EpaperISB_22-4-13

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 I 11 Ramzan, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 285 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

POWER SHARING

PM Sharif faceS firSt teSt aS PPP SetS conditionS to join cabinet g

asif Zardari seeks top constitutional slots

ISLAMABAD Naveed Miraj

a

fter collectively ousting the pti government, prime Minister shehbaz sharif faces a tough test as most critical phase of agreeing to power sharing formula among the ruling coalition has commenced. sources in the ruling coalition have revealed that the premier was set to meet the leadership of his own party on tuesday night to help thrash a power sharing formula. per sources, the pakistan peoples party (ppp), the second biggest party after the pMln in the current coalition, has linked its joining the cabinet with a lion’s share in the new setup, asking for four key positions. this was conveyed by the top ppp leadership to pMl (n) delegation led by prime Minister shehbaz sharif during talks held here on Monday. according to sources within ppp, party co-chairman asif ali Zardari has demanded the positions of the president, chairman senate, speaker national assem-

PakiStan

CONFIRMED CASES:

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LAST UPDATED AT 9:16 AM ON 12 APRIL 2022

NEW CASES:

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RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,486,960 30,362 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

576,380

505,435

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

219,282

35,480

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

43,301/11,720

Bilawal yet to decide on a caBinet Berth as party stands divided

bly and the leader of house in the senate. “asif ali Zardari is not interested to become president as he wants to assist Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the next election campaign. therefore, he has floated the name of faryal talpur for the top seat”, the sources said, adding that the party wants yousaf raza Gilani to become chairman senate, sherry rehman as the leader of the house in the senate and naveed Qamar or raja parvez ashraf the speaker of national assembly. the sources said that the top ppp leadership made it clear during talks with the pMl-n delegation that they will only accept ministries or become part of the cabinet if their demands was met. “as far as ministries are concerned, the ppp wants amongst others the ministries of water and power, law, and overseas pakistanis”. the sources said that the ppp is committed to fully back the new government and even if their demands were not met, they will continue to extend unconditional support to it in order to carry out some important legis-

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lation especially on electoral reforms. when asked about the response of the pMl-n about ppp’s demands, the sources said that prime Minister shehbaz sharif has sought time on the matter for consultations with the party Quaid nawaz sharif. “shehbaz sharif will again contact us and give his response after consultations with the elder brother.”

Meanwhile, the pakistan peoples party (ppp) is also divided on the issue of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s joining the federal cabinet as the country’s new foreign minister in the coalition government under prime Minister shehbaz sharif.

Background interviews with several party leaders confirmed the reports in some media circles that the ppp chairman might become the foreign minister, though in-house consultation on the matter was still ongoing. there are two camps in the ppp. one believes Mr Bilawal Zardari should go for the foreign ministry slot, as it would provide him with an experience of handling international affairs and ultimately benefit him if he becomes the country’s prime minister in future.

Members of the other camp, however, thinks the ppp chairman should not become a part of the federal cabinet under Mr sharif, as it would undermine his status of being the head of the second-largest party in the ruling coalition. this camp also believes ppp workers may not like to see their chairman working under the prime minister of the pMl-n — ppp’s main competitor in politics. one camp believes the role will benefit him as future pM; others say working under shehbaz may not sit well with party workers “i have advised my chairman to become the country’s foreign minister,” said a senior ppp parliamentarian close to Mr Bilawal Zardari said.

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

PM Shehbaz tells Modi ‘let’s secure peace for socioeconomic uplift’ ISLAMABAD staff report

prime Minister shehbaz sharif on tuesday thanked indian premier narendra Modi for felicitations on becoming the 23rd prime minister of pakistan as he sought peaceful resolution of conflicts between india and pakistan for the sake of socio-economic development of people. the newly elected prime minister made these remarks in response to the message shared

by Modi on twitter wherein he congratulated the pakistani premier on getting elected as the new chief executive. “congratulations to h e Mian Muhammad shehbaz sharif on his election as the prime Minister of pakistan. india desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and

Pak Army takes notice of smear campaign to create division between military, society ISLAMABAD staff report

the 79th formation commanders’ conference on tuesday took note of the recent propaganda campaign by some quarters to malign pakistan army and create division between the military and society, said the military’s media wing. chief of army staff (coas) General Qamar Javed Bajwa presided over the meeting, with corps commanders, principal staff officers, and all formation commanders of the pakistan army in attendance at the GhQ, the inter-services public relations (ispr). the ispr said that the meeting was briefed on the “professional matters, national security challenges and measures being undertaken to counter traditional and nontraditional threats”. the military’s media wing said that the army chief “expressed satisfaction over operational preparedness of formations and response mechanism to deal with emerging challenges”. the meeting also paid tribute

ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people,” Modi had written on twitter a day earlier. in his response shared on twitter today, pM shehbaz said that pakistan desired peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes, including Jammu and kashmir. “pakistan’s sacrifices in fighting terrorism are well-known,” shehbaz told the indian premier. during his speech in parliament after becoming the premier with the support of 174 lawmakers, shehbaz offered an olive branch to new delhi, saying that pakistan wanted a “better relationship with india”.

But he had also cautioned that no lasting peace would be possible without a resolution to kashmir’s status. “i would suggest prime Minister Modi let us resolve the kashmir issue and divert all our energies to bring prosperity to our countries,” he had said.

more inside

PTI dissident Noor Alam and PPP leaders involved in fight with elderly citizen STORY ON BACK PAGE

pM likely to visit saudi arabia, china STORY ON BACK PAGE

to the sacrifices of officers and men for the security of borders and the safety of the masses. “the forum took note of the recent propaganda campaign by some quarters to malign pakistan army and create division between the institution and society,” said the ispr. the military’s media wing emphasised that the national security of the country is “sacrosanct”. “pakistan army has always stood by the state institutions to

guard [them] and always will, without any compromise. the forum expressed complete confidence in leadership’s wellconsidered stance to uphold the constitution and rule of law, at all cost,” said the ispr. “pakistan army is aware of its responsibilities and shall continue to defend territorial integrity and sovereignty of pakistan against all internal and external threats under all circumstances,” the army chief had said while concluding the conference.

PTA renews Jazz license for 15 years STORY ON PAGE 03

fia arrests five over smear campaign against army STORY ON PAGE 02

02

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

INFlatIoN wIll Not bE rEduCEd IN thE CoMINg MoNthS: PMl-N

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STAff rePorT

HE economic team of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz in a briefing said that inflation will not be reduced in the coming months due to Pakistan Tehreek Insaf policies. The former finance minister along with former Chairman Privatization Commission Zubair Umar and Musaddiq Malik in a media briefing informed that the incumbent PMLN led government inherited a fragile economy despite this we will try to provide maximum relief to the low-income of society.

Miftah Ismail said that everyone responded positively to the relief package announced by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the low-income group to Rs25,000 from Rs22,000 in wages and a 10 per cent increase in pension.

The last government has not increased the pension so we have announced a 10 per cent increase, he said that this will benefit the pensioners against inflation.

He also requested the owners of private companies to enhance the salary of their employees by 10 per cent.

He also said that the stock market has been going upwards for the last two days and the dollar has also decreased to Rs181.3 from Rs188.

He said that the PTI government estimated a Rs4,000 billion budget deficit but Miftah claimed that it would be Rs6,400 billion including Rs800 billion supplementary grants.

The deficit in the five-year tenure of PMLN was around Rs6400 billion and the Imran Khan government did this in one year.

We have to give Rs220 billion out of 800 billion to SNGPL on account of losses of RLNG or LNG besides we have to give Rs80 billion to Gencos, he added.

The previous government has laid a landmine of Rs373 billion for Shahbaz Sharif, advisors or ministers of the Khan government were misrepresenting that we can finance ourselves.

Miftah said that this package is

increasing the deficit and the IMF also has not agreed with this, however he said that we will restart the negotiations with the IMF. He also claimed that the PTI government has put the country’s sovereignty at stake.

He vowed that our Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will control this deficit He also said that expenditure would be Rs8,700 billion in the ongoing fiscal year and if we add these Rs800 billion then this reaches Rs9,500 billion against the budget estimation of Rs7,500 billion.

The PTI government took more than 80 per cent of loans in almost four years comparable to loans taken in the last 70 years.

He also said that the Finance Ministry has also estimated an Rs1,650 billion primary deficit against the budget estimate of Rs900 billion.

On the other hand, the average deficit in the last PMLN tenure was Rs1,600 billion including the interest rate and debt servicing.

The former finance minister also said that the trade deficit would also touch 45

billion dollars as imports will touch 75 billion dollars whereas export will be recorded at around 30 billion dollars.

He said that foreign currency reserves have been declining and it is most important not to increase but stabilize the foreign currency reserves.

He said that the IMF is important due to the fragile economic situation. There is no need of giving amnesty schemes. Imran Khan always speaks against the amnesty and interestingly, the PTI government offered to white the future income through the real estate amnesty.

He said that PTI has left very serious issues as inflation for poor masses has increased to 19 per cent whereas rural inflation has also enhanced.

PMLN leader Musaddiq Malik said that the country’s expenditure has increased whereas revenue decreased due to policies as well as corruption of the last government.

Inflation has surged to 13 per cent, while food inflation also crossed the double-digit.

The government provided relief to rich

people through Covid amount given by international organizations.

Former chairman PC Zubair Umar said that the PTI government did not have any plan for the country. They made blunders as the interest rate increased to 13.25 per cent which affected the businesses. On the other hand, the last government also made a massive devaluation of the rupee due to which the business community cannot understand what to do.

They not only increased gas and electricity prices but also enhanced taxes.

They have laid the mines for the PMLN government and literally the PTI government made blunders to the economy.

Replying to questions, Miftah Ismail said that the PMLN government will complete the remaining three reviews of the IMF program. IMF is very important for Pakistan as we have to pay around 2.5 billion dollars in the remaining months of the current fiscal year and we also need financing of 30 billion dollars for the next fiscal year.

He said that Shahbaz Sharif will decide on the next State Bank Governor as the incumbent’s tenure will end next month.

He also claimed that the PTI government has not approved the subsidy amount worth Rs373 billion from the ECC. Regarding the petroleum prices, he said that Shahbaz Sharif will make a decision after the summary from OGRA. He also said that FBR will also meet the Rs575 billion revenue target of last quarter.

PSX continues with bullish trend, gains 262 points to close at 46, 407 points BASIT MuNAwAr

Interior ministry directed to renew Nawaz, Ishaq’s passports: report NewS DeSk The federal government has directed the interior ministry for the renewal of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s passports, a news outlet reported on Tuesday. According to the report, the government has also directed the Pakistan High Commission in London to start work on the renewal of the passports of the PML-N leaders. The Imran Khan-led government had refused to renew Nawaz’s passport after it was expired in February last year. In 2018, Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference and a total of 11 years in prison with an £8 million fine in the Avenfield properties reference. He was granted an eight-week bail on medical grounds in October, 2019, and a month later, he was allowed to travel abroad for treatment for four weeks. However, he is still in London.

A day ago, PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif had said that the former prime minister is expected to return to Pakistan after Eid. He had said that Nawaz will return to Pakistan after Eid and face the cases against him.

IMF likely to ask Pakistan about initiative announced

by PM Shahbaz Sharif ShAhzAD PArAchA The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to ask Pakistan about the initiatives, increasing 10 per cent salary as well as pension of government employees, announced by the elected Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Sources said that the annual impact of increasing the 10 per cent salary of government officials is Rs25 billion and if the government keeps this to the extent till June this year then the impact would be around Rs1.50 billion. It is pertinent to mention here that the total number of government employees including Army personnel is more than 1.2 million. Sources said that the government can make cuts in the Public Sector Development program in the last quarter otherwise the above-mentioned measures would increase the fiscal deficit. Meanwhile, PML-N leader Miftah Ismail tweeted that “to all my industrialist and exporter friends worried about their wage bill increasing due to PM Shahbaz Sharif’s increasing the minimum wage, remember just in two days your market cap has gone up by 5.4 per cent and the government is here to help you export, grow and earn more. It is pertinent to mention here that IMF had also raised questions over the amnesty scheme announced by former PM Imran Khan on February 28, 2022, due to which the seventh review of Pakistan’s economy is still pending.

The KSE-100-index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) continued with bullish trend on Tuesday, gaining 262.30 points, with a positive change of 0.57 per cent, closing at 46,407.26 points against 46,144.96 points on the last working day.

A total of 493,597,955 shares were traded during the day compared to the trade of 557,672,451 shares the previous day whereas the price of shares stood at Rs13.856 billion against Rs13.362 billion on last trading day.

As many as 369 companies transacted shares in the stock market, 172 of them recorded gain and 172 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 15 companies remained unchanged.

The three top trading companies were WorldCall Telecom with a volume of 62,038,000 shares and price per share of Rs2.07, Telecard limited with a volume of 32,652,000 and price per share of Rs16.96 and Flying cement with volume of 30,857,000 and price per share of Rs8.80.

Nestle PakistanXD witnessed a maximum increase of Rs64.04 per share, closing at Rs5,555 whereas the runner up was Sapphire fiber, the share prices of which climbed up by Rs61.35 to Rs883.99.

Bata (Pak) witnessed maximum decrease of Rs84.39 closing at Rs2,400 followed by Colgate Palm, the share price of which declined by Rs23 to close at Rs2,320.

PTI damaged country’s economy, piled up public debt to Rs6400bn: Miftah ISLAMABAD INP

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail on Tuesday lamented that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had adversely damaged the country’s economy and piled up public debt to the level of Rs6400 billion during its tenure.

Addressing a press conference along with other PMLN leaders Musaddiq Malik and Muhammad Zubair, he said that the PTI has made people to suffer by taking the economy to this bad condition.

Miftah said that the fiscal deficit is hovering at around Rs5600 billion and if supplementary grants of Rs800 billion is included, the total amount would reach to Rs6400 billion.

He elaborated how the illogical decisions by the previous government has resulted in increasing overall debt. He, however, expressed the hope that future of Pakistan is brighter under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He said all possible efforts would be made to contain the deficit, adding that it is their responsibility to lead the country towards a better future.

The PML-N leader, who is expected to become Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, also criticised the PTI government over providing relief package of Rs370 billion, under which the former prime minister Imran Khan had announced to reduce the petroleum prices by Rs10 per liter and electricity by Rs5 per unit.

To a question, he said the government has not decided yet to increase the petroleum prices but the decision would be taken after reviewing the summary issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).

When asked whether the current government would take measures to reduce the inflation rate in the country, Miftah pointed out that the government cannot control inflation immediately due to bad policies of the previous government.

“First we will negotiate with the IMF to convince them to ease out the tough conditions so that the

government could provide relief to the masses,” he added.

He said Pakistan’s imports have also reached record high level due to which the country’s current account deficit is expected to reach near the $20 billion mark by end of current fiscal year.

The PML-N leader said in last month alone, the country’s foreign exchange reserves were declined by around $5 billion.

He expressed satisfaction over the announcement of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for increasing minimum wages to Rs2500. He said the measure would provide relief to the people caught in the inflationary pressure.

He said that by enhancing the pay by 10 per cent of those having less than Rs100,000 monthly salary would also help people get relief. He asked the private companies including the media houses to increase the salaries of their employees by 10 per cent.

Miftah said that increase of 10 per cent in the pensions would help reduce burden on old pensioners and it would have a fiscal impact of Rs13 billion in next three months of current fiscal year.

SECP registers 2,354 new firms in March TLTP The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) registered 2,354 new companies in March 2022, raising the total number of registered companies to 165,688.

Total capitalization (paid-up-capital) with regards to newly incorporated companies for the current month stood at Rs3.5 billion, said the SECP in a press statement on Monday. Foreign investment has been reported in 53 new companies during March 2022. These companies have foreign investors from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea South, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK and the USA. In March, nearly 63 per cent of companies were registered as private limited companies, while 34 per cent were singlemember companies. The remaining 3 per cent of companies were registered as public unlisted companies, not-for-profit associations, trade organizations and limited liability partnerships (LLP). About 99.6 per cent of companies were registered online and 215 foreign users were registered from overseas. The real estate development and construction sector took the lead with the incorporation of 458, information technology with 365, trading with 258, services with 232, education with 110, food and beverages with 75, tourism with 72, textile with 68, corporate agricultural farming with 60, engineering with 57, commerce, and marketing & advertisement with 55 each, chemical with 47, pharmaceutical with 46, healthcare with 45, mining and quarrying with 37, transport with 36, and 333 companies were registered in other sectors. As a result of the integration of SECP with FBR and various provincial departments, 2,033 companies were simultaneously registered with FBR for the generation of NTN, 47 companies with EOBI, and 16 companies with PESSI/SESSI.

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

FIa arrEStS FIvE ovEr SMEar CaMPaIgN agaINSt arMy

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NewS DeSk

HE Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday arrested five suspects, including a political activist, for allegedly running an online smear campaign against army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

These arrests were made as a result of several raids in Lahore, Multan, Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi by the cybercrime wing of the federal agency. The suspects have been handed over to the counter-terrorism wing of the FIA. Political activist Maqsood Arif was among those arrested.

The FIA swung into action as a

result of an online campaign against state institutions, including the chief

justice of Pakistan, following the dismissal of the PTI government.

According to a senior official of the FIA, the cybercrime wing could not initiate action against the detained suspects after the annulment of Section 20 of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act. On the other hand, an officer of FIA’s counter-terror wing said more arrests were expected in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the director-general of the FIA was given a briefing by the cybercrime wing wherein thousands of pages involved in anti-state activities were identified. The DG was informed that at least 2,000 accounts were involved in a smear campaign against the army and its chief.

Sharif convenes urgent meeting of finance wizards ISLAMABAD APP

A day after taking the oath of office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday summoned an urgent meeting of economic experts to discuss the current financial challenges facing the nation. Shehbaz was elected the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan on Monday after his predecessor, Imran Khan, was removed from office through a noconfidence vote on Sunday.

Assuming his responsibilities, the prime minister presided over a meeting attended by prominent economists and deliberated on ways and means to find a solution for the country’s financial stability.

Sharif was given a briefing on the data on the national balance sheet and fiscal deficits. Important decisions were expected to be taken in line with the recommendations of the experts.

He assumed his responsibilities at the Prime Minister’s Office at 8:00 am — much earlier than the Ramazan working hours of 10:00 am — and said he did not want to waste an iota of time without serving the masses, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

He termed diligence, honesty, and transparency as his guiding principles and said serving the people of Pakistan was his topmost priority.

During an interaction with his staff, the prime minister directed the officials to get into action for robust performance.

He ordered a single weekly off for public departments instead of the earlier two days. Also, public offices would from now onwards open at 8:00 am.

Soon after assuming office, Sharif issued directives to ensure relief for the masses, including the provision of lowcost edible items at sasta bazaars, and also stressed its strict monitoring.

He said he would not tolerate any irresponsibility in ensuring the provision of inexpensive commodities to the general public.

The prime minister also ordered the officials concerned to ensure early implementation of his decisions announced in the National Assembly on Monday regarding the 10 percent increase in pensions and fixing the minimum wages at Rs25,000.

CaBInet In neXt 24 HoUrs: The consultative talks have entered the final stage between the newly formed government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and members of the ruling coalition for the formation of the federal cabinet.

The matter of cabinet formation would be completed during the next 24 hours. In the first stage, 20-25 full and state ministers would take the oath of

India air force blames squadron for missile it fired missile into Pakistan New DeLhI MoNItorINg rePort

The Indian Air Force (IAF) blamed officials from its missile squadron for a missile it accidentally fired into Pakistan last month because of a “technical malfunction” during routine maintenance. The incident occurred on March 9 when a BrahMos missile was fired accidentally and landed in the Pakistan territory.

The inquiry was done by a senior IAF official. “More than one official has been found blameworthy for the incident which was totally avoidable. The guilty officials would be given a swift and severe punishment,” the Asian News International quoted government sources as saying. The court of inquiry also found a clear violation of standard operating procedures by the officials concerned, they said. The IAF has taken the incident very seriously and is taking every step internally to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future and various standard operating procedures are being reviewed to see if there is any change required to make things smoother, said the sources. Military experts have in the past warned of the risk of accidents or miscalculations by the nucleararmed neighbours, which have fought three wars and engaged in numerous smaller armed clashes, usually over the disputed territory of Kashmir. Tensions have eased in recent months, and the incident, which may have been the first of its kind, immediately raised questions about safety mechanisms.

their respective offices.

Ministries of information, defence, finance and interior are expected to go to the PML-N. While six ministries, including the foreign ministry, would be offered to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The PML-N wants PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to become the foreign minister. However, Sherry Rehman and Hina Rabbani Khar could also be the possible choice for the portfolio.

They said that the Senate members of the allied parties would also be offered ministries.

The leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) would also get ministries.

From the PML-N, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Rana Sanaullah and Khawaja Asif will get portfolios.

The independents who supported the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance in the no-confidence motion would also be given ministries.

Sources said the government was also mulling governors’ replacements in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan.

IHC states ‘matter of extreme urgency can be brought before court anytime’ NewS DeSk The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has clarified opening its doors late on Saturday, when the fate of a no-trust resolution against former prime minister Imran Khan hung in the balance and rumours were rife that Mr Khan might de-notify the army chief in his attempt “to play till the last ball”.

Meanwhile, a petition was also filed in the IHC on Saturday night, asking the court to restrain Mr Khan from de-notifying Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa as chief of the army staff.

Another petition by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) requested the court to avert a constitutional crisis and implement the Supreme Court’s April 7 order.

“The filing of petitions late in the evening on April 9, 2022, has been misreported and queries have been raised whether petitions can be presented after the notified court timings,” the IHC said in a statement issued on Monday.

IHC ClarIfIes wHy Its doors opened late at nIgHt on aprIl 9: In its statement, the IHC referred to two circulars issued on Nov 11, 2019 and Feb 10, 2021 that prescribed “the manner of presentation of petitions after court timing”.

Through these circulars, the IHC notified that in case of an imminent threat to the life or liberty of a citizen or any other important matter, the

registrar office can receive the petition and transmit it to the chief justice even after court timing.

“As a constitutional court, the Islamabad High Court has ensured that cases relating to extreme urgency are presented at any time after the notified timings,” the high court said, adding: “The honourable chief justice, if satisfied that there exists extreme urgency, may order fixing of the case at any time.”

Explaining the April 9 events, the IHC said the SCBA president approached the court and inquired about filing a petition under Article 187 of the Constitution.

The IHC statement then referred to the petitions, including a “pre-emptive” constitutional petition that sought to restrain the then premier from de-notifying the army chief.

“In the meanwhile, certain other petitions were presented and they were transmitted to the residence of the honourable chief justice, who was satisfied that neither the petitions warranted initiation of proceedings nor required passing of a judicial order,” it said.

It is, therefore, clarified that in the light of the above-mentioned circulars, a petition regarding extreme urgency could be presented at any time after the notified court timings and it could also be fixed for hearing subject to the satisfaction of the chief justice that circumstances exist for doing so, the court said.

NEWS

03

bilawal may serve as foreign minister, PPP seems divided over the decision NewS DeSk The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is divided on the issue of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari joining the federal cabinet as the country’s new foreign minister in the coalition government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Background interviews with several party leaders confirmed the reports in some media circles that the PPP chairman might become the foreign minister, though inhouse consultation on the matter was still ongoing. There are two camps in the PPP. One believes Mr BhuttoZardari should go for the foreign ministry slot, as it would provide him with an experience of handling international affairs and ultimately benefit him if he becomes the country’s prime minister in future. Members of the other camp, however, think the PPP chairman should not become a part of the federal cabinet under Mr Sharif, as it would undermine his status of being the head of the second-largest party in the ruling coalition. This camp also believes PPP workers may not like to see their chairman working under the prime minister of the PML-N — PPP’s main competitor in politics. One camp believes the role will benefit him as future PM; others say working under Shehbaz may not sit well with party workers “I have advised my chairman to become the country’s foreign minister,” said a senior PPP parliamentarian close to Mr Bhutto-Zardari. He elaborated that 64 per cent of the country’s population comprised people below the age of 30 years, and Mr Bhutto-Zardari was a representative of the youth. Moreover, he said, Bilawal had immense goodwill in the world due to his mother, Benazir Bhutto, which would help him in dealing with international issues with world leaders. This could help him create a good following among those people who had not seen former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, and it would ultimately benefit the PPP in future, the party leader said. He said Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s experience as the foreign minister would strengthen his case of becoming a candidate for the premier. However, he said there had been no formal discussion on the matter and a decision would be made in a day or two. On the other hand, a senior PPP leader from the second camp insisted that Mr Bhutto-Zardari should not get any cabinet portfolio because then he would not be able to pay attention to party affairs and, as a result, the PPP could suffer in the next general elections. Interestingly, outgoing foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his speech on the floor of the National Assembly also advised the young PPP chairman not to become the foreign minister under Mr Sharif. Mr Qureshi, who also served as the foreign minister during the previous PPP government under former president Asif Ali Zardari, said it did not suit Mr Bhutto-Zardari, the grandson of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the son of Benazir Bhutto, to accept the foreign ministry under Shehbaz Sharif because the PPP workers would not accept this. Meanwhile, sources in the new administration told Dawn that so far they had not worked out any formula for distributing portfolios in the federal cabinet and nominations for key constitutional posts of the speaker and the deputy speaker. A senior PPP leader said they were more interested in getting constitutional offices instead of portfolios in the federal cabinet. He said two constitutional offices had already become vacant after the resignation of the speaker and the deputy speaker. He said the opposition was also planning to remove Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and then definitely the PPP would like to get the office. According to him, the office of the president could also become vacant either because of the resignation of President Dr Arif Alvi or through his planned impeachment. The PPP leader then, in a lighter vein, said they feared that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman could also demand the office of the president. In that situation, he said, it would become very difficult for the PPP to accept the Maulana as the president, which might not be beneficial for the country as well. The sources said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would give the ministries after consultations with top government leaders, including Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the heads of other coalition partners, in a day or two.

Pta renews Jazz license for 15 years STAff rePorT In pursuance to the policy directive issued by Federal Government, Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (Jazz) has signed renewed license with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). As per a statement issued by PTA, the license is renewed for a fee of $486.2 million for 15 years, out of which 50% of the amount i.e. Rs44.54 billion (equivalent to $243.1 million) has been deposited

by Jazz and the remaining amount will be paid in 5 equal annual installments along with applicable markup.

Renewed license has enhanced terms and conditions for coverage and Quality of Service, said a news release issued here on Tuesday.

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

DISSoLvE NAB, HoLD StAff ACCouNtABLE: ABBASI tELLS SHArIf IsLAMABAD

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StAFF RePoRt

AKISTAN Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi asked the prime minister to disband the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which is pursuing multiple cases of graft against his colleagues and various members of the multi-party ruling coalition, and hold its staff accountable for “torturing them”.

“For years, the staff of the anti-corruption watchdog harassed and tortured politicians. It’s about time they be held accountable for their actions,” Abbasi told reporters

Sharif receives guard of honour IsLAMABAD StAFF RePoRt

Shehbaz Sharif was given a guard of honour at Prime Minister’s House as he assumed the responsibilities on Tuesday. Graft-tained Sharif reviewed the guard as the contingents of the armed forces presented a salute to him. The newly-elected prime minister was also introduced to the officials and staff of PM House. Sharif took oath as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan a day earlier. He was administered the oath by Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjarani after President Arif Alvi complained of “discomfort” and was advised bed rest, according to his Twitter account. Sharif was elected as the premier after the ouster of his predecessor Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote. He secured 174 votes in the National Assembly after Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycott the process and quit the assembly en masse.

The poll took place under the chairmanship of MP Ayaz Sadiq.

IHC suspends order to place Imran aides on ECL IsLAMABAD StAFF RePoRt

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the placing by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of key aides of former prime minister Imran Khan — Shahbaz Gill, Shahzad Akbar and four others — on the Exit Control List (ECL). The decision was announced on a petition filed against placing them on the no-fly list a day earlier. Gill and Akbar filed the petition through their counsels, pleading with the court to order the removal of their names from the list. The court also sought a reply from the interior secretary and the FIA director general and adjourned the hearing until Wednesday. The petitioners maintained that the foreign travel ban placed by FIA is illegal as no cases or inquiries were underway against them. The plea asked the high court to immediately remove the “illegal” travel ban. The FIA has placed the names of six key aides of former Khan on a stop list. The names include Khan’s former principal secretary Azam Khan, Gill, Akbar, Punjab Anti-Corruption Director-General Gohar Nafees, and FIA Punjab chief Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media head Dr Arsalan Khalid’s name has also been added to the stop list, sources added.

in Islamabad.

The former prime minister accused agency chairman, retired Justice Javed Iqbal, of being under the thumb of his successor and claimed he took instructions from Imran Khan on cases involving opposition leaders.

Abbasi also congratulated the nation on “salvation from Naya Pakistan” and declared that the affairs of the anti-graft agency would be brought to light soon.

“Where has he [Khan] taken this country to? Either the country can run or the NAB. This government will have to decide now [on the future of NAB].”

He added: “It’s now time for the NAB chairman to

answer. The officials who kept violating the law and committing corruption, [they] need to answer.”

Abbasi claimed there was a minister in Khan’s office who issued orders to Iqbal regarding lodging purportedly fake cases, arresting people and defaming them. “This is your NAB chairman … who stayed quiet on corruption Khan committed,” the PML-N leader claimed, without providing any evidence. He also lamented that the agency couldn’t prove a single reference or inquiry against PML-N leaders in the last four years. “Why didn’t they investigate people who were involved in corruption worth billions [of rupees] and were sitting in the federal cabinet,” Abbasi demanded.

China congratulates Sharif on assuming office BEIJING StAFF RePoRt

China on Tuesday congratulated Shahbaz Sharif on being elected prime minister, and expressed the expectation of an even closer Pakistan-China partnership.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners of

cooperation, and the relationship between the two countries is rock solid and unbreakable.

“China looks forward to working with the Pakistani side to continue our traditional friendship, deepen allround cooperation, jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in a high-quality manner, and build an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era,” he added.

LHC reserves verdict on Hamza’s petition regarding Punjab CM election NEWs DEsk The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly (PA) Hamza Shahbaz seeking help for holding fair and transparent elections for the position of chief minister of Punjab.

After hearing the case for nearly five hours, LHC Chief Justice Ameer Bhatti observed that since there was a deadlock between the stakeholders over mutually deciding the election date, the decision would thus be taken by the court.

Court officials said the verdict would not be announced today. During his arguments today, PML-Q’s counsel Ali Zafar contended that Hamza’s petition was inadmissible. “The Lahore High Court has no power to change the date for the chief minister’s election.”

The petitioner, PML-Q’s counsel claimed, was challenging the executive powers of the provincial assembly. “The courts can’t intervene in matters concerning when the assembly session should be called and when it shouldn’t,” Zafar said, adding that that would be akin to the assembly inquiring about the adjournment of court cases. “[The] Parliament and the courts respect each other and, therefore, do not interfere in each other’s jurisdiction,” he said. “If the petitioner says the assembly rules weren’t followed, it’s the matter of the assembly and should be solved there only.”

At this, Justice Bhatti interjected that the rules mentioned prompt election for the chief minister.

“But the rules don’t mention the exact date or time,” the PML-Q lawyer argued. “They just say that the assembly can’t indulge in any other activities other than holding the poll.” Zafar added that there were just a few days left in the election and changing the date now wouldn’t matter. The court inquired why the power of PA Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mazari to hold the session was striped off by Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

Zafar replied that the deputy speaker was never given the powers for the election process. “The Assembly rules decide the power the speaker has and the powers that he should have,” he added and then referred to PML-N’s mock assembly session held at a private hotel in Lahore. “They tried to form an assembly despite an

existing one. It is unconstitutional and illegal,” he contended. At this point, Justice Bhatti said that no one could assume a post without taking the oath.

“Exactly. No notification regarding the success or appointment of Hamza Shahbaz was issued,” PML-N lawyer Azam Nazeer Tarar argued.

At one point in the hearing, Zafar brought up the matter of the presiding officer’s appointment. He said that the deputy speaker couldn’t take up that role and hold the election because a no-confidence motion had been submitted against him.

“The assembly doesn’t trust him to hold a fair and transparent election,” the PML-Q lawyer said. “The deputy speaker has already started imposing restrictions on the PA secretary.”

The LHC CJ wondered what would happen if both the parties try and get their candidate to preside the session. Zafar cautioned that there could again be a deadlock and chances of Governor Raj’s imposition would increase. PML-N’s Tarar suggested that there were four independent members in the PA. “One of them can be appointed the presiding officer for voting.”

But the PML-Q counsel raised an objection at this option as well and questioned the non-partisanship of the independent lawmakers as well. Both the lawyers then told the court to take a decision because the parties couldn’t reach a consensus. During yesterday’s hearing, the court had instructed Hamza, Elahi and Mazari to mutually decide a date for the CM election.

“All of them should sit in the office of the Punjab advocate-general and solve the matter amicably,” Justice

Ameer Bhatti said. “Remember that we are all residents of this country. Don’t create a scene outside. Solve the problem at home, together,” he remarked.

However, after they failed, Justice Bhatti ordered that the office of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker be reopened and he be allowed back onto the premises.

He had also ordered for the high court registrar and PA Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti to accompany the deputy speaker while reopening his office. Additionally, the secretary was ordered to note down all information regarding the assembly’s state, including furniture, vandalism and CCTV footage.

The judge had further observed that election rules were formed for a reason and couldn’t be broke just like that. He added that it was important to hold the voting as soon as possible. The Punjab Assembly has to elect the new leader of the house after Usman Buzdar resigned last month. PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and PML-N’s Hamza, who has secured the support of PTI’s dissident lawmakers — the Jahangir Khan Tarin and Aleem Khan groups — are expected to go head to head in the race to become the next chief minister.

To be elected as chief minister, a candidate will need at least 186 votes in the 371-member house.

In the Punjab Assembly, the PTI has 183 lawmakers, PML-Q 10, PML-N 165, PPP seven, five are independent and one belongs to Rah-i-Haq. The decisive factor in the election will be the support of the Jahangir Tarin group, which is said to have the votes of at least 16 MPAs. On Thursday, the opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against Elahi, who is also the PA speaker, further squeezing space for the provincial government to play its cards.

After the apex court’s decision on Thursday, where it nullified the National Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the ruling coalition in Punjab has once again warned its MPAs against voting for Hamza or they would be de-seated. In the National Assembly, the joint opposition did not need the dissident PTI MNAs to oust PM Imran as it had the required numbers, including the support of the former government’s allies. But in the PA, the opposition needs the backing of a good number of PTI dissenters to install its chief minister.

India hopes for Pakistan reset after Sharif election NEW DELHI AFP

India hopes that Pakistan’s new prime minister will herald a diplomatic thaw between the two nuclear-armed foes after years of tensions, analysts say. The pragmatic and businessfriendly Shehbaz Sharif faces daunting challenges as a leader — among them relations with a neighbour his country has fought three wars against in the past 75 years.

But he hails from an elite political family seen in India as conciliatory towards New Delhi and willing to settle disputes with dialogue instead of denunciation — unlike his immediate predecessor. “He is not someone who will go to the extreme of antagonising India,” Ajay Darshan Behera, a professor of international studies at New Delhi’s Jamia Milia Islamia university, told AFP. Unusually for a senior politician, Sharif has actually visited India, in 2013 as chief minister for Punjab — a state that was split between them in the bloody 1947 partition of the sub-continent.

Sharif visited his family’s ancestral village

CMYK

on the Indian side of the frontier and met with then-prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, along with other officials.

And for his part, his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi has attended a Sharif family wedding. The Hindu nationalist leader made a surprise trip to Pakistan in 2015, a year after taking office, when he was hosted by Sharif’s elder brother Nawaz, himself prime minister at the time.

Both siblings have usually had “cordial relationships” with Indian leaders, said Imtiaz Gul of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in Islamabad.

“This is a good entry point basically for India to resume dialogue,” he added.

Modi’s trip was followed by several rounds of trust-building talks aimed at repairing relations that had sunk to a low ebb after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

But that came to an abrupt halt the following year with renewed conflict in Kashmir, a territory hotly disputed by both countries.

A series of tit-for-tat air raids were then staged over the region’s frontier in 2019, with brinkmanship and radio silence between the

two governments heightening fears of another all-out war.

During Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, diplomatic relations were downgraded and direct trade was suspended after a dispute over India’s attempt to entrench its grip over the part of Kashmir it occupies.

Khan was also critical of Modi and called for international action to stop what he claimed was a “genocide of Muslims” in the occupied region.

‘Peace and stability’: With Khan’s weekend ouster, Delhi-based political analyst Sujit Dutta said the changing of the guard left Sharif the opportunity to move past the rancour of recent years, adding that any overture would be “seen very positively” by India.

“We need a new relationship with Pakistan based on basic diplomatic norms of peaceful co-existence and peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue,” Dutta told AFP. “That will surely help Pakistan and certainly India too.” Modi congratulated Sharif on Twitter after the latter’s election win and reiterated his desire for “peace and stability” in the region.

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

corporate corner FIRsT dEPUTY dEFENcE MINIsTER & chIEF OF gENERAL sTAFF ARMEd FORcEs OF REPUBLIc OF kAZAkhsTAN VIsITs NAVAL hEAdQUARTERs

ISLAMABAD: The First Deputy Defence Minister & Chief of General Staff Armed Forces of Republic of Kazakhstan, Lieutenant General Khussainov Marat Rakhimovich called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi at Naval Headquarters, Islamabad. Upon arrival at Naval Headquarters, the dignitary was received

by Naval Chief. During the one-on-one meeting between the dignitaries, matters of mutual interest including bilateral collaborations and regional security were discussed. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan Navy’s efforts and initiatives in support of collaborative maritime security and stability in the region. The recent visit of First Deputy Defence Minister & Chief of General Staff Armed Forces of Republic of Kazakhstan will further enhance bilateral collaboration between the Armed Forces of two countries. PR

PTA Renews Jazz License

NUcLEAR wARhEAds IN UsEABLE sTOckPILEs INcREAsINg: MONITOR ISLAMABAD

N

AnAdolu Agency

uclear warheads in usable stockpiles are increasing, the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor warned Monday, along with its partner, the International campaign to abolish Nuclear Weapons.

The monitor said that nine nuclear-armed states had a combined arsenal of 12,705 nuclear warheads at the start of 2022. an estimated 9,440 warheads — with a collective yield equivalent to around 138,000 Hiroshima bombs — constituted usable stockpiles for use by the nuclear-armed states on their mis-

siles, aircraft, submarines, and ships.

“The war in ukraine and (russian President) Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats are yet another stark reminder of the profound dangers of living in a world where some states insist their security must rest on the capacity for massive and indiscriminate nuclear violence,” said Henriette Westhrin, the secretary-general of the humanitarian relief organisation Norwegian People’s aid, which published its annual Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor report on Monday.

“We have ended up trusting luck rather than the supposed stabilising effects of nuclear deterrence. It is deeply concerning that the global stockpile of nuclear weapons available for use is now increasing.”

Global useable stockpiles: In addition to the 9,440 nuclear warheads in global usable stockpiles, at the beginning of this year, an estimated 3,265 retired, older warheads were awaiting dismantlement in russia, the uK, and the uS. The number of nuclear warheads globally continued to drop slightly last year, but only because the uS and russia dismantled a small number of their retired, older nuclear warheads every year.

“There has not been a parallel and continued gradual reduction of the number of nuclear warheads that are available for use,” said Matt Korda of the Federation of american Scientists, one of the contributors to the monitor.

LAHORE stAff RePoRt

Governor Punjab Omar Sarfraz cheema called on former Governors Punjab Mian azhar and lieutenant General (retd) Khalid Maqbool on Tuesday

MUZZAFARABAD inP

PBM enters into collaboration with leading universities to help deserving students

and discussed various issues including political and administrative situations of province.

They congratulated Omar Sarfraz cheema on assuming the office of Governor Punjab and expressed their best wishes.

Talking on the occasion, the Governor Punjab

a no-confidence motion was also submitted against azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi by his own party on Tuesday.

The motion was submitted by a group of MPs belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and bears the signatures of 25 members of the legislative assembly.

Senior Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has been nominated as a candidate for the seat of prime minister. responding to the move, the Kashmir chapter of PPP said they along with PMl-N will table a separate no-confidence motion against Niazi.

PPP Deputy Information Secretary Shaukat Javed Mir said the PTI has itself expressed no-confidence against its own government. “We will out this government which was imposed on us through rigging,” he declared.

Niazi was sworn in as the 13th prime minister of the region in august last.

Niazi was born in Darra Sher Khan, a village in the Battal sector. He contested his first election in 1982, at the age of 23, and became the youngest district councillor in his Poonch district.

LONDON stAff RePoRt

Foreign Office minister Zac Goldsmith has broken with government practice by speaking out in support of former prime minister Imran Khan who was ousted in a noconfidence vote in the National assembly early Sunday.

Following the dramatic events in Islamabad, lord Goldsmith — whose elder sister Jemima was married to Khan from 1995 to 2004 — said he was “sad” at the developments in Pakistan.

“Imran Khan is a good and decent man, one of the least corruptible politicians on the world stage,” the conservative peer posted on Twitter.

“I have no doubt he will

be returned with a big majority in the upcoming elections.”

Downing Street Monday stopped short of rebuking the Tory peer for his comments, but confirmed that it was normally the case that the uK government “would not get involved in the domestic political affairs” of another country.

Downing Street was asked whether lord Goldsmith, who is Foreign Office minister for the Pacific and the international environment, was speaking on behalf of the government. a spokesperson responded: “With regard to Pakistan, we respect Pakistan’s democratic system and we would not get into its domestic political affairs.

“We have longstanding

CMYK

said that it is a special grace of allah almighty that he has enriched Pakistan with all kinds of resources and we have no shortage of anything. regarding the current political situation, Omar Sarfraz cheema said that the electoral process was essential for the continuity of democracy.

AIOU relaunches English access micro scholarship program

His family was associated with the all Jammu and Kashmir Muslim conference, a long-time ruling party in aJK. Niazi himself had contested the first election to the assembly in 2001 as an independent candidate after the aJKMc granted its ticket to someone else. He could not succeed then, but five years later he had emerged victorious on an Mc ticket from the same constituency and held the ministerial berths in Sardar attique-led government.

British minister breaks ranks to voice support for Imran Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) inks Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Federal Urdu University, Women University of Mardan and Thal University Bhakkar here in its Head Office, to keep the deserving students on their educational track. Managing Director PBM, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar signed the MoUs with the Incharge Federal Urdu University, Dr. Amir Nadeem, Vice Chancellor Women University of Mardan, Prof. Dr. Ghazala Yasmeen and Vice Chancellor Thall University of Bhakkar, Dr. Islam Ullah.

Under these MoUs, PBM will support the 100 deserving students of Federal Urdu University, 200 post-graduate deserving students of Women University of Mardan and 100 deserving students of Thal University Bhakkar every year. Addressing the ceremony, Managing Director PBM, Malik Zaheer Abbas said PBM is leading the country towards a social welfare state with its eminent pro-poor services. He further highlighted the PBM’s proactive contribution towards poverty reduction in the country.

Managing Director PBM also expressed his enthusiasm to support the deserving and promising students of the country enabling them to complete their education. PR

In 2007, reductions in global usable stockpiles slowed to a trickle.

“The number of nuclear warheads in global usable stockpiles had even started to increase again since its lowest point in 2017 when it was at 9,227 warheads,” said Korda.

The report shows that china, India, North Korea, and Pakistan increased their total arsenals last year.

The uK announced a significant potential increase, and the trend over the past few years has been an increase in russia’s usable stockpile.

The uS’ usable stockpiles increased slightly in 2019 but declined again in 2020 and 2021, while France’s and Israel’s stockpiles have remained constant.

Omar Sarfraz discuss political, administrative situation with former Governors

No-confidence motion moved against Kashmir PM ISLAMABAD: In pursuance to the Policy Directive issued by Federal Government, Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (Jazz) has signed renewed license with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The license is renewed for a fee of USD 486.2 Million for 15 years, out of which 50% of the amount i.e. Rs. 44.54 Billion (equivalent to USD 243.1 million) has been deposited by Jazz and the remaining amount will be paid in 5 equal annual installments along with applicable markup. Renewed license has enhanced terms and conditions for coverage and Quality of Service.

The license renewal ceremony, held at PTA today, was attended by Federal Secretary for IT & Telecommunication, Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput; Chairman PTA, Maj. General Amir Azeem Bajwa (R); Member Compliance & Enforcement (PTA), Dr. Khawar Siddique Khokhar and senior management of PMCL (Jazz), PTA, MOIT & FAB. PR

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ties with Pakistan and are monitoring developments.”

The spokesperson was unable to say whether lord Goldsmith would be told to take down his tweet or make clear it was issued in a personal capacity.

The Goldsmith family are close to the family of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In October last, Johnson enjoyed a free stay at the holiday home of lord Goldsmith’s family in southern Spain. a week-long stay at the villa was reported to usually cost as much as £25,000.

Johnson’s wife, carrie Johnson, is also a close friend of lord Goldsmith, who she worked for in her first job in politics.

ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) in collaboration with US Consulate has re-launched English Access Micro Scholarship Program in Gujranwala Region.

The purpose of this initiative is to provide access to youngster education and employment opportunities through language teaching. According to Dr. Saira Maqbool, Program Coordinator, this 2-year English Access Micro Scholarship Program is funded by the US Consulate in Lahore. AIOU has offered this program again after the successful conclusion of its first batch. 800 forms were received, and 100 students including 50 girls and 50 boys were selected after a written test and interview. This program is offered to the students of Gujranwala. Classes will be held thrice a week at the University's Regional Campus Gujranwala after school hours. The program is free and the students will receive a US Certification after the completion of this course. As per the approval of Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum, 100 tablets have been purchased for academic purposes for selected students. He expressed his hope that the English Access Micro Scholarship Program would highlight the new generation's ability to compete and participate in higher education. Regional Director Gujranwala campus AIOU, Dr. Qaiser Kazmi welcomed Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Director Language Program, US Consulate and Program Coordinators, Dr. Saira Maqbool and Samina Rana who visited the Regional Campus to give a detailed briefing on the program to the selected students. PR

Jazz and Infobip have collaborated to introduce Pakistan’s foremost Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) in the local market, which will enable enterprises to interact with their customers across multiple digital channels. Jazz and Infobip are developing Pakistan’s largest localized cloud Omnichannel platform. Seen above are Matija Razem, Senior Vice President at Infobip (left) and Ali Naseer, Cheif Business Officer at Jazz (right). PR

06-07 Comments - 13th April 2022_Layout 1 4/12/2022 9:52 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022

06 COMMENT

April is Arab American Heritage Month

Forming a representative cabinet A challenging task for Shehbaz Sharif

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M Shehbaz Sharif has inherited serious economic problems. Terrorism is once again on the rise, multiplying security challenges, and there would be an influx of millions of refugees if conditions in Afghanistan deteriorate. Dealing with these challenges requires a stable government committed to putting the country on track.

Two major parties and a number of minor ones joined hands to send the pTi government home. it was easier to bring them together on a single point; it would be a tough task to keep them united after the goal has been achieved.

Each one of these several parties has its own programme and its own constituency. The pMl(N) and the ppp have a long history of rivalry and mutual suspicions that still persist. it was widely noted that soon after Mr Sharif was sworn in, the hall rang with slogans that reflected the rivalries between the pMl(N) and the ppp. Soon after an MQM leader complained that Mr Sharif made no mention of recovering the missing persons which was a cardinalpoint in the agreement reached with the MQM. What aggravates the problem is that while working together the two major parties remember that they will be contesting against each other in the next elections. What provides a ray of hope is that despite their rivalries, they managed to reach a historic consensus on the 18th Amendment.

The new pM is required to form a cabinet representing the allied parties. This requires distribution of important constitutional appointments and federal ministries in a way that does not cause friction. The ANp eyes the gubernatorial post in Kp that a pMl(N) leader also lays claim to. The key posts of the National Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker and Chairman Senate too might have rival claimants.

Soon after being sworn in, Shahbaz Sharif appointed senior bureaucrat Tauqeer Shah principal secretary to the pM. On his first day as pM he reached office earlier than the staff, ordered opening government offices at eight o’clock rather than 10 o’clock for six days a week instead of five. This was in line with his image as a ‘can-do’ administrator. Much more would however be required to keep the alliance intact and run an efficient allied government.

More than just a single-issue lobby

Washington Watch Dr JAMes J Zogby

A

pril is Arab American Heritage Month. it may not be a big deal to some, but for those of my generation this recognition represents a half century of struggle to overcome outright bigotry, political exclusion, and ignorance about who we are, our history, and our contributions to American life.

Unlike many other new ethnic communities struggling for acceptance in American life, Arab Americans have had to not only build up ourselves and our community institutions, but also confront unique challenges and roadblocks that have been placed in our way. in media and popular culture, Arabs were negatively stereotyped, depicted in crude caricatures. When we organized as a national political movement, powerful forces were arrayed against us, insisting that we be excluded from the political mainstream. And in our education, the contributions made

by Arabs to human civilization were ignored, as were the roles played by Arab Americans in politics, culture, and business.

The trajectory of our community’s growth during the last half century has been a steady ascent. Hun-

PTI’s uphill battle

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lTHOUGH the pTi has decided to switch into election mode after losing its majority in the National Assembly to the joint opposition, voted out through a constitutionally mandated no-confidence motion, it will find, sooner rather than later, that staying out of the lower House and on the streets for too long is not a viable and maintainable strategy. That the former pM was able to attract massive crowds in key urban centres of the country on a day’s notice is impressive, but it is important to consider that the call was made through state media for a post-iftar protest on Sunday, thereby attracting emotionally charged and temporarily disappointed followers, meaning that such numbers may not be replicable going forward. The upcoming rallies in peshawar and Karachi will no doubt be crowd pullers but such gatherings are hardly representative of the sentiments in key constituencies where pTi will have to compete against candidates of parties now in government, especially the pMl(N). Now that party tickets have been guaranteed for those who did not jump ship during the former opposition’s putsch, it will be interesting to see how many candidates head to their respective constituencies to ask for votes another time on a pTi ticket. Voters will now view past three and a half years through the lens of high inflation, joblessness and a general disregard for the social contract.

While the pTi may have decided to quit the National Assembly en masse, it remains to be seen how many of these resignations make it through the scrutiny process whereby the Speaker of the House followed by the ECp must make sure that these were not forced or taken under duress. it is more than likely that not all former members of treasury benches make sure their resignations are accepted, as last-minute reconsiderations can never be ruled out in high stakes politics.

Another crucial factor that must be considered is how the establishment has distanced itself from the pTi, requiring the party to enter the election arena depending purely on organic support rather than manufactured results. imran Khan would be wise to accept that the elections he is gearing up, for will not be the cakewalk they were in 2018.

MUHAMMAD ALI ALVI

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pp chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his speech after the success of the no-trust motion happily and jubilantly, with a sigh of relief, advised the youth to follow their dreams as “dreams do come true”. The ex-prime Minister imran Khan on the other hand had vowed to fight till the last ball and promised a surprise. And, in doing so he almost plunged the country into a constitutional crisis in which the Supreme Court had to intervene.

The surprise given by the pTi government was an attempt to go to the public for a fresh mandate.

While the driving force behind that decision of dissolving the National Assembly was to avoid the vote of no-confidence, which the pTi government claimed was backed by the foreign elements for a regime change in pakistan. This sums up the current political chaos in the country. reacting swiftly, the Supreme Court declared the ruling of the deputy speaker of the National Assembly null and void, and restored the National Assembly, hence paving way for the normal proceedings to resume.

Some legal jurists and academics in pakistan are lauding the Supreme Court’s decision as the “Doctrine of necessity” did not prevail in this case and it was buried by the Supreme Court forever.

The joint opposition also enjoyed the decision as it was in their favour as well. The pTi government also accepted the decision but with resentment as they believed that their case was not taken up properly by the Supreme Court and the ruling was not just. in the National Assembly session on 9th April, the opposition repeatedly asked the Speaker of the National Assembly to follow the verdict of the supreme court as it believed it to be the way forward.

Before the ruling of the Supreme Court, the opposition and the government had different expectations. The opposition wanted the Supreme Court to make a decision quickly and expressed that “justice delayed is justice denied”. While the ranks among the pTi government expressed their reservations about the hastiness with which the case was solved by expressing that “justice hurried is justice buried”.

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

Once again, people insist their party is right

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

M. A. Niazi

cans continue to be harmed by discrimination, bias, and violence. As president, i have made it a top priority to strengthen the Federal Government’s response to hate crimes and to advance a whole-of-government approach to racial justice and equity so that all Americans, including Arab Americans, can meet their full potential. i am grateful for the tireless work of organizations that promote Arab American heritage and empower Arab Americans across our country.”

The president was joined by cabinet secretaries, the National Education Association, the chair of the Democratic party, and many others who issued similar statements. And while the national recognition is new, the efforts on the state and local level to recognize Arab American Heritage Month have been happening for decades thanks to the work of community members who have led with programmes in their local school districts and before their city councils and state legislatures. Today, the movement on the local level has resulted in official recognition by governors and state legislatures in 28 states (with more to come). Additionally, the White House is planning a series of briefings for community leaders on a number of policy concerns.

As i noted at the start, some may cynically dismiss these as “hollow gestures.” But when seen in the context of the struggles we’ve waged to earn respect and recognition, the significance of these statements becomes clear. We most certainly have more to do to change American policy, to secure the full democratic rights of our community, and to ensure that future generations learn the truth about our history and culture. The important fact to remember, however, is that we are now better positioned than ever before to take up these critical tasks.

On hearing me make this case, a critic sarcastically commented that i was just “seeing the glass as half full.” i responded that it wasn’t about the glass being half full or half empty, because i remember when we didn’t have a glass at all. Now we do and we’re working hard to fill it. We’ve gone from being ignored, defamed, and excluded to being recognized and honored as a respected American constituency.

That’s called progress.

Battle-for what?

Elections, whenever they take place, will be no cakewalk as before

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

dreds of Arab Americans have been elected to significant governmental posts, served in presidential cabinets, and been appointed to high-level positions.

Exclusion from politics has become a thing of the past, as Arab Americans today play key roles in US politics on the national and state levels.

Not only that, but we are proudly manifesting our identity and our culture and cleansing them of the negative stereotypes that had been imposed to tarnish them. Our history and language are being taught. Our heroes are now known. And we are even fighting to reclaim our food from those who have sought to culturally appropriate it (as israeli) or strip it of meaning (calling it Middle Eastern or Mediterranean).

Those who mobilized to exclude us were afraid that should our voices grow stronger we would challenge their exclusive control of the debate over israel/palestine. They even went so far as to refuse to see us as an ethnic community, caricaturing us instead as a “single issue” anti-israel lobby. We have overcome their narrow-minded bigotry and established ourselves as a key constituency in political coalitions on issues ranging from Middle East policy to civil liberties, hate crimes, immigration reform, and voting rights.

When we first sought formal recognition of an Arab American Heritage Month on the national level, the effort failed because some political leaders feared the political repercussions of acknowledging us. That is no longer the case. This year, president Biden issued a proclamation from the White House in which he wrote: “The history and story of the Arab American community is deeply woven into the diverse tapestry of America. This National Arab American Heritage Month, i thank the community for all that you have done to help move us forward and for representing the best of who we are.” president Biden continued: “For centuries, Arab Americans have embraced working hard, giving back, and cultivating friendship and community—helping shape our Nation’s history and build our future. Today, we see the contributions of Arab Americans reflected in every aspect of American life. By advancing innovation, leading businesses, serving in our military, teaching in our schools, and representing communities in elected office, Arab Americans make us stronger and help us form a more diverse and vibrant America.

“We also recognize that too many Arab Ameri-

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The question that arises here is that given the stance of the former pTi government that the USA was behind the no-trust motion and it wanted a regime change in pakistan, Could the honourable Supreme court have prevented the ongoing confusion?

Currently, there are two types of thoughts prevailing in pakistan. A) The USA was behind this move, and the opposition and institutions supported their cause. B) incompetent and selected government has been removed and people have won.

After the removal of the former prime minister from office, i engaged with a pTi supporter, a gatekeeper by profession, who was in disbelief at what had just happened. What moved me were his words that imran Khan was punished due to his narrative of independence, freedom and sovereignty by the USA, and even our Judiciary supported its plan.

When a common man believes something to be true, it is hard to disassociate him from those beliefs. The crisis that has emerged from this political upheaval will have dangerous repercussions for pakistan in future.

Currently, social media is flooded with posts from the supporters of both sides.

The heated debates have polluted the environment. pTi supporters are blaming the judiciary and the opposition for accepting foreign instructions. They are creating a link between the removal of iK, the role of politicians, institutions and a foreign conspiracy.

While the supporters of the other parties are happy that they have gotten rid of a selected government, a narrative built by the opposition from the start.

But, what had led to this disbelief in the state institutions?

This disbelief owes much to the past reactions of politicians, or the ones with social influence, on the decisions involving them.

The narrative that convicted persons build when decisions go against their wish is that they have not been served justice and the whole institution is against them. While the reaction is the opposite when the decision is in their favour. it is a reality that the convicted mostly never accept the decision but what happens is that in doing so they shape the minds of their supporters or concerned ones.

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We can find many examples from history. For example, when Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court back in 2017, the pMl(N) went on to build a narrative that it was being treated unjustly and the decision was a biased one. NS protested with his famous slogan “ Mujhe Kyun Nikala” and demanded justice. But, the decision was welcomed by pTi and other parties.

And, since then the pMl(N)’s stance has not changed. But, now when the Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the deputy speaker, the opposition including the pMl(N) appreciated it for serving justice. The pTi on the other hand accepted the decision, but with bitterness.

The pTi is convinced that the USA is behind the regime change. pTi supporters are convinced that the state institutions have sided with the opposition hence with those behind the plan.

The pTi supporters were on the road on Sunday night to show solidarity with imran Khan and reject the “imported government”.

On the other hand, Shehbaz Sharif has sworn in as the 23rd prime minister of pakistan. The pDM government has been established.

While the pTi leadership has decided to resign from the National Assembly, imran khan plans to go to the public to get maximum support against the “imported government”.

The pDM leadership has expressed that they are in power for electoral reforms. This seems very interesting with EVMs already introduced and expats already being given voting rights.

With the pTi in public, electoral reforms not acceptable to them will further make the next elections questionable. lastly, the public is extremely polarized now. it is pTi Vs the rest. The recent crisis seems like a battle of narratives. For pDM, they have toppled a selected government and for the pTi, the pDM has come to power on the back of a foreign power.

The only solution to prevent further polarization and instability is to solve the mystery of a foreign power being behind the regime change in pakistan.

And, that too, quickly.

Lastly, the public is extremely polarized now. It is PTI Vs the rest. The recent crisis seems like a battle of narratives. For PDM, they have toppled a selected government and for the PTI, the PDM has come to power on the back of a foreign power

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The writer is freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 13th April 2022_Layout 1 4/12/2022 9:52 PM Page 2

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to pakistan Today exclusively

Kamalan Bebagr and Malaar KAMAlAN Bebagr’s film, Malaar is one of the most-watched movies in Balochi. The film is about love- not romantic love but spiritual and unachievable love. Malaar also shows the worst picture of our societies which are centralized in the guiltiest rituals and customs.

The film, however, seemed to accentuate and bring out the cognitive sicknesses, gloom recessions, frustrations, and anxiety that a man feels in his daily life while living in societies where people do not understand emotions and realism. However, if we talk about the film, it is necessary to mention the main characters in the film which include an extreme and crazy lover, rafiq and Omar Kiyya who play the role of a doctor in the film. rafiq, the crazy lover, falls in love with a girl in his university. With time, he becomes more affectionate and his love reaches its topmost. But, due to the notions and customs, he forfeits the love that makes him say goodbye to his studies and life by committing suicide after having unveiled the reason behind his madness to his doctor.

To clarify, let me mention that i have watched this movie when it was first released on YouTube. it has almost been a year since i have watched Malaar. The movie was outstanding. At that time, i thought to write a review about the movie but did not because i was not that inscribed. After watching some other written documentaries of Ustad Kamalan Bebagr, i became a fan of him and again watched Malaar. This time Malaar was quite interesting and lovable. i found something untold and hidden in this film. Therefore, i think this film can be a great source of acknowledgement and entertainment.

PARVEZ MOULA BAKHSH KARACHI

A ‘miracle story’ and two ‘disaster tales’ Pakistan and Sri Lanka can learn from Bangladesh’s success JoHn roZArIo

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HE South Asian island nation of Sri lanka is currently going through an extreme economic crisis. Foreign exchange reserves have fallen so low that school examinations have been put off indefinitely due to a lack of imported paper. in addition to cooking gas, there has been a shortage of kerosene or petrol. Blackout has started due to a lack of electricity.

The situation is so dire that due to inflation, high unemployment, and shortages of almost all necessities, many Sri lankans are fleeing their country in the hope of a better life abroad. Countless Sri lankans are now being forced to do something other than their main occupation as not everyone can afford to leave the country. Or living an inhuman life. The suffering of the people of that country is coming up in the world media.

The country has never been in such a bad situation since independence in 1947. To cope with the situation, the Sri lankan government has asked for a new loan of $1.5 billion from neighboring india. When Sri lanka faced problems, Bangladesh provided $250 million in currency assistance for the first time. This was the first loan from Bangladesh for any country. They again asked for a loan from Bangladesh. Besides, they have been repaying loans of different countries through the exchange of goods.

Sri lanka was quite capable of human resources and internal prosperity. Then why their situation? in this regard, economic analysts have brought forward various factors, from which different countries can learn lessons in their current and future plans.

Sri lanka has undertaken several mega projects in their country for more than a century.

These include seaports, airports, roads, and other projects that are currently considered unnecessary and redundant. Different governments of Sri lanka have taken loans from different sources at home and abroad. As a result, their foreign exchange reserves gradually run out. According to the country’s economists, there has been little foreign direct investment in Sri lanka in the last 15 years. instead of foreign investment, various governments have focused on borrowing.

The country’s government has issued sovereign bonds since 2007 to raise money. This type of sovereign bond is sold when the expenditure is more than the income of a country. Such bonds are sold in the international capital market to raise money. That is what Sri lanka has done.

But it did not give much thought to how the money would be paid. At present, Sri lanka has a debt of $12.5 billion for that bond alone. Besides, the government has also borrowed from domestic sources.

The once-self-sufficient country is also in dire straits due to tax cuts, reduced income from tourism remittances, and unplanned decisions in agriculture. Different countries including Bangladesh have to learn from this situation.

The world economic situation has begun to change rapidly since the russia-Ukraine war, at which time any country could fall into a new crisis. Although Bangladeshi foreign exchange re-

serves are in a good position so far, the situation in Sri lanka can be kept in mind in future state plans. At the same time, we are hopeful that friendly Sri lanka will soon be able to return to normalcy with the help of various countries and organizations around the world.

On the other hand, the economy of pakistan is in turmoil. pakistan is in debt, amounting to $130 billion. At the same time, inflation seems to have picked up speed (12 percent). Over the past three years, pakistan’s progress has stalled.

The recent political instability has created a crisis in pakistan. The recent political unrest has shaken the business and industrial sectors. The country’s economy is already fragile due to the depreciation of the rupee, declining reserves, rising commodity prices, and revenue shortfalls.

Not only has the currency depreciated, but the wheel of pakistan’s economy has slowed down over the past three years. The recent political unrest has shaken the business and industrial sectors. The instability in pakistan’s politics is showing no signs of abating anytime soon. A few days before the fall of the government, it affected the economy.

The pakistani rupee is depreciating. Never in the history of pakistan has the rupee depreciated so much against the dollar.

The biggest challenge for imran Khan’s government was the economic crisis and he claimed that he would change the country’s economy. He wouldn’t go to the iMF, reduce debt, and bring down inflation.

During his tenure, there has been an increase in the amount of debt, ranging from inflation, to a record fall in the value of the pakistani currency, with the finance minister being changed three times. According to prime Minister imran Khan, despite the improvement in the economic situation, the coronavirus epidemic broke out and global inflation soared.

On the other hand, the small size of Bangladesh is currently a wonder of development.

The implementation of big projects is now just a matter of time. City facilities have also been ensured in the villages. Flyovers are visible on most of the roads in the capital. Metrorail will be launched in a few days. The long padma bridge is not a dream now, it is real. Economists speculate that the GDp growth rate could rise to one percent because of the bridge. This bridge has given new hope to the people of the south. The implementation of such a project with the government’s own funding was at one time unimaginable. The country is moving forward with a sound plan.

The present government in Bangladesh has shown great prudence and foresight in the progress of Bangladesh. For this reason, there is nothing to be afraid of in seeing the situation of any oher country as a nightmare. For example, the mega project padma Bridge and Metrorail utility and how much is already known to everyone. 100 economic zones are being formed. in-

vestment is coming from different countries. Foreign exchange reserves are adequate ($45 billion in January 2022), and remittances are satisfactory. it can be said that every economic foundation of Bangladesh is still in a strong position.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Sri lankan tourism industry was almost destroyed by giving more importance to the health sector Unnecessary development projects were carried out with loans, the return of which has not come . The organic agriculture sector has come to a standstill and the tax on public welfare has been greatly reduced but the economy of Bangladesh was also active in the pandemic. Emphasis has been laid on revenue collection and the agricultural sector of Bangladesh is very strong.

Bangladesh is in a positive position in terms of foreign exchange reserves, remittances, and export earnings.

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves now stand at more than $45 billion, despite rising import costs. With which it will be able to meet the import cost of six months. Sri lanka, on the other hand, has less than $2 billion dollars. it is not possible to meet the cost of one week’s imports. So, Bangladesh cannot be compared with Sri lanka.

On the other hand, Bangladesh’s growth rate was way above pakistan, even before the pandemic; in 201819 it was 7.8 percent compared to pakistan’s 5.8 percent. Various international organizations, including the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, and the Economic intelligence Unit, have identified Bangladesh’s economic development as a “wonderful puzzle.”. While the size of the economy of Bangladesh is $410 billion, the size of pakistan’s is about $260 billion.

Bangladesh has improved its quality of life, economic strength, prosperity, education, and research in every field. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, Bangladesh’s growth has slowed down. But where the growth of all the developed countries of the world was negative in these years, the achievement of Bangladesh was also noticeable.

Successful statesman pM Sheikh Hasina Wazed has achieved full potential to move from a least developed country to a developing country. it has been possible because of hard-working, strong leadership. political stability, the flow of FDi, empowerment of women, unique poverty alleviation model, inclusivity of economy, and so on. That is the story of South Asian countries: ‘Bangladesh’ is a ‘miracle story’ while Sri lanka and pakistan are disaster tales.

Successful statesman PM Sheikh Hasina Wazed has achieved full potential to move from a least developed country to a developing country.

The writer is based in Karnataka, India, and has completed a master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University in International Relations. He can be reached at johnrojariojnu@gmail.com.

2022: Gwadar Port THE Gwadar Garment Factory was established and operated by China Overseas port Holdings Co., ltd., providing jobs for a large number of local low-educated and unemployed women.

According to the reporters, in the off-season, aquatic products can also help make up for the family. Zaitoon Abdullah, deputy manager of the garment factory, told reporters. “Almost 80% of our employees are locals.” Mohammad Salim Batt, director of port operations at Gwadar international Terminal Co., ltd., told the media. There are not many educational institutions and skills training institutions in the Gwadar area. Zain, the manager of the Gwadar China Business Center Office, admitted that nearly 90% of the local people may only be able to do simple custodial work when they first apply for jobs.

“We teach them from scratch,” Zain said. After training, these local employees are competent for simple technical work and computer operation.

Medical resources are scarce in the Gwadar region. if local residents are seriously ill, they have to travel thousands of miles to large cities such as Karachi to seek medical treatment. On December 16, 2019, the construction of the pakistan-aided Gwadar port Hospital project officially started.

According to Deng Chaoyang, engineer of the project management team, the total construction area of the aided hospital project is about 12,000 square meters, with complete department configuration and advanced medical equipment. local medical equipment and technical level, improve the medical and health conditions of local people and change the current situation that local residents are difficult to see a doctor.

The climate in the Gwadar region is dry and hot, with an average annual rainfall of less than 60 mm, little vegetation coverage on the surface, and serious soil salinization and desertification. The first time i set foot on Gwadar, all i could see was the vast yellow sand. Gwadar is Developing and the city is rising, with a silent gesture. The Gwadar East Bay Expressway is now 92% complete and is expected to be completed within this year. When i first came, it was only 25% progress. At that time, the Gwadar Vocational and Technical School were not even approved, but the project was completed ahead of schedule. The Gwadar New international Airport project is still progressing in an orderly manner.

Nauman Abdul, chairman of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and industry and owner of the Gwadar Fish Factory, told reporters that he hopes to export lobsters to China from the new airport in the future.

HAMMAL ZAHID KOLAHOO

Malnutrition MAlNUTriTiON simply means a lack of proper nutrition. The ratio of child malnutrition is increased in pakistan as compared to the other developed countries. Due to the scarcity of available food and fresh fruits, a number of children are suffering in deep trouble, almost 40.2pc children are suffering and 17.7pc are wasted for deficiency of iron. However, poverty is one of the major causes of malnutrition in developing countries. Most people living in poverty lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables. For one kg oranges cost more than 200 before it was for 80 or 100, others are in the same condition as well. As a result, people cannot afford to buy delicious food for eating and survive a prosperous life. Thus, it is time for the government to help them well so that the people must not be in hot water.

ATIQA KARIM TURBAT

No Name-Calling i have huge respect for the COAS, who asked prime Minister imran Khan not to call Moulana Fazal-ur-rehman “diesel”. prime Minister replied that people call Moulana Fazal-ur-rehman diesel, which is why he also called him diesel. it is not appropriate to call a cleric by such names as clerics have sufficient knowledge of the Quran and Hadith owing to which clerics should be respected. people always comment that what is the role of a cleric in politics and why Moulana Fazal-ur-rehman has come into politics. He might be criticized for having a difference of opinions or having dissent over opinion but he should and must not be treated badly come what may because he is a cleric or at least should not be pronounced with such bad names. The role of clerics is not just to lead the obligatory prayers in Masjids and to teach The Holy Quran; instead, clerics should serve in all walks of life and perform their duties. islam is not just the name of offering salah, instead, it teaches us a complete way of life. which includes dealing with societal issues, morality, politics etc and Moulana Fazal-ur-rehman is discharging his services in politics.

FAISAL ANSAR KARACHI

08 WORLD VIEW 13th April 22_Layout 1 4/12/2022 9:52 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

FrAncE is sET For sErious sociAl unrEsT LAST YEAR A GROUP OF RETIRED SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS PUBLISHED AN OPEN LETTER IN FRANCE WARNING OF AN IMPENDING CIVIL WAR. THEY WERE RIGHT TO AIR THEIR ANXIETY ALTHOUGH THEY WERE WRONG IN PINPOINTING ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS AS THE ENEMY WITHIN

SpeCtator Gavin MortiMer

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O it’s Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen once again, and for many millions of French that is a deeply depressing prospect. There were violent protests in the Brittany city of Rennes shortly after the result of the first round of voting was announced, as an estimated 500 people vented their anger against ‘fascism’ and ‘capitalism’.

Around the same time I received a call from my sister-in-law in the south of France. She was in despair, this working-class socialist, at once more being forced to choose between Macron and Le Pen. But it’s her ilk who will decide the outcome of the second round on 24 April. Jean-Luc Mélenchon received 21.9 per cent of the vote – approximately 7.6 million ballots – of whom the majority were 18 to 34 year-olds. He polled best among this demographic, while Le Pen topped the count among the 35 to 64 age range (she was second to Mélenchon among those aged 25 to 34). The only age group dominated by Macron was the over 65s, where he was by some margin the most popular candidate. This is dangerously unhealthily.

Those whose working lives are over, those on – in general – comfortable pensions with no mortgage are content with the incumbent. This is also the demographic who most approved of Macron’s draconian Covid measures, the passport, the masks, the shutting down of soci-

ety. This is the generation of ‘Soixante-huitards’, Baby Boomers to Brits. Half a century ago they were radicals and revolutionaries but in their dotage they are rather smitten with their ‘president of the rich’.

A good many senior citizens did not vote for Macron, of course, but they tended to be working-class men and women, highlighting the ominous faultline that has appeared in France in the last five years. ‘Two social and cultural blocks face each other,’ explains the pollster Jérôme Fourquet in Monday’s Le Figaro. ‘Macron, whose appeal is much stronger the more we climb the social ladder, as well as among the retired who come from the centre right… and Marine Le Pen, whose principal supporters are concentrated among those on more modest salaries, those still working and who are in difficulty in contrast to the affluent strata of society and the retired.’

According to Fourquet, it is obsolete to think of the divide in France in terms of left against right; rather it is between the haves and the have nots.

The yellow vest movement embodies this new cleavage, uniting men and women who a decade ago would have described themselves as socialists or right-wingers but who now go by the collective ‘The Forgotten’. A similar heterogeneity was in evidence last summer when tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France to protest against the Covid passport.

I attended several demos from both protest movements and not once did I hear demonstrators chanting their support of Le Pen or Mélenchon. There was only one name on their lips, and that was spat out with a cold hatred: ‘Macron, Démission!’ [resign] they hollered over and over as they trod the streets.

He declined their advice and he is favourite to win a second term, although a poll on Monday morning (the polls were impressively accurate in the first round) predicts that it is going to be very tight between him and Le

Pen. But whoever wins on Sunday week they will have to preside over a country that is fractured, fed up and spoiling for a fight.

Last year a group of retired senior military officers published an open letter in France warning of an impending civil war. They were right to air their anxiety although they were wrong in pinpointing Islamic extremists as the enemy within. They are too few in number to spark any serious social unrest; the conflict

is india planning to shrink its army?

brewing in France is between the anywheres and the somewheres, the globalists and what Macron mocked as the ‘resistant Gauls’. It is the well-off against the downtrodden Proles. France has been here before, and it never ends well.

Gavin Mortimer is a British author who has lived in Paris for 12 years. He writes about French politics, terrorism and sport.

The failure of Macronism

INDIA IS ALREADY THE WORLD’S THIRD-LARGEST MILITARY SPENDER, BEHIND THE US AND CHINA, AND THE WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST IMPORTER OF ARMS. MR MODI’S GOVERNMENT IS NOW SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BOOST DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING IN DEFENCE EQUIPMENT. INDIA ALSO HAS AN AMPLE STOCKPILE OF NUCLEAR WARHEADS AND BALLISTIC MISSILES.

BBC Soutik BiSwaS

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23-year-old man last week claimed that he had run 50 hours from his home in India’s northern state of Rajasthan to the capital, Delhi, to join a protest demanding that the government should resume hiring for the armed forces.

Suresh Bhichar, who carried a national flag during his 350-km (217-mile) sprint, said he was “passionate” about joining the army, but recruitment had stalled for two years and aspirants were “starting to get old”. (The maximum age of enlistment of a soldier is 21.)

With 1.4 million personnel, India’s army is one of the country’s - and the world’s - top employers. For many young Indians, it’s a coveted and secure job. Every year, some 60,000 personnel retire and the army holds up to 100 fresh hiring “rallies” to replace them. For the past two years, hiring has been suspended because of the pandemic, officials say.

Analysts believe this is not the whole truth.

They say Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government could be looking at ways to shrink the forces.

One reason is the army’s ballooning salaries and pensions bill that consumes more than half of its $70bn (£53bn) budget. That leaves little money to modernise the force and serve equipment shortfalls.

India is already the world’s third-largest military spender, behind the US and China, and the world’s second largest importer of arms.

(Mr Modi’s government is now spending billions of dollars to boost domestic manufactur-

ing in defence equipment.) India also has an ample stockpile of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.

A recent report, quoting sources in the defence department, says the government is mulling over a proposal to hire soldiers for a fixed term, also called the “three-year tour of duty”.

Mr Modi himself is an advocate of reform. In the past, he has spoken about the “need for forces that are agile, mobile and driven by technology, not just human valour”, and said that India needs capabilities to “win swift wars, for we will not have the luxury of long drawn battles”.

The most persuasive case for downsizing comes from a highly respected retired officer. In a recent commentary, Lt-Gen HS Panag said the current shortage of more than 100,000 personnel was an opportunity to bring about reforms.

“The forces of the 21st Century require quick response by agile armed forces backed by state-of-the-art military technology - more so in the subcontinental context, where nuclear weapons preclude large-scale conventional wars,” Lt-Gen Panag notes.

He says India has a “large military where we are forced to use quantity to compensate for quality”. As a developing economy, India’s defence spending “cannot increase exponentially” and therefore it needed to slim the forces.

“The army has the ability to make do with much less people than they have now. We need to cut the flab,” says Ajai Shukla, a former officer who now writes on defence.

China, for example, spends less than a third of its defence budget on personnel, compared to 60% for India, according to Laxman Kumar Behera, a professor of security studies at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. One way to deter China would be a “greater focus on technology-driven modernisation” which, in turn, would demand trimming the force, he says. But there are reservations about whether this is the right time to begin downsizing.

India’s hostile borders mean the army needs to be always prepared to fight two simultaneous land wars against nuclear-armed rivals, Pakistan and China.

Tens of thousands of Indian troops are still amassed in a tense standoff over the disputed

Himalayan border with China. Some half-amillion troops have become a permanent presence in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Then there’s the threat of terrorist attacks from across the border.

“A hiring freeze at a time when you have unsettled borders across demanding terrain could adversely impact manpower availability in immediate terms,” says Anit Mukherjee of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

There are more serious concerns about the “tour of duty” proposal. Mr Mukherjee believes the idea is based on too many assumptions regarding the motivation of those who sign up and “more seriously threatens to weaken the army by replacing professional soldiers with short-term, transient soldiers”.

Sushant Singh, a senior fellow with the Centre for Policy Research, a Delhi-based think tank, says the proposal makes him uncomfortable. It will, he says, create a young cohort of soldiers, who would be out of the force in their early 20s in a country where joblessness is rife.

“Do you really want to put out so many people who are well trained in arms to look for jobs in a society where levels of violence are already so high? Do you want these ex-soldiers serving in the police and or as security guards? My fear is, you can end up creating militias of unemployed arms-trained men,” Mr Singh says.

The case for a nimbler and lighter army is not lost on anyone. Lt-Gen Panag argues that Mr Modi’s government should own the reforms - they seem to have been left to “the tradition-bound military, which by nature revels in the status quo”. But critics such as Mr Singh raise key questions.

What about the gaps that will be created that won’t be filled for years? How fast can you train the new “transient” recruits? What about the political pushback that will inevitably happen as public protests demanding the resumption of hiring continues? Most importantly, which roles will be trimmed? The soldier who operates an air defence gun or the soldier looking after rations? “There seems to be no strategy or plan that has been made public. This is reform by stealth,” says Mr Singh.

Spiked FraSer MyerS

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MMANUEL Macron had one job. His landslide election victory in 2017, securing the French presidency for the centrist upstart, was supposed to see off the French far right for the foreseeable future. His centrist, technocratic pro-EU politics were meant to offer a clear answer to the rise of populist and nationalist forces in Europe.

Following the first round of voting in the French presidential elections on Sunday, it’s clear things haven’t quite worked out that way.

Yes, Macron came out on top, and he performed better than the last-minute pre-election polling had suggested.

But anti-establishment parties have gained a lot of ground since 2017, too.

The hard-right Marine Le Pen will face Macron in the second round of voting for the second election in a row.

She improved her first-round vote share compared to 2017. And most polling suggests that the second-round run-off will be nail-bitingly close. The potential for a Le Pen victory is within the margin of error. This is a far cry from the last election, when Macron trounced Le Pen by 66 to 34 per cent.

Macron had, until recently, expected to cruise to victory. He delayed the declaration of his candidacy until the last minute, refused to debate any other candidates before the first round, and only held his first election rally a month ago. He expected his presidency – particularly his presence on the world stage – to speak for itself. Plainly, it has not.

As well as the return of Le Pen, there has been the emergence of Éric Zemmour, a far-right TV pundit, journalist and author. Despite being by far the most talked about candidate for

the past year or so, Zemmour gained just seven per cent in the first round.

Still, this was a higher vote share than that achieved by Valérie Pécresse, the candidate for the centre-right Républicains – formerly the most successful party of the postwar Fifth Republic.

Similarly, of the left-wing challengers, the insurgent candidate – Jean-Luc Mélenchon – emerged on top, snapping at Le Pen’s heels on 22 per cent. His performance left Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and candidate of the centre-left Parti Socialiste, in the dust. Her party held the presidency as recently as 2017, but in this election she could not even muster two per cent of the vote.

All of this points to a growing anger and frustration among French voters. When polled, the vast majority say France is in decline and heading in the wrong direction. Most also feel that politicians do not speak for people ‘like them’. The cost-of-living crisis has added to an already deep sense of economic insecurity, which is now starting to bite not just working-class voters, but more middle-class voters, too.

It is little wonder, then, that Sunday’s first round of voting showed that a majority of voters are willing to choose some quite radical alternatives to the status quo, on the right and the left.

Others are happy to sit out the elections entirely. The rate of abstention on Sunday was the highest seen in a presidential election for 20 years.

This is not a new problem. Macron’s 2017 victory was undercut by the record-high number of spoiled ballots, and the parliamentary elections that followed shortly after registered a record-low turnout. In the coming second round, some voters may be less willing than last time to back Macron as the lesser of two evils.

Even if Macron wins in two weeks’ time, as still seems most likely, the divisions revealed by these elections are hardly an endorsement of his rule. Many voters may grudgingly agree with his handling of various crises, from Covid to Ukraine, but enthusiasts for his programme are few and far between.

It is now crystal clear that Macron does not hold the answers to the problems facing France and Europe.

Fraser Myers is deputy editor at spiked and host of the spiked podcast.

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

corporate corner Philip Morris (Pakistan) limited’s open innovation program with local startups concludes with an exhilarating grand finale KArAchI: Philip Morris Pakistan Limited (PMPKL’s) Innovation Lab Program (“Program”) came to an exciting conclusion - 9 teams made up of startups with the support of PMPKL employees participated in the grand finale pitches that took place on the 1st of April at the Movenpick hotel.

Having gone through rigorous Design Thinking and Prototyping sprints, followed by a semi-final pitch and lastly the final pitch, 3 teams stood out from the crowd. The first prize, PKR 800,000 and a trip to London Tech Week, went to team Yadgaar, the second prize, PKR 500,000 went to team Red Retail and the third prize, PKR 250,000 went to team Nucleus. The collaboration with the startup finalists and PMPKL will not end here – as the leadership will now be focusing on creating impact by deploying a chosen few of the proposed solutions with the startups.

Roman Yazbeck, Managing Director at Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited, expressing his excitementduring the opening segment of the finale, said, “This is a big and bold step for Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited to be venturing into the future by partnering with startups. We hope that these great ideas being pitched before us have the potential to create an impact for the organization’s goal of becoming more forward looking & consumer centric.”

The Program focused on empowering start-up founders & entrepreneurs to collaborate with PMPKL to build tech-based solutions for PMPKL’s challenges. The challenges posed to the startups fell under three categories: consumer centricity, harm reduction and customer care.

The final pitch required the teams to build a prototype of their proposed solution and prove its viability and feasibility to a panel of judges. The panel of judges consisted of members of the leadership from PMPKL and startup ecosystem veterans.

PMPKL is committed to continue its journey of success through shared value creation. pr

Sustainable projects ensure higher yields for both farmers and large corporations ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s agro-economic growth has been constrained by multiple factors including shrinking arable land, climate change, water shortages, etc. In order to increase the agricultural productivity, it has become imperative to adopt new and sustainable approaches that are beneficial for farmers, corporate sector and the end consumers.

Nestlé Pakistan has been at the forefront in providing sustainable solutions by taking collective action with local communities, farmers in supply chain and experts in various agricultural fields.

To showcase the positive impact of Nestlé global Water Pledge, a trip was arranged for the media to Al Rehan Dairies and Farm, a model farm in Gujrat that has successfully implemented the modern drip irrigation method advised by Nestle Pakistan. Company’s water stewardship efforts under the umbrella of Caring for Water-Pakistan (C4W-Pakistan) initiative identifies opportunities to optimize water use in the agricultural Supply Chain and the communities. Nestlé, together with its partners, has also developed a low-cost soil moisture sensor that helps farmers to decide when or when not to irrigate their crops. During the trip Zeeshan Sohail, Manager Public Affairs – North Nestlé Pakistan, informed the media that approximately 90% of the water is consumed in agriculture, with 50% being wasted due to poor irrigation and infrastructure. This leads to dire need of actions to efficiently manage water resources with the help of partners like the government, communities, farmers, civil society and academia.

Sharing the background about the farm, he said, “This farm primarily supplied Nestlé with milk, but seeing their commitment to sustainability, we encouraged them to begin fruit production, which they have started recently.”

Using modern drip irrigation techniques, the farm has not only been able to conserve over 70% of the water but also decreased the use of fertilizer and pesticides by 200% and 100% respectively.

“Nestlé Pakistan is cognizant of this challenge and is proud to have finalized its 2025 Sustainability Roadmap. This will help us reduce our carbon emissions by 20% by 2025, in line with our commitment to become a net zero company by 2050,” he concluded. pr

09

TreeT GroUP CollABorATeS wITh lMKT for TeChnoloGy PArTnerShIP

A

memorandum of understanding has been signed by Treet Holdings Limited and LMKT on March, 29th 2022 at Treet Group’s Batteries Plant in FIEDMC Faisalabad.

Under this MOU, both the parties aim to explore opportunities and technical collaboration in Electric Mobility and Integrated Solutions.

LMKT is a full-service technology company based out of Pakistan offering scalable IT solutions and services to clients across a broad spectrum of industries. The company specializes in smart cities, smart

buildings, e-governance, clean technology and agri-tech solutions.

Whereas Innovation is one of the core values at Treet Group with which it is drawn to new skills that are important for every company today: Trying out new approaches, developing creative solutions for problem solving, identifying customer benefits and adapting to new markets all through the process of ideation.

This MoU will also help progress towards more sustainable and environment friendly alternates in technology which will help reduce the carbon emissions. pr

EBM collaborates with HabibMetro for easy home-financing solutions for its employees KARACHI pr

Pakistan's leading FMCG company, English Biscuit Manufacturers, has collaborated with HabibMetro to help its employees realize their dreams of owning a house through a relatively affordable and simple repayment plan.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony was held at the EBM head office. Zahid Iqbal, Director Commercial & HR, EBM, Kashif Ijaz Sheikh GM Finance, IT and Legal Affairs, EBM, and Khurram Shahzad Khan, Group Executive – Corporate and Transaction Banking Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited (Subsidiary of Habib Bank AG Zurich), signed the MOU. According to the agreement, the leading finance bank HabibMetro will fund low-cost housing for EBM's employees under the ‘Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar’ scheme by the federal government and State Bank of Pakistan.

Additionally, EBM family will also be able to access House Financing Mortgage Facility across Pakistan at discounted rates with preferential terms and conditions through HabibMetro.

EBM’s representative said, “This partnership is primarily for the benefit of the employees.

Being an employee-centric organization, we believe this initiative will help our employees achieve that ever-elusive dream of owning a home.”

“EBM’s collaboration is a testimony of our growing corporate partnership with HMB to help our employees get funds for

low-cost housing. One of our key well-being agenda is financial empowerment and we hope that this initiative will go a long way into achieving the objective.”

Mr. Khurram Shahzad Khan also congratulated the leadership of EBM for taking an initiative that will directly help its employees.

“This is an auspicious occasion for both organizations. Employees of EBM will now be able to purchase their own homes thanks to HabibMetro Bank's mortgage financing services. Together, we will help the government meet its goal of providing affordable housing options for everyone.”

Kazakhstan Deputy Defence Minister calls on air Chief Lieutenant General Khussainov Marat Rakhimovich, First Deputy Defence Minister/Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Kazakhstan, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force in his office today. During the meeting, both the dignitaries discussed matters of professional and mutual interest. Lieutenant General Khussainov Marat Rakhimovich commended the professionalism of PAF and acknowledged its rising indigenous capacity in aviation industry. The Air Chief said

that Pakistan and Republic of Kazakhstan enjoy longstanding religious, cultural and historical bonds which are manifested through strong ties between both

air forces. The Air Chief reiterated his resolve to further enhance the existing bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries. pr

Advans Pakistan Microfinance Bank relocates to a new head office at Islamic Chambers of Commerce, Karachi

After a strong performance in 2021 and beside its ambitious expansion and diversification plan in 2022, Advans Pakistan pursues its transformation with the opening of its new head office in Karachi Pakistan, today.

The launch event was attended by the senior representatives of industry, regulatory bodies and microfinance sector, customers of Advans Pakistan, media and others.

Speaking at the opening ceremony CEO Advans Pakistan, Mr. Guillaume VALENCE said that as a Group, Advans is an international venture, backed by multilateral and national development organisations (EIB, IFC, KfW, AFD, CDC, FMO), and its main objective is to positively impact lives of small business owners by providing them effective financial services, including business loans, and therefore contribute to economic growth and employment of its countries of operations. In Pakistan, Advans is operating under SBP’s regulation for Microfinance Bank. The Pakistani subsidiary has recently accelerated its expansion with multiple branches opened in Sindh in 2021 and 2022 and an ambitious national expansion plan starting in 2023. In addition, Advans Pakistan has started diversifying its activities in order to better serve agri-business owners and its services and channels to support its clients in their daily business and personal lives. As an employer, Advans is currently recruiting at high pace to support its growth plans, and investing massively in its talents to develop its future managers. Advans has great development and expansion plans in Pakistan and ambition to become the preferred financial institution of small businesses in Pakistan. pr

Shell Pakistan announces grand winners of two SUVs

Askari Bank joins Din Global’s Digital retail banking license application as local banking sponsor to setup ‘dbank’ Atif Riaz Bokhari, President & CEO of Askari Bank and Khurram Jamali & Tania Aidrus of Din Global executed an MoU with Askari Bank agreeing to be the local sponsor in a digital retail bank "dbank".

Din Global, a fintech venture founded by Tania Aidrus and Khurram Jamali, submitted an application to the State Bank of Pakistan last month for a Digital Retail Banking license. Askari Bank has embarked upon its digital transformation and, with Din Global through "dbank", aims to further promote financial inclusion in the country by creating ease of banking while offering delightful and frictionless access to financial services for all Pakistanis. Backed by leading global

venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins and one of the world’s largest digital banking platforms, Nubank, and now Askari Bank,

Din Global looks to launch "dbank" in Pakistan.

Atif Riaz Bokhari - President & CEO

of Askari Bank, while sharing his thoughts on backing the proposed “dbank”, said, "Din Global aligned with our values of inclusivity and progressive financial service in the country. As we embark on our digital transformation strategy to support world-class digital finance in Pakistan and bring banking to everyone, Din Global has set out to create a product that will impact the grassroots of our country by bringing them into the fold of Pakistan's formal economy and we intend to support them in their mission.

We are delighted to be local partners of Din Global in setting up “dbank” and are delighted to join them on this gamechanging journey!" pr

KARACHI: Shell Pakistan announced the two grand winners of SUVs under its recent promotion for Shell Helix customers. The winners, Qurban Ali and Shafiullah Sheikh were presented SUVs at a ceremony held at Shell House.

Customers who treat their cars with 3 and 4 liter packs of Shell Helix HX-6, HX-7 and Helix ‘Ultra’ variants, at high street and selected retail stations, were offered an opportunity to win 2 SUVs and multiple fabulous prizes such as Bluetooth speaker, alloy rims and others through the promotion. Shell Lubricants brings world-class technological insights to its products, offering you the best formulations for your vehicle. Shell Helix Fully Synthetic Motor Oils are made from natural gas and designed for ultimate engine performance. pr

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

US monitoring riSe in rightS abUSeS in india, blinken SayS

U

AGENciES

S Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was monitoring what he described as a rise in human rights abuses in India by some officials, in a rare direct rebuke

by Washington of the Asian nation’s rights record.

“We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values (of human rights) and to that end, we are monitoring some recent concerning developments in India including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police and prison officials,” Blinken said on Monday in a joint press briefing with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Indian Foreign Minister

Film industry guns for fresh start at Cannes LOS ANGELES AFP

The Cannes Film Festival will hope to relaunch the industry’s hopes with another star-packed line-up to be announced on Thursday. After a slow return to cinemagoing after the Covid-19 pandemic, the film business will be hoping for a boost on the French Riviera when the 75th edition of the world’s leading cinema festival returns from May 17 to 28. Tom Cruise is already confirmed for the festival promoting the world premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick”, the sequel to his 1986 blockbuster. Also attending is Tom Hanks, who co-stars in “Elvis” as the rock’n’roll star’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The latter is the latest spectacle from Australian director Baz Luhrmann, who has previously lit up Cannes with “Moulin Rouge!” and “Gatsby”. The rest of the line-up will be announced on Thursday, including the 20-odd films competing for the top prize Palme d’Or. The selection committee, who have been working their way through more than 2,000 entries in recent weeks, have a tough act to follow after last year’s vintage edition. Coming after the festival was cancelled by the pandemic in 2020, it launched several films that went on to global success, especially “Drive My Car”. After picking up three awards at Cannes, it went on to win this year’s Oscar for best international feature film — and was the first Japanese film to be nominated in the best picture category.

Big-name speculation: Last year’s jury — led

by US director Spike Lee — gave the Palme d’Or to Julia Ducournau’s body-horror “Titane” — ensuring the festival maintained its reputation for boosting bold and edgy filmmaking alongside starry entertainment. The organisers have left it late to announce who will chair the jury this year, but Penelope Cruz and Marion Cotillard are among the favourites according to industry insiders.

Film experts have also been picking through the release schedules for ideas on who might be in competition.

Many are hoping to see the return of David Cronenberg, whose upcoming sci-fi/horror cross-over stars Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux. Also hotly tipped is Australian George Miller, the man behind “Mad Max”, who takes a new direction with “Three Thousand Years of Longing” about a djinn (played by Idris Elba) offering three wishes to Tilda Swinton. Another possibility is Terrence Malick, who won previously for “Tree of Life” starring Brad Pitt. His new film follows the life of Jesus Christ and stars Mark Rylance as Satan. Though women have been getting more of a presence on the festival circuit, they remain poorly represented.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Blinken did not elaborate. Singh and Jaishankar, who spoke after Blinken at the briefing, did not comment on the human rights issue.

Blinken’s remarks came days after US Representative Ilhan Omar questioned the alleged reluctance of the US government to criticise Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on human rights.

“What does Modi need to do to India’s Muslim population before we will stop considering them a partner in peace?” Omar, who belongs to President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party, said last week.

Modi’s critics say his Hindu nationalist ruling party has fostered religious polarisation since coming to power in 2014. Since Modi came to power, rightwing Hindu groups have launched attacks on minorities claiming they are trying to prevent religious conversions.

Several Indian states have passed or are considering anti-conversion laws that challenge the constitutionally pro-

tected right to freedom of belief.

In 2019, the government passed a citizenship law that critics said undermined India’s secular constitution by excluding Muslim migrants from neighbouring countries.

The law was meant to grant Indian nationality to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before 2015.

In the same year, soon after his 2019 re-election win, Modi’s government revoked the special status of occupied Kashmir in a bid to fully integrate the Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country.

To keep a lid on protests, the administration detained many Kashmir political leaders and sent many more paramilitary police and soldiers to the Himalayan region also claimed by Pakistan.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently banned wearing the hijab in classrooms in Karnataka state. Hardline Hindu groups later demanded such restrictions in more Indian states.

After week of silence, Putin says Russia will achieve ‘noble’ aims in Ukraine LONDON ReuteRs

President Vladimir Putin defended Russia’s assault on Ukraine in a rare public appearance on Tuesday, the first time he has addressed the conflict since Moscow withdrew its forces from northern Ukraine after they were halted at the gates of Kyiv.

State television showed Putin visiting the Vostochny space base in Russia’s Far East, accompanied by his ally, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, to mark the anniversary of the Soviet success in launching the first manned space flight.

Asked by Russian space agency workers if the operation in Ukraine would achieve its goals, Putin said: “Absolutely. I don’t have any doubt at all.”

“Its goals are absolutely clear and noble,” Putin said. “We didn’t have a choice. It was the right decision.” Putin said Russia’s main aims were to protect the Russian-speaking people of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and to end Ukraine’s position as a centre of nationalistic anti-Russian feeling.

Putin, who had been ubiquitous on Russian television in the early days of the war, had largely retreated from public view since Moscow pulled its forces out of northern Ukraine this month.

His only public appearance in the past week was at the funeral of a nationalist lawmaker, where he gave brief remarks and

multiple people shot in new york subway station, explosives found NEW YORK ReuteRs

Multiple people were shot and at least 13 were injured on Tuesday in a New York City subway station where authorities found undetonated explosive devices, the Fire Department said, in the latest spasm of violence in the city’s transit system.

The incident occurred during the morning commute at the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighbourhood, according to news media. CNN and other media reported that at least five people were shot, citing sources in the New York Fire Department. It was not immediately clear whether the number of injured people included those who were shot. A New York City police spokesperson told Reuters that officers were responding to the scene, but did not have details on the number of individuals shot. The New York Police Department warned people to stay away from the area, which is known for its thriving Chinatown, views of the Statue of Liberty and Industry City, a sprawling warehouse district that has become home to many creative businesses. Video footage showed a massive law enforcement presence around the subway station, including heavily armed officers and dozens of police cruisers and emergency vehicles.

Sri lanka defaults on entire $51b external debt AFP did not directly address the war.

On Monday he met the visiting chancellor of Austria at a country residence outside Moscow but no images of that meeting were released.

The West casts Putin’s war as a land grab of a sovereign country. Putin calls it a “special military operation” to disarm Russia’s neighbour, describing Ukraine as a puppet of the United States.

In Tuesday’s remarks, he appeared to draw an analogy between Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s first space flight 61 years ago and Russia’s defiance of Western economic sanctions today.

“The sanctions were total, the isolation was complete but the Soviet Union was still first in space,” said Putin, 69, recalling his own wonderment as a schoolboy learning of the achievement.

“We don’t intend to be iso-

lated,” Putin said. “It is impossible to severely isolate anyone in the modern world – especially such a vast country as Russia.”

Lukashenko also dismissed the impact of sanctions: “Why on earth are we getting so worried about these sanctions?” he said.

Russia’s Cold War-era space successes, especially Gagarin’s flight and the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, were depicted by Soviet leaders as proof of their system’s superiority.

Last year, Russia’s nominal GDP was just $1.6 trillion – smaller than Italy’s – and only around 7% of the $22.9 trillion US economy. Russia’s economy is on track to contract by more than 10% in 2022, worst since the years following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, former finance minister Alexei Kudrin said on Tuesday.

Crisis-stricken Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion external debt on Tuesday, calling the move a “last resort” after running out of foreign exchange to import desperately needed goods. The island nation is grappling with its worst economic downturn since independence, with regular blackouts and acute shortages of food and fuel. Sri Lanka’s finance ministry said in a statement that creditors, including foreign governments, were free to capitalise any interest payments due to them from Tuesday or opt for payback in Sri Lankan rupees. “The government is taking the emergency measure only as a last resort in order to prevent further deterioration of the republic’s financial position,” the statement said. It added that the immediate debt default was to ensure “fair and equitable treatment of all creditors” ahead of an International Monetary Fund assisted recovery programme for the South Asian nation. The crisis has caused widespread misery for Sri Lanka’s 22 million people and led to weeks of anti-government protests.

International rating agencies had downgraded Sri Lanka last year, effectively blocking the country from accessing foreign capital markets to raise much-needed loans to finance imports. Sri Lanka had sought debt relief from India and China, but both countries instead offered more credit lines to buy commodities from them.

China accuses US of politicising pulling of its non-essential staff from Shanghai over COVID-19 BEiJiNG stAFF RePoRt

China on Tuesday voiced its dissatisfaction with and opposition to the U.S. politicizing the evacuation of its non-essential staff from the Shanghai consulate.

Citing what it called the “impact of restrictions” related to China’s COVID-19 response in the municipality, the U.S. Department of State announced on Monday that it “ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and all family members from the Consulate General Shanghai consular district.”

The latest U.S. move came just two days after it authorized a voluntary departure from China for U.S. personnel and their family members at the consulate, citing the same concerns that China refuted as “groundless accusations” against the country’s pandemic response policies.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday told a regular press briefing in Beijing that it was the call of the U.S. to order or authorize the evacuation.

However, Zhao stressed the effectiveness of China’s COVID-19 response, adding that foreign citizens who work and live in Shanghai, including those of the United

States, have been standing with all the other Shanghai residents in the fight against the pandemic.

Chinese authorities have acted, in line with relevant international conventions and local COVID-19 policy, to provide foreign diplomatic and consular personnel in China “with as much assistance and convenience as possible” in performing their duties, he said.

Zhao added that China has made solemn representations to the U.S. side over its evacuation orders, and urges the U.S. to immediately stop attacking China’s pandemic control and prevention policy, stop using the pandemic for political manipulation, and stop smearing China.

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

3 Pakistani cricketers included in Wisden’s test Xi

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NEwS DESk

ISDEN, the independent voice of cricket, has unveiled the under-23 all-time Test XI, all of whom made waves and shattered records in their early twenties. It’s a side that has been picked based on players’ performances before they had turned 23.

Pakistan has three representations in the XI led by South Africa’s Graeme Smith. Former captain Javed Miandad, legendary pacer Waqar Younis, and off-spinner Saqlain

Mushtaq are Wisden’s three inclusions.

Miandad was altogether a different package for world cricket as he quickly established himself as the mainstay of Pakistan batting since the start of his career. He began his career with a brilliant 163 against New Zealand on debut in 1976. Just after three games, he scored a double-centurion, becoming the youngest to have achieved the feat.

Waqar Younis was a nightmare for batters. He made his debut in the same game as India’s Sachin Tendulkar and rapidly made strides in international cricket with his mature skills. He was close to 200 Test wickets

before his 23rd birthday.

Saqlain Mushtaq started his career at the age of 18. He starred with five-fors against visiting South Africa and West Indies before bagging 10-wicket match hauls in consecutive Tests at Chennai and Delhi in 1999.

Viewing his rise, it is hard to believe that Saqlain played his last Test at the age of 27.

Wisden’s under-23 all-time Test XI: Graeme Smith (captain), Alastair Cook, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Miandad, Garry Sobers, Rishabh Pant, Ian Botham, Waqar Younis, Kagiso Rabada, Saqlain Mushtaq.

Nadal skips Barcelona Open BARCELONA ReuteRs

Rafa Nadal is still uncertain when he can return to competitive tennis after withdrawing from this month’s ATP event in Barcelona as he recovers from a rib injury, his team told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Spaniard, who has won 21 Grand Slam singles titles, was ruled out last month for up to six weeks with a stress fracture in his rib.

The 35-year-old has withdrawn from this month’s Barcelona Open. “Rafa has just been withdrawn from the entry list in Barcelona,” the team said in a statement sent to Reuters.

“We don’t know yet when he will be at his first tournament on clay this year. Hopefully, soon.”

Nadal complained of a chest issue during his run to the final of the ATP 1000 event in Indian Wells, California last month.

Tests in Barcelona revealed “a stress fracture of the third left costal arch”.

Madrid and Rome host ATP Masters 1000 events next month and Nadal would be hoping to participate to get matches under his belt before the May 22-June 5 French Open, which he has won a record 13 times.

shehbaz becomes PcB’s patron-in-chief NEwS DESk

Australia’s Victoria state to host ‘bold’ 2026 Commonwealth Games SYDNEY AFP

The Australian state of Victoria said on Tuesday that it will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with all sporting events taking place outside the state capital Melbourne and scattered across several towns.

The state’s premier Daniel Andrews praised the Commonwealth Games Federation for embracing Victoria’s pitch, admitting that its model is “a bit riskier than just running it in the middle of a large city”.

The 2026 Games will be held in four regional hubs across the state in the towns of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland, each with its own athletes’ village.

The Commonwealth Games Federa-

tion’s president Louise Martin described Victoria’s pitch as “a bold and innovative vision” for the multisport event, which takes place every four years.

“In Victoria, we believe we have found the perfect partner for the next stage of our journey,” she said.

The state has confirmed 16 sports for the Games so far.

Geelong will host aquatics, gymnastics, triathlon, hockey, beach volleyball and table tennis, while Ballarat will be home to athletics and boxing.

Netball, weightlifting, squash and lawn bowls will be played in Bendigo, with badminton and rugby sevens centred in Gippsland.

Cycling will be between Gippsland and Bendigo, and Twenty20 cricket played across all four hubs.

The opening ceremony will be held

at Australia’s largest sports stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which can hold more than 100,000 spectators.

The Australian Olympic Committee’s chief executive Matt Carroll noted that more than “30 major global sporting events are coming to Australia across the next 10 years”.

That includes the Summer Olympics in Brisbane in 2032.

“We have spoken about the green and gold runway leading into Brisbane 2032. Now to host a Commonwealth Games in 2026 is a major marker on that runway,” Carroll said.

Australia will also host the FIFA Women’s World Cup, along with New Zealand, next year.

Australia is the preferred candidate for the men’s and women’s rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029, respectively.

Andrews said the 2026 Commonwealth Games were expected to bring a “$3 billion boost to the Victorian economy”, which had to weather long lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It will be the sixth time that Australia has staged the Commonwealth Games and the second time in Victoria, after Melbourne hosted the 2006 event.

Australia’s Gold Coast in Queensland was home in 2018 to the last edition of the “Friendly Games”, as the Commonwealth Games are also known.

The Games typically attract more than 4,000 athletes from the 54 nations of the Commonwealth, almost all of whom are former territories of the British Empire.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games are due to be held in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to August 8.

After becoming the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif also became the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday. Former prime minister Imran Khan’s picture has been removed from the PCB’s website and office while a picture of new Prime Minister and Patron-in-Chief Mian Shehbaz Sharif has been placed on the website. According to the amended constitution of 2019, it is at the discretion of the Patron-in-Chief to propose two names for the governing board, one of which is assigned to head the PCB. It is pertinent to mention that Shehbaz took oath as the country’s new prime minister on Monday while he took charge of the PM Office on Tuesday.

Babar, Haynes named icc players of the month

NEwS DESk Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and Australia’s Rachael Haynes have been named as the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player respectively of the Month for March, the International Cricket Council announced on Monday. “Babar scoops the Men’s award following a number of thrilling batting displays in Pakistan’s multi-format series against Australia.

Amassing 390 runs in the pulsating Test series, his supreme contribution was highlighted by his recordbreaking innings of 196 in the second Test, salvaging a draw for his side against the odds on the final day in Karachi. At the forefront of his side’s batting outfit, his exploits during the subsequent ODI battles that took place in March also cemented his claim as the standout player in international cricket during the month. Scores of 57 and 114 — the latter helping his side chase down an imposing 349 set by Australia, saw him as a constant threat to an otherwise formidable bowling attack,” the ICC said in a press release.

“Babar received the award ahead of fellow nominees Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies) and Pat Cummins (Australia), and in doing so, became the first player to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award on two occasions, after being crowned back in April 2021.” The ICC added, “Rachael Haynes celebrates becoming the ICC Women’s Player of the Month following a formidable set of displays on the road to Australia’s seventh ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup trophy. Scoring 429 priceless runs in eight matches at an average of 61.28, her extraordinary feats at the top of the order proved crucial to her side’s unbeaten run to the final, where they subsequently overcame England to cap a thrilling tournament.”

Wednesday, 13 April, 2022

prayer timings

NEWS

PTI dISSIdenT noor AlAm And PPP leAderS Involved In fIghT WITh elderly cITIzen iSLamaBad

P

staff report

TI dissident Noor Alam Khan and several PPP leaders, including Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Faisal Karim Kundi, were involved in a fight with an unidentified elderly at a hotel in Islamabad on Tuesday.

It remains unclear how the scuffle started and who instigated it. Noor Alam did not respond to calls made at

his cell phone number.

Footage shared through various social media accounts showed Khokar and Co approaching the elderly amid a state of commotion in what appears to be a dining hall.

Kundi was seen picking up a glass from a nearby table and splashing its contents on the elderly, who responded by throwing an object back at the PPP politician. As the elderly tried to grab onto something else to throw, Khokhar managed to closed in on him and delivered a punch to the head.

PM takes up govt employees’ holiday schedule Newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued Tuesday orders to implement the relief package announced a day earlier immediately after being elected as the 23rd PM of Pakistan.

According to reports, the premier has abolished two weekly offs in a week and government offices will now remain open six days a week instead.

Moreover, the premier has also changed office timings to 8am.

PM Shehbaz further issued orders to relevant authorities to ensure the supply of quality and cheap goods in the sasta bazaars during Ramadan. He also issued directives to ensure strict monitoring of Ramadan bazaars. A day earlier, PM Shehbaz announced various incentives for the people of Pakistan, which included: The minimum wage will be jacked up to Rs25,000 (from April 1).

10% increase in pensions of retired civil, and military officials (from April 1).

Cheap wheat to be introduced at utility stores.

Laptop and technical education for youth.

Reintroduction of Benazir Card.

Appeal to industrialists to increase salaries of employees who earn up to Rs100,000 by 10%.

On his first day in office, Shehbaz sent officials of PM Office into panic as his surprise arrival early in the morning worried the employees and officers who had not reached office.

Shehbaz, who is largely known for his punctuality, reached PM Office at 7am on his first day after assuming charge. The officers and other employees of PM Office who had not reached by that time rushed to work to avoid the wrath of the newly elected PM. A day after taking oath as the prime minister, Shehbaz, along with his family, shifted to PM House.

The premier moved to his official residence in the Red Zone after he was given a guard of honour earlier in the day. He was also introduced to the officials and staff of PM House. According to sources, Shehbaz will finalise the members of the federal cabinet today and also announce the names tonight.

Sources told Geo News that PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah is likely to be given the portfolio of an interior minister, while Marriyum Aurangzeb is expected to be appointed the information minister.

Earlier, sources had revealed that the PML-N will have the majority in the cabinet with 12 ministers.

The PPP will have seven, and the JUI-F will be given four ministries. Meanwhile, MQM-P will have two, and ANP, JWP and BAP one each. staff report

The elderly was thrown off balance and floored as PTI dissident Khan joined in and tried grab hold of him before the two parties were separated.

PTI leaders condemned the incident, with Hammad Azhar saying the situation was not the same as it was being portrayed. Azhar Mashwani, the former focal person for digital media in Punjab, alleged that PPP’s Nadeem Afzal Chan was involved in the incident as well and that Noor Alam Khan had “inflicted violence” on the citizen.

Ali Haider Zaidi questioned if the

Supreme Court would take note of the issue. Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir said he empathised with politicians who get abused but condemned their “violent reactions”. “Our political culture is toxic but [the] solution is compassion, not retaliation,” he said.

Noor Alam Khan is one of several PTI dissidents who last month were found staying at the Sindh House in Islamabad and who had said they would vote against party chairman Imran Khan in the vote of no-confidence against him.

PM likely to visit Saudi Arabia, China Newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia and China in his first foreign trip after taking charge, a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader.

Traditionally, a prime minister’s first foreign visit has often been to Saudi Arabia and China due to the country’s strategic relationship with both.

According to sources, PM Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Saudi Arabia will perform Umrah and meet the Saudi leadership.

The Sharif family maintains a close personal relationship with the Saudi royal family as the latter played a central role in ensuring the safe exit of Nawaz Sharif after the October 1999 coup.

Saudi Arabia in the past has extended financial bailout packages to successive Pakistani governments, in fact, Riyadh gave former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government a $6 billion bailout package.

It is unclear if the new premier will also seek financial assistance, given that Saudi Arabia provided $3 billion dollars to Pakistan not long ago.

After the Saudi visit, the premier is also expected to travel to China.

PM Shehbaz is known to enjoy a good reputation amongst the Chinese leadership because of his

administrative qualities. During the previous PML-N tenure, Shehbaz played a central role in accelerating China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

The Chinese state media welcomed the election of Shehbaz and stated that given the Sharif family’s previous engagements with China, the new prime minister would prove better for the Pakistan-China relationship than Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, the premier earlier thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for congratulating him.

“Thank you Premier Narendra Modi for felicitations. Pakistan desires peaceful & cooperative ties with India. Peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes including Jammu & Kashmir is indispensable. Pakistan’s sacrifices in fighting terrorism are well-known. Let’s secure peace and focus on socio-economic development of our people,” Shehbaz responded. The Indian prime minister had earlier in a tweet said, “Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people.” staff report

Imran Khan says ‘neither army nor foreign country, only people can safeguard democracy’ Former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that “no army or foreign country could safeguard democracy in Pakistan,” prior to the PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) rally in Peshawar, which is to be held on Wednesday (tomorrow).

In a video message posted on PTI’s official Twitter handle, ex-premier called for early elections, stating that only the people of Pakistan could safeguard their freedoms and the sanctity of democratic institutions.

Imran furthered that a “grand conspiracy” had been imposed on Pakistan, referring

to the joint opposition’s no-confidence motion which had resulted in his ousting.

The former PM on Sunday had vowed to begin the “freedom struggle against a foreign conspiracy” of regime change in Pakistan. “Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle on Sunday. “It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty and democracy,” he added.

Answering the call of the PTI

chairman, nationwide large protests erupted as supporters and workers of PTI began to pour into the streets of major cities across the country in a show of support for the ousted premier.

Imran Khan had initially protested that the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him was a “huge foreign conspiracy against Pakistan.”

The former premier claimed he had evidence, stating a letter had been sent by former Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Asad Majeed after talks with the US assistant secretary of state for South Asia. staff report

PM to visit Karachi today Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would pay a one-day visit to Karachi on April 13 and will preside over a meeting regarding development projects in the metropolis. This would be the premier’s first visit to Karachi after being elected as Pakistan’s 23rd prime minister. During the visit, Shehbaz would visit the Mazar-e-Quaid and will then visit the Sindh Chief Minister’s House to chair the meeting on development projects. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) appears to be reluctant to join the federal cabinet due to division in its ranks as most of its leaders are seeking support for electoral reforms without taking ministries while others are of the view that the coalition government won’t last for even two months if they opt to keep to the sidelines. In this regard, sources said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari have started consultations on the matter in the light of different and contradictory views. The sources said most of the PPP leaders are seeking the new federal government’s support for electoral reforms without taking charge of ministries. Some of the leaders are of the opinion that they should join the federal cabinet for political stability. They believe that participation is necessary for political stability, and if they did not join the cabinet, the coalition government would not be able to function for even two months. staff report

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:15

12:09

3:47

5:42

6:37

8:04

fiqah-e-hanfia lahore sehr: 4:13 am iftar: 6:30 Pm

islamabad sehr: 4:13 am iftar: 6:37 Pm

karachi sehr: 4:54 am iftar: 6:54 Pm

fiqah-e-jafaria lahore sehr: 3:23 am iftar: 6:40 Pm

islamabad sehr: 4:23 am iftar: 6:47 Pm

karachi sehr: 5:04 am iftar: 7:04 Pm

Army officer, soldier martyred in South Waziristan ambush A Pakistan Army officer and a soldier embraced martyrdom during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district, the military in a statement on Tuesday.

“On night 11/12 April 2022, fire exchange took place between security forces and terrorists in general area Angoor Adda, South Waziristan District,” military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.

Troops effectively engaged the terrorist’s location and killed two militants. “Weapon and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists,” it added.

The ISPR said the militants remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces.

During intense exchange of fire, Major Shujaat Hussain (age 30 years, resident of Toba Tek Singh) and Sepoy Imran Khan (age 27 years, resident of Naseerabad), after having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat [martyrdom], it said.

A clearance operation is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorist found in the area. “Pakistan Army is determined to eliminate menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave officers and soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the terrorist attack in the tribal area and paid tribute to the “sons of the nation who fought against terrorists and were martyred in defence of the motherland”.

Last week, two soldiers were martyred and an officer injured during an intelligence based operation (IBO) conducted by the security forces in Singi, near Mashkai in Balochistan.

According to the ISPR, the security forces conducted an operation in the area between the night of April 7 and 8 on information of the presence of terrorists.

“During the operation, two valiant sons of soil, Naik Tajwali and Sepoy Osama embraced Shahadat while one officer got injured,” the military’s media wing said. staff report

PTI decides to approach high courts over alleged harassment of social media activists: Asad Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar on Tuesday said the party has prepared a petition regarding the alleged harassment of its social media activists and would file it in the high courts on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Azhar Mashwani, the former focal person for digital media in Punjab, had claimed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was harassing PTI social media volunteers across the country. The PTI-affiliated Insaf Lawyers Forum had also called on party chairman Imran Khan in a meeting, in which a “deep concern” was expressed over the alleged incidents of PTI workers being harassed.

Earlier on Sunday, the home of Imran Khan’s focal person on digital media Dr Arslan Khalid was allegedly raided in Lahore by 11 unidentified men.

It is pertinent to mention here that the military has come under criticism this week on social media forums, and Twitter trends against the armed forces and its leadership have seen intense activity. Slogans critical of the army were also chanted during country-wide protests staged on Sunday in support of Khan.

Meanwhile, a meeting of Pakistan Army officials on Tuesday took note of the recent criticism directed at the institution on social media and expressed complete confidence in the leadership’s “well-considered stance to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law”.

“National security of Pakistan is sacrosanct. Pakistan Army has always stood by the state institutions to guard it and always will, without any compromise,” said the military’s media wing in a statement. staff report

POWER SHARING: PM Sharif faces first test as PPP sets conditions to join cabinet continued from page 01 He elaborated that 64 per cent of the country’s population comprised people below the age of 30 years, and Mr Bilawal was a representative of the youth. Moreover, he said, Bilawal had immense goodwill in the world due to his mother, Benazir Bhutto, which would help him in dealing with international issues with world leaders.

“This could help him create a good following among those people who had not seen former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, and it would ultimately benefit the PPP in future,” the party

leader said.

He said Mr Bilawal Zardari’s experience as the foreign minister would strengthen his case of becoming a candidate for the premier. However, he said there had been no formal discussion on the matter and a decision would be made in a day or two.

On the other hand, a senior PPP leader from the second camp insisted that Mr Bilawal Zardari should not get any cabinet portfolio because then he would not be able to pay attention to party affairs and, as a result, the PPP could suffer in the next general elections.

Interestingly, the outgoing foreign min-

ister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his speech on the floor of the National Assembly also advised the young PPP chairman not to become the foreign minister under Mr Sharif.

Mr Qureshi, who also served as the foreign minister during the previous PPP government under former president Asif Ali Zardari, said it did not suit the young Zardari, the grandson of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the son of Benazir Bhutto, to accept the foreign ministry under Shehbaz Sharif because the PPP workers would not accept this.

Meanwhile, sources in the new administration stated that so far they had not worked out any formula for distributing portfolios in

the federal cabinet and nominations for key constitutional posts of the speaker and the deputy speaker.

A senior PPP leader said they were more interested in getting constitutional offices instead of portfolios in the federal cabinet. He said two constitutional offices had already become vacant after the resignation of the speaker and the deputy speaker. He said the opposition was also planning to remove Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and then definitely the PPP would like to get the top Senate office.

According to him, the office of the president could also become vacant either be-

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

cause of the resignation of President Dr Arif Alvi or through his planned impeachment.

The PPP leader then, in a lighter vein, said they feared that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman could also demand the office of the president. In that situation, he said, it would become very difficult for the PPP to accept the Maulana as the president, which might not be beneficial for the country as well.

The sources said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would give the ministries after consultations with top government leaders, including Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the heads of other coalition partners, in a day or two.