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INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS GOVT ASKED PDM TO MOVE SIT-IN OUTSIDE RED ZONE DUE TO ‘SECURITY CONCERNS’ ISLAMABAD
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WORKERS OF JUI-F, PPP, PML-N FROM KP, SINDH OTHER PARTS OF COUNTRY START ARRIVING IN CAPITAL
STAFF REPORT
HE Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Sunday refused to relocate its planned protest sit-in outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad despite the government’s request to move it outside the Red Zone due to security concerns. Speaking at a press conference with Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed him to meet with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. After receiving “alarming” information from security institutions, Sanaullah had urged the PDM chief to relocate the planned protest sit-in of his multi-party coalition away from the Supreme Court building. Sanaullah, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which is also part of the PDM coalition, said that the administration has informed him that it will be very difficult to control the protest and that the information being received from security institutions was very alarming. He said that he had requested the JUI-F chief to hold the protest outside the Red Zone. According to sources close to PDM, the PDM leadership is holding firm on its choice of venue, with Fazl and other leaders rejected any chance of relocating the sit-in which is supposed to continue for an indefinite period. ‘NO CHANGE IN PROTEST VENUE’” In a statement later in the evening, JUI-F Central Secretary General Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri ex-
pressed concern over the spread of false rumours that the planned location of the protest had been changed. “Some mischievous elements are spreading misinformation that the protest site has been changed. This is not true,” he said in a statement. He clarified that the sitin protest will be held in front of the Supreme Court and urged the workers to not pay attention to false rumours. “The protest will be held in front of the Supreme Court on Constitution Avenue,” Haideri assured the party workers in the statement. He further stated that the sit-in protest outside the top court will continue for an indefinite period of time, adding that the decision to end the sit-in protest will be made tomorrow. The protest sit-in by the ruling multiparty coalition comes days after violent
protests erupt across major cities in the country following the arrest of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. The former prime minister was arrested on May 9 by the paramilitary Rangers on orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over allegations Rs50 billion corruption in the Al Qadir Trust case. However, a three member bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Bandial, later declared Imran’s arrest as illegal and ordered his immediate release. The ruling PDM coalition has been voicing their protest against what they describe as the double standards of the judiciary, openly accusing the apex court judges of favouritism and asking the top judge to step down from his position.
SC hears ECP’s review plea as deadline for Punjab polls lapses ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court is set to take up the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) petition seeking a review of its April 4 verdict regarding elections in Punjab on May 14 – a deadline lapsed on Sunday without implementation, on Monday (today). The elections did not take place nor could the orders of the Supreme Court be implemented. The Election Commission claimed that it had completed the preparations but owing to unavailability of funds, it was unable to move forward. The political parties also did not agree on the elections only in Punjab. On May 3, the ECP approached the court seeking review of its order to hold polls on May 14. Three days later, CJP Bandial said the apex court would proceed in line with the constitution and would not sit idle on the May 14 election issue if the dialogue between the government and the PTI failed. A three member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, would take up the plea. The SC had ruled the order of the ECP regarding delay in elections in Punjab as null and void, ordering polls on May 14. The apex court had also asked the gov-
ernment to release Rs21 billion in supplementary grant to hold polls, until April 10. The court also ordered the electoral watchdog to present a report on the provision of funds on April 11. It came as Imran Khan-led party had filed the petition regarding delay in elections after the ECP on March 22 put off the polls till Oct 8, citing financial and security constraints. Later, the federal government, in response, took the matter to the parliament to get the funding approved. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented the election expenses bill in the National Assembly. The ECP, on April 11, apprised the SC in a report that the government had not provided funds to the commission for holding elections in Punjab. According to the Election Commission, the government had not yet provided Rs21 billion despite SC’s order and the Punjab caretaker government had agreed to provide only 75,000 personnel for security. “There is a shortage of three lakh security personnel for the elections in Punjab,” the ECP noted. Upon this, the court issued notices to top officials including Attorney General Mansoor Awan, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad, Secretary of the Finance Department, and Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over failing to provide funds for upcoming Punjab elections.
Pakistan’s external financing requirements for IMF deal unchanged: IMF PROFIT
REUTERS
Pakistan’s external financing requirements have not been changed in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over bailout funds, the IMF Resident Representative in Pakistan said, denying local media reports that the Fund was seeking fresh financing. “There is no truth to reports that the IMF is asking Pakistan to raise $8 billion in fresh financing,” Esther Pérez Ruiz said in a text message sent to Reuters on Sunday. The clarification comes after a report published by the Express Tribune on Saturday, which quoted sources as saying that the IMF had raised the demand for additional financing from an earlier unmet condition of $6 billion to $8 billion aimed at ensuring debt repayIN TODAY’S ISSUE
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ments coming up for the May-December 2023 period. On Sunday, Pérez Ruiz said that external funding requirements had not changed throughout the discussions, under a review that would unlock $1.1 billion in financing for the cash-strapped South Asian nation as part of a $6.5 billion IMF package. A staff-level agreement on the review has been delayed since November, with nearly 100 days passed since the last staff level mission to Pakistan — the longest such delay since at least 2008. On Thursday, the Fund reiterated that obtaining commitments on external financing from friendly countries would be essential before the IMF approves the release of bailout funds. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and China came to Pakistan’s assistance in March and April with pledges that would cover some of the funding deficit. Pakistan’s central bank reserves fell $74 mln to $4.38 billion, barely a month’s worth of imports, according to data released on Thursday. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said during a seminar on Thursday that Pakistan would not default, with or without the IMF, and that the country could not afford to take any additional harsh measures to accommodate the IMF. Pakistan has reversed course on implementing a fuel cross-subsidy that had raised concerns at the IMF. IMF Resident Representative Pérez Ruiz said that Pakistani authorities committed to the IMF during last month’s spring meetings that they would not introduce the crosssubsidy scheme in fiscal year 2023 or beyond. She said the scheme was “typically regressive and prone to abuse”.
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During his press conference earlier today, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also lashed out at PTI Chairman Imran Khan over the violent protests and vandalism by his party workers and supporters following his May 9 arrest, and urged the people to use their voting power to negate any attempts to spread unrest in the country. The interior minister stated that investigations are ongoing to identify the malicious elements involved in the recent tragic events, and those who were involved in attempting to set fire to sensitive installations and public and private property will be brought to justice with evidence presented in court. The minister emphasized once again that the political party responsible for inciting unrest should be declared a proscribed organisation. However, he stated that this is a legal process and that facts will come to light in due course. Earlier in the day, the PDM coalition sought permission from the local district administration to hold a sit-in outside of the Supreme Court premises in the federal capital. Former minister and PML-N leader Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry confirmed to journalists that an application on the matter had been submitted to the concerned authorities. “PML-N workers from across Islamabad will fully participate in the protest,” he said. The application states that the ruling party alliance wishes to “hold a public gathering at D-Chowk, Islamabad on Monday at 10am”. CONVOY FROM KARACHI SETS OFF FOR ISLAMABAD SIT-IN: A convoy of workers and activists from political parties that make up the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has left Karachi and is currently travelling to Islamabad, the federal capital. Convoys from different cities in Pakistan
are expected to arrive in Islamabad on Monday, including a large number of workers who will stop in Hyderabad next. A JUI-F spokesperson has reported that convoys from Sindh are set to depart for Islamabad to participate in the sit-in outside the Supreme Court. The Rohri Interchange has been designated as the central point for gathering, where the convoys from all over Sindh, including Karachi and Hyderabad, will assemble before departing for Islamabad together. The spokesperson also noted that the convoys from Sukkur and Larkana divisions will join the groups travelling from Karachi. According to him, the main convoy en route from Karachi is expected to reach Sukkur by evening. Arrangements have been made for food and accommodation at Rohri for the main convoy. KP WORKERS ALL SET TO PARTICIPATE IN SIT-IN: After the announcement of the JUI-F protest sit-in outside the Supreme Court, the workers have started their movements with the main departure of the workers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday morning. This was stated by Maulana Ahmad Ali Darwish while talking to media men here Sunday. He said the Caravans of the JUI-F workers will depart from each district according to their schedule and all convoys will reach Haklah Interchange on Monday afternoon. The convoy from Peshawar city will depart from JUI center at 9.00 am on Monday morning, Ahmad Ali Darwish informed. After reaching Haklah Interchange, all convoys from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will go to the Supreme Court in the form of a central convoy, Maulana Ahmad Ali Darwish explained.
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