01 FRONT PAGE (29-11-2022)_Layout 1 11/29/2022 1:47 AM Page 1
Tuesday, 29 November, 2022 I 4 Jamadi Sani, 1444 I Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 150 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PTI huddle gIves nod To Punjab, KP assemblIes’ dIssoluTIon g
PTI chief holds consultation with KP Chief Minister, Pervaiz Elahi to meet today
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PTI MPs to resign from total 563 seats in four assemblies to force fresh polls
LAHORE
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Staff RepoRt
orMEr information minister Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said that PTI’s senior leadership has approved the decision to dissolve the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies. “The date of dissolution will be announced after consultation with the parliamentary party,” he told media persons in Lahore. over the weekend, PTI chief Imran Khan — in a mammoth gathering in rawalpindi — had announced his party’s intention to disassociate itself from the “current corrupt political system” by quitting the assemblies of KP and Punjab. However, a final decision would only be taken after consultations with chief ministers in both provinces, while a final decision in this regard would be made after a meeting of the PTI’s parliamentary party, Imran had said. Later, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi had brushed aside concerns of any resistance from him regarding PTI’s plan, acknowledging that he owed his government to Imran
and would oblige to his instructions immediately. In a media talk today, Fawad Chaudhry said that the PTI chief had met KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday and had a meeting scheduled with Punjab’s Elahi today (Tuesday). “The process of allotting tickets has begun […] 563 seats from across the country will be vacated and elections will be held on them. on Friday, a meeting of the Punjab parliamentary party has been scheduled, while a meeting in KP has been called on Saturday,” he said. “After these meetings, the assem-
blies will be dissolved,” the PTI leader asserted, saying that the party would also tender resignations in the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies. “We have written to the National Assembly speaker regarding our resignations as well,” he said. Chaudhry also stated that the opposition would also be invited to hold consultations with the government in both the provinces over the formation of the interim government. “We still want to go ahead with general elections […] be it 7 or 8 months and PTI will win for sure.”
The PTI leader then called on the government to announce the date for general elections and dissolve the National Assembly. “If you don’t, then the PTI will dissolve the assemblies wherever it rules.” “We are here to save Pakistan [from default] and we will save it,” he added. Fawad Chaudhry said that with resignation by PTI lawmakers, 64 per cent of the seats in all assemblies would fall vacant. They PDM, he said, won’t agree to hold immediate elections but the PTI would compell them to do so. Fawad said it won’t make any difference if no-confidence motions are introduced in provincial assemblies. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary General Asad Umar lashed out at the imported government for destroying the industries in short span of six months due to its flawed short term cosmetic measures. In a statement on Monday, PTI Secretary General said that the imported government ruined the IT industry, which was growing at more than 30%, now with zero growth. Asad Umar stated that he met two guys one from the IT sector and another from textile. He said that they both narrated horror stories of the devastation
that has destroyed their industries in the last 6 months. “The future of the country made hostage to the greed and ambition of a corrupt elite,” he added. He stated that to artificially control dollar rate and payments against contracts are being withheld that badly tarnished the trust of major global players. “Desperate short term measures destroying future, as the IT industry which was growing at over 30% now with zero growth. Stop this nightmare now,” he added. Talking about Azam Swati arrest, Asad Umar said that there was a clear decision of the Supreme Court that there cannot be lodged more than one FIr for a single charge. So, he said under which law more than a dozen FIrs have been registered against Azam Swati? “How long will the Supreme Court watch the human rights violation as a silent spectator,” he questioned. Asad Umar said: “History tells everything, as neither history can be threatened nor history can be stopped.” He said that even history cannot be put in jail; hence now history would tell all. “Who did what, why, for whom, all will be revealed now,” he concluded.
Malik leads Pakistani delegation to Russia to secure oil on cheaper rates pROfit REpORt ahmad ahmadani
iSLAMABAD
TTP terminates ceasefire agreement with government iSLAMABAD agencieS
Banned outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Monday called off the ceasefire agreement with the government and ordered its militants to stage attacks across the country, according to a statement from the group. The government and intelligence agencies are yet to comment on the matter. “As military operations are ongoing against mujahideen in different areas […] so it is imperative for you to carry out attacks wherever you can in the entire country,” the statement said while addressing its militants. The decision, it stated, was taken after a series of non-stop attacks were launched by the military organisations on TTP in Baanu’s Laki Marwat district”. The banned group said it had repeatedly warned the people of Pakistan and “continued to be patient so that the negotiation process is not sabotaged at least by us”. “But the army and intelligence agencies did not stop and continued the attacks […] now our retaliatory attacks will also start across the country,” the statement claimed. Talks between Pakistani officials and the militant outfit first started in october last year but broke down in December. These later resumed in May this year. The process, however, broke down once again due to a deadlock on the revocation of the merger of erstwhile tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Subsequently, attacks by the TTP have been on the rise since September after the group’s ceasefire with the army ended. Most of the attacks have happened in and around Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, South Waziristan, and North Waziristan districts in KP. In october, the Ministry of Interior had warned that more than year-long peace negotiations between the TTP and the government of Pakistan “had come to a standstill”, which had led to unease within the TTP’s ranks.
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Minister of State for Petroleum Mussadik Malik flew out from Lahore yesterday to hold talks about securing the supply of russian crude oil at a discounted rate. Malik is leading a delegation to the russian Federation that is hoping to secure a deal with Moscow that could help ease the skyrocketing price of fuel in the country. Why is russia selling cheaper oil? The issue of importing cheap russian oil had been a major talking point when the incumbent PDM government came to power. Ever since its invasion of Ukraine in March, russia has been selling oil at a discounted rate to the Asian market. India and China have been at the forefront of acquiring this discounted oil, and their combined oil imports have overtaken those from the 27 EU member states. Countries like India are not only importing cheaper fuel from russia and undercutting the global economic crisis domestically by having cheaper oil, but are even exporting the oil at higher rates than they get from russia. Many had suggested that Pakistan should also capitalise on the situation and strike a deal with russia. In fact, when former prime minister Imran Khan had been ousted as a result of a no-confidence motion in parliament, he claimed that he had reached an understanding with the russians to buy cheap oil from them and was deposed by an international conspiracy as a result. Despite the claims, the russian Ambassador to Pakistan had confirmed that no MoU was signed on the trade of wheat and oil at cheaper prices with Pakistan. However, the suggestion was still a cause of great debate. What are the issues with importing russian oil? So why hasn’t Pakistan been able to do the same up until now? The problem is threefold. For starters, given our particular dire-
straits it might prove to be more economically disastrous to test the patience of the United States and other Western powers that have put sanctions on russia. It would also jolt the relationship we have built with the Arab world over decades if we started buying russia’s Ural blend of crude oil over the Arab blend. The second part of the equation is the fact that currently we do not have the facilities to process russian crude oil in Pakistan. The final issue is that Pakistan as a market is not large enough for russia to consider selling their oil at a discounted price. Which means any deal struck with russia might not be worth the diplomatic risk. Apart from this another technicality that is often ignored is the fact that the russian Ural oil has a relatively higher content of sulphur, therefore the price of this blend is lower than the market benchmark. refining high-sulphur crude oil is costly owing to its high oxidation and corrosion properties. The costs of excessive oxidation and corrosion damage caused to a refinery not adequately equipped to sustain high sulphur crude will outweigh the revenues from the cheaper oil. There is also an issue with how we would pay for it. To get russian oil, nations must first purchase the currency, which may be done at the Central Bank of russia or on the foreign exchange market. Dealing directly with russia’s Central Bank, which has been sanctioned, will be difficult. Buying rubles on the open market will necessitate the use of nonsanctioned russian banks to complete the transaction. Considering Pakistan has just gotten out of the FATF grey-list and that there is still an IMF programme hanging in the balance, the risk might be massive. So what is the plan for the Pakistan delegation? Mussadik Malik flew out from Lahore bound for Moscow with a trim team. Besides him, were the secretary petroleum and another official of the petroleum division. For the visit, the ministry has identified four areas of cooperation between Pakistan and the russian Federation in the oil and gas sectors.
The Petroleum Division, in a “Most Immediate” letter dated 23-11-2022 carrying the subject “Strategy for Upcoming Strategic Meetings with russian Federation” has advised all concerned Directorates and organisations to make necessary full preparations for upcoming meetings with russian Federation, said the sources. The immediate start of the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project will also be discussed during these strategic talks with the russian Federation besides the supply of russian crude oil and gas to Pakistan at discounted rates, they added. Perhaps more importantly, Pakistan refinery Limited and Pak Arab refinery Company (PArCo) have been assigned to prepare comprehensive strategy documents and presentations regarding cooperation of the Pakistan & russian Federation on crude oil and DG (oil). Currently, Parco’s refinery is the only mild conversion refinery in Pakistan, which means it is the only refinery in Pakistan already equipped to refine russian oil. Meanwhile, the country’s state-owned oil giant Pakistan State oil (PSo) has also been asked to develop comprehensive strategy documents and presentations regarding cooperation between the two countries. Moreover, DG (LGs), PSo and Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) have been advised to formulate comprehensive strategy documents and presentations regarding cooperation of the two countries (Pakistan & russian Federation) in gas (LNG). It is pertinent to mention here that the russian President Vladimir Putin met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in the month of September 2022. Both leaders agreed to continue economic cooperation, with particular regard to energy projects while it was also agreed to hold the next IGC (Pak-russia Inter-Governmental Commission) meeting in Islamabad. And, the petroleum division is finalising necessary paperwork for the upcoming meetings with the russian Federation.