Epaper_23-03-16 ISB

Profit

FO speaks on Khalilzad’s tweet: Pakistan doesn’t need ‘unsolicited advice’

L H C H a LT S P o L i C

g IHC UPHOLDS ARREST WARRANTS, DIRECTS KHAN TO APPROACH TRIAL COURT IN THOSHAKHANA

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

THE Lahore High Court (LHC)

on Wednesday stopped the almost 24-hour-long operat on launched by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) at Zaman Park for the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)

Chairman Imran Khan for not show up in court n Thoshakhana case til 10am on Thursday (today)

There were clashes between PTI workers and police personnel flanked Pun ab Rangers cont ngents since launch of the operation on Tuesday O n t h e o t h e r h a n d t h e I s l a ma b a d H g h C o u r t ( I H C ) d s p o s e d o f a p l e a f e d o n b e h a l f o f P T I C h a i r m a n I m r a n K h a n s e e k i n g c a n c e l l a t i o n o f h i s a r r e s t w a r r a n t s i s s u e d b y t h e t r i a c o u r t n T h o s h a k h a n a c a s e

The IHC d rected the petit oner to approach the trial court for relief and asked the PTI s awyer to submit an undertaking regarding the appearance of Imran Khan before the sessions court which would view the matter as per law

CA SE

suance of his non-bai able arrest warrants by the tr a court He submitted that 73 police personnel were injured due to attacks by the PTI workers when they reached Zaman Park to comply with the

Pakistan US vow to continue joint efforts for economic growth, energy security

g IMRAN A SKS MILITARy TO ‘ABANDON LONDON PLAN ’ OF PREvENTINg HIM FROM COMINg TO POWER

water cannon and tear gas However the PTI workers used petrol bombs which destroyed two police veh c es he said and added that not only Elite force but also vehicles of rangers were a so attacked He submitted that the Islamabad po ice officers and SP Amara Shirazi were also attacked The IgP submitted: “ We wanted to arrest those responsible for torture of po ice and stopping the police from carr ying out ts duties At this stage the chief secretar y Punjab submitted that the IgP Punjab had informed the court about the situation in deta l H o w e v e r t h e c o u r t o b s e r v e d t h a t w h e

PML-N only capable party to protect country, masses:

PPP’s threat works as Sindh allowed access to census dashboard

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

court orders

The IgP submitted that he decided that no police personnel or officers wou d carr y weapons during the operation and the situation was control ed through the use of

Govt claims Imran wants to spread anarchy

Case in lHC

A sing e-member LHC bench compr sing Justice Tariq Saleem She kh passed the orders wh le hearing a petition filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhr y seek ng directions to stop the police operation in Zaman Park aunched for the arrest of the PTI chairman in Toshakhana case

During the hear ng the Punjab ch ef secretar y the Inspector general of Pol ce (IgP) and others officers appeared before the court on being summoned

To a court quer y the Punjab IgP submitted that the Islamabad police had sought assistance for the arrest of the PTI cha rman in Toshakhana case following is-

Isl amabad: The ncumbent government while reacting to Imran Khan’s arrest issue claimed that the PTI Chairman is using his party workers to evade arrest and only wants to spread anarchy in the countr y Min ster for Information and Broadcasting Marr yum Aurangzeb on Wednesday sa d that PTI Chairman Imran Khan wants to spread anarchy, civil war and unrest in the countr y

In a video statement she said Imran Khan is hiding from the pol ce in order to escape from the arrest and has made women chi dren and youth as his sh eld

She said Imran Khan is politically dead and now incit ng his armed gangs and hooligans against the state institutions The Min ster said PTI is not a political party but has turned nto an armed gang because a political party always upholds ru e of law and the constitution She categorically stated that the incumbent government did not not want to arrest Imran Khan desp te having state powers, but only wanted to get the court s orders and warrants implemented She sa d Imran Khan, through his toxic approach is defying the courts and their orders She a so appea ed to the courts to take notice of h s defying attitude

Marr yum Aurangzeb sa d police and other law enforcing agencies are unarmed and on y mp ement ng the court s orders She said Imran Khan should answer to the courts about his cases She said 65 po ice personnel have so far been injured due to terror sm of PTI hooligans

Meanwhile Foreign Minister B lawal Bhutto Zardari has said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan believes that no law of the and applies to him and he has repeated y broken the law for wh ch he w ll have to answer

Speaking in The Dai y Show during his US visit B lawal on Wednesday sa d Imran Khan has been summoned to court many a t me but he was not appearing Now Imran Khan has pitched h s workers against the pol ce to save h mself he added s ta f f r e p o r t

Govt jacks up petrol price by Rs5

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t Federal government late Wednesday night increased the price of petrol by Rs5 per itre to Rs272 per litre for the next fortnight

In the last fortnight P atts Singapore prices registered an increase Th s along with a depreciat on of Pak Rupee has resulted n an increase of POL (petroleum oi and ubricant) products in Pakistan a press release issued by the Finance D vision

The raise in oil prices come as a huge

surpr se as oil prices in the international market have plunged 5 percent to their owest n more than a year as unease over Credit Suisse spooked world markets and offset hopes of a Chinese oil demand recover y Ear y signs of a return to ca m and stabi ity faded after Cred t Suisse s largest investor sa d it could not provide the Swiss bank with more f nancia assistance send ng ts shares and other European equities sliding The new prices wil be effective from

today March 16 The press release added that the price of high-speed diesel was also ncreased by Rs13 per itre to Rs293 per litre and kerosene by Rs2 56 per litre to Rs190 29 per litre “ by reduc ng government dues on it Price of light diesel oil has been kept constant (Rs184 68 per litre) by adjust ng government dues as well ” the press release added On Februar y 28 F nance Minister Ishaq Dar had announced a reduction in the pr ce of petrol by Rs5 per l tre

submitted that the police wanted to arrest people who damaged property Embattled

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coal tion government succumbed to the Pakistan Peoples Party s (PPP) threat to quit federal ministries and al owed the provincial governments espec ally the Sindh to access the census monitoring dashboards The dec sion has been taken n an attempt to address reser vations ra sed by the top PPP leadership on the digital census The decision to give access to the provincial governments especially S ndh has main y been taken to persuade the key ally to cont nue standing by the federal government and shun any second thoughts at a time when the countr y is go ng through a political upheaval amid severe f nanc al crises just ahead of the general elect ons in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa It has been decided that the statistics as required by the provincial governments especially Sindh may be inc uded in the monitoring dashboard, Chief Statist cian of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) Dr Naeemuz Zafar stated in a letter addressed to the chairman National Database and Registration Author ty (NADRA) The chief census commiss oner added that the dashboard has already been deployed for chief secretaries saying the role-based access of the same may be provided to all provincial/regional chief secretar es commissioners deputy commissioners (DCs) and ass stant commissioners (ACs) Keeping in view the sensitiv ty of the matter Zafar stated NADRA teams be directed to assure access to the dashboard by March 15 to all the DCs and ACs “at all census distr ct evel for broader invo vement transparency and credibility of this nat onal activ ty of extreme mportance PPP Cha rman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had recently threatened to quit the ruling coalition over objections to the ongoing dig ta census as well as if the Centre does not fu fill its promises of g ving relief to flood victims of Sindh Subsequently Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a news conference that the provincial government had conveyed ts reservations about the ongoing digital census to the federal government saying “if our reservations are not addressed we wi l not accept the census results The data of digital census should also be shared with the Sindh government Memon had demanded, saying PPP chairman has a ready public y expressed the party ’s reservations about the d gital census Sindh Ch ef M nister Murad Ali Shah had a so raised the matter with the federal government and at various other forums saying now we are waiting for the federa government to assuage these concerns In an attempt to address the reservations and to keep the PPP part of the ru ing coa ition, Minister for Planning, Development & Spec al Initiat ves Ahsan Iqbal decided to allow access to the dashboards of the 7th Populat on & Housing Census – The Dig ta Census – to prov ncial governments in the 8th meet ng of Census Monitoring Committee he d on March 11

g

PR OfIt REPORt i s l a m a b a d

On a day of sign ficant political setbacks for the incumbent PDM government in the center Prime M nister Shehbaz Sharif nsisted that the raging political uncerta nty in the countr y was not caus ng any problems in negotiations between Pakistan and the International Monetar y Fund (IMF)

Respond ng to a quest on during a meeting w th office bearers of the Counc l of Pak stan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) the prime min ster rejected recent reports in the media claiming the deal w th the IMF had been delayed because of continuing political uncertainty However the prem er went on to say that Pakistan had accepted the harshest of demands set by the IMF and that the deal was 2-3 days away

The mantra of “ just around the corner has been repeated ad nauseam by the federal government over the

past two months since a delegation of

the IMF eft Pak stan without signing a staff level agreement When asked whether the government could give a so d deadl ne for when the deal wil happen instead of repeat ng the same promise of 2-3 days repeatedly, the pr me min ster deflected the question and d d not give a substantial answer

Political uncer tainty gives rise to fears of delay

The prime minister met the delegation on the same day that law enforcement agenc es fai ed to arrest former prem er Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case Pol ce and rangers had to turn back from Khan s Zaman Park residence after supporters of the PTI showed up in droves to protect their leader from arrest

Meanwh le as the countr y s polit ca situation worsened with elections set to take place in two provinces in the next few months media reports cla med the IMF was seeking assurances from Pakstan that the future political setup in the

countr y w l respect any deal they sign w th Islamabad

Accord ng to the report the expected elections in Punjab and KPK have bolstered the doubts of the money lender as it hints towards an ear y genera election as we l The IMF requires the PTI leader Imran Khan to pledge to keep up with the conditions if he comes to power later this year Gover nment stepping on eggshells

On further inquiring on what is causng the de ay in reaching the accord the PM responded by saying that the situation currently is uncertain The government is be ng extreme y carefu as to not offend the IMF

He further added that in a b d to provide some relief and m t gate the effects of inflation on ow- ncome c tizens the government is tr ying to introduce a scheme whereby motorbikes and rickshaw dr vers would receive subsidized petro

e o P e r aT i o n f o r i m r a n ’ S a r r e S T T i L L T o d ay

shehbaz claims political uncer tainty not a hindrance in ImF talks

S h e h b a z p l e d G e S S u p p o r t t o f i G h t i n G i S l a m o p h o b i a G lo b a l ly

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t P r i m e M i n i s t e r S h e h b a z S h a r i f expressed the country s commitment to s u p p o r t g l o b a l e ff o r t s t o e n d I s l a m o p h o b i a o n We d n e s d a y a s t h e w o r l d c e l e b r a t e d t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l d a y t o s t a m p o u t a n t i - M u s l i m h a t r e d

In a tweet marking the day he said t h a t P a k i s t a n s t a n d s w i t h t h e w o r l d c o m m u n i t y i n s e e k i n g a n e n d t o a l l f o r m s o f h a t r e d , p r o f i l i n g , a n d d i s c r i m i n a t i o n a g a i n s t M u s l i m s b a s e d on their faith Sharif

pti moves lhC against posting of iG police, CCpo lahore, others

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the posting of the Punjab IG Police, the CCPO Lahore and 13 other officers PTI Secretary General Asad Umar filed the petition in the Lahore High Court, contending that the notification regarding the posting of the Punjab IG Police, the CCPO Lahore and 13 other officers issued by the caretaker government on Feb 27 and 28 was a violation of the law He pleaded the caretaker government had no authority to make posting to important positions after the dissolution of the assembly He further argued these police officers had also been involved in illegal activities against Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf The PTI leader urged the court to suspend the posting of the Punjab IG Police the CCPO Lahore and 13 other officers Earlier, the caretaker Punjab government removed Ghulam Mahmood Dogar from the post of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) and as convener of Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted to investigate the assassination attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan

5G, 6G at ‘forefront’ for high-qualit y development , digital transformation

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t China s intensified push for the development of superfast wireless technology including 5G and 6G will further promote industrial upgrading and digital transformation in traditional sectors, providing new momentum for the country’s economic growth industry experts said They added that 5G technology has been widely combined with artificial intelligence and the internet of things with a wide range of applications in fields such as virtual reality games online education unmanned vehicles and smart logistics They also called for efforts to actively participate in the formulation of 6Grelated international standards Their comments came after the top industry regulator said that China will accelerate the construction of 5G networks, expand the application of 5G technology in more fields, especially in manufacturing, and promote the research and development of 6G “Currently, China is at the global forefront of 5G development The country has built more than 2 54 million 5G base stations with the number of 5G smartphone users surpassing 575 million said Jin Zhuanglong C h i n e s e m i n i s t e r o f i n d u s t r y a n d i n f o r m a t i o n t e c h n o l o g y a d d i n g C h i n a w i l l b u i l d 6 0 0 0 0 0 5 G b a s e s t a t i o n s t h i s y e a r J i n m a d e t h e r e m a r k s o n t h e s i d e l i n e s o f t h i s y e a r s t w o s e s s i o n s N o t i n g t h a t 5 G h a s b e e n u s e d i n m o r e t h a n h a l f o f t h e m a j o r i n d u s t r i a l s e c t o r s , i n c l u d i n g m i n i n g , p o r t s , e l e c t r i c i t y a n d a v i a t i o n , J i n called for efforts to expand the application of superfast wireless technology in more fields like manufacturing, China

Daily reported

pakistan urges planning to consider climate risk for vulnerable nations

a i s r o o t e d i n x e n o p h o b i a o r t h e f e a r o f s t r a n g e r s w h i c h i s r e f l e c t e d i n d i s c r i m i n a t o r y p r a c t i c e s t r a v e l b a n s h a t e s p e e c h b u l l y i n g a n d t a rg e t i n g o f o t h e r p e o p l e a n d u rg e d c o u n t r i e s t o u p h o l d t h e f r e e d o m o f r e l i g i o n a n d t a k e a c t i o n a g a i n s t t h e h a t r e d All of us carry a

to the UN said that Islamophobia has become a “major threat to democracy and desecration of the holy Quran and mosques is on the rise Sedat Onal said: Islamophobia is a real and a rising threat

Rulers will pay heav y cost if anything happens to Imran: R ashid

RAWALPIND S ta f f R e p o R t

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid warned on Wednesday that the government will have to pay a heavy price if anything bad happens to PTI Chairman Imran Khan as clashes between party workers and law enforcers underway in Lahore over ex-prime minister s possible arrest I n a s e r i e s o f t w e e t , f o r m e r i n t e r i o r m i n i s t e r s a i d s i t u a t i o n i n L a h o r e h a d w o r s e n e d e n o u g h t h a t f o r m e r U S s p e c i a l e n v o y t o Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had r e a c t e d t o i t a d d i n g t h a t U S Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Wa t e r R e s o u r c e s M o n i c a M e d i n a was also due to reach Pakistan He s a i d t h a t I n t e r n a t i o n a l M o n e t a r y F u n d ( I M F ) h a d a g r e e d t o $ 6 billion external financing assurance

but on ground situation showed the c o u n t r y w a s h e a d i n g t o w a r d s u n c e r t a i n t y H e s a i d p e o p l e h a d t a k e n t h e s t r e e t s o v e r t h e p o s s i b l e arrest of Mr Khan

The AML chief warned that the

political turbulence would heighten f u r t h e r i f t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t s o r d e r r e g a r d i n g h o l d i n g o f e l e c t i o n s a r e d e f i e d H e a s k e d

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to introspect his motives

Transgender rights: CII terms ‘self-perceived identity ’ unIslamic

ISLAMABAD: S ta f f R e p o R t

The Council of Islamic Ideology

(CII) Chairman on Wednesday after reviewing the Transgender Persons (Rights of Protection) Rules in detail termed the self-perceived Identity un-Islamic Addressing a press conference after taking the sense of all stakeholders in a two-day meeting held here, he said these rules were framed in continuation of the Transgender Act and contained several provisions and clauses which were not compatible with Shariah

The council expressed concerns over the social and legal problems faced by intersex and transgender persons and said the protection and provision of basic human rights of intersex and transgender persons should be ensured he added

Dr Qibla informed that during the meeting the council also examined the amendment bills presented by Senator Mohsin Aziz, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed and Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari and suggested amendments to them

It is worth mentioning here that apart from the council members and

other renowned religious scholars and leaders, representatives of the transgender community doctors legal and social experts civil society organizations the National Database and Registration Authority and Ministry of Human Rights also participated in the meeting in a bid to review all aspects of the issues pertaining to the intersex and transgender community

Meanwhile, the council members passed a resolution in connection with the International Day to Combat Islamophobia and hailed the decision of the United Nations to celebrate it on March 15 annually as a commendable initiative The council hoped that continuous integrated and comprehensive measures would

yield positive results in this context

It hoped that certain elements in the west and some other countries of the world were engaged in nefarious designs to create an atmosphere of fear and hatred towards Islam and Muslims due to which there were serious threats to the peace of the world It emphasized all countries and international civil society organizations to work for peace, tolerance and human relations in the world

The council also expressed its willingness to be part of any struggle against Islamophobia and assured that it would play its best role in a bid to create an environment of peace and harmony so that the creatures of Allah Almighty could live a life of contentment and peace

Eight terrorists killed, t wo kids mar t yred in S outh Waziristan operation: ISPR

A few days ago five terrorists were gunned down by security forces in an operation following an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan s Datta Khel general area According to the military s media wing an intelligence-based operation (IBO) – conducted in North and South Waziristan Districts – was followed by a sanitisation of the area by security forces

“During intense exchange of fire, five more terrorists were killed,” ISPR said Meanwhile, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami in a tweet said: “There are reports of a drone attack on Khadu Khel market in Zinghara area in Ladha Tehsil of South Waziristan in which two children aged 5 years were martyred The security forces should to explain the situation In the tweet the JI senator said: Drone attacks are unacceptable and will be resisted

UNITED NATIONS S ta f f R e p o R t I n a d i s c u s s i o n a t t h e D e v e l o p m e n t C o o p e r a t i o n F o r u m ( D F C ) , A m b a s s a d o r M u n i r A k r a m , P a k i s t a n s p e r m a n e n t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e t o t h e U N , e m p h a s i s e d t h e n e e d f o r d e v e l o p m e n t p l a n n i n g t o t a k e i n t o a c c o u n t c l i m a t e r i s k s , p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r t h e m o s t c l i m a t e - v u l n e r a b l e c o u n t r i e s l i k e P a k i s t a n w h i c h s u ff e r e d d e v a s t a t i n g f l o o d s l a s t A u g u s t H e n o t e d t h e c o n c e p t o f d e v e l o p m e n t h a s e v o l v e d t o f o c u s n o t o n l y o n e c o n o m i c g r o w t h b u t a l s o o n c o u n t r i e s r e s i l i e n c e t o c l i m a t e s h o c k s w h i c h i s e s s e n t i a l f o r s u s t a i n a b l e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e A m b a s s a d o r A k r a m h i g h l i g h t e d t h a t w h i l e b u i l d i n g d e v e l o p m e n t w i t h r e s i l i e n c e c a n b e c o s t l y a d a p t a t i o n g e n e r a l l y i m p l i e s s u s t a i n a b l e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , a c o r e a s p e c t o f d e v e l o p m e n t H o w e v e r, h e w a r n e d a g a i n s t t h e a s s u m p t i o n t h a t p r i v a t e s e c t o r r e s o u r c e s w i l l f i n a n c e s u s t a i n a b l e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e p r o j e c t s , a s t h e y r e q u i r e l o n gt e r m f i n a n c i n g w i t h n o c o m m e r c i a l r e t u r n T h e r e f o r e p u b l i c f i n a n c i n g i s n e e d e d To r e b u i l d i n a w a y t h a t c a n w i t h s t a n d s i m i l a r c l i m a t e p h e n o m e n a A m b a s s a d o r A k r a m s a i d t h a t P a k i s t a n n e e d e d a n a d d i t i o n a l $ 1 3 5 b i l l i o n b e y o n d t h e $ 1 6 5 b i l l i o n r e q u i r e d t o r e p a i r l o s t i n f r a s t r u c t u r e h o m e s a n d a g r i c u l t u r a l l a n d a f t e r t h e m a s s i v e f l o o d i n g H e c a l l e d o n d o n o r c o u n t r i e s t o f u l f i l t h e i r c o m m i t m e n t s t o h e l p d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t r i e s f i g h t t h e a d v e r s e i m p a c t s o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e a n d u rg e d t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s a n d i t s c o u n t r y o ff i c e s t o p l a y a s i g n i f i c a n t r o l e i n a s s i s t i n g c o u n t r i e s i n p r e p a r i n g p r o j e c t s a n d p l a n s t o a t t r a c t f i n a n c i n g f r o m i n t e r n a t i o n a l s o u r c e s S a n j r a n i e m p h a s i s e s S e n a t e ’ s r o l e i n s t r e n g t h e n i n g d e m o c r a c y I S L A M A B A D S ta f f R e p o Rt T h e S e n a t e c o m m e m o r a t e d i t s 5 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y a t a s p e c i a l s e s s i o n h e l d a t t h e P a r l i a m e n t H o u s e i n I s l a m a b a d o n We d n e s d a y C h a i r m a n S a d i q S a n j r a n i p r e s i d e d o v e r t h e s e s s i o n w h i c h w i l l c o n t i n u e f o r t h r e e d a y s R a d i o P a k i s t a n r e p o r t e d I n h i s o p e n i n g r e m a r k s t h e c h a i r m a n e m p h a s i z e d t h e i m p o r t a n t r o l e p l a y e d b y t h e U p p e r H o u s e i n s t r e n g t h e n i n g p a r l i a m e n t a r y d e m o c r a c y i n P a k i s t a n H e a n n o u n c e d t h e c o m m e m o r a t i v e s e s s i o n w i l l f e a t u r e s p e e c h e s b y f o r m e r C h a i r m e n a n d m e m b e r s o f t h e S e n a t e , a s w e l l a s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f v a r i o u s p r o v i n c i a l a s s e m b l i e s , c h a m b e r s o f c o m m e r c e a n d i n d u s t r i e s , b a r c o u n c i l s , a n d f o r e i g n e n v o y s w o r k i n g i n P a k i s t a n F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r I s h a q D a r a l s o a d d r e s s e d t h e S e n a t e , s t r e s s i n g t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f m a i n t a i n i n g c o n t i n u i t y i n t h e d e m o c r a t i c s y s t e m w h i l e e n s u r i n g t r a n s p a r e n t f i s c a l d i s c i p l i n e H e p r a i s e d t h e S e n a t e s r o l e i n m a i n t a i n i n g u n i t y a n d s o l i d a r i t y a m o n g t h e p r o v i n c e s a n d p r o v i d i n g e q u a l r e p r e s e n t a t i o n d e s p i t e f a c i n g c h a l l e n g e s D a r w h o a l s o s e r v e s a s L e a d e r o f t h e H o u s e i n t h e S e n a t e a c k n o w l e d g e d t h e U p p e r H o u s e s c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o t h e q u a l i t y o f l e g i s l a t i o n a s a d e l i b e r a t i v e c h a m b e r w i t h d i v e r s e e x p e r i e n c e H e a l s o h i g h l i g h t e d t h e S e n a t e ’s r o l e i n f o r g i n g n a t i o n a l u n i t y a n d c o h e s i o n a n d m a n a g i n g c o n f l i c t s a n d d i s p u t e s a m o n g p r o v i n c e s w i t h i n s t i t u t i o n a l l e g i t i m a c y F o r m e r a n d s i t t i n g m e m b e r s o f t h e H o u s e p r e s e n t e d t h e i r p e r s p e c t i v e s o n t h e S e n a t e ’s p a s t a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s a n d f u t u r e c h a l l e n g e s f a c i n g P a k i s t a n A s p a r t o f t h e c o m m e m o r a t i v e s e s s i o n t h e C h a i r m a n S e n a t e c o n f e r r e d h o n o r a r y s h i e l d s o n a l l t h e s p e a k e r s i n c l u d i n g R a j a Z a f a r - u l - H a q A i t z a z A h s a n I l y a s B i l o u r J a n J a m a l i S e h a r K a m r a n , S y e d H i d a y a t u l l a h S h a h , F a r h a t u l l a h B a b a r, F a r a h A q i l S h a h , D r J a h a n z e b J a l a m l d i n i , A b i d a A z e e m , P r i n c e A h m e d U m a r A h m e d z a i , A n w a r - u l - H a q K a k a r, M a u l a n a A t a u r R e h m a n , B e h r a m a n d Ta n g i , D i n e s h K u m a r, F a r o o q H N a e k , H i d a y a t u l l a h K h a n a n d F a i z M u h a m m a d

eCp issues schedule for new delimitations in islamabad

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday unveiled the schedule of new delimitations for Islamabad local government (LG) polls According to the ECP schedule, the delimitation process begins for 125 Union Councils (UCs) The commission will establish 750 general wards and 250 women wards in the constituencies The ECP spokesman said that the delimitation process of Islamabad will be completed by May 18 The regional election commissioner Rawalpindi was given the responsibility of the delimitations According to the schedule, objections regarding the constituencies will be submitted to the concerned authority comprising of election commissioners of Islamabad and Rawalpindi

p o l i C e b o o k p t i w o r k e r S a C r o S S C o u n t r y o v e r p r o t e S t S

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

police have registered cases against hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters in multiple cities of the country including Karachi Rawalpindi and Islamabad for protesting against the possible arrest of former prime minister and party chairman Imran Khan In Karachi around 250 people including the party s Karachi division Vice President Masroor Sial were booked in connection with a protest against the possible arrest of Imran Khan on the National Highway

According to the FIR, Sial instigated the PTI workers to resort to violence, resulting in the suspension of traffic as protesters went berserk, pelted police personnel with stones and smashed car windows Similarly, in Islamabad s Tarnol area,

police registered a case against three party leaders including Amir Mughal and 60 unidentified workers

eCp introduces oSS to help ros in scrutiny of nomination papers

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

In another incident PTI workers who allegedly hurled stones at cops on Expressway resulting in injuries to three police personnel including Khana police station SHO were booked under terrorism charges Police have prepared lists under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, and raids were being carried out in different parts of the federal capital and suburbs till the last reports came in In Rawalpindi a case was registered at the City police station against PTI workers on charges of attacking policemen during their protest The case was registered on the complaint of DFC Hasnain Raza Bhatti 14 party leaders including former members of the Punjab Assembly Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi Ejaz Jazi Umar Tanveer and Asif Mehmood were named in the case, along with 16 unidentified workers

D arban SEZ to trigger robust economic ac tivity in KP

PESHAWAR S ta f f R e p o R t

The Darban Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which is being set up in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is located at the juncture of the Punjab Balochistan and the KP provinces thus giving easy access to 78% of Pakistan

The SEZ will cover an area of 3,000 acres of land just off the main ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor route It will be the largest economic zone in KP, providing opportunities for investors to export products to Afghanistan Central Asia and beyond Arbab Haroon Marketing and Communication Officer at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones

Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC), told the Darban

SEZ was located at an ideal location, only two kilometers from the CPEC route, giving easy access to the markets of KP Balochistan and Punjab which together account for over 78% of the population of Pakistan

He said that CPEC is a shining example of cordial relationship between Pakistan and China The KP province stands to hugely benefit from the increased industrial activity and job prospects the Darban SEZ will create

He said that Draban SEZ development projects have been documented and land provided to industrialists “The key features in the SEZ include a greater opportunity to attract new businesses through provision

Celebrities scared to speak up for imran khan: farhan Saeed

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

The face-off between police and Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) supporters continued on the second day on Wednesday as law enforcers made a fresh push to arrest party chairman Imran Khan from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore Police resumed firing tear gas rounds and used water canons against defiant PTI workers and supporters as fresh skirmishes broke out after law enforcers intensified their activities in the now more than 20-hour-long operation to arrest the PTI chief Many PTI supporters have been taken into custody Many of Khan s supporters on social media have been actively lashing out at the authorities for such stern measures Several celebrities have also expressed their anger on the same Farhan Saeed took to Twitter and shared, “When Imran Khan became PM all the actors players were so quick to congratulate him even go and meet him today either they have changed their opinion about him which is fair enough they have all the right or they re scared to speak which is worrisome Adnan Siddiqui commented It s incredible to witness people from all walks of life coming together with a shared sense of purpose fueled by their passion and dedication Such an outpouring of support for a leader is unprecedented in the history of our country Haroon Shahid claimed, The shelling didn’t work, they’re all set to try the bullets! Catastrophe loading ” Singer Annie Khalid tweeted, “What is happening today is Jihad

Sitting in London I wish I wish I wish I could be there tonight standing with my people- to protect my leader I salute this nation you are all heroes!

Jinnah s Pakistan Elan owner Khadijah Shah had been busy helping the protestors We took water and medicines for the heroes on the frontline – they are being shelled from the upper mall and need lots of water you can hardly breathe the air is thick with tear gas – people keep going and distributing water, masks and Ventolin inhalers Mobile and internet services have been suspended in the Zaman Park neighbourhood and nearby areas

Educational institutions located around Mall Road remain closed while an emergency has been imposed in hospitals

of integrated infrastructure and a business-friendly environment for sustainable industrial growth ”

He further said that different types of industrial units would be established in Darban SEZ including mineral agrobased industries food processing units pharmaceutical and steel industries

Prof Fakhrul Islam the director of the Pakistan Study Centre at the University of Peshawar said the projects for special economic zones need to be prioritised and small and agro-based industries should be established there as opposed to large industries, which are not very successful in the province owing to different reasons

He said the special economic zones could play a key role in promoting the development of the province provided

they are executed as per the plan

He believes that through SEZs the foreign investors will be able to tap the potential of CPEC and find export markets for their products, besides catering to the local needs “In order to make an SEZ sustainable it should be built with the support of the local community to fit their needs constraints aspirations and vision of development he said

The second phase of CPEC focuses on increased industrial and agricultural cooperation between the two countries

After the successful execution of the first phase of the multi-billion-dollar project, both China and Pakistan are striving to complete the second phase to develop the region and improve people’s living standards

C hinese Embassy hands over 250 bullet-proof jackets to IC T, Punjab, KP police

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

The Chinese Embassy on Wednesday handed over 250 bulletproof jackets for the police of Islamabad Capital Territory Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Central Police Office

A Chinese Embassy delegation comprising Police Counselor Li Qingchun and second secretaries Xu Peng and Liu Xinhua visited the Central Police Office in that regard, an ICT Police spokesman said

About 50 bullet-proof jackets were received by CPO Headquarters

Islamabad Owais Ahmed Malik, 100 by Deputy Inspector General Logistics Punjab Police Athar Ismail and 100 by Deputy Commandant Elite Force Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irfan Tariq at a special ceremony Additional Secretary Interior Muhammad Ayub Chaudhry who was the chief guest on the occasion said he was grateful to the Chinese Embassy for providing all kinds of assistance in the work of the police Inspector General of Police

Islamabad Akbar Nasir Khan, DIG Athar Ismail and SSP Irfan Tariq also expressed their gratitude to the Chinese delegation and said providing assistance to the police was a living example of Pak-China eternal friendship

The Chinese Embassy Police Counselor said the Pakistan Police had always made great sacrifices to eliminate terrorism and extremism

He said the Chinese Embassy was ready to provide all kinds of assistance to law enforcement agencies

Rain, thunderstorm to grip most par ts of countr y from today

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t Rain-wind and thunderstorm with isolated few heavy falls and hailstorm and occasional gaps is expected in most parts of the country including Islamabad Rawalpindi Murree Galliyat Attock and other parts of the country from Thursday to Monday (March 16-20)

According to the weather forecast, a westerly wave is likely to enter the country and grip the upper and central parts on Friday, persisting until Monday

The Met Office has advised the concerned authorities to remain alert and take precautionary measures to avoid any untoward situation during the forecast period Infrastructure and standing crops may be damaged due to windhailstorm and local authorities have

been warned to be prepared to cope with possible landslides in hilly areas Day temperatures are expected to fall by 6 C to 8°C during the spell, and tourists have been advised to remain cautious The Barani areas of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are expected to benefit from the rain Tourists are also advised to remain more cautious during the forecast period The rain wind dust and thunderstorm is expected in Murree Chakwal Jhelum Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Haripur, Karak, Peshawar, Kohat, Charsada, Nowshera, Swabi, Bajaur, Kurram, Waziristan Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan from March 16 to 20

While, rain will occur in Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Khushab, Mianwali, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur Jacobabad Larkana Shaheed Benazirabad Mirpurkhas Dadu Karachi Quetta Zhob Khuzdar Naseerabad Dera Bugti Barkhan Harnai Qila Saifullah Qillah Abdullah Chamman and Pishin from Friday (evening/night) to Sunday Rain-wind/thunderstorm (with few heavy falls & hailstorm) is expected in Kashmir (Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur), GilgitBaltistan (Diamir, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar) from Friday (evening/night) to Monday

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has implemented an Online Scrutiny System (OSS) to aid the Returning Officers (ROs) in rigorous scrutiny of nomination papers of candidates, contesting the general election to the Punjab Assembly According to the ECP the system has proven to be a valuable legal tool providing assistance and support to 297 ROs in their task to ensure fair and transparent elections By using this system the ECP aims at ensuring the election process is free from any malpractices and that only eligible and qualified candidates are allowed to contest in the elections According to ECP official source the special software links several government agencies such as the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with the Election Commission Secretariat The Cell, tasked with work round the clock, was also equipped with fax telephone and internet facilities

The necessary proforma and Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) have been devised and provided to all the Returning Officers (ROs) to help them carry out their duties effectively The returning officers were required to send candidate s particulars to the online Scrutiny Cell daily This information was being scrutinized by special teams appointed by various government bodies including NADRA, FBR, SBP, and FIA They have already appointed their focal persons to assist with the process

rulers will pay heav y cost if any thing happens to imran: rashid

RAWALPIND S ta f f R e p o R t Aw a m i M u s l i m L e a g u e ( A M L ) c h i e f S h e i k h R a s h i d w a r n e d o n We d n e s d a y t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t w i l l h a v e t o p a y a h e a v y p r i c e i f a n y t h i n g b a d h a p p e n s t o P T I C h a i r m a n I m r a n K h a n a s c l a s h e s b e t w e e n p a r t y w o r k e r s a n d l a w e n f o r c e r s u n d e r w a y i n L a h o r e o v e r e x - p r i m e m i n i s t e r s p o s s i b l e a r r e s t I n a s e r i e s o f t w e e t , f o r m e r i n t e r i o r m i n i s t e r s a i d s i t u a t i o n i n L a h o r e h a d w o r s e n e d e n o u g h t h a t f o r m e r U S s p e c i a l e n v o y t o A f g h a n i s t a n Z a l m a y K h a l i l z a d h a d r e a c t e d t o i t , a d d i n g t h a t U S S p e c i a l E n v o y f o r B i o d i v e r s i t y a n d Wa t e r R e s o u r c e s M o n i c a M e d i n a w a s a l s o d u e t o r e a c h P a k i s t a n H e s a i d t h a t I n t e r n a t i o n a l M o n e t a r y F u n d ( I M F ) h a d a g r e e d t o $ 6 b i l l i o n e x t e r n a l f i n a n c i n g a s s u r a n c e b u t o n g r o u n d s i t u a t i o n s h o w e d t h e c o u n t r y w a s h e a d i n g t o w a r d s u n c e r t a i n t y H e s a i d p e o p l e h a d t a k e n t h e s t r e e t s o v e r t h e p o s s i b l e a r r e s t o f M r K h a n T h e A M L c h i e f w a r n e d t h a t t h e p o l i t i c a l t u r b u l e n c e w o u l d h e i g h t e n f u r t h e r i f t h e S u p r e m e C o u r t s o r d e r r e g a r d i n g h o l d i n g o f e l e c t i o n s a r e d e f i e d H e a s k e d I n t e r i o r M i n i s t e r R a n a S a n a u l l a h t o i n t r o s p e c t h i s m o t i v e s

embattled Shehbaz claims political uncer taint y not a hindrance in imf talks

CONTINUED fROM PAgE 01

However, this scheme along with others have not been made actionable yet because the government is fearful that the IMF might raise issues and halt the deal

An elusive deAl: Pakistan and the IMF have been negotiating the resumption of an installed $7bn IMF programme for months now but are yet to reach an agreement

The country had been able to secure the last tranche of $1 17 billion back in August 2022 under the leadership of former finance minister Miftah Ismail The disbursement had been achieved by ending a massive fuel subsidy introduced by former prime minister Imran Khan and by agreeing to other terms of the IMF

The state bank at the time had more than $8 billion in foreign reserves In September 2022, however, Ishaq Dar took charge of the finance ministry and further negotiations with the IMF took a different turn Dar, who during a television interview said “he knew how to deal with the IMF” since he had been doing it for decades decided to artificially keep the price of the rupee high However this strategy failed within a few months and by January 2023 Pakistan was staring down the possibility of default The country began facing a shortage of forex reserves that has led to a curb of imports and skyrocketing inflation

LHC halts police operation for Imran’s arrest till today

CONTINUED fROM PAgE 01

The court further observed that it wanted peace in the city and ordered police to stop the operation The IGP submitted that he wanted to have police presence in Zaman Park

Subsequently the court ordered the IGP to withdraw police personnel from Zaman Park and station them at The Mall road bridge Dhrampura bridge and Thandi Sarak besides adjourning further hearing till Thursday at 10am

Earlier, the court heard the matter in the morning and summoned the IGP Punjab, chief secretary and other government officials LEAs personnel withdraw from around Zaman Park

Following Lahore High Court orders, the police and other law enforcers withdrew from around Imran Khan’s Zaman Park home on Wednesday putting a halt to clashes that had erupted after police tried to

arrest the former prime minister for not appearing in court in the Toshakhana case Law enforcement personnel were seen leaving the neighbourhood after day-long clashes with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters as renewed attempts were made earlier Thursday to arrest the party Chairman Imran Police resumed firing tear gas rounds and used water cannons against defiant PTI workers and supporters as fresh skirmishes broke out in the morning after law enforcers intensified the operation in a standoff that lasted almost 24-hours CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamyana and DIG Operations Lahore Afzal Kausar also reached the area to lead the operation

A large contingent of Punjab Rangers – in riot gear – also joined the police operation

On Tuesday night, the provincial government had sought three companies of Punjab Rangers to reinforce the police contingent But after they withdrew, Khan was seen standing outside his home, wearing

a gas mask and talking to supporters as they cheered and celebrated chasing the troops away The development occurred hours after the PTI chairman called on the judiciary and military establishment to end the farce , as the troops resumed the standoff with his supporters after a night of violent clashes The crackdown on Khan and supporters of the opposition party came as the government of Shehbaz Sharif attempted to arrest the former prime minister accusing him of failing to appear in court on what he calls trumped-up charges Zaman Park remained under siege since Wednesday morning and the government was sending additional police to tackle the situation after hundreds of his supporters showed unexpected perseverance

In an early morning address to workers via video link, Khan expressed concern over the escalating situation and the lack of control he has over the workers “The kinds of actions that are taking

place [ ] the boys [supporters] outside [my home] are not listening to me When this anarchy and shelling is taking place against them, they won t listen to me anymore, he said I have no control over them now

As a result, Khan said he believes the only hope for a resolution lies with the judiciary and establishment He urged them to put the country’s interests first and to end the ongoing chaos

“Do not work on this London plan [sic]

This country is heading towards destruction

It is my appeal to all of you that now think of this country he added in reference to an alleged understanding between the military and deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif to keep Khan from coming to office Earlier in the day the party said Khan s residence was under extreme attack as it posted footage of law enforcement personnel opening fire on unarmed protestors

In a tweet, the party shared a video and claimed “open firing by Rangers and

police but did not specify when the video was filmed Pakistan Today could not independently verify the claim

It added that Zaman Park is under extreme attack

In the morning, Khan emerged from his house to meet with his supporters, who faced tear gas and police baton the whole night to save him from arrest He said he was ready to travel to Islamabad on March 18 under his arrest warrant but police did not accept the offer IHC maintains Imran’s arrest warrants

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) maintained the non-bailable arrest warrants of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case and directed him to approach the trial court for relief Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict which was earlier reserved on the petition filed by Imran Khan against his non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the trial court in the Toshakhana case

Why Imran Khan had to be stopped

Th e drama on Tuesday at Lahore’s Zaman Park was probably avoidable Perhaps more relevant is the fact it proved a needless distraction from the very many problems that Pakistan faces The aftereffects of record floods have been pushed into the background by the economic crisis which has been worsened by the collapse of the rupee and the continuing of the inflationary spiral, with a global recession about to compound problems already made worse by the failure to negotiate resumption of the IMF package Then there is the political crisis with a polarized society and partisan rivalry at its height In the midst of all this, the nation is held hostage with all television channels blazing the struggle of PTI chief Imran Khan not to be arrested

The most regrettable aspect of the whole affair is that it could have easily been avoided, if Mr Khan had followed the example of all political leaders and workers before him of being arrested The example of this opponents of his arrested when he was PM was different: they went tamely enough, and were released only when they obtained bail from the courts It may be noted that while none were brought to trial, his arrest has been ordered by a court where he has been avoiding appearance It should not be forgotten that is his cricketing days he initiated the concept of neutral umpires, obviously because as a bowler his appeals were unfairly turned down by home team umpires however, he never disagreed with such decisions

Mr Khan has found the judiciary bending over backwards to accommodate him to the extent that the PML(N) has begun accusing some of its members of partiality Mr Khan may be dealt with scurvily, but his refusal to accept court orders is a defiance he cannot expect to be ignored he may not have realized it, but by refusing to accede to an arrest that is court-ordered, he is weakening those superior courts he is looking towards It said that the accused is the law’s favourite child however to reach that status it is necessary to become an accused; to be taken into custody Mr Khan should remember that many others have been down that path before he should also take heart from the fact that all (except one, who was executed) survived, several to make a political return

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

In a recent interview former President Asif Ali Zardari said that they had taken over the government despite knowing the challenges faced as ‘Imran Khan had to be stopped Zardari plays his cards well Single handedly he has been able to bury Bhuttoism while chanting the slogan of “ Jiay Bhutto” (Long live Bhutto) he says Pakistan Khappay (Long live Pakistan) while he builds his personal empire at the cost of the nation like the Sharifs, his longtime competitors in the loot and plunder of the nation In his recent address at the emerging Pakistan conference in Karachi Shahid Khaqan Abbasi remarked that corruption is the biggest challenge faced by the nation together with disrespect for the constitution

Soon after coming into power Imran Khan revived the corruption cases against the old political players

After the 1985 partyless elections the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was recolonized again The MRD (Movement for the Restoration of Democracy), of which Bhutto’s PPP was the main national political outfit, decided to boycott the elections held under the usurper New players were introduced to hijack democracy The Sharifs of Gowalmandi were given the task

L i k e G e n e r a l M u s h a r r a f o n l y h i s b u r i a l w i l l b e p o s s i b l e i n t h e l a n d t h a t h e r u l e d t h r e e t i m e s t h r o u g h a r i g g e d e l e c t o r a l p r o c e s s I K i s n o w u n s t o p p a b l e Z a r d a r i a n d h i s s p o n s o r s g r o s s l y m i s c a l c u l a t e d t h e i r c h a n c e s . I n t h e e n d t h e P M L ( N ) w i l l b e t h e n e t l o s e r

In the age of AI

growth and spread of AI technology in an arms race between nations

of stealing Punjab from the PPP hold to mitigate the popularity of the Quaid-e-Awam, who had launched his party in Lahore in the year 1967 The PPP was the first political entity which was neither conceived nor launched in Rawalpindi like the rogue Muslim Leagues of various brands

IK’s strategy was to seek conviction of the corrupt through due process of law he even allowed his personal popularity to plummet (33 %) but his objectives were clear he sought cleansing of the political arena

Most leaders who have seen the inside working of the corridors of power in the republic often under-estimate the evil within the system Delays are a norm in our legal framework

IK kept the pressure on after over three years of relentless pursuit and the corrupt were worried Serious charges of corruption and money laundering were finally exposed had the process continued the corrupt would have been history by now Jitters were felt within the establishment A combined game plan was prepared to protect the evil Relying on IK’s plummeting public support a conspiracy was hatched to vote out the elected Prime Minister Such a move was last attempted against Benazir Bhutto in 1989 by the establishment and their touts in the legislature Money changed hands While Nawaz Sharif (NS) as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab established his camp of Political herds in the manmade forest of Changa Manga Zardari flew his bounty to the safety of Swat Valley Benazir survived to be dismissed later under the draconian Zia amendment s 58(2b) It did not end here Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) was formed under the patronage of the establishment and Nawaz was launched as PM and the rest is history as they say IK decided to follow the moral course of resistance he did not buy support, instead he decided to approach the public The planners of the conspiracy were warned that IK could not be dealt with in the same manner as Zardari and Nawaz as the agencies did not have folders of his corruption When he walked out of the PM house with his personal diary in hand, his popularity graph started to rise Since then there has been no looking back Abbasi Sahib also revealed that all ten elections held under the 1973 Constituion were rigged Personally I am of the belief that in the 2013 contest the PTI had prevailed over the PML(N) but was denied victory All the four

test constituencies that were investigated and three PML(N) MNAs were deseated while Khawaja Asif survived on a technical issue of delays According to ‘election gurus the margin of rigging is around 10 percent to 15 percent beyond which foul play becomes obvious PTI s popularity is now out of reach

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) the party in power is running away from an electoral contest as the margin of Ik s lead is in the range of 40-50 percent which is out of reach of the manipulators The PDM is in serious trouble The ‘Genie of Corruption is out of the bottle and has failed to tarnish the image of the Kaptan The personal financial honesty of IK is unquestionable Toshakhana was a bad move and should have been avoided but those who have been around in the capital understand the evil ways and influences, how traps are laid to undress the dressed with guiles and justifications like stretching the allowances and allocations Islamabad is a Marshland where it is not easy to walk straight without slipping After 75 years Pakistan has to come out of the marshes to build on solid foundations of honesty and integrity

Abbasi Sahib also warned about the need for dialogue amongst the main political players (IK, Zardari, Nawaz Fazal) to pull the country out of its marshes every meeting must have a clear agenda Corruption cannot be condoned under any circumstances Recovery of the loot is never easy as greed takes over

After ten compromised elections the way forward is free and fair elections to establish civilian supremacy I am sure a meeting can be arranged to finalize the rules of the electoral contest but it cannot be held hostage to the pardon of Nawaz in the name of a level playing field NS faces life disqualification by the highest court of the land Only a constitutional amendment that limits the period of disqualification can revive his political career otherwise he will be history

Like General Musharraf only his burial will be possible in the land that he ruled three times through a rigged electoral process IK is now unstoppable Zardari and his sponsors grossly miscalculated their chances In the end the PML(N) will be the net loser

The writer is ex-Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail com

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

Th e world we live in is being rapidly changed by artificial intelligence (AI) AI is transforming how we work live and interact with one another from chatbots and virtual assistants to selfdriving cars and medical diagnosis In its most basic form AI is a machine designed to carry out tasks by mimicking human intelligence

Large amounts of data can be processed effectively, and complex algorithms can be executed

Moreover we must start thinking about how to advance technologically relevant skills while also fostering more innately human abilities Creativity intuition initiative and critical thinking are all human traits that are unlikely to be replicated by robots anytime soon We ought to already be considering how employers and employees alike can use robots to improve the work we do

Simultaneously, it is a rapidly developing technology that could have a big impact on how wars are fought and how global security is maintained AI systems can quickly and accurately process enormous amounts of data, which makes them useful for a variety of military applications like intelligence gathering target identification, tracking, and logistics

But there are also serious ethical and security issues with using AI in combat AI systems may make decisions that are challenging for people to comprehend or anticipate, raising questions about their accountability Concerns exist regarding the potential for AI to be employed for evil intent such as the creation of autonomous weapon systems or cyber-attacks Governments and international organizations must take into account the potential consequences of this technology and establish suitable rules and regulations to govern its use

It is being used more and more in various military contexts and its application to warfare has the potential to fundamentally alter the nature of the conflict In military systems, AI can be applied to activities like target recognition intelligence gathering and self-decision-making

Several issues regarding global security are brought up by the use of AI in warfare Lethal autonomous weapon systems that could decide when to use force without human intervention could be developed and deployed using AI, which raises serious safety concerns The loss of human control over the use of force that could result from this could have terrible repercussions

Another concern is the potential for AI to be used to disrupt or hack into military systems potentially causing confusion and chaos on the battlefield Further destabilization of the global security environment could result from the

Therefore, international security could be affected by the use of AI in warfare which has the potential to fundamentally alter how wars are fought The risks and moral ramifications of AI in military settings must be carefully considered by policymakers who should also work to create global standards and regulations that will control its application Similarly to that, one of the biggest trends in AI is the widespread adoption of machine learning

It’s a subset of artificial intelligence that gives computers the ability to learn from data and steadily improve their performance Among the many applications of this technology, fraud detection and natural language processing (NLP) are just

two examples Predictive analytics to aid in disease prevention expanded use of AI in the medical field, more precise diagnoses, and individualized treatment plans are all made possible by the use of AI Clinical trials, robotic surgery and the development of new medications all make use of this technology

positive direction there are worries about what this technology will mean for society in the future One major concern is the potential impact on employment There is a chance that many jobs will be automated as AI technology develops, which could result in job losses and unemployment

AI is a disruptive technology that has the potential to completely chang e how we work, live , and interact with one another Although there are many positive trends in AI right now, there are also many serious worries about what this technology will mean in the future .

A greater number of workplaces are also utilizing AI Process automation increased productivity, and cost reduction is all achieved through the use of AI-powered tools and automation Just a few sectors that employ this technology include transportation, manufacturing, and finance even though AI is currently trending in a

The possibility of AI being used in ways that harm society is a further worry There is a chance, for instance, that AI-driven weapons could be used to conduct autonomous warfare which would have unintended consequences and cause humanitarian catastrophes Concerns exist regarding AI s potential ethical ramifications For instance, AI algorithms could produce unfair outcomes if they were biassed or discriminatory Invasion of privacy tracking of people and behaviour manipulation are additional risks associated with AI AI is a disruptive technology that has the potential to completely change how we work live and interact with one another Although there are many positive trends in AI right now there are also many serious worries about what this technology will mean in the future In order to ensure that AI is created and applied in ways that benefit society as a whole it is crucial for decisionmakers companies and individuals to carefully consider these implications

The writ is associated with the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and terweets at @hafiznadirali7 and can be reached at hafiznadirali7@gmail com

S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan Today, 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h , L a h o re , P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y

A case in favour of the NOTA option

M A N y a democracy around the world gives voters the option to reject all candidates in case they do not want to vote for any of them Indonesia and India are among the countries that give this none of the above (NOTA) option to their citizens during elections

In 2013 while hearing a petition the Supreme Court of India declared that while casting vote is a democratic duty, rejecting any candidate is also a democratic right of the people Therefore, in India, either on the ballot paper or through electronic voting machines people have the NOTA option at their disposal This in India is a success because people often use the said option more than in favour of any candidate Interestingly, in Indonesia, candidates have to compete against the NOTA option even if they happen to be the lone contender in a constituency This law in Indonesia was passed in 2016, and in 2018, during the election for a mayoral seat in Makassar city, the NOTA option got more votes than the lone rival It was apparent that the public was not satisfied with that candidate and therefore rejected him

We must introduce the NOTA option in Pakistan which will give people a better way to express themselves, for they are currently forced to vote for one candidate or the other even when they do not wish to vote for any of them They have to pick the ‘least desirable’ candidate or else that their voting right might as well be used by somebody else With NOTA as an option, we will have a fair idea of the popularity and sincerity of a candidate In doing so, as people will have an opportunity to be a part of elections while having power and authority to reject all the candidates giving the message that no one is popular, honest and sincere enough to merit a vote This way, we will get a clear picture of where a candidate or political leader stands This will also help us get rid of unscrupulous elements in national politics

We have frequently observed candidates winning by a margin of a few hundred votes even in their hometowns where thousands of people were registered as voters This will no more be the case Besides, the NOTA option will improve the voter turnout significantly as all elections in the country regard-less of the tier will become genuine platforms for precise expression of public sentiment

Multan miser y

M u LTA N the city of saints recently had the looks of some occupied territory or at least a city under freshly-imposed emergency with road blockades, police patrolling and snap checking becoming the order of the day The clamour of sirens destroyed whatever peace was still left in the city The reason? The Pakistan Super League (PSL) was in town

Owing to security concerns all roads were blocked educational institutions were shut down, and business activities were partially crippled by the relevant authorities

It is hard to think of a worse time to hold such an activity The country is in the middle of a crisis that has many a crises woven into it The worst hit were the daily-wagers who could not carry on their work owing to security restrictions that only caused nuisance and frustration in these challenging times It would not be out of place to mention that Multan happens to be the most prominent hub of healthcare facilities in southern Punjab as all major hospitals of the region are located in the city People from across the region come to Multan seeking medical treatment All hospitals located in the ‘affected’ areas during the PSL remained out of reach for those poor souls as the roads leading to such healthcare facilities had been shut down All this reflected poor management and strange priorities, for we organised a sports activity at the cost of people’s welfare and even their lives Where are we headed? It would have been prudent had the relevant authorities made proper plan to avoid all the mess that disrupted life inside out in the city We can only hope and pray that the relevant authorities will take into consideration all these issues while planning their next ‘mega event’

US aid announcement reminds of need for more Rohingya aid

that Rohingyas are also refugees

The uS State Department has announced nearly $26 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, for those people in Burma affected by ongoing violence and for communities hosting refugees from Burma

left to drift for days on end without any help ” Turk said in a statement released by the uN human Rights Office of the high Commissioner

The high Commissioner for human Rights called on countries in the region and globally to help Bangladesh support the over one million Rohingya refugees who have sought protection there since 2017

nomic pressure on the military and support a peaceful democratic and prosperous Burma

Hu M A N rights groups and agencies have expressed alarm at the widening funding gap between the needs of the Rohingya and the inflows WFP’s move alone to cut food rations will add significant pressure, said John Quinley of the human rights group Fortify Rights The [latest] cuts on food aid will be dire and could lead to significant health consequences for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

A looming funding crisis facing Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh underlines the deepening aid shortages and growing unrest in the sprawling camps along the country s border with Myanmar Amid the Covid-19 epidemic, Myanmar ’s military coup, the Afghan refugee crisis and now the ukraine situation Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugees remain in a limbo Funding for them is running out Bangladesh is being made to bear the burden of the Rohingyas alone The international aid for the 1 1 million Rohingyas who have taken refuge in Bangladesh has been greatly reduced If this continues, a catastrophe is feared united Nations officials have warned of a shortfall of more than 50 percent in the $876 million needed this year to provide basic food and shelter for nearly one million refugees living in one of the world’s largest refugee settlements In a sign of the widening funding gap the World Food Program in February announced a 17 percent cut in refugee rations for camp dwellers to $10 a month from $12 per person and issued an emergency appeal for $125 million to help make up the shortfall Japan recently pledged $1 million in response, but as one WFP official said, “The overall silence has been roaring ”

The “ticking time bomb ” according to humanitarian agencies and u N officials is the looming drop in overall funding this year to maintain the Rohingya camps amid growing donor fatigue over other urgent demands, including the fallout of Russia’s war in ukraine worsening humanitarian problems in Afghanistan and the death or displacement of many millions in Pakistan due to flooding and in Turkey and Syria after February’s earthquakes But the Afghan and ukraine crises have worsened the situation But the world must remember

In such a context, the announcement of the united States humanitarian aid to the Rohingyas will raise optimism Through this it is expected that the international community will show sincerity in solving the Rohingya problem in Bangladesh and the world conscience will be awakened

With this new funding the uS total assistance for those affected by the Rakhine State and Rohingya crisis has reached nearly $2 1 billion since August 2017, when over 740 000 Rohingya were forced to flee to safety in Cox s Bazar, Bangladesh, according to a press statement issued by the uS Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday during the launch of the 2023 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh

According to the official press statement, the new funding includes nearly $24 million for programmes specifically in Bangladesh providing life-sustaining support to nearly 980 000 Rohingya refugees many of them survivors of genocide, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing, and support to nearly 540,000 host community members in Bangladesh

The assistance, according to Blinken, sees to it that children and young adults have access to education and vocational training provides families with food and clean water strengthens sanitation systems to prevent the spread of disease, supports the protection of Rohingya refugees’ human rights and well-being, bolsters disaster preparedness and helps combat the effects of climate change

We are committed to finding lasting solutions to this crisis, including the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return and reintegration of displaced Rohingya when conditions in Burma allow An essential step in ending this crisis is ending the military regime s brutal repression of its people and agreeing to a pathway to an inclusive multiparty democracy We commend our humanitarian partners for the lifesaving work they continue to do every day,” read the uS statement

“More than 2 400 Rohingya have sought to leave Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2022 alone and I am deeply saddened that over 200 have reportedly lost their lives on the way Recent reports indicate that overcrowded and unsafe boats carrying Rohingyas have been

Since the military overthrew the government on 1 February 2021 the political economic and humanitarian crises in Burma have only worsened; according to sources, and there have been close to 3,000 fatalities, 17 000 arrests and over 1 5 million displaced people

The continued scorched-earth effort by the dictatorship continues to take the lives of innocent people, halting discussions about the return of Rohingya, igniting an escalating military conflict inside Myanmar and fostering insecurity outside

Bangladesh continues to house the refugees despite being forced to use a significant portion of her meagre resources to cover expenditures and mitigate effects on her economy, society, and environment

The uSA has contributed the most to the Rohingya crisis so far It has pledged massive assistance to Bangladesh for the Rohingya It has been the single most important country in providing funds for them Since 2017, the uSA has provided more than $1 9 billion in humanitarian assistance to people in Myanmar Bangladesh, and other parts of the region The uS was the largest contributor to the JRP fund in 2022, accounting for 50 1 percent of total funding

The uSA uK and Canada to date have imposed sanctions on 80 individuals and 32 entities to deprive the regime of the means to perpetuate its violence and to promote the democratic aspirations of Burma’s people

The uSA remains firm in her position that the regime s planned elections cannot be free or fair, not while it has killed or detained, possible contenders,or forced them to flee nor while it continues to inflict brutal violence against its peaceful opponents The uSA vows to continue to promote accountability for the military s atrocities including through support to the uN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar and other international efforts to protect and support vulnerable populations, including Rohingya

The uSA is working with ASeAN the united Nations (following the recent passage of a uN Security Council Resolution on the situation in Burma), and the international community at large to uphold ASeAN’s Five-Point Consensus increase diplomatic and eco-

Saudi-Iran reconciliation: Is Arab-Israeli alliance against Tehran ending?

countries - especially major oil exporters - have opted not to bet on the American position declining to take part in sanctions against Russia Instead they have strengthened their cooperation with Moscow to maintain oil prices, while enhancing their massive trade and economic relations with China These are higher vital interests that Israel cannot circumvent no matter how hard it tries

delicate balance of a world shifting from unipolarity to pluralism

The Gulf countries as emerging economies are being proactive in identifying and analysing the features of the international system’s transitional phase

They are trying to position themselves in ways that can protect and preserve their interests, while other actors are fighting over influence and hegemony

In December 2022, both houses of Congress passed a compromise version of the ‘National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) an annual piece of legislation that lays out uS defense priorities, which serves as a description of uS policy towards Myanmar The fiscal 2023 NDAA includes uS support to return to the democratic government provide non-military assistance to eAOs and PDFs, funds to support the pro-democracy movement, assist in ethnic reconciliation, protect political prisoners and investigate and document atrocities

In Decemberr 24 of the selected 62 Rohingyas left Bangladesh for the uSA as part of the uS government s resettlement programme According to the uS embassy in Dhaka uS President Biden reaffirmed the uS commitment to welcoming refugees by keeping the total admissions target in the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for 2022-23 at 125 000 with a regional allocation of 15 000 for east Asia

Secretary Blinken, State Department Counsellor Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary of the uS Bureau of Population Refugees and Migration Julieta Valls Noyes and other top diplomats expressed the same ideology as Bangladesh, that the root cause of the Rohingya crisis lies in Myanmar ’ and that ‘safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is the only sustainable solution

In the quest for a strategic role, India, China, and regional actors have yet to establish a concrete position, despite greater opportunities to extend their strategic presence and establish themselves as regional leaders by engaging in the Rohingya repatriation process and peace talks to end the crisis in Myanmar Their contributions have been minimal in comparison to what the uSA has done While the uSA is strongly supporting Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue, unfortunately, China and India s geopolitical and geo-economic interests in Myanmar leave Bangladesh to manage the Rohingya crisis alone

Despite increasingly competing aid priorities, the Rohingya crisis should still be core to the international agenda because nearly a million Rohingya genocide survivors still dwell in the darkness he said With no hopes for safe repatriation and under many restrictions, they are reliant on international aid They have little or no rights as refugees and aid cuts will result in severe malnutrition and hunger The highest cost will be paid by the most vulnerable women and children

The writer is a freelance columnist

IS R A e L’S regional policy has long been based on hegemony, superiority and arrogance Leaders Shimon

Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu often repeated the notion of an alliance based on Israeli brains and Arab money”, while also promoting the concept of protecting Arab regimes with Israeli intelligence technologies and strategies for economic peace

The aim was always twofold: to achieve normalisation and bolster Israel’s regional influence, and to accelerate the disappearance of the Palestinian cause

For Israel Iran presented an opportunity to ally with Arab states on both an economic-security basis and a strategic basis, with regards to confronting their “mutual enemy” In this way Israel has sought a multilateral strategy: a regional alliance under the auspices of the uS, seeking to declare war on Iran and overthrow the regime

But as the Arab Gulf alliance in the yemen war has eroded, Israel s attempts to court an Arab ally that would wage war on Iran have been met with failure Israel has made no secret of its wish for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom it considers a likely future ally to replace his aging father King Salman But contrary to Israel s wishes, a number of Gulf states - including Kuwait and the uAe followed this month by Saudi Arabia - have been reopening diplomatic, economic and security channels with Tehran

Viewing the overthrow of Iran’s Islamic regime to be a priority the Israeli government in January appointed Major General eyal Zamir, who has expertise in Iranian affairs as director general of the security ministry Gulf and regional power balances, however, are too strong to be determined by Israel and its desires or arrogant theories

LACK OF ALLIES: Since the launch of the Russia-ukraine war and its ensuing impacts on the global economy Gulf

For Israel the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to normalise ties under the auspices of the Chinese government will come at a strategic price with regional and international dimensions It limits Israel s regional influence and eliminates the notion of an Arab-Israeli alliance against Iran While Israel has sought to strengthen ties with countries such as Italy, Germany, the united Kingdom and France in an effort to build an international and regional anti-Iran axis it knows that international players are not convinced such a project could work without decisive American force

Moreover disruptions to oil gas and grain exports resulting from the ukraine war would hamstring europe from carrying out any military actions that could exacerbate the energy crisis It was thus not surprising that the european union quickly welcomed the Saudi-Iran deal viewing it as vital to regional stability and conflict resolution

At the same time, the Saudi-Iran deal could put an end to Israel’s nuclear monopoly opening the door for other countries in the region to acquire nuclear capabilities

According to American media, Saudi Arabia is seeking Washington’s approval to develop a civilian nuclear programme as part of its price for potentially normalising relations with Israel Other countries in the Levant and North Africa such as egypt may look to do the same

This would degrade the effectiveness of Israel’s most important deterrent force in the long term threatening its regional influence and potentially limiting the overall effectiveness of the Abraham Accords

DELICATE

BALANCE: The possibility that the Saudi-Iran agreement might lead to forging diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel cannot be ruled out But the future context for such deals will be different, given that Israel is no longer viewed as a security umbrella to protect the Gulf nor is it a substitute for the uS In the regional equation that is currently being shaped, Israel is neither crucial nor a security necessity under Riyadh s new vision, Saudi Arabia is seeking a leading role for itself

At the same time Israel fears that the Beijing agreement could pave the way for a resolution to the war in yemen This conflict has presented a great opportunity for Israel to increase its influence in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, and the deal risks hindering its efforts to establish a military foothold in the region

Another concern for Israel is a potential new Taif agreement in Lebanon, whose two parties would be Saudi Arabia and Iran guaranteeing the stability of the Lebanese regime and economy Lebanon s collapse has always been in Israel’s interests

Indeed Israel’s international crisis is today so deep that it has spurred backand-forth accusations between the Netanyahu government and its predecessor regime that of yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett, over who bears the responsibility for this strategic failure

CHANGING STRATEGIES: The restoration of Saudi-Iranian ties, which were cut in 2016, is yet more proof that the notion “the road to Washington passes through Tel Aviv no longer applies A strategy founded upon the approval of Washington and Tel Aviv cannot preserve the security and stability of the region but rather risks undermining them

Indeed, to guarantee the success of the Beijing agreement and to build on it Arab leaders need to re-examine their strategies towards influential powers, both regionally and internationally Arab national interests require a careful reconsideration of Israel s position in the regional equation and a curtailment of its influence

For Palestinians, on the other hand, the Saudi-Iran agreement constitutes an opportunity, opening up new horizons in their struggle to obtain their legitimate rights

As the extremists leading Israel today face a major crisis the ongoing changes to the structure of the international system require the active participation of regional Arab states which can work to establish new mechanisms to block Israeli expansionism, extremism and racism

“demoralized over their inability to drive the world into recession Gilder was referencing a front page Wall Street Journal story focused on the strength of the global economy and how the latter may persuade central bankers that they need to raise key interest rates further to pour cold water on an economy that is still running a little too hot Books Could Be Written And they have been For now, all readers need to know in order to confirm the truth about the title of this writeup is to read what central bankers think to be true They quite literally believe against all logic and empirical reality that economic growth causes prices to rise and that rising prices are inflation They re stupendously wrong twice about basic economics, which is why we know their power is theoretical rather than real If individuals actually had the power to foist their obnoxious, central planning conceit on the global economy, it would be too wrecked for anyone to have the time and resources to write about

The simple truth is that investment is the driver of economic growth despite what economists and central bankers say about consumption as the instigator And the purpose of investment is to produce more and more goods and services with fewer and fewer “hands ”

Translated the surest sign of a growing economy is falling prices Basic stuff

Inflation? That’s a decline in the unit of measure In our case the dollar except that there s been no notable decline in the dollar in recent years, thus calling into question the whole “inflation” narrative There have been higher prices but to say higher prices cause inflation is like saying heat is what makes the sun so bright Causation is reversed We once again have higher prices but are

they any surprise in the aftermath of the 2020 lockdowns? Figure that political panic over the virus surely put a damper on investment after which people working together around the world are the path to ever-declining prices Starting in March of 2020, this global cooperation was fractured and broken to varying degrees That production wouldn t be as efficient and cheap after a wrench was thrown into the global production machine reads as a blinding glimpse of the obvious as would the higher prices be obvious Is this inflation? No

Inflation is a currency devaluation phenomenon Nothing else Bringing this back to the world s central bankers, they ve mistaken higher prices born of command-and-control for inflation, only to compound their confusion with the assumption that the fix for today s higher prices is global economic contraction you can t make this up! you see governments already tried global economic contraction in 2020 only for higher prices to logically emerge from the carnage The path to lower prices is copious investment combined with global cooperation all instigated by a lack of government intervention Central bankers believe business failure and unemployment are the path to lower prices To say they’re a bit confused brings new meaning to understatement

Which is why we should be so relieved by their lack of power Again if they were actually capable of doing the damage that their loser economic models call for, the global economy would be rather broken

That it’s not is a happy sign that as central bankers fiddle the actually productive work around them And they re able to work around them thanks to global capital flows that take place without regard to what central planners are doing inside central banks More evidence supporting what is obvious is British semiconductor “unicorn” Arm Funny about the Cambridge-based company is that on the day that the Wall Street Journal gave front page space to the aforementioned frustrations of central bankers it similarly ran a story on the same front page about how Arm would list its shares in New york instead of London Closed global economy meets hapless central bankers While central banks mis-understand and mis-define inflation on the way to fruitless attempts to contract credit, the global economy continues to function As one would expect A bureaucrat is a bureaucrat is a bureaucrat Remember this about central bankers As they vainly search for a purpose, real economic activity will happily continue without regard to central bank economic illiteracy John

P u T I n s Ay s R u s s I A I s f I G h T I n G f O R ‘ I T s v e R y e x I s T e n C e ’

MOSCOW ag e n c i e S

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that what was at stake in Ukraine was Russia’s very existence as a state Speaking at length to workers at an aviation factory in Buryatia Putin expanded on his familiar argument that the West was bent on pulling Russia apart

So for us this is not a geopolitical task but a task of the survival of Russian statehood, creating conditions for the future development of the country and our children, he said

Putin has accused the West of using Ukraine as a tool to wage war against Russia and inflict on it a strategic defeat He said the enemy had been expecting that factories would grind to a halt, the financial system would collapse, unemployment would rise, protesters would take to the streets, and Russia would “sway from within and collapse”

“This did not happen,” Putin said “It turned out for many of us and even more so for Western countries that the fundamental foundations of Russia s stability are much stronger than anyone thought Battle for Bakhmut: Ukraine s future hinges on the outcome of battles in the east including in and around Bakhmut Pres-

ident Volodymyr Zelenskiy said with both sides describing brutal fighting as Russia intensifies a winter campaign to capture the small city Bakhmut has become the focus of Russia’s invasion, with the months-long fight becoming Europe’s bloodiest infantry battle since World War II Agencies “It is very tough in the east very painful ” Zelenskiy said in his overnight video address held nightly since Russia launched its invasion more than a year ago We have to destroy the enemy s military power And we shall destroy it Talks continue to extend a deal to allow grain shipments from Ukraine s Black Sea

ports ahead of a deadline later this week the United Nations and Turkiye said on Tuesday after Kyiv rejected a Russian push for a reduced 60-day renewal Black Sea grain deal

“Indeed, the deal has been extended it has been agreed that it has been extended for 60 days,” the TASS news agency cited Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Tuesday Ukraine said it will stick to the terms of the previously agreed deal based on a 120day duration that can be renewed We will follow the agreement strictly a senior Ukrainian government official said The official declined to be identified

China’s economy recovers as industr y, retail, investment grow

BEIJING ag e n c e S China’s economy continues to show improvement in combined figures of the first two months of 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Wednesday “The restarting of China’s growth engine is gathering pace supported by robust industrial output the rebound of consumption and service activities as well as expanding investment in infrastructure and manufacturing Pang Ming chief economist and director of Research at JLL Greater China told media China s value-added industrial output, an important economic indicator, went up 2 4 percent year on year, NBS data showed The growth rate rose by 1 1 percentage points compared to December 2022 and the two-year average growth rate stood at 4 9 percent C h i n a s r e t a i l s a l e s o f c o n s u m e r g o o d s i n c r e a s e d 3 5 p e r c e n t y e a r o n year marking the first gain since October last year

China s fixed-asset

employment and consumer prices and improved market expectations

However real estate investment in January and February fell again dropping by 5 7 percent compared to the same period last year, although the decline was at a slower pace compared to the 12 2 percent drop in December

“Property

which will help achieve the annual growth target according to Fu

C hina firmly opposes IAEA endorsing AUKUS deal ‘under duress ’

ISLAMABAD

M i a n a b r a r

China is seriously concerned about the recent statement made by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on nuclear submarine cooperation between the U S the UK and Australia and firmly opposes the IAEA making an endorsement for the pact under duress , Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday

The U S , the UK and Australia recently unveiled details of their plan to create a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in the Asia-Pacific region Under the AUKUS pact, Australia, a non-nuclear-weapon state, is to get its first batch of nuclear-powered submarines from

the U S and the allies will also work to create a new fleet using cutting-edge tech, including UK-made RollsRoyce reactors Wang said that the commitment to nuclear non-proliferation by the three countries is pure deception as this is the first time that a nuclear-weapon state transfers nuclear submarine power reactors and weapons-grade highly enriched uranium to a non-nuclear-weapon state which can not be effectively supervised by the IAEA under its current oversight system It means the IAEA can t guarantee that Australia will not use relevant nuclear materials to manufacture nuclear weapons Therefore, the pact poses a serious nuclear proliferation risk, violates the purpose and principle of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

(NPT) and impairs the international nuclear non-proliferation system,” Wang said He also stressed that the IAEA and the three states have no right to reach secret dealings on the nuclear submarine safeguards issue and the real purpose of the three countries is to seek exemption from IAEA safeguards by citing Article 14 of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA) Wang said that the international society has wide differences in the application of Article 14 and has reached no consensus on the definition of activities listed in Article 14 These are all recognized outstanding issues in the international nuclear arms control field The U S , the UK, Australia and the secretariat of the IAEA have no right to interpret them without authorization, Wang said He added that the arrangements in Article 14 involve the interests of all IAEA member countries and it should be discussed by all interested states The IAEA Secretariat should not engage in private deals with the three countries before all interested states reach any consensus Wang urged the three countries to fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations and the IAEA Secretariat not to endorse the AUKUS deal At the same time he also called on all IAEA member states to actively promote the intergovernmental process and find a solution to the safeguards issues related to nuclear submarine cooperation, so that international peace and security can be maintained

uS drone craSh: A Russian fighter jet on Tuesday dumped fuel on an American drone over the Black Sea then collided with it, causing the drone to crash, the US military said US European Command said two Russian Su-27 fighters intercepted the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper over international waters and one clipped its propeller “Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner it said Nato diplomats in Brussels confirmed the incident but said they did not expect it to immediately escalate into a further confrontation

Open-AI releases GPT-4, more advanced AI model than ChatGPT

SAN FRANCISCO r e u t e r S T h e s t a r t u p O p e n A I o n Tu e s d a y s a i d i t i s b e g i n n i n g t o r e l e a s e a p o w e r f u l a r t i f i c i a l i n t e l l i g e n c e m o d e l k n o w n a s G P T- 4 s e t t i n g t h e s t a g e f o r h u m a n - l i k e t e c h n o l o g y t o p r o l i f e r a t e a n d m o r e c o m p e t i t i o n b et w e e n i t s b a c k e r M i c r o s o f t C o r p a n d A l p h a b e t I n c s G o o g l e O p e n A I w h i c h c r e a t e d t h e c h a t b o t s e n s a t i o n C h a t G P T, s a i d i n a b l o g p o s t t h a t i t s l a te s t t e c h n o l o g y i s m u l t i m o d a l , m e a n i n g i m a g e s , a s w e l l a s t e x t p r o m p t s , c a n s p u r i t t o g e n e r a t e c o nt e n t T h e t e x t - i n p u t f e a t u r e w i l l b e a v a i l a b l e t o C h a t G P T P l u s s u b s c r i b e r s a n d t o s o f t w a r e d e v e l o pe r s w i t h a w a i t l i s t w h i l e t h e i m a g e - i n p u t a b i l i t y r e m a i n s a p r e v i e w o f i t s r e s e a r c h T h e h i g h l y - a nt i c i p a t e d l a u n c h s i g n a l s h o w o ff i c e w o r k e r s m a y t u r n t o e v e r- i m p r o v i n g A I f o r s t i l l m o r e t a s k s , a s w e l l a s h o w t e c h n o l o g y c o m p a n i e s a r e l o c k e d i n c o m p e t i t i o n t o w i n b u s i n e s s f r o m s u c h a d v a n c e s A l p h a b e t I n c ’s G o o g l e o n Tu e s d a y a n n o u n c e d a “ m a g i c w a n d ” f o r i t s c o l l a b o r a t i o n s o f t w a r e t h a t c a n d r a f t v i r t u a l l y a n y d o c u m e n t d a y s b e f o r e M ic r o s o f t i s e x p e c t e d t o s h o w c a s e A I f o r i t s c o m p e ti n g Wo r d p r o c e s s o r l i k e l y p o w e r e d b y O p e n A I A M i c r o s o f t e x e c u t i v e a l s o s a i d t h a t G P T- 4 i s h e l p i n g p o w e r i t s B i n g s e a r c h e n g i n e O p e n A I ’s l a t e s t t e c hn o l o g y i n s o m e c a s e s r e p r e s e n t e d a v a s t i m p r o v em e n t o n a p r i o r v e r s i o n k n o w n a s G P T- 3 5 i t s a i d I n a s i m u l a t i o n o f t h e b a r e x a m r e q u i r e d o f U S l a w s c h o o l g r a d u a t e s b e f o r e p r o f e s s i o n a l p r a c t i c e t h e n e w m o d e l s c o r e d a r o u n d t h e t o p 1 0 p e r c e n t o f t e s t t a k e r s , v e r s u s t h e o l d e r m o d e l r a n k i n g a r o u n d t h e b o t t o m 1 0 p e r c e n t , O p e n A I s a i d W h i l e t h e t w o v e r s i o n s c a n a p p e a r s i m i l a r i n c a s u a l c o n v e r s a t i o n , “ t h e d i ff e r e n c e c o m e s o u t w h e n t h e c o m p l e x i t y o f t h e t a s k r e a c h e s a s u ff i c i e n t t h r e s h o l d ” O p e n A I s a i d n o t i n g G P T- 4 i s m o r e r e l i a b l e c r e a t i v e a n d a b l e t o h a n d l e m u c h m o r e n u a n c e d i n s t r u c t i o n s A n o n l i n e d e m o n s t r a t i o n o f t h e t e c h n o l o g y b y G r e g B r o c k m a n , O p e n A I s p r e s i d e n t , s h o w e d i t c o u l d t a k e a p h o t o o f a h a n d - d r a w n m o c k - u p f o r a s i m p l e w e b s i t e a n d c r e a t e a r e a l w e b s i t e b a s e d o n i t G P T4 a l s o c o u l d h e l p i n d i v i d u a l s c a l c u l a t e t h e i r t a x e s , t h e d e m o n s t r a t i o n s h o w e d S a m A l t m a n O p e n A I ’s c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o n Tw i t t e r c a l l e d G P T- 4 i t s m o d e l m o s t c a p a b l e a n d a l i g n e d w i t h h u m a n v a l u e s a n d i n t e n t t h o u g h i t i s s t i l l f l a w e d

Russia, US make contradic tor y claims on crashing of US drone into Black S ea

MOSCOW M i a n a b r a r

Russia and United States of America (USA) have issued contradictory statements over the crashing of U S MQ-9 drone into the Black Sea

As the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that a U S MQ-9 drone fell into the Black Sea due to its own sharp maneuvering the U S military said a Russian SU-27 fighter jet struck the propeller of a U S Air Force drone and made it crash into the sea

As a result of sharp maneuvering around 9:30 a m Moscow Time (0630 GMT), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude

and collided with the water surface the Russian defense ministry said in a statement H o w e v e r a s t a t e m e n t p u blished on the website of U S Dep a r t m e n t o f D e f e n s e s h o w e d t h a t R u s s i a n S u - 2 7 a i r c r a f t s t r u c k a U S A i r F o r c e i n t e l l i g e n c e , s u rveillance and reconnaissance MQ9 u n m a n n e d a e r i a l v e h i c l e s p r o p e l l e r, c a u s i n g U S f o r c e s t o b r i n g i t d o w n i n t o i n t e r n a t i o n a l waters of the Black Sea early Tuesd a y m o r n i n g , c i t i n g t h e U S A i r F o r c e G e n e r a l J a m e s B H e c k e r commander of U S Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa

According to the Russian defense ministry Russian Aerospace Forces detected the MQ-9 UAV as

it was approaching the state border over the Black Sea and Russian fighter jets were scrambled to identify the intruder The Russian fighters did not use airborne weapons did not come into contact with the UAV and returned safely to their home airfield, it added

The Russian defense ministry said that the U S drone conducted its flight with its transponders turned off, and that it had violated “the boundaries of the area of the temporary regime for the use of airspace established for the purpose of conducting the special military operation adding that this information had already been communicated to all users of international airspace

Pakistan urges planning to consider climate risk for vulnerable nations

ing development with resilience can be costly adaptation generally implies sustainable infrastructure a core aspect of development

to climate shocks, which is essential for sustainable infrastructure Ambassador Akram highlighted that while build-

However he warned against the assumption that private sector resources will finance sustainable infrastructure projects, as they require long-term financing with no commercial return

corporate corner

NOT-BY- PROFIT

Pakistan uPgraded to middle-income country but struggles with debt issues

islamabad

n e w s d e s k

mo b i l i z i n g local financing for infrastructure projects will enhance the country's economic development

Writing for Express Tribune author Salman Siddiqui points out that Pakistan has recently been upgraded to a middle-income country but it faces numerous challenges in its economic development

The author explains that the country s infrastructure and human development have been compromised by piling debt for non-development purposes resulting in devastating floods in 2022 and decelerating economic growth Pakistan has now begun mobilizing infrastructure investment from local banks to address these challenges, as foreign investment remains choked and awaits the revival of the international Monetary Fund (iMF) loan program worth $6 5 billion

At the infrastructure Summit 2023 - building for impact," organ-

FBR chief visits LTO Lahore

iSLaMaBaD: Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Mr Asim Ahmad visited the Large Taxpayers Office (LTO) Lahore where he held a detailed meeting with the Chief Commissioner and Commissioners of LTO Lahore

During the meeting, revenue collection for the period of July to February 2023 was discussed at length vis a vis targets assigned A detailed discussion was held on challenges being faced in various sectors alongwith strategy to be adopted to achieve budgetary target for remaining months of the financial year The Chairman directed the LTO team to ensure that the new budgetary measures are enforced in letter and spirit The sugar sector was specifically discussed at length to ensure collection of due taxes in the coming months PR

CDA to organize 3- day literar y festival from Friday

iSLaMaBaD: A three day literary festival is being organized in Islamabad under the umbrella of Capital Development Authority The literary festival will remain continue from March 17 to March 19 in Islamabad

The objective of the Literary Festival is to provide a platform to citizens for the promotion of literature, culture, art and especially books reading

The three-day literary festival organized by the Capital Development Authority has been divided into 2 different parts for the first time Various programs have been arranged on all three days at 4 PM including Mushaira, Heer Goai, Manzil-BaManzil Islamabad theater including panel discussion cultural dance and musical nights Panel discussion on Pakistani languages have also been made a part of the festival PR

Hashoo S chool of Hospitality Management collaborates with Iqra University, K arachi

ized by the nutshell group and infrazamin State bank of Pakistan governor Jameel Ahmad spoke about the importance of infrastructure spending in Pakistan He highlighted that the country s current spending of 2 1% of gross Domestic Product (gDP) is amongst the lowest in the region and well below the national gDP level requirement of 8% to 10% According to Ahmad, investing in infrastructure like energy telecommunications safe drinking water and sanitation, transportation network, health, and education helps increase competitiveness improve productivity facilitate economic development, and enhance social well being of the society

Maheen Rehman CEo of infrazamin also spoke at the summit and discussed the challenges faced by Pakistan's debt issues which have become increasingly urgent in the absence of the resumption of the iMF loan program She emphasized the importance of mobilizing local financing for infrastructure projects citing india and bangladesh as exam-

ples of countries that have successfully done so and emerged on the world economic map Rehman pointed out that mobilizing local financing could help to develop bond markets more significantly and finance projects in the Pakistani currency instead of foreign currency infrazamin and its parent company Private infrastructure Development group (PiDg), which is an initiative among six European countries including the UK provide financial guarantees for local banks and have recently kicked off supporting infrastructure projects Despite the challenges faced by Pakistan PiDg has recently begun offering its services in Pakistan with a focus on utilizing local markets and currency financing

T h e b r i t i s h H i g h C o m m i s s i o n islamabad Development Director, Jo Moir expressed concern about Paki s t a n s c u r r e n t e c o n o m i c s i t u a t i o n She highlighted that the british High Commission and PiDg have identified three priority areas for internat i o n a l s u p p o r t i n c l u d i n g f o s t e r i n g c l i m a t e i n n o v a t i o n a n d e a r l y - s t a g e

P l a n e s c a r r y i n g t e n t s f o r q u a k e v i c t i m s a r r i ve i n S o u t h e r n Tu r k e y

r i s k c a p i t a l c r e a t i n g i n n o v a t i v e f inancial instruments within the capit a l m a r k e t s , a n d u n l o c k i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l c l i m a t e f i n a n c e M o i r argued that aid reductions could be v i e w e d p o s i t i v e l y g i v e n P a k i s t a n s p r o g r e s s i n b e c o m i n g a m i d d l e - i ncome nation However, she also emp h a s i z e d t h e u rg e n t n e e d f o r investment in Pakistan s infrastructure, particularly in light of the country s vulnerability to climate risks in conclusion Pakistan faces numerous economic challenges, including piling debt, inadequate infrastructure spending and vulnerability to climate risks Mobilizing local financing for infrastructure projects could help to address these challenges and enhance the country s economic development The international community, including PiDg and the british High Commission have identified priority areas for support in Pakistan and have started working towards addressing them

To read the full article visit www tribune com

S hell Pakistan announces financial results for 2022

Karachi: The Board of Directors of Shell Pakistan

Limited (SPL) announced the company’s financial results for the year ended December 31st, 2022 The company posted a loss after tax of PKR 72 million for 2022 compared to the profit of PKR 4,467 million in 2021

During the year SPL continued its focus on business principles, safety of people and protection of the environment; and remained committed towards operational excellence while keeping costs at a manageable level

In addition there were significant investments in both infrastructure and brand building to maintain competitive advantage

SPL increased its footprint and commissioned 31 retail stations, 28 Generation-5 Shell Select outlets and 25 new Shell Car Wash facilities with Tyre Care, augmenting customer experience

The company led the industry in changing consumer attitudes and behaviours in refuelling safety PR

Planes from Pakistan carrying tents for quake victims have arrived in the southern Adana province of Turkey

Two consignments comprising 2,400 tents arrived at Turkey s Adana via two chartered planes on March 13 in the last 48 hours this was the fourth plane that had arrived from Pakistan each carrying 1,200 tents, Pakistan s embassy in Ankara said in a statement Pakistan has launched a special chartered flight operation to expedite the transport of 50,000 tents to Turkey by the third week of March, it added Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, a former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly accompanied the plane from Pakistan Khan told reporters that Pakistan and Turkey have “a heart-to-heart relationship” that transcends the boundaries of time and geography it is unique in the sense that the strength of

iSLaMaBaD: Hashoo School of Hospitality Management

(HSHM) has recently signed an Agreement with the Iqra University, Karachi (IU) for hospitality educational based projects and skill development programs for the youth in Karachi, Pakistan The agreement was signed by Mr Haseeb Gardezi, Chief Operating Officer, Hospitality and Education Division Hashoo Group and Dr Mirza Amin

Ullah Haq Registrar Iqra University Main Campus during a special ceremony, attended by Mr Naveed Lakhani, Chairman, Iqra University, Dr Zaki Rashidi, Director of Bahria Campus along with the senior management of Hashoo Group and Iqra University faculty members Today is a very important day in the history of HSHM as we are partnering with the most iconic institute of Pakistan, Iqra University said Mr Haseeb Gardezi The shortage of skilled and experienced leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry is a pressing issue in Pakistan PR

islamabad P R

google Developers group islamabad and Women Techmakers islamabad jointly hosted a conference to mark international Women’s Day (iWD) on the theme Dare To be The conference was a resounding success, featuring valuable insights from talented tech women and the industry s brightest minds

The event celebrated diversity by inviting not only professionals but also students from various backgrounds the transgender community and the dif-

one country makes another stronger and the pain of one country is felt by the other Whether it be floods in Pakistan or earthquake in Turkey Pakistani and Turkish people have always stood by each other s side, he added burcu Cevik, an official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry thanked the government and the people of Pakistan for their quick response and solidarity with Turkey in this testing time

Under the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earthquake relief supplies mainly winterized tents, are being transported through air, land, and sea routes From February 7 to date, 14 aircraft have brought aid to Turkey

At least 48 448 people have been killed by the earthquakes that struck on February 6, according to official figures

More than 13 million people have been affected by the powerful quakes that rocked 11 Turkish provinces Kahramanmaras, Adana, Adiyaman Diyarbakir gaziantep Hatay Kilis Malatya osmaniye Elazig and Sanliurfa

Meezan Bank, Fieldfisher Capital join hands to extend Islamic Finance Advisor y to Europe & Middle East

Karachi: Pakistan: Meezan Bank Pakistan s leading Islamic Bank, has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fieldfisher Capital LLP (FFC)a multi-disciplinary advisory service under which both parties will collaborate to provide Shariah advisory services to international clients including, but not limited, to Europe and the Middle East

The signing ceremony took place at Meezan House Karachi and the MoU was signed by Mr Urooj ul Hasan Khan, General Manager Investment Banking & Shariah Advisory Meezan Bank and Mr Haseeb Haque Managing Partner Fieldfisher Capital LLP in presence of Mr Ariful Islam - Deputy CEO, Meezan Bank, Mr Khalid Mansoor, Partner FFC and their respective teams On this occasion Mr Ariful Islam said “We are optimistic that that this collaboration will make a significant contribution towards the growth of the Islamic finance industry Our team is delighted to leverage our years of experience and knowledge to provide cutting-edge solutions to complex financial challenges worldwide We look forward to working together with our partners to create a brighter future for the industry ” PR

IT c an help LSM to increase expor ts

Lahore: Large-scale manufacturing in Pakistan has the potential to significantly increase exports by using information technology solutions to help the country get out of its current economic situation

ferently abled to motivate them to embrace their aspirations, ambitions, dreams, and share them with others This years iWD theme was about encouraging each other to be

their authentic selves and to break stereotypes The conference explored what it means to be audaciously bold to walk through the world with courage and confidence

Ahsan Iqbal direc ts PBS to address Sindh’s concerns on census

A virtual meeting of Minister PD & Si, Prof Ahsan iqbal

The sector has faced numerous challenges including outdated technology low productivity and has insufficient resources for investment in research and development, however, IT can help address all these issues

“One of the most important ways IT can be leveraged in large-scale manufacturing is to manage the entire process from sourcing raw materials to delivering finished goods to customers, resulting in lower costs and improved efficiency ” said Umair Azam Founder and CEO of Integration Xperts PR

Karandaaz launches report: ‘ The State of Business Taxation in Pakistan – Challenges for SMEs’

Karandaaz Pakistan arranged a webinar on 15th March, 2023 to launch its latest study on The State of

toring will help in reducing the trust deficit and increasing ownership

‘ D a r e To B e’ C o n fe r e n c e c e l e b r ate s I n te r n at i o n a l Wo m e n's D ay

OiL hitS LOweSt iN MOre thaN a year

picked up in the first two months of

2023 after the end of strict COVID-19 containment measures

Meanwhile, US crude stockpiles rose by 1 6 million barrels in the week to March 10 to 480 1 million barrels compared with analysts expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1 2 million-barrel rise

Crude stocks rose by about 1 2 million barrels in the week according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday

On Tuesday both benchmarks had shed more than 4% to three-month lows pressured by fears that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week and other US bank failures could spark a financial crisis that would weigh on fuel demand

Pakistan, US vow to continue joint

ts for economic growth, energy securit y

PR OfIt

a p p

Pakistan and the United States on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to promoting economic growth, energy security, partnership in long-term flood rehabilitation efforts and strengthening their overall relationship The bilateral ties were discussed in a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Geoffery Pyatt, assistant secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources at the US Department of State according to a press release from the Prime Minister s Office

Pyatt is leading a delegation to Pakistan for the Pak-US Energy Security Dialogue The Pak-US Energy Security Dialogue is a joint initiative aimed at promoting energy security and serves as a platform for high-level discussions between the two countries on bilateral energy priorities advancing the transition to renewable energy and exploring economic and commercial opportunities in the energy sector

The prime minister appreciated the holding of the dialogue on promoting energy security saying that it would be beneficial for both countries

He encouraged further investment in the country s energy infrastructure, adding that it would also help the transition towards clean energy

Likewise, Pyatt appreciated Pakistan for its forwardlooking renewable energy policy

PM Shehbaz also welcomed the ongoing dialogues and cooperation between the two countries in areas such as trade and investment, health, security and climate change

Meanwhile, US State Department Assistant Secretary for Oceans Environment and Science Monica Medina who is also in Pakistan on an official visit informed the prime minister during the meeting that she was leading a delegation for meetings of the Pak-US Climate and Environment Working Group

She praised the commitment and dedication with which the government of Pakistan had responded to the consequences of the last year ’s devastating floods”

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Central Asia Elizabeth Horst, Development Finance Corporation

Chief Climate Officer Jake Levine and US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome also attended the meeting

The senior US diplomats affirmed the Biden administration s desire to enhance Pakistan-US cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, health, security and climate change

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman Planning

Minister Ahsan Iqbal Power Minister Khurram Dastgir and other senior officials

INT'L DEFAULT RISK LOOMS OVER STATE-OWNED COMPANY AS IT FACES DIFFICULT Y IN PAYING BACK DEBTS

Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is at the brink of international default

It owes a record-breaking amount of Rs 775 billion to Qatar of which Rs 498 billion was contributed by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL)

PSO imported 8-9 cargoes of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) every month It needs to pay for the fuel it imports within 15 days, but it s struggling to do so because of a huge amount of debt

uidation in crude

The US dollar also strengthened against a basket of currencies making it more expensive for holders of those currencies to purchase crude Oil had rallied earlier on figures showing that China s economic activity

Wednesday’s monthly report from the International Energy Agency provided support by flagging an expected boost to oil demand from China, a day after OPEC increased its Chinese demand forecast for 2023

ECC direc ts Petroleum D ivision to supply indigenous gas to urea fer tiliser plants

DEMAND, SUPPLY SHORTFALL OF FERTILISER SECTOR ESTIMATED TO BE 0 3MMT

ISLAMABAD

S h a h z a d pa R ac h a

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet directed the Petroleum Division to supply indigenous gas to urea fertiliser plants till May 31 to meet 3 2 million metric ton urea requirement for the kharif crop Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar presided over the meeting of the ECC of the Cabinet

The ECC considered and deliberated on the summary submitted by the Ministry of Industries and Production on the urea fertilizer requirement for kharif production in 2023

Sources informed Profit that a meeting of Fertilizer Review Committee (FRC) was convened on March 9 2023 to review the fertiliser situation for upcoming kharif season In the meeting the Ministry of National Food Security and Research projected the demand for urea fertilizer to be 3 2 million MT whereas production to be around 2 9 million MT

Sources said Shahid Khaqan Abbasi led committee proposed ECC to direct petroleum division

ISLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Foreign Office on Wednesday dismissed a statement by former US Special Representative on Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and said that the country did not need unsolicited advice” “Pakistan does not need lectures or unsolicited advice from anyone on how to cope with the challenges we face today,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement

The statement came in response to a series of tweets by Zalmay Khalilzad where he suggested steps and said Pakistan faced a

to supply indigenous gas to both plants at SNGPL network Fatima Fertiliser (Shiekhupura plan) and Agritech for bridging the gap between demand and supply of Urea fertiliser for kharif season 2023

The committee has also proposed the ECC to decide gas pricing matters of indigenous gas to both plants on a long term basis

Sources also said that the Ministry of National Food has also proposed to import 300 000 metric ton of urea fertiliser by May 2023

The provincial agriculture department has already requested the Ministry of Industries and Production for ensuring operation of SNGPL based plants for meeting demand of urea fertiliser in the country

Sources said that ECC dated March 30 2022 had already directed the Petroleum Division to shift the SNGPL based plants to indigenous gas by September 30, 2022 However, the above mentioned plants have not been provisioned with indigenous gas till date

Setting aside the option of importing the urea fertilizer, the ECC decided and directed the Petroleum Division to supply indigenous gas to urea fertilizer plants till May 31 2023 to meet the urea requirement in the country for the kharif for the year

‘triple crisis of political economic and security

The FO spokesperson said, As a resilient nation, we will come out stronger from the present difficult situation ”

Earlier on Tuesday Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special envoy for Afghanistan commented on the volatile situation in Pakistan emphasising the need for strategic and thoughtful actions to address the nation’s political economic and security issues Khalilzad comments came a time when clashes between the police and supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan persisted for a second day outside his home in Lahore on Wednesday, a day after officers went to arrest him

for failing to appear in court

There have also been clashes between Khan s supporters and police in other major cities, including Karachi Islamabad Rawalpindi Peshawar Quetta and elsewhere in Pakistan Khalilzad cautioned against the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) chairman saying that such a move would only exacerbate the crisis In a series of tweets he advocated for a comprehensive plan to prevent the country from descending into chaos, arguing that the “sequential cannibalising of political leaders through imprisonment, execution, or assassination is not a viable solution

Govt removes GB police chief after claims of ‘assault’ on Punjab Police

The federal government on Wednesday removed Inspector General (IG) Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Mohammad Saeed Wazir from his post following allegations that a G-B force was employed to attack Punjab police personnel at former prime minister Imran Khan s residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park

However some insiders in the GB government have claimed that the police personnel from GB at Zaman Park are actually aimed at providing security to the Chief Minister and Home Minister GB who are regularly visiting or living in the premises of Imran Khan

Though the chief minister GB Muhammad Khalid Khurshid visits Lahore frequently to meet his party head Imran Khan the insiders informed the Home Minister GB Shams Lone is living in the area for the past many weeks “In the police record, the GB police squad in Lahore is actually giving security to the Home Minister Since the minister visits or lives in Zaman Park house of Imran Khan along with other party leaders a n d w o r k e r s , t h e G B p o l i c e a r e a l s o l i v i n g t h e r e , ”

sources informed

The GB Police had however been removed on Wednesday after clashes between Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) workers and law enforcement agencies intensified for the second day as the Punjab police tried to arrest Imran after an Islamabad sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the PTI chairman

According to a notification Mohammad Saeed has been directed to report to the Establishment Division, while Grade-20 police officer Dar Ali Khattak from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province has been appointed as the new IG of Gilgit-Baltistan police

Earlier in the day, Federal Information Minister

Marriyum Aurangzeb alleged that a Gilgit-Baltistan

“force” was being employed to attack Punjab police

She claimed that Imran wanted anarchy and chaos across the country , adding that the incumbent government had nothing to do with his arrest S h e f u r t h e r e d t h a t i f t h e g o v e r n m e n t w a n t e d t o a r r e s t h i m t h e y had state powers in place, as well as the same powe r s I m r a n u s e d t o j a i l h i s p o l i t i c a l o p p o n e n t s

Marriyum Aurangzeb addressed a presser that comes as clashes between PTI workers and law enforcement agencies intensified for the second day

edly heard as saying: “The situation is very bad Our workers have resorted to throwing petrol bombs and setting fires Please explain it to Khan sahib otherwise people and policemen will be killed ” Then the president responded by stating that he would do his best, saying that he had already spoken with Asad Umar Yasmin purportedly said that if the situation continued to deteriorate, the elections could be postponed which is unacceptable to the party leadership

Marriyum said police and other law enforcement agencies are unarmed and only implementing the court’s orders

She said 65 police personnel have so far been injured due to the terrorism of PTI hooligans

The minister also urged the media to inform the masses about the facts and realities about Imran Khan

As per latest updates the operation has been suspended on the Lahore High Court (LHC) orders

Meanwhile, the federal government removed Gilgit-Baltistan Inspector General (IG) of police Muhammad Wazir Saeed from the post for not withdrawing force at Lahore s Zaman Park , residence of former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan

According to details the federal government removed Muhammad Wazir Saeed and appointed Dar Ali Khan Khattak, a Grade 20 officer, as the new inspector general (IG) of police of Gilgit-Baltistan

Media reports said Muhammad Saeed is accused of not withdrawing the policemen from Zaman Park –residence of former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan The authorities took a decision to call back GB police personnel allegedly deployed at Imran Khan s residence in Lahore

“I am intentionally out of this for the first time I have already made a few phone calls, she said “My suggestion is to advice Khan sahib to give in and fight another day This is my personal opinion but ultimately the decision is yours It s unlikely that he will surrender, especially with the presence of Rangers Molotov cocktails are being used Their water cannon was also set on fire

D r A l v i s t a t e d t h a t h e w o u l d s p e a k t o A s a d U m a r a g a i n t o w h i c h Ya s m i n r e -

PSO s debt has also reached a record high of Rs 411 billion Financial costs have increased by Rs 43 billion for the current fiscal year and Rs 73 billion for 2023-24 which would adversely affect its profitability Besides PSO also claimed that the Ministry of Finance was not releasing subsidies on time, which added to the financial woes of the company In the first week of January the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had permitted the borrowing of Rs 50 billion with sovereign guarantees However the finance ministry took more than six weeks to provide a letter of comfort (LoC), a written document that provides assurance that the obligation will be met,

At the ECC meeting held on Tuesday and presided by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar the government approved extending sovereign guarantees for Rs 50 billion commercial borrowing to help PSO A sovereign guarantee is a promise made by the government to repay a loan taken out by a public entity, such as a state-owned company, if that entity is unable to repay the loan on its own The government promises to step in and pay back the loan if the borrower can t do so This makes it easier for the public entity to borrow money, as the lender is more likely to lend if they have the assurance that the loan will be repaid

An urgent meeting was held at the finance ministry before the ECC meeting The meeting decided that SNGPL should be given a sovereign guarantee and LoC to borrow Rs 50 billion from the market for payments to PSO This will help PSO pay its bills to its LNG suppliers and keep the supply chain going The ECC has allowed a sovereign guarantee in favor of SNGPL to borrow the money immediately, according to an official statement However, PSO has reported that even with the Rs 50 billion commercial borrowing its liquidity requirements have not improved significantly, and there is a risk of defaulting on international payment obligations PHOOLNAGAR

PML-N only capable par t y to protect countr y, masses: Mar yam Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz said on Wednesday that PML-N is the only political party of the country which has the capacity and capability to protect interests of the country and all federating units Addressing the workers’ organizational convention here she said that the PML-N always gave respect to the nation, made economic progress and provided facilities to people She said that Nawaz Sharif was the leader who had always protected his party workers and the people of Pakistan at large while PTI Chairman Imran Khan was using women and children as a shield for his protection “The PML-N leader said that Nawaz Sharif along with his daughter (Maryam) returned from London and courted arrest, which was an act of bravery She said that Imran Khan was afraid of appearing in the courts of law and he was not ready to leave his Zaman Park residence She said the PML-N youth were torch-bearers of the prestige of Pakistan “I feel pride to see the spirit of youth and women who are looking determined for progress of the country she added Maryam said that people wanted to play role as a team for development of Pakistan under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif She said that her party would contest elections and win with a thumping majority We never accepted any selection in the past, nor we will let it happen in future ” she thundered The struggle for balanced scales was underway to give honour to vote Only giving respect to vote could help provide justice to people,” she asserted Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Federal Minister Rana Tanvir Hussain MNA Malik Rashid Ahmed Khan members of provincial assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan Malik Ahmed Saeed Khan PML-N Divisional President Wasim Akhtar Sheikh and other leaders and workers were also present at the convention

sponded by suggesting that he should also s p e a k t o s e n i o r P T I l e a d e r S h a h M a h -

m o o d Q u r e s h i M e a n w h i l e , i n a n o t h e r l e a k e d c o n v e r-

s a t i o n a l

‘Audio leaks,’ reveal how Yasmin Rashid seeks President ’s help to end Zaman Park standoff

effor

FO speaks on Khalilzad’s tweet: Pakistan doesn’t need ‘unsolicited advice’