Issuu

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 I 18 Ramzan, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 292 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

PM Shehbaz Sharif’S 34MeMber Cabinet takeS oath g

FIRST BATCh INCLuDES 30 MINISTERS, ThREE ADVISERS, FOuR MINISTERS OF STATE islamabad

staff report

34-member cabinet of newlyelected prime minister Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in Tuesday during a brief ceremony here at Aiwan-e-Sadr. Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani administered oath. The ceremony was scheduled to be held on Monday, but President Arif Alvi refused to administer the oath, compelling the government to postpone the ceremony to 11:00 am Tuesday. Sharif’s former political rivals, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) members are also part of his coalition government. Sharif also attended the ceremony. his election on April 11 ousted former prime minister Imran khan. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari skipped the oath-taking without any explanation. however, sources in the PPP say that Bilawal has put precondition that Mohsin Dawar should also be included in the cabinet. however, the prime minister has yet to agree. under the power-sharing formula, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

(PML-N) got a lion’s share in the cabinet with 14 ministers, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 11, and the Jamiat ulema-iIslam-Fazl (JuI-F) four ministries. Meanwhile, the rest of the seven positions were allotted among smaller parties. Those who took the oath of office today include 31 federal ministers and three ministers of state. According to reports, the cabinet members include khwaja Muhammad Asif (Minister of Defence), Ahsan Iqbal (Minister for Planning and Development), Rana Sanaullah khan (Ministry of Interior), Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer hussain (Ministry of Education and Professional Training), khurram Dastgir khan, Marriyum Aurangzeb (Ministry of Information), khwaja Saad Rafique (Ministry of Railways), Miftah Ismail, Mian Javed Latif, Riaz hussain Pirzada, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Azam Nazeer Tarar (Law and Justice), Syed khurshid Ahmad Shah (Ministry of Water Resources), Syed Naveed Qamar (Ministry of Commerce), Sherry Rehman (Ministry of Climate Change), Abdul Qadir Patel (Ministry of health), Shazia Marri (Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety), Syed Murtaza Mahmood (Minister for In-

PPP ChAIRMAN BILAWAL SkIPS SWEARING IN

dustries), Sajid hussain Toori (Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and human Resource Development), Ahsanur Rehman Mazari (Ministry of human

Rights), Abid hussain (Minister of Privatisation), Asad Mahmood (Ministry Of Communication), Abdul Wassey (Ministry of housing and Works), Mufti Abdul

Shakoor (Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith harmony), Muhammad Talha Mahmood (Ministry of SAFFRON), Syed Amin-ul-haq (Ministry of Information and Technology), Syed Faisal Ali Sabzwari (Ministry of Maritime Affairs), Muhammad Israr Tareen (Ministry of Defence Production), Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti (Ministry of Narcotics Control) and Tariq Bashir Cheema (Ministry of Food Security and Research). The ministers of state who took the oath include Aisha Ghaus Pasha (Finance and Revenue), hina Rabbani khar (Foreign Affairs) and Abdul Rehman khan kanju. Qamar Zaman kaira, Engineer Amir Muqam and Aun Chaudhary have been appointed as advisers. Sharif ousted khan through a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly. khan lost the grip on power after being deserted by his party allies and a key coalition partner earlier this month. Since then, khan has demanded new elections at rallies, saying the new government was imposed under a uS conspiracy, a charge Washington has denied. CABINET MEETING: Following the oathtaking ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned the first federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday at 10am. The meeting will take place at the PM house. All the newly-appointed cabinet members and advisers will attend the meeting, in which the current political and economic situation of the country will be discussed. It has been almost two months since the last federal cabinet meeting was held under an agenda. however, special meetings of the then cabinet were summoned during this period but only for approval on specific matters, such as the muchtalked-about “threat letter ”.

Federal Government announces PMDA’s disbanding islamabad app

PM, COAS discuss national security matters islamabad staff report

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday. “The professional matters pertaining to national security were discussed during the meeting,” the PM Office said in a statement. The meeting came amid an increase in attacks on security forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, resulting in the martyrdom of soldiers over the weeks.

In a strongly-worded statement, Pakistan had told the Afghan Taliban to put an end to cross-border attacks emanating from Afghan soil. Similarly, the army is facing a smear campaign on social media following the removal of the PTI government. The army chief had recently said that efforts to create a “wedge between army and people won’t be tolerated”. “The hostile forces are trying this for a long time but they won’t succeed InshAllah,” the Inter-Service Public Relations had quoted COAS Bajwa as saying.

more inside

Pakistan to file for damages on default by Eni, Gunvor STORY ON PAGE 02

Zardari scrambles support for President Alvi’s impeachment STORY ON BACK PAGE

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday ruled out setting up the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) as there is no need for any other regulatory body in addition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). “Whatever work has been done on the black law related to the PMDA and and in whatever shape it is … it has ceased to exist. We will not bring any black law which violates the citizens’ constitutional right of freedom of expression,” she said. The minister said the joint action committee, formed in the backdrop of PMDA and comprising all the stakeholders, would now work out a solution, which would not only be implementable but also acceptable to all. As regards the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, she said another black law through, which the previous government had tried to gag the media and its opponents, had been struck down by the court on the petitions filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and multiple organisations. The PECA, 2016 would be reviewed in consultation with all the stakeholders to ensure effective regulation of the social media, she said, vowing that the freedom of expression right would be protected at all costs. Marriyum said the freedom of expression is not only imperative to evolve the society, but also crucial to the good governance. She resolved to steer the media sector out of the dark era that had brought financial constraints, curbs, threats, physical assaults and unemployment. Lashing out at the previous rulers for using the law to muzzle the media and crush their opponents, she said in the last four years, the nation only wit-

nessed the politics of bullying, abuse and intimidation. The suffocation in the society was conspicuous, while the doors of the Parliament were closed and legislation was enacted through ordinances, she added. The minister said now a new era has begun which would bring the politics of abuse and intimidation to a complete halt. She said the present government would not mind constructive criticism, urging the media to criticise it for the sake of guidance. She said the Journalist Protection Law would be implemented in true letter and spirit. “We had not imposed any restriction on the media in our previous tenure and this will not happen now,” she added. She recalled that PEMRA did not issue even a single notice to any TV channel on holding debates over the Panama Leaks during the previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. She said a commission would be set up under the Right to Information Act, enacted during the PML-N’s tenure, for its implementation in an effective way. She extended gratitude to PM Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N and other coalition partners of the government for

assigning her such important responsibility by reposing their confidence in her. The present era is of the information warfare and the information ministry has a major role to play in that regard, she said. To a query, she said no innocent person would be put behind the bars, but warned that the law would take its course against the wrong doers. To another query, she said the malicious campaign, which was launched through faceless twitter handles against the state institutions, would be brought to an end. There would be zero tolerance against such campaigns and attack on the journalists and their homes, she added. She said the present government’s sole agenda is to provide relief to the masses by bringing down inflation, creating job opportunities and ending load shedding completely. Marriyum said the prime minister would address the nation soon and put priority agenda before the nation. In response to another query, she said President Dr Arif Alvi should resign if he could not play his constitutional role. Earlier, she also held conversation with media persons and heard their issues.

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PakiStaN to fiLe for daMageS oN defauLt by eNi, guNvor

AhMAD AhMADANI

AKISTAN is mulling to approach London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) to claim damages from the Italy-based Eni and Swiss Gunvor for their failure to meet their contractual obligations, depriving the country of essential fuel supplies. According to sources, Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) has placed Request for Arbitration (RFA) before the petroleum division on March 29, 2022 for appointment of legal counsel for arbitrational proceeding in the LCIA. And, petroleum division has approved allocation of British pounds ten thousand (GBP 10,000) to PLL for making payment to LCIA in respect of Arbitration No 225405. Sources said that Eni has so far failed to supply five LNG cargoes while Gunvor failed to prove seven LNG cargoes to the country and now Pakistan is all set to

approach the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) for collection of approximately Rs 48 billion worth damages from Eni and Gunvor over their failure in meeting the contractual obligations. Pakistan will claim collection of minimum Rs4 billion damage for each LNG cargo and in this way approximately Rs20 billion worth damage collection from Eni and Rs28 billion damages from the Gunvor in the LCIA, said sources. They added that this would be in addition to the 30 per cent penalty on every default shipment since November 2021. “Pakistan has faced billion rupees worth economic loss as the country has to utilize expansive fuel for power generation purposes in the absence of LNG supply from both Eni and Gunvor”, said the sources. Sharing details of LNG supply failure by both Eni and Gunvor, sources said that the Eni for the first time partially defaulted in January 2021 when it provided half LNG

cargo and then it failed to provide cargo in August 2021. It also committed default in November 2021 and now it has committed the latest default for March. Similarly, Gunvor also defaulted in November 2021 and now in March 2022 too. However, it sought force majeure every time to avoid the penalty. Sources also said that the latest default by both companies (Eni & Gunvor) has forced Pakistan to procure LNG from the spot market at a high price of $25.12 per Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU). And, Pakistan, in response to the emergency, had issued tender on February 17 for two LNG cargoes, one for March 2 to 3 and the other one for March 10 to 11 and resultantly Pakistan got two bids for spot LNG cargoes for only one-time window of March 10 to 11. However, it (Pakistan) got zero response from the LNG trading companies for providing a spot cargo for the window of March 2 to 3.

As per sources, the shortage caused by the defaults has been taking its toll on the country’s resources as Pakistan opted for the expensive diesel to generate power. They added that in January, Pakistan’s diesel-based power generation surged to the highest in seven years, whereas the

Bogus registration of non-custom paid, smuggled vehicles in ET&NC shAhAB OMer

Courts opened at midnight ‘under pressure’, claims PML-N MP IsLAMABAD Monitoring report

The Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court (IHC) convened for the contentious midnight sittings on the night of April 10 — to take action if the orders to complete voting on the no-confidence motion against then-prime minister Imran Khan are not implemented — under pressure from influential quarters, claimed a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker. “It’s being claimed that courts opened at midnight […] but tell me when you [Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government] don’t implement orders to complete voting on the motion [against Khan] even until 12:00 am [deadline] and your legs refuse to bear your weight when four jeeps arrived […],” Javed Latif told anchor Kashif Abbasi in his programme Off the Record. “Four jeeps […] four […] you hear this, Kashif sahab,” said a gobsmacked Faisal Vawda, part of the guest panel, as he scrambled to put together words. “Whose jeeps were they anyway?” asked an equally astonished Abbasi. “Islamabad administration’s, of course,” a perturbed Latif responded after a brief pause. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial opened the Supreme Court’s doors the night between April 9 and 10 amidst reports suggesting a larger bench was holding a hearing in relation to the vote. In addition, the doors of IHC were also opened on the instructions of its Chief Justice Athar Minallah to hear a petition expressing fear Khan would sack the army chief. The claim later turned out to be a rumour.

The bogus registration of vehicles under the amnesty scheme could not be stopped at the office of the Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control (ET&NC) Department located in the DHA of provincial capital. Well-maintained sources in the motor branch of DHA revealed that some of the staff here was involved in the disgusting business of non-customs paid and smuggled vehicle registration. They informed that DEO, motor branch DHA, allegedly issued challan of vehicle number LES-148931 Toyota Hiace on May 30, 2014 at the request of ETO Nadeem Yousuf whereas the vehicle was smuggled and could not be registered even after 8 years. But instead of canceling the vehicle, ETO through his subordinate Azmat treated the vehicle as a registered vehicle on December 2, 2020 and also illegally issued a vehicle token tax challan. Sources also informed that when all these situations came to the notice of Director Region C, he confirmed

in writing this “action” of DHA branch but did not take any action against anyone. It is pertinent to mention here that this was not the first case of illegal registration of stolen and smuggled vehicles under the guise of amnesty scheme at DHA motor branch, earlier the ETO, Inspector and other staff have also registered stolen and smuggled vehicles. In the light of the written information provided by Motor Registration Authority (MRA) of DHA, the vehicle number LE-19A-7816 was mentioned in the pre-registration verification letter issued to MRA DHA by the Customs Office Multan on 30 August 2019 that the name of the said vehicle was changed by MRA and registered it as Honda Fit Aria. Similarly, Customs House Karachi sent Caesar report of vehicle number LE-19A-7211 to MRA DHA on 25th October 2019 but MRA ignored the report and registered the vehicle on 24th October 2019. Moreover, Customs Office Multan has issued preregistration verification letter of vehicle number LE-19A-448 on October 17, 2019 but DHA motor

The newly sworn in Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday that a diplomatic passport was former prime minister Nawaz Sharif right and will be issued to him. In conversation with the media after being sworn into Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s new cabinet, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) regretted that “it is unfortunate that a person who has been prime minister three times is being deprived of national citizenship.” The minister stated that the interior ministry would be briefed on security issues and subsequently formulate a policy. Referring to his drugs case, the minister said that an investigation will be done into the registration of the fake case. “Everyone has the freedom to express on social media, but we

branch allotted the number to the vehicle on October 2, 2019, just 15 days before the verification letter. Furthermore, Customs Office Karachi issued preregistration verification letter of vehicle number LEH-19-8154 on September 17, 2019 but DHA Motor Branch allotted the number to the vehicle on August 29, 2019, 19 days before the verification letter. “Not only that but in the verification letter the engine number of the vehicle is stated as INZFE395228 which starts with the letter ‘I’ but the engine number of the vehicle is registered as 1NZFE395228 in the records of DHA Motor Branch which starts with ‘1’ instead of the English letter I. Similarly, according to the pre-registration verification letter issued by the Customs Office Hyderabad on February 26, 2019, the engine number of vehicle number LET19-1325 is IRZ-0226970 while DHA Motor has registered the engine number 3Y2162013 of the vehicle while registering. However, there is no record of engine change in the computer at the time of registration,” they informed. When Profit contacted Rana Qamarul Hassan, Director, ET&NC, he informed that the cases of these vehicles were old and the department has already responded to the concerned departments. “We first verify the vehicle and then register it. However, if any staff member is found involved in any illegal activity, strict action is taken against him,” he maintained.

67pc of PSDP allocations disbursed in three quarters TLTP The federal government released around 67.05 percent of total allocation for various ongoing and new social sector uplift projects of the federal ministries and divisions in the first nine months (July-March) of fiscal year 2021-22 under its Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). The Finance Division in August last revised the strategy for release of funds for the development budget for the current fiscal year 2021-22 with release of 50 percent funds for quarters 1 and 2, and 50 percent for quarters 3 and 4. Previously, the strategy was to release 20 percent development fund in the first quarter, followed by 30 percent each in second and third quarter, and 20 percent for quarter 4. Out of Rs900 billion allocated under the PSDP for various ongoing and new social sector uplift projects of the federal ministries and divisions, Rs603.5 were released during the first three quarters of the ongoing fiscal year 2021-22. According to details released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, the government released Rs4.6 billion for the Earthquake

Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA). The details show that Rs68.126 billion out of total allocation of Rs68.154 billion have been disbursed for the Cabinet Division, Rs1.489 billion have been disbursed for Aviation Division, and Rs48 million have been released for board of the Investment. Similarly, the government disburses Rs10.7 billion for Climate Change Division, Rs1.129 billion for Commerce Division, Rs89.66 billion for communication division, and Rs1.3 billion for Defence Division. Likewise, the government also disbursed Rs85.46 billion for the Finance Division, Rs480 million for the Establishment Division, Rs5.1 billion for the Federal Education and Professional Training Division, and Rs24.4 billion for Higher Education Commission. Housing and Works Division received Rs14.95 billion out of total allocation of Rs24.9 billion, Human Rights Division received Rs167.2 million, Industries and Production Division Rs1.75 billion, and Information and Broadcasting Division received Rs840 million.

Sanaullah says ‘Nawaz Sharif will be issued a diplomatic passport’ News Desk

LNG-fired output dropped to the lowest in two years. Similarly, the furnace oil (FO) sales grew 14 per cent and high-speed diesel (HSD) sales surged 10 per cent in the eight months of FY22 (July-February 2021/22), amid LNG shortage and higher electricity generation.

have to take care of the other person’s freedom too,” he said, adding that the government would not ban social media but will regulate it. Minister Sanaullah also told the press that former prime minister Imran Khan has been granted “foolproof security” on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “We have no intelligence regarding a threat to Imran Khan’s life,” he stated. In response to a question about registering a case against Imran Khan, the minister said the government would not take any retaliatory action. “The former premier will not be arrested. I am no Imran Khan that I will arrest someone or release someone,” thte minister stated, adding that if there will be a case of corruption against the former premier then it will be investigated first. Any

action will be decided upon later, he said. The interior minister added that the complaints of large donations and cheques regarding the Rawalpindi

Ring Road project will be investigated. He further added that state institutions should not be maligned and their sacrifices would not be in vain. “We will support the institutions and bring reforms to all including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)”. A day earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared a petition challenging the issuance of a diplomatic passport to convicted former PM Nawaz Sharif as inadmissble, and imposed a fine of Rs5,000 on the petitioner. The ruling was announced after being reserved by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah earlier in the day. The petitioner had contended that Nawaz should not be issued a passport on the grounds that he was an “absconding convict”. “Therefore, authorities should be barred from issuing a diplomatic passport to him.”

Pakistani banks may feel heat of Sri Lanka’s default TLTP Pakistan’s banks operating in Sri Lanka are in hot waters as their exposures of around Rs26.78 billion are at stake due to the worsening economy of the country. Arif Habib Limited said in a report that some of the Pakistani banks are exposed to the Sri Lankan economy either through branch banking or investments in the government debt securities. It said that MCB Bank has eight branches in Sri Lanka while Habib Bank Limited (HBL) operates with three branches in the country. With respect to investment in the government securities, the analysts summarised the overall exposure of banks along with the potential impact on their books, which include MCB Bank with an exposure of Rs8.343 billion, United Bank Limited (UBL) Rs9.03 billion, HBL Rs8.091 billion and Askari Bank Limited Pakistan (AKBL) Rs1.324 billion. The economic crisis in Sri Lanka seems to be worsening as the authorities announced a temporary default on its foreign debts. With more than $50 billion in external debt, and foreign exchange reserves hovering around $1.9 billion (last month), the country is currently struggling to make payments on its international sovereign bonds. The media sources suggest, this week $36 million interest payment is due on SriLanka’s 2023 dollar bond as well as $42.2 million on 2028 note. Moreover, a $1 billion sovereign bond is maturing on July 25, 2022. The extraordinary measure taken by the Sri Lankan authorities to halt payments on foreign debt is to preserve its dwindling reserves for the purpose of importing essentials such as food, fuel and medicine.

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

CiviL SoCiety deMaNdS juStiCe for NaziM jokHio at ProteSt outSide kPC

News Desk

EMBERS of civil society staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday and demanded justice for Nazim Jokhio, who was found murdered at the farmhouse of a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker in November last year. MPA Jam Awais and his brother and MNA Jam Abdul Karim along with

several others were booked for allegedly torturing Nazim to death after he stopped their foreign guests from hunting houbara bustard. Last week, police excluded the names of the two lawmakers from the final charge sheet submitted to an antiterrorism court. During Tuesday’s protest, scores of people from different walks of life held up placards demanding justice for the deceased and lambasted the abuse of

power by the lawmakers. They also demanded immediate support to the family and asked why Nazim Jokhio’s wife backed down. They said that everyone knows that it is the duty of civil society to be the voice of the downtrodden. If police cover up the case, then they too are accomplice to the murder, speakers at the protest said. “We want justice nothing else,” said Shireen Asad. She said that the civil society was standing with Jokhio’s wife

as there was no one else who could support her due to fear of the killers. Lawyer Jibran Nasir said that the protesters have gathered not merely to chant slogans against the PPP but to demand justice and talk about principles. “Nazim was also a (PPP) jiyala,” he said, adding that the only difference is that the deceased was a common man. “This is a class war for which we have taken to the streets.”

ECC approves Rs68 billion grant for disbursement of price diﬀerential claims to OMCs IsLAMABAD Staff report

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved Rs 68.81 billion supplementary grant for disbursement of price differential claims to OMCs and refineries for the month of April and to meet the shortfall of Rs 1.87 billion for the month of March 2022. The meeting of the ECC was held under the chair of Finance Minister Miftah Ismail which take up one point agenda of Petroleum Division proposal seeking allocation of fund through supplementary grant to clear the price differential claims of OMCs and refineries. The meeting was informed that due to continuously rising trend of oil prices in the international market, the quantum of subsidy for the month of April, 2022 has been higher than March, 2022. The meeting was informed on the summaries of petroleum division, the ECC of dated 7th March 2022 and 16th

March 2022 approved allocation of Rs 20 billion and Rs 11.73 billion respectively for reimbursement of price differential claim to OMC and Refineries. The Petroleum Division further stated in the proposal that as per OGRA has projected that owing to rising trend of oil prices in the international

Hamza moves LHC for early oath of chief minister office LAhOre Staff report

A petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday seeking early administration of the oath to chief minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz by the Punjab governor. The petition was filed in the court through Shehbaz’s counsel, Azam Nazeer Tarar, which nominated Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema and Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal as respondents. It stated that the resignation of former chief minister Usman Buzdar was accepted on April 1, and his office has been lying vacant ever since. “It is a constitutional convention for the governor to call the elected chief minister and administer the oath to him. Violation of constitutional conventions is in fact a deviation from the Constitution itself,” read the petition. The petition was moved days after Governor Cheema announced he would not administer the oath of office to Shahbaz, citing a report submitted by the Punjab Assembly secretary that he claimed had raised questions on the validity of the election process. “I have written to the Punjab advocate general and the Punjab Assembly speaker to seek their opinion on the assembly secretary’s report, Lahore High Court directions and other facts to make up my mind whether to hold the oath-taking ceremony at the Governor House or not,” he told a press conference on Sunday. Cheema also accused Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers of violating the law and Constitution and setting the “wrong precedent” by displaying “intolerance” that had made the entire election “controversial.” He also blamed Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari for displaying “partisan” behavior during the polling and calling “goons” to “torture” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) legislators, including Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Referring to the events following the election, the petition said “a constitutional crisis is being created which is against the parliamentary democracy and the spirit of the Constitution. The governor’s office is a symbol of federation and unity, and the governor’s job is to protect the Constitution”.

market, the PDC for the first and second fortnights of April 2022 is Rs 31 80 billion and Rs 35.73 billion respectively. A draft summary with proposal to allocate Rs 67.53 billion for the month of April 2022 was circulated to the Finance for comments and Finance Division supported the OGRA

projection of Rs 31.80 billion for the 1st fortnight of April 2022 and did not support allocation for 2nd fortnight due to lack of fiscal space The ECC was further informed that OGRA vide letter dated 18th April 2022 has now projected PDC for the first and second fortnight of April 2022 of Rs 31.80 billion and Rs 34.44 billion respectively. In addition, OGRA informed that the amount of PDC provided through supplementary grant for the month of March 2022 has fallen short by Rs 1.87 billion, therefore, the ECC was requested that Rs 68.81 billion may be allocated through supplementary grant for disbursement of PDC to OMCs and refineries for the month of April and to meet the shortfall for the month of March, 2022. Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Makhdoom Syed Murtaza Mehmood, Federal Secretaries and senior officers attended the meeting.

Miftah given a tight time frame to combat economic crises News Desk Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed 57-yearold economist and businessman Miftah Ismail as the finance minister who will be tasked with quickly arresting a downward economic spiral and getting IMF talks back on track. Ismail, who briefly held the post four years ago, brings with him a record of decisive policy action and a close relationship with the prime minister but faces a daunting array of challenges, from falling foreign currency reserves to soaring inflation and potentially historic deficits. He will have limited time to act, with a maximum of 15 months before general elections are due, while they may be called sooner. The former IMF economist, with a PhD in Public Finance and Political Economy from the Wharton School of Business, held the job for a few months in 2018 when he joined a government near the end of its term. In that short period, Ismail scrapped costly government exchange rate controls and gave the rupee more flexibility, while cutting income taxes as part of a growth promotion policy. As he returns to the post, central bank foreign reserves have fallen to $10.8 billion from $16.2 billion in just one month, according to the latest figures released on Thursday, providing import cover of only around 50 days, Ismail said. To rebuild reserves, he is considering pushing for more deposits from friendly countries such as China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, sources in the ministry have said. All of those countries have parked funds in the State Bank Pakistan that will need to be rolled over. He will also prioritise securing a successful

International Monetary Fund review to release a tranche of more than $900 million and unlock finances from other international lenders that require a clean bill of health from the fund. Ismail has said he intends to restart talks soon to resume the 39-month, $6 billion bailout programme, which entered in 2019, but negotiations will be tough with many targets off track. He has also said his foremost task will be to contain a burgeoning fiscal deficit that could hit Rs6.4 trillion ($35 billion), or about 10% of gross domestic product, versus a target of about Rs4 trillion, by the end of June. Energy subsidies announced by ousted premier Imran Khan, which are burning through public finances, are also an immediate concern. A rollback would be politically difficult, with Khan ratcheting up pressure for fresh elections and consumer inflation already clocking in at 12.7% in March.

Sharif praises Turkey support for bus service project IsLAMABAD Monitoring report

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked the government and people of Turkey for helping the South Asian nation through thick and thin. Addressing the inauguration ceremony of an airport shuttle service in Islamabad, Shehbaz Sharif said China and Turkey helped in completing the public transport project. “The people of Pakistan and Turkey have a long history of brotherly relations,” he said. Turkish ambassador Mustafa Yurdakul and Chinese

Charge d’ Affairs Pang Chunxue also attended the event. The project was started by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017 and inaugurated by his younger brother after five years. “President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a modern leader [who] strengthened Turkish economy, built Turkey, has helped Pakistan in times of trouble and in times of peace,” said Shehbaz Sharif, adding that he was grateful for the support. The junior Sharif, who took office last week after a no-confidence vote against his predecessor Imran Khan, is hailed by his supporters for starting developmental projects for public welfare.

NEWS

Court grants interim bail to 9 MPas in Punjab assembly brawl case LAhOre app

A sessions court on Tuesday granted interim bail to nine MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) in the Punjab Assembly violence case. Additional District and Sessions Judge Yasin Mohal heard the bail applications filed by MPAs Amar Yasir, Shehbaz Ahmad, Mahandir Singh, Waris Aziz, Khiyal Ahmad, Shujaat Nawaz and Nadeem Abbas. The petitioners’ counsel argued before the court that his clients were illegally implicated in the case and they were not involved in any ruckus and torture. He submitted that the case was registered with malafide intentions and pleaded with the court for grant of benefit of bail to his clients. The court, after hearing initial arguments, granted interim bail to the petitioners till April 29 and sought record from the police on the next date of hearing. The police had registered a case under sections 324, 353, 186 and 427 of the Pakistan Penal Code against unidentified people for torturing Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari and other members during an assembly session held on April 16.

’Not a bot’ trends on twitter after PML-N accuses Pti of using fake accounts News Desk I am “Not a BOT” became one of the top trends on Twitter on Tuesday after the ruling PML-N claimed that the PTI is using botnets to generate coordinated and spam activity to artificially boost their trends against the government led by newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a news outlet. Earlier on Monday, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz had alleged that PTI’s “criminal ring” led by former prime minister Imran Khan is running a smear campaign on social media against the state institutions after his ouster from the power. In response, PTI leaders and supporters took to Twitter to brush aside the PML-N leader’s claim that their reaction against the government on social media is not organic. “This is Pakistan Tehreek Insaf Social Media team, we [are] keyboard warriors of Imran Khan. Not a Bot,” wrote the former ruling party on its official Twitter handle. Likewise, other PTI leaders and former cabinet ministers also shared the same thoughts on the microblogging website.

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

ISlAMOPhOBIA: ShARIF ASkS wORld tO cOndeMn Sweden QURAn BURnInGS ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called upon the international community to take notice of the recent wave of Islamophobic incidents that took place across Swe-

den and the Netherlands. The violence began on Thursday after a demonstration organised by Rasmus Paludan, leader of Denmark’s radical political party Hard Line (Danish: Stram Kurs). Paludan, who had permission for a series of demonstrations across Sweden during the Easter weekend, is known for Quran burnings. He planned and carried out the Islamophobic demonstration, posting a picture of himself on social media with a burning Quran and declared inten-

tions of burning more. 40 people have so far been injured in riots. Some 26 police and 14 members of the public were injured, a spokesperson for the police said, adding that police had arrested 26 individuals, including four minors, in the southern city of Linköping and eastern Norrköping where the violence began on Friday. There would be “more to come” as police analyse footage, the spokesperson added.

“The people of Pakistan and Muslims around the world are deeply hurt by the recent incidents of Islamophobia in Sweden and the Netherlands,” Sharif said in a tweet. He said the international community must condemn these incidents and stressed taking steps to check such “abhorrent behaviour”. He also emphasised standing united against Islamophobia. Earlier, in a statement, the Foreign Of-

fice said that “these mindless provocative Islamophobic incidents served no purpose other than hurting the sensitivities of over 1.5 billion Muslims living all over the world”. “Such actions are not covered under legitimate expressions of the right to freedom of expression or opinion, which carry responsibilities under international human rights law, such as the obligation not to carry out hate speech and incite people to violence,” it added.

PML-N supporters stage protest outside residence of Jemima’s mother NewS DeSk

Metro Pakistan partners with FBR in POS prize scheme, rewards customers ISLAMABAD pR

METRO, the leading international wholesale company, has partnered with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), to reward its customers as part of FBR POS Prize Scheme by announcing 10 cash prizes of Rs. 100,000 each for their valued customers participating in the prize scheme. A simple yet impressive ceremony in this regard was held at the METRO Capital Outlet in Islamabad, graced by Mr. QaiserIqbal, Member FBR, Inland Revenue - Operations, along with the senior management of METRO Pakistan, and the winning customers.

Gang-rape leaves Gujrat teen pregnant LAHORe Staff RepoRt

A group of local influentials raped an 18-year-old girl near the Khwajgan Road neighbourhood of Gujrat. The suspects broke into the victim’s house, drugged her, as well as her father, and raped her at gunpoint. A medical report of the victim showed the rape left her pregnant. According to reports, the locals caught and handed over the suspects to the police but it set them free even after the registration of a case against them.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PMLN) supporters have held a protest outside the residence of former prime minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith’s 88-year-old mother in Surrey. A video shared by Jemima on Twitter showed a man threatening to break into the bedrooms of former prime min-

ister’s family members if the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s supporters did not stop holding protests outside the homes of PML-N supremo and his children. She further asked the British police if such threats were legal. Last week, Jemima had stated that there were protests outside her house, that her children were being targeted

and that she was facing antisemitic abuse on social media. “Its almost like I’m back in 90’s Lahore,” she had written. Imran was married to Jemima from 1995 to 2004 and together they have two children, Kasim and Sulaiman. Jemima had moved to London after her divorce from the ex-premier, where she has been living with her sons ever since.

Sharif for exploring economic dimension of UAE ties ISLAMABAD app

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasized his government’s commitment to further advance the economic dimension of the relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The prime minister expressed these views in a meeting with UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem AlZaabi, who called on to felicitate him on assuming the office. Sharif stressed focusing on enhanced trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, food security, and employment generation between the two countries. He affirmed that Pakistan and the UAE had always enjoyed special relations which were firmly rooted in

shared history, common faith, and geographical proximity. He underlined that these relations were further amplified by close peopleto-people contacts. The prime minister also acknowledged the important role of the diaspora in the development of the UAE who were serving as a strong bridge between the two countries. He also conveyed his warm greetings to the UAE leadership and expressed his firm resolve to closely engage with them to further deepen and broaden this vital partnership. Sharif expressed deep appreciation for the vision of the UAE leadership for the inspirational transformation of the country in the span of just 50 years. Extending warm felicitations to Sharif on assuming the office of the

prime minister, the envoy reaffirmed the UAE’s desire to further strengthen bilateral relations with Pakistan. Pakistan and the UAE enjoy close

fraternal ties marked by decades of close collaboration. High-level interactions provide continuous momentum to the growth of bilateral cooperation.

Ministry of Industries asked to investigate import of sub-standard urea SHAHzAD PARAcHA The National Fertilizer Marketing Limited (NFML) has pinpointed that the international suppliers have provided Pakistan with substandard urea and demanded of the Ministry of Industries to initiate a ministerial-level investigation against the suppliers. Sources said that NFML has written a letter with regard to cargo conditions and imported urea stock holding policy. It is on record that the first vessel of im-

ported urea M.V Kaley having a manifesto quantity of 50,560 metric tons, out of 100,000 metric tons arrived at KPT on 21/3/2022 and started its discharge operations the same day in the night shift. As a matter of fact based on the preceding urea discharge operations in 2018, 2019 and onward, it is to be noted that the average discharge per day of good cargo is 6000 to 7000 metric tons per day. Factually, on the investigation at the port from the TCP stevedore as well as other concerned persons, personal observation and inspection of the physical con-

$48mn in aid for Afghan refugees in Pakistan: US embassy ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The American embassy in Islamabad said that more than $48 million of the assistance Washington announced for Islamabad is meant for Afghanistan refugees and host communities residing in Pakistan. In a tweet, the embassy said: “We are deeply grateful to Pakistan’s generosity hosting Afghan refugees, and proud to support.” President Joe Biden had announced nearly $204 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. “We continue to stand by the Afghan people.” The US embassy also shared the tweet of the spokesperson of the State Department, Ned Price, about announcing financial aid to Afghans. During an event on supporting the humanitarian response in Afghanistan, the United States announced to provide nearly $204 million in additional assistance to help the people of the war-ravaged country, bringing the total amount to more than $720 million since August last.

CMYK

dition of cargo in the vessel by the NFML monitoring team members/Karachi port staff, it is affirmed that the urea cargo of the said ship is not of sound condition. Sources said that the cargo is all the 5 hedges of the ship is in frozen semi-solid condition instead of grains/free-flow conditions due to which the grip of the crane first holds two to three grips and releases it inside the hedge to make it soft and operational for the final grip to be released at the top of bagging plant and then press the cargo with the grip again to soften the lumps of urea.

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PAkIStAn’S fISh meAL exPortS to ChInA toPPed 13,866 tonS Lynching of Sri Lanka manager by mob was anti-Islam: court LAHORE: A mob lynching of a Sri Lankan manager of a garment factory who was accused of blasphemy was an act against the Islamic religion, a court said in a detailed ruling on Tuesday. The anti-terrorism court had on Monday sentenced six men to death, nine to life in prison, one to five-year jail and another 72 to two years each in a mass trial over the crime. Eight of those sentenced were juveniles. Scores of enraged workers in Sialkot tortured and burned Priyantha Kumara in December over accusations of blasphemy which a police official at the time linked to the removal of a poster with Islamic holy verses. “The disgracing of a dead body and setting it on fire are strictly forbidden in Islam,” the court ruled. “The Holy Prophet […] forbade Muslims to disgrace the dead body of even a non-Muslim.” The accused had disobeyed Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), added the court, which was set up inside a high-security prison. Lynchings over accusations of blasphemy, both crimes that can carry the death sentence in Pakistan, have been frequent in the country. The factory incident took place in the heart of Pakistan’s most heavily industrialised region. The judges and courts have often delayed decisions in lynching cases out of fear of retribution, and a clear court declaration that lynching is un-Islamic is rare. The court said Kumara begged forgiveness before being brutally killed, saying he did not know what was written on the poster because he could not speak Urdu. It said the mob chased him onto a roof and then “started hitting him again and again with scissors on his face, head and different parts of his body”. The attackers also inflicted “blows with a brick, kicks and fists to his head”. Kumara died on the spot before his body was desecrated and dragged through his factory and out onto a highway where it was set on fire, the court said. “In our society, such incidents are increasing where a person is done to death by a mob on an allegation of blasphemy,” it said. “These cases should be dealt with by iron hands.” reuters

Covid-19 daily report: 85 new cases ISLAMABAD: Pakistan confirmed 85 new Covid-19 cases and no death from the pandemic during the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday. According to data released by the ministry, the total tally of Covid19 cases has risen to 1,527,411, including 1,493,707 recoveries. Currently, 209 patients are in critical condition due to the pandemic in Pakistan. Sindh is the most affected province in terms of the number of cases, with 576,618 infections in total, followed by Punjab which has reported 505,720 cases so far. staff report

BEIJING

staff report

AKISTAN’s fish meal export to China topped 13,866 tons with a value of over US$15.68 million, witnessing a year-on-year increase of 250.59% in the January-February period. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade between Pakistan and China has increased significantly. Pakistan’s exports to China stood at US$ 670.72 million in January- February of FY22, up 22.77 per cent from US$ 546.30 million in the same period of

the previous year. According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), flours & meals of fish, used in animal feeding commodity code (23012010) from Pakistan, crossed US$ 15.68 million with a total volume of 13,866 tons, while last year it was US$ 4.47 million with a total volume 4,917 tons in the January- February period. Data showed that in 2021, the total fish meals used in animal feeding, imported from Pakistan was 40,654.92 tons, worth US$40.53 million. Khurram Naseeb, A-One Fish Meal in Karachi, told media that there

PTI challenges ECP’s new delimitation schedule for upcoming elections in SC

ISLAMABAD With the exit of Americans and the Afghan Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, there was a general sense of relief in Pakistan that its security woes along its western borders will be over. But over the past many months, activity in this region has witnessed a spurt, forcing Pakistan to purportedly conduct air raids inside Afghanistan on Friday. Though the Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), had not issued a statement as of Monday, a member of parliament, Mohsin Dawar, raised the issue on Sunday and claimed that refugees from North and South Waziristan, once semi-autonomous tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who now live across the border in Afghanistan’s Khost and Kunar provinces, were killed in these raids. While a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad did not explicitly accept responsibility for the airstrikes, it did particularly highlight the Tehreek-i-Taliban

He mentioned that Pakistan’s fishery processing industry needs improving to enhance exports although due to the 2nd China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement in which more than 313 items are now enjoying duty-free access to China including fisheries; there is still a need to build jetties for local fishermen. “We can increase our export and prices by improving our boats, loading time from boats to trucks and transportation of raw fish from port to factories because Pakistan has more potential than what they are achieving now, roughly 85,000 tons per year”, Khurram stated.

Pakistan extends transport period of aid from India to Afghanistan ISLAMABAD staff report

ISLAMABAD staff report

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the delimitation schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the next general elections. The petition was filed by former planning minister and PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar. It named the federation, election commission, secretary election commission, statistics department, provincial chief secretaries and

cabinet secretary as parties. On April 11, the electoral body announced the delimitation schedule for the national and provincial assemblies for the next general elections. In a statement, they announced that no new administrative unit will be formed anywhere in the country. The chief secretaries and provincial election commissioners are directed to provide required maps and other documents for demarcation work. Documents will be provided from April 11 to April 26. Training of delimitation committees

TTP: A continuing hurdle to improve Islamabad-Kabul ties anadolu agency

are several reasons for the growth, including a short supply from other countries: almost all suppliers including Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, the USA, Ecuador, Mauritania and Morocco limited fishmeal export, whereas only Pakistan, India and Peru are exporting to China. “At the beginning of this year, prices for other agricultural commodities increase a lot, such as soybean meal, corn, rapeseed meal, due to the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Therefore, many animals feed relies heavily on fishmeal, which comes from juvenile fish usually”, Khurram added.

Pakistan (TTP) escalated assaults across Afghanistan territory. Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Sunday specifically mentioned retaliatory action against the TTP. Afghan Foreign Ministry statement said Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Deputy Defense Minister Mullah Shirin Akhund met with Pakistan’s ambassador and “condemned the recent attacks on Khost and Kunar provinces, stressing prevention of such acts.” “Minister Muttaqi said all military violations, including that in Khost and Kunar, must be prevented as such acts deteriorate relations between the two countries, allowing antagonists to misuse the situation leading to undesired consequences,” the statement said. It added the Pakistani envoy was given a strong demarche. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also condemned the alleged attacks. The death toll from alleged military air raids on targets in the eastern Afghanistan provinces of Khost and Kunar on Saturday has risen to at least 47, Afghan officials said.

“41 civilians, mainly women and children, were killed and 22 others were wounded in airstrikes by Pakistani forces near the Durand Line in Khost province,” Shabir Ahmad Osmani, director of information and culture in Khost, told media. The TTP, an umbrella organization for several militant groups, has upped attacks against security forces in recent months, particularly in April. On April 14, seven soldiers were killed when militants ambushed a vehicle of security forces in Datakhel town of North Waziristan tribal district. Officials said the militants attacked a moving vehicle of the security forces near the Afghan border. According to tribal sources who requested anonymity, the attack was carried out by the Taliban’s Hafiz Gubahadar group, the majority of whose members reside in the northeastern Afghan province of Kunar. In the first three months of this year, 97 soldiers and officers were killed in attacks, Pakistan Army spokesman Lt-Gen Baber Iftikhar said at a press briefing on Friday, saying they were carried out across Afghanistan.

CMYK

will be conducted from April 20 to April 24. Preliminary delimitations will be published on May 28. The PTI’s petition prayed that the schedule by the ECP was ‘unconstitutional’ therefore, there was no need for new delimitation till the new census. It has further prayed to validate the delimitation of May 3, 2018. “[The] election commission and the secretary election commission should be ordered to ensure the election process and prevent any delay in it,” the petition prayed.

The government has granted New Delhi’s request to extend the time period for overland transportation of humanitarian assistance from India to Afghanistan which expired on March 21, the Foreign Office said. “As a manifestation of our sincere efforts towards addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, it has been decided to grant two months’ extension to facilitate completion of the transportation,” the ministry said in a statement. The Indian government had recently requested for extension in the period to complete the transportation process, it added. Pakistan approved that in November last year “as a special gesture to the Afghan people,” the transportation of 50,000 metric tons of wheat and lifesaving medicines as humanitarian assistance, the statement said. The transportation, as per the arrangement, would be carried out from the Attari-Wagah border with India to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border “on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes,” it added. Relations between Pakistan and India deteriorated after India lifted the special status for the Indian-occupied Kashmir in August 2019. Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic relations and suspended trade relations and train service with India in response.

06-07 Comments - 20th April 2022_Layout 1 4/19/2022 11:22 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022

06 COMMENT

A new Palestinian strategy is desperately needed

Ringing in the new federal cabinet But how long is its life span?

INALLy the PML(N)-led government is in place. The new 37-member cabinet was sworn in on Tuesday a little over a week after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was administered oath as Prime Minister of Pakistan. As happened then, the President went on sick leave and the oath was administered to the Cabinet by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. The delay in cabinet formation is understandable as reaching an agreement on cabinet share between half a dozen alliance partners required time. An eleventh-hour delay was caused by the BNP(M)’s demand for action against FC personnel responsible for firing in Chagai, as a precondition for joining the cabinet. Shehbaz Sharif is known for his practical skills in implementing policy and for diligently pursuing his ambitious development agenda. he is expected to have a hands-on style of governance that would be very different from that of Imran Khan’s. however, as PM Shehbaz faces problems that he didn’t as CM. To start with, he will be required to change over from micromanaging bureaucracy to evolving consensus between disparate allies and keeping traditional rivals together till the next elections. While countering a populist Imran Khan, the PM will also be required to deal with hurdles created by a hostile President who cannot be removed for lack of the required numbers in Parliament. As chief minister, Shehbaz ordered about a docile PML(N) cabinet. To cope with a cabinet representing half a dozen parties, he will be required to negotiate rather than dictate. With demands of early elections on the rise from within the ruling alliance along with the PTI, the PM has to decide in consultation with his partners about the lifespan of the newly formed government and the tasks that need to be performed prior to the elections. There is a need for electoral reforms to ensure polls that are widely seen to be fair, free and transparent. For this there is a need to strictly regulate electoral expenses and control use of muscle power during the polls. Also to devise measures to counter pre-poll rigging. To overcome the distortions resulting from the firstpast-the-post system, there is need to discuss if this could be remedied through the introduction of an element of proportional representation along with the current system.

Revenge only gives momentary satisfaction but solves nothing

Washington Watch Dr James J Zogby

terrible and tragic drama is playing out across Israel/Palestine. It is a dance of death with Israelis and Palestinians engaged, each in their own way, in destructive violence. The US media has focused on the 14 Israelis killed in recent weeks. But Palestinians have disproportionately been the victims of violence with more than 70 killed in the past few months and many more wounded as Israeli forces have conducted night raids into Palestinian villages and responded to protestors with live fire. During this same time, hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested and detained, many without charges. One could rattle off the Israeli provocations— from land theft and seizures of Palestinian homes to nightly acts of violence by Israeli settlers— or the Palestinian stabbings or shootings of Israelis at bus stops or check points. But whatever the provocations or intentions, nothing good will come from this violence. Nothing ever does. If we should have learned anything from this conflict, it is that just as Palestinian violence has not ended the Israeli occupation or its repression, nor has more Israeli repression or violence ended the Palestinians’ resistance to the occupation. If anything, the violence has produced the opposite. During the past several decades, the occupation has intensified, and Israeli politics have become so hardline that it is impossible to even imagine a governing coalition that would be inclined to act with justice toward Palestinians. At the same time, the brutality and acquisitiveness of the occupation has hardened Palestinian attitudes, strengthened extremist currents, and driven some to carry out violent acts of desperation. Compounding this tragic dance of death are those who cheer the violence or seek to justify it. During this past bloody week, some Arab commentators praised the spate of Palestinian attacks on Israelis calling them “heroic acts of resistance,” gloating that the killings had caused the Israelis to cower in fear. Supporters of Israel, on the other hand, applauded the

Information minister presser A welcome policy announcement that is hopefully implemented

EWLy appointed Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb wasted no time in describing her government’s plans to roll back measures taken by the PTI during its tenure that led to a severe and continuous deterioration in relations between the media and the state, by holding a presser the same day. During its four years in power a campaign of direct and indirect censorship was exercised without restraint by the PTI government. This included, but was not limited to, the curtailment of distribution of certain newspapers in select areas of the country while transmissions of TV channels were frequently cut off, if a dictated editorial policy was not followed. Alternatively, financial penalization through reduction in volume of government advertisements was also used as a method to ensure ‘positive coverage’. Expectedly, media houses started practicing self-censorship to avoid such punitive actions being taken against them. Additionally, attempts were made to pass democratically regressive and draconian laws such as the PMDA and PECA ordinances, which would have enabled the government to arrest, detain and heavily fine its critics without investigation. Collective efforts made by media representative bodies, human rights groups and former opposition parties helped thwart the government’s ambitions to further violate Article 19 of the Constitution that ensures freedom of speech. It is therefore a welcome announcement that the new setup will try its best to mend fences with the media, end censorship practices of the past and take all relevant stakeholders on board before passing any legislation that directly affects press freedom. It must be remembered that the original PECA law was passed by the PML(N) government and it is commendable that Ms Aurangzeb admitted that there are ‘gaps’ in the legislation that must be filled to restrict its misuse. There had also been multiple cases of abduction, violence and murder attempts against journalists in the past regime and professionals in the industry continue to work under a cloud of fear. Ms Aurangzeb’s announcement that the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill will be tabled in the National Assembly soon should go a long way in providing necessary security for the media industry that is thus far severely lacking. With only a year-and-a-half left before elections, it will be interesting to see how many of the measures announced today will actually be implemented. It is hoped that some of the worst remnants of the PTI government are at least removed during this time.

The separation of powers has gone out the window Ummar Zia

hE Supreme Court’s short order in SMC 1/2022 has completely buried the separation of powers envisaged by the framers in our Constitution. The court disregarded the text of the Constitution and in doing so not only did they assume jurisdiction on the speaker’s ruling, which is otherwise non-justiciable, they also entered into a political question or process, which is inevitably always done with a selective bias and a partisan lens. To make it worse, the court overreached further and directed the Parliament to convene a session on a specific day and time while it reserved the authority to supervise everything. Our Constitution spells out where other coordinate branches take precedence over the Supreme Court. Article 69, expressly bars the courts from inquiring into the proceedings of Majlis-e-Shoora and commands that the validity of any proceedings shall not be called into question including on grounds of any irregularity of procedure. The wisdom behind this provision is to provide a Constitutional sanctity to the proceedings of the house enabling an independent debate by the members without fear of persecution or prosecution. The courts, therefore, cannot make determination, among other things, on the rulings of the speaker, as they form part of the proceedings of the parliament. Their power of judicial review certainly does not extend to everything under the Sun. The problem is our superior judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, and its unelected panel of elite jurists, assume themselves to be the people’s Godot, when the Constitution has not sanctioned such a role, least of all in robes, for them. And with the pretext of interpretation, they start carving out exceptions to the rules for the court to assume jurisdiction of a matter even when it is expressly ousted. This tendency to overreach, over a period of time, has had a chilling impact on separation of powers and the original text of the Constitution. Despite Article 239(5) of the Constitution, for in-

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

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ing about injustice or passing toothless resolutions. Israel will not change by itself, nor will the USA or the UN. Therefore, Palestinians must identify what they can change and lay out a path to produce that change. That’s the definition of a strategy. Martin Luther King once observed that when confronting a more powerful foe, one must never play into their strength. Instead use “Jiu-jitsu” by turning their power into a weakness. What I proposed then and propose again is a mass non-violent resistance campaign. Imagine the power of a peaceful march of tens of thousands of unarmed, non-rock throwing Palestinians converging on Jerusalem saying, “Let my people pray.” Or marching from the refugee camps saying, “Let my people go home.” Palestinians have tried such an approach in the past, for example, at Al Aqsa in July 2017. And instances of nonviolent resistance are in evidence across Palestine on a weekly basis. What is needed is to grow and sustain such an effort, making it the new definition of Palestinian resistance. It will require the combined support of the Palestinian leadership acting to project this new strategy and imposing the necessary discipline to control any counter-productive violence. Consider how it would play out. The Israelis will attempt to provoke violence. They may shoot demonstrators and make more arrests. But if the non-violence continues, it will put them in a bind that neither their military might, nor their hasbara campaigns will be able to conquer. They won’t be able to claim victimhood. And they will not be able to defeat an empowered Palestinian constituency. Such a campaign will have a transformative impact on Israeli and US politics. That’s the strength of non-violence. It turns the tables, making the powerful weak and the oppressed stronger. It will no doubt be hard to do. But it should be tried because what’s been done to date isn’t working and a new approach is desperately needed.

If the non-violence continues, it will put them in a bind that neither their military might, nor their hasbara campaigns will be able to conquer. They won’t be able to claim victimhood. And they will not be able to defeat an empowered Palestinian constituency.

A judicial coup

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

repression, urging more forceful measures to “crack down” on Palestinians. Some called for more mass arrests or intensified settlement development, arguing that only tougher measures would put an end to the violence. Both views are dead wrong. But it continues, with no lessons learned and the behaviour of both sides playing into the fears of the other, setting the stage for yet another round of anger, revenge, and violence. During the second intifada, I warned that because violence was a dead end (literally), a new strategy was needed— a strategy that defines a goal and then develops a series of tactics that will lead to that goal. I understood that Palestinian anger was real and justified. But revenge is not a strategy. It might make some feel momentary satisfaction, but history has demonstrated that because the occupier has a monopoly on force, when it responds, it does so disproportionately, taking hundreds of lives for each one lost. Violence begets more violence. One Palestinian leader noted to me: “When we use stones, they shoot us. When we use guns, they bring heavy weapons. And when we fire rockets, they bomb us with jets.” The lesson: when the tactics used don’t advance your goal, they do not constitute a strategy. Back then, I also noted that Palestinian leadership also had no discernable strategy. Calls for a new UN resolution would never provide a solution because the USA, for reasons of domestic politics, would block it. Relying on the EU was also pointless because the EU was weak and indecisive and had proven itself incapable of acting independently. The Russians, Chinese, and the “non-aligned” might be counted on to pass resolutions denouncing the occupation, but because they had no interest in a direct confrontation with the USA, their resolutions weren’t worth the paper they were printed on. And appeals to international law or “legitimacy” were hollow since there was no enforcement mechanism in place. Revenge isn’t a strategy, but neither is complain-

stance, that bars the courts to review the Constitutional amendments, on any ground whatsoever; the 17-Member Bench of the Supreme Court in Rawalpindi District Bar Case validated a fictitious test of “salient features” that now allows the Supreme Court to strike down a Constitutional amendment if such an amendment derogates from the salient features supposedly enshrined in the structure of the Constitution. On Article 69, specifically, the Supreme Court in the past has held that it will inquire into parliamentary proceedings if the matter pertains to an administrative order or if it does not fall within the purview of procedural irregularity or on grounds of mala fide, lack of jurisdiction or coram non judice. Readers, can appreciate, the scope of exceptions here have continued to expand not just diluting but in fact erasing the very text of the Constitution. Our judges of course do all of this in public interest and claim to be the final arbiters in this regard. The judicial review in the Constitution, apart from text of the Constitution, is informed by the principles of restraint and deference towards coordinate branches. In addition, the courts in constitutional democracies do not enter into political questions, policy matters, foreign relations, security issues and nor pass orders that are not executable. These fetters are extremely significant and cannot be brushed aside by the courts– less so in original jurisdiction. The Supreme Court in SMC 1/2022 not only pierced the veil of separation of powers but also turned a blind eye to other constraints de-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

veloped in the Constitutional jurisprudence. The only Constitutional moot point in SMC 1/2022 before the court was if the matter was justiciable. When the court itself took a Suo Motu notice, it also prejudiced the line of argument for federation to raise objections on the jurisdiction of the court. Small wonder, there is nothing in the short order to justify the assumption of jurisdiction. The judges would need time to deliberate and dilate on it. Creative judges always find a way; which is why the only restraint on court, at times, is self-restraint. The Constitution does not envisage Parliament to be subservient to the Supreme Court. If the Parties remained aggrieved of the initial ruling on April 3 – the remedy only lay in the political process and not before the courts. We have seen very quickly the result of the court intervening in a political question. Remember, the final arbiter on political matters are the people and not the courts. The political atmosphere today, more than ever before, thanks to the intervention of the Supreme Court is extremely polarized. Not only could the court not settle the issue, and the “neutral” state apparatus had to get involved, they also undermined the court’s credibility and integrity in the rushed process. hamilton in Federalist No.78 had opined “the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them.” In Pakistan, his thesis certainly does not hold true. Judiciary may have no influence over either the sword or the purse but they have emerged both as a power broker and even a king maker in modern Pakistan. The Supreme Court is indeed today the most dangerous branch for the political rights under the Constitution in Pakistan.

Judiciary may have no influence over either the sword or the purse but they have emerged both as a power broker and even a king maker in modern Pakistan. The Supreme Court is indeed today the most dangerous branch for the political rights under the Constitution in Pakistan

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

The writer attended Berkeley and is a Barrister of Lincoln’s Inn, and can be reached at ummar.zia@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Wednesday, 20 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

Suffering during Holy month

Engagement with military administration based on strategic calculations Bangladesh’s Myanmar policy is based on its concerns

ParveJ siDDiqUe bhUiyan

hE history of Myanmar is the history of struggle with coups, military rule, religious persecution, and ethnic conflict. On this course, the intense ongoing violence between the country’s military and organized armed civilians is leading the country to the verge of a full-blown civil war that is unlikely to end anytime soon. The power shift and the subsequent polarization among major powers have sparked a new geopolitical flashpoint in the country, which Bangladesh, its western neighbour, can no longer afford to ignore. Myanmar always gets priority in Bangladesh’s economic and security strategy. As a democratic country, Bangladesh has a moral dilemma in supporting the military government (SAC), but the irony is that it has been strangely silent about the coup till date and adopted a cautious stance, which can be interpreted as siding with the military administration. Although Dhaka has called for upholding the democratic process and constitutional arrangements in Myanmar in its first and only statement, so far it has neither officially condemned the coup nor demanded the release of political detainees, including democratically elected leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Moreover, on the occasion of Myanmar’s Independence Day, Bangladesh has stated its commitment to work with Myanmar to further strengthen their relationship. These moves underscore Dhaka’s careful support for the junta’s “one-Myanmar government policy.” Bangladesh’s stand may have stemmed from some very specific considerations. First, Bangladesh finds its major strategic and development allies, such as China, India, Russia, and Japan, are on the Tatmadaw’s side. Second, it might be calculated that sanctions and condemnation, a typical western practice, are counterproductive in Myanmar as long as China and Russia continue to extend their diplomatic and military shields. Third, Bangladesh has a traditional policy of non-interference and peaceful coexistence, avoiding interfering in other countries’ internal affairs. Fourth, the long-expected previous National League for Democracy (NLD) government failed to facilitate Dhaka’s top priorities, such as connectivity, border security, or the Rohingya crisis. Fifth, the Bangladesh Army has long been seeking to develop cosy relations with Myanmar’s army to tackle insurgency,

arms smuggling, drug trafficking, and other non-traditional security threats. So, Dhaka doesn’t want to upset the Tatmadaw by taking part in a smear campaign that would not even address the country’s core concerns. Given the rapidly changing geopolitical dynamics, it is not strange to predict that key powers that wield meaningful leverage over Myanmar, like China, India, Russia, and Japan, will align with Myanmar’s military, underlining their own strategic narratives. They have already begun explicitly (or covertly) normalizing relations with the Tatmadaw. It will undoubtedly give the military a chance to consolidate its grip on the country, as well as its diplomatic status and military position in the region. So, Bangladesh, based on a rational calculation of interests, may think that aligning with the National Unity Government (NUG), which holds no de jure recognition from any foreign government, would have negative ramifications for Burma-Bangla ties. No doubt, finding an early and sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis is a “top priority” issue for Bangladesh right now. But the protracted issue has become complicated given the escalating deadly violence among the stakeholders in Myanmar. Though Naypyitaw didn’t make any genuine and greater efforts to secure conditions for Rohingya repatriation, Dhaka doesn’t want to close the door of negotiation with the Myanmarese generals, keeping in mind that any attempt to solve the crisis without the active cooperation of the country’s military would be futile. Because the 2008 Constitution places the military in a central position in the Burmese politics with complete authority over the ministries of defence, home, and border affairs. Furthermore, under the military regime, Bangladesh had the experience of repatriating Rohingyas twice, in 1978 and 1992, through discussion and diplomacy. Bangladesh is wary of the Arakan Army’s growing control over Rakhine state as well as the resurgence of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which has been accused of murdering Mohib Ullah, a Rohingya human rights activist. ARSA is believed to have a political agenda to prevent Rohingyas from returning home, prolonging the crisis. Bangladesh is also concerned about the Arakan Army’s increasing administrative and judicial development in Rakhine, which might turn the state into a new conflict zone, risking a fresh wave of refugee migration or at the very least delaying the Rohingya repatriation process. Furthermore, due to the persistent security crisis and proximity to the Golden Triangle, it is clear the 270-km Bangladesh-Myanmar border

will become a hotspot for cross-border insurgencies and crimes. As a result, Bangladesh may consider that collaborating with the military administration is the only tactical option for tackling risisng drug and arms smuggling as well as human trafficking. Another main strategic objective of Bangladesh is to implement its look-east policy by connecting itself with China and the ASEAN countries via Myanmar. Bangladesh has also been eyeing joining the ASEAN bloc and the IndiaMyanmar-Thailand trilateral highway initiative. Therefore, it would try to convince Myanmar’s central government to draw up plans for accessing regional markets to face the post-LDC challenges. Despite past strained ties, Bangladesh’s military chiefs have traditionally paid goodwill visits to Myanmar, seeking to develop a more meaningful relationship from a security standpoint. General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and General Aziz Ahmed, former Bangladesh Army Chiefs, visited Myanmar in 2014 and 2019, respectively, to promote friendship, deepen military ties, and find ways to cooperate in areas such as security dialogue, joint exercises and training, staff-tostaff meetings, and intelligence sharing. What is important to note is that Bangladesh was among only eight countries that sent their defence attaché to attend the Myanmar Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw in March 2021, a month after the coup, offering some kind of validity to the coup instead of expressing solidarity in favour of humanity and democracy. It prompts Min Aung hlaing to consider Dhaka as a potential ally. Tatmadaw’s recent participation in ASEAN Military Intelligence and Chiefs of Defence Forces meetings, as well as in the Indian Navy’s largest multilateral exercise, MILAN 2022, along with the navies of the QUAD members, may pave the way for other countries to adopt military diplomacy to address political and diplomatic concerns. Bangladesh may believe that a high level of security engagement can help it address major challenges like the Rohingya crisis, insurgency, transnational crime, and other non-traditional security threats. In a nutshell, Bangladesh is trying to reorient its Myanmar policy in light of the regional power setting and the army’s new rule in Naypyidaw. Bangladesh now sees “consultative and constructive engagement” with Myanmar’s military regime as a viable strategic choice to deal with the country’s topmost security concerns.

In a nutshell, Bangladesh is trying to reorient its Myanmar policy in light of the regional power setting and the army’s new rule in Naypyidaw. Bangladesh now sees “consultative and constructive engagement” with Myanmar’s military regime as a viable strategic choice to deal with the country’s topmost security concerns

The writer can at psbhuiyan92@gmail.com

reached

ThE month of Ramadan is said to be a month of blessings. however, the avaricious individuals and groups who increase the prices of daily use items during Ramadan are creating more problems for the already suffering population. hotels, eatery shops and public points are closed. Thus travellers, daily wagers, patients and minorities suffer untold difficulties. A few years back, several people died in Karachi during the month of Ramadan. The vagabond, the shelterless and the elderly lost their lives during scorching heat because they could not find drinking water placed in water coolers by shopkeepers or philanthropists, as the coolers were removed from public places and shops in the markets and roadsides. Two or three decades back, the government ruled allowing one or more hotels on bus stands. hospitals were established where travellers and patients used to get food and water. With the passage of time, the permit to these hotels are not issued under the alleged pressure of local religious influencers and few get permits after greasing the palms of the permitissuing officials. This way, there are very few open hotels, and they too charge the highest prices and provide substandard food and water. Respect for and sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan is and should be dearest to every Muslim and non-Muslim. however, the spirit of Islam and Ramadan is to create realization about the hungry and hapless. Thus the general public as well as the government of the day must ensure that nobody suffers during this month of blessing. Greedy traders, officials and those who act against the true spirit of Islam should be restrained by the iron arm of the law of the land GULSHER PANHWER JoHi

The new narrative AFTER a day-night inning, Captain Khan was clean-bowled by NA’s Noconfidence voting. Until then PM Khan had used all his might to save his premiership; one of them was Chief Minister Buzdar’s resignation and some internal family corruption was also making news. Above all, the wild card entry for him was the so-called foreign letter conspiracy. A question arises here: was that letter being the centre of everyone’s attention; used only to make things more sceptical which enjoyed an endorsement to Article-5 and made its way to constitutional blunder? however, the PTI leadership direly needed a new narrative to continue a rather more robust political game. It reminds us of Imran Khan’s previous narratives which were centralised upon “tabdeeli” change, which means a brand new Pakistan and abolition of corruption. In short, Imran Khan only has this one ball left, which according to him will be left out by these three highly talented players PML-N, PPP and JUI-F; nonetheless, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari welcomed Pakistanis to a “Purana Pakistan”, claiming that it was the former Prime Minister’s last ball. SULEMAN BALoCH KARACHi

Rule of law PRESERVATION of rule of law is requisite for the progress of a country. Execution of rule of law is pivotal as it ensures sustainability, accountability, fairness, and access to justice for all. No state can accomplish success and run smoothly without the implementation of the rule of law. It is the backbone of peace and harmony in the state. Each and every successful country in the world has progressed owing to its admiration for the laws and regulations. One of the main reasons behind Pakistan’s current crisis is the absence of rule of law. Unfortunately, in our country, we see different levels of implementation of the law for different classes. The Constitution of Pakistan also emphasizes the importance of rule of law but woefully, our country has achieved very little success in making it practical. If we want to progress as a nation then it is sine qua non to make the implementation of rule of law our core value. MUHAMMAD SALAL HAiDER TAxiLA

Good governance GOOD governance is crucial for the upkeep of a healthy democratic process. Transparency, accountability, efficiency, and the rule of law are the foundations of good governance. Policies formed on these bases are aimed at ensuring the well-being of the people and prosperity of the country, which can support economic and social development. Unfortunately, Pakistan lacks sound governance and the rule of law, which has led to myriad economic and social problems. Mismanagement and poor policies have intensified issues such as unemployment, illiteracy, soaring inflation, rising current account deficit, depreciation, etc. At present, the country requires sound governance policies that can reform the socio-economic situation. The past government vociferously promoted the Right to Information Act 2013, which was supposed to be a bedrock for good governance and democracy. however, the provincial information commissions have remained defunct. Perhaps, the government should begin by ensuring all the commissions are up and running. having access to information about government and private bodies that receive public funds is empowering for citizens and makes them feel included in the political process. Also, the government should work on improving accountability within institutions and organisations. Corrupt officials should be removed from their positions and the hiring procedure for both public and private organisations should be merit-based. Transparency and good governance not just help the people but increase the popularity of the leaders amongst the masses. Therefore, the government should ensure the implementation of all the laws that empower the people as well as draw new socio-economic strategies that can relieve the people of everyday difficulties. MUDASSiR AHMED SooMRo HYDERABAD

08 WORLD VIEW 20th April 22_Layout 1 4/19/2022 10:26 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

When WIll AMeRIcA AdMIT ITS WRongS? Pravda BaBu g. ranganathan

HEn will america recognize the many sins it has committed in its foreign policy? The U.s. government has committed and continues to commit the very sins it accuses other nations of committing. When will the U. s. ever judge itself for doing wrong in the affairs of the world? The U. s. rightfully looks out for its own interests in its foreign policy, but when will it give the same right to other nations. The U. s. demands other nations to follow U. n. resolutions, but, yet, the U. s. will not follow U. n. resolutions that demand for israel to withdraw to its pre-1967 borders. america has done much good in the world but it has also done much that is wrong. The U. s. invaded iraq and destabi-

The US ThreaTened To arreST ICC jUdgeS If They pUrSUe amerICanS for afghan war CrImeS lized the whole region, although iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and was not involved in the 9-11 terrorist attacks. The U. s., over decades, has propped up ruthless dictators and supported wars that have killed many thousands of civilians. President Eisenhower, before he left office, warned americans of the danger of the country’s military-industrial complex. Over the decades since Eisenhower left office, america has been getting into wars precisely because it’s very profitable. in the early 90’s (after the fall of the soviet Union) we promised Russia that we would not expand naTO eastward, but we broke our promise. Russia has every right to

The peRSecUTIon of chRISTIAnS In IndIA

be concerned for its security. Russians have every right to demand that the U.s. not expand naTO and build more missiles aimed at Russia. Russia has every right to demand for Ukraine not join naTO. Those who argue that naTO is strictly defensive don’t have a leg to stand on. naTO was used offensively against Libya in over-throwing Muammar Gaddafi. and something defensive can quickly be turned offensive. if Ukraine became part of naTO the anti-Russian elements in Ukraine, and there are many of them, may easily be emboldened to harass Russia with no fear because they’re protected by naTO. Russians in

nied any right to be concerned about its own security and its own legitimate interests in the region because those rights have always belonged only to the United states and the West. Below are some poignant points made by american writer scott schaeffer-duffy: n The U.s. has invaded 56 countries, eight of them since 2000. n The U.s. is the only nation to have used atomic bombs, when it incinerated more than 70,000 in Hiroshima and nagasaki. n On Feb. 13, 1991, without warning, the U.s. dropped two laser-guided bombs onto Baghdad’s amiriyah shelter killing 408 people, mostly women and children. n The U.s. has never apologized for killing over 500,000 civilians in Vietnam and 387,000 in afghanistan and iraq. n The U.s. threatened to arrest iCC judges if they pursue americans for afghan war crimes.

Russia still looms over US-India relationship

*In 365 days of 2021 Christians witnessed 502 incidents of violence *In first 103 days of 2022 Christians witnessed 127 incidents of violence countercurrents united christian ForuM

Today, over two thousand years ago Jesus Christ was persecuted or believed to be crucified on this day. Followers of Jesus are even today being persecuted in certain parts of the world including in india wherein vested groups of people are spreading hatred against minorities for their political gains. The persecution of Christians in india is intensifying which is leading to a systemic and carefully orchestrated violence against Christians, including use of social media to spread disinformation and stir up hatred. The strong infiltration of hatred against Christians, have witnessed 127 incidents of violence in 2014 which increased to five hundred fold in 2021 as 502 incidents of violence was reported in 2021 on UCF toll-free helpline number 1800-208-4545. Most church leaders are men, and being a pastor is understood to be one of the riskiest vocations in india. Pastors and their families are targeted to instil fear among them. in the first 103 days of 2022 we have already witnessed 127 incidents of violence against Christians. January saw 40 incidents, 35 incidents in February, 34 incidents in March and just in 13 days of april 18 incidents of violence were reported on UCF helpline. in which 89 Pastors were beaten up and threatened from conducting prayers for which they became pastors. 68 Churches were attacked in which 367 women and 366 children received injuries. Out of 127 incidents 82 incidents were mob violence. There are 42 cases pending in various courts challenging the constitutional validity of the so-called “Freedom of Religion act” which have been framed with a malafide intention to harass the Christian community who are falsely accused of forceful conversion. Whereas, till today, not a single Christian has been convicted for forcing any one to convert. Moreover, census after census have shown that Christian population remained 2.3 percent of india’s population of 1.2 billion. There are many false cases that were filed against Christians which the courts have found untrue and pulled up the police and the authorities for misusing the power. One example is in May 2017, where 72 Christian children going for Christian camp from Madhya Pradesh to nagpur accompanied by six elders were detained on charges of being “kidnapped to be converted’. The Madhya Pradesh High Court granting bail to children and elders directed the police to come back with evidence to prove their claim that children are not Christians and that they were being kidnapped to be converted. Till today, the police have not come back to Court. in another judgement, beginning of 2019, the delhi High Court while restoring the status of Overseas Citizen of india said that the government could not show any proof whatsoever of having forcefully or fraudulently converting even a single person. Under similar charges, there were over 40 Churches in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh that were shut down in 2018. Even though pastors and other Christian leaders are out on bail, the police are yet to file the charge sheets against any of them as they do not have any evidence to prove fraud or forceful conversions. There are hundreds of such cases, if not in thousands, that are lying in front of various courts across india due to the absence of proof of fraud or forceful conversions. The various courts in india in the last 15 months – January 2021 to March 2022 have acquitted Christians of false allegations of conversions in 59 cases (41 in 2021 and 18 till March 2022).

Ukraine are looked down upon and considered as second-class citizens. Russians in Ukraine are not allowed to vote in Ukrainian presidential elections. i am not saying Russia was right in invading Ukraine, but neither is the U.s. right in its continued expansion of naTO, including giving Ukraine the opportunity to join naTO. Russia is not the former communist soviet Union. Russia is no longer an official atheist country. Russia has a free-market economy where Russians can own and operate private businesses. Russia is not a threat to the U. s., but the Us is becoming a threat to Russia in insisting on expanding naTO which Russia rightly sees as a threat. Russia would immediately stop all military activity against Ukraine if Ukraine agreed unconditionally not to join naTO, but President Zelensky of Ukraine will not do that. The U. s. will not guarantee that Ukraine won’t join naTO. Russia is de-

Foreign Policy

Michael KugelMan

ndia’s foreign and defense ministers met their U.s. counterparts in Washington on Monday in a 2+2 dialogue that followed a virtual meeting between U.s. President Joe Biden and indian Prime Minister narendra Modi. These highlevel engagements brought a boost to a bilateral relationship that has experienced some turbulence since the conflict in Ukraine began. new delhi hasn’t condemned the Russian invasion because of its long-standing partnership with Moscow and heavy reliance on Russian arms. This factor remains a challenge for india’s relationship with the United states. Washington’s latest tactic appears to be to convince new delhi that Moscow is no longer a reliable security partner. The array of discussion on Monday captures the breadth of U.s.-india relations, attesting to

a multifaceted relationship that can withstand its share of shocks. The Biden-Modi call focused on clean energy, technology, health and food security, military cooperation, and indo-Pacific issues, along with Ukraine. according to U.s. readouts, the 2+2 covered traditional and nontraditional security issues, including a reference to finalizing some security collaborations. The United states aims to implement recent defense agreements with india to facilitate future cooperation. Those participating in the 2+2 dialogue previously made clear that the conflict in Ukraine would figure prominently. However, official documents from the 2+2 dialogue said little about the crisis beyond pledging to consult on humanitarian assistance efforts and calling for a cessation of hostilities. it’s likely the two sides agreed to disagree on most aspects of the Russia issue, and the post-meeting messaging highlighted the few areas of convergence. U.s. messaging on india’s position on the conflict has hardened in recent weeks, from grudging acceptance of india’s stance to calling on new delhi to “evolve” its position and warning of possible consequences if it keeps trading with Moscow. The most recent signaling suggests india should rethink its longer-term security relations with Moscow: in new delhi this month, top U.s. national security Council official daleep singh said india can’t count on Russian support the next time China stages a provocation on india’s border. it’s easy to follow this line of reasoning: india can’t bank on Russian support, especially because the Ukraine conflict has brought Moscow closer to Beijing, which it already depended on economically. india also can’t bank on a sanctioned Russia continuing to export arms to new delhi. This week, political scien-

tists Vasabjit Banerjee and Benjamin Tkach noted in War on the Rocks that Russia’s defense manufacturing sector has experienced financial problems ever since its invasion of Crimea in 2014. But in reality, the U.s. argument is a tough sell. india has never expected Russia to condemn Chinese border provocations. Furthermore, Russia’s economy should support the continued production of arms if key markets, including Europe’s, keep importing Russian energy. india is too heavily reliant on Russian arms to go cold turkey—especially given long-standing capacity constraints within its own defense production sector. india can also argue that it has reduced its share of Russian arms in recent years and that many of the supplies it continues to acquire strengthen its capacity to deter China. These are the reasons why the Biden administration will likely offer a sanctions waiver to india for its acquisition of the Russian s-400 missile defense system last year. Ultimately, it’s easier for the United states to wean india off Russian oil than Russian arms, given its limited dependence on the former. as indian External affairs Minister s. Jaishankar said in a press conference on Monday, “Probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon.” The Biden administration has a better long-term bet: to scale up its already-rising arms exports to india, encourage France and israel—two other key indian arms suppliers—to do the same, and help india strengthen its indigenous production capacity. Michael Kugelman is the Asia Program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington.

Artificial intelligence is creating a new colonial world order Mit technology review Karen hao

y husband and i love to eat and to learn about history. so shortly after we married, we chose to honeymoon along the southern coast of spain. The region, historically ruled by Greeks, Romans, Muslims, and Christians in turn, is famed for its stunning architecture and rich fusion of cuisines. Little did i know how much this personal trip would intersect with my reporting. Over the last few years, an increasing number of scholars have argued that the impact of ai is repeating the patterns of colonial history. European colonialism, they say, was characterized by the violent capture of land, extraction of resources, and exploitation of people—for example, through slavery— for the economic enrichment of the conquering country. While it would diminish the depth of past traumas to say the ai industry is repeating this violence today, it is now using other, more insidious means to enrich the wealthy and powerful at the great expense of the poor. as firms have dumped their ai technologies into the country, it’s created a blueprint for how to surveil citizens and serves as a warning to the world. i had already begun to investigate these claims when my husband and i began to journey through seville, Córdoba, Granada, and Barcelona. as i simultaneously read The Costs of Connection, one of the foundational texts that first proposed a “data colonialism,” i realized that these cities were the birthplaces of European colonialism—cities through which Christo-

pher Columbus traveled as he voyaged back and forth to the americas, and through which the spanish crown transformed the world order. in Barcelona especially, physical remnants of this past abound. The city is known for its Catalan modernism, an iconic aesthetic popularized by antoni Gaudí, the mastermind behind the sagrada Familia. The architectural movement was born in part from the investments of wealthy spanish families who amassed riches from their colonial businesses and funneled the money into lavish mansions. One of the most famous, known as the Casa Lleó Morera, was built early in the 20th century with profits made from the sugar trade in Puerto Rico. While tourists from around the world today visit the mansion for its beauty, Puerto Rico still suffers from food insecurity because for so long its fertile land produced cash crops for spanish merchants instead of sustenance for the local people. as we stood in front of the intricately carved façade, which features flora, mythical creatures, and four women holding the four greatest inventions of the time (a lightbulb, a telephone, a gramophone, and a camera), i could see the parallels between this embodiment of colonial extraction and global ai development. The ai industry does not seek to capture land as the conquistadors of the Caribbean and Latin america did, but the same desire for profit drives it to expand its reach. The more users a company can acquire for its products, the more subjects it can have for its algorithms, and the more resources—data—it can harvest from their activities, their movements, and even their bodies. neither does the industry still exploit labor through mass-scale slavery, which necessitated the propagation of racist beliefs that dehumanized entire populations. But it has developed new ways of exploiting cheap and precarious labor, often in the Global south, shaped by implicit ideas that such populations don’t need—or are less deserving of—livable wages and economic stability. MiT Technology Review’s new ai Colonialism se-

ries, which will be publishing throughout this week, digs into these and other parallels between ai development and the colonial past by examining communities that have been profoundly changed by the technology. in part one, we head to south africa, where ai surveillance tools, built on the extraction of people’s behaviors and faces, are re-entrenching racial hierarchies and fueling a digital apartheid. in part two, we head to Venezuela, where ai datalabeling firms found cheap and desperate workers amid a devastating economic crisis, creating a new model of labor exploitation. The series also looks at ways to move away from these dynamics. in part three, we visit ride-hailing drivers in indonesia who, by building power through community, are learning to resist algorithmic control and fragmentation. in part four, we end in aotearoa, the Maori name for new Zealand, where an indigenous couple are wresting back control of their community’s data to revitalize its language. Together, the stories reveal how ai is impoverishing the communities and countries that don’t have a say in its development—the same communities and countries already impoverished by former colonial empires. They also suggest how ai could be so much more—a way for the historically dispossessed to reassert their culture, their voice, and their right to determine their own future. That is ultimately the aim of this series: to broaden the view of ai’s impact on society so as to begin to figure out how things could be different. it’s not possible to talk about “ai for everyone” (Google’s rhetoric), “responsible ai” (Facebook’s rhetoric), or “broadly distribut[ing]” its benefits (Openai’s rhetoric) without honestly acknowledging and confronting the obstacles in the way. now a new generation of scholars is championing a “decolonial ai” to return power from the Global north back to the Global south, from silicon Valley back to the people. My hope is that this series can provide a prompt for what “decolonial ai” might look like—and an invitation, because there’s so much more to explore.

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Govt to actively enGaGe china to speed up cpec projects: ahsan

corporate corner

ISLAMABAD

Photo shows President & CEO Mobilink Microfinance Bank Ltd, Ghazanfar Azzam, and CEO Bakhabar Kissan, Khizer Alam Khan signing an agreement to empower MMBL’s agriborrowers by providing access to smart digital financial and agri-tech solutions. SChief Finance and Digital Officer, MMBL, Sardar Mohammad Abubakr along with other officials from both organizations also attended the ceremony. PR

use of donations to shaukat Khanum Memorial cancer hospital and research centre Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) was established in 1994 with the mission to provide state-of-the-art and comprehensive cancer treatment services for all patients, irrespective of their ability to pay. With the generous support of the Pakistani nation and overseas Pakistanis, we have consistently provided free of cost cancer treatment to 75 percent of our patients for over twenty-seven years. The management of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres (SKMCH&RC) strongly and categorically refutes recent allegations of donations being used for causes other than providing world class care to cancer patients. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres receive donations from within Pakistan and from overseas, and we are registered as a charity in many countries and jurisdictions. All donations received are recorded and donors are issued a formal receipt. The records of all donations to SKMCH&RC are maintained and duly audited by independent third parties to ensure compliance with all applicable local regulations. For over thirty years, the trust and confidence of many millions of donors has enabled the treatment of between 45,000 and 50,000 cancer patients annually at our hospitals in Lahore and Peshawar - most of whom would have been unable to access highly specialised cancer treatment elsewhere. Earlier this year, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust filed a suit seeking damages in the District and Sessions Court, Islamabad against false assertions in a newspaper article. In this regard, notices for defamation proceedings have been issued by the Honourable court. It is reiterated that all contributions to SKMCH&RC are used solely in fulfilling our mission of providing free cancer treatment to those unable to pay. Allegations and insinuations which aim to sow doubt in the minds of our donors as to how their donations are used by SKMCH&RC is tantamount to playing with patient’s lives and are to be deplored. PR

stAff RePoRt

EDERAL Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has said the new coalition government will actively engage China to speed up various projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The government’s top priority was to strengthen the country’s economy as it was the only prerequisite for its sovereignty, he said while talking to the media during his visit to National Centre for Artificial Intelligence at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) on Tuesday. The minister said he inaugurated the centre in 2018 to prepare the youth to use the latest technologies. The artificial intelligence, automatic robotics, big data cloud, cybersecurity and applied mathematics are the driver sectors of the fourth generation industrial revolution, and the youth could apply their skills in those sectors globally, he added. In the next few years, he said “we will train some 100,000 youth in these skills so that they can become part of the global digital intelligence.” He said it was unfortunate that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) was neglected during the previous government. He expressed the resolve to restore the Commission’s autonomy, along with its funding. Replying to a question, the minister said although the coalition government had not a full term of five years, it still is a big blessing as it would be easy to build consensus over national reforms. He said soon after the coalition government took charge, the country’s stock exchange showed a posi-

tive response while the value of Pakistani rupee also strengthened against the US dollar. Iqbal said as all parties of Balochistan are part of the government, it is a big opportunity that the long standing issues of the province should be resolved amicably. Responding to another question, the minister said the government had formed a committee in the Par-

Terrorist killed in Datta Khel

liament to start the electoral reforms’ process. “First we will make sure that the electoral reforms are done and then we will think upon the new elections,” he said while responding to another query. He said this was a constitutional requirement to complete the delimitation process and for that the Election Commission of Pakistan required around 6 to seven months.

Four children burnt to death, over 125 houses gutted in Khairpur fire

Mc honors 567 deserving students with scholarships ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical Commission strives to improve healthcare education through the advancement of quality medical and dental education in Pakistan. PMC being a healthcare regulator is setting benchmarks in line with best global practices to ensure quality healthcare for every citizen of the nation. Pakistan Medical Commission has offered scholarships to 567 deserving students across Pakistan. PMC is off the view to facilitate all students and stakeholders using all possible resources. Giving scholarships to the students is primarily to support them in getting their desired education in their desired discipline. PMC is determined and working with zeal and zest to offer the best possible services to all. The scholarships were purely offered on merit and in a transparent manner. Students on the other hand appreciated the role of PMC in their student-friendly policies and the support being given by the organization to them. Spokesperson PMC stated that PMC Policies inked in the larger interest of Pakistan/Students. PR

RAWALPINDI stAff RePoRt

Security forces have killed a terrorist in a shootout in Datta Khel, North Waziristan District. “On 19 April 2022, fire exchange took place between secu-

rity forces and terrorists in general area Datta Khel, North Waziristan District. During intense exchange of fire, Terrorist Fareed Ahmed got killed. Weapon and ammunition was also recovered from the killed terrorist,” an ISPR handout said.

The killed terrorist remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces. “Locals of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the area,” the statement added.

DADU: At least four children were burnt to death, several people scorched and more than 10 dozen houses gutted with households due to fire here Monday-Tuesday night. According to details, fire initiated in a house located in tehsil Khairpur Nathan Shah area of District. The fire spread rapidly due to wind and dust storm and engulfed over 100 houses. Four children including Abdul Rasool, Mour, Tehmina and Sakina aged between four to eight years were burnt alive while several others were scorched. The fire brigade could not reach the scene and fire was doused by local people on self-help bases. The bodies and injured were shifted to local hospital. Meanwhile, a massive fire gutted all the homes in village Faiz Muhammad in Tehsil Mehar while 25 homes in nearby village Saleh Machi were also destroyed. Agencies

‘Pak drone’ eliminated TTP targets in Afghanistan A Pakistani military drone successfully hit its targets during last week’s strikes — the first of its kind outside Pakistan. The military drones targeted Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in Khost and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan. The strikes, according to senior officials, were carried out following intelligence reports that TTP affiliates were present in the area. Senior security officials refuted the claims that the strike was carried out by the Pakistan Air Forces (PAF) jets or claims that Pakistan violated the Afghan airspace. They said that TTP bases near the Afghan border were targeted, where Pakistani security forces had planned attacks last month. According to the officials, the targeted areas were occupied by the TTP, which were no-go areas for the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan (IEA) itself, adding that the drone successfully hit targets and the TTP suffered heavy losses. “The area was cordoned off by the TTP in order to hide the killings of its commanders —

even members of the IEA were not allowed,” an official said on the condition of anonymity. He, however, expressed the hope that more details would be shared in the next few days. Security experts said that other countries’ concerns had been addressed by assuring them that the Afghan soil would never be used against any other country — Central Asian and specifically Russia. “There were serious casualties last week and this is what was taken up with the IEA but they want us to engage with the TTP,” Brigadier (retd) Mehmood Shah said. However, he asked: “I seriously don’t know why would the IEA tell us to talk to the TTP. Who are they [TTP], we will talk to IEA, and not the TTP.” The recent strikes, Shah believed, were in retaliation to a surge in terror attacks inside Pakistan. “Strikes are always prominent and I would suggest that others means [for the targets] should be used. The IEA should not be trusted anymore,” Shah told The Express Tribune.

Another senior official stated that the attacks against the Pakistan Army started when the TTP launched the Al-Badr offensive with the beginning of Ramazan—in Bajaur and North Waziristan. “A military camp was attacked in Tank and an attempt was made to create a hostage situation,” the official said, adding: “Just yesterday, seven Pakistani soldiers were martyred in North Waziristan.” A day earlier, the official continued, a major and a soldier of the army were martyred and a missile was fired at a police mobile in Dera Ismail Khan. “In this situation, the Pakistani government decided to take action on the Afghan border and targeted the locations where key TTP commanders were present.” The official also stated that the TTP settled its bases near the Afghan border, where even the Afghan authorities were unable to go. Therefore, he added, the Afghan government had repeatedly been urged to bring the TTP to the negotiating table or take action against them. “We were compelled to take this step in

self-defense,” the official said, reiterating that the drone strike was carried out from inside

the Pakistani territory and that there was no violation of the Afghan airspace. stAff RePoRt

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

RussIA lAunches mAjoR ‘offensIve’ In eAsteRn ukRAIne Moscow Agencies

OSCOW launched dozens of air strikes across eastern Ukraine overnight, its defence ministry said on Tuesday, after Kyiv accused Russian forces of unleashing a major new offensive in the Donbas region. Russia’s defence ministry said that “high-precision airbased missiles” had hit 13 Ukrainian positions in parts of the Donbas while other air strikes “hit 60 military assets”, including in towns close to the eastern frontline. Russia’s defence minister said Moscow was seeking to “liberate” east Ukraine, but accused the West of dragging out the military operation by supplying Kyiv with arms. “We are gradually implementing our plan to liberate the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics,” Sergei Shoigu said in reference to eastern Ukraine’s two rebel regions, which Moscow has recognised as independent states. “We are taking measures to restore peaceful life,” he said in a televised meeting with Russian military commanders. Ukraine’s armed forces also confirmed that fighting had increased throughout the east just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had kicked off the widely anticipated offensive in the Donbas region on Monday. “The Russian occupiers intensified offensive operations along the entire

line of contact,” the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a report published early on Tuesday. Ahead of the advance, Ukrainian authorities had urged people in Donbas to flee west to escape, even as officials called off evacuations for a third straight day from frontline cities due to ongoing fighting. “No matter how many Russian soldiers are brought here, we will fight. We will defend ourselves,” Zelensky said on Telegram late on Monday. Control of Donbas would allow Moscow to create a southern corridor to the occupied Crimean peninsula. However, Zelensky’s advisor Oleksiy Arestovich offered a slightly different take during an interview on Ukrainian TV on Tuesday, saying the offensive in the Donbas had been ongoing for nearly two weeks. “The offensive has been going on for 12 days in the Donbas,” said Arestovich. “They advance by looking for weak points in our defence. As soon as they find them, they infiltrate them,” he added. Kreminna siezed: Russian forces have seized the city of Kreminna in eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the city, the regional governor said on Tuesday. Kreminna, a city of more than 18,000 people about 100 km southeast of the capital Kyiv, appears to be the first city captured in a new Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine. “Kreminna is under the control of the ‘Orcs’ (Russians). They have entered the city,” Serhiy Gaidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, told a briefing. “Our defenders had to withdraw. They have en-

trenched themselves in new positions and continue to fight the Russian army.” He said Russian forces had attacked “from all sides”. “It is impossible to calculate the number of dead among the civilian population. We have official statistics — about 200 dead — but in reality there are many more, ” he said, without making clear what period the estimated death toll covered. Fresh call for Mariupol surrender In the south, Russia continued its push to capture the besieged port city of Mariupol, as Moscow issued a fresh call for the city’s defenders to surrender. But despite the desperate situation in the city, a senior US Defence Department official on Monday said Mariupol “is still contested”. Monday also saw the first shipments of a new $800-million US military aid package arrive at Ukraine’s borders to be handed over in its fight against the Russian invasion. ‘it’s hell’: And while much of the focus has remained in Ukraine’s east, Moscow has also targeted the country’s west with air strikes, killing at least seven people in the city of Lviv near the Polish border on Monday. Lviv has largely been spared bombardment since Russia invaded on February 24, and the city and its surroundings had become a haven for those seeking safety from the war zone. But “today we understood clearly that we don’t have any safe places in Ukraine. It’s very dangerous,” a bank employee who gave her name as Natalia told AFP after the strikes. Among the sites struck was a depot near Lviv that Moscow said held weapons recently delivered to Ukraine

from the United States and Europe. Shortly before Zelensky’s address late on Monday, the regional governor of the Lugansk region Sergiy Gaiday also announced the beginning of Russia’s much-anticipated attack. “It’s hell. The offensive has begun, the one we’ve been talking about for weeks. There’s constant fighting in Rubizhne and Popasna, fighting in other peaceful cities,” he said on Facebook. Russian shelling killed at least eight civilians in eastern Ukraine, according to local authorities. Gaiday said four people died as they tried to flee the city of Kreminna in Lugansk as Russian troops moved in. “The Russian army has already entered there, with a huge amount of military hardware … Our defenders have retreated to new positions,” Gaiday said in a statement on social media. Nearby, in the village of Novodruzhesk, weary locals have borne the brunt of the fighting. ‘heavy attacKs’: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he launched the so-called military operation on February 24 to save Russian speakers in Ukraine from a “genocide” carried out by a “neo-Nazi” regime. Putin also recognised the independence of two self-proclaimed separatist republics in Donetsk and Lugansk shortly before the invasion began. On Monday, Putin lauded the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade — which is accused of committing atrocities near Kyiv — bestowing battle honours on them for “heroism and valour, tenacity and courage”.

China says security pact with Solomon Islands does not target third party Amnesty calls for end to Israel’s ‘war against humanity’ Agencies Amnesty International on Tuesday called out Israel’s “apartheid”, terming it a “war against humanity”. “Apartheid is not just a relic of the past, it is the lived reality for Palestinians across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories — it is happening to this day,” said the global rights watchdog in a Twitter post. It further stated that the organisation was “monitoring reports of unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, and collective punishment”. The organisation went on to describe apartheid as “valuing the life of one group more than that of another” and noted that Israel’s apartheid was maintained through killings, torture, and denying Palestinians their basic rights.” Terming the violent acts a war against humanity, it said, “This must end.” At least 170 people have been reported injured in several incidents in and around Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Senior Palestinian official Hussein Al Sheikh said on Sunday that “Israel’s dangerous escalation in the AlAqsa compound … is a blatant attack on our holy places”, and called on the international community to intervene. On the same day, King Abdullah II of Jordan — the kingdom serves as custodian of holy places in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognised by most of the international community — called on Israel to “stop all illegal and provocative measures” that drives “further aggravation”.

Agencies China said on Tuesday that its security cooperation with Solomon Islands does not target any third party, following the signing of a security cooperation pact between the two countries. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele recently signed a China-Solomon Islands intergovernmental framework agreement on security cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing. The spokesperson stressed that security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands is part of normal exchanges and cooperation between two sovereign and independent countries. Anti-epidemic supplies provided by the Chinese government arrive in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands. Wang said the cooperation is based on equality and shared benefits and is conducted on the premise of respecting Solomon Islands’ will and actual needs. The two sides will conduct cooperation in fields such as

maintaining social order, protecting people’s lives and properties, providing humanitarian assistance, and tackling natural disasters, so as to help Solomon Islands strengthen its capabilities in safeguarding national security, he added. The cooperation is intended to promote social stability and lasting security of Solomon Islands and is in line with the common interests of the country and the South Pacific, he said. Describing China-Solomon Islands security cooperation as “transparent, open and inclusive,” he said it does not target any third country , does not con-

tradict the cooperation between Solomon Islands and other countries, and can complement the existing cooperation mechanisms in the region. Commenting on the signing of the framework agreement, the government of Solomon Islands said in a statement on March 31 that the move aims to respond to the country’s “soft and hard domestic threats.” Solomon Islands “will work with all partners in providing a safe and secure nation where all people are able to co-exist peacefully,” according to the statement.

uk Pm johnson to face angry mPs for first time since ‘partygate’ fine LonDon AFP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face angry lawmakers Tuesday for the first time since being fined for breaking the law, as the “partygate” scandal continues to plague him. The embattled UK leader has weathered the initial storm after being penalised last week for breaching Covid lockdown laws on one occasion in 2020, doggedly defying calls to resign. But Johnson can expect a bruising few days as the House of Commons returns from its Easter break, with MPs demanding to know why he repeatedly insisted to them that no rules had been broken. Knowingly misleading parliament is a breach of government ministers’ code of conduct, which states they should resign as a result, and opposition lawmakers are adamant he should go. However, despite becoming the first modern British leader to be fined for law-breaking and facing further possible penalties as police investigate numerous rulesbreaching events in Downing Street, he is digging in. The 57-year-old will reportedly try to sideline the controversy with a “business as usual” mantra this week, which includes a two-day visit to India starting Thursday. “The prime minister will have his say… and will outline his version of events and face questions from MPs,” government minister Greg Hands told Sky News Monday. “(He) is getting on with the job, he’s delivered, and the government has delivered in anything from the vaccination programme through (to) the strong support for Ukraine.” attention diverted: London’s Metropolitan Police Service is investigating dozens of alleged lockdown breaches by Johnson and his staff in the Downing Street complex where he lives and works during the pandemic. It said last week officers have so far issued more than 50 fines. The scandal, the latest in a stream of controversies to hit Johnson since last summer, left his position hanging by a thread earlier this year and Conservative MPs in a dangerously rebellious mood. But he has boosted his survival chances with what is seen as a firm response to the war in Ukraine, which diverted attention away from the furore when he was most vulnerable. Several Conservative lawmakers who had publicly withdrawn their support for his leadership have reversed course and argued now is not the time for a change of Tory leader. A growing cost-of-living crisis is also credited with distracting people from the scandal, while Johnson has made several big policy announcements aimed at his pro-Brexit political base. They include controversial plans to send migrants and asylum seekers who cross the Channel thousands of miles away to Rwanda. However, commentators doubt he can maintain his party’s support if repeatedly fined, his Tories fare poorly in local elections next month and further lurid details of parties emerge. In an ominous sign last Wednesday, Simon Wolfson, a justice minister, resigned from the government, citing “the scale, context and nature” of the rule breaches. ‘liar’: Several Tories have also renewed calls for him to step down. Johnson will bid to shore up his standing with them when he addresses a meeting of the Conservative parliamentary party Tuesday evening, according to reports. However, he could face the further embarrassment of lawmakers voting to refer him to a rarely convened parliament committee which would decide whether he had misled them over “partygate”. Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle is said to be considering whether to allow such a vote, amid pressure from opposition parties. “Boris Johnson defied his own law and then lied and lied and lied,” Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, tweeted last Tuesday. “While the British public were making huge sacrifices, he was rulebreaking.” Johnson is undoubtedly hoping voters’ anger over “partygate” has dissipated, but recent polling found they remain furious. One national survey showed nearly two-thirds of people spoke negatively about the Tory leader, compared to just 16 percent positively, with the word “liar” the most commonly shared response.

PID (I) 7370/21

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

PCB yet to ReCeive signAL RegARding RetuRn of dePARtmentAL CRiCKet

NEwS DESk

HE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not received any instructions regarding the revival of department cricket. PCB changed the system and formed six association sides (first XI and second XI) at the behest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019. Thousands of cricketers and officials lost their jobs due to the closure of departments. When asked by a top PCB official regarding the return on departmental cricket, he answered no while adding that the changes can’t be made so quickly. “The constitution will have to be changed for this, even if the

departements agree to form teams again at the government’s request,” he told this correspondent. “The appointment of players and other issues cannot be worked out overnight. At least this year, the return of departmental teams is unlikely,” he added. Sources also further said that PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja is also not against departmental cricket, if he remains in office and the government calls for a change in the system, he will not oppose it either. Meanwhile, former Test cricketer Iqbal Qasim said that departmental cricket should be restored immediately. “A think tank should be set up to give suggestions in this regard. Cricketers, who are not contracted with

the PCB, can be given a chance in a Grade II tournament at the start,” Iqbal said. “In the meantime, a new system can be created and implemented from next year, any tournament of departments and regions together is also possible,” he added. He added that re-formation of teams for departments would not be a difficult task. “Most of them still have structures. National Bank and UBL have sports complexes, WAPDA can also come,” he maintained. “All of them just have to reorganize so that the players get some employment, right now cricketers like Kamran Akmal and Asad Shafiq are unemployed,” he concluded.

France pulls out of bidding process to host Davis Cup group stage PARIS AFP

Ronaldo announces death of baby son MANCHESTER AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez announced on Monday that their newborn baby son has died. Ronaldo revealed in a social media post last October that the couple were expecting twins. In a post released on the Manchester United forward’s Twitter account, they confirmed the birth of a baby girl. “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel,” Ronaldo and Rodriguez said in a jointly-signed statement. “Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support. “We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.” The couple, who met during Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid, have a fouryear old daughter together, while Ronaldo has three other children. “Your pain is our pain, Cristiano,” Manchester United tweeted. “Sending love and strength to you and the family at this time.”

Amir Khan says he was robbed at gunpoint in London

France’s tennis federation (FFT) said it has pulled out of the bidding process to become a host for the group stage of this year’s Davis Cup Finals due to “onerous financial and operational conditions”. The International Tennis Federation had initially named Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Malaga as hosts for the group stage of the men’s team competition from Sept. 14-18. Malaga was then picked to host the knockout rounds in November with the governing body inviting bids to replace it for the group stage. The FFT said it went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport last month after being “unfairly excluded” from the bidding process but was made eligible to submit a proposal to replace Malaga. “After finally being able to review the complete specifications in the designation of the host cities […] the FFT has decided not to submit a bid in view of the onerous financial and op-

SPORTS 11

PCB to set up camp to groom young spinners NEwS DESk The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has planned to set up a special camp after Eid-ul-Fitr to groom young spinners. The camp, proposed at the National High Performance Centre, will feature spinners who have excelled in domestic cricket. According to reports, a pool of spinners will be set up separately for Test, ODI and T20 formats. In this regard, the selection committee has sought a list from the provincial coaches. The list will be finalised on the return of Chief Selector Muhammad Waseem from Umrah. One such camp has also been proposed for fast bowlers, which will be set up on a later date. Earlier, Waseem had lamented the lack of quality spinners before the series against Australia.

djokovic aiming to be ‘as ready’ as possible for french open BELgRADE AgeNcies

erational conditions which no potential organiser in the French territory was willing to accept,” it said in a statement. The FFT added that it withdrew the CAS appeal on Monday after its right to participate in the bidding process was recognised and since the case “no longer has any purpose”. The ITF was not immediately available for comment. The competition, which began in 1900, has undergone various changes in format, most recently in 2019 when

home and away ties were replaced by a World Cup-style Finals after the ITF struck a lucrative deal with Spanish investment group Kosmos. “The FFT’s desire to promote and revitalise the Davis Cup is stronger than ever,” the French body added. “In the interest of this competition and of tennis, the FFT wishes to contribute to the reflection on the sporting format of the competition and the evolution of its economic model to make it more attractive.”

Talha Talib says positive dope test result‘unintentional mistake’ LAHORE News Desk

Pakistan’s weightlifter Talha Talib called his positive dope test result an “unintentional mistake” in a letter to the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF). Surprise dope tests were conducted by the International Testing Agency along with International Weightlifting Federation in Gujranwala and Lahore for all Pakistani weightlifters. After failing a dope test recently, Talha wrote a letter, stating that he did it unknowingly. Test reports revealed signs of prohibited medicines in samples of three weightlifters, including Talha, which could lead to a ban of four years. He was suspended on March 14. In his letter to PWF, Talha said that “he had no idea about the presence of prohibited substances in his body” while also stating that he would “never even think about violating doping rules”. However, the 22-year-old also said that “he could have made an unintentional mistake, which could be due to lack of knowledge, and for that he is sorry”. Talha — whose previous nine dope tests all

came back negative — has also decided against submitting B-sample as he trusts the laboratory results. It must be noted that Talha won the first-ever medal for Pakistan in the World Weightlifting Championship, bagging bronze at Tashkent last year. He narrowly missed out on winning an Olympic medal for Pakistan at 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “I have always kept my focus on training and making my country proud through lawful means,” Talha stated.

Novak Djokovic said on Monday that he is aiming to be “as ready as I can be” for the French Open as he prepares for just his third tournament of the season in Belgrade this week. The world number one was deported from Australia ahead of the Australian Open in January over his Covid vaccination status, before also missing Indian Wells and the Miami Open in the United States. In the Serbian star’s absence, Rafael Nadal won a record 21st Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne, moving out of a tie with Djokovic and Roger Federer. Djokovic will be hoping to match his great rival’s tally at the French Open, which begins on May 22. “Roland Garros is the quintessential claycourt tournament and I’m partly already there in my thoughts, in terms of preparation and everything I’m doing at the moment to get there as ready as I can be,” Djokovic told reporters in Belgrade. The 34year-old also said he was planning to play in the Madrid Masters and the Italian Open ahead of Roland Garros. “My current plans include Madrid and Rome,” he added. “It depends, really, on my result here and the shape I’m in. We’ll decide then.” Djokovic lost in his opening match of the Monte Carlo Masters last week to eventual runner-up Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, after a quarter-final exit in Dubai in February. “I was not fully ready for the tournament in Monte Carlo and I knew that before the tournament started,” he said. “However, I need match practice and this is the surface (clay) that requires a lot of time spent on the court during training sessions, and even more during matches. “I hope to play more matches in Belgrade than in Monte Carlo.” Djokovic won an ATP event in the Serbian capital last season, the week before the start of the French Open, which he won for the second time despite trailing Stefanos Tsitsipas by two sets in the final. “I had never before played a tournament in the week ahead of Roland Garros but last year I decided to do just that. “Because it was Belgrade and I needed the feeling that the audience is the wind beneath my wings. It came true, I won the tournament, and it turned out I made a good decision ahead of the French Open.”

Liverpool have to be ‘angry’ and ‘greedy’ against Man Utd AgENCIES

LONDON ReuteRs

Pakistan-origin British boxer Amir Khan said he had been robbed at gunpoint in London but that both he and his wife were unharmed in the incident. “Just had my watch taken off me at gun point in East London, Leyton,” Khan wrote on Twitter. “I crossed the road with Faryal (Makhdoom), luckily she was few steps behind me. “2 men ran to me, he asked for my watch [whilst] having a gun pointed in my face. The main thing is we’re both safe.” The 35-year-old, who won lightweight silver at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and is a former unified lightwelterweight champion, suffered a comprehensive defeat to Kell Brook in February and said retirement was “something to think about”.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has told his players to view their Premier League game against Manchester United later on Tuesday as the most important three points of their lives as they continue their push for an unprecedented quadruple. Liverpool, who have already won the League Cup and are in the FA Cup final and the Champions League semi-finals, trail league leaders Manchester City by a point with seven games left. While fifth-placed United are on course for a fifth straight season without a trophy, Klopp told reporters on Monday that they can still cause Liverpool “massive problems” at Anfield. “We have to be angry in a good way and all these kind of things,” he said. “Greedy, really, like you are if you have

won nothing, like you would be with nil points and it is the most important three points in your life. “That’s actually the attitude we need for this game because the quality is too high and they are too good for not being in that mood.” Ralf Rangnick has failed to inspire a turnaround in United’s fortunes since taking over on an interim basis last year and Klopp said there was no quick fix for the club’s issues. “We had a similar situation when I started here,” he added. “We were not flying from the first day. Let me say it like this, and you might have thought after six or seven weeks: ‘Is it really much better than before?'” “When you are in that situation, you just accept that you need all the steps. You cannot just put on a magic sprinkle and go from there.”

Wednesday, 20 April, 2022

pRayeR timingS

NEWS

ZARdARi SCRAMbleS SUPPoRt FoR PReSideNt Alvi’S iMPeAChMeNt ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

HE Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) cochairman Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday met Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and Sardar Akhtar Mengal and discussed the idea to help remove President Dr Arif Alvi through impeachment.

Sources in the ruling coalition told this scribe that the former president was shocked by a blunt response by Maulana Fazlur Rehman who told Asif Zardari that his party is bringing its own candidate for the election of next president. In his meeting with Mengal, Asif Zardari urged the BNP-M chief to join the federal cabinet. Sardar Akhtar Mengal, however, set a precondition, asking for the formation of an inquiry commission to

probe the Chaghai incident. He also said the cabinet should be made in different stages. Mengal also said the coalition should stay united when making decisions. Sardar Akhtar Mengal, in the meeting, advised Asif Ali Zardari to check the numbers before making a decision on President Dr Alvi’s impeachment. Zardari is expected to meet other party leaders in this regard.

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:05

12:08

3:47

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fiqah-e-hanfia lahore sehr: 4:04 am iftar: 6:35 Pm

islamabad sehr: 4:03 am iftar: 6:42 Pm

karachi sehr: 4:46 am iftar: 6:57 Pm

fiqah-e-jafaria lahore sehr: 3:14 am iftar: 6:45 Pm

islamabad sehr: 4:13 am iftar: 6:52 Pm

karachi sehr: 4:56 am iftar: 7:07 Pm

Power tariff may increase Rs3.15 per unit under FCA of March 2022 ISLAMABAD

No concept of non-compliance with top court’s orders in US: SC judge

PTI raises objections over ECP, terms it as ‘incomplete’

There is no concept of non-compliance with the apex court’s order in the United States, Supreme Court’s Justice Aijazul Ahsan remarked, citing an American jurist during the hearing on a presidential reference seeking the interpretation of Article 63A of the Constitution of Pakistan. A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court — headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel — had resumed the hearing of the reference on Tuesday. At the outset of the hearing, CJP Bandial directed the parties of the case to complete their arguments today, saying that the larger bench might not be available next week. At this, PPP’s lawyer Farooq H Naek maintained that completing the arguments would be difficult within half an hour. He, however, said that he will try to complete the arguments within 60 minutes. Presenting his arguments, Naek said that Article 96 of the 1973 Constitution restricted defection and the vote of a dissident member wasn’t counted under the Constitution. “A military dictator included Article 62 and 63 in the Constitution.” During the hearing, Justice Alam inquired if the same punishment as defection applied to disagreements over policy affairs of a political party. At this, Naek replied that the members commit defection when it comes to policy affairs and following the party’s policy is not necessary for electing the speaker of the House. “An American judge said that there was no concept of not complying with the apex court’s order in the US when he was asked about the extent of authority he had regarding the contempt of court action in case of noncompliance,” Justice Ahsan said. The supreme court is the final arbiter in the US, he added. Naek maintained that the country is moving towards anarchy as no one is willing to abide by the Constitution or law. At this, CJP Bandial said that it is not right to judge everyone through the same lens. “It has become a culture to appreciate the rule of law if the judicial orders are in favour and blame the justice if the orders are not as desired,” the top judge remarked. Responding to this, Naek claimed that PPP has always accepted the decisions of the SC, as he referred to the dismissal of Yusuf Raza Gillani from the office of the prime minister of Pakistan. The apex court has adjourned the hearing till tomorrow (Wednesday.) Staff RepoRt

The PTI on Tuesday raised objections against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), claiming that an “incomplete commission” is not authorised to decide any case as per the constitution. PTI’s counsel Anwar Mansoor was raising objections as two members of the ECP — out of the total four — retired following the completion of their tenures. Mansoor’s objections came as a three-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, resumed hearing in the PTI foreign funding case today. At the outset of today’s hearing, PTI’s counsel Anwar Mansoor argued that two of the ECP member retired in 2019 but the slots are yet to be filled. “The Constitution gives powers to the election commission but not to the commissioner or members,” Mansoor added. At this, CEC Raja remarked that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had ordered the ECP to decide the case within 30 days, adding that the ECP wanted to

hear the case on a daily basis in line with the IHC’s order. During the course of the proceeding, PTI’s lawyers expressed disappointment over the observations of the IHC and said that he would complete his arguments in three days. Meanwhile, the CEC adjourned the hearing till next week. Talking to journalists outside the ECP office in Islamabad, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the party has no objection to the scrutiny of his party’s funds but the ECP should summon other political parties as well. “There is nothing in the case. Our all funds are legal,” said Qureshi, adding that the scrutiny committee exceeded its mandate. “We received funds with the cooperation of people but did not loot the national treasury,” he added. The PTI leader hoped that other parties will also be weighed on the same scale the PTI is being weighed. For his part, PTI leader and former minister of state for com-

munication Farrukh Habib said that the PTI will file an intra-court appeal challenging the IHC’s order. On the other hand, Akbar S Babar, the petitioner, told journalists that the IHC’s ruling will take the case to its logical end. He said that if funding from prohibited sources is proved, then it will affect the PTI and its chairman. On April 14, the IHC ordered the ECP to wrap up the foreign funding case of the PTI within 30 days. The orders were issued by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on applications filed by the PTI asking for Akbar S Babar’s separation from the case, the dismissal of the case, and keeping the PTI documents secret. The PTI had challenged the ECP’s applications seeking the exclusion of Babar, the petitioner, from the foreign funding case. It had also demanded that all records of the case, including the documents requisitioned through the State Bank of Pakistan, should not be shared with Babar, who had filed the case in November 2014. Staff RepoRt

Dual nationals allowed by law to fund political parties, PTI counsel on foreign funding case As the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday resumed hearing the foreign funding case against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the party’s counsel claimed that dual nationals were permitted under the law to fund political parties. A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja conducted the hearing. During the hearing, PTI’s counsel Anwar Mansoor raised an objection against the ECP, saying it was not fully functional as it was operating without two of its members, who retired in 2019. He also cited Article 218 of the Constitution, which stipulates the formation of a “permanent election commission consisting of a chairman and four members, one from each province”. He contended that the ECP was not entitled to issue orders on [any matter] until it was fully functional. He made this observation in reference to April 12 announcement by the ECP regarding the delimitation schedule for the National Assembly and provincial assemblies for the next general elections. The PTI counsel said the documents provided by the ECP’s scrutiny committee to petitioner Akbar S. Babar were not bona fide, adding that Babar talked out of context on the matter during his interactions with the media. Mansoor said he would complete his arguments

in the case in three days, and told the bench that he had already informed the commission about his unavailability from April 20. After hearing his arguments, the ECP adjourned the hearing till next week, declaring it would hold proceedings for three consecutive days in the coming week. The ECP had last week said it would hear the case on a daily basis in line with the Islamabad High Court’s order which directed it to dispose of the matter within 30 days. The IHC issued the order after it dismissed an appeal of the PTI against the ECP order rejecting two PTI applications seeking dismissal of the foreign funding case and disassociating its petitioner Akbar S. Babar from the case and keeping the PTI documents secret. On January 4 this year, the ECP’s scrutiny committee, formed in March 2018 to examine the PTI’s foreign funding in one month, finally submitted its report after 95 hearings and nearly four years. The report, based on eight volumes of record requisitioned through the State Bank of Pakistan, proved that the PTI leadership had allegedly committed gross violations of funding laws by allowing the collection of millions of dollars and billions of rupees without any source and details from foreigners, including Indian nationals and foreign companies. Staff RepoRt

ahmad ahmadani

Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) has asked the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to increase the power tariff by Rs3.15 per unit on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for the month of March 2022. As per details, CPPA has requested NEPRA to jack up the power price by Rs3.15 per unit under the head FCA of March 2022 and the NEPRA’s hearing on the matter is scheduled on April 27, 2022. The CPPA, in its application, informed the NEPRA that more than ten billion units of electricity were produced in the month of March 2022 from different sources of fuel including hydel, furnace oil, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) etc. It is also learnt from CPPA’s application that out of total electricity produced in March 2022 from different sources of fuel, 16.35 per cent electricity was generated with hydel source, 24.83 per cent with coal, 10.62 per cent with expansive furnace oil, 9.53 per cent with local gas, while 18.87 per cent with LNG, and 15.01 per cent with nuclear source. According to sources, if NEPRA approves CPPA’s application regarding Rs3.15 per unit power tariff hike, the power consumers of all power distribution companies (DISCOs) except K-Electric may bear an additional burden of approximately Rs26 billion. Earlier, NEPRA raised the electricity rate by Rs4.85 per unit on account of fuel charges adjustment for the month of February 2022 for all DISCOs except K-Electric and issued a notification to this effect. Pursuant to Section 31(7) of the NEPRA Act and the mechanism for monthly fuel price adjustment prescribed by the Authority in the tariff determinations of Ex-WAPDA Distribution Companies (DISCOs), the Authority may on monthly basis make adjustments in the approved tariff on account of any variations in the fuel charges and policy guidelines as the federal government may issue and notify the tariff so adjusted in the official gazette. Meanwhile, NEPRA on Tuesday expressed serious reservations on the continued power load-shedding in the country while power distribution companies (DISCOs) complained against National Power Control Center (NPCC) for supplying less electricity. Officials of DISCOs, including K-Electric, CPPA, and NPCC have attended the NEPRA’s hearing.

US working with Pakistan to ensure ‘stable, secure’ Afghanistan WASHINGTON: The United States was working with Pakistan to bring about a more stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan that respects the fundamental rights of all people, including minorities and women. At his daily news briefing, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington viewed Pakistan as an important stakeholder and partner with whom it has engaged to work together to stabilise the nation of Afghanistan. Highlighting the importance of American ties with Pakistan, he said: “For almost 75 years our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one.” Prince said the US looked forward to continue working with the new government in Islamabad across regional and international issues that have the potential to promote peace and prosperity in Pakistan and throughout the region. “We have already congratulated the new Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on his election, and we look … we work — excuse me — we look forward to working closely with his government.” Responding to a question about reports of alleged Pakistan Air Force (PAF) strikes in Afghanistan, he said: “We are aware of the reports of Pakistani air strikes in Afghanistan, but we’d refer you to the Pakistani government for comment.” Staff RepoRt

Top court hits back at critics for unnecessary blame game ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Amid criticism of its judgements, the Supreme Court on Tuesday hit back, saying it has become a culture in Pakistan to blame the courts if the decisions announced by the judges are unfavourable. During a hearing of the case seeking interpretation of Article 63-A, the top court remarked that the courts are praised if the decisions are favourable and grilled if the decisions turn out to be unfavourable. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel said peo-

ple do know about the judgements of the court yet they blindly follow whatever their leaders say. The bench made these remarks after PPP lawyer Farook H Naik said the country was heading towards “anarchy” and nobody was willing to accept the decision of the Supreme Court. About Article 63-A, Justice Ijazul Ahsan said prima facie the purpose of this article was to stop floor-crossing. “The court wants to examine if the punishment for defection is harsh enough to act as a deterrent,” he added. “What will be the sentence for defection, this is the actual question,” he said.

Justice Mandokhel asked if defection was considered a crime then why does the vote of such a person count? “Is it a crime to vote against the party lines…what kind of crime is this that has been allowed by the Constitution,” he went to ask. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the court gave its recommendations in a case regarding the Senate election but nobody followed that. “Why are political parties acting as neutral on defections,” he said, adding that defectors were given offices in other parties. Naik argued that Article 96 of 1973’s Constitution stopped defections. He added that as

per the 1973 Constitution, the vote of defectors would not count. He added that a military dictator added Articles 62-63 to the Constitution. Justice Bandial said if a member casts a vote against the party lines during the fourth year of the government then it would probably take a year for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Supreme Court to decide on the case against the said member. However, by the time reference would be decided the assemblies would have completed their term and the member would not face any consequences, such as de-seating. The court adjourned the case till tomorrow.

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

A day earlier, CJP Bandial observed that the recent tirade against the judiciary did not bother the judges as protecting and preserving the Constitution was their duty, adding that the court functions 24 hours in this regard. Without naming anyone in particular, the chief justice stressed the apex court should be respected. The CJP’s comments come a few days after Imran Khan, in his first rally after being ousted, asked the judiciary to explain the reason behind its decision to throw open its doors in the dead of night when the fate of a no-trust resolution against him hung in the balance.