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PTI SEEKS PROBE AS EIGHT IHC JUDGES RECEIVE ‘THREATENING LETTERS FILLED WITH POWDER’ Wednesday, 3 April, 2024 I 23 Ramazan, 1445
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
N the midst of a debate raging over the six judges’ letter against the alleged interference in judicial affairs, eight judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), including Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, on Tuesday received threatening letters filled with an unknown powder. This incident has sparked fears of intimidation and raised concerns about the safety and security of the judiciary. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq confirmed to have received the letter, stating the incident contributed to delays in the day’s hearings. The IHC CJ said that apparently the high court had been threatened through these letters. Upon receiving the letters, the high court authorities called in a team of experts along with the IG and DIG of the Islamabad Police promptly. According to the IHC officials, the letters
were sent to eight High Court judges in separate envelopes and were carrying “suspicious powder.” The sources claimed that the staffers of two judges opened the letters and found “suspi-
cious powder inside.” Subsequently, the staffer experienced burning and irrigation in their eyes and on their skin. Swift action was taken, with affected individuals using sanitizer and washing
Ruling coalition ‘sweeps’ Senate polls with PPP grabs 11, PML-N six seats ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The PML-N-led ruling coalition on Tuesday swept the Senate election on 19 seats, while the election was postponed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the lingering dispute over the oath-taking by the opposition members elected on reserved seats. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won a majority of 11 out of the total 19 seats, with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) grabbing six seats while independent candidate Faisal Vawda also succeeded from Sindh. A total of 18 senators were already elected unopposed including 11 from Balochistan. The polling was conducted in the provincial legislatures of
Sindh and Punjab while the Senate election in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was postponed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) “on account of delay of oaths of reserved seats”. The ECP issued a notification of poll postponement and referred to its earlier March order in which it rejected a petition from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) seeking the allocation of reserved seats. KP Provincial Election Commissioner Shamshad Khan announced the decision as returning officer for the KP Assembly. Earlier, Opposition lawmakers in KP Assembly had submitted a resolution to the provincial election commissioner to postpone the Senate elections. Arrangements were complete for conducting Senate elections in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The staff for holding Sen-
PRL set to acquire double refining capacity and produce EURO V standard fuel. Will it mean anything for smog? PROFIT
AHMAD AHMADANI
Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) is all set to sign a supplemental agreement with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to double its refining capacity and to produce EURO V standard fuel. As per details, this agreement will pave the way for a transformative upgrade and expansion project that will double PRL’s refining capacity, from 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 100,000 bpd. Crucially, the project will also enable PRL to produce EURO V standard fuel, which will save the company billions of rupees annually in penalties for non-compliance with environmental regulations. Euro V Standard Fuel The announcement is important particularly when it comes to pollution caused by vehicular emissions in the country, especially in the Punjab. Air quality in Punjab from 1998 to 2023 has fallen consistently. Over this same 25 year period, the increase in the number of vehicles on the road has been astronomical. According to a government report, while private transport rose by 332%, public transport increased by
only 165% and road networks by a mere 6% in the past 25 years. There are currently nearly 20 lakh registered cars in Punjab and close to 1 crore 57 lakh motorbikes in the province. And while this large number of vehicles is not by any means good and there is a dire need for a good, robust, interconnected system of public transport, the sheer number of vehicles alone is not the problem. A bigger issue is the quality of fuel that these automobiles burn in order to run. The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and European Economic Area member states and the United Kingdom, and ships in EU waters. The standard measures the sulphur content in fuel that is being used which is detrimental to the amount of pollution that these emissions cause. In Pakistan, most fuel being used does not fit the Euro2 standard when the acceptable fuel quality is Euro5. “We need to get the old clunkers off the road and bring in regulation that ensures all vehicles have things like catalytic converters and do not overly pollute. Fixing the entire infra-
structure of a province and bringing in public transport are very long term solutions and we need to include these in our master plans for cities but we can at least get the bigger polluters off the roads,” says Sanval Nasim. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has also gone on record to state that vehicular emissions can be reduced by increasing public transportation, strengthening of vehicular inspection certification system, retiring excessively old vehicles, installation of catalytic converters/diesel particulate filter, and lastly the adoption of latest Euro Standards for vehicular emissions and vehicle manufacturing are required for the betterment of air quality. How much will they be producing? The issue, however, is the amount of EuroV Fuel being produced. PRL’s overall capacity is to process just over 47,000 barrels of oil currently per day. Meanwhile Pakistan’s overall consumption is close to 90,000 which would mean even at full capacity PRL would not provide even half the supply of oil. On top of this, the share of EuroV is even smaller.
WB recommends ‘bold economic reform plan’ for recovery. What is new? g
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g CJP SHOULD REFER JUDGES’ LETTER TO FULL COURT SUSPICIOUS LETTERS HANDED OVER TO COUNTERTERRORISM DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOR JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE: PTI SPOKESPERSON
I g
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ECONOMY EXPECTED TO GROW BY ONLY 1.8% IN CURRENT FISCAL YEAR PROFIT
AHMAD AHMADANI
In a recent report released on Tuesday, the World Bank has underscored the critical importance of Pakistan implementing an ambitious and clearly communicated economic reform plan to foster robust recovery and alleviate poverty in the country. According to the latest Pakistan Development Update by the World Bank, Pakistan’s economy is pro-
jected to grow by a modest 1.8 % in the current fiscal year ending June 2024. The growth rate is significantly lesser than Pakistan’s monetary policy projections which predicts a growth of almost 3%. The subdued recovery is attributed to tight monetary and fiscal policies, continued import management measures to preserve foreign reserves, and overall weak economic activity amid low confidence levels. The report hints that while the economy has shown signs of im-
provement in the first half of the fiscal year, particularly in the agricultural sector, growth remains insufficient to uplift the lives of the population, with 40 % of Pakistanis still living below the poverty line. Macroeconomic risks persist due to a heavy debt burden and limited foreign exchange reserves. Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, emphasised the urgent need for structural reforms to enhance economic prospects.
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their hands as a precautionary measure. Last week, six judges of the IHC penned a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), expressing their concerns about alleged interference by intelligence agencies in the court’s affairs. This development has put a spotlight on the delicate balance between judicial independence and external influence. Sources close to the investigation indicated that the letters contained signs of intimidation and were sent by a woman who did not disclose her address. The letters were addressed to multiple judges, heightening concerns about the safety of the judiciary. It has been revealed that the letters were purportedly written by a woman named Resham, wife of Waqar Hussain. This revelation has led authorities to summon the Inspector General of Islamabad Police and the Deputy Inspector General of Security to address the matter urgently.
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‘More you lie, more it sells on social media,’ observes CJP
ate elections was present in the assembly, however, polling for the upper house election could not be started even after 10 am. The request for deferment of elections was submitted by Ahmed Karim Kundi of the opposition to the provincial election commissioner. The opposition member took the stance that 25 members on reserved seats had not taken oath as yet so the election should be postponed. ISLAMABAD SEATS: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emerged victorious on technocrat seat of Islamabad with 222 votes against SIC’s Raja Ansar Mahmood’s 81 votes. A total of 310 members cast their votes, with 7 votes rejected. Similarly on the general seat, PPP’s Rana Mahmoodul Hassan emerged victorious with 224 votes, while his rival of SCI, Farzand Ali Shah received 79 votes out of a total of 310 votes cast, with 7 votes rejected. SINDH ASSEMBLY: There were 20 candidates vying for the 12 Senate seats in Sindh, with 10 from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), one from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan, and one independent candidate Faisal Vawda succeeding.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Tuesday delivered a “piercing observation” about social media, saying that “The more you lie, the more it sells on Social media,” reflecting the scathing indictment of the corrosive impact that misinformation and its rampant dissemination have on society.
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT