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PTI LINKS TALKS TO FOUNDER’S RELEASE AS PM HOLDS OUT OLIVE BRANCH TO KHAN Thursday, 27 June, 2024 I 20 Zil-Hajj, 1445
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Emphasizes he believes scales of justice should be in favour of those [being victimised]
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ISLAMABAD
Omar Ayub says reconciliation would only be possible if govt make amends for mistreatment of PTI leaders
Staff RepoRt
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday extended an olive branch to his political rival Imran Khan, offering him to sit and talk if he has any issues. “If their [PTI] founder is facing troubles [in jail], then I reiterate: come, let’s sit down and talk,” said the premier while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday. On the other hand, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said that dialogue with the government is a precondition for the release of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and other detainees. Responding to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s talks offer, he clarified that the talks would be held only after PTI founder and other detainees were at liberty. Premier Shehbaz continued that there was a time in this house when politicians would severely criticise one another, but they would also stand with their rivals during times of happiness and sorrow.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been at loggerheads for years, particularly after the February 8 elections, which Imran’s party claims it had won. Speaking about the 2018 elections, the prime minister said: “We joined the
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parliament despite the [rigged] polls. The sort of slogans that were raised during my first speech will always be remembered as a dark chapter in the history books.” “If someone is facing any injustice, then I believe that the scales of justice should be in favour of those [being victimised], there is no difference over it —
whether it be any politician or anyone from any walk of life.” The PM lamented that he had once again, while he was in the opposition, proposed Imran to sit on the talking table but such slogans were raised again. “So who is responsible for this bitterness [between politicians]. We don’t even shake hands now,” he expressed. He also mentioned how Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah were treated during their time in jail. In response to the prime minister’s comments, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub reiterated that the PTI would talk with the “Form-47” government once its founder and other incarcerated workers and leaders were out of jail. “This should be in your minds: you torture our workers, you’ve kept our lady workers in prison vans at 45°C. My prime minister Imran Khan was kept in a death cell, there’s an oven-like environment over there,” he said, amid sloganeering from the treasury benches.
Pakistan condemns US resolution as misunderstanding of political landscape ISLAMABAD
PTI lauds US resolution
Staff RepoRt
Pakistan on Wednesday criticised the US House of Representatives' Resolution 901, labelling it neither constructive nor objective due to its perceived lack of understanding of the country's political situation and electoral process. Responding to media inquiries regarding the resolution, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed that Pakistan had noted its passage. “We believe that the timing and context of this particular resolution do not align well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral ties and stem from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan,” Baloch remarked. She emphasised that Pakistan, as the world's second-largest parliamentary democracy and fifth-largest democracy overall, remains committed to constitutionalism, human rights, and the rule of law in line with its national interests. Baloch stressed the importance of constructive dialogue and engagement based on mutual respect and understanding. “Such resolutions are therefore neither constructive nor objective. We hope
ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday expressed approval of the recent US House of Representatives resolution calling for an impartial investigation into alleged irregularities during Pakistan’s general elections on February 8. The resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, aligns with PTI’s longstanding demands following the disputed election results. US lawmakers have voiced their support for upholding democratic processes and human rights in Pakistan, emphasizing the importance of the Pakistani public’s participation in these processes. The resolution has been
that the US Congress will play a supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries,” she added.
viewed by PTI as a significant international backing for their stance against the election results, which saw their candidates facing significant obstacles and eventually contesting as independents due to a legal dispute with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Pakistan’s major parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), along with other parties, have since formed a coalition government. Former President Arif Alvi praised the resolution as a critical endorsement of democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan. Conversely, PTI’s opponents have criticized the resolution as unwanted foreign intervention.
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in Pakistan, calling for an impartial investigation into claims of irregularities in the country's February 8 general elections. A total of 368 members voted in favour of the resolution, which called for a "full and independent investigation of claims of interference or irregularities in Pakistan’s February 2024 election." Seven members voted against it. Pakistan's February 8 general elections were marred by a nationwide mobile internet shutdown on election day, arrests, and violence in the lead-up, and unusually delayed results. These issues led to widespread accusations of vote-rigging. The resolution highlighted the need for public participation in the democratic process, following the contentious elections. Opposition parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have disputed the election results, citing significant obstacles faced by their candidates. Many PTI candidates had to run as independents due to a legal dispute with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). In the aftermath of the elections, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) formed a coalition government, leaving PTI and other parties in opposition.
ISLAMABAD
The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) on Wednesday submitted its written response to the Supreme Court in the case of the reserved seats, stating that the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) “cannot be permitted to make its way into assemblies via backdoor”. The SIC’s appeal, the AGP stated in its 30-page written submissions to the 13-member full court, for reserved seats should be dismissed and the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) verdict on the matter should be upheld. The attorney general, while elaborating on the allocation mechanism, said that reserved seats for minorities and women could be given to a political who contested the polls and won at least one seat besides providing a list of candidates based on the total number of seats it won as per the law. Furthermore, independent candidates could not automatically become relevant for reserved seats under a parties’ list system unless they join a political party.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and the opposition coalition Tahreek-e-Tahafuz Aain Pakistan, on Wednesday threatened to escalate their opposition to Operation Azm-e-Istehkam by appealing to the International Court of Justice if necessary. During a jirga hosted by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Peshawar, Achakzai stressed the importance of governmental decisions reflecting the true will of the majority, a standard he claims is currently unmet. He recalled the parliamentary session regarding the constitutional amendment for merging FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), noting it was omitted from the official agenda. Highlighting the potential for peace to foster tourism in the region, Achakzai pointed out K-P’s significance as a center for Buddhism and its hospitable community that could attract global tourists. He also highlighted the historical exploitation of natural resources in Pakistan, including the use of extensive railway tracks, marble from Mohmand, and the mineral-rich lands of Waziristan. He called on President Zardari to ensure that the benefits of these resources are returned to the local communities. Achakzai expressed confidence in resolving International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans if given adequate authority and mentioned potential negotiations with Afghanistan for electricity and gas supplies to help achieve economic self-sufficiency. He referred to the Quran’s Surah Ar-Rahman to underscore the natural wealth of the tribal areas, claiming rightful ownership for the Pashtuns. He criticized ongoing military operations in the tribal districts as attempts to commandeer these resources, emphasizing that the Pashtuns are determined to live freely on their ancestral lands, not as subordinates.
TTP, BLA working together with India as their ‘single investor’: Langau QUETTA
Staff RepoRt
The attorney general said that the approval of the SIC’s appeal would be an “antithesis to the democracy” and “will weaken the political parties who participate in the electoral process”. It further elaborated that the reserved seats for women and non-Muslims would only be allocated to political parties, whereas, independently elected candidates or those parties who have not contested the polls would not be considered for the seats. PTI’s plea for becoming a party in case The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to become a party in the reserved seats’ case being heard by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa-led full court and submitted a plea via its chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. The petition sought the top court’s permission to be a party in the case after the “Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) levelled “unfounded” allegations on the PTI during the hearing of the SIC’s appeals”.
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CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 US House of Representatives approves resolution Earlier on Wednesday, the US House of Representatives approved a resolution supporting democracy and human rights
“Independently elected candidates are counted towards reserved seats for women and non-Muslims only when they join political parties within 3 days of publication of names of the returned candidates in the official Gazette” under Articles 51(6)(d) and (e), as well as 106(3)(c), the AGP’s response read. The SIC neither contested the general elections as a political party nor filed any list of candidates for reserved seats for women and non-Muslims, under Section 104 of the Election Act, 2017, it further stated. Subsequently, the aforesaid party did not present its manifesto before the February 8 nationwide polls and its candidates to the voters for their scrutiny. “The SIC cannot be permitted to use the backdoor to make its way into the assemblies. Allowing so will set a very dangerous precedent,” the AGP said. “It will permit elements who would otherwise be rejected by the voters to make their way into the assemblies by encouraging independents’ getting elected or luring them to join such parties and benefitting from the allocation of reserved seats.”
ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Balochistan Home Minister Ziaullah Langau said on Wednesday that banned outfits Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were working together to carry out terrorist attacks in Pakistan with India as their “single investor”. Addressing a presser here in Quetta on Wednesday, the minister highlighted that while the TTP vowed to “introduce an Islamic system”, the BLA on the other hand was their “ideological opposite”. “Their nexus only means that their investor is the same who is using them from two angles,” he asserted. “If you look at the financial [support] or the intelligence of the BLA and the TTP, or their members sitting abroad, there is no doubt that RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) is funding them,” Langau stated. He revealed that security forces had arrested two key militant commanders — TTP’s Nasrullah aka Maulvi Mansoor and Idrees aka Irshad — and then showed a recorded statement of the former. According to staterun Radio Pakistan, Nasrullah was rounded up by the intelligence and law enforcement agencies “as a result of a very complicated and difficult operation”. After showing Nasrullah’s video statement, Langau said, “The global community should have no doubt left that there is an international terrorist country, India, behind all this.” According to the home minister, Nasrullah was a core committee member of the TTP and also a part of its defence commission. Langau urged the youth and women of Balochistan to “recognise” the aims of terrorists, stressing that those “enticing them and taking them to the mountains had no connection with our rights”. “Not all the people who have gone to the mountains are in collusion with our enemies; they have been enticed and misled,” he said, highlighting that Pakistan was their own country and calling on them to stand with the security forces and the government.
AGP to SC: Full court should dismiss SIC plea for reserved seats, uphold PHC verdict Staff RepoRt
Achakzai threatens international legal action over Operation Azm-i-Istehkam
Bill Gates interested in promoting sustainability initiatives in Pakistan. This could mean opening for startups in more than one sector PROFIT
Staff RepoRt
On Monday, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, visited Pakistan with several delegation members from the foundation for a day. The agenda included discussions on polio eradication, followed by separate roundtables on financial inclusion and climate adaptation chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. These roundtables, organized through
the foundation and its network in Pakistan, were typically held with very small groups comprising startups and stakeholders from the government and experts. For example the roundtable on climate adaptation was participated by AgriTech startup Farmdar, healthtech startup Sehat Kahani and credit enhancement provider Infra Zaamin, with participation by Acumen Pakistan. The purpose of these roundtable was to project to Bill Gates what was being done in these areas followed by meetings with the foundation teams on how startups could col-
laborate together. How did the meetings go? Profit has some of the details. According to Muhammad Bokhari, cofounder of agritech startup Farmdar, Gates was particularly focused on and interested in improving agriculture which is currently massively affected by climate change in Pakistan. It was also discussed that climate change poses the greatest challenges for smaller countries like Pakistan, where subsistence farmers suffer from low yields and crop destruction. This disproportionally affects women
and children the most. By extension, this also impacts public health, which is also one of the focus areas of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “For the foundation, climate change is linked inextricably with malnutrition and hunger and health and it was heartening to see agriculture as an agenda which is at the forefront of Bill Gates’ thinking,” Bokhari says. “And therefore the strategic mandate the foundation has. And he mentioned that the largest team in the gates foundation is focused on agriculture now.” For Bokhari, Bill’s personal interest in
improving agriculture becomes all the more important for his startup which is focused on increasing agricultural productivity through AI. Farmdar which uses AI and satellite technologies to create data that helps farmers and agri businesses adapt to climate change and increase productivity. One of the increasing hazards for agriculture is the increasing temperatures and the inability of the global community to limit it to 1.5 degrees.
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