restricted the operations of this port, which New Delhi had proposed to develop back in 2003 In one fell swoop India has cocked a snook at Pakistan as well as the US Reacting to the Chabahar deal US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said: US sanctions on Iran remain in place and we will continue to enforce them Sounding a note of caution, Patel said anyone considering business deals with Iran needed to be aware of the potential risk, especially in terms of sanctions However like in the case of the purchase of Russian oil at discounted prices India has chosen to prioritise its own interests and not allowed existing geopolitical alignments to become an impediment Last year, India had used the Chabahar port to send 20,000 tonnes of wheat to aid-starved Afghanistan It is evident that New Delhi is going all out to make its presence felt in the neighbourhood even if this ruffles a few feathers Inevitably the US will have no option but to let an assertive India have its way
ASAHI SHIMBUN E d i to r i a l TRIBUNE E d to r i a l
related to the capital territory s liquor policy Kejriwal has dismissed the graft allegations against him as an attempt by Modi’s government to destroy his party and damage the opposition Modi and the BJP have denied the charges Delhi’s voters had mixed reactions to his campaign Giving bail to Kejriwal is like
was not corrupt why would they send him to jail?” Some were undecided about who they would vote for including Madhuri Akshay Rajput 30 a tailor in another part of the city Whether Kejriwal has done something wrong or not, going to jail dents your image,” she said “What’s the point of voting? Nothing has changed ”
saturday 18 May 2024 | K AR ACHI 06 news JERUSALEM r e u t e r S I SRAEL S tanks pushed into the heart of Jabalia in northern Gaza on Thursday, facing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs from fighters concentrated there while in the south its forces pounded Rafah without advancing Palestinian residents and fighters said The slow progress of Israel s offensive more than seven months after it was prompted by Hamas’ deadly cross-border raid, highlighted the difficulty of achieving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aim of eradicating the resistance group Armed wings of Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have been able to fight up and down the Gaza Strip, using heavily fortified tunnels to stage attacks in both the north –the focus of Israel’s initial invasion – and new battlegrounds like Rafah “We are wearing Hamas down ” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said announcing that more troops would be deployed in Rafah, where he said several tunnels had been destroyed Israel says four Hamas battalions are now in Rafah along with hostages abducted during the Oct 7 assault but faces pressure from the United States Europe and the United Nations not to invade the city where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians are sheltering The Gaza death toll has risen to 35,272, health officials in the Hamas-run coastal enclave said, and malnutrition is widespread as international aid efforts are blocked by the violence and Israel’s de-facto shutdowns of its Kerem Shalom crossing and the Rafah border crossing with Egypt Israel says Hamas is diverting aid and it needs to eliminate the organisation for its own protection after the deaths of 1,200 people on Oct 7, and to free the 128 hostages still held out of 253 abducted by the fighters according to its tallies The United States anchored a temporary floating pier to a beach in Gaza on Thursday to boost aid deliveries, but it was still unclear how it would be distributed given the challenges that have beset the United Nations and relief groups for months Egyptian sources said Cairo, which fears a mass exodus from Gaza to Egypt had rejected an Israeli request to coordinate on the reopening of the Rafah border crossing which Israel seized on May 7 and keep it beyond Palestinian control Ceasefire and hostage release talks are deadlocked over how to end the war Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said his group which has run Gaza since 2007 should continue to have a role while President Abdel Fattah elSisi of Egypt mediating along with Qatar and the United States, said Israel was not doing enough Israel declared major operations over in northern Gaza months ago while pledging to return to prevent Hamas regrouping On Thursday around a week after they moved back in Israeli tanks were heavily bombarding the main market in the heart of Jabalia, a decades-old refugee camp, and several stores there caught fire, residents and Hamas media outlets said Earlier the armed wing of Hamas said its fighters in Jabalia had destroyed an Israeli troop carrier with a locally-made Al-Yassin 105 anti-tank rocket causing casualties Reuters was not immediately able to verify the statement and there was no immediate comment from Israel “They are bombing like crazy destroying the houses and the main market in the camp ” one of the camp’s residents told Reuters via a chat app It seems they are acting this way because of the resistance operations that grilled their soldiers, he added, refusing to give a name for fear of reprisals An Israeli tank manoeuvres near the Israel-Gaza border in Israel May 16 2024 PHOTO: REUTERS An Israeli tank manoeuvres near the Israel-Gaza border in Israel May 16 2024 PHOTO: REUTERS Residents said tanks had also pushed back to near the entrance to the nearby northern city of Beit Hanoun and Israeli bulldozers were demolishing factories and property in the area Palestinian medical teams said they were aware of reports of casualties in Jabalia but were unable to reach them because of the intensity of Israeli bombing and the active army incursion Among those killed were a Palestinian journalist, Mahmoud Jahjouh, and his family, medics and fellow journalists said Israeli says it has eliminated many gunmen in Jabalia but had no new comment on developments there on Thursday In Gaza City to the south medical teams and rescuers said they were continuing the search for casualties in the Zeitoun and Sabra suburbs after dozens of bodies were recovered in the wake of a six-day army raid Palestinian authorities do not distinguish between fighters and civilians when reporting death tolls In the southern tip of Gaza tanks held their positions in eastern neighbourhoods and outskirts of Rafah while keeping up pressure with aerial and ground bombardments Medics said one Israeli tank shell had landed in a square deep inside Rafah, killing one Palestinian and wounding several others while residents said clusters of homes on the edge of the city had been blown up by the army after evacuation orders We re operating in specific places according to our intelligence and where we know Hamas terrorists are hiding, and where we think we can find either tunnel shafts or terror infrastructure or ammunition of many types military spokesperson Lt Col Nadav Shoshani said PARIS Ag e n C i e S The social network formerly known as Twitter has fully migrated over to X com owner Elon Musk said on Friday The billionaire head of Tesla, SpaceX and other companies bought Twitter for $44 billion in late 2022 and announced the rebrand to X last July Queries to Twitter com redirected users to X com on Friday morning, though the original domain name still appeared on some browsers Musk has repeatedly used the letter X in the branding of his companies starting in 1999 with his attempt to set up an online financial superstore called X com When he bought Twitter he set up a company called X Corp to close the deal Musk has said he wants X to become a super-app along the lines of China s WeChat The Chinese app is much bigger than X and weaves together messaging, voice and video calling, social media, mobile payment, games, news online booking and other services He has also bolted onto X an AI chatbot called Grok which was launched in Europe this week Musk s leadership of X has proved controversial He has fired thousands of staff, overseen major technical problems and reinstated accounts of right-wing conspiracy theorists, as well as former US president Donald Trump European regulators have also begun probes into X and other social media platforms over fears of misinformation The EU demanded earlier this month that X explain its decision to cut content moderation staff, giving the firm a deadline of Friday DELHI Ag e n C i e S Firebrand Indian politician Arvind Kejriwal has hit the ground running since his surprise release from detention amidst a contentious general election, energising the opposition as it challenges Prime Minister Narendra Modi The Supreme Court gave 55-year-old Kejriwal also the chief minister of the national capital territory of Delhi bail in a graft case on May 10 and he wasted no time in getting on the campaign trail I have only one request from you, we all have to come together to save the country from dictatorship I am fighting this dictatorship with all my might,” he told a jubilant crowd soon after walking out of Delhi’s Tihar jail clearly referring to Modi Kejriwal is part of the INDIA alliance led by the Congress party and one of its biggest crowd-pullers Analysts say while his campaigning will give fresh impetus to the opposition, they are unsure if that will translate into any significant victories against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is tipped to return to power Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is in power in the Delhi region and in the northern state of Punjab which together account for just 20 seats in parliament out of the 543 being contested H e m a y b e a b l e t o g e n e r a t e s o m e s y m p a t h y v o t e , b u t w o u l d t h a t b e e n o u g h t o c h a n g e t h e o u tcome of the election?” said Rahul Verma, a fellow at t h e N e w D e l h i - b a s e d C e n t r e f o r P o l i c y R e s e a r c h think tank The BJP led in Delhi by 20 percentage points on an average in each seat so it needs a substantial amount of swing for BJP to start losing seats in Delhi, Verma added Still, Kejriwal has the ability to embarrass the BJP A day after his release, he said Modi, central to the ruling party’s campaign would not be prime minister beyond 2025 when he turns 75 and would hand over the reins to Home Minister Amit Shah Modi made the rule in BJP that whoever turns 75 will be retired So I ask BJP, who will be your prime minister? Kejriwal said “Modi is not seeking for votes for himself, but for Amit Shah who will fulfil Modi’s guarantees then?” The BJP scrambled to deny the suggestion that flagbearer Modi would retire India began voting on April 19 in the seven-phase election in which Modi 73 seeks to be the second prime minister to win a third-straight term since independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru Delhi goes to the polls on May 25 and Punjab on June 1 with results due on June 4 K e j r i w a l i s a n a n t i - c o r r u p t i o n c r u s a d e r- t u r n e dp o l i t i c i a n w i t h a r e p u t a t i o n o f b e i n g a s t r e e tf i g h t e r H e p r o j e c t s h i m s e l f a s a m e s s i a h o f t h e w o r k i n g c l a s s t h r o u g h A A P s f o c u s o n h e a l t h c a r e , s c h o o l s a n d s u b s i d i e s , a n d h a s a h i g h p r o f i l e i m a g e i n t h e m e d i a a l l o w i n g h i m t o p u n c h a b o v e h i s w e i g h t a n a l y s t s s a y The Enforcement Directorate India s financial crime-fighting agency arrested him on March 21 over corruption allegations
adding fuel to the fire [for the opposition] said Irshad 35 a barber in Delhi s Jahangirpuri area, who gave only his first name He s a genuine leader In the Model Town locality of the capital, vegetable vendor Surya Bali 33 asked: “If he
O u t o n b a i l, f i r e b r a n d I n d i a n p o l i t i c i a n p o s e s f r e s h c h a l l e n g e fo r M o d i I S R A E L M O V E S I N O N N O R T H G A Z A H A M A S S T R O N G H O L D , P O U N D S R A FA H W I T H O U T A D VA N C I N G Musk confirms Twitter has become X.com BEIJING M A n A b r A r Chinese President Xi Jinping held large-group talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin who is in China on a state visit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday During the meeting, Xi again extended a warm welcome to Putin for his state visit to China He pointed out that this is President Putin s first foreign visit after he began his new term as the president This fully demonstrates the great importance President Putin himself and the Russian government attach to developing China-Russia relations China highly appreciates this Xi said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the China-Russia diplomatic relations It is an important milestone year in the history of China-Russia relations Over the past 75 years, China and Russia together have found a new path for major countries and neighboring countries to treat each other with respect and pursue amity and mutually beneficial cooperation With the concerted efforts of the two sides, China-Russia relations have been moving forward steadily with enhanced comprehensive strategic coordination and further cooperation on economy and trade, investment, energy, people-to-people exchanges, at the subnational level and in other fields This has made positive contributions to maintaining global strategic stability and promoting greater democracy in international relations Xi remarked Both China and Russia are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and major emerging markets It is the shared strategic choice of both countries to deepen strategic coordination expand mutually beneficial cooperation and follow the general historical trend of multipolarity in the world and economic globalization According to TASS, Putin said at the meeting with Xi that “It is of fundamental importance that relations between Russia and China are not opportunistic and are not directed against anyone Our cooperation in world affairs today serves as one of the main stabilizing factors in the international arena ” According to the Xinhua News Agency Xi and Putin on Thursday signed and issued a joint statement on deepening China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries The two leaders also attended the signing ceremony of cooperation documents in Beijing on Thursday The eighth China-Russia Expo is set to take place from May 16 to 21 in Harbin northeast China s Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia s Far East region Trade between the two countries will see new impetus after Putin’s China visit said businesspeople from the two countries President Putin s visit to China will no doubt inject more vitality into bilateral trade cooperation Xi and Putin jointly met the press in Beijing on Thursday Xi said to the press that with Russia chairing BRICS this year and China taking over the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization later this year, the two sides will support each other s chairmanship, build a high-quality partnership that is more comprehensive close practical and inclusive and build the unity and strength of the Global South China and Russia are committed to fairness and justice as the purpose of relations, and dedicated to the political settlement of hotspots China, Russia pledge to contribute to maintain ‘global strategic stability ’ China urges Philippines to stop ‘provocation’ in South China Sea BEIJING S tA F F C o r r e S P o n d e n t The Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Friday urged the Philippines to not act recklessly and stop all infringement and provocation in the South China Sea The Chinese military does not wish to make trouble, but if trouble comes, we won’t shy away,” Zhang Xiaogang a spokesperson for the ministry said at a press briefing He vowed that China will continue to take resolute measures to firmly defend its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea Noting that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had repeated basic facts on the situation at Ren’ai Jiao, and the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines had publicized communications between the two countries on the matter Zhang highlighted the gentleman s agreement internal understanding and new model reached between China and the Philippines which promote the management of disputes, conflict avoidance, trust-building, and the maintenance of peace and stability in the area In the face of hard facts, the Philippine side has resorted to all sorts of denials and sophistry to deceive the Philippine people and mislead the international community Iran arrests over 250 in raid on ‘satanist network’ IRAN A F P Iranian police announced on Friday they arrested more than 250 people including three foreigners over promoting “satanism” west of the capital Tehran state media reported The Police Information Centre announced the identification dismantling, and widespread arrest of members of the satanist network, the IRNA state news agency reported, citing a police statement Police arrested “146 men and 115 women who were in an undesirable and obscene condition with emblems signs and symbols of satanism on their clothes head face and hair the statement said Three European citizens were also arrested during the police operation in Shahryar City, west of Tehran, on Thursday night Symbols of satanism, alcoholic beverages and psychoactive substances along with 73 vehicles were seized” during the raid police added in the statement
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KSrelief concludes 4 more medical camps in Sindh, Balochistan
07 NEWS Saturday 18 May 2024 | K AR ACHI
ISLAMABAD: Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) the largest Exploration and Production (E&P) company in Pakistan has joined Male Champions of Change Pakistan to foster gender equality, diversity and inclusion within the company OGDCL is committed to creating a more inclusive workplace culture and enhancing leadership opportunities for women within the organization By joining Male Champions of Change Pakistan OGDCL aims to fortify its efforts in creating an environment where every individual regardless of gender or background, can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the company's collective success OGDCL is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce PR FBR holds crucial meeting with trade unions regarding Tajir Dost S cheme The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) convened a pivotal meeting with representatives from various Trade Unions of Pakistan which was also attended by Chief Coordinator of the Tajir Dost Scheme Naeem Mir and other senior officials at the FBR Headquarters The meeting aimed to address concerns raised by the trade and business community regarding the implementation of the Tajir Dost Scheme and to foster a collaborative approach towards its success During the meeting representatives of the Trade Unions emphasized the need for clearer guidelines on taxation for newly registered traders under the Tajir Dost Scheme They were of the view that retailers reluctance to register stemmed from ambiguity surrounding the taxation regime, potentially hindering the scheme s effectiveness in enrolling traders Additionally the representatives highlighted the absence of facilitation tax exemptions or incentives to convince retailers to register under the scheme P R IIMC T/Riphah Int ’l University, NAVTTC sign historic agreement An agreement was signed between RIPHAH and National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) at the NAVTTC Headquarters in Islamabad recently IIMCT/Riphah International University was represented by Mr Ahmed Nauman Anees, CEO/Project Director, Riphah ExcelTech Institute and Group Director of Human Development Services and Strategy while the Director General/Chairperson of Planning and Development signed on behalf of NVTTC This agreement marks the largest collaboration regarding vocational training in recent memory The project is funded by the Prime Minister of Pakistan s Office and is part of the prestigious SFIC forum at the national level This collaboration aligns with Chancellor Hassan Muhammad Khan's vision of bridging the gap between industry and academia by transferring essential skills to the youth The agreement aims to empower the Pakistani youth with the necessary tools to become proficient professionals through hands-on skills acquisition locally and globally The project focuses on various aspects of Allied Health Sciences and is designed to equip teams S TA F F R E P O R T ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) has wrapped up its sponsorship of four more medical camps in Pakistan, marking the second phase of a vital project aimed at combating blindness and eye diseases Collaborating with the AlBasar International Foundation and Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital Karachi these camps provided advanced eye care facilities to individuals facing financial constraints or lacking access to specialized treatment Strategically positioned in rural and urban areas of Sindh and Balochistan these camps addressed regions with limited eye care services The primary goal was early detection and treatment of eye-related issues to prevent blindness and enhance thousands of lives Over the course of the program more than 18 056 medical examinations and 1,633 surgeries were successfully conducted Furthermore, 3,116 pairs of corrective glasses were distributed along with prescribed medications ensuring comprehensive care for all patients The impact of this initiative has been profound, touching communities across Sindh and Balochistan provinces Held in Karachi, Sukkur, Kandiaro in Sindh and District Kharan in Balochistan these camps provided specialized eye care services restoring vision and offering hope for a brighter future
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
has implemented rigless intervention techniques in various formations resulting in a significant increase in hydrocarbon production With the successful optimization, the cumulative production from the well now stands at an impressive 1870 BPD of oil and 7 02 MMSCFD of gas The extracted gas is being efficiently injected into the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) network Prior to the production enhancement, the well had been producing 1700 BPD of oil and 2 45 MMSCFD of gas The Nashpa-10 production is projected to save $30 67 million annually in foreign exchange as import substitution for the country OGDCL announces produc tion enhancement at Nashpa Well-10 in distric t K arak PR OFIT N E W S D E S K T H E Board of Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited (DH Corp) has approved a Scheme of Arrangement during its meeting on Friday under which DH Corp will be demerged into two legal entities According to a notice sent to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) all assets liabilities and obligations of DH Corporation excluding its investment in the shares of Engro Corporation Limited will be transferred to a new company DH Partners Limited (DHPL) DHPL will issue shares to the existing shareholders of DH Corp in the same proportion as their current holdings Under the Scheme of Arrangement the shares held by all Engro Corp shareholders except for those held by DH Corp will be transferred to DH Corp In exchange these shareholders will receive 2 24407865 shares of DH Corp for each Engro Corp share they hold This swap ratio may be adjusted based on the actual shareholding at the time of issuance As a result, shareholders will maintain their proportionate shareholding in Engro Corp indirectly through DH Corp Following this restructuring Engro Corp will become a wholly owned subsidiary of DH Corp which will be renamed Engro Holdings Limited The proposed restructuring is subject to corporate and regulatory approvals, as well as the sanction of the Scheme by the Islamabad High Court
Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has announced a significant production enhancement at Nashpa Well-10 located in the Karak District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as part of its production enhancement campaign Through a production enhancement strategy, OGDCL
ENTITIES g BOARD APPROVES SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT, ALL A SSETS, LIABILITIES, AND OBLIGATIONS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO NEW COMPANY NAMED DH PARTNERS LIMITED ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T State Minister for IT and Telecom Ms Shaza Fatima visited Huawei Pakistan to commemorate World Telecom day in Islamabad Delegation from Ministry included Chief Coordinator Baber Sheikh, Sania Zaidi Coordinator and From Huawei Management Mr Zhangzhen - CEO Carrier Network Business Group Mr Ray Yushaoning - Vice CEO Public Affair, Mr Shahzad Rasheed - CEO Cloud, Mr Saad Talha Saeed - Director Government Affairs and Mr Ahmed Aziz - Director Public Relations were present World Telecom Day is dedicated to raising awareness about the role of telecommunications in the lives of people and in the development of societies worldwide At Huawei our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world Technology is critical in how we address social, economic, and environmental challenges and how we innovate and invest in the telecommunications sector to improve access to affordable and reliable services for all Minister in her address says as we know WTD 2024 celebrates the power of digital innovation in advancing sustainable development and prosperity for all Telecommunications is the great equalizer as we bridge the digital divide we see the powerful societal changes brought by the internet and new technologies Moreover, she appreciated that Huawei is dedicated to building a Fully Connected Intelligent World we as Government of Pakistan will continue to support Huawei in building a robust ICT talent ecosystem and accelerating the digitalization progress S TA F F R E P O R T IT M inister visit Huawei on ccasion of World telecom Day 2024 KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T The Consul General of China in Karachi Yang Yundong, Thursday, reiterated his commitment to work together with Pakistan to further strengthen the all weather strategic cooperative partnership of both friendly countries and jointly build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era He, while addressing to a seminar held here by Chinese Consulate General in Karachi in connection with 73rd Anniversary of Establishment of China-Pakistan Diplomatic Relation said that the relationship has forged ahead under the strategic guidance and joint efforts of leadership, governments and peoples of both nations “Our comprehensive cooperation has flourished enduring the ever-changing international landscape and solidifying into an ironclad friendship he said and vowed to firmly uphold the core interests of both countries, maintain close communication and exchange, strengthen pragmatic cooperation and further deepen and solidify the bilateral relations He said that Pakistan was the first Islamic country to recognize the People s Republic of China and to formally establish diplomatic relations with the new China China has consistently supported Pakistan in defending its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity while Pakistan also supported China in safeguarding its core interests he said adding that the Karakoram Highway was a lasting testimony of friendship between the two countries The China-Pakistan relationship has not only become a valuable strategic asset for both countries but also serves as a model of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between nations with different social systems and cultural backgrounds Yundong said Due to high level engagements of leadership of both the countries, ChinaPakistan relations are operating at a high level and are faced with new opportunities for development exhibiting vibrant vitality and vigor he observed Over the past 11 years CPEC has brought a total of US $25 4 billion in direct investment, 236000 jobs, 510km of highways, more than 8000 megawatts of electricity and 886km of core transmission network Chinese CG vows to fur ther strengthen all weather strategic par tnership with Pak istan Fe d e r a l M i n i s te r fo r M a r i t i m e A f f a i r s c a l l s o n N ava l C h i e f ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Mr Qaiser Ahamed Sheikh visited Naval Headquarters Islamabad and called on Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf During the meeting professional matters of mutual interest and PakistanNavy s role in regional maritime security and Indian Ocean region came under discussion Both the dignitaries also dilated upon prospects of maritime economy and its importance for overall economic growth of the country Later on a detailed briefing was given to the Minister regarding Pakistan s maritime challenges opportunities and steps taken by PakNavy to facilitate awareness and development of this crucial sector for future economic progress of Pakistan PR KE leads disc ussion on Pakistan's renewable energy trajec tor y K A R A C H I: Although Pakistan continues to grapple with its energy challenges the nation has been actively incorporating renewable energy into its energy strategy To delve deeper into this critical topic Nutshell Group hosted the most recent iteration of their webinar series, The Future of Energy in collaboration with K-Electric, titled The Trajectory of Renewable Energy in Pakistan K-Electric s commitment to renewable energy and its advocacy for renewables in Pakistan have been longstanding As the largest power distribution company in Pakistan s major metropolis K-Electric has consistently demonstrated a forward-thinking approach to energy transition As emphasized by the CEO, investing in sustainability is not merely a cost but a strategic investment with significant returns By embracing renewable energy K-Electric actively tackles environmental concerns as well as bolstering energy security and making power more affordable This webinar showcased a panel of esteemed speakers provided invaluable insights into the current and future landscape of Pakistan s renewable energy sector PR Jazz All Pakistan Tape Ball Premier League Cricket Tournament enters final stages K A R A C H I: Jazz All Pakistan Tape Ball Premier League cricket tournament has entered the final stages The teams of Sherwani Sports and CE Sports made it to the qualifiers On the fourth day of the Moin Khan Academy defense five more matches were decided Bao Bilal XI outclassed SMS Gymkhana by nine wickets Bao Bilal s team achieved the target of forty-five runs for just one wicket This was SMS Gymkhana's fourth consecutive defeat in the event Sherwani Sports defeated Narrowwall Sports by twenty-eight runs Sherwani Sports remained unbeaten in the league matches One Ten Sports defeated ZA Sports by straight runs Bao Bilal XI outclassed Osaka Kirko by fifty runs CE Sports beat Saqib Sports by nine wickets in the last match of the league to qualify for Group A qualifiers According to tournament director Khurram Majeed the teams of Sherwani Sports and CE Sports will compete in the qualifier PR V2F Solutions commemorated years of remarkable achievements and growth at the annual awards ceremony V2F Solutions cherish the captured memories embodying the spirit of camaraderie and achievement PR
TO BE DEMERGED INTO T WO LEGAL
PTI SEEKS DETAILS OF SECURIT Y SPENDING AT CM PUNJAB’S JATI UMRA RESIDENCE
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
PML-Q MNA Tariq Bashir
Cheema s membership was reinstated on Friday after a brief suspension earlier in the day for allegedly abusing PTI lawmaker Zartaj Gul Wazir in the National Assembly (NA)
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq suspended Cheema s membership for the ongoing NA session after commotion ruled the floor of the lower house a day earlier over inappropriate and indecent remarks directed at Gul The assembly s proceedings were later adjourned for an indefinite period which meant the former federal minister s membership stood restored A day earlier, taking the floor of the House during a debate on the presidential address Cheema got angry when PTI leader Iqbal Afridi interrupted his speech
lead to heated exchanges between Cheema Afridi and Gul The enraged opposition members tried to go to the government lobby forcing the speaker to call security to avoid escalation When the situation became tense, the speaker adjourned the session till Friday (today) morning
PTI and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawmakers subsequently gathered in the speaker ’s chamber to register their protest Sadiq resolved the issue after hectic rounds of conversations with both sides and was expected to give his ruling today regarding Cheema’s suspension
Current fake politic al system nothing but mocker y of democrac y: Imran
Chairman-for-life Imran Khan on Friday said that the current fake political system was nothing but a mockery of the democracy, as
jungle said ”
In his message from Adiala Jail PTI Founding Chairman pointed out that they dissolved the Punjab Assembly because the King of the jungle was trying to oust their government Our MPs were being intimidated, thus it is the rule of democracy to go back to the people when this kind of situation arises he added Therefore he stated that they had decided to approach the people again and dissolved the government Imran Khan stated that the king of jungle also put pressure on our people and brought down our governments in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) and imposed their puppets who had no public support, adding that when such governments were imposed, then AJK like situation arises
He went on to say that there was similar situation in Balochistan where governments were formed against the public s aspirations resultantly such situation arises there as well Imran Khan recalled that he himself witnessed the situation in East Pakistan in 1971, where
people just wanted their rights not secession but when they were cracked down and the mountains of atrocities were broken and oppressed due to a fake and false system due to which they seceded
Even today, the integrity of the country is threatened by the same fake and false system,” he alerted Imran Khan emphasised that the basis of democracy was moral standards and if a democracy lacked ethics it could not be called a democracy The way democracy is being run with a stick in Pakistan is a mockery of democracy, as all parties are allowed to hold meetings except PTI ” he added PTI Founding Chairman said that PTI governments never restricted public gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) but PTI was denied permissions to hold public gatherings anywhere in the country and even false cases were made against the party leaders
He noted that the representative of the fake system and beneficiary of Form 47 Governor KP was making personal attack on CM KP Ali Amin Gandapur, adding that the fake representatives of this false system issued statements and held press conferences against Justice Babar Sattar About Bushra Bibi cases PTI Founding Chairman stated that they would file a reference against Judge Abul Hasanat and Judge Qudratullah the manner they sentenced Bushra
Bibi in two sentences in five days Khan continued that the AlQadir Trust case was also being conducted with the same speed while the cases of other politicians which were pending in the same courts, were being given long dates “We want proceedings of our cases in a normal manner,” he urged PTI Founding Chairman raised question as to why the petitions of PTI about the May 9 events and the February 8 elections were not being heard We want our trial conducted like the trials of Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and Yousaf Raza Gilani were conducted ” he maintained Imran Khan made it clear that this was the defeat of the justice system because of this the common man was losing confidence in the justice system of the country He highlighted that at present the country was divided into two groups on the one hand there was Form 47 who was given power and when the beneficiaries of Form-47 were questioned they suddenly attacked and even began to pressure the judges and the media to cover their lies Imran Khan sated that they all were trying these to keep an artificial democracy running On the other there were people of Form 45 who were subjected to all kinds of state oppressions and violence, whose clear victory was converted into defeat through fake Form 45, he said, adding that
Published by Asad Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited Ph: 021-32640318 Email: newsroom@pakistantoday com pk PRAYER TIMINGS FA J R S U N R I S E Z U H R A S R M AG H R I B S H A 4:20 5:02 1 30 5:15 7:00 8:45 Saturday 18 May 2024 NEWS ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T P A K I S TA N Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lambasted the mandate thief Chief Minister Punjab for her luxurious lifestyle as Punjab government was all-set to spend millions of rupees in the name of security of her Jati Umra residence despite the fact the country was facing severe financial crisis coupled with back-breaking inflation and unemployment PTI Spokesperson in a stronglyworded reaction to the wasteful use of public money sought details from Punjab government pertaining to the plan of spending millions of rupees in the name of security of her Jati umra residence He said that the people of Punjab were grappling with untold problems such as unbridled inflation unemployment and scarcity of resources while Sharif s touts were busy in lavish spending of public money on the luxurious lifestyle of the fake Chief Minister just like her father and uncle who had been squandering the provincial treasury as if the inheritance of the late Mian Sharif PTI Spokesperson stated that treading on the path of her predecessors who had spent Rs 364 million on the security of the Jami umra, the mandate-thief was also intended to squander Rs 149 1 million under the head of purchasing and installing security equipment at her personal residence However contrary to these mandate thieves he recalled that when Imran Khan was the Prime Minister, he stayed in his personal residence of Bani Gala and paid all the security expenses from his own pocket PTI Spokesperson urged that the government of Punjab should show some shame and modesty and stop squandering the people s money on the mandate thief s whims and fancies He made it clear that said that PTI would raise the issue on the floor of the house as the party would not tolerate any further wasteful spending of public money
Didn’t stop gov t from blocking non-filers’ SIMs, says IHC ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Chief Justice Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday said that he didn’t stop the authorities from blocking the SIMs of non-filers He clarified that the order only barred the government from taking any action against the telecom operators It is pertinent to note that media on Tuesday reported that the IHC had issued a stay order on a petition filed by a mobile operator challenging the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) move The development came days after the FBR and telecom operators agreed on blocking SIMs of nonfilers as part of the government s bid to curb tax evasion to improve revenue generation amid dire economic indicators After lengthy deliberations among the stakeholders, the FBR announced earlier this month that telecom companies have agreed to commence the manual blocking process of SIMs in small batches until their systems are fully equipped to automate it The tax collection body had said that the first batch comprising 5 000 non-filers had been communicated to the telecom operators and that more batches would be sent to telcos on a daily basis Earlier, it was decided to block 500,000 SIMs of individuals who did not appear on the active taxpayer list but were liable to file the Income Tax Return for Tax Year 2023 At the onset of the hearing of a miscellaneous plea the attorney general said he had come to get the stay order on blocking of mobile phone SIMs dismissed To which, the chief justice remarked that the last order was not what it was reported in the media He said the order didn’t stay the blockage of SIMs instead he stopped taking action against the private companies The chief justice inquired if a labourer or poor person would also be included in the tax net To this query, the attorney general said poor people would not be sent a notice regarding SIM closure The CJ said it was feared that the FBR would include everyone in its net so there should be some rules and regulations as not everyone could visit the FBR and give clarification about their status The attorney general apprised the bench that the nonfilers would be issued notices from November 2023 and those who have paid their taxes should not be worried The FBR authorities would restore SIMs upon satisfaction he maintained On attorney general s request the IHC issued notice on the government s miscellaneous petition seeking a reply on May 22 PESHAWAR S TA F F R E P O R T Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday lambasted the federal government over its failure to resolve the province’s core issues warning the province would react strongly if the situation persists Speaking on the floor of KP Assembly on Friday CM Gandapur said that the province has been given funds by the Centre after cutting Rs300 billion this fiscal year He said that KP has to hand over Rs96 billion surplus to the federal government as per the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) He also vowed that the province would provide the required funds to the federal government by June 30 The chief executive, however, slammed other provinces for not fulfilling the agreed conditions, saying that they would not stay silent on the discrimination against the people of KP He added that it was KP s due right to receive Rs50 billion in funds within two months Gandapur warned the federal government of a strong reaction if it fails to give an exact timeline for resolving the province’s core issues including payments of dues new taxes promised funds for countering law and order issues loadshedding and special funds for tribal areas He claimed that the Centre has to provide Rs1,510 billion in terms of electricity payments The chief minister urged the federal government to fulfil its promises Commenting over pending electricity payments of the province Gandapur blamed the federal government for deteriorated economic conditions He added that KP people failed to pay Rs120 billion worth of electricity bills due to negative impacts on the national economy The chief minister also said that he would not allow anyone to cut electricity connections across the province Pointing towards the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), Gandapur said: “Wapda officer is bound to serve the province If he fails to provide relief to the masses then I reserve power to take over his office ” The KP chief executive also claimed that he would lodge cases and jail those people who tried to snatch the due rights of the people He gave a 15-day deadline to the Centre to find a way out via dialogues with the KP government CM Gandapur said that no one would be allowed to impose new taxes on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) people without his permission in accordance with the 18th Amendment The chief minister announced improving the health insurance cards’ scheme after sharp criticism He also declared introducing a resolution against illegal recruitment CM Gandapur promised that the provincial government would create employment opportunities for the citizens via technical education programmes He also vowed that development projects would also be completed in the Form 47 constituencies G a n d a p u r t h r e a t e n s t o r e a c t s t r o n g l y i f C e n t r e f a i l s t o r e s o l ve K P i s s u e s
‘ I n d e c o r o u s r e m a r k s a b o u t Z a r t a j G u l ’ : C h e e m a ’s N A m e m b e r s h i p r e i n s t a t e d a f t e r b r i e f s u s p e n s i o n
S TA F F R E P O R T P a k i s t a n Te h r e e k - e - I n s a f ( P T I )
ISLAMABAD
l a w w a s w h a t “ t h e k i n g o f t h e
the entire system was based on a lie
Yasmin Rashid, Omer Cheema get bail in case of arson, provocative speech LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T The Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore has granted bail to PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid and Umar Sarfaraz Cheema in a case related to incendiary speech and arson at Sherpao bridge The case pertains to alleged involvement in incendiary speech and subsequent arson at Sherpao bridge The Sarwar Road police station registered the case, prompting legal proceedings against the accused After hearing arguments from the lawyers representing Dr Yasmin Rashid and Umar Sarfaraz Cheema the ATC deliberated on the matter and approved their bails The case against Rashid concerns rioting that followed Imran s arrest and fiery speeches she is accused of making on May 9 against state institutions at the city’s Sherpao Bridge NA speaker bars media persons from filming lawmakers on Parliament premises ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has issued clear directives for the confiscation of mobile phones from media personnel, social media influencers, and others caught making videos of lawmakers arriving or leaving the Parliament premises The directives justified by citing security threats promise strict action against any individuals including media personnel, influencers, guests, or others, found obstructing lawmakers and capturing their videos within the Parliament premises “We have engaged with the interior ministry and IG Islamabad; stringent action will be taken ” affirmed the NA speaker acknowledging Defence Minister Khawaja Asif s valid security concerns He underscored the prevailing security threats within the Red Zone where key government buildings are situated These measures follow incidents where certain individuals affiliated with the PTI breached Parliament’s galleries and initiated slogans Notably, a media house reporter faced accusations of recording proceedings from the press gallery and broadcasting them further exacerbating the speaker s ire Defence Minister Khawaja Asif emphasizing security vulnerabilities, highlighted the lack of security checks at Parliament House and the potential risks posed by unchecked individuals He urged restrictions on gallery attendees citing instances of disruptive behavior and the need to maintain decorum Expressing frustration over the absence of action Asif pressed for stricter regulations extending beyond the assembly halls to outer Parliament areas He criticized the intrusion of TikTokers, social media influencers, and activists, urging the speaker to pass resolutions to uphold decorum In agreement, the speaker lamented the disturbances caused by certain individuals and directed security officials to enhance random security checks and crowd control measures Consequently Sadiq reiterated the commitment to stringent actions and adjourned the session LHC links Punjab’s e-bike scheme to NOC from Environment Dept LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T The Lahore High Court on Friday placed a condition on the Punjab government s scheme to distribute motorcycles to students ruling that the program can only proceed once it obtains a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) LHC’s Justice Shahid Karim issued the directions while presiding over a hearing related to smog control measures The judge emphasized the gravity of air pollution stating it s a critical issue that demands immediate attention He expressed concerns during the hearing about the government s motorcycle distribution plan, highlighting the lack of an environmental impact assessment as a criminal offense Consequently, the High Court has mandated the program to secure an environmental NOC before any motorcycles are distributed to students aa The court also directed the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to submit a report detailing the restoration and tree management plans for seven of its sports complexes Additionally, the High Court ordered the complete restoration and security enhancement of all parks within the city