In partnership with
Profit
US lawmaker calls DAR SLAMS NETANYAHU REMARKS ON on Pakistan’s civil leadership to PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT AS ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ military release Imran Khan Friday, 10 February, 2025 | 10 Shaban ul Moazzam, 1446
P
ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
g
AKISTAN has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks suggesting that the Palestinian people should establish a state in Saudi Arabia, calling the statement “irresponsible, provocative, and thoughtless.” The condemnation came from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday, following Netanyahu’s remarks during an interview on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14. “Since Saudi Arabia is demanding the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of any Israel-Saudi normalization deal, the kingdom could create one on its own territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview, drawing condemnations from the Arab world. During a conversation on Thursday with the right-wing Channel 14 TV network about Riyadh’s preconditions for normalization, anchor Yaakov Bardugo mistakenly referred to a “Palestinian state” as a “Saudi state.” Netanyahu was quick to correct him, but quipped back that “the Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there.” Bardugo responded that it was an interesting idea that shouldn’t be “ruled out,” and Netanyahu repeated himself, saying Saudi Arabia does have “a lot of territory.” According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, FM Dar said: “The Israeli remark is irresponsible, provocative, and thoughtless, which is not only deeply offensive but also undermines and disregards the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent state on their own historical and legitimate territory.” Pakistan reaffirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia, commending the King-
Pakistan reaffirms its solidarity with Saudi Arabia, commending KSA’s steadfast support for Palestinian cause
dom’s steadfast support for the Palestinian cause. The Foreign Office stated that any attempt to misrepresent Saudi Arabia’s position on Palestine was “deeply regrettable.” FM Dar reiterated Pakistan’s firm stance on Palestine, stating that the Palestinian people have an “inalienable right to establish an independent and sovereign state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.” The Foreign Office strongly rejected any proposal that seeks to displace or relocate Palestinians, calling it a “blatant violation of international law, UN resolutions, and the principles of justice and fairness.” Pakistan vowed to continue working closely with Saudi Arabia and the international community to advocate for the rights of Palestinians and push for a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the conflict. Pakistan also urged the international
ISLAMABAD
community to denounce Netanyahu’s provocative remarks and hold Israel ac-
ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received a telephone call from Foreign Minister of Iran Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and exchanged views on the situation in Middle East with a particular focus on the continuing plight of Palestinians in Gaza. During the telephonic conversation, the two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Middle East with a particular focus on the continuing plight of Palestinians in Gaza, according to state-run PTV News. “Dar emphasized that the Palestinian land belongs to the Palestinian people and the only viable and just option is the
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday that the world was going through great economic changes, emphasizing making joint efforts for tackling non-conventional challenges confronting the naval sector. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day AMAN Dialogue, a maiden event conducted as an adjunct to Exercise
two-state solution, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions,” Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release on Sunday. The state TV channel reported that the DPM also extended Pakistan’s all-out support to Iran for convening an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to deliberate upon the proposed displacement of Gaza population. Commenting on the proposal to displace the people of Gaza, the deputy prime minister termed it deeply troubling and unjust, emphasizing that the Palestinian land belongs to the Palestinian people and the only viable and just option is the two-state solution, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
AMAN 2025, commenced at Pakistan Naval Academy, Karachi. The dialogue, organized under the aegis of the Pakistan Navy, has brought together Chiefs/Heads of Navies, Maritime Organizations, and renowned academicians from around the globe. The minister also stressed the need for making collective efforts for the protection of sea trade. “Trade tariff has emerged as a greatest challenge in recent years,” Asif added. In his welcome address, Chief of the Naval Staff underscored the significance of the AMAN Dialogue and emphasized the need for sharing experiences among maritime nations to formulate actionable strategies for countering emerging maritime threats. Admiral Ashraf said that the purpose of organising the dialogue was to create awareness in people about the dangers posed to maritime security. He went on to say that another purpose of the event was to promote blue economy. “The protection of blue economy is our priority,” he added.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
IMF scoping mission visiting Pakistan for GCD assessment: finance ministry ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
In line with this commitment, a three member International Monetary Fund (IMF) scoping mission is visiting Pakistan to undertake the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA), finance ministry said. Pakistani cuisine recipes The focus of the mission will be to examine the severity of corruption vulnerabilities across six core state functions, the ministry said in a press statement issued here Sunday aimed at adding clarity to reports circulating in the media regarding the visit. These include fiscal governance, central bank governance and operations, financial sector oversight, market regulation, rule of law, and AML-CFT. The mission will mainly engage with organizations like Finance Division, Federal Board of Revenue, State Bank of Pakistan, Auditor General of Pakistan, Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Election Commission of Pakistan and Ministry of Law & Justice. The GCDA report will recommend actions for addressing corruption vulnerabilities and strengthening integrity & governance, which will assist the government in bringing about reforms for promoting transparency, strengthening institutional capacities and achieving inclusive & sustainable
countable for undermining the peace process.
Pakistan backs Iran call for emergency OIC session on Gaza situation
KARACHI
economic growth. “The Government of Pakistan appreciates the technical support of IMF in this regard,” the press release added. It said, the IMF has long provided advice and technical assistance that has helped to foster good governance, such as promoting public sector transparency and accountability. Traditionally the IMF’s main focus has been on encouraging countries to correct macroeconomic imbalances, reduce inflation, and undertake key trade, exchange, and other market reforms needed to improve efficiency and support sustained economic growth. While these remain its main focus in all its member countries, however the IMF has found that a much broader range of institutional reforms is needed if countries are to establish and maintain private sector confidence and thereby lay the basis for sustained growth. According to the statement, IMF identified that promoting good governance in all its aspects, including ensuring the rule of law, improving the efficiency and accountability of the public sector, and tackling corruption are essential elements of a framework within which economies can prosper. In 1997, the IMF adopted a policy on how to address economic governance, embodied in the Guidance Note “The Role of the IMF in Governance Issues”. To further strengthen the imple-
In a letter, Republican congressman argues Khan’s release ‘would be a major step towards strengthening US-Pakistan relations’ MonitoRing RepoRt
Defence Minister stresses joint efforts for protection of maritime trade Staff RepoRt
Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 216 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
mentation of this policy, the IMF adopted in 2018 a new Framework for Enhanced Engagement on Governance (Governance Policy) that aims to promote more systematic, effective, candid, and evenhanded engagement with member countries regarding governance vulnerabilities—including corruption—that are critical to macroeconomic performance. Under this policy and framework, IMF offers to undertake Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) with member countries to analyze and recommend actions for addressing corruption vulnerabilities and strengthening integrity & governance in IMF member countries. Following the analysis, GCDAs prioritize and sequence recommendations for systematically addressing the vulnerabilities. Since 2018, twenty GCDA Reports were finalized and include Sri-Lanka, Mauritania, Cameroon, Zambia, and Benin. Ten Diagnostics are ongoing, and several are under consideration by IMF. So, similarly under the EFF 2024 program, there is a structural benchmark that with IMF capacity development support, Government of Pakistan will undertake a GCD Assessment to analyze critical governance and corruption vulnerabilities and identify priority structural reforms moving forward. This GCDA report will be published, the statement added.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
US Congressman Joe Wilson has penned a letter to Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership, emphasizing release of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, arguing that his freedom would help strengthen US-Pakistan relations. Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Republican, who serves as assistant majority whip, made his appeal public on February 7, sharing the letter on X (formerly Twitter). In the letter, the US congressman has called on President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir to release former prime minister Imran Khan. Wilson stated that freeing Khan “would be a major step towards strengthening US-Pakistan relations.” “Grateful to send this letter today to the political and military leaders of Pakistan to free Imran Khan,” Wilson wrote. Wilson, a staunch critic of China, Iran, and Russia, linked the state of democracy in Pakistan to the strength of US-Pakistan ties. He asserted that relations between the two countries have been strongest when Pakistan embraces democratic ideals, the rule of law, and human rights. While pressing for Khan’s release, Wilson acknowledged his “many disagreements” with the PTI leader, particularly his support for the Chinese Communist Party and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he stressed, “Democracy cannot work if political opponents are unjustly detained on politicised charges rather than defeated at the ballot box.” Hours after releasing his letter, Wilson took the issue to the floor of the US House of Representatives, reiterating his demand to “free Imran Khan” in a speech. He accused Pakistan’s military of undermining democracy and said: “President Trump has survived a corrupt judicial system and knows the danger of persecution. Pakistan should release Imran Khan, restoring democracy.” This is not the first time Wilson has advocated for Khan’s release. On January 23, he had posted “Free Imran Khan” on X, signalling his continued interest in Pakistan’s political landscape.