Pakistan Faced 58 attacks in a single month, reveals Picss militancy data

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ISLAMABAD Staff rePort mILITANTattacks have further increased in February 2023 but resultant deaths have declined compared with January 2023. According to the statistics released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies militants carried out 58 attacks during the past month in which 59 people were killed including 27 civilians, 18 security forces personnel and 17 militants while 134 people were injured including 54 civilians and 80 security forces personnel.

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According to the PICSS militancy database for the first time after June 2015 Pakistan faced 58 attacks in a single month. The upward trajectory of antistate violence continued in February as 32 percent more militant attacks were recorded compared with January 2023.

However, the number of deaths declined by 56 percent compared with January. In January 2023, the majority of the deaths occurred due to the Peshawar Police Line suicide attack. The number of suicide attacks also increased but their impact was not as devastating as it was in January. In February 2023, three suicide attacks were reported in which nine people were killed and 37 were injured. In January, 106 people were killed and 216 injured in two suicide attacks. The month of February saw a considerable decline in militant attacks in mainland KP while the attacks increased in erstwhile FATA (tribal districts of KP) and Balochistan. the number of attacks also increased in Punjab ad Sindh. An attack by TTP at Karachi Police Headquarters was the most high-profile attack of the month. In February 2023, Pakistani security forces further stepped up their actions against the militant groups and killed at least 55 suspected militants. 75 suspected militants were also arrested

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The contribution of domestic taxes has increased from 49.4% last year to 58.7% during the current year, pointing towards the success of policies aimed at reducing reliance on import duties and taxes. Other possible disagreements with the IMF: With this huge amount of tax remaining, it is as if the fund senses a collection shortfall. According to various sources privy to the development on the IMF-Pakistan negotiations, the fund is insistent upon maintaining the per unit financing cost surcharge on the electricity consumers, as opposed to just the four months that the government has already announced. It is noteworthy that this means carrying out and sticking to the IMF conditions, even after the IMF program has ended. Apart from that, a higher policy rate is also one of the contention points as reported earlier. However, that might be resolved in the preponed MPC meeting, which is supposed to take place on Thursday. The Fund also wants Pakistan to obtain written assurances for the bilateral financing that it claims it will obtain by the end of the fiscal year. As per media reports, the IMF has estimated an all-inclusive financing gap of about $7bn for the current fiscal year against Pakistan’s projection of $5bn.

Feb inflation jumps 31.5pc, highest in nearly 50 years

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The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) also increased to 36.4% in February from 28.5% a month ago. It was 23.6% in February 2022. Non-food inflation in urban centers increased to 20.8% year-on-year and 4.7% month-on-month, whereas, in rural areas, it rose to 25.3% on an annual basis and 4.1% month-on-month, respectively. The increase in non-food inflation was mainly driven by unprecedented rising oil prices. It may be added here that since January 2023 the government has completely allowed a market-based exchange rate which led to a depreciation of 15% of Pakistani rupee, fueling inflation in the country. Moreover, the government also increased petroleum products prices by Rs57 per liter in the month of February. Through the mini budget, the government has also raised the general sales tax rate to 18% from 17%, which is also inflationary in nature. The inflation figure shown by PBS is higher than the Ministry of Finance’s forecast of 30%. The ministry of Finance in its monthly economic update & outlook for February released on Tuesday had claimed that CPI-based inflation on a year-onyear basis would be 28-30%, adding that the recent political and economic uncertainties were pushing up inflationary expectations. The ministry expects inflation to remain high due to the uncertain political and economic environment, pass-through of currency depreciation, rise in energy prices and increase in administered prices in February.

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ISLAMABAD Monitoring rePort from across the country. The majority of the suspects were arrested from Punjab and KP. According to PICSS statistics, the highest number of militant attacks were reported from Balochistan where PICSS recorded at least 22 attacks in which 25 people were killed and 61 injured. Erstwhile FATA faced 16 attacks in which 16 people were killed and 39 injured. Mainland KP faced 13 attacks in which 6 people were killed and 8 were injured. Punjab witnessed four militant attacks in which two people were killed and eight injured while 10 people were killed and 18 injured in three reported militant attacks in Sindh.

Sukkur court summons Maryam Nawaz in contempt case

SuKKur

Staff rePort

An Additional District and Sessions court in Sukkur on Wednesday summoned Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz in a contempt of court case on March 10.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Mumtaz Solangi took up for hearing a petition filed by lawyer Zaheeruddin Babar, seeking contempt of court proceedings against Maryam Nawaz over her “scandalous remarks” against judiciary and Pak Army. The additional district and sessions judge also summoned SSP Sukkur, the Federal Investigation Authority

(FIA) officers and SHO Lahore Model Town Police along with Maryam Nawaz on March 10.

The petitioner – PTI Sukkur District President Zaheeruddin Babar, stated that Maryam Nawaz had attempted to defame the state institutions.

It is to be recalled that addressing a party convention in Sargodha, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz questioned the judiciary’s ‘leniency’ towards former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. The PML-N leader lambasted the five-member ‘Panama bench’, disqualified her father, alleging: “The five notorious judges disliked Nawaz and sought revenge from him.”

It is pertinent to mention here that a petition was filed against the PMLN chief organiser for the contempt proceedings for her anti-judiciary remarks. The Civil Society Network had filed the petition against Maryam over her anti-judiciary remarks, seeking the contempt of court proceedings.