NEVER HAD TO GO THROUGH SUCH A DIFFICULT TEST IN POLITICAL CAREER: PM In partnership with
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thursday, 10 august, 2023 i 22 muharram, 1445
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Begins, ends his farewell speech at NA by thanking lawmakers for supporting him
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Says will meet Leader of Opposition to discuss candidates for interim PM today ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday termed his 16month-long tenure as the country’s chief executive the “most difficult test of my life”. Delivering his farewell speech at the National Assembly (NA), the premier claimed he never had to go through such a difficult test before in my 38-year-long [political] career as
the country was mired in a severe economic crisis, oil prices remained high and there was political chaos. The prime minister, who had earlier announced that the NA would be dissolved on August 9 (Wednesday), told the lawmakers that he would be sending the summary for the dissolution of the assembly to the president tonight. Moreover, he said he would meet Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz tomorrow to discuss the candidates for the interim PM.
“Tomorrow will be our first meeting, and as per the Constitution, we will have three days to reach a decision.” He began and ended his speech by expressing gratitude to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for electing him as the PM, showing confidence in him and supporting him throughout his tenure at the helm. The government faced several challenges and difficulties during its 16-monthlong brief tenure, he said, adding, “We had to bear the burden of the previous government’s failure and negligence.” The premier painted a bleak picture of the aftermath of what he termed the previous government’s failures. He maintained that his government did “not send any political rival to jail or bothered them unfairly. This was never our practice.” If a leader of a party — a reference to PTI Chairman Imran Khan — was put behind bars today, “we are not happy about it”, he said. “And if some people have distributed sweets [to celebrate the punishment], it is not right. It is not a good tradition.” The premier also condemned the May 9 episde when protests had erupted across the country following Imran’s arrest in a graft case. While the protests were under way, several properties, including military installations, were vandalised. “May 9 will be remembered as a black day,” PM Shehbaz said, paying tributes to the armed forces and its soldiers for their sacrifices. “It was a rebellion against the army, the state and [army chief] Gen Asim Munir,” he added. PM Shehbaz urged the house to adopt a resolution and pledge that “no one will be allowed to commit such acts against the state or army of Pakistan ever again”. He also recalled the sacrifices rendered in the fight against terrorism. “Eight thou-
Senate passes resolution urging ECP to hold timely elections ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
The Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take measures for holding general elections across the country within the stipulated time given under Article 224 of the Constitution (time of election and by-election). Presented by JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, the resolution also asked all the state institutions to assist, in every possible manner, the ECP in holding polls. The resolution comes as the government gears up to dissolve the National Assembly (NA) today, three days ahead of its mandated period, following which elections are supposed to be held within 90 days. However, ministers have recently stated that there was a possibility of a delay in holding the next general elections due to constitutional requirements. Earlier this week, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said 2023 was not an
election year while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated polls were “due in November”. The resolution passed in the Senate today highlighted that the top court had ruled that holding elections under Article 224 of the Constitution — after the National Assembly completed its term or was dissolved — was a “divine” responsibility which could not be disobeyed. It stated that a person or institution only had the jurisdiction given to them under the law or Constitution and a caretaker government was only appointed to hold elections and take decisions pertaining to dayto-day affairs. “Therefore, this House demands the CP to ensure holding polls within the stipulated period of time given under Article 224 of the Constitution and take all necessary measures in this regard. “The House also demands state institutions to provide all the possible assistance to the ECP for conducting elections on time, fulfilling its constitutional responsibility,” the resolution added.
PEMRA AMENDMENT BILL SAILS THROUGH SENATE During Wednesday’s session, the Senate also passed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The bill aimed at streamlining the procedures to register and monitor ratings of TV channels as well as elaborating on the definitions of disinformation and misinformation. When presented in Senate, the bill faced fierce opposition after which it was sent to the relevant standing committee for discussion. A day earlier, the government had announced the withdrawal of the bill following objections raised by certain stakeholders regarding specific provisions in the proposed legislation. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), as well as journalists’ bodies, had expressed concerns that the law could be misused and “may allow powerful groups or individuals to stonewall journalists seeking both sides of a story”.
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Iran rejected force majeure notice for Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline, has granted ten year extension instead: Musadik Malik
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Pakistan seeks positive solution on IP gasline project amid sanctions ISLAMABAD
ahmad ahmadani
Iran has refused to accept Pakistan’s force majeure notice to halt construction of the multibillion-dollar IranPakistan (IP) gas pipeline project and has instead granted two five-year extensions to meet the responsibilities of the IP Project. Dr. Musadik Malik, Minister of State for Petroleum, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday, highlighted his achievements as State Minister for Petroleum and clarified misconceptions about the IranPakistan (IP) gas pipeline project. The minister also emphasised the country’s commitment to finding positive solutions in the face of international sanctions. According to Malik, Iran refused Pakistan’s force majeure notice to halt building of the multibillion-dollar IP gas pipeline project. Instead, Iran has granted Pakistan two five-year extensions to allow it to meet its responsibilities under the project’s Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA). Malik stated that Pakistan had issued a force majeure notice to Iran under the GSPA a decade ago, which Iran refused to acknowledge. He emphatically denied recent claims that Pakistan had issued a new force majeure notice. Misinformation circulated during the National Assembly’s question-and-answer session was corrected, confirming that Iran’s extension of time for commitments ex-
tends until March 2024. He rejected the misinformation regarding force majeure in relation to the IranPakistan Gas Pipeline project and aimed for a cooperative solution on the matter, similar to the approach taken with Russia. Pakistan is actively engaged with Iranian officials to find a positive settlement in the face of continuous international sanctions, said Musadik Malik, adding that the government is also in contact with international forums to find out the possibility of waivers for the import of Iranian energy. Minister Malik disclosed that Pakistan is negotiating an exemption from US sanctions for the IP gasline project through diplomatic channels. Work on the pipeline had previously been halted due to US sanctions against Iran, as the US government refused to issue exceptions for petroleum product imports, said Musadik Malik. Malik highlighted that project activities will restart once the embargo on the importing of Iranian petroleum products was lifted. He emphasised that, in contrast to other countries, the US administration has not offered waivers to Pakistan to import petroleum products from Iran. Clarifying the penalty clause, Malik stated that there is no punishment in the GSPA, which is based on a take-and-pay mechanism.
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Rs 15.00 | Vol XIV No 40 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
NA stands dissolved as President signs PM’s advice ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi Wednesday night signed the ‘advice’ sent by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif for dissolution of the National Assembly (NA). “The president dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the prime minister under Article 58-1 of the Constitution,” read an official statement issued by the President’s Office on X, formerly known as Twitter With the dissolution of the lower house of parliament, the current government’s tenure came to an end prematurely. The prime minister, while addressing the National Assembly’s (NA) session earlier in the day, said he would write to President Dr Arif Alvi tonight to dissolve the National Assembly (NA), which would bring the government’s term to a premature end. The government had announced that assemblies would be dissolved on August 9 (today), three days ahead of its mandated period, following which elections are to be held within 90 days. ‘ELECTIONS LIKELY TO BE DELAYED’ However, ministers have recently stated that there was a possibility of a delay in holding the next general elections as the Council of Common Interest (CCI) “unanimously” approved the 2023 census. Khawaja Asif stated that there is a possibility of a delay in holding the next general elections. “I do believe that elections will be held in November. But you asked me if there is a possibility of delay: There is a possibility of a delay but not more than a couple of months on technical grounds,” he said. When asked whether the approval of the 2023 census would result in an election delay, Khawaja Asif said: “I cannot speculate at the moment but it is a possibility. I won’t rule that out.” On the other hand, Rana Sanaullah said that the general elections would be held in the third week of February or the first week of March after new delimitations. sand Pakistanis lost their lives and … the world acknowledges these great sacrifices. It always uses words of praise for our sacrifices and those of our army”. He further mentioned the Special Investment Facilitation Council as one of the achievements of his government and expressed the hope that the interim government work further on its progress. Speaking on Balochistan, he said the province’s lagged in comparison to that of other provinces.
“The people of Balochistan have some other complaints as well. Their demands are fair … During my 16 months in the government, I tried my best to fulfil their fair demands,” he said, stressing that Balochistan’s issues needed to be addressed and resolved with sincerity. “We will work together to try and resolve the remaining issues of Balochistan, but all of us need to show some patience and tolerance. “Pakistan cannot grow without Balochistan,” he said.