M I N V I T E S I N D I A T O L I V E A S ‘ P E A C E F U L N E I G H B O U
g SAYS CONFLICT SOLVED NOTHING, ONLY BRINGING MORE POVERTY, UNEMPLOYMENT AND OTHER PROBLEMS TO BOTH SIDES
g LAUDS TECHNOLOGY USED BY PAF HAD STUNNED THE ENEMY AND SENT TRUST AND CONFIDENCE OF ALLIES SOARING
g TODAY MILITARY ’S PROWESS OF PAKISTAN BEING TALKED ABOUT FROM UNITED STATES TO JAPAN: PM
g PREMIER THANKS FRIENDLY COUNTRIES, ALLIES FOR SUPPORTING PAKISTAN'S FIRM, FAIR AND JUST STAND AGAINST BA SELESS INDIAN PROPAGANDA
Food minister assures of tax relief on infant milk powder
‘Despite vic tor y we still seek peace’: PM invites India to live as ‘peaceful neighbour ’
resolving these issues, I don t think we will have peace in this part of the world on a long-term basis
He said it was then that Pakistan decided on the night of May 9 to give a measured and befitting response to India
The premier said no major power can now block Pakistan s path with the entire nation united from Peshawar to Karachi standing behind and supporting the army
He also reiterated his gratitude to allied nations for their efforts in achieving the ceasefire He went on to say that the conflict solved nothing only bringing more poverty unemployment and other problems to both sides
The lesson is that we have to sit down at the table like peaceful neighbours and settle our outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir Without
said that he had responded: “What could be greater than landing a blow that leaves the enemy s head spinning and desperate for a ceasefire? Go ahead and accept the offer This is a brief account of a long story from that day,” he said He informed the audience that the technology used by the Pakistan Air Force had stunned the enemy and sent the trust and confidence of allies soaring This is a historic development that God brought about within a matter of hours, PM Shehbaz said, adding that the military s prowess was being talked about from the United States to Japan
“If we want permanent peace then we need permanent solutions of Jammu and Kashmir and water distribution Then once we resolve these issues the sky s the limit We can talk of trade exchange of business communities and cooperate in the field of counter-terrorism, the prime minister emphasized The Prime Minister said as the entire nation stands united and resolute alongside its armed forces we must embark on a new journey toward the progress of our country He paid glowing tribute to the valiant armed forces of Pakistan for inflicting a crushing defeat on the enemy Recapping the main details of Indian aggression and Pakistan's victorious response the Prime Minister said India in its war-hysteria had turned down Pakistan s sincere offer of a transparent probe into the Pahalgam incident, and attacked our innocent civilians including children
Shehbaz Sharif highlighted that India's self-conceived pride of being the regional policeman was blown to bits by Pakistan s valiant armed forces and PAF falcons turned India s war fever into a nightmare from which it may never recover
Directing his address to diplomats and friendly countries the Prime Minister thanked them for supporting Pakistan's firm fair and just stand against baseless Indian propaganda
He mentioned Turkiye, China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Iran He especially appreciated US President Donald Trump for his vision to restore peace and his leadership in averting a very lethal looming war in south Asia
Earlier in the day Youm-i-Tashakur began with special prayers in mosques followed by a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute at provincial capitals, according to Radio Pakistan
04
COMMENT
Dealing with energy
IMF focuses on circular debt, carbon lev y and power sec tor reforms
THE visiting IMF pre-budget team is taking a deep interest in the energy sector because this is the area of government finance which can explode in the government’s face if neglected and thus end its chances of repaying the loan the government has taken from it That is the reason the IMF while issuing its latest EFF package, set so many conditions While the visiting team is only looking to ensure that the conditions are being met, there is one new condition, which is because Pakistan has also had a loan approved from the Resilience and Sustainability Facility which includes a separate set of conditionalities of which a carbon levy is to start in the coming financial year with the target for FY 2025 being Rs 337 billion The biggest issue is that of circular debt, and it is now planned to bring it down to zero by 2031-32, which should indicate how intractable the problem is, which needs another six years to solve, In this period, a debt service surcharge will be charged, which will increase the cost of electricity The cap of 10 percent on the DSS will also be removed
Also likely to increase tariffs will be the carbon levy, which is likely to be imposed on gas as well The commitments by the government under the RSDF programme include expanding the infrastructure of electric vehicles by giving the private sector incentives to develop it There is to be a reiteration of the need for an ending of electricity and energy subsidies, unless targeted at Benazir Support Programme beneficiaries The IMF did not consider other factors impinging on the power sector such as ECNEC ‘s approval for the cost of the Dasu Hydropower project to go up from Rs 479 billion to Rs 1 74 trillion for 2160 MW, which should allow for some IPPs to be retired, and thus the cost of generation brought down Perhaps, more importantly, the effect of solarization was not explored neither of its effects on official revenues or of the energy sector as a whole
A major cataclysm has already hit the energy industry and as soon as the storage of excess electricity generated becomes technically and economically feasible, that revolution will intensify The IMF is not helping with it, which indicates that it too has as little idea as the government how to handle the situation
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
Ru ssia and China redefine the global order
MID Donald Trump’s “America First” diplomacy alliances are splintering Washington’s stance toward China and Russia opened space for centres of gravity and the Kremlin is going into that vacuum Chinese President Xi Jinping s choice to stand beside Vladimir Putin at Moscow s May 9 Victory Day parade marking 80 years since the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany symbolizes a shifting order in which partners act without US permission Geography energy and memory bind Europe to Moscow more tightly than transatlantic rhetoric ever could Western commentators dismiss the parade as theatre, yet symbols matter
x p e r i m e n t s v e r s u s R e a l i t i e s
THE Sindh Education Department has recently introduced a series of ambitious reforms, including the Cluster School System, the abolition of key administrative positions, and a digital attendance system with facial recognition While these steps sound promising the real challenge lies in their execution especially in a province like Sindh where the education system is already struggling with deep-rooted issues If not implemented wisely, these changes could create more problems rather than solving the existing ones 1 Cluster School System: The Cluster School System aims to group schools around a Hub School to improve resource sharing and administration Countries like Finland and Canada have successfully implemented this model, but their schools have reliable infrastructure, well-trained teachers, and proper facilities Sindh’s schools on the other hand lack even the basics According to the Pakistan Education Statistics Report 2021-22 Sindh has over 26 000 public schools and many of them don t even have electricity, drinking water, or functioning toilets Several schools are in poor condition, with some even lacking boundary walls The recent floods further exposed these weaknesses severely damaging the education infrastructure It was revealed during a conference that 19 808 schools were affected by the floods out of which 7 503 were completely destroyed, while 12,305 were partially damaged As a result, the education of 2,381,275 students was disrupted The Sindh government in collaboration with donors and stakeholders is currently working on rehabilitation projects for 5 284 schools However this is only 26 percent of the required rehabilitation while funds are still needed for the rest Another major concern is how these Hub Schools will be selected and managed In a system where political influence and corruption often dictate decision-making there’s a risk that resources may not be distributed fairly Will these Hub Schools actually support struggling institutions or will they just serve schools with existing advantages? The model also assumes that teachers in rural areas have
the necessary training to adapt but UNESCO reports that only 60 percent of teachers in Pakistan receive any kind of professional development Without investing in teacher training and school infrastructure first, this reform may remain just another policy document rather than a practical solution 2 Abolishing Key Administrative Positions: The government has also decided to abolish several administrative positions including District Education Officers (DEOs) for academics, sports, and quality assurance, and to merge primary and secondary education directorates The idea is to cut down on bureaucracy but this could also overload the remaining officials especially Taluka Education Officers (TEOs) who will now have more schools to monitor with fewer resources Another issue is the loss of specialized oversight The removal of a DEO for Quality Assurance could weaken the system that ensures educational standards are being met Likewise merging primary and secondary directorates may lead to a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores the different challenges faced by each level With 44 percent of children aged 5-16 out of school (Pakistan Institute of Education report), is this really the right time to experiment with major bureaucratic changes? Instead of dismantling existing structures the government should focus on making them more efficient and accountable 3 Digital Attendance System: The idea of using a digital attendance system with facial recognition and geofencing sounds modern, but it raises real concerns about practicality In developed countries these systems work because they have stable internet access and tech-savvy users Sindh s rural schools
however often don’t even have 3G or 4G connectivity According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) only 35 percent of rural Sindh has access to high-speed internet While the proposed offline attendance feature might help, it could also lead to data mismanagement and delays in updating records
The use of a mobile app for attendance tracking might not be the best solution either Previous attempts to introduce digital attendance in Sindh failed due to technical glitches lack of training, and staff resistance A more practical approach would be to install fixed biometric devices in schools that can store data offline and sync automatically when connected to the internet
There s also concern about how teachers will react to features like facial recognition and salary deductions for unauthorized absences While accountability is important, a punitive system might demoralize teachers who are already struggling with poor working conditions Instead of strict punishments why not focus on incentives to encourage regular attendance? The Sindh Education Department s reforms are well-intentioned but good ideas alone won t fix a broken system The Cluster School System needs proper infrastructure and teacher training before it can work Abolishing administrative positions should come with a clear plan to prevent overburdening existing staff The digital attendance system while modern must be realistic given the lack of internet access in many areas More importantly, Sindh s
experiments The writer tweets @AliGulLeghari1
ali Gul leGhari
Tehzeeb hussain bercha
Ambitious plans could derail
Tdestructive confrontation? And can china engage in reform without viewing every concession as capitulation? the trump Administration has leaned heavily on tariffs as its preferred tool of economic coercion tariffs now target not only steel and aluminum but an expanding list of goods ranging from electric vehicles to medical devices, with rates climbing as high as 145 percent in some cases the ra-
tionale has shifted with political winds intellectual property theft national security fentanyl trafficking and even carbon emissions But the underlying message remains the same: confrontation over cooperation there is a certain bipartisan convenience to blaming china for domestic economic pain It spares Washington the trouble of tackling more politically hazardous reforms tax codes that reward offshoring underinvestment in infrastructure, and an educational system struggling to produce skilled workers However, that convenience comes at a cost According to the Peterson Institute for International economics tariffs enacted since 2018 have increased costs for the average American household by roughly $1300 annually And they ve failed to achieve their core objective: rebalancing the trade relationship the US trade deficit with china has proven remarkably resilient Imports have simply rerouted through third countries like Vietnam and Mexico masking the problem rather than solving it Moreover, tariffs have failed to halt china s technological ascent Despite export controls and investment bans, china continues to invest heavily in strategic sectors from semiconductors to artificial intelligence with state-backed financing and policy coordination that Washington can scarcely match Washington s error lies in mistaking punitive tools for a coherent policy tariffs are not an economic strategy they are a symptom of strategic confusion a substi-
Trump’s Middle East tour relegates Israel to the sidelines
total victory over Hamas Washington has recently shown signs of frustration with netanyahu s intransigence
THe beaming smiles exchanged by Donald trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu at the White House in February, when they announced their plan to turn Gaza into the “riviera of the Middle east ” now seem a distant memory the U S president is concluding a tour of the region a tour that did not include Israel during which he strengthened ties with Gulf states through multi-million-dollar deals During his trip, the republican president shifted his Middle east policy by welcoming Syria back into the international community and confirming that the nuclear deal with Iran is on track all to Israel s displeasure the country that prides itself on being Washington s closest ally in the region has had to watch this rapprochement from the sidelines, while tensions with the U S have grown in
recent weeks, especially over Iran, but also concerning Gaza In recent weeks, trump has made bold moves in the Middle east without consulting his key geopolitical partner relegating Israel to the background the most recent was his Wednesday meeting with Syria s new leader Ahmed al Shara, in riyadh, during a tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab emirates his first of this term following the announcement the day before that U S sanctions on Syria would be lifted Washington had maintained those sanctions even after Bashar al-Assad s regime was overthrown in December trump disregarded Israel s request to maintain those sanctions netanyahu s government describes Syria’s interim president as a jihadist his organization Hayat tahrir al-Sham was affiliated with al-Qaeda until 2016 dressed up in a suit and tie there were other initiatives that Israel only learned about when the press did the first was the start of negotiations on a nuclear deal between Washington and Israel’s regional nemesis, Iran trump said on thursday that both sides are very close to finalizing an agreement the second was a pact with Houthi rebels in Yemen under which the militants agreed to stop attacking merchant ships in the red Sea in exchange for the U S halting its airstrikes on them that agreement, reached in early May, does not require the Houthis to stop launching missiles at Israel in retaliation for its offensive in Gaza the message to the region
was clear: Israel is no longer a top U S priority, wrote Itamar eichner, diplomatic correspondent for Israeli news outlet Ynet, at the time While the U S president was boasting about that pact in riyadh sirens were sounding in Jerusalem and tel Aviv on tuesday to warn of an incoming Houthi missile Israel was also left out of secret negotiations between the trump administration and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which resulted in the release this past Monday of U S soldier edan Alexander He was the last living U S citizen among the 59 almost all Israeli hostages still held by the group out of the 251 taken during the October 7 2023 attacks in Israel Israel s response to those attacks was to launch its offensive in Gaza netanyahu later tried to take credit for the soldier’s release attributing it in part to military pressure in the Gaza Strip But according to Haaretz columnist Yossi Verter the U S negotiations with Hamas inflicted a painful humiliation on the Israeli prime minister A “BRUTAL” WAR When trump announced during his February meeting with netanyahu at the White House his plan to turn Gaza into a luxury beach resort the riviera of the Middle east the Israeli prime minister enthusiastically embraced the project as his own that plan is still on the table, but the Israeli prime minister and the U S president diverge on a fundamental issue: trump wants to end the war as soon as possible a war he described on Wednesday as “brutal” while netanyahu has said it will only end with a
U S Secretary of State Marco rubio said on thursday that he had spoken with netanyahu to express the U S government’s concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza the newspaper Haaretz revealed the day before that trump s special envoy for the Middle east Steve Witkoff repeatedly called netanyahu this week to urge him to be more flexible in the negotiations Israel is conducting in Doha, Qatar, with Hamas that dialogue has yet to yield results, as netanyahu refuses to end the Israeli offensive even if the Palestinian Islamist group releases all hostages On the contrary on May 5 netanyahu announced his intention to conquer and occupy the Palestinian territory During the final leg of trump s trip on thursday, the United Arab emirates announced a $1 4 trillion investment in the U S over 10 years Previously Saudi Arabia and Qatar had also courted trump signing multibillion-dollar deals to purchase U S arms, aircraft, and technology Meanwhile, Israel was intensifying its bombings in Gaza, killing nearly 200 Palestinians in 48 hours pushing peace, which trump claims to want even further out of reach even if the ultimate goal is to do business and build skyscrapers and golf courses in the Gaza Strip after displacing its population rouzbeh Parsi, from the Middle east and north Africa Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, believes that “trump is probably listening to the Gulf countries telling him to keep negotiating with Iran and stop the Israelis in the Gaza Strip On both issues netanyahu is on the opposite side ” the U S president also aims to boost the growing diplomatic mediation roles of countries like Qatar mediator with Hamas and Saudi Arabia, which has hosted several rounds of Ukraine peace talks He sees them as investors, as buyers of U S defense and technology products in riyadh the U S signed $600 billion worth of agreements and as energy exporters no less important they are key players in his effort to control global gas and oil
Despite recent crackdowns across Southeast Asia, online scammer syndicates continue to gain power and influence in the region
RUSSIANS AND UKRAINIANS MEET IN TURKIYE FOR FIRST TALKS IN 3 YEARS
a significant role in making the examination system more efficient and transparent through his experience and leadership skills
A dignified Thanksgiving ceremony was organized by the Sundas Foundation to celebrate Yum-e-Tashakur attended by prominent personalities from various walks of life, children suffering from thalassemia and hemophilia, their parents, and the foundation s staff in large numbers
The chief guest of the event was Muhammad Ajmal Chairman of the Punjab National Peace Committee (NPC) for Interfaith Harmony, Government of Pakistan He joined the children in cutting the Thanksgiving cake and participated in their celebrations adding to the charm of the event On this occasion the Founder
and President
Khalid Abbas
bearers of the
Tobacco Lobby ’s Influence Grows as Tax Polic y Hangs in Balance
ISLAMABAD
S TA F F R E P O R T
The Government of Pakistan is under increasing pressure from the tobacco industry, which is lobbying aggressively for significant tax reductions a move that health experts warn could undo years of progress in tobacco control
Cigarette producers are advocating for major relaxations in the current tax regime One of the more contentious proposals involves creating a third pricing tier for ultracheap cigarette brands This would entail slashing the federal excise duty from PKR 5 050 to PKR 2 525 per 1 000 cigarettes for this new category a strategy viewed by health experts as a means to saturate the market with inexpensive tobacco In addition to the new tier the industry is also pushing to lower taxes on existing cigarette products
from PKR 5 050 to PKR 3 800 per 1 000 sticks Such a move would drastically cut retail prices making cigarettes more affordable and accessible, likely increasing smoking rates across the country According to a source close to the lobbying efforts the primary aim for now is broad tax reduction while the proposed third-tier rollout may follow later Industry representatives are reportedly using a combination of political lobbying and persuasive tactics, even attempting to involve the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in support of their agenda Health advocates have expressed deep concern particularly about the potential endorsement of these proposals by the IMF They warn that any backing from the Fund could severely undermine its stated commitment to Pakistan’s long-term development and health outcomes Asif Iqbal Managing Director
of the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) stressed the serious implications There are around 31 million adult tobacco users in Pakistan, with 17 3 million smoking cigarettes Tobacco-related diseases claim over 160,000 lives annually and cost the economy 1 6% of GDP he said Iqbal warned that accepting the tax cuts especially with IMF approval would likely increase smoking rates, raise the death toll, and place further strain on the healthcare system ultimately impacting national finances
Reports suggest the IMF may be showing openness to the proposed tax changes Such a stance could be seen as aligning with tobacco industry interests While the industry could gain PKR 10 to 20 billion annually the associated health and economic costs to the country could be ten times higher
The Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) paid tribute to
heroes, celebrating the valor and achievements of our brave warriors and Air Force pilots The event drew a large and diverse audience, including diplomats, civil servants, members of the media, business leaders, legal and eco-
nomic experts as well as prominent figures from civil society As part of this tribute, KCFR
Yasin Khan Director
Dar and other office-
foundation warmly welcomed the honorable guest Muhammad Ajmal visited the
ailing children under treatment distributed gifts among them and met their parents individually to understand their problems and needs Speaking at the event, he said,
IMF PRESSES PAKISTAN FOR HIGHER TA XES, NFC REBAL ANCING AMID RECORD SAL ARIED CL ASS BURDEN
Youm-e-Tashakur
provincial ministers and officials Pakistan and UK strengthen cooperation to combat illegal immigration and online child harassment
ISLAMABAD NEWS DESK Pakistan and the United Kingdom have agreed to enhance collaboration in addressing illegal immigration, online child harassment, and other serious crimes This commitment was reaffirmed during a high-level meeting in Islamabad chaired
PTI slams govt for ‘denying’ fuel relief despite global price drop
for its repeated failure to pass on the full impact of declining global oil prices to the already burdened public warning that such economic exploitation amounts to skinning the poor alive PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a statement on Friday, lambasted the “unrepresentative government” for its continued refusal for the third consecutive time to pass on the full benefit of declining international oil prices to consumers, thereby further aggravating their hardships Sh Waqas stated that the fascist regime has withheld a potential reduction of approximately Rs18 per litre in petroleum prices over the past two months citing a series of clumsy and misleading excuses a move that starkly contradicts its own hollow claims of an economic turnaround
The PTI CIS said that the antipeople government has once again prioritized fiscal exploitation over public welfare relying on weak and deceptive justifications
He asserted that the imposed regime has consistently imposed cruel new taxes to squeeze money from the masses who are already under severe financial strain yet has made no effort to reduce its ministers lavish and unnecessary expenditures
Exposing the government s
ates many projects in the Indus system also did not respond to an email seeking comment Modi said in a fiery speech this week that water and blood cannot flow together though he didn t refer to the treaty Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir
callous indifference toward the hardship-stricken public Waqas stated that the regime s apathy is evident from its massive salary hikes for ministers and parliament, while burdening the poor under various pretexts a blatant attempt to punish them for supporting Imran Khan s PTI
He emphasized that rather than increasing the Inland Freight Equalisation Margin (IFEM) on petrol and diesel to cover Rs34 billion in oil industry losses – thereby denying citizens the benefit of global fuel price reductions – the government should implement sound economic policies and slash its own extravagant expenditures to revive the struggling economy
PTI CIS expressed surprise that on one hand the regime claims credit for bringing about an economic revolution yet ironically its only solution for fixing the economy and generating revenue is to further overburden the poor and skin them alive with new taxes imposed on a daily basis
said,
discussions and documents they had seen Details of the Indian government s deliberations on expanding Ranbir have not previously been reported The discussions started last month and continue even after the ceasefire, one of the people said The Indian ministries responsible for water and foreign affairs as well as Modi’s office did not respond to Reuters’ questions Indian hydropower giant NHPC which oper-
