GOVT VOWS STRICT LEGAL ACTION OVER THREATS TO CHIEF JUSTICE ISA
g kh a sIf says state won't allow anyone to Issue a fatwa to kIll someone
Asif said Echoing the SC order Asif said that the finality of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is a fundamental part of Islam without which one cannot be called a Muslim Khatm-i-Nabuwat (finality of the Prophethood) is a fundamental part of our faith,” he said “Our religion is one of love We need to demonstrate that side of our faith to the world not this side that weakens our faith He added that the state has systems in place to prevent this group from making false allegations No group can incite violence in the name of faith or politics We will use the full force of the law to bring them to justice ” he said adding that the state will not accept dictation by any group
The Constitution must govern this state and justice must be delivered, Asif said before the planning minister delivered his address Iqbal said inciting violence against the chief justice and offering a Rs10 million reward for taking his life was an open rebellion against Pakistan s Constitution Referring to a 2018 assassination attempt on him, he said he had also been a target of “these people”, calling the at-
g Iqbal says IncItIng vIolence, offerIng reward for takIng lIfe wa s 'open rebellIon' agaInst constItutIon
TLP leader, workers booked under anti-terrorism act for threatening CJP
LAHORE: Deputy Amir of Tehreek-eLabbaik Pakistan (TLP), Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah, and several party workers have been booked for issuing death threats against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa The case was registered at the Qila Gujjar Singh police station on Monday The charges against Shah include violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), incitement of religious hatred, public disorder intimidation of the judiciary threatening
tack on him a political act to eliminate the PML-N’s leadership by weaponising the finality of Prophethood” “Back in 2017-2018 when this group propped up under a political agenda I said that all of us are Muslims and all Muslims funda-
mentally believe in the finality of the Holy Prophet (PBUH),” Iqbal said “Pakistan has a Constitution laws and court and no individual or group has the right to issue fatwas Only our courts have the authority to judge and punish
SC ’s ad hoc judges take oath
Petroleum prices likely to decrease by up to Rs 11 per litre from August 1
g If approved, prIce of one lIter of petrol wIll come down from rs275 50 to rs270 10, whIle that of hsd from rs283 63 to rs272 57
JI emir said that if the government wanted they could take a stand adding that if IPPs are not fulfilling their end of the bargain, they do not have legal rights “It’s wrong when people say that they have a legal right as legal rights belong to those who legally fulfil their [part
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
founding chairman Imran Khan has confirmed and clarified his call for a protest outside the General Headquarters (GHQ) during an informal conversation with journalists at Adiala Jail on Monday Khan stood by his statement about calling for a peaceful protest outside GHQ prior to the events of May 9 He stated My statement about the protest outside GHQ was presented as if I confessed or committed a crime on May 9 I made three vlogs and mentioned it 12 times in police investigations ”
He alleged that there were plans to kill him outside the Judicial Complex on March 18 with evidence in his possession I instructed the party to hold a peaceful protest outside GHQ and cantonments if the army and Rangers arrested me ” Khan added
When questioned about the vi-
PDMA issues flood aler t ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Justice (Retd) Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice (Retd) Mazhar Alam Miankhel were sworn in as ad-hoc judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday The ceremony was held at the Supreme Court where Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath Other judges including Justice Mansoor Ali Shah Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan law officers, lawyers, and court staff attended the ceremony Chief Justice Isa administered the oath of office to both ad-hoc
judges Justice (Retd) Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice (Retd) Mazhar Alam Miankhel were appointed for a period of one year The Ministry of Law and Justice had issued a notification for the appointment of two ad-hoc judges to the Supreme Court on July 27th President Asif Ali Zardari had approved the appointments on July 26th Earlier on July 20th the Supreme Judicial Council had approved the appointment of Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel as ad-hoc judges Justice Mushir Alam declines
ad hoc work offer after social media campaign
The Chief Justice had proposed four retired judges for the ad-hoc positions: Justice (Retd) Mushir Alam Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqir Justice (Retd) Mazhar Alam Miankhel, and Justice (Retd) Tariq Masood However, Justice (Retd) Mushir Alam and Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqir declined the offer Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqir cited personal commitments while Justice (Retd) Mishir Alam withdrew his candidacy due to the ongoing social media campaign against adhoc judges
olence on May 9, Khan responded, The protest wasn t peaceful because it was pre-planned CCTV footage is not being released because our people are not in it and it would prove our innocence
Khan announced his intention to go to court over the missing CCTV footage and to file a case against the Rangers for his alleged abduction from the High Court premises He questioned who ordered the Rangers to arrest him and who commanded the attack on the party chairman
Khan criticised the government s crackdown on social media, citing the arrest of 75-year-old cancer patient Raof Hasan He called for a judicial commission to ensure a transparent investigation
The government fears PTI and wants to dismantle it through the military, Khan claimed, criticising the recent budget and stating it had tarnished the government’s credibility Khan defended social media as the voice of the democratic public urging against labelling it as digital
rainfall forecast for Punjab, Sindh, and
terrorism Without criticism, institutions will be destroyed, he warned
When reminded of his own laws penalising criticism of the military during his tenure Khan differentiated between criticism and defamation asserting that no journalists had fled or been killed under his government He acknowledged that even former president Pervez Musharraf ’s era was more liberal Khan affirmed that all institutions including national security agencies should be open to criticism He highlighted the support judges receive on social media for ruling in PTI’s favour
He stressed that the military belongs to Pakistan not any political party and its alignment with the current government could harm its credibility, economy, and democracy
In response to another question, Khan blamed the establishment for obstructing PTI in the elections and facilitating the swift dismissal of corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to implement immediate measures to protect lives and property in response to heavy rains across the country as reported on Monday In a statement issued in Islamabad, Sharif instructed the NDMA to coordinate with the provincial governments, as well as with authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to address emergency situations effectively
g
Tsignificant irregularities were discovered These included the absence of quarterly reviews showing entitled consumers missing actual RLNG supply data and the lack of verification with the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to confirm that the subsidized gas/RLNG was used for
Pakistan O ilfields discovers hydrocarbons from R azgir-1 explorator y well, Kohat
Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL) has discovered hydrocarbon reserves from the Razgir-1 exploratory well in the Lumshiwal-1 zone located in district Kohat of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The company shared this development with the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) through a notice on Monday in accordance with the Listing Regulations
As per information received from MOL the operator of TAL Block hydrocarbons have been discovered in exploratory well Razgir-1, which was spudded on January 09, 2024, and has been drilled down to a depth of 3 950
meters POL said in its notice TAL Joint Venture includes OGDCL with a 30% working interest, MOL Pakistan Oil & Gas Co B V (the operator) with 10%, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) with 30% Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL) with 25% and Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL) with 5%
As a result of the drill stem test (DST) conducted at the well to test the potential of Lumshiwal formation, the well has tested 20 MMscfd of gas per day and 250 barrels per day of condensate at 40/64 fixed choke size at the flowing wellhead pressure of 2 348 psi read the notice Pakistan Oilfields Limited further
said that testing operations were still in progress to ascertain the true potential of the well A drill stem test (DST) is a procedure for isolating and testing the surrounding geological formations through the drill stem The test is a measurement of pressure behavior at the drill stem and is a way to obtain important fluid sampling information and to establish the probability of commercial production it added Accordingly, it should be borne in mind that actual production may differ significantly from the test results ” This discovery has de-risked further exploration play in TAL Block leading to new upside opportunities The said discovery will help to enhance the indigenous hydrocarbon supply of the country and also add to the hydrocarbon reserves base
IT seems that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has decided the inflationary spiral that has had a grip on the country over the past few years is seeing a dip The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Monday pulled the lever on the policy rate again, bringing it down to 19 5% from 20 5%
This is not the first reduction in the policy rate, with the SBP lowering it over the past few months from 22% where it had been steady for nearly a year in which inflation and pressure from the IMF resulted in the SBP holding the rate
The previously aggressive monetary stance of the SBP has been influenced, at least in part, by the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) These conditions require the implementation of an appropriately tight monetary policy, aimed at curbing the price riding levels
But the recent approval of a major IMF deal has given the central bank more breathing room and the rate cuts have been a while in the making As things stand, the current account deficit has narrowed in the fiscal year 2024 and SBP’s FX reserves have improved significantly from $4 4 billion at end-June 2023 to above $9 billion
Meanwhile, headline inflation rose to 12 6pc year-on-year in June 2024 from 11 8pc in May, driven by higher electricity tariffs and Eid-related price increases However, more inflation had steadied around 14% over the past two months, highlighting that the inflationary impact of the new budget is largely in line with expectations
All of this means that the SBP is on the correct path by cutting the policy rate In fact, one might argue that they took more time than necessary to start cutting the rate The central bank would do well to temper its influences now that it is on a path of reducing the policy rate
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late)
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
Democracy and its contradictions
O N S I D E R this: there was a grand ship in the depths of the ocean, directed
a Parliament surrendered its powers to a single group, facilitating the establishment of a democratic dictatorship - quite oxymoronic indeed Even In the aftermath of the recent General Election in India, Rahul Gandhi proudly stated that he had safeguarded India’s democracy by thwarting Modi’s attempt to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament Why does this happen though? Is there something inherently wrong with the collective rule of the people?
treacherous waters In the end the crew admitted to their poor choice Plato used this analogy as a powerful metaphor to describe the perils of democracy Just like a ship cannot be navigated based on the whims and desires of the sailors how can a state be ruled on popular sentiments?
In the present climate however even the slightest critique of democracy is deemed unwarranted And even though democratic systems have their benefits and might be the best practical option available, they are not immune to criticism Democracy - derived from “Demos” (people) and “Kratos” (power) - is a game of numbers The person who wins the support of the largest faction often done by painting grandiose visions of national greatness or imminent threats comes to power But this game can be dangerous and lead to tyranny and oppression For Plato, this tyranny was embodied in the death of his beloved teacher Socrates who was condemned to death by an open and democratic court The danger however is not two-millennia old The world hasn t forgotten how the Reichstag Parliament, which represented the German people, sanctioned the atrocities of the Third Reich Even today, the Modi government is actively endangering the minority communities in India The surge in anti-Muslim violence passage of discriminatory laws and heightened restrictions on other minority groups including Christians and Dalits highlight a democracy failing to curb the prejudicial excesses of the majority But the issue does not end here This numbers game can also manifest an irrationality that endangers even those who champion it Take Zimbabwe of the 1980s The public was captivated by the charismatic Robert Mugabe s populist promises of land redistribution from white commercial farmers to black Zimbabweans But once this played out, it led to a collapse in commercial agriculture, dramatically declining agricultural output and causing severe food shortages The once-thriving agricultural sector, critical for Zimbabwe’s economy was decimated leading to widespread hunger and economic decline Ironically sometimes democracy itself undermines democracy The Reichstag in 1933 passed the Enabling Act, which allowed the Reich government to issue laws without its consent Thus,
Plato believed that everyone must do what they are meant to do without interfering in other people’s work - the ultimate form of justice This is contingent upon their natural aptitude And so a shoemaker must only make shoes while a barber must exclusively be concerned with cutting hair It only happens that when ordinary people, swayed by demagoguery, start making political decisions, things go wrong But what alternative do we have? Plato’s utopia of a philosopher king is quite impractical Monarchy too is undesirable because then the people s fate would be left to the whims of a single person Oligarchies dictatorships and the like warrant similar criticism It seems we are stuck with democracy, but improvements can be made and have been made One such improvement is recognizing that some basic and natural human rights cannot be alienated from individuals under any circumstances These rights are often integrated into the Constitution under the chapter Fundamental Rights A typical Constitution similarly contains other significant provisions, likeF the independence of the judiciary Such provisions bring majoritarian excesses under check Setting rigorous criteria under which to amend the Constitution further solidifies these protections A constitutional amendment in the United States for example, requires approval by a two-thirds majority in both congressional houses and subsequent ratification by two-thirds of the 50 states Similarly, having a bicameral legislature ensures a more rigorous check on the populist tendencies of the majority Pakistan s Senate comprising equal representation from all provinces is a means of
Ironically, sometimes, democracy itself undermines democracy. The Reichstag, in 1933, passed the Enabling Act, which allowed the Reich government to issue laws without its consent. Thus, a Parliament surrendered its powers to a single group, facilitating the establishment of a democratic dictatorship - quite oxymoronic indeed. Even in the aftermath of the recent General Election in India, Rahul Gandhi proudly stated that he had safeguarded IndiaÊs democracy by thwarting ModiÊs attempt to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament
T r u s t d e f i c i t o v e r g o v t i n P a k i s t a n
and weak rule of law, which have eroded the legitimacy of the governance systems and policies The judiciary has been in the middle of political controversies that averted its independence in the Pakistan legal system The involvement of the judiciary in the political scenarios is evident such as the former Prime Minister Imran Khan on corruption charges and others While these could be observed as attempts to eradicate corruption, they have often been criticized for the judicialization of politics or politicization of the judiciary Lack of media freedom and limited access to impartial information dispenses barriers to accountability and increase public skepticism In Pakistan, censorship and regulatory constraints on journalistic independence compromise the watchdog role of the media and public access to impartial information for example the censorship over the former Prime Minister s name erodes the public trust For instance in an opinion piece for The Guardian in June 2023, Hamid Mir, a Pakistani TV news anchor, and author wrote - I literally cannot say Imran Khan’s name on Pakistani TV – this madness has to end ’ Hence in the notion of democracy and national security the nation has been misled to
a level where the state is always in turbulence
Internal polarization has increased with parochialism rising, and feelings of rejection and dismay have become firmly embedded in the population
On the other hand the continuity of the trust deficit in the case of Pakistan is an indication of forces for change demonstrating a more democratic attitude by the public, expecting the government to be more accountable Perhaps this trust deficit could be seen as more constructive –it would force these authorities to observe more democratic rules and regulations The public check-and-balance mechanism could help foster a responsible political culture that would promote systemic changes to the government s functioning and its institutions in the long run
“The decline in public trust in Pakistan’s government stems from pervasive transparency accountability and responsiveness issues further exacerbated by censorship and political instability Pakistan s government needs to implement massive reforms to enhance transparency, accountability, and public responsibility, such as addressing the political instability issue independence of judiciary and free media In the future therefore political integrity and efficient governance will be the key to sustainable socioeconomic development and a stable democracy in the country
The writer has a degree in International Relations from Abbottabad University of Science & Technology (AUST)
Out-of-school children crisis
Not a private road
Hamza muHammad KHawaja
Ilucrative choice for the propagation of misleading or manipulative content Social media sites are the preferred choice for computational propaganda also because of their automation capability and algorithms Automation leverages technology to perform specific tasks with minimal human supervision A bot is an illustrating example of a software tool designed to execute autonomous actions However in the context of
understanding of propaganda has
and it is not for the
nature of propaganda
and
be
to
rise of
of which have
of
indelible
every
In the wake of
and algorithms, propaganda has
sophisticated murky and complicated It has become what many scholars have described as computational propaganda a form of propaganda that mainly relies on the use of algorithms, automation, and human curation to purposefully distribute misleading information over social media websites Three keywords emerge from the said description: social media automation and algorithms Let us take up the first keyword i e social media
a
F r a n c e w i n s O l y m p i c g o l d f o r h y p o c r i s y
The 1961 massacre was a state crime for which neither Macron nor his predecessors have ever apologised
Had he really wanted to be irreverent he could have highlighted the hijab ban and referenced the 1961 Paris Massacre subliminally instead of choosing the safe option of promoting faux togetherness and unity in a world that is suffering from wars man-made famine and political upheavals
was because the clouds were weeping for the souls of those who were slaughtered by French police, or even the 400 Palestinian athletes from Gaza killed by Israeli bombs since last October He tweeted last year on the 61st anniversary of the massacre: They are crimes that cannot be justified for the Republic France does not forget the victims Truth is the only way to a common future Despite his weasel words, which have yet to be backed up by a full apology, Macron wanted the River Seine to be the centrepiece of the Olympic opening ceremony Reviewers who were either ignorant of the Algerian massacre or simply not bothered about it, heaped praise on Thomas Jolly, the 42-year-old French director who created the surreal and irreverent opening ceremony Exactly what happened to the Algerians in Paris in 1961 had obviously passed Jolly by He said loftily that he did not want just ephemeral glitz but an exploration of what underpins our shared humanity Where was the shared humanity when Muslim women and girls were banned by France from wearing the hijab, which basically excluded them from competing at the Olympic Games? Clearly such breaches of international human rights laws and the discrimination of the French authorities were overlooked by Jolly and condoned, it must be said, by the IOC
When four jets from the French air force display team drew a large pink heart in the Paris sky to set the tone of white culture, arts and history in France, it looked as though the West’s steady march to the right, increasing xenophobia and racism Islamophobia and Israel’s killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian children and women in Gaza are all happening in another world
There has been little or no leadership from the IOC about this The committee proved to be too weak to stand up for the 37 per cent of Muslim women from North Africa who choose to wear a hijab in France said Amnesty During the four-hour ceremony France s national motto of Liberté Égalité Fraternité (liberty equality fraternity) was rinsed of all meaning by ignoring athletes like French Olympic sprinter Sounkamba Sylla, who took to social media a few days ago saying that she would not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony because of her hijab She opted to wear a cap to get around the racist rules in a compromise which confounded the French authorities Meanwhile, Jolly briefed journalists enthusiastically, telling
forgotten the true
of
monly view it in purely instrumental terms as a device that facilitates exchange and stores value over time Compared to bartering, coins and paper currency are profoundly convenient But money is more than just an instrument As Fyodor Dostoevsky famously observed money is
MIDDLE EAST
Tbe an indication of Turkiye s readiness to support Palestinians through similar means
C hina, Italy should view
bilateral ties from a strategic height: X i
A G E N C I E S Amid accelerating global changes unseen in a century countries will either progress together through connectivity and unity or retreat separately through closure and division China and Italy should uphold and promote the Silk Road spirit, view and develop bilateral relations from a historical dimension strategic height and long-term perspective and push their relations to go steady and far, Chinese President Xi Jinping said when meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Beijing on Monday Xi said the healthy and stable development of China-Italy relations is in line with the common interests of both countries and their peoples Meloni's first visit to China since assuming office is poised to restart the relationship between the two nations with experts anticipating a return to regular dialogues at various levels This visit signifies a shift in Italy s approach to China moving away from ideology-driven policies toward a more pragmatic and economically focused strategy after Italy's withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) said experts
The strengthened ties between China and Italy the third-largest economy in the European Union, are expected to serve as a model for other European and Western countries highlighting the advantages of mutually beneficial cooperation with China in a time of global uncertainty and waning US leadership
Noting that China and Italy are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, Xi said the time-honored friendly exchanges between the two
countries have made significant contributions to the overall exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations, and to the progress of humanity
The Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation openness and inclusiveness mutual learning and mutual benefit is a shared treasure of China and Italy, Xi said
The Chinese President said China is willing to work with Italy to promote the optimization and upgrading of traditional cooperation in economic and trade investment industrial manufacturing technological innovation, and third-party markets, and explore cooperation in emerging areas such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence China welcomes Italian companies to invest in China and is willing to import more high-quality Italian products China hopes that Italy will also provide a fair, transparent, safe, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in the country said Xi
Xi emphasized that in an era of
economic globalization only by adhering to open cooperation in the global industrial chain and supply chain can win-win development be achieved China adheres to the path of peaceful development and never pursues hegemony and is willing to share development opportunities with all countries
Meloni said that the current international situation is undergoing profound changes, and China, as an important major country plays an irreplaceable role in addressing global challenges Italy adheres to the one-China policy, and hopes to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China, tap more potential, deepen cooperation in areas such as trade and investment electric vehicles artificial intelligence and enhance people-to-people exchanges to promote more Italian products entering the Chinese market Italy opposes "decoupling" and protectionism, and is willing to play an active role in deepening EU-China relations said the Italian leader
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf paid an official visit to Romania During the visit, Naval Chief held combined meeting with Chief of Defence Staff General Gheorghita
EXPANDING BIL ATERAL REL ATIONS WITH UK AMONG TOP PRIORITIES OF PAKISTAN: GIL ANI
Ask ari Bank Limited & Fauji Fer tilizer Company Sign MoU to Empower Farmers
Askari Bank Limited (AKBL) and Fauji Fertilizer
Hussain Naeemi said that being a constitutional and Islamic state Pakistan has established punishments for all types of crimes within its legal framework administered through the courts No individual, group, or mob has the religious or legal authority to set up courts and issue Fatwas (re-
ligious decrees) or orders for someone s death he added
He said that the CII has repeatedly stressed that incitement, declarations of apostasy, and threats to government state officials or ordinary citizens contradict the clear teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah
The Chairman CII further stated that the unanimous statement of the Paigham-e-Pakistan national narrative, endorsed by esteemed religious scholars and leaders of all sects established that it is the duty of Ulema and Muftis to provide religious awareness and the correct Islamic solutions to issues However, he said determining whether someone has committed blasphemy or uttered words of disbelief falls within the jurisdiction of
the state government and courts
He said if anyone disagrees with the recent Supreme Court verdict, they can discuss it in an intellectual manner, as the council has previously expressed its scholarly and reasoned dissent on such matters
Dr Raghib Naeemi said in its 212th meeting held on November 27, 2018, the council resolved that the practice of issuing Fatwas of apostasy and declaring individuals as deserving of death is not aligned with Islamic principles
In an Islamic state like Pakistan no one is allowed to pass judg-
NA body annoyed over non-appointment of MD PBM
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety has expressed its annoyance over prolonged delay in appointment of Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) The issue was highlighted in briefing given by Ministry of Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety at second meeting of the Committee held under the chair of
MNA Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur at the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) Headquarters in Islamabad on Monday The Committee members unanimously urged the Federal Government to expedite the appointment of the PBM Chief The delay has impacted hundreds of deserving applicants who are awaiting PBM’s financial assistance which remains pending due to the vacancy remarked the Chairman Mr Talpur
The meeting began with a comprehensive briefing on the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) by Chairperson BISP Ms Rubina Khalid and senior BISP officials The Committee was informed about BISP s pivotal role in maintaining a dynamic National Social Economic Registry (NSER) of beneficiary data and its integration with other federal and provincial entities The Committee learned that in addition to BISP s Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT)
Chairman C DA direc ts immediate improvements during c apital hospital
visit
D
Aftab
Advisor
Imaad Khan: The First Pakistani to Graduate from Real Madrid Graduate
Army evacuates six foreign mountaineers in another successful K2 rescue
The Pakistan Army has successfully rescued six more foreign mountaineers from K2 the world’s secondhighest peak after they fell ill during their ascent The climbers
chose to remain anonymous, reported suffering from severe flu, expressing gratitude for the rescue The Ecuadorian climber was treated for a fractured arm sustained during the climb
Elahi skips yet another cour t hearing on medical grounds LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T Former Punjab Chief Minister and PTI
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday hailed the upgrading of Pakistan s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) from CCC to CCC+ by the Credit Rating Agency Fitch Appreciating the efforts of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team the prime minister said the country and the nation had started receiving the fruits of the government’s policy of sacrificing politics for the
hard on the economic reforms agenda the fruits of which would surely reach the people soon
The reports of Fitch and other international financial institutions are important for the economic improvement of Pakistan PM Shehbaz said adding we will move forward with more effort and passion on the path of economic improvement of the country” He hoped that the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) pro-
gramme would further improve the economic activities in the country The announcement of another one percent reduction in interest rate by the State Bank of Pakistan was another sign of economic improvement, he added He said that the recent cut in the
PTI finalises reser ved seat c andidates af ter S upreme Cour t ruling
PESHAWAR
S TA F F R E P O R T
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finalised its list of candidates for reserved seats in both the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assemblies The list, approved by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, was submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday For the KP Assembly the candidates include Mishal Yousafzai Fauzia Bibi Ayesha Naseem
Uzma Riaz Sajida Hanif Gul Nasreen Ali, Fareeda Qureshi, Farzana Javed, Shakeela Rabbani, Faiza Mubashir, Humeira Nawaz, Saima Khalid Khushboo Farzana Safeer
Harma Ibrahim Naseem Naz Asmat Ara Kakakhel Mehrab Nayab Khushal Chand Bibi Naureen Arif Razia Nosheen Abbasi Zahida Javed, and Alia Nawab
For the National Assembly, the reserved seats will be occupied by Maliha Ali, Samira Shams, Nadia Ambreen, Momina Basit, Naina Arshad Saba Bibi Sajida Zulfiqar and Naila Marwat Minority seats in the National Assembly will be held by Lal Chand Rajesh Kumar Waqas Khokhar, Huqooq Rafiq, and Chaudhry Amir
The PTI s move follows a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed its eligibility for the reserved seats, overturning an earlier decision by the Peshawar High Court The 13member bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa ruled by an 8-5 majority that the ECP s decision to deny the seats to the PTI was unconstitutional
The Supreme Court s decision affirms PTI s status as a political party, enabling it to nominate candidates for the reserved seats despite previous issues with its election symbol Justice Mansoor Ali Shah who authored the majority opinion was joined by Justices Athar Minallah, Muneeb Akhtar, Ayesha Malik, Irfan Saadat, Shahid Waheed, Hassan Azhar Rizvi and Ali Mazhar in granting reserved seats to PTI Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa Justice Jamal Mandokhail Justice Naeem Afghan, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan dissented It may be noted here that the KP government has allocated reserved seats to the families of the martyrs of May 9 including the widows of Javed Akakhel Sikandar Muhammad Bilal Abrar Ahmad, and Javed Gill, as directed by PTI founder Imran Khan
INFLATIONARY