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Wednesday, 12 April, 2023 I 21 Ramzan, 1444
Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 284 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
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ONE YEAR PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTED
PM SHEHBAZ SHARIF ASSURES ‘SINCERE’ EFFORTS TO REVIVE ECONOMY g
HIGHLIGHTS SUCCESSFUL DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS, DIVERSIFICATION OF ENERGY MIX PROFIT
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ISLAMABAD
N Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reassured the public that his government is making “sincere” efforts to revive Pakistan’s struggling economy. He acknowledged the challenges faced during the past year, including record inflation and economic difficulties laid out by the previous government, but he also highlighted the successes of his own government. One of the biggest achievements that the Prime Minister mentioned was the successful no-confidence vote against Imran Khan’s government, which was a significant step in the country’s political evolution. He emphasized the importance of reconciliation and cooperation between political parties, rather than confrontation and vendetta. Despite the economic landmines left behind by the previous government and global fuel and food supply issues, the current government has managed to keep the economy afloat, and sincere efforts are underway to revive it. The Prime Minister also highlighted the government’s efforts to repair and deepen Pakistan’s diplomatic ties, which had suffered under the previous regime. The government’s successful rescue, re-
lief, and rehabilitation efforts during last year’s devastating floods were
acknowledged by the world as “outstanding”.
Furthermore, the government has made efforts to diversify the energy mix and provide relief to citizens by expanding the social safety net and providing targeted subsidies. Pakistan’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list was also a notable achievement, which the Prime Minister credited to excellent inter-ministerial coordination and support from the military leadership. The government has also focused on completing development and transport infrastructure projects to provide ease, comfort, and affordable mobility to the people. Overall, the Prime Minister ’s statement sought to reassure the public that despite the challenges, his government is making sincere efforts to improve the countr y ’s situation.
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IMF slashes Pakistan’s growth rate projection to 0.5pc for current fiscal
PM reviews free flour distribution process at different points FAISALABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday arrived here to review the arrangements at different points, set up for the distribution of free flour among deserving people. During the visit, the prime minister interacted with the people, gathered there to receive free Atta bags under PM’s Special Ramazan Package for the poor. He enquired about the distribution arrangements and also witnessed the process. Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and the relevant authorities also accompanied the prime minister. The people, especially the old women, expressed their joy and satisfaction over visit of the prime minister. STAFF REPORT
Kh Asif says ‘Afghan soil still being used by TTP for attacks on Pakistan’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is still using Afghan soil for launching attacks on Pakistan — especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). “Islamabad has good relations with the ruling Taliban government in Kabul. However, the Afghan authorities have not succeeded in stopping the use of their territory in attacks on Pakistan,” he said in an interview with the US broadcaster, Voice of America. The matter, the federal minister said, had been brought up and discussed last month where a meeting between a high-ranking delegation — including Asif and the ISI DG Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum — and Afghan officials. “During the meeting”, the defence minister said, “The Taliban expressed their determination to deal with this problem.” The Afghan authorities said that they would not allow their land to be used for terrorism against any country, Asif added. He further said that he believed the Afghan Taliban were “distancing” themselves from the proscribed outfit, however, due to the fact that they fought against Nato together in the past, certain “camaraderie” exists between the two sides. During his interview, Asif also alleged that the resettlement of TTP leaders in Pakistan was done through a “programme”. “[Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister] Imran Khan has been signalling throughout his political career that he is ideologically supportive of the Taliban. At various points, the international media has even referred to him as ‘Taliban Khan’,” he said. He added that the TTP was in possession of the advanced equipment left behind by the US after its withdrawal, further alleging that India too is still helping them.
AJK prime minister disqualified over contempt of court MUZAFFARABAD STAFF REPORT
Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was disqualified from regional parliament after being found guilty of “insulting” judges in public remarks, officials said. This decision on Tuesday came after Ilyas, a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), was served separate notices by the supreme and high courts on Monday, regarding his apparently derogatory remarks about the judiciary in his speeches. The notices required Ilyas, an outspoken business tycoon known for outbursts against judges and bureaucrats, to appear before both the high and the Supreme Court on Tuesday to explain his position. Ilyas had indirectly accused the judiciary of hindering the functioning of his government and interfering in the executive’s domain through the grant of stay orders during a function in Islamabad over the weekend. He specifically mentioned a $15 million Saudi-funded
education project that had been put on hold due to a court-issued stay order, as well as the de-sealing of tobacco factories involved in tax evasion worth billions of rupees. The High Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir issued a notice of contempt to the prime minister after a meeting of the judges’ council, where it was unanimously decided that he had threatened the judiciary in his public address, and that his conduct was objectionable and unbecoming. Ilyas had then been asked to appear before the court in person Tuesday to explain his position before the issuance of a contempt notice. He appeared before Justice Chaudhry Khalid Rasheed in Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, and was symbolically convicted of the alleged offence and sentenced to time spent in the courtroom. Under the law, this automatically disqualifies him from public office. Following the announcement of the verdict, Ilyas, who was scheduled to appear before the regional Supreme Court, headed instead to the
Prime Minister’s House accompanied by cabinet members. In response to the development, Fawad Chaudhry, a leader of the PTI party, said it is mandatory to respect the decisions made by the courts, whether it be the prime minister of Pakistan or Kashmir, a self-governing territory. He emphasised that the judicial system must not be undermined to govern the country. Chaudhry urged Ilyas to apologise for his actions and expressed hope that the Supreme Court would provide relief. Furthermore, he added that Shehbaz Sharif should take heed from the decision made by the court. It was unclear whether Ilyas would appeal the ruling. The court also instructed the regional election oversight body to prepare for a vote to replace Ilyas. The assembly in Kashmir is expected to choose the new leader of the house in the coming days. The PTI may face a tough contest as Sharif’s backers claim they are in a position to form the government.
PROFIT ISLAMABAD
According to the latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan’s real GDP growth rate projection for the current fiscal year has been slashed from 2% to 0.5%. The report also predicts that the country’s GDP growth rate would be 3.5% in fiscal year 2024. Inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), is forecasted to be recorded around 27.1% in FY23 and fall to 21.9% in FY24. Meanwhile, the current account deficit (CAD) is projected to be 2.3% and 2.4% in FY23 and FY24, respectively. The IMF’s downgrading of Pakistan’s growth rate projections comes days after the World Bank and Asian Development Bank also lowered their forecasts to 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively. The country’s economy has been struggling to recover, with inflation at a decades-high level, several companies shutting down, and uncertainty due to the delay in the release of an economic bailout by the IMF. The WEO also paints a gloomy picture of the global economy, with global growth forecasted to slow in both the short and medium terms. Close to 90% of advanced economies are expected to experience slowing growth this year, while Asia’s emerging markets are predicted to see a substantial rise in economic output, with India and China accounting for half of all growth. Low-income countries are expected to suffer a double shock from higher borrowing costs and a decline in demand for their exports, which could worsen poverty and hunger. The IMF expects global inflation to slow to 7% this year, down from 8.7% last year, but this figure remains significantly above the 2% target set by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world. The report also highlights concerns about low productivity in many countries and geopolitical tensions that could weigh on growth in the medium term.
RUDA’s reckoning – HRW cracks down on farmers’ eviction issue g
HRW SAYS AUTHORITIES SHOULD ENFORCE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS AND REFORM COLONIAL-ERA LAWS AnAlysis LAHORE ABDULLAH NIAZI
Cracking down hard on the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) and its pet-project to create a city from scratch on the bank’s of the river Ravi, the Human Rights Watch on Tuesday said authorities were “forcibly evicting thousands of farmers near the city of Lahore for a massive infrastructure project.” “The authorities should enforce environmental protections and reform colonial-era laws that grant the government broad powers to acquire land for private as well as public use,” read the statement from the New York based NGO that conducts research and ad-
vocacy on human rights. The contentious Ravi Riverfront project has been a hotly contested issue over the past few years. Under dispute are roughly 4,000 acres. For the farmers who live here this area is Ferozewala, a rich swathe of agricultural land directly fed by the Ravi and lush with guava orchards and seasonal plantations of maize, wheat, pumpkins, and other cash crops popular in farmlands close to the edges of Lahore’s periurban sprawl. For the officials of RUDA, it is Sapphire Bay — the location for phase one of the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project. And since they claim that the land is theirs, legally acquired and possessed, they are now within their complete rights to bulldoze and bully as they please. Background to RUDA
The idea for a riverfront project on the banks of the Ravi is not a new one. In fact, it was first proposed as far back as 2006, and underwent a feasibility study in 2013 under the PML-N government. Essentially, the Ravi riverfront is the plan to make a new city from scratch. The project would be Pakistan’s second-largest planned city after Islamabad, covering an area of 102,074 acres, catering to a population of up to 15 million people. The foundation rock for the utopian riverfront project was first laid in 2019 with the passage of the special legislation that established RUDA. The authority would not work under any other body in or related to Lahore, and would have complete control over the project. The law went so far as to make a provision granted RUDA and its employ-
ees immunity from all legal proceedings, and “no court or other authority” can “question the legality of anything done or any action taken in good faith under this Act, by or at the instance of the Authority.” Raging court cases From the get-go, the warning signs were present. The law that had created and empowered RUDA seemed to go beyond reasonable limits because of the lack of accountability that the authority had to office. By early 2021, when the project was in its early stages of acquiring land, troubles began to rise when local communities resisted selling their lands to the state after which RUDA announced that it would feel free to acquire the lands by force — something that article 4 of the special legislation that RUDA created allowed. The matter
went to court. In January 2022, Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC) in a 298-page long judgement declared that the scheme was “unconstitutional” on the grounds that it lacked a master plan. Justice Karim said that the RUDA failed in preparing a master plan in accordance with the law as “all schemes are under a master plan”. The court noted that proper procedure was not adopted in purchasing agricultural land for the Ravi Urban Development project in Lahore and Sheikhupura, therefore, it declared the practice of acquiring the land through amendment in Section 4 of the RUDA Ordinance “unconstitutional”. RUDA was barred from acquiring land for the project.
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