PM lauds Finance Minister, team for preparing ‘pro -people’ budget
minister said the government provided relief to the salaried class pensioners and workers
PTI labels budget as work of ‘hitman,’ ‘economic ter rorism’
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
Condemning the new budget on Friday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf termed the new fiscal year’s budget “economic terrorism” against the masses Speaking on the floor of the Nation Assembly Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan on Friday labelled the budget as economic terrorism,” saying it would hit the already burdened masses hard Ayub claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had admitted to forming the budget in collaboration with the IMF I had called this budget the work of a hitman as this is economic terrorism against the people of Pakistan,” the PTI leader asserted
SC accepts Vawda, Kamal’s unconditional apologies
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday accepted Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-P’s Mustafa Kamal’s unconditional apologies in contempt of court case cautioned them against any further transgression The Supreme Court (SC) had issued contempt of court notices to independent Senator Faisal Vawda and MQM-Pakistan MNA Mustafa Kamal over their anti-judiciary rhetoric Senator Faisal Vawda on June 26 tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in contempt of court case
tions should have been submitted
letter to the party s founder Imran Khan announcing his resignation as PTI Secretary-General He announced his resignation through a post on X making it public I am grateful to the founder PTI for accepting the resignation as Secretary General,” he posted Omar Ayub said that he tendered his resignation on June 22
On Friday at the outset of the hearing, Barrister Naseem informed the court that Kamal had expressed regret on his press conference
CJP Isa then asked Vawda if he had tendered an apology to which he replied in the affirmative
Here, Justice Isa asked Siddiqui about his client’s whereabouts, to which he replied that he was appearing on behalf of 26 TV channels
None of your clients have submitted a response yet Justice Isa remarked Not even a single media [channel] has submitted a written response,” the top judge said To this Advocate Siddiqui responded that a show-cause notice had not been issued to any media organisation Do you want [us] to issue a show-cause notice to them? Justice Isa asked Here, Justice Abbasi remarked that a response signed by a responsible officer of the media organisa-
The CJP observed that the channels had not implemented the court orders, at which Siddiqui stated that their representatives were present in the court CJP reiterated that no written response had been filed while the counsel maintained that he had submitted the same at which the former then highlighted that the reply did not have the signatures of any media official
“The reply is signed by the lawyers and not by the channels It is compulsory in contempt of court cases for the channels signature to be there Justice Isa remarked
However, Siddiqui argued saying that if a show-cause notice had been issued, then the reply would have been submitted with the channels’ signatures
Do you not like the Constitution? Justice Isa quipped adding that he presumed the advocate would begin his arguments by speaking about the Constitution
“If someone labels a person a thief and the media says it has only reported on it is that correct?
Justice Isa questioned Should such free media be allowed or not?” he wondered
“Freedom of press and freedom of expression are two different things the chief justice remarked
When Vawda and Kamal came to the rostrum, CJP Isa told them: You represent the public We hope you will also respect us It will be the public’s loss by degrading each other ”
He stressed that the status of lawmakers was much higher than common citizens and told them they had to be cautious
We will not take the matter further but will tell you to be careful in the future ” Justice Isa said
To this Vawda replied he respected the judiciary and said he wanted to inform the court of the pain he was going through as he was being called
B P E N C O U R A G E S B A N K S T O E M B R A C E S M E
of three (3) years with effect from August 12, 2024, read the notice Haider has been the Managing Di-
rector/CEO of MPCL since August 2020 Currently, he is the only Executive Director on the MPCL Board He is a Non-Executive Director on the board
CONTINUED
In
E N S I O N reform is now essential It is now, at Rs 1 014 trillion now the fourth largest component of the Budget after interests payments, defence and development It is also within the crosshairs of the IMF However, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet decided not to touch the benefits of existing government employees, and to make the changes it approved applicable only to new recruits There was also approval for the pensions to become contributory, rather than be based on last pay drawn, for civilian employees from next July, and for military employees from 2025 The fund is to come from the savings on pensions, estimated to be about Rs 4 billion in the first year, or 0 4 percent of the total spending Pension reform will prove a long process, especially if government employees have their benefits locked in Of course, there are bound to be conflicts The Establishment Division wanted the retirement age increased to 62, which is a proposal the services could not accept, because military personnel have to maintain a minimum level of fitness, and an efficacious way of doing so is to retire personnel early This has created the issue of two pensions, family pensions, and other such issues The cost of pensions is not made to include the benefits which pensioners and their families enjoy, mainly in healthcare The ECC will get back to the pensions issue, despite the Establishment Division and the armed forces fighting a rearguard action to preserve the status quo, mainly because the IMF is not clear why so much money is going to people who are not government employees, when that money would better go on debt servicing
If the matter is to go before the courts, it will be impossible to find judges without a personal interest, as all are future pensioners However, the ECC must not allow this to cramp its style Ironclad pension systems are the result of agitation by the civil service unions in the West, as well as the harrowing experience of the Great Depression of the 1930s There is every danger that pension reform may be stymied by the same safety-first attitude now that young people are entering the job market in ever-increasing numbers, even as the economy fails to create jobs
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
O T W I T H S TA N D I N G misinformation about Bangladesh’s Saint Martin, and Myanmar ’s persistent provocations, Bangladesh rightly pursues the concept of defence diplomacy with Myanmar in a nonviolent manner The Myanmar border situation can only be resolved by defence diplomacy according to Bangladesh s new army leader, who also said that there is no chance of hostilities between the two forces It is very difficult for one army to launch a war without warning when two armies are in communication with one another When General Waker-uzZaman took command he informed reporters at army headquarters in Dhaka This does not happen But he issued a warning, saying, We want to avoid any provocation Other than the Rohingya crisis, we have no problems with Myanmar We demand that they return the Rohingya Apart from that, I don’t think there is any animosity or issue between us and them According to Zaman the two-armed forces were trying to solve the Rohingya issue in a peaceful way and were in continuous communication The new army leader of Bangladesh is spot on when it comes to handling its neighbour, Myanmar The Bangladeshi army has made it quite clear that it wants amicable ties with Myanmar but Myanmar has to cease acting provocatively near its borders Bangladesh s southeast border has been impacted by Myanmar s internal turmoil particularly St Martin s Island Any actions the Myanmar Army conducts in the border areas must be done with extreme discretion Myanmar is not seen as an enemy by Bangladesh Bangladesh doesn’t want to go to war with any nation notwithstanding Myanmar ’s rather extreme approach towards Bangladesh Bangladesh s policy is to keep friendships with all people since it is a peaceful nation However it is incorrect to consider Bangladesh to be weak Meanwhile, as Myanmar is very busy dealing with its massive insurgency, Myanmar military can’t bear the cost of another conflict war with Bangladesh Thus it is inappropriate to think that Myanmar military will engage in conflict with Bangladesh Bangladesh currently has world-class armed forces Bangladesh is among the best countries in the world for its highly developed infantry Myanmar would be very naive to believe that Bangladesh’s military forces are insufficient But as General Zaman correctly pointed out it is very difficult for an army to launch a battle on short
M a i n o b j e c t i v e s a n d k e y p r i o r i t i e s o f t h e b u d g e t
notice when two troops are in communication with one another This doesn’t take place I don’t think there is any animosity or issue between us and them Myanmar has to be more practical and all-encompassing The newly appointed head of Bangladesh s armed forces is sending a proactive and nonviolent message to its neighbour, Myanmar, expressing Bangladesh’s continued belief in good neighbourly relations and Dhaka’s desire to maintain the recent level of bilateral relations and military exchanges It shows that Dhaka is eager to have regular militaryto-military contact again This is important to prevent a direct clash between the two neighbouring nations since a military battle between Bangladesh and Myanmar would have terrible implications for both sides The ball is now in Myanmar ’s court It is hoped that Myanmar would be more pragmatic Stable bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar may be greatly influenced by their constructive discussions on border and Rohingya concerns Bangladesh has approached this problem with a fairly benevolent attitude as it believes that whatever is occurring in Rakhine is an internal business of Myanmar Dhaka has resisted taking any additional action other than diplomatic ones because of this It has protested cross-border fire via diplomatic channels and has also raised issues with any reports of border transgressions Additionally, it has made an effort to facilitate the groups who invaded Bangladesh to return in peace In the process, it made it very clear to both the Myanmar side and the international community that Bangladesh views the continuing war as being solely inside its borders and that it has no desire or intention of becoming engaged Its main goal is to make it easier for the Rohingya community, who have sought safety in Bangladesh, to return to Myanmar as soon as feasible That con-
In the long run, both should keep working together to maintain regional security and explore ways to deepen their military relationships. They should also have cooperative talks, training exchanges, coordinated disaster relief effor ts, and information sharing. Together, they should manage crises, avoid miscalculations, and stay out of conflicts.
as much as possible through
stimulating both local and
Tinvestments and reorienting the productive sectors towards boosting the country s exports The federal government has curtailed nonessential and avoidable unproductive expenditure promised to take maximum possible austerity measures and revamped the state owned enterprises through improved management and good governance The federal government s main objectives underlying its new budget for the ensuing financial year 2024-25 include economic stability and growth through fiscal consolidation and efficient use of the public money; bringing down the ratio of public debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to sustainable levels; prioritizing improvements in the balance of payments position; strengthening the policy framework for revitalizing the private sector, fostering entrepreneurship encouraging investment and promoting innovation for stimulating the economic growth; improving service delivery and the pub-
lic good by funneling more into the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) , introducing sector-specific reforms and encouraging innovation; integrating green and gender responsive budgeting into public finance management and more importantly and significantly taking measures for education and skill development of the youth and supporting vulnerable sections of the society through pro-poor initiatives and measures In passing, it may be mentioned here that
financing the PSDP with focus on financing the fast moving development projects in dif-
funds to the lowest level for slow moving development projects
Let us keep our fingers crossed praying and hoping that all that what the federal government wants to do for the overall good of the country and welfare of the people materializes and is implemented by all those entrusted with giving the measures and initiatives in the right earnest honestly, sincerely and committedly The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) Radio Pakistan Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail com
IN a stunning and perhaps desperate move China has issued judicial guidelines on imposing criminal punishment on diehard Taiwan independence separatists for organizing, plotting, or carrying out schemes of de jure independence,” or seeking independence from China in collusion with any foreign government overseas institution organization or individual and has set severe punishments The issuance of judicial guidelines signifies a hardening stance on Taiwan s independence movement which included allowing for trials in absentia underscoring China’s determination to deter any steps towards Taiwanese independence by defining legal repercussions more clearly and harshly For Taiwan and its separatists these guidelines represent an escalation in the legal and political pressure from Beijing They signal that China is prepared to take more aggressive legal action against those advocating for Taiwan’s independence potentially increasing risks for Taiwanese leaders and activists The threat of harsher penalties and trials in absentia could also create a chilling effect on pro-independence activities and rhetoric within Taiwan
For the USA and Western countries, this development is likely to be seen as a challenge to their support for Taiwan’s autonomy It could complicate diplomatic relations and necessitate stronger statements or actions in defense of Taiwan The guidelines might also impact U S and Western citizens or organizations interacting with Taiwan, as they could be perceived as colluding with separatists under China’s broadened definitions Countries supporting the “One China” policy like Pakistan might find themselves
in a more delicate position While they recog-
nize Beijing’s sovereignty over Taiwan, these nations must balance their diplomatic relations with both China and other countries supporting Taiwan The guidelines could pressure these countries to publicly reiterate their commitment to the One China policy and distance themselves from any perceived support for Taiwanese independence to avoid political or economic repercussions from China
This move is an obvious reaction to the unjust consistent and outright support of the USA and the West to the Taiwan separatists diplomatically and equipping them for violent struggle The USA and its Western allies support Taiwan separatists through diplomatic, economic, defense, and advocacy measures Diplomatically the USA and Western countries maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan through trade offices and cultural exchanges with high-level visits such as US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi s visit in 2022 They advocate for Taiwan s participation in international organizations like the World Health Assembly Economically the USA and Taiwan have agreements like the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and collaborate in critical industries such as semiconductors where Taiwan s TSMC plays a key role Financial support includes investments in tech startups and infrastructure projects Defense and security measures include significant arms sales such as the $2 2 billion sale in 2019 which included Abrams tanks and
China aims to reinforce its sovereignty claims over Taiwan and deter moves toward independence by imposing harsh penalties on separatists, thereby intimidating pro-independence activities and discouraging foreign suppor
Stinger missiles, and military training and advisory support The Taiwan Relations Act commits the USA to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself exemplified by regular naval patrols in the Taiwan Strait Advocacy efforts focus on promoting Taiwan s democracy and human rights, with public statements and support for Taiwanese civil society organizations Educational and cultural exchanges, such as the Fulbright Scholarship, enhance ties and mutual understanding These comprehensive measures help Taiwan resist Chinese pressure and maintain its de facto independence
They are helping Taiwan separatists to employ diverse strategies domestically and internationally Domestically, they influence public opinion and policy through democratic elections and legislative actions while also promoting a distinct Taiwanese culture and identity
Internationally they engage in informal diplomacy, seek participation in global organizations, and strengthen security ties, particularly with the USA, to bolster their defense capabilities Additionally, Taiwan focuses on economic measures like trade diversification and technological advancements to reduce reliance on China and increase its global standing Despite their efforts Taiwan separatists face significant challenges from China s diplomatic, economic, and military pressure aimed at isolating Taiwan and discouraging its independence
Internal divisions within Taiwan also complicate the independence movement as opinions vary on the issue Moreover the international community s adherence to the
One China policy limits Taiwan s formal recognition as a sovereign state Nonetheless, the movement persists in its pursuit of greater international support and recognition striving to maintain Taiwan s democratic values and autonomy
This move is an obvious reaction to the unjust consistent and outright suppor t of the USA and the West to the Taiwan separatists diplomatically and equipping them for violent struggle The USA and its Western allies suppor t Taiwan separatists through diplomatic, economic, defense , and advocacy measures
China s new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwan separatists will likely provoke strong defiance from Taiwanese independence advocates, who may increase their activism despite the risk of harsher penalties and trials in absentia The USA and Western allies are expected to condemn the move reaffirm support for Taiwan and potentially enhance diplomatic, economic, and military ties with the island This escalation could strain USChina and China-West relations, leading to reduced trade, economic sanctions, and heightened military presence in the Asia-Pacific region Consequently regional tensions may rise polarizing alliances and destabilizing global economic and security dynamics China s new judicial guidelines against Taiwan separatists will directly pressure countries supporting the One China policy to reaffirm their commitment potentially leading to diplomatic rewards or repercussions from
IN D I A N Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to visit Russia almost immediately after beginning his third term in office sends many diplomatic signals The core message is that India continues to attach great importance to its ties with Russia notwithstanding the collapse of Moscow s ties with the West over the conflict in Ukraine, New Delhi s own increasing closeness to the US, and the importance it attaches to its ties with Western Europe
We have come under pressure from our Western partners to reduce our ties with Russia which we have resisted We have maintained a high-level dialogue with Russia though the practice of annual summits has got disrupted We have refused to apply Western sanctions though these have hampered our bilateral financial transactions On energy, we have, in fact, expanded our oil trade with Russia to the point of Russia becoming our largest oil supplier
The unique feature of our ties with Russia had been these annual summit meetings since the year 2000 The last such summit was in December 2021 when Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled to New Delhi The Covid pandemic and Russia’s pre-occupation with the Ukraine conflict interrupted this practice Putin did not attend the G20 summit meeting last year nor did he attend the G20 summit at Bali either He has also prevaricated on the question of his attendance at the next G20 summit in
absence could have been misconstrued as a lowering of his profile and indeed that of India after his election setback at home The Western press have gloated at the humbling of Modi Modi rightly wanted to convey to the G7 leaders and to the Indian public that it would be business as usual on the external front, that the failure to secure an absolute majority in the national election had no bearing on the conduct of India’s foreign policy It was necessary to convey a sense of confidence and self-assurance in his formal statement at the G7 outreach meeting as well as in his interaction with individual group leaders, who, as it happens, are politically much more seriously contested at home, whose popularity ratings are lower, with some heading minority governments and some who are slated to lose power in the next elections
Modi clearly wanted to balance his participation of the G7 summit on the heels of his re-election with a summit meeting with Putin notwithstanding his busy political agenda at home
Whether his decision was influenced by a recognition that powerful lobbies in the West would prefer a weaker leader at the helm of Indian affairs which might explain the orchestrated political campaign against him prior to and during the elections in Western media think tank academic civil society and even political circles, in what constituted a clear interference in our election process, is a matter of speculation
He may have wanted to negate any perception that a weaker government at the national level and a stronger opposition at home would make India more vulnerable to Western pressure by signaling that India s foreign policy course its determination to preserve its strategic autonomy and pursue a policy of friendship with all to best protect India s national interest, would continue Modi will not be attending the SCO summit on July 3 as the parliamentary session in India will still be on India has clear stakes in the SCO – and cannot yield strategic space in it to its disadvantage The Deputy Secretary General post in the organisation is now held by an Indian But the timetable is problematic By visiting Russia a few days later Modi is partially compensating for his absence at the SCO summit, as Russia is a major pillar of the organization Modi’s early visit to Moscow is important also in the wider context of BRICS expansion The BRICS summit in Kazan in Russia in October this year will decide on the group s expansion India must have a strong say in the process as an original BRIC member Purely geopolitical considerations, in the context of the sharpening North-South and East-West divides should not lead to including all-comers
A consensus on objective criteria for expansion is in the best interest of the group and its objectives This is a delicate exercise as some countries seeking membership are part of a military alliance or oppose transit and trade with specific countries, or have known terrorist affiliations Modi s Moscow visit, in sum, has important bilateral, regional and international dimensions Kanwal Sibal retired Indian foreign secretary and former Ambassador to Russia between 2004 and 2007 He also held ambassadorial positions in Turkey Egypt France and was Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington DC
Ididn t take long From the very start of Thursday s CNN debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the question was not so much whether Biden was losing but exactly how much damage it would do to the President’s reëlection campaign His first shaky answers it turned out were no outlier: Biden his voice raspy and often unclear struggled for the entirety of the debate an agonizing hour and a half that amazingly enough Biden s own campaign had sought out in an effort to make up ground against Trump, the defeated, criminally convicted ex-President who was nonetheless leading in the polls
Let’s stipulate to this: Trump was no champion either For much of the debate he reiterated familiar lines often out of context or wildly untrue from his rallies and social-media feed CNN s moderators having announced in advance that they would not be doing any fact checking, stuck to their plan, and the Trumpian B S flowed freely: The Greatest Economy Ever! Biden’s Is the Worst Administration Ever! Russia, Russia, Russia! Some of Trump’s lies were flagrant and damaging; others were merely bizarre But did anyone care? The news of the debate was not Trump saying crazy untrue things though he did so in abundance It was Biden The President of the United States, eighty-one years old and asking to be returned to office until age eighty-six, looked and sounded old Too old His voice was muffled He lost his train of thought He raced through answers When Trump talked the split screen showed Biden staring wide-eyed and openmouthed in a way that made him look even older Biden struggled so much that even several scathing pre-planned lines failed to land with any force, as when he brought up Trump’s hush-money conviction and said, “You have the morals of an alley cat,” or when he fumbled over himself saying that Trump was the first President since Herbert Hoover to lose as many American jobs Sure Trump was also rambling and incoherent but at a much louder decibel level He looked and sounded healthier; Biden was literally painful to watch Within minutes, Democrats were panicking; would they seek to replace Biden at the top of the ticket? And how would that work anyway? Even before the first commercial break Biden’s fortunes tanked in the online prediction markets On social media jubilant Republicans were convinced that the election was all but won Finally, Americans of different political persuasions found something they could agree on The White House spent the last two years denying that Biden’s age was a legitimate subject in this campaign What will they say after this? Late in
Qamar BaShir
BIDEN FALTERS AS TRUMP UNLEASHES BARRAGE OF ACCUSATIONS AT FIRST US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
ing legal woes remain a vulnerability
“Obviously, the biggest factor is that Biden still seemed old and raspy and less coherent than when he ran last time ” said Matt Grossmann a political science professor at Michigan State University I don t think Trump really did anything to help himself beyond his existing supporters, but I think it s eclipsed by people’s impressions of Biden on his biggest vulnerability ”
Asked about the January 6
Xi Jinping stresses improving system for exercising full, rigorous CPC Par t y governance
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed improving the systems for exercising full and rigorous governance over the Party Xi made the remarks on Thursday while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee He highlighted the need to continue strengthening the overall leadership of the Party and upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee Xi emphasized the importance of achieving comprehensive coverage of the Party’s governance encompassing all areas and targets ensuring complete accountability and promoting institutional coherence The study session was held days before the CPC celebrates the 103rd anniversary of its founding on July 1 On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended festive greetings to Party members across the country Xi said that the Party has established the systems for exercising full and rigorous self-governance since its 18th national congress in 2012 He also noted that self-reform is an unceasing endeavor to address the challenges and risks the Party faces He stressed the need to refine the mechanisms through which the Central Committee’s major decisions and plans are implemented to ensure that orders are handed down smoothly and executed without fail Efforts should also be made to explore and enhance Party building in new types of economic and social organizations and among groups in new forms of employment said Xi
The work of arming CPC members with the Party s new theories and intensifying education on the Party s spirit must be carried on he added Xi noted that it is a must to improve the supervision system that addresses both symptoms and root causes of the conduct problems within the Party He also called for enhancing supervision targeting sectors with a high concentration of power funds and resources so as to make sure that no privilege-seeking misconduct or corruption goes unnoticed The cage of rules that restrains power must be reinforced, and should be in line with the requirements of strengthening Party building in all respects Xi noted adding that a sound accountability system should also be enhanced He urged Political Bureau members to take the lead in exercising full and rigorous Party governance
Trump, meanwhile, unleashed a barrage of criticisms, many of which were well-worn falsehoods he has long repeated including claims that migrants have carried out a crime wave that Democrats support infanticide and that he actually won the 2020 election Biden and Trump, 78, were both under pressure to display their fitness for office Biden has been dogged by questions about his age and sharpness while Trump s incendiary rhetoric and sprawl-
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that China stands ready to work with Peru to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights voicing active support for the success of this year s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting to be hosted by Peru Xi made the remarks while holding talks in Beijing with Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra who is on a five-day state visit to China that will conclude on Saturday Xi said that Peru is one of the first Latin American countries to establish diplomatic ties and a comprehensive strategic partnership with the People’s Republic of China and is the first Latin American country to sign free trade agreements with China Hailing the fruitful outcomes of bilateral cooperation in various fields, Xi said Chinese businesses have played an important role in Peru’s economic development and the improvement of people s livelihood through major cooperation projects
China attaches great importance to developing its relations with Peru, and stands ready to work with Peru to consolidate mutual political trust, deepen practical cooperation promote mutual learning between civilizations and enhance multilateral coordination thereby advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership with Peru to new heights, said Xi
He urged both sides to give full play to the role of the strategic dialogue mechanism on economic cooperation between the two governments and the alignment of China s efforts for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Peru’s development needs
The two countries should advance cooperation in minerals energy manufacturing and agriculture and expand cooperation in new energy digital economy artificial intelligence, digital healthcare, and other emerging areas, said Xi China welcomes more quality Peruvian products to enter the Chinese market and hopes that Peru will provide a favorable environment in terms of law and policy so that Chinese businesses can invest
in Peru in the long run he said Xi said the two sides should work together to ensure that the Chancay Port, one of the major Belt and Road cooperation projects between China and Peru will be completed on schedule to make it a new land and sea corridor between China and Latin America
The route from Chancay to Shanghai will become a real road of prosperity that promotes the common development of China and Peru he said Noting that China and Peru are major emerging markets in the Pacific Rim and important members of the Global South, Xi urged both countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, promote the common values of humanity, and advocate an equal orderly and multi-polar world and an inclusive economic globalization to promote common development of the Global South countries China supports Peru in hosting the 2024 APEC Leaders’ Informal Meeting and maintaining the correct direction of Asia-Pacific cooperation to send a positive signal to the outside world of building an open Asia-Pacific economy
at least 50% plus one vote from all ballots cast including blank votes, a run-off round between the top two candidates is held on the first Friday after the election result is declared Three of the candidates are hardliners and one a low-profile comparative moderate backed by the reformist faction that has largely been sidelined in Iran in recent years Critics of Iran s clerical rule say the low and declining turnout of recent elections shows the system’s legitimacy has
here on Friday China has been successful carrying forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind Seventy years ago the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were officially initiated It marked a groundbreaking and epoch-making achievement in the history of international relations President Xi Jinping in his landmark speech stated “Today we commemorate its 70th anniversary for the purpose of carrying forward these principles under the new circumstances building together a community with a shared future for mankind, and providing a strong driving force for human progress In the course of the modern history of human society, handling well state-to-state relations jointly maintaining world peace and tranquility, and promoting development and progress for humanity have always been big topics on the minds of all nations In the wake of the Second World War national independence and liberation movements swept across the globe and the colonial system around the world crumbled and collapsed At the same time the world was overshadowed by the dark clouds of the Cold War and menaced by the rampant clamors that “Might is right ” Newly independent countries aspired to safeguard their sovereignty and grow their national economy New China followed the principle of independence actively sought peaceful coexistence with all countries, and endeavored to improve its external environment, especially in its neighborhood Against this backdrop the Chinese leadership specified the Five Principles in their entirety for the first time namely mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence They included the Five Principles in the China-India and China-Myanmar joint statements which jointly called for making them
basic norms for state-to-state relations
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were born in Asia, but quickly ascended to the world stage In 1955 more than 20 Asian and African countries attended the Bandung Conference They proposed ten princi-
CORPORATE CORNER
‘Road S afety ’: S eminar urges youth to sensitize public on impor tance of road safety
PETROLEUM PRICES LIKELY TO SURGE BY RS15
Under section 37(2) of the Act, CCP initiated the enquiry after receiving a complaint from Pepsi Co Inc The complaint stated that Mezan was copying the overall packaging of
Sting for its energy drink
The subsequent completion of the enquiry report recommended the issuance of a show-cause notice to Mezan Beverages Mezan swiftly responded with legal manoeuvres filing a
writ petition against the CCP s enquiry process and issuing of show-cause notice
In August 2021 the Lahore High Court in its order suspended the show-cause notice therefore proceedings before the CCP were stalled However, after hearing the parties at length, the Hon’ble LHC held that the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgement rendered in CCP v Dalda Foods Ltd unanimously upheld the statutory powers of the CCP relating to initiation of enquiries and gathering of information
It is pertinent to mention here that on the issue of CCP’s jurisdiction vis-à-vis the Tribunal created under the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan Act 2012 (IPO Act) it has been
held that both the enactments i e the Act and IPO Act have conspicuously distinct in purpose, scope and mandate
The Act relates to competition law whereas
The IPO Act consciously excludes the Act from its Schedule and as such the legislature has intentionally kept the
