Epaper_27-03-20 LHR

MULtAN/BAHAWALpUr

s ta f f r e p o r t

PrIMe M nister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday undertook visits to various free wheat f our (Atta) distribution po nts in Multan and other distr cts of south Punjab and ordered officia s to extend maxmum assistance to the elderly and different y-abled people at these centers e derly d sabled persons and women should get free Atta bags without any troub e the pr me m nister said during his visit to the free Atta centre set up at the D strict Sports Ground n Multan

Shehbaz asked the officials to lift the Atta bags for e der y and differently-

abled persons who cannot ift the 10-kg bag and help them reach their bicyc e or motorcycle At this the officia s informed the prime m nister that they have been a ready deputed to extend whatever help the e derly people women and disabled persons needed

The Pr me M n ster expressed satisfact on over the process and lauded the Multan administrat on for making the best arrangements at Atta distr bution po nts

Shahbaz Sharif said the peop e should not face difficu ties during the month of ramzanul Mubarak

The prime minister also talked to the people gathered at the d strict sports ground including the differently-abled persons and asked them if they were

facing diff culties in getting free flour bags and the level of facilit es at the Atta distribution centres

Shehbaz Sharif ssued orders to the local administrat on to take immed ate measures to resolve complaints of the people on the spot

The prime m nister also went to the counter set up exc usively for differentlyabled persons and talked to them for some t me The differently-abled persons thanked the prime minister for extend ng free flour fac ity to the impoverished segments of society

Shehbaz witnessed the process of distribution of free flour bags at the centre and emphasized that officia s should super vise the operation personal y and extend maximum assistance to different y-abled persons elderly people particularly women so that they can get free bags of wheat flour without any trouble

Punjab Chief Secretar y Zahid Akhtar Zaman Commissioner Multan Amir Khatak regional Police Officer Suhai

PML-N to eradicate ‘Imrani Fitna’ with power of vote: Sanaullah

iSLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

Interior M nister rana Sanaullah on Sunday said that the Pakistan Musl m League-Nawaz (PML-N) s plan is to eradicate Imrani Fitna with the power of vote

Talk ng to a private news channel he said that the Cha rman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Niazi was responsible for the current political instability and chaos that has spread n the countr y at the moment whi e the responsibility of whatever result will be on him alone

From 2014 t ll today Imran was on the same agenda that the countr y would suffer chaos ,

he added Minister said that Imran Khan took al unconstitutional measures to end the pol tica existence of PML-N during his regime because according to him the biggest problem of Pakistan was the opposit on and ever y person who was disagreed with him

Keeping in view the ser ousness of the interna countr y s affairs he sa d in response to an anchor s question Point of No return that we nv ted Imran to the Charter of economy, but we were v lif ed in return PTI chief refuses to accept differences of opin on while he has turned politics into enmity, he added

On the quest on about Azhar Mashwani he said that polit ca propaganda is being done by Imran Khan on th s issue

H e q u e s t i o n e d r e g a r d i n g the transparency in e ect ons if held in phases No one would b e l i e v e i n t h e r e s u l t s o f e l e ctions and th s would further crea t e a n o t h e r p o l i t i c a l c r i s i s ” h e concluded

A day earlier a n an interview with PNN News Sanau ah said: In my opinion Imran Khan does not believe in democracy and democratic traditions He does not believe in having a peaceful polit cal environment in th s countr y He has turned po itics into enmity

IMF urges ‘vigilance’, war ning of increased financial instability

pr ofit a f p

Internat onal Monetar y Fund (IMF) chief Kristal na

Georgieva warned on Sunday that risks to financ al stability had increased and stressed the need for vigi ance fo lowing the recent turmo l in the banking sector

Speaking at a forum in Beijing the IMF managing director said she expected 2023 to be another challenging year w th globa growth slowing to below 3 0 per cent due the war in Ukra ne monetar y tightening and “scarring” from the pandemic Uncertainties are exceptionally high with the outlook for the g obal economy likely to remain weak over the medium term she told the China Development Forum It is also c ear that risks to financial stab lity have increased ” she added

At a time of higher debt levels the rapid transit on from a prolonged period of ow interest rates to much h gher rates necessar y to fight nf ation inevitably generates stresses and vulnerab lities as evidenced by recent develop-

ments in the banking sector in some advanced economies

Her comments came after the financia sector was shaken by the collapse of S licon Valley Bank and the enforced takeover of Swiss bank Credit Suisse by riva UBS leading to fears of contagion Bank shares tumbled on Friday as fears about the hea th of the financial sector resurfaced with German Chance lor Olaf Scholz forced to g ve reassurances about Deutsche Bank after the long-troubled lender became a focus of investor concerns

Georgieva said po icymakers had acted decisive y in response to financial stabi ity r sks

These actions have eased market stress to some extent but uncertainty is high which underscores the need for v g lance she said

The IMF ch ef however pointed to China s rebound as a bright spot for the world economy

The IMF forecasts China ’s economy to grow 5 2pc th s year dr ven by a rebound in pr vate consumption as the countr y reopens after ts pandem c solation The robust rebound means China is set to account for around one th rd of g obal growth in 2023 giving a we come lift to the world economy, she said “A 1 0 percentage point increase in GDP growth n China leads to 0 3 percentage point ncrease in growth in other Asian economies on average a welcome boost Georgieva urged China ’s policymakers to seek to raise productivity and rebalance the economy away from nvestment and towards more durable consumption-driven growth Market-oriented reforms to level the playing field between the private sector and stateowned enterprises, together w th investments in education would significantly l ft the economy s productive capacity she said

Ahmad and Deputy Commissioner Omar

Jahangir were present on the occas on He directed the Chief Secretar y that no person coming for free flour should eave empty-handed

The Commissioner and DC nformed the prime m nister that 75 counters have been set up at Multan centre wh ch they descr bed as the biggest centre in south Punjab

They said that 20 000 Atta bags of 10 k lograms would be distributed among the poor and over 6500 bags had already been distributed by m d-day today They said that sheds were set up for the people and adequate arrangements for drinking water were in place

The off cials also briefed the prime minster on ramazan Package and arrangements made for ts mplementation

Arrangements for distribut on of free flour bags reviewed ’ earl er Prime Minister Shehbaz Shar f on Sunday arr ved here to review the arrangements for the d stribut on of free

flour bags among the deser ving people under PM s ramzan re ief Package

The prime minister inspected the distr bution point at Abbasy a School and inquired about the process PM Office Media W ng said in a press release

He also interacted with different peop e especially the aged ones and fema es and istened to their complaints

The prime minister directed the relevant author t es to take care of the elder y and phys cally handicapped people

He also inspected a free medical camp set up by the distr ct adm nistrat on ear ier the prime m nister had visit to Lahore Kasur and Sargodha to review these arrangements

PM links po itica economic challenges with PTI govt s failed policies

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that current po itica governance and econom c challenges had the r roots in the fai ed po icies of the prev ous government of Imran Niazi

E n g a g i n g y o u t h c r u c i a l t o f u r t h E r b o ls t E r Pa k - s a u d i r E l at i o n s : d r Q i b l a

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

cOUNCIL of Islamic Ideology (CII)

Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz on Sunday said engaging youth was crucial to further bolster bilateral ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

Commenting on recently held a short video competition on Pak-Saudi Relations organized by the Saudi Embassy here he told APP that it was a healthy activity and would help strengthen existing bonds between the young generation of two brotherly countries

He said Saudi Arabia was a time-tested

friend of Pakistan as it had always extended all possible support to Pakistan whether it was facing economic meltdown or destruction due to earthquakes and floods in the country

Dr Qibla said the Pakistani nation had a great emotional attachment to the Kingdom because of Haramain Sharifain which were the holiest places for the faithful Meanwhile Saudi Press Attaché Dr Naif Alotaibi highlighting the background behind this competition informed that it was organized to celebrate the 70 years of relationship between the two countries as in March 1953 the Governor General of Pakistan Ghulam Muhammad paid his first

official visit to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and held a meeting with King Shah Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud in a congenial environment

He said the royal embassy received 114 videotapes on Pak-Saudi relations which had always been a fascinating chapter in the diplomatic history of the two countries Dr Naif said the videos were full of emotions expressing their strong feelings and love for the Kingdom and its people

According to a video clip Prime Minister s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi exchanging his views on Pak-Saudi relations

said If anyone looks in a devilish eye towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia we will sacrifice our blood, wealth, children and even life for the security and sovereignty of the holy land In the same videotape, Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, elaborating on the depth of the relationship between the two brotherly countries –Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, said it kept on growing and developing with every passing day He prayed to Allah Almighty for longlasting peace prosperity security and stability in Pakistan adding that he was eying Pakistan in the future as one of the leading countries in the world

There was another silent video which caught the audience s attention as the story was a mouthpiece of overseas Pakistanis who were not only earning bread and butter for their families but also adding a huge foreign exchange to the national kitty

It showed that after the death of a Pakistani laborer how the Saudi government supported his family and translated his daughter s dream into a reality of becoming a doctor in life

There were other videotapes which showed that how Saudi Arabia was helping Pakistan at trying times throughout history, Dr Naif added

He said the short videos were of good quality and content adding that out of the total, ten documentaries were selected for the prizes

The first prize holder got $2 000 while those who stood second and third were given $1 500 and $1 000 respectively he said adding that the remaining seven video clip makers received $500 each however other contestants were awarded vouchers of SAR 2 000 and free visas to perform Umrah

Rulers leading countr y to civil war: S h Rashid

StAff REpORt

The former minister took to twitter and said that the incumbent rulers were afraid of Imran Khan s popularity and giving lame excuses Even the British did not ban a rally in 1940

Agents of present rulers not only placed containers but also sealed all the roads Despite this people reached the Minar-e-Pakistan after traveling miles he added Rashid said that Saudi Arabia stopped delivery of oil on deferred payment just after eight months The UAE is also keeping them at arm s length A serious economic crisis is knocking at the door and the rulers

are thinking that they will fix everything They are leading the country to civil war, he continued He said that whether the country would be governed under the constitution or by the crooks, the Supreme Court will decide when it will take up petition

After the IMF, Geneva Donor Conference has stopped assisting the rulers People are dying attempting to get free flour Rashid maintained

Those who are unware of Kashmir ’s freedom struggle have banned the Gilgit-Baltistan police from leaving the province The rulers issued threat alerts to disrupt the Minar-e-Pakistan rally shut down the internet and arrested supporters

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t P e o p l e i n I n d i a n i l l e g a l l y o c c u p i e d J a m m u a n d K a s h m i r ( I I O J K ) a r e e n g a g e d i n a s t r u g g l e f o r t h e e x e r c i s e o f t h e i r U N - p l e d g e d r i g h t t o s e l fd e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d r e f l e c t s t h e s e n t i m e n t s o f t h e g e n e r a l p o p u l a c e o f t h e t e r r i t o r y A n a n a l y t i c a l r e p o r t r e l e a s e d b y K a s h m i r M e d i a S e r v i c e t o d a y s a i d K a s h m i r i s f r e e d o m s t r u g g l e i s a n i n d i g e n o u s p o p u l a r m o v e m e n t a s i t s I n d i g e n o u s c h a r a c t e r i s e v i d e n t f r o m t h e s a c r i f i c e s r e n d e r e d b y t h e K a s h m i r i s o n a d a i l y b a s i s I t s a i d t h e K a s h m i r i s f r e e d o m m o v e m e n t h a s b e e n a c c e p t e d a s a j u s t s t r u g g l e a t t h e g l o b a l l e v e l a n d M o d i ’s d e s i g n s t o t e r m K a s h m i r f r e e d o m s t r u g g l e a s s p o n s o r e d a r e a i m e d a t g i v i n g a b a d n a m e t o i t T h e r e p o r t s a i d t h e M o d i r e g i m e m u s t r e m e m b e r t h a t p e o p l e s t r u g g l i n g f o r f r e e d o m c a n n o t b e l i n k e d t o t e r r o r i s m a d d i n g t h a t I n d i a c o u l d n o t f o o l t h e w o r l d b y t e r m i n g t h e h o m e g r o w n K a s h m i r i s f r e e d o m s t r u g g l e a s s p o n s o r e d I t m a i n t a i n e d t h a t t h e M o d i r e g i m e w o u l d f a i l i n i t s n e f a r i o u s d e s i g n t o l a b e l K a s h m i r i s i n d i g e n o u s a n d h o m e g r o w n m o v e m e n t a s s p o n s o r e d a n d t h e f r e e d o m m o v e m e n t i s d e s t i n e d t o s u c c e e d

Pti chief will not be given

captaincy again: saad

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t S e n i o r P a k i s t a n M u s l i m L e a g u e - N a w a z l e a d e r K h a w a j a S a a d R a f i q h a s f l a y e d I m r a n K h a n f o r a t t e m p t i n g t o e n s l a v e P a k i s t a n f o r h i s p e r s o n a l p o w e r a n d w a r n e d t h e P T I c h i e f t h a t h e w i l l n o t b e g i v e n c a p t a i n c y a g a i n R e a c t i n g t o t h e P a k i s t a n Te h r e e k - eI n s a f r a l l y a t t h e M i n a r- e - P a k i s t a n o f L a h o r e o n S u n d a y n i g h t i n a s e r i e s o f t w e e t s , S a a d w r o t e I m r a n w a n t s t o c h a i n P a k i s t a n i s t o e t e r n a l s l a v e r y H e t w e e t e d t h a t f a s c i s t I m r a n a l s o m a k e s a l l i a n c e s w i t h d e v i l s f o r p o w e r I n 2 0 1 8 P a k i s t a n w o u l d h a v e b e c o m e t h e e m e rg i n g e c o n o m y o f t h e w o r l d i f t h e [ P T I ] g o v e r n m e n t h a d n o t b e e n i m p o s e d b y i n v i o l a t i o n o f t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n d e m o c r a c y a n d p e o p l e s a s p i r a t i o n s S a a d a d d e d T h e P M L - N l e a d e r a d d r e s s e d I m r a n t h a t y o u r f o u r- y e a r r u l e h a s s h a k e n t h e e c o n o m i c f o u n d a t i o n s o f P a k i s t a n a n d t h r e a t e n e d t h e n a t i o n a l i n t e g r i t y H e s a i d t h a t t h e i n c o m p e t e n t I m r a n g o v e r n m e n t b u r d e n e d P a k i s t a n i s w i t h a r e c o r d f o r e i g n d e b t H e c l a i m e d t h a t o n c e t h e b l u e e y e m a n o f t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t , “ i s n o w b e i n g u s e d b y t h e a n t iP a k i s t a n p o w e r s a s a p a w n ” S a a d a l l e g e d t h a t s e c r e t f o r e i g n f u n d i n g o f P T I w a s b e i n g u s e d a g a i n s t t h e n a t i o n a l i n t e r e s t s I t i s b e i n g u s e d t o s p r e a d h a t r e d i n t h e n a t i o n , m i s g u i d i n g p e o p l e a n d p r o p a g a n d a a g a i n s t t h e c o u n t r y

A contempt of court petition was filed on Saturday in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the prime minister chief election commissioner and other ECP officials for violating verdict on holding elections in Punjab Advocate G M Chaudhry filed a petition in the apex court under Article 204 of the Constitution,

kazakhstan ready to strengthen long-term economic par tnership with Pakistan: kazak Minister

read with Section 3 and 4 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003, for initiating proceedings and directing the respondents to implement the judgment of the apex court passed on March 1, 2023 in a suo motu case regarding elections

The petitioner made Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja ECP members Punjab caretaker chief minister and chief secretary as respondents The petitioner submitted that the respondents CEC along with four ECP members issued an order on March 22 2023 postponing elections in Punjab giving various reasons and maintained that all the respondents have miserably failed to perform their constitutional obligations functions and duties The respondents are directly contemnor due to non-compliance of the said order of the apex court passed on March 1, 2023 in suo motu case , the petitioner submitted

He prayed the Supreme Court to initiate proceedings against them by summoning them for their willful and intentional acts to violate the court order punishable under the provisions of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003

Nowruz an opportunity to create regional, cultural synergies and unity: Imanipour

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The head of the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communications (ICCO) Hojjat-ul-Islam walMuslimeen Mohammad Mahdi Imanipour on Sunday said Nowruz in addition to its cultural value is an opportunity to develop the cultural relations of his beloved country Islamic Republic of Iran with its neighbours and also to develop regional synergies and unity through cultural affinity

Hojjat-ul-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mohammad Mahdi Imanipour in his message felicitated the Iranians and others nations on the arrival of the ancient Nowruz and the beginning of the Iranian new year 1402 especially Iranians living abroad statesmen and citizens of the cultural and religious sphere of Nowruz

The Organization of Islamic Culture and Communications issues Imanipour s message here

Mohammad Mahdi Imanipour said the spiritual and civilized view of Nowruz could become a point of the deep connection between the nations of the region Looking at Nowruz as an ancient ritual and tradition is not the whole story Nowruz originated from a kind of original civilization and has the power to create a cultural-civilizational union in different countries ” he added In the region of Central Asia Caucasus and West Asia Nowruz could become more than a “common tradition but rather a common cultural center to reach a unified cultural system he emphasised He underlined that this cultural system was not limited to a specific time (the end of winter and the beginning of spring) and its extension included all the days of the year

Who beat who to the draw?

all those foreigner ’s roles Another great one for Englishman’s roles was the late great Agha Taalish who relied not on a wig but a vaguely military uniform and fierce mustachios

This cultural-civilized capacity should be considered and promoted by the countries that celebrate Nowruz for utilising it as a tool to unite and enhance cultural and people-to-people bilateral relationships he added

He also quoted a Persian saying The breath of the Saba wind will blow The old world will be young again Mahdi Imanipour elaborated that Nowruz was the crystallization of new life in the body of nature and a new opportunity for people to reflect on their life and circumstances and seek help from God to reach the best Nowruz is an opportunity for renewal and interpretation of the human need to evolve in a holy path full of signs of the power of the Holy Prophet (PBUH),” he said

This transformation and delivery was at the same a divine tradition that Nowruz could be considered as a turning point he said adding The harmony of the nations of Nowruz brings their hearts and minds closer to each other in the glorious and beautiful moments of the New Year beginning The breath of Saba gives a sense of renewal to the Persian-speaking nations and even the non-Persianspeaking nations who consider Nowruz as the ancient heritage of their ancestors

On the other hand, he said in the religious teachings and life of the elders of Islam, Nowruz was considered as an example of modernisation, beauty and transition to a new era in human life

“This exalting look at the category of New Year and Nowruz delivery shows that the guardians of the religion also have a look at it beyond a ceremony or tradition and consider it a turning point in the promotion of human values

while to the discomfiture of Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah

I wonder if there s anyone in his party who can tell him it doesn t work that way In real life, if you get killed, you re dead You stay dead, and the play goes in without you

Of course, what the script has still not got is some way of bringing in horses

Minister for National Economy Republic of Kazakhstan

A Kuantyrov has said that Kazakhstan was willing to strengthen lasting and long-term economic and trade relations with Pakistan He said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan are engaged in mutual discussions for long-term economic partnership, which would pave the way for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries in the future

The Kazakh Minister said this while briefing to the international media in Astana Kazakhstan He said Pakistan has engines of growth like Karachi Lahore and Faisalabad with which businessmen of Kazakhstan can get benefits from business connections said a press release issued here on Sunday

A Kuantyrov said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan could play an important role in regional Economic and trade Integration, for which negotiations were going on in both countries He said that Pakistan and Kazakhstan had opportunities for economic and trade cooperation in many sectors including textile, agriculture and energy

A Kuantyrov said that the volume of mutual trade between Pakistan and Kazakhstan was much less than its potential which needed to be further increased

He said that regional trade was very important without which the dream of economic prosperity in the region would not be realized He said that the concept of a middle corridor was very important for regional connectivity from which all regional economies could get benefits

The minister said that Kazakhstan is currently in trade balance and we are striving for sustainable development for which we are working on stable economic policies He said that they were following the policy of developing their country’s current geopolitical position for geo-economic benefits

He said that revenue collection, food security and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were the pillars of our economic policies

He said that currently 45 percent women were working in the SME sector adding that the government was trying for the maximum Foreign Direct Investment in Kazakhstan and there was already investment in Kazakhstan from European Union and Pacific countries

He said that the Middle Corridor concept was very important in the economic policy of Kazakhstan and along with this, we were following the Trans Caspian policy which would pave the way for economic integration between the countries of the region

The minister said that Kazakhstan had recently completed constitutional and political reforms and within ten months the process of reforms and elections was completed

He said that after these constitutional reforms in Kazakhstan the atmosphere for economic and investment would be smooth, from which a new face of Kazakhstan would be seen

Free and fair elections in Kazakhstan will start a new democratic era in the country and it will have a positive impact on investment and economic inclusion in the country, he added

Imran Khan seems bent on showing the world that he shouldn t be heading a political party, but should be leading the revival of the Pakistani cinema as its leading scriptwriter Witness his claim of why he did not get out of his vehicle during his appearance at the Islamabad Judicial Complex: they were going to kill him in fulfillment of the London Plan That mention of the London Plan made me regret the death of Adib the great character actor who had a yellow wig that allowed to essay

Or maybe Imran has been watching Ertogrul the Turkish television series about the founder of the Ottoman dynasty One of the noticeable conventions of Turkish teleplays especially about Ottoman sultans is that a character isn t dead just because they ve been killed If the plot needs them, they will come back to life, and the play will explain how the person’s life was saved

Is that what Imran imagines will happen? That everyone will think he’s dead, only for him to come back alive after a

Viewers of Ertogrul might have noted that there’s a lot of horses involved and there are long scenes consisting of just some Turks riding horses It s the Turkish equivalent of the old-time Westerns which I m sure Imran was brought up on Maybe one way of writing horses in would be to have mounted police for crowded control and have them responsible to trying to ride down Imran Of course, in addition to writing the script, Imran will be thehero of the film, and will wrestle down one of the cops, and will take over his horse

He will somehow get a gandasa (probably thrown to him by Ali Amin Gandapur who cannot be left out of the situation), and then ride hard against Shehbaz who will suddenly appear on the scene on a black horse, sporting a Stetson and a buckskin vest Imran should lose, because you never bring a gandasa to a gunfight, but Imran not only stars and writes the script but he also directs the film and composes the music (Ali Amin wrote the songs though )

Then there is the scene where Imran wearing a white hat confronts the Chief Election Commissioner in a black one in his office and forces him to hold an election I suspect that Imran imagines an election to be something like the shootout between the hero and the villain

Or maybe he thinks it is something like the earthquake that shook the country It was 7 8 on the Richter scale, which is about the

same as the one that recently git Turkey and Syria That caused more than 50 000 deaths all told, the majority in Turkey That was like the earthquake that hit Kashmir and KP in 2005 So that either means we had a close shave, or were blessed

I suppose the later blessing should count, which saw us start Ramazan with Afghanistan and the Arab world The moonsighting is now happening on the same day as the Arabs because now we know that the moon has been sighted there I still don t understand why the evidence of someone in Kabul is unacceptable but that of someone in Peshawar is Does the Almighty ask for one s passport? Well let s see if we have Eid on the same day

But seriously, maybe the statement by Zalmay Khalilzad shows how deeply Imran has divided the US establishment It s another victory for the Kuptaan, isn’t it?

‘kashmir freedom struggle reflects sentiments of iioJk people’

Co nte m p t p e t i t i o n fi l e d a g a i n s t PM , C E C

r i d i c u l i n g

t i

a r r i y u M s ay s i

had been installed in Pakistan

R for Information and“The narrative of international conspiracy started from cypher blaming the United States Nawaz Sharif Shehbaz Sharif and then caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin

Marriyum

Aurangzeb said on Sunday that Imran Khan was not interested in elections in the country he actually wanted his selection as Prime Minister again

Addressing a press conference here she said that Imran s Khan s tamashas of cypher long march avoid the jail campaign elections, Zaman Park, attacks and threats to the courts have reached their conclusion

Marriyum said the people of Pakistan remember his tenure as a “black chapter in the history of the country as they were paying the price of Imran’s four year misrule which was marked by corruption, incompetence and inefficiency

Pakistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman

Imran Khan did not have political issues

rather he was facing psychological problems

She said last year Imran Khan had concocted the fake narrative of foreign conspiracy for toppling his government which was accepted by followers of his cult and PTI social media gang working from abroad claimed that imported government

Naqvi Those who accused the US of conspiracy were now tendering apologies and seeking pardon she said ridiculing the PTI

She wondered how the followers of PTI still believe in baseless allegations of Imran Khan The minister said that yesterday the people of Lahore completely rejected Imran Khan and the PTI had to use old pictures and even Minar-e-Pakistan was removed from the pictures

The minister said that on failure of the cypher narrative Imran started a long march which was doomed while giving it Islamic touch Jail Bharo movement was started after the long march disaster during which journalists and police personnel were martyred The police officials were fired at from the houses of PTI leaders

She said Imran was always ready to lead and address political rallies and marches but when the courts summoned him, he started making excuses of his old age, injury, diseases and above all threat to life

The minister said that Imran, who refused to go to court, went to Minar-e-

chinese grass emerging as super food for animals in gwadar

BEIJING

S ta f f R e p o R t

“King Grass” pioneered by Chinese Technology is emerging as super food for animals with impactful features of cash crop and land fertility in Gwadar as well as Pakistan

After its successful growth in the length and breadth of the Free Zone area of Gwadar Port local enterprises are motivated to seek the assistance of Chinese JUNCAO technology to grow King Grass to boost their business profitability

As per the pilot project it was grown and used to raise livestock in a cattle farm established in Gwadar Port more than two years ago

Throughout the time span, 80 per cent of proceeds had been utilized as food for all breeds of goats

Not only animals turned fattened but also stayed fit without suffering from any lethal disease, Free Zone official said G o a t s h e s a i d l o v e t o e a t K i n g G r a s s w i t h z e a l d u e t o i t s l u s h g r e e n c o l o u r p a l a t a b i l i t y f r a g r a n c e i n b u i l t p r o p e r t i e s a n d q u a l i t y C E N r e p o r t e d T h i s g r a s s p r o v i d e s m a n y o f t h e n u t r i t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r c a t t l e I t h a s f i b r e p r o t e i n a n d g o o d e n e rg y c o n t e n t I t c a n r e p l a c e e x p e n s i v e f e e d s i n t h e r a t i o n a n d t h e r e f o r e r e d u c e f e e d i n g c o s t s w h i l e m a i n t a i n i n g g o o d n u t r i t i o n h e m e n t i o n e d P a k i s t a n F a r m e r A s s o c i a t i o n P r e s i d e n t M i a n M a n s h a S y e d s a i d , i t i s a p a r t i c u l a r b r e e d o f g r a s s d i s c o v e r e d b y C h i n e s e s c i e n t i s t s w h i c h i s a n e c o n o m i c a l a n d e n v i r o n m e n t - f r i e n d l y s u b s t i t u t e f o r t i m b e r S o f a r, m o r e t h a n 5 0 0 c o u n t i e s a c r o s s C h i n a h a v e p a r t i c i p a t e d i n p l a n t i n g J u n c a o o r K i n g g r a s s T h e g r a s s s i g n i f i c a n t l y l o w e r e d f a r m i n g c o s t s a n d r e d u c e d a n n u a l t r e e c l e a r i n g b y 2 0 m i l l i o n c u b i c m e t e r s i n t h e c o u n t r y h e a d d e d G w a d a r a r e a b y v i r t u e o f i t s a r i d c l i m a t e l a n d d e g r a d a t i o n s a l i n e o r a l k a l i s o i l a n d v a r i o u s o t h e r e c o l o g i c a l c h a l l e n g e s w a s a l i t m u s t e s t f o r K i n g g r a s s G w a d a r P o r t O p e r a t o r C O P H C i n i t i a t e d a p r o j e c t w i t h t h e a s s i s t a n c e o f t h e C h i n e s e E m b a s s y a n d e x p e r t s f r o m C h i n e s e U n i v e r s i t i e s I n t h e e a r l y s t a g e o f 2 0 2 0 , K i n g G r a s s w a s p l a n t e d o n 5 a c r e s o f l a n d i n G w a d a r P o r t R e s u l t s , e v e n t u a l l y p r o v e d t h a t i t i s s u r v i v a b l e a n d c o m m e r c i a l l y f e a s i b l e I t s y i e l d i s 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 p e r a c r e , a c c o r d i n g t o o ff i c i a l d o c u m e n t s

it in other part of Balochistan and Sindh COPHC official said seeds were donated to farmers and companies in Dasht area near Milini dam as well as

Karachi

Pakistan to address a rally She said he was neither sick nor was he an elderly person nor he faced any threat to life when going to address the rally but he will not go to court to face cases of foreign funding Toshakhana and Tyrian Khan

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the constitution and law of the land could not follow the dictates of a person who had the mindset of a devil She said terrorists were present in Zaman Park from where petrol bombs were thrown at police and slingshots and stones were used

The minister said that if Imran wanted fresh elections, why did he dissolve the National Assembly after no-confidence motion was tabled and why did he force the Speaker deputy speaker and even the president to violate the constitution?

Castigating Imran Khan s so-called 10 point agenda she said Imran Khan s PTI ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for ten years it remained in power at Centre and Punjab for almost four years but set a record of bad governance and corruption Taking a jibe at Imran, she said he was supposed to revive the national economy through buffalos and eggs but the country’s loans were nearly doubled in only 4 years’ time She said when Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi,

I n l e t te r to C J P, J I

kARACHI

S ta f f R e p o R t

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq on Sunday urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar

Ata Bandial to take suo moto over dubious role of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) during local government (LG) elections in Karachi

In a letter penned down to CJP Umar Ata Bandial following the LG elections in Sindh including Karachi Sirajul Haq alleged that most of the ECP staff during local government election in Sindh were supporters of ruling party – Pakistan People s Party (PPP) The electoral staff was appointed on the basis of political

CONtINuED fROM BACk pAGE

The government is reeling from an acute balance of payments crisis, desperately seeking to secure external financing, with foreign reserves falling to slightly more than $4 billion

Following the sharp depreciation in the rupee the consumer price inflation jumped to 31 5pc in February its highest since June of 1974

When we demanded a 38pc raise a dollar was Rs235 And now it s Rs286 which means even this 38pc increase will not be enough said Bukhari

However we are still open to any government offer in this regard

If the government does not bow to the manufacturers logical demand, he warned, pharmaceutical companies would be compelled to shut down their units, risking more than 1 million jobs

“We have only one month (left) to take a decision as currently, we are using the raw material, which we have in the pipeline to produce medicines, “ he said

“Things will start going worse after one month if price adjustment demand is not met ” he said

Accusing the government of Prime Minister

Shehbaz Sharif of seeing this purely economic and logical issue through the prism of politics Bukhari said 1 300 local brands combined have communicated to the government that they cannot continue their businesses at the existing cost mechanism

There is a 200pc increase in the prices of flour oil, vegetables, and other essential items But the government is not ready to accept our legitimate

pESHAWAR

S ta f f R e p o R t

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has opposed the idea to merge Disco with Pesco citing severe financial deficit which the Peshawar Electric Supply Company is facing According to official sources, to tackle the financial and administrative issues, it was decided to

B

affiliation ” he noted

Farah Gogi and other looters from PTI would be brought to book rule of law would be established in Pakistan

About Imran Khan s claim of preparing a database of the poor she said Benazir Income Support Program was a database which he shamelessly renamed as Ehsas program She said if Imran would make a database the beneficiaries would be Pinki Peerni Farah Gogi and Shehzad Akbar etc

She said during his tenure, Imran Khan only renamed the public welfare projects of the previous government She said the PMLN health program was given the title of Health Insaf Card whereas PML-N youth programme was renamed as Kamyab Jawan programme but he could not run these programmes

She said Imran claimed to provide 50 00 000 housing units to the poor segments of society and create 10 million jobs but on the contrary over 10 million people lost jobs during PTI rule and he failed to build housing units for the poor She said that the house building scheme was taken over by Bushra Bibi through Al- Qadir Trust

Instead Imran Khan plunged the national economy in the Tsunami of unemployment and inflation due to which the common man suffered badly

About Imran’s claims to control money

The ruling party cast bogus votes in 35 to 40 union councils (UCs) of Karachi the JI chief wrote adding that even before the election the party had started saying that the city s mayor would be a jiyala

Haq further said that the constituencies were delimitated on the basis of bogus electoral lists The cases were sent to the same ROs [returning officers] who were accused of rigging , he added

He pointed out that worst rigging occurred in six union councils (UCs), accusing the ROs of announcing results against Form 11 “Results were changed in 66 polling stations,” he said, but ECP ordered recount in only 17 stations

laundering, she said that the PTI chairman should submit a reply to foreign funding case in the court and the money laundering issue would get settled She said it was ironic that a person who laundered money by using private jets was talking about controlling money laundering She also said that Imran got approval from the cabinet to hand over $190 million public money to a private party

She said when PML-N tenure ended in 2018, inflation related to edibles was only 2 percent and prices of wheat flour sugar ghee and cooking oil were controlled and tariffs of electricity and gas were reasonable despite IMF conditions

When the PTI came to power growth rate fell to below zero whereas the assets of Imran Khan and his cronies multiplied

She said that the PML-N leadership which really strived for development of the country focused on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor LNG terminals road infrastructure projects farm-to-market roads, mega projects for power generation during their tenure

She said unlike PML-N achievements, Imran could not accomplish even a single mega project for the welfare of the people

to

He urged the apex court to take ‘immediate notice’ of the matter using its constitutional powers A clear decision should be given on the deliberate violation of the constitution and law by the Election Commission he added It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh High Court on Thursday served notices to parties over a petition filed by JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman for election in the remaining 11 union committees of Karachi

The court has sought reply from the respondents within 10 days Hafiz Naeem said that local council elections were not held at 11 seats of UC chairman and vice chairman in Karachi owing to the demise of candidates or for some other reasons

D

e m a n D i s j u s t i f i e D to a n e x t e n t

According to the 2018 pricing policy, there is a yearly 7pc and 10pc inflationary increase in the prices of essential and non-essential drugs, respectively

Also, there is a three-year cap on the augmentation of medicine prices, which manufacturers and importers want “readdressed ” Health Ministry spokesman Sajid Shah said the government is fully aware of the situation and will make a decision keeping the masses and the pharmaceutical industry s interests in view

The ministry and the regulatory authorities understand the problems the pharmaceutical industry is facing due to the current economic situation especially the dollar s appreciation But simultaneously we have to protest the interests of 220 million [people] as well, he told Anadolu Waqar Bhatti, an Islamabad-based writer, who frequently writes on health-related issues, dubs the pharmaceutical companies’ demand “justified to an extent ” He told Anadolu the costs of production of 200 locally-produced medicines have already surpassed their maximum retail prices set by drug regulatory authorities Bhatti added that the maximum retail prices of 100 imported drugs are no longer economically viable due to the dollar-rupee disparity

merge the Desco with the Pesco

But according to the documents the provincial government does not see the merger a good decision given the current situation KP interim Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan has written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in this regard It has been apprised in the letter that the Pesco is already bearing a loss to the tune of Rs200 billion per annum and it is

u s i n e s s m e n b i d t o e x p l o r e p o t e n t i a l

ISLAMABAD

A 70-member delegation of businessmen and investors from Pakistan made a week-long visit to Ethiopia to review the business and investment opportunities in the Ethiopian markets

The business delegation led by Ibrahim Khalid Tawab Honorary Counsel General of Ethiopia in Karachi visited Ethiopia from March 5 to 10 to explore potential business opportunities and establish relationships with Ethiopian counterparts

The delegation included industrialists from different sectors of the industry During the visit they had the opportunity to meet with several high-ranking government officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Head of Investment Commission and Minister of State for Diplomatic

Affairs These meetings allowed the delegation to learn more about the business environment in Ethiopia and explore potential collaborations between businesses in Pakistan and Ethiopia

The delegation also had business-to-business and business-to-government meetings to explore potential collaborations and partnerships

Meanwhile, Honorary Counsel General of Ethiopia said that Ethiopia was a large market in the African region with a population of 120 million, thus the total market of Pakistan and Africa was 350 million

He said that Ethiopia was the hub of business and trade in the African region and there were great opportunities for mutual trade between the two countries in the future He said that both Africa is an untapped market and Ethiopia can be a gateway for Pakistan in Africa which can be beneficial for our textile and pharmaceutical sector

He said that there were great opportunities for Pakistani businessmen in cement and fertilizer in Ethiopia besides great interest in Pakistani businessmen in this regard

Ibrahim Tawab said that various sectors including textile, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, agriculture and food sector, packaging and paper industry and other major sectors participated in the delegation with us He said that this was a large and high-powered delegation in the history of mutual trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Ethiopia which will play its role in promoting the mutual trade relations between Ethiopia and Pakistan

Ibrahim Khalid said that the delegation met with the Chief of Ethiopian Airlines who announced that Ethiopian Airlines will be flying to Karachi very soon

He said that this announcement is expected to improve connectivity and provide new opportunities for

Nevertheless he said the raw materials of many medicines have been cheaper in recent years due to global competition which is earning huge profits for local manufacturers G o v e r n m e n t a n D i n D u s t ry s h o u l D s h a r e b u r D e n

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), a nationwide body of health professionals, is opposed to the idea of inflating prices, though it acknowledged problems with which the pharmaceutical industry is grappling “Some of their points are valid and we fully acknowledge them But the PMA is a patient-friendly body and it cannot support an increase in the prices of the drugs considering the ongoing economic conditions of the masses PMA President Dr Usman Mako told Anadolu We suggest that instead of increasing prices the government and the pharmaceutical industry together share the burden of inflation and rupee devaluation he said

Asim Rauf, the head of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) did not respond to a request by Anadolu

A senior Drap official, who did not want to be named, claimed that pharmaceutical companies are “not exactly in loss,” but their profits are shrinking

“There is an estimated loss of 20pc – 25pc loss the pharmaceutical companies are currently enduring due to the dollar-rupee disparity and rising inflation But if they say they are not in a position to run their businesses it s not true he told Anadolu

also not receiving its dues

According to the documents the security situation in the province is far from satisfactory The Desco and Pesco merger will create more problems in the province The chief minister has requested to form a committee comprising of ministers which will look into the matter of electricity supply companies transfer to provinces

trade and travel between the two countries

The delegation also met with the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority to promote Pakistani pharmaceutical products in Ethiopia exploring potential collaborations in the healthcare industry which is a growing sector in Ethiopia Moreover the delegation visited industrial parks in Ethiopia providing an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the country s manufacturing capabilities and potential investment opportunities he added The Honorary Counsel General further said that visiting the industrial parks also provided insights into the local industries and the opportunities and challenges they face, which can be helpful in making informed decisions about potential partnerships and investments in Ethiopia

Overall, the visit was productive and the delegation made some great connections and explored potential collaborations with Ethiopian counterparts, he said

The visit helped to strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and Ethiopia and improve trade and travel between the two countries

c h i e f d e m a n d s s u o m o

n o t i c e ove r K a r a c h i LG p o l l s

P

, M

M r a n w a n t s ‘ s E l E c t i o n , n o t E l E c t i o n s ’

Fast-unfolding climate change crisis

h I L e not directly meant as a riposte to the election Commission s postponement of the Punjab and KP polls, PTI chief Imran Khan addressed the party’s rally at Lahore’s Minar-iPakistan having received protective bail in the various cases against him it was possible for him to appear personally and address the gathering It was not an overwhelming show, and he did not make any fresh announcement, choosing instead to unveil a programme to receive the economy after saying that the incumbent government had failed signally at that task his proposals sounded much like his proposals before the 2018 elections, none of which materialized after the polls The real thrust of the PTI’s effort to get the Assembly polls back on track had come earlier in the day when it went to the Supreme Court pleading for the Court to direct the eCP to withdraw its notification postponing the election

however a statement by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah indicated that the government remained in a truculent mood Rana Sana’s calling Mr Khan a liar and a traitor who should not be allowed to hold a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan could be interpreted as a threat to Mr Khan Not only does Mr Khan cherrypick opponents’ statements to his own advantage but of lte he has been alleging that his life is in danger he has used that excuse to avoid appearing before the courts, though that threat did not prevent him appearing at Saturday’s rally Mr Khan had earlier accused Rana Sanaullah of being behind the attack on him at Wazirabad on November 3 during the Azadi March

Why he had to make a statement which Mr Khan could use to say he was bein threatened, is unfathomable

There does not seem to be any resolution in sight

Mr Khan says that the only solution is elections but those elections must be accepted by all participants At present, even a judicial decision will not be acceptable to the PML(N), which assumes that it is tilted towards the PTI Until all the stakeholders Mr Khan and those he vilified as dacoits do not sit together and agree on a date, elections will merely throw up a government unacceptable to a large portion of people There does not seem any movement towards such a solution Yet without that there seems no solution to the country’s problems

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M A Niazi

Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor

earth is likely to cross a critical threshold for global warming within the next decade and nations will need to make an immediate and drastic shift away from fossil fuels to prevent the planet from overheating dangerously beyond that level according to a major new report released recently The report, by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body of experts convened by the United Nations, offers the most comprehensive understanding to date of ways in which the planet is changing It says that global average temperatures are estimated to rise 1 5°C (2 7°F) above pre-industrial levels sometime around “the first half of the 2030s ” as humans continue to burn coal oil and natural gas ’ – An excerpt from a recent New York Times (NYT) published article Climate change is speeding toward catastrophe

The next decade is crucial U N panel says

Th e United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released The Synthesis Report (SYR), which according to IPCC is based on the content of the three Working Groups Assessment Reports: WGI – The Physical Science Basis, WGII – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, WGIII – Mitigation of Climate Change, and the three Special Reports: Global Warming of 1 5°C Climate Change and Land The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate ’ This is indeed the most upto-date report on the status of the climate change crisis and points towards urgent need to address the fast-unfolding climate change catastrophe

A March 20 2023 press release by IPCC pointed out with regard to SYR as [IPCC Chair hoesung Lee indicated] This Synthesis Report underscores the urgency of taking more ambitious action and shows that, if we act now, we can still secure a liveable sustainable future for all In 2018, IPCC highlighted the unprecedented scale of the challenge required to keep warming to 1 5°C Five years later, that challenge has become even greater due to a continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions The pace and scale of what has been done so far and current plans are insufficient to tackle climate change More than a century of burning fossil fuels as well as unequal and unsustainable energy and land use has led to global warming of 1 1 C above pre-industrial levels This

has resulted in more frequent and more intense extreme weather events that have caused increasingly dangerous impacts on nature and people in every region of the world ’ Moreover, the press release also talked about the need for climate justice whereby it pointed out ‘“Climate justice is crucial because those who have contributed least to climate change are being disproportionately affected said Aditi Mukherji one of the 93 authors of this Synthesis Report the closing chapter of the Panel s sixth assessment Almost half of the world s population lives in regions that are highly vulnerable to climate change In the last decade deaths from floods, droughts and storms were 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions, she added SYR, while it re-emphasized the already existing conclusion for some time now with regard to humans ‘unequivocally’ behind global warming also pointed out that the window of opportunity to keep global average temperatures to below 1 5 C was fast closing In its summary statement for policymakers SYR pointed out human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1 1°C above 1850–1900 in 2011–2020 Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use land use and land-use change lifestyles and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals ’ Moreover, the summary statement on SYR pointed out ‘Policies and laws addressing mitigation have consistently expanded since AR5 [Fifth Assessment Report; where as per this summary statement

short of the levels needed to meet climate goals across all sectors and regions

Given the fast-unfolding climate change crisis, there is an urgent need to bring finances and expertise– much better economic institutional quality– together with meaningful carbon emission rollback plans by countries This means that neoliberalism and austerity inclination in policy of both individual countries and multilateral institutions will have to be reversed meaningfully

Given the fast-unfolding climate change crisis, there is an urgent need to bring finances and exper tise–much better economic institutional quality–together with meaningful carbon emission rollback plans by countries This means that neoliberalism and austerity inclination in policy of both individual countries, and multilateral institutions will have to be reversed meaningfully

This Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) summarises the state of knowledge 4 of climate change its widespread impacts and risks and climate change mitigation and adaptation ] Global GhG emissions in 2030 implied by nationally determined contributions (NDCs) announced by October 2021 make it likely that warming will exceed 1 5°C during the 21st century and make it harder to limit warming below 2°C There are gaps between projected emissions from implemented policies and those from NDCs and finance flows fall

Postponement of Elections in Punjab

postponing the elections when the security personnel were not available to perform duties at the polling stations due to which it was simply not possible to hold just and fair elections The overall security situation in the province, as per the briefing given to the eCP by Chief Secretary and IG Punjab, was also not conducive to conducting the election It is pertinent to point out that the eCP depends on the provincial administrations and security agencies for conducting free, fair and just election and in the absence of their support the purpose of the constitution and election Act cannot be fulfilled

Th e election of Pakistan (eCP) while postponing elections in Punjab maintained that it was doing so in view of the security situation and non-availability of personnel from the security agency for deployment at the polling stations due to which it was not possible to organize elections honestly fairly in a peaceful manner and in accordance with the constitution and law

In its notification it said that the postponement has been done in exercise of the powers conferred upon it by Article 218(3) read with Section 58 and Section 8(c) of the elections Act 2017 the commission hereby withdraws the [earlier] election programme [ ] and fresh schedule will be issued in due course of time with poll date on October 8

Perhaps it would be pertinent to look at what the clause of the Constitution and sections of the election Act 2017 stipulate under which the eCP took this decision Article 218(3) of the constitution says “it shall be the duty of the election Commission to organize and conduct the election and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the elections is conducted honestly justly fairly and in accordance with law and that corrupt practices are guarded against Section 58 of election Act 2017 says

Notwithstanding anything contained in section 57, the Commission may, at any time after the issue of the notification under sub-section (1) of that section, make such alterations in the election Programme announced in that notification for the different stages of the election or may issue a fresh election Programme as may, in its opinion to be recorded in writing be necessary for the purposes of this Act:” Section 8(c) says” election commission may issue such instructions exercise such powers and make such consequential orders as may in its opinion be necessary for ensuring that an election is conducted honestly justly fairly and in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the Rules

As is clear from the text of the Article 218(3) and Section 8 (c) and 58 of the elections Act the eCP is supposed to hold elections honestly, justly and fairly however, it can change the announced elections schedule if it feels that holding elections as required under Article 218(3) was not possible by recording the reasons for doing so I think the eCP had no choice other than

The postponement has not been well received by the PTI and the Supreme Court Bar Association who maintain that the eCP has acted in an unconstitutional manner and is also guilty of contempt of court as the Supreme Court in its decision had held that the elections would be held within 90 days Article 224(2) does stipulates

When the National Assembly or a provincial Assembly is dissolved a general election to the Assembly shall be held within a period of ninety days after the dissolution” however it is worth pointing out that though Article 224(2) requires the elections to be held within 90 days if they cannot be held within that period for any valid and pressing reasons it does not constitute breach of the Constitution

The reaction of the PTI stems from purely political considerations

to perform duty at the polling stations it justifiably postponed the elections in terms of the powers conferred on it by section 58 of the election Act 2017 Therefore the argument that eCP action is a breach of the SC decision and constitutes contempt of court is not valid Precedents do exist when elections had to be postponed on two occasions due to the prevailing situations which were not conducive to conducting the elections Article 54 of the Constitution does make provision for such eventuality In the light of the above submissions it can be safely inferred that the eCP is neither guilty of breach of the constitution nor defiance of the court decision

Unfor tunately the par ty is used to looking at the confronting issues only through the prism of its own political ag enda irrespective of the fact whether it ser ves or undermines the national interests.

Such circumstances are covered by Article 254 of the Constitution which reiterates “When any act or thing is required by the Constitution to be done within a particular period and it is not done within that period the doing of the act or thing shall not be invalid or other-wise ineffective by reason only that it was not done within that period Now coming to the argument that the action taken by the eCP is against the Supreme Court decision regarding the date of elections, I am afraid those who prefer this argument probably have not read the quoted decision properly Para 14 of the judgment says that the eCP would act in conformity with sections 57(1) and 58 of the election Act 2017 I have already quoted the text of section 58 above according to which the eCP can change the given date A look at section 57(1) of the election Act 2017 as mentioned in the SC decision is also relevant to be quoted It says The President shall announce the date or dates of the general elections after consultation with the Commission

The eCP has fully complied with the SC decision It did consult the President who announced the date of election as required under section 57(1) however when it did not receive the required support from security institutions

The reaction of the PTI stems from purely political considerations

Unfortunately the party is used to looking at the confronting issues only through the prism of its own political agenda irrespective of the fact whether it serves or undermines the national interests Imran Khan dissolved the two provincial assemblies without any justification The only reason seemed to create difficulties for the PDM government The two dissenting judges of the Supreme Court had rightly emphasized the need for ascertaining whether the assemblies were dissolved in conformity with the constitution or not It is interesting to note that the PTI Chairman and his spokesmen like Fawad Chaudhry had also talked about the possibility of delaying the elections in case the PDM agreed to hold elections for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies simultaneously somewhere around June or July how could it make such a proposal if the elections could not be delayed beyond 90 days and delaying it further meant breach of the constitution? The answer is it did know that it was constitutionally possible to hold the elections beyond 90 days if the circumstances demanded Its current response is nothing but crass politics

Underlying the immense urgency to roll back reliance on fossil fuels, a recent MSNBC published article

‘The new UN climate report airs the dirty truth about fossil fuels’ by ‘end Climate Science’ founding director Genevieve Guenther pointed out The IPCC s statement signals the time for playing pretend is over No country or leader can excuse more new coal oil or gas development with fossil fuel producers false promises of magically effective technologies to reduce or recapture fossil energy emissions The world must halt new fossil fuel development and dismantle current fossil energy infrastructure in a way that is fair to workers in the industry and people in the developing world And this must be done now so we can give our children a livable world

The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona and previously worked at International Monetary Fund Prior to this he did MSc in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom) and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan) among other places He is author of Springer published book (2016) The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth He tweets @omerjaved7

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan Today, 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y

IT expor t is entirely different ball game

I T is tragic, though not surprising at all, that Pakistan has remained on the peri- phery of global trade and commerce, especially when it comes to the domain of information technology (IT) The talented youth, professionals, and the nation at large continue to dream of the day when Pakistan will seize the moment and become a decent IT hub where innovation and technology seeding would take place But right now this remains a dream The tragic part is not the dream but the fact that it has remained a dream even when we have the potential to convert it into reality We have computer literacy relevant professionals IT institutions and dedicated incubation centres and parks All that is required is the will of a merit-worthy competent leadership to achieve what we need And to achieve our goal we need to take several steps starting with building a strong IT infrastructure A robust IT infrastructure is essential for a country to support software and IT development This includes reliable internet connectivity, data centres, and cloud computing services Pakistan needs to invest in building this infrastructure to attract IT businesses and foster a thriving IT ecosystem

We need to invest heavily in education Developing a strong education system that provides specialised training and skills in software and IT is critical to creating a talented workforce Pakistan needs to invest in both formal education programmes and training programmes to ensure that the country has the necessary skills in abundance to compete globally There is a lot more that needs to be done to encourage entrepreneurship like the government may encourage entrepreneurship by providing funding mentorship and other support for start-ups in the IT sector This can create a thriving ecosystem of start-ups and IT businesses that can help drive innovation and growth Open-source software can be a critically powerful tool for developing countries to build software solutions and IT services without incurring the high costs of proprietary software Promoting the use of open-source software can help build a strong IT industry in Pakistan There is also a rather urgent need for fostering a seriously business-friendly environment Creating such an environment will encourage investment and entrepreneurship, and, as such, it is essential for the growth of the IT industry FAISAL HABIB

Reading corners

T h e books we read speak volumes about the kind of society we belong to Unfortunately, libraries in Pakistan have lost their charm, and book-reading habit has been fading away There was a time when parents used to take great pride in borrowing books for their children to inculcate the habit of reading books amongst the young ones

Nowadays we seem to be moving far away from the books and hence our libraries are in a shabby state In offices hardly anyone can be seen reading a book in their leisure or break time They spend this time gossiping about things that are of the least importance and not in their control by any stretch of the imagination Instead of relying on governments we as a society must revamp our libraries and build some reading corners in offices to provide a space where employees may relax and read a page or two on the subject of their interest Also, we can lend those books to others and ask them to return the books when due This will shift our energy and concentration from matters of distress and hopelessness to something that will create good energy and stimulate our thought processes for positive tasks These small steps may prove to be the stepping stones towards creating educated, disciplined, and healthy workplace environments, thus paving the way for a much groomed and knowledgeable society KALEEM

Even after the ECP ’s postponement of provincial polls, matter don’t seem to mend

The doctrine of necessit y and the PDM government COMMENT 05

as important as the survival of the country On the other hand, constitutional experts believe that the desire of Khan is constitutional and the execution of his desire is a must for all under the orders of the Supreme Court which is the defender of the Constitution

We h a v e s e e n i n t h e p a s t t h a t s e v e r a l t i m e s t h e

Supreme Court fixed the Constitution according to the demands of the superclass particularly in the General

Musharraf case Our history confirms that the Supreme Court supplied whatever was demanded by men in uniform Since neither Imran Khan is wearing a uniform nor are uniformed officers standing with him thereby we will see whether he would get what he wishes from the house of justice or not We had seen that Imran s stars of T h a n a (police station) and K a c h e r i (Courts) a r e s t r o n g e r t h a n t h e s t a t e a n d h e g e t s w h a t e v e r h e wishes The Supreme Court Bar Association has also released its concern over the situation so technically speaking the bar and the Bench are standing together to protect the Constitution

AS e x p e c t e d t h e e l e c t i o n C o m m i s s i o n o f Pakistan (eCP) did not get financial admini s t r a t i v e a n d s e c u r i t y s u p p o r t f o r h o l d i n g p r o v i n c i a l e l e c t i o n s i n K P K a n d P u n j a b e v e n t h e L a h o r e h i g h C o u r t r e g r e t t e d i could not provide judicial officers to act as Returning Officers The Pakistan Army had already announced i t s r e g r e t t o p r o v i d e s t a ff d u e t o t h e g r a v e l a w a n d order situation and rising terrorism in the country that was triggered after the former PTI government invited t e r r o r i s t s l i v i n g i n A f g h a n i s t a n t o c o m e b a c k h o m e and resettle here T h e f i n a n c i a l s i t u a t i o n o f t h e c o u n t r y n e e d n o t b e d i s c u s s e d b e c a u s e e v e r y b o d y k n o w s t h e c o u n t r y i s l i v i n g i n f i n a n c i a l c o l l a p s e h o w e v e r a n o t h e r b a d news came for the government when the International M o n e t a r y F u n d ( I M F ) o n T h u r s d a y r e l e a s e d a s t a t em e n t a n d s a i d t h a t i t h a d n o t h i n g t o d o w i t h t h e p o s tponement of provincial elections and stated that there w a s n o r e q u i r e m e n t u n d e r P a k i s t a n s e F F [ e x t e n d e d Fund Facility]-supported program which could interf e r e w i t h P a k i s t a n s a b i l i t y t o u n d e r t a k e c o n s t i t ut i o n a l a c t i v i t i e s

There is no doubt that the Constitution is very clear about holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the provincial assembly by the Chief Minister The Supreme Court had already directed the eCP to hold elections within the stipulated time however, the system that runs the state believes that the desire of Imran Khan (who is also known as “Ladla Khan”) is not

E

ON L I N e shopping has become an essential part of Chinese consumers daily lives and the role of TikTok (its Chinese counterpart is called Douyin) is growing every consumer in China can easily buy the necessities they or their families need online and get them quickly, even if those products are manufactured thousands of miles away In the process, capital, manufacturing, and logistics are flowing rapidly, as is data, and consumers have become part of the digital economy

The digitization of the Chinese economy is the basis for TikTok’s success This is why even if the US and the West take the lead in some high-tech areas it s very difficult for them to suppress the rise of China

Regardless of the type of economy in the end the market ultimately counts In Israeli historian Yuval Noah harari s homo Deus: A Brief history of Tomorrow, data is a fundamental component of the future world Dataism holds that the universe consists of a stream of data and that the value of any phenomenon or entity lies in its contribution to data processing

The most prominent contribution of globalization is not so much the great flow of materials as the great flow of data which in turn has become a major force driving

Meanwhile after less than two months in office

Barrister Shehzad Ata elahi resigned as Attorney General for Pakistan and it was again confirmed that PDM has the weakest legal team any government had ever had in Pakistan During the entire proceedings in the Supreme Court election s u o m o t u case, the Attorney General for Pakistan refrained from raising the issue of the dissolution of provincial assemblies and the admissibility of the action though the action was constitutional but it was clear that both chief ministers dissolved assemblies to satisfy the ego of their supreme leader Imran Khan

If we see at the broader spectrum even the military establishment has no such personalities as Aziz A Mushi or A K Brohi who knew how to deal with the situation Legally the PDM is a defeated government and it won hardly any case in higher courts because of the ineffectual team it had gathered around it The PML(N) as a political party did not raise its legal team except for three or four personalities in past

One of them was former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar who was considered a very close ally of the Mian fami l y A n o t h e r w a s t h e l a t e J u s t i c e M a l i k M o h a m m a d Q a y y u m a n d t h e t h i r d i s A s h t a r A u s a a f A l i F o r m e r

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was appointed as Law Secretary at the Ministry of Justice and Law– a chief bureaucratic position inside the law and justice ministry on 29 March 1997 his appointment as a law secretary was noted as the first time in the history of the country

globalization, even becoming globalization and the global market itself

Data has personal, capital, market, and national attributes Of these, capital is the most sensitive Data is market and money

Whoever can master direct and combine data with more advanced technology will have more revenues In the past money made money; now data creates markets and wealth

While the power of capital originating in the West is no longer expanding colonies and capturing global markets with cannons and warships as it started some 500 years ago the urge to capture more markets for profit has remained the same harari says, Reality will be a mesh of biochemical and electronic algorithms, without clear borders, and without individual hubs ” If you master a more advanced algorithm, you have the potential to master more entities That’s why TikTok, a leader in digital technology and advanced algorithms is making American politicians and big bosses anxious It’s a competition for technology and competition for markets For China it s clearer where our strengths lie in this great game around digital technology

Why is TikTok so popular in China? Of course technology is paramount But its rise is not a coincidence, especially in the form of short videos and live streaming with goods China has the most significant number of internet users, the world s largest online shopping market, the fastest and easiest

that someone from the Bar had been appointed to such a post On 22 May 1998, he was elevated as a judge at t h e L a h o r e h i g h C o u r t a f t e r a n o m i n a t i o n s u m m a r y sent by the then Prime Minister Sharif, only to be confirmed as a judge of Lahore high Court by then-President Rafiq Tarrar

Ashtar Ausaaf Ali at a very young age fought a historic constitutional case that was Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif versus State in 1993 he successfully represented Sharif before the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the dissolution of Parliament by the then President Ghulam

logistics and shipping, the largest fleet of couriers and the largest manufacturing sector, and the world’s most robust workforce still engaged in manufacturing These are all part of the digital economy each of these industries provides a better “bungee jump” for those tech companies to jump faster and higher taking full advantage of the Chinese economy to grow and form a broader market Any of these are integral to the rapid growth of TikTok in China which has profoundly changed Chinese consumption patterns and formed the world s second-largest consumer market This is something that the US and many Western countries with high technology have difficulty catching up with China And indeed, something that their capital power would prefer to have The US can’t compete with logistics alone, not to mention the fact that the vast amount of clothing, small goods and electronics are no longer produced locally in the US and must be imported As long as we stick to China’s strengths rely more closely on the manufacturing industry and continue to break through to the high points of global high technology more TikToks are bound to emerge in the worldwide tide of the digital economy

The author is a senior editor with People s Daily and currently a senior fellow with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China

AI advancements have paved the way for high-tech plagiarism

Tehran Times

M O h a M M a d M a z h a r i

Ch AT GPT, an AI language chatbot developed by OpenAI, has recently sparked controversy as some people view it as a promising step towards artificial general intelligence while others criticize its potential to surpass human intelligence This debate has raised questions about the impact of AI technology on human thought processes and society The ongoing debate about the capacity and power of artificial intelligence and language machines has become a topic of heated discussion in the academic community

To discuss the relationship between language and artificial intelligence (AI) and the implications of recent advancements in the field, the Tehran Times interviewed Noam Chomsky, a well-known American linguist who challenges the idea that AI systems can ever replicate the complexity and nuance of human language and thought

While there is ongoing debate about the capacity and power of artificial intelligence and language machines Chomsky s skepticism about their ability to replicate human language and thought remains strong Chomsky argues that language is an innate capability of humans and that recent advancements in AI and machine learning have no bearing on matters concerning language, thought, learning, or cognition

While some may argue that programs can surpass human intelligence, Chomsky notes that the calculator in a laptop already does in some tasks and that the fundamental distinction between language and the mind remains a topic of philosophical debate

Nonetheless Chomsky acknowledges that

the specific capability of language which is beyond question must have emerged at some point through genetic mutations The confusion surrounding these issues highlights the need for continued research and discussion in the field of artificial intelligence and its impact on human society

In response to a question about the origin of language, specifically whether it is an innate capability of humans or a result of the interaction between humans and their environment, Chomsky explained that the human language faculty is an “innate capability” and that there is overwhelming empirical evidence to support this claim Infants reflexively acquire the ambient language while other organisms presented with the same data take it to be just noise The theory of genetic mutation is the only known way this innate capability could have emerged he noted

Regarding the implications of recent advancements in AI and artificial language for linguistics, Chomsky argued that there are no implications While machines may become more adept at language processing, their design reveals that they are, in essence, high-tech plagiarism, the linguist said

“They are incapable in principle of telling us anything about language learning cognition generally The basic reason is simple: they do just as well for impossible languages that humans cannot acquire (except perhaps laboriously as puzzles plainly irrelevant) as for humanly attainable languages the American linguist added Chomsky stated that that they are like a theory of physics that cannot distinguish between things that happen and those that cannot happen, rendering them irrelevant in the study of actual language According to Chomsky, the fundamental irrelevance of these models is built into their design, and their improvement

to deal with actual language only makes their irrelevance more evident as they do better with impossible languages

On whether there is a clear distinction between language and mind Chomsky argued that the traditional view, dating back to classical Greece and classical India, is that language and thought are intimately related This view holds that language generates thought, and thought is what is generated by language While this conception was swept aside by behaviorist and structuralist currents in the early 20th century it has been revived in the “generative enterprise ” and if it is correct the questions raised do not arise

Regarding the question of whether AI and ChatGPT can surpass human intelligence in the future Chomsky argued that these systems are not just far from true intelligence but they have no relation to the question at all he pointed out that the calculator in one s laptop already surpasses human intelligence in some tasks, and ants in his backyard carry out computations for navigation that humans can approach only with sophisticated instruments Chomsky acknowledged that there are issues related to ethics and emotions, but they reach far beyond current AI or the GPT systems and require a more significant philosophical discussion

According to Chomsky advancements in artificial and machine learning will not impact natural language or produce a new kind of language that replaces it he believes that AI and machine learning have no bearing on matters concerning language, thought, learning, or cognition Therefore, improvements in the same framework will not change this In other words, AI and machine learning may be useful for some purposes, but they are not relevant to the study of language and its properties

Ishaq Khan and won the case The Supreme Court overturned the dismissal however, Nawaz Sharif after his restoration as Prime Minister resigned because the military establishment was not ready to accept him Ausaaf had been a symbol of the legal power of PML(N) but his health issues compelled him to stay home resulting in the appointment of two Attorney Generals for Pakistan within a short period of four months his resignation was formally accepted on 19 January 2023 after the designated Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan resigned and then Barrister Shehzad Ata elahi was appointed as Attorney General for Pakistan he also resigned on personal grounds after watching the grave situation that the PDM government is going to face in the Supreme Court sooner or later his close circles indicate that he (Barrister Shehzad Ata elahi) doubted that any judge sitting in Supreme Court would easily be available to act as Justice Irshad hasan Khan I also doubt that the “doctrine of necessity” would be used again by the Supreme Court as it did last time on May 12 2000

The Supreme Court is already facing a credibility crisis and journalists who cover higher judiciary claim that a perceivable divide is there in the judicial hierarchy however some of the senior journalists believe that the Supreme Court would strike down eCP s decision not to hold provincial elections if a Full Court is constituted since no judge would be ready to use the doctrine of necessity because of the credibility crisis Moreover, PTI is considering holding provincial elections on April 30, the date SC has given the eCP for holding provincial elections The PTI is planning to establish polling stations all over Punjab and KPK on April 30 and asking its voters to come and vote for its candidates The PTI is also planning to invite international election observers such polls would not have any legal status but would have a far-reaching impact on the political status of PTI and it would emerge as a party protecting the rule of law and constitution in the country

This is the first time in Pakistan that a fight is going on between the retired superclass and the serving superclass and the Almighty knows what would happen inside the political arena of Pakistan in the forthcoming days but there would surely be historic scenes to observe

The writer is an international award winning journalist who has been in the field since 1988 and appears in national and international media as analyst and political scientist

What is a bailout?

riTholTz com B a r r y r i t h O lt z

SI L I C O N Valley Bank depositors made whole; Credit Suisse counter-parties saved; First Republic bondholders protected are these bailouts or something else? Were these people “bailed out?” What are the differences between insured depositors getting their cash back a private sector rescue orchestrated by the Fed or the Swiss government and a taxpayerfunded bailout? Indeed what is a good definition of a bailout? I spent a lot of time thinking about t h i s w h i l e w r i t i n g B a i l o u t N a t i o n T h e answer to the question What actually is a bailout? was formative to the framew o r k o f a l l o f t h e r e s e a r c h I d i d w h i l e w r i t i n g t h o s e 3 2 2 p a g e s F r o m t h e book’s introduction: “There is something inherently unjust about some people getting a free ride when everyone else has t o p a y h i s o r h e r o w n w a y We A m e r icans are always willing to lend a hand to someone down on their luck but that is not what the current crop of bailouts is about This is the government financially rescuing people despite or perhaps because of their own enormous recklessness and incompetence That was the best definition I could come up with: When an individual or company, through their own behavior and risk management, suffers a disastrous loss but is then somehow made fully (or even partially) whole, and they do not have to suffer the impact of their own decision-making ” The idea that you are responsible for the results of your own handiwork is so old it s biblical: For whatever one sows that will he also reap (Galatians 6:7-9)

Most of us fools reap what we sow we suffer the consequences of our folly But those people and companies who are bailed out do not This is why rescuing them is so infuriating: This inequity is especially galling to those of us who work in the financial markets Wall Street has long been a brutal meritocracy Success is based on skills and smarts and the relentless ability to identify opportunity while simultaneously managing risk All of the people I know who work on the Street whether in stocks bonds options or commodities have a strong sense of fair play eat what you kill is the classic Wall Street attitude toward risk and reward profit and loss

T h e r e a r e h o w e v e r t h o s e m a r k e t p l a y e r s w h o f a i l t o l i v e o r d i e b y t h e i r own swords but then expect to be resc u e d b y o t h e r s f r o m t h e i r o w n f o l l y They embody a fair-weather belief in the free market system, somehow thinking it applies only during the good times This is a high form of moral cowardice, and it is rightly despised by those who play fairly and by the rules ” This is not to suggest that the financial system should not be protected; rather it is to point out that those responsible for the disaster should not benefit from protecting the system If you run a company into the ground then you should receive no material benefits from your actions When your bank needs a government rescue because of your mismanagement or excessive risk-taking, you should be fired, your options stripped away, and the past 12 months of stock sales clawed back The system can be saved AND those responsible for crashing it be made to suffer the consequences of their follies What should NOT happen is for pol i t i c a l l y w e l l - c o n n e c t e d e x e c u t i v e s t o walk away with all of their gains despite their bad decision-making and poor beh a v i o r t h a t c a u s e d t h e p r o b l e m i n t h e first place Since the turn of the twentyf ir s t cen tu r y, w ell- co n n ected , mo n ey ed i n t e r e s t s h a v e m a n a g e d t o k e e p a l l o f t h e i r p r o f i t s a n d b o n u s e s d u r i n g g o o d t i m e s , b u t h a v e s o m e h o w t h r o w n o ff their risk and the results of their own bad decision making onto the public taxpaye r s “ P r i v a t i z e d g a i n s a n d s o c i a l i z e d losses” is hardly what capitalism is supposed to be

Consider the firms that engaged in the securitization of subprime mortgages – and made billions in quick profits – that were subsequently rescued All of the huge brokers and many of the largest banks enjoyed those privatized gains and socialized losses No wonder so many were infuriated by the GFC rescues

Are Silicon Valley Bank depositors being made whole through FDIC insura n c e e v e n i f t h e y h a d m o r e t h a n $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 i n d e p o s i t s t h e s a m e t h i n g ? Was the PPP program that allowed small b u s i n e s s e s t o a c c e s s a l i n e o f c r e d i t a t 1% through their bank during the Covid l o c k d o w n a b a i l o u t ? W h e n J P M C h a s e purchases Bear Stearns without time to do proper due diligence but instead receives guarantees or when UBS is encouraged to purchase weaker rival Credit S u i s s e v i a s i m i l a r b a c k s t o p p i n g i s that a bailout?

There is a spectrum of interventions ranging from insurance payouts to credit extensions to full-blown rescues; we do ourselves a disservice when we conflate the two Politicos need to understand the difference between protecting the system from disaster and rescuing people from their own folly

Barry L Ritholtz is co-founder chairman and chief investment officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC

This is the first time in Pakistan that a fight is going on between the retired superclass and the ser ving superclass and the Almighty knows what would happen inside the political arena of Pakistan in the for thcoming days but there would surely be historic scenes to obser ve

v e n i f a T i k T o k i s k i l l e d , m o r e T i k t o k s w i l l r i s e

U S S ay S n o i n d i c at i o n R U S S i a h a S M o v e d n U c l e a R w e a p o n S

WASHINGTON

s tA f f r e p o r t

tH E U n i t e d S t a t e s h a s s e e n no indication that Russia has y e t m o v e d a n y n u c l e a r w e a p o n s N a t i o n a l S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l s p o k e s m a n J o h n

Kirby said Sunday, after Moscow announced it would station tactical nuclear arms in Belarus

President Vladimir Putin s announcement on Saturday that Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbour and ally Belarus sparked condemnation from international bodies and Ukraine, which Moscow invaded last February

We have not seen any indication that he (Putin) has made good on this pledge or moved any nuclear weapons around,”

Kirby told CBS’s “Face the Nation ”

With fears of a nuclear war rising since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, experts believe that any strike carried out by Moscow would likely involve smallsize battlefield weapons, called tactical as opposed to “strategic” high-powered long-range nuclear weapons Kirby said however that Washington has seen no indication he has any intention to use nuclear weapons, period inside Ukraine ” T h e U n i t e d S t a t e s m o n i t o r s t h e

situation daily he added but that so f a r t h e r e w a s n o t h i n g t h a t w o u l d cause us to change our own strategic deterrent posture ” Putin said the deployment was similar to moves from the United States which stores such weapons in bases across Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey an analogy western allies called misleading Russia is due to start training crews on April 3 and plans to finish the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by July 1

tunisia coastguard recovers 29 bodies after migrant vessels capsize

TUNIS

Ag e n c i e s

Tunisia s coastguard said Sunday the bodies of 29 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries had been recovered after three vessels capsized

It also rescued 11 illegal migrants of various African nationalities after their boats sank off the central eastern coast it said in a statement citing three separate sinkings In one incident a Tunisian fishing trawler recovered 19 bodies 58 kilometres (36 miles) off the coast after their boat capsized

A coastguard patrol off the coastal city of Mahdiya also recovered eight bodies and rescued 11 other migrants after their boat sank as it headed towards Italy

Fishing trawlers in Sfax meanwhile recovered two other bodies A string of shipwrecks have left dozens of migrants dead and others missing since President Kais

Saied made an incendiary speech last month, accusing sub-Saharan Africans of representing a demographic threat and causing a crime wave in Tunisia

Black migrants in the country have faced a spike in violence and hundreds have been living in the streets for weeks in increasingly desperate conditions

People fleeing poverty and violence in Sudan s Darfur region, West Africa and other parts of the continent have for years used Tunisia as a springboard for often perilous attempts to reach safety and better lives in Europe The Italian island of Lampedusa is just 150 kilometres (90 miles) off the Tunisian coast, but Rome has pressured Tunisian authorities to rein in the flow of people and has helped beef up the coastguard which rights groups accuse of violence

Italy’s hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned Friday that Tunisia’s “serious financial problems” risked sparking a migratory wave towards Europe

She also confirmed plans for a mission to the North African country involving the Italian and French foreign ministers Meloni echoed comments earlier in the week by Josep Borrell, the European Union s foreign policy chief, who warned Tunisia risks economic collapse that could trigger a new flow of migrants to Europe fears

Tunis has since dismissed

escalation and threat to European security Belarus can still stop it it is their choice

The EU stands ready to respond with further sanctions ” he tweeted

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Saturday his country would station tactical nuclear arms in Belarus Putin said the deployment was similar to moves from the United States which stores such weapons in bases across Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey an analogy western allies called misleading With fears of a nuclear war rising since the invasion experts believe that any Russian strike would likely involve small-size battlefield weapons, called tactical as opposed to strategic high-powered long-range nuclear weapons

Kyiv on Sunday said it was seeking an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the announcement The NATO alliance branded the move as “dangerous and irresponsible EU threatens new sanctions on Minsk if Belarus hosts Russian nukes

On the other hand the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Sunday that Brussels was ready to impose new sanctions on Belarus if Minsk were to host Russian nuclear weapons Belarus hosting Russian nuclear weapons would mean an irresponsible

Kyiv says Russia took Minsk ‘hostage’ with tactical nukes plan

KYIV UKRAINE Ag e n c i e s

The Ukrainian foreign ministry accused Russia of breaching its obligations and of undermining the “nuclear disarmament architecture and the international security system in general

It called on “all members of the international community to convey to the criminal Putin regime the categorical unacceptability of its latest nuclear provocations ” In the interview broadcast Saturday, Putin said the move to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was “nothing unusual”

C hina’s economic recover y adds cer tainty to global growth

After a good start this year the Chinese economy will buoy steady and sustained development, adding certainty to global growth clouded by upheavals an official said on Saturday

The country has hit the fastforward” button on its economic growth after it optimized the epidemic prevention and control measures, said Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, at the economic summit of the ongoing China Development Forum 2023

Passenger flows, logistics, and business trips in China are normalizing fast while the domestic demand has recovered, said Han, citing major economic indicators in the first two months

The country s retail sales a gauge of consumption growth, increased 3 5 percent year on year in the January-February period reversing declines seen in the previous three months

In the period China’s value-added industrial output went up 2 4 percent year on

Q

uinton

year while the index gauging the country s service industry output rose 5 5 percent With the accelerated implementation of supporting policies, the confidence of enterprises and investors is also on the mend Han said He also noted that China s economic operation still faces challenges such as stagflation risks and spillover effects brought by the tightened monetary policies of developed economies saying that the country s 2023 growth target is set after taking the above factors into consideration China aims to expand its

economy by around 5 percent in 2023, according to its government work report “The current development momentum bodes a promising prospect for the full-year growth target,” said Han, adding that China will remain a significant engine fueling global economic growth

The contribution of China’s economy to the world economic growth has exceeded 30 percent on average in the past decade and the figure this year will surpass that in 2022 providing market demand and a strong impetus to the global recovery he said

Kyiv on Sunday said Russia took Minsk as a “nuclear hostage” after President Vladimir Putin announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus bringing the arms to a country at the gates of the European Union Putin who has issued thinly veiled warnings that Russia could use nuclear weapons if threatened said the move was similar to the United States transferring weapons to allies “The Kremlin took Belarus as a nuclear hostage ” the secretary of Ukraine s National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov, wrote on Twitter

He added that the move was “a step towards the internal destabilization of the country”

On Saturday Putin announced Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons to neighbour and ally Belarus “without violating our international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation”

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak on Sunday accused the Russian leader of breaching such obligations “(Putin) admits that he is afraid of losing and all he can do is scare people Podolyak also said on Twitter Strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus for almost 30 years, is a key Putin ally Back in February 2022 Minsk allowed the Kremlin to launch its invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory Fears have since risen that Belarus may join its ally s offensive, but Lukashenko said he would do so “only if attacked” –

Nothing unusual –

In an interview broadcasted Saturday, Putin said the move to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was nothing unusual

The United States has been doing this for decades They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies ” Putin said Putin said he spoke to Lukashenko and said we agreed to do the same Russia will start training crews on April 3 and plans to finish the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons by July 1

Putin has previously said nuclear tensions were rising globally but that Moscow would not deploy first

The Russian leader said renewed discussions with Lukashenko on the issue were spurred by a British official’s suggestion to send depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine Russia will respond if the West supplied Ukraine with such ammunition, he added “Russia of course has what it needs to answer Without exaggeration we have hundreds of thousands of such shells We have not used them yet

He said the weapons can be classified as the most harmful and hazardous for humans and also for the environment Depleted uranium munitions are highly effective at piercing armour plate, but their use is controversial

The metal is toxic for the soldiers who use the weapons and for civilians in areas where they are fired

de Kock ’s quickfire centur y powers S outh

Afric a to chase record T20 score

CENTURION

Ag e n c i e s

Wicketkeeper batter Quinton de Kock’s quickfire century powered South Africa

to chase down a record 259 with seven balls to spare in the second T20I of the three-match series against West Indies here on Sunday

To stay alive in the three-match series South Africa had a mountain to climb in the second T20I here at SuperSport Park as the hosts needed to pull off the highest-ever run chase and they eventually did so with seven balls to spare at the back of a scintillating knock by de Kock

In pursuit of 259, Proteas’ openers

de Kock and Reeza Hendricks gave their side a flying start as they straight away charged on the West Indian bowlers; raising 152 runs inside 11 overs

Wicketkeeper batter de Kock was the core aggressor of the astonishing opening partnership as he smacked a quickfire 43-ball century but fell soon after amassing his maiden ton The lefthanded batter top-scored for South Africa with 100 in just 44 balls laced up with nine boundaries and eight sixes

The hapless West Indian bowlers then found a couple of cherishing moments in the run chase when they got two breakthroughs in as many consecutive overs as Rossouw (16 off four) and Hendricks fell

Opening batter Hendricks remained the notable run-getter for South Africa in the record run chase as the righthanded batter scored a 28-ball 68 hitting 11 boundaries and two sixes

Experienced hard-hitting batter David Miller then partnered briefly with skipper Aiden Markram before the former perished after a run-a-ball 10 Markram then joined hands with Henrich Klaasen and sealed the deal for South Africa with an unbeaten 43-run partnership Markram scored 38 not out off just 21 deliveries while Klaasen remained unbeaten on 16

For West Indies, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer Odean Smith and Jason Holder struck out a batter each

Batting first, West Indies also punished South African bowlers to pile a massive total of 258/5 in 20 overs thanks to a 39-ball century by Johnson Charles Earlier, the visitors had a dismal start to their innings as Wayne Parnell dismissed Brandon King (1) for a combined total of mere two runs in the first over Following the early setback, Charles and Kyle Mayers scripted an astounding recovery for their side and turned the tables on South Africa with a brisk 135run partnership for the second wicket

The pair charged on South African bowlers and conceded only 58 deliveries before Marco Jansen finally removed Mayers who scored 51 off 27 deliveries hitting five boundaries and four sixes

ing special discounts on their shops for fasting Muslims besides helping the poor fasting faithful by providing them edible goods at their doorsteps

The Sikh community in Peshawar has continued its goodwill gesture of serving food among fasting Muslims during the holy month of Ramzan with the objective of promoting love fraternity respect and honor among people of different faiths

Every year Sikh community living in different parts of the country including Peshawar arrange Iftari (serving of food for breaking fast) and food distribution among fasting Muslims with the aim of reflecting the sentiments of reverence they had for holy month of Ramzan

As the fasting month of Ramzan begins, Sikh residents in Peshawar come out for arranging Iftar dinners announc-

For ordinary citizens gathering of turban wearing Sikhs around long plastic mats spread to serve food for fasting Muslims at places like Bolton Block of Lady Reading Hospital of Peshawar becomes very strange and incomprehensible, leaving them in a state of bafflement Many faithfuls are found sharing their feeling of bewilderment over seeing Sikh youth standing in front of their doors for the distribution of food items to break fast

“This year within four days of Ramzan we have distributed food items among 100 deserving Muslim families for providing them ease in fulfillment of

, informs

their religious obligation

Jatinder Singh Chairman Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa chapter of National Peace Council for Interfaith Harmony

We have not started holding of Iftari for which looking for volunteers and will start as arrangements are made Jatinder told APP Each of the ration pack consists of essential items including cooking oil rice pulses chick pea beans, sugar and tea, he added The price of ration has almost doubled this year from Rs 4000 to Rs 7500 because of inflation in the country He said donations are coming from people from diversified faiths and soon the second phase of distribution of food rations will be made We used to make the arrangement for serving of big Iftari for

fasting Muslims but corona pandemic affected the practice Last year only on Friday iftaries were arranged in different areas of the city due to the shortage of volunteer, Jatinder added Apart from arranging Iftari we are also focusing on provision of edible goods to fasting Muslims at their doorsteps, Jatinder apprised Being a dweller of city since generations we know who is in need of financial support in our locality so we extend them help The objective behind this practice by Sikhs is to promote love fraternity respect and honor among people of different faiths, remarked Jatinder Singh, adding that we were living in this country from generations and wanted to convey the message of mutual coexistence among its citizens

Sik h community continues goodwill gesture of ser ving food to fasting Muslims during Ramzan

corporate corner

R e f

IIUI recommends ac tion against students who damaged hostel gates

ISLAMABAD: Following directives of International

Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) President H E Dr

Hathal Hamoud Alotaibi the Apex Committee of the university reviewed matters related to the damages happened to turnstile gates by some student groups, after the earthquake jolts on last Tuesday

In the meeting held here, it was recommended that those students who are involved in damaging the valuable assets of the university during the unfortunate incidents must be interrogated and strict action will be taken by the university administration

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Vice President (Administration & Finance) Prof Dr

Nabi Bux Jumani here in the council hall of Administration Block at the new campus The meeting in detail reviewed matters pertaining to safety and security issues at hostels It also discussed the matter of probe regarding an unfortunate incident that occurred at turnstile gates of the university hostels which was scripted by some pressure groups of students just to gain their undue and unlawful advantages / objectives regarding hostel mess and illegal occupancy of hostel seats p r

Large number of suppor ters attend S hauk at K hanum Iftar D inner

LAHORE: The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) organised a fundraising iftar dinner in the city on Saturday as part of its ongoing Zakat campaign

Dr Faisal Sultan Dr Aasim Yusuf other members of SKMT management and a large number of donors and supporters attended the event where donations amounting to Rs200 million were collected

On the occasion Dr Faisal Sultan Chief Executive Officer of SKMCH&RC, gave an overview of the ongoing projects of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, Over the past twenty-eight years, the support of generous donors has meant that we have been able to treat more patients than the year before He said showing compassion to strangers, all the patients our donors may never meet but whose lives they save, reflects one of the best attributes of humans Last year, we were able to provide financially supported treatment worth Rs 11 billion to deserving cancer patients At SKMCH&RC we have always taken all possible steps to ensure that the utilisation of Zakat complies with Islamic injunctions regarding utilisation for Zakat-eligible patients Zakat funds are used for the medical treatment of deserving patients and are completely exhausted on providing direct patient care within the same year they are collected SKMCH&RC has also received Shariah compliance certification confirming that its Zakat processes are in line with Islamic principles ” p r

Delay in IMF deal having more negative impact on unstable economy: Shekhani

HYDERABAD: President of Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCST&SI),

Muhammad Farooq Shekhani has said that the business community across Pakistan is complaining that the national economic policy is being run in such a reckless manner that exports are continuously decreasing While according to the situation, there is a need to take better measures to speed up the economic development of the country and reduce the difficulties of the businessmen as well as the people He said that Pakistan is currently in chaos This includes political chaos and economic chaos as well, and sadly things do not seem to be going back from this direction For the last 20 years, Pakistan s economy has been running on a drip That is, it can be called a drip economy or self-imposed conditions We have been adopting very bad policies for many years, the effects of which we are seeing today He said that the delay in the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is having more negative effects on Pakistan s unstable economy Pakistan s economist team lacks proper direction and there is no end-to-end consultative process between the business community and the government p r

QAU emerges among top -ranked universities in QS S ubjec t Ranking 2023

ISLAMABAD: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has again proven its academic excellence by achieving impressive positions in the prestigious QS Subject Ranking 2023 The university has shown remarkable performance in various subjects The subjects of Mathematics, Statistics & Operational Research, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science and Biological Sciences have secured a world ranking (151 to 351) and have taken the first position in Pakistan in their respective areas The departments of Pharmacy and Pharmacology have also achieved a significant milestone by securing the 151st position globally and the 2nd position in Pakistan In addition, the subjects of Environmental Sciences Agriculture and Forestry have achieved a global ranking (201 to 351) and have secured 2nd positions in Pakistan The subjects of Computer Science, Information Systems, Economics, Econometrics, Business & Management Studies have also performed remarkably securing a ranking of (351451) in the QS Subject Ranking 2023 p r

KARACHI

S ta f f r e p o r t

aFTER a lull in vital CPEC project during the previous regime, now refocusing on this vital initiative is a welcome development which will augur well for economy, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday

He said that the CPEC was put on the back burner by the previous government but the sitting government has now put a big momentum in it which will prove beneficial for the national economy

He said that the federal cabinet has approved the commencement of the second and most important phase of the CPEC project for industrial development of Pakistan

It has granted its approval for signing the draft Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to promote industrial co-

operation with China within the framework of the CPEC

He said that the CPEC is the most prominent project of China s Belt and Road Initiative consisting of various economic and infrastructure projects throughout Pakistan It is a $62 billion project which includes a 3 000-kilometer network of railways, oil and gas pipelines connecting both countries, as well as new renewable energy projects Shakoor said that to provide firsthand experience of the successful industrial models in China, the Chinese stakeholders shall facilitate the field visits of the concerned teams from Pakistan including the Chinese SEZs He suggested that the industry leaders should be included in these visits so that their valuable input could be utilized He said in Pakistan the policies are mostly based on the input from bureaucracy; however the input of

the industry is more important particularly when making decisions about the industrial development Shakoor said that vital national projects like CPEC should be kept above political considerations so that their continuity should be ensured even in case

of the change of political governments

He said previous government wasted crucial four years of the CPEC which is loss to the nation and country He said the business to business cooperation phase of the CPEC should be spurred for fast track socioeconomic uplift

Corporate farming, agri research to ensure food sec urity, strengthen economy: PBF

LAHORE S ta f f r e p o r t

The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has called for promoting corporate farming and agriculture research that will not only prove to be an instant solution to farmers financial woes but also ensure food security in the country, besides strengthening the overall economy PBF Vice Presidents Jahanara Wattoo and Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad, and Chairman (Sindh) Mir Murad Talpur expressed these views while talking to media here on Sunday PBF Vice President Jahanara Wattoo

said that last year ’s flash floods had severely affected farmers’ community and the overall agriculture sector and also put the national food security at risk

The agriculture sector contributed substantially to country s GDP and farmers had always played an instrumental role in resolving every crisis the nation encountered she observed and suggested that it was necessary to implement an emergency agriculture programme and provide farmers with an instant solution to their issues

In this regard, she added, public and private sector must play their due role in making improvements in agriculture sec-

tor Both sides should devise plans and make investments to transform the agri sectors on modern farming and techniques ensuring high yields with low water consumption and other inputs she maintained Jahanara Wattoo said Women also have great role in our agriculture and without taking them aboard the development of this vital sector is impossible

She also emphasized that media should raise awareness and dispel gender stereotypes obstructing development of various sectors, which were important for economic growth P B F Vi c e P r e s i d e n t C h a u d h r y

Businessmen warn SBP against fur ther hike in key polic y rate amid record markup

LAHORE p r

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry s Businessmen Panel (BMP) on Sunday warned the Central Bank of any further jump in the key policy rate in the upcoming Monetary Policy next month, as the economic crisis continued to deepen due to wrong economic policies amidst record highest markup rate in the region FPCCI former President and Businessmen Panel (BMP) chairman Mian Anjum Nisar said that already unprecedented inflation and high mark-up rate have drastically reduced private sector borrowings during the first quarter of the current fiscal year He said that the central bank raised its key interest rate by 300 basis points exceeding investor expectations as the cash-strapped country attempts to encourage the International Monetary Fund to release critical funding The key rate of the State Bank of Pakistan now stands at 20%, its highest level since October 1996 Now there are reports that the SBP would raise the interest rate by another 2 percent at the upcom-

KARACHI p r

Two more matches were decided in Naya Nazimabad Bankers Cup Ramzan Cricket Tournament Real Time Loins Islamabad outclassed Passion Cricket Club by 116 runs at Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium Batting first, Real Time scored 194 runs for the loss of four wickets in the allotted twenty overs Younis Afridi scored 52 runs Umar Baja scored 50 runs and Mansoor Saleem scored 49 runs Hasnain Alam dismissed three players In response Passion Cricket Club s team collapsed for seventy-eight

NIC VD: A

A h m a d J a w a d s a i d t h a t f l a s h f l o o d s w r e a k e d h a v o c i n a g r i c u l t u r e b y w a s h i n g a w a y s t a n d i n g c r o p s l i v es t o c k a n d o t h e r i n f r a s t r u c t u r e s i n a l l t h e p r o v i n c e s

Though donors organizations and the governments had provided relief and rehabilitation support the agriculture sector needed equal opportunities and even more support from the public sector Ahmad Jawad asserted that it was becoming increasingly challenging to satisfy the requirements of the expanding population due to obsolete farming methods, and lack of research and productivity in the agri sector

Resolution of consumers ’ complaints

top priority: Iesco spokesman

ing meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to unlock the stalled IMF loan program

The Businessmen Panel (BMP) chief suggested the Central Bank to adopt an accommodative monetary policy stance asking the finance minister to fulfill his commitment of reining in inflation besides cutting interest rate and strengthening the undervalued local currency against dollar Demanding competitive interest rate at regional countries level, he said that the SBP s stance of keeping monetary policy rate at 17% was already high compared to the markup rate of China, India and Bangladesh Yet, the central bank jacked up the key policy rate by another 300 basis points to 20% in last monetary policy leading to the crash of economy which will remain bearish until announcement of next Policy announcement The hike in the interest rate by 300 basis points by the State Bank during the auction of Tbills has increased investors problems In addition there is a fear of further hike in the interest rate in the monetary policy announcement on 2nd April because of which there is constantly selling pressure in the market, he added

runs in the sixteenth over Umair Fata took three wickets while Adil Khan and Naseem Akhater took two wickets each Younis Afridi was named Man of the Match In the second match Attock Sports defeated Saudi Falcons by six runs after an interesting contest Batting first Attock Sports scored 146 runs for the loss of eight wickets Khurram Manzoor scored 31 runs and Fahad Iqbal scored 29 runs Muhammad Sarb and Muhammad Ahmed took two wickets each In response, the Saudi Falcons team managed to score one hundred and forty runs for the loss of nine wickets in twenty overs Wajid Hasnain batted aggressively

ISLAMABAD: Chief Executive Officer IESCO, Dr Muhammad Amjad Khan will conduct an e-court on Monday (today) from 10am to 12noon and will attend consumer calls He will issue on-the-spot necessary directives to relevant offices for resolution of consumers’ electricity related issues Consumers related to Islamabad Rawalpindi City Rawalpindi Cantt Attock Jhelum Chakwal Circles and surroundings can contact Chief Executive IESCO on Facebook ID CEO-IESCO EKachery and Telephone No 051-9253105 according to above mentioned schedule IESCO customers are requested to mention name, bill reference number and contact number while lodging complaints p r

CDA direc ts owners to repair cracks of quake -affec ted buildings

ISLAMABAD: The Building Control Agency of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) directed the owners of affected buildings to repair the cracks of earthquake-impacted immediately to ensure public safety In case of non-repair the affected building immediately should be vacated and asked for a new building and structural sustainability certificate from the relevant authority," an official in the CDA said The official said the certificates should be obtained from the CDA and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) registered firms, which would also need to be verified by a third-party consultant He said the authority had conducted a survey of 90 high-rise buildings in the federal capital by the Buildi n g C o n t r o l A g e n c y u n d e r t h e d i r e c t i o n o f C h a i r m a n C D A N o o r u l A m i n M e n g a l N o c ra c k s a r e f o u n d i n t h e p i l l a r s o f a ny b u i l d i n g a n d t e n o u t o f 9 0 b u i l d i n g s a r e f o u n d s l i g h t l y a f f e c t e d b y t h e r e c e n t e a r t h q u a ke i n t h e c o u n t r y h e a d d e d T h e o f f i c i a l s a i d M i n o r c ra c k s a r e f o u n d i n t h e p l a s t e r o r b r i c k w o r k o f t h e b u i l d i n g s H e s a i d t h e C D A h a d d i r e c t e d a l l t h e h o u s i n g s o c i e t i e s i n t h e f e d e ra l c a p i t a l t o c o n d u c t a s u r ve y a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e o f t h e s k y s c ra p e r s a n d s u b m i t t h e r e p o r t w i t h i n t h r e e d ay s T h e o f f i c i a l s a i d t h e a u t h o r i t y h a s a l s o a s ke d t h e o w n e r s o f t h e h i g h - r i s e a n d m e d i u m - r i s e b u i l d i n g s t o s u b m i t t h e l a t e s t s t r e n g t h a n d c o m p o s i t i o n c e r t i f i c a t e s t o C D A , a d d i n g t h a t t h e c e r t i f i c a t e s m u s t b e o b t a i n e d f r o m f i r m s r e g i s t e r e d w i t h t h e C D A a n d t h e P E C p r

Lifesaving Beacon for Children with Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease (CHD), a heart defect or abnormality present in newborns, is a term that strikes fear in parents whose children are affected Congenital heart disease is often associated with insurmountable medical expenses, emergencies, endless appointments, and persistent anxiety

Pakistan has one of the highest global rates of CHD disproportionately affecting the poor Factors such as malnutrition inadequate maternal health and frequent pregnancies contribute to its prevalence Dr Abdul Sattar Shaikh Head of pediatric cardiology at NICVD warns that most untreated children will not survive their first year

With roughly 60 000 new CHD cases annually in Pakistan most patients previously had to seek treatment abroad, often in neighboring countries like India Public institutions in other provinces typically have waiting lists of 6-12 months for procedures After President Asif

Ali Zardari signed the 18th amendment, the Sindh Government assumed control of the NICVD program in 2015, with Dr Nadeem Qamar becoming the new executive director Under the leadership of Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari the hospital s pediatric department has undergone a revolutionary transformation NICVD is now the sole comprehensive children s heart center in Pakistan

Over the past five years around 600 000 children have been treated an extraordinary number for any institution worldwide The NICVD network conducts an average of 1 500 pediatric open-heart surgeries and 2,000 interventions and minimally invasive procedures each year, using cutting-edge technology In contrast to

other provincial children s hospitals NICVD treats critical patients within a week and moderately stable patients within one to two months

Remarkably all these services are entirely free of charge while private hospitals charge R1 million to Rs2 million per patient on average

The institution serves the entire country, with over 50% of CHD cases coming from outside Sindh, including Balochistan, Lower Punjab, and Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa The NICVD pediatric department has also treated patients from Iran, Afghanistan, UAE, and Oman

Offering comprehensive pediatric cardiology services the NICVD network provides everything from diagnosis to treatment These services include 24/7 pediatric emergency services open-heart surgeries interventions catheterization and echo and fetal echo services Full services are available in Karachi Hyderabad Tando-Muhammad Khan and Sukkur while OPD emergency and echo services are offered in Mithi Larkana Nawabshah Khairpur Sehwan and Lyari

The NICVD network has implemented the CHD reg-

istry program, registering families with CHD history, and offering maternal screening, diagnosis, and counseling This enables early detection of symptoms in pregnant mothers and encourages preventative measures The network also educates and trains general practitioners and pediatricians across the province through seminars and lectures Further a 300-bed Pediatric Cardiology building is currently under construction and is expected to be operational within two years significantly increasing patient capacity and reducing waiting times

The remarkable progress made by the NICVD network in recent years has provided hope and solace to countless families affected by congenital heart disease in Pakistan By offering accessible comprehensive and free-of-cost treatment, NICVD has become a beacon of hope for children and their families, overcoming economic and geographical barriers The ongoing expansion of facilities and the dedication to early detection, education, and prevention demonstrate NICVD's unwavering commitment to improving the lives of those afflicted by CHD As this vital institution continues to grow and evolve it not only exemplifies the power of compassion and innovation in healthcare but also serves as an inspiration for other countries to address the needs of their most vulnerable citizens

Author: Zainulabedin Shah MSc Management Sciences (ESADE business school)

BSc Business Administration University of Southern California Mr Shah is a healthcare management professional

o c u s i n g o n c P e c t o a u g u R w e l l

f o R e c o n o m y : a lta f s h a ko o R

Saudi Falcons out of Naya Nazimabad Bankers Cup Ramzan Cricket

PM TeRMS PReSIdeNT’S LeTTeR aS PaRTISaN IN NaTuRe

iSLAMABAD

S tA f f R e p o R t

PR I M E Minister Muhammad

Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday termed the contents of the letter written by President Dr Arif Alvi as of partisan in nature, one-sided and based upon anti-government views’ which were openly espoused by the latter notwithstanding the constitutional oath/office of the president

In response to the president’s letter of March 24 containing five pages and seven points the prime minister said that he was constrained to express his disappointment at the blatant partisan nature of the letter, “which in parts reads like a Press Release of the Opposition political party i e the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

“Mr President the Constitution does not vest any powers in or assigns any functions to the President whereby the President can seek explanation from the Government or the Prime Minister The

only reason

I am responding to your letter is because I want to bring your partisan attitude and actions on record and to set the record of our Government straight the contents of the letter shared by PM Office Media Wing quoted the prime minister as saying

The prime minister stressed that he was fully aware of his duties and the duties of the federal government under the constitution and the government was fully committed to preserve protect and defend the constitution and ensure that the fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizens of Pakistan were not violated

However our government is also determined to ensure that no one is allowed to violate the law, create unrest and attempts to cause irreparable harm to the state of Pakistan I want to further assure you that our government will thwart any efforts to undermine the constitutionally elected government he added Further responding to reference made in the president s letter of Article

Quetta cour t hands over Hassaan Niazi to Lahore police on transit remand

LAHorE

S tA f f R e p o R t

A Quetta judicial magistrate on Sunday handed over PTI

Chairman Imran Khan’s nephew Hassaan Niazi to the Lahore police on transit remand

Advocate Niazi was produced in the chamber of Judicial Magistrate-7 Kaleem Ullah Mosiani wherein he granted one-day transit remand of Hassaan Niazi

Talking to media Niazi s lawyer said that his client had got the bail yesterday But under which law he was sent to jail when they had already submitted surety bonds for his release the lawyer objected

Yesterday the judicial magistrate accepted the bail plea of Niazi in a case registered against him in the Airport police station But soon after his bail the PTI leader was again arrested in another case registered against him under MPO 3

Earlier Sunday morning, the Lahore police reached Quetta to take custody of PTI leader Hassaan Niazi who got bail from a local court in Balochistan provincial capital on Saturday in a case related to misbehaving with police officials

The Punjab home department sent a notification to the Government of Balochistan requesting it to hand over Hassaan Niazi as he was wanted in a murder case in Lahore

The Lahore police reached Quetta to take Niazi into its custody Earlier, Niazi (who is also a prominent lawyer) was shifted from Quetta District Jail to Cantt police station under the MPO 3

The Balochistan home department relayed instructions to the provincial police in this regard after getting a notification from the Punjab government According to the notification Niazi has been booked in an attempt to murder case lodged with the Race Course police station in Lahore

The Balochistan home department instructed the provincial police to fulfil all legal requirements A sessions court in Quetta on Saturday approved the bail of Hassaan Niazi in a case related to misbehaving with police officials

Tomato price shoots up by Rs 41 per KG in capital: PBS

iSLAMABAD

S tA f f R e p o R t

The price of tomatoes increased by Rs41 per kilogram in a week in Islamabad according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) The PBS stated that per kilogram price of tomatoes soared to Rs180 saying the commodity has been available at Rs180 per kilo in Islamabad and Rs150 in Rawalpindi Per KG price of tomatoes has been Rs160 in Lahore, Gujranwala (140) and Sialkot (120), PBS report said The market price of the vegetable in Faisalabad Multan Bahawalpur and Peshwar has been Rs 120 per kilo In Bannu the price of tomatoes is Rs 110 per KG, while in Sargodha and Sukkur it is Rs 100 per kilo according to the PBS Tomatoes being sold in markets of Karachi and Khuzdar at Rs 80 per KG and in Quetta at Rs90 per kilogram, PBS stated The weekly inflation measured by Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) witnessed an increase of 1 8 per cent to jump to 46 65pc on a year-on-year basis for the week ended on March 22, according to a report issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS)

46 of the Constitution and Rule 15 (5) of the Rules of Business, 1973 regarding holding of meaningful consultations between the president and prime minister he said the objection was out of place

Under clause (1) of the Article 48, the president, in exercise of his functions must act on and in accordance with the advice of the cabinet or the prime minister, he added

The prime minister noted “In very limited instances the President acts in his discretion under the Constitution Article 46 and Rule 15 (5) (b) supra are what they ordain That is keep the President informed Nothing more and nothing less These provisions or for that matter nothing else in the Constitution requires the Prime Minister to consult the President on the exercise of executive authority by the Federal Government Regarding the president’s reference to holding of elections the prime minister maintained that the ECP had announced October 8 as the new date for

polls in Punjab after taking into account the ground realities

All the federal and provincial government authorities furnished the relevant information to the ECP he said adding being the constitutional body, charged with the duty to organize and conduct elections it was ultimately the ECP s decision to assess circumstances for organizing and conducting free and fair elections as required under clause (3) of Article 218

The prime minister pointed out that the president did not object to the use of language and rather aggressive attitude of the former federal ministers who actively attempted to undermine the authority and credibility of ECP

The prime minister further opined that at the behest of the PTI the president gave dates for the general elections on the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and his decision of election date for KPK assembly was set aside by the Supreme Court

Pricing dispute causes shor tage of critical medicine

pr ofit

A n A d o l u Ag e n c y

A simmering price dispute between the pharmaceutical industry and the Health Ministry has resulted in an acute shortage of critical medicines, forcing patients to rely on smuggled and potentially counterfeit drugs at increased costs

Grappling with rising production costs owing to skyrocketing inflation and massive devaluation of the local currency in recent years, the industry demands a 38 per cent increase

The government, however, has rejected the demand, propelling pharmaceutical companies to either stop or go into a limited-scale production of scores of essential and non-essential medicines

Adding salt to the injuries, the importers have stopped or drastically reduced the imports of about 100 crucial medicines related to general anesthesia plasma-derived products vaccines oncology products, and biological products, causing a dearth of medicines across the country

“Some of these medicines are either not being imported or are available in the market on a limited scale just because of the legal binding, Abdul Samad an office-bearer of the Pakistan Chemist and Drugs Association told Anadolu citing a government law that binds an importer to not completely stop importing medicine for which he has been granted a license

PTI’s politics all about creating chaos, unrest in countr y: Mar yam

LAHorE

S tA f f R e p o R t

Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Pakistan

Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz on

Sunday said that the politics of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Chairman Imran Khan was all about protecting personal agenda by creating chaos and unrest in the country as he had nothing to do with the people s problems

Addressing the office bearers of PML-N’s lawyers wing here she said that the decision of PTI to dissolve assemblies in the Punjab and KP was also aimed at creating anarchy and turmoil in the country as this cabal was not concerned about resolving public issues

She said that the PML-N was never afraid of going into elections rather it was ever ready and would win the elections whenever held However, she said that her party wanted level playing field as nobody was above the law

She said Panama papers case was to target the elected government of Nawaz Sharif as nothing was proved against Nawaz Sharif and then he was disqualified for just having an iqama Nawaz Sharif gave the narrative of sanctity of the vote in the country, she added Maryam Nawaz said that PTI chief blatantly violated the law and the constitution but no action was initiated against him She said the PML-N believed in serving the masses and its performance in the past was the evidence

Whereas, the previous PTI government did nothing for the welfare of the masses and it was responsible for current inflation in the country

“Most of the importers are nowadays importing a minimum quantity of dozens of essential and nonessential medicines just to keep their licenses intact Otherwise, it s no longer a profitable business for them due to a huge devaluation of the rupee against the dollar he said Samad cited the coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war as key reasons behind rising prices for products on the international market primarily because of and an unprecedented rise in global inflation

‘Worst is yet to come’

Increasing costs of fuel, electricity, freight charges, cold chain maintenance packing material and a cumulative 4pc non-adjustable sales tax at the import stage, have seriously jeopardised the sustainability of the medicine business according to Samad Farooq Bukhari chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, defended the demand for an inflationary price adjustment, which according to him is a must due to a dollarrupee disparity and skyrocketing inflation

The (local) pharmaceutical industry is on the verge of collapse because of no corresponding adjustment in pricing despite a 60pc increase in the materials cost in recent years he told Anadolu

The rupee, in recent months, has hit an all-time low at 286 rupees against $1 becoming one of Asia s weakest currencies It was Rs 188 against $1 until April 2022

C o n t i n u e d o n pa g e 03

She said PTI Chief Imran Khan was hiding himself in Zaman Park and avoiding to appear in the courts to face cases against him Maryam said the PML-N always showed respect for the courts and its leadership presented themselves for accountability The PML-N leadership faced fabricated cases during the previous PTI tenure however all of them presented themselves for accountability but nothing was proved against anyone Multiple cases were registered against the PTI chief but he was not appearing before the courts which showed his non-serious attitude towards the institutions PTI chief was in fact escaping from the courts including Toshakhana Tyrian White and foreign funding cases as he had nothing to prove his innocence She said that the PTI was the only political party which being a ruling party, violated the rules regarding Toshakhana as the precious gifts were sold out after taking abroad

The PML-N was the most popular party and was fully aware of the problems being faced by the masses including the price hike however it would not leave the people on their destiny but would stand with them and resolve their issues

She said there was even no comparison between the PML-N and the PTI when it came to delivering the masses as the PML-N left the government in 2018 which was prosperous and had growth based economy On the other hand the four year rule of the PTI brought poverty corruption and lawlessness which portray the real picture of the parties performance

Friendly countries’ commitments to help close deal with iMF: dar

iSLAMABAD

S tA f f R e p o R t

Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar reiterated on Sunday that friendly countries were expected to materialize their commitments with Pakistan that would pave the way to close the deal with the IMF and revive the economy

“The government is making all possible efforts to steer the economy of the difficult situation in order to put it on the path of sustainable economic growth

Addressing as chief guest an Iftar dinner hosted by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in honor of foreign diplomats, Dar said that friendly countries were expected to materialize their commitments with Pakistan that would pave the way to close the deal with the IMF and revive the economy

He said that in 2016, Pakistan was a rising economy as it was expected to become the world’s 18th-strongest economy but was now facing serious economic challenges

He said that Pakistan would not default and the government was making

all possible efforts to steer it out of a difficult situation in order to put it on the path of sustainable economic growth

He lauded the initiative of ICCI for hosting an Iftar dinner for diplomats

Speaking at the occasion Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President ICCI urged the government to ensure consistency in economic policies that would enable the business community and investors to invest in Pakistan with confidence He assured that the business community

would fully support the government in its efforts to revive the economy

H e h i g h l i g h t e d t h e b u s i n e s s a n d i n v e s t m e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n P a k i s t a n f o r d i p l o m a t s a n d s a i d t h a t P a k i s t a n was a huge market of over 220 million c o n s u m e r s a n d o ff e r e d g r e a t i n v e s tment opportunities in various sectors of its economy

He said that foreign investors should transfer technology to Pakistan and explore joint ventures and invest-

ments in areas of interest

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry former federal minister said that the government was determined to promote ease of doing business and hoped that the current difficult phase would be over soon

Faad Waheed, Senior Vice President ICCI said that Pakistan needed exports to overcome its foreign exchange crisis and hoped that the foreign diplomats would fully cooperate with Pakistan in realizing this goal

Engineer Azhar ul Islam Zafar Vice President ICCI thanked the chief guest, diplomats and all the participants for attending the Iftar dinner He said that if the government created a more conducive business environment, the private sector would be able to improve the health of the economy Junaid Afzal Chairman Nova Group said that with the efforts of Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President ICCI, Nova Group was working out on an attractive discounted package of residential and commercial plots for the members of the business community

He said that Nova Group would cooperate with ICCI for the establishment of an industrial park in the region

govt working out details of cross-subsidy, how much can beneficiaries expec t to save?

LAHorE dA n i yA l A h m A d P r i m e M i n i s t e r S h e h b a z S h a r i f o n S u nd a y M a r c h 1 9 a n n o u n c e d t h e g o v e r nm e n t s l a t e s t m e a s u r e t o c o m b a t i n f l a t i o n O n M o n d a y M a r c h 2 0 t h e M i n i s t e r o f S t a t e f o r P e t r o l e u m M u s a d i k

a l i k i n c r e a s e d t h e s c a l e o f t h e s c h e m e i n t e r m s o f t h e r e l i e f i t a i m e d t o p r o v i d e

a i n f r o m t h i s s c h e m e ?

i r r e s p e ct

v e o f w h e t h e r t h e y a r e l e v i e d o n f u e l c a p s o f 1 7 l i t r e s ,

1 l i t r e s , o r 3 0 l i t r e s I f t h e f u e l s u b s i d y i s s e t a t R s 5 0 p e r l i t r e i t c a n c r e a t e t o t a l s a v i n g s o f a n y w h e r e b e t w e e n R s 8 5 0 t o R s 1 , 5 0 0 p e r m o n t h f o r b e n e f i c i a r i e

knows this vehicles themselves set different prices for the riders T h e p r i c e s a v i n g s i n p e t r o l c o ns u m p t i o n e x i s t i n h e r e n t l y b a s e d o n t h e v e h i c l e b e i n g u s e d A l o w - i n c o m e i n d iv i d u a l a l r e a d y h a s l o w e r f u e l c o n s u m pt i o n A m o t o r c y c l e w i l l g i v e y o u m a n y m o r e k i l o m e t r e s t o a l i t r e t h a n a L a n d Cruiser will The motorcycle will already h a v e a m o r e a ff o r d a b l e k i l o m e t r e p e r litre because the vehicle has a smaller eng i n e a n d t h u s i t s p e r- f u e l c o n s u m p t i o n p e r l i t r e i s b e t t e r s a y s K h u r r a m H u s a i n F o r m e

will actually be a success is anyone s guess, as the scheme itself has yet to be unveiled in its totality However after everything that has happened over the past year, the words “fuel subsidy” should terrify Pakistani governments like the boogeyman terrifies children Profit spoke to industry sources and experts on the matter to understand how the cross-subsidy will fare

Read the 238th issue of Profit Magazine for the week of March 27 to see our findings