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Wednesday, 1 June, 2022 I 1 Dhul-Qadah, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 332 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
ready to buy russian oil if not faced us sanctions: Miftah g
Says country would be ‘happy to buy’ wheat from Russia, Ukraine
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INANCE Minister Miftah Ismail said on Tuesday that Pakistan would be open to buying Russian oil at cheaper rates if it was offered and no sanctions were imposed on any such a deal. When questioned in an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson if Pakistan was open to procuring cheap Russian oil just as India doing, the finance minister said he would “surely consider” it. However, Ismail remarked that he did not think it was possible for Pakistani banks to make arrangements to buy Russian oil, also claiming that Moscow had not offered any such discounted deals to Pakistan anyway. “The previous government talked about buying oil from Russia but I think Russia is under sanctions and they haven’t responded to the letter written by the previous government,” he told the CNN anchor. Ismail said that with Russia being under sanctions, it was “very difficult” for
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Russia didn’t respond to letter written by previous govt
him to imagine buying oil from there. Meanwhile, on the subject of imported wheat, Ismail, in the CNN interview, said Pakistan had asked both Ukraine and Russia and would be “happy to buy” from whichever country was ready to sell. It is pertinent to mention that according to a Reuters report, the current US sanctions against Russia do not prevent other countries from buying Russian oil, although Biden administration officials have considered secondary sanctions that could restrict those purchases in future. PTI leader Shireen Mazari disagreed with Ismail’s remarks, dubbing him an “ignorant” and saying: “There are no sanctions on purchasing oil from Russia. Ask India. So what’s actually stopping him from buying other than fear of US.” Pakistan’s oil industry is facing challenges in arranging international finances for the import of crude and oil products. Informed sources told an English newspaper that the Petroleum Division had told the prime minister and finance
minister that arrangements for oil imports were getting tough by the day as foreign banks were not providing financing against letters of credit opened by oil marketing companies (OMCs) and refineries with the local banks. A senior official told the paper that except two large corporations — Pakistan State Oil and Pak-Arab Refinery Limited — all OMCs and refineries were struggling to arrange the import of petroleum products and crude. Meanwhile, India has received 34 million barrels of discounted Russian oil since Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, according to Refinitiv Eikon data, more than trebling the value of total imports from Russia, including other products, compared with the same period of 2021. India’s oil imports from Russia have been rising since February, as Asia’s third-largest economy and the world’s third-biggest oil importer, turned to deeply discounted Russian oil, mostly Urals crude, to cut its imports bill. The country received more than 24m barrels of Russian crude this month, up from 7.2m barrels in April and about 3m in March, and is set to receive about 28m barrels in June, according to Refinitiv Eikon oil flows. Meanwhile, the prices of petroleum products were kept unchanged on Tuesday on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a press release from the Finance Division. It said the measure was taken with the "view to provide maximum relief to the consumers" despite the loss in revenue due to globally rising petroleum prices. The press release said the prices with effects from June 1 (tomorrow) would continue to be those notified on May 27. Last week, the federal government decided to raise the prices of petroleum products by Rs30 per litre.
ECP decreases NA seats to 336 in preliminary delimitation of constituencies islamabad staff report
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday issued the preliminary delimitation of constituencies in which it revised the National Assembly seats from 342 to 336. According to the ECP’s preliminary report, the number of general seats in the NA will decrease from 272 to 266. Balochistan will have 16 general seats in the NA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will have 45, Punjab 141, Sindh 61, three seats will be of Islamabad. Seats of erstwhile federally administered tribal areas have been merged with KP. On the other hand, women will have 60 reserved seats while minorities will have 10 seats. A National Assembly constituency in KP has been demarcated at 788,933 people, Islamabad 667,789, Punjab 780,069, Sindh 784,500, and
Balochistan 77,946. KP’s NA will begin with Chitral from NA-1 to NA-45. Seats from Islamabad will be from NA-46 to NA-48, Punjab’s constituencies will start from Attock’s NA-49 and end at NA-189 in Rajanpur. Furthermore, Sindh’s lower house seats will start from NA-190 Jacobabad and continue till NA-250 Karachi. While Balochistan’s constituencies will be from NA-251 to NA-266. The Balochistan Assembly will have 65 seats overall out of which 51 will be general seats, KP Assembly will have 145 seats out of which 115 will be general seats. Punjab will have 371 seats out of which 297 will be general seats while the Sindh Assembly will have 168 seats out of which 130 will be general seats. The ECP said that a constituency of KP Assembly will consist of 308,713 voters, Punjab Assembly 370,336, Sindh Assembly 368,112 and Balochistan Assembly 241,864.
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Wednesday, 1 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
lAws to PuRgE Civil sERviCE oF slEAzE RollEd BACk IslAmAbAd
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HE government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties repealed the tough laws introduced in 2020 to improve the performance of the civil service through stringent measures, including the forced retirement of “delinquent” civil servants. The real challenge for Pakistan — beyond its current economic plight — is how
to overcome its public governance problem. Corruption and maladministration are notorious in the civil bureaucracy. To address the issue, the government of then-prime minister Imran Khan introduced the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020 which entailed, among other things, the forced retirement of civil servants found guilty of corruption. The law also applied to civil servants who entered a plea bargain with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or other
investigating agencies, or if they had unbecoming conduct. A notification to repeal the rules was issued by the Establishment Division on Monday. The notification said Shehbaz Sharif repealed the rules “in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973 (LXXI of 1973) read with notification no. SRO120(I)/98, dated February 27, 1998”. The rules under which the previous ones have been repealed are titled Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service)
(Repeal) Rules, 2022. “These rules shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on and from commencement of the Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service) Rules, 2020,” the notification read. The Establishment Division issued another notification on Tuesday, directing all ministries and divisions to inform relevant departments and offices under their administrative control of the development for “compliance/further necessary action”.
Excessive litigation main reason keeping cheap gas out of system
CM Bizenjo, Achakzai discuss Quetta uplift
AhmAd AhmAdAnI Pakistan is currently undergoing a severe energy crisis with approximately 180 MMCFD (Million Cubic Feet per Day) to 250 MMCFD indigenous cheap gas being out of system owing to excessive litigation, court cases, and the expiry of leases. According to sources, excessive litigation, and expiry of leases have been causing downfall of the country’s exploration and production (E&P) sector and a mammoth loss to the national exchequer due to a steep decline in the exploration, production and developmental activities in the country. This has resulted in about 180 MMCFD to 250 MMCFD of cheap indigenous gas at $4 per Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) from not being injected into the system and thus paving the path for exceedingly expensive imported $25 MMBTU Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which will cause a yearly loss of about $2 billion per annum to the national exchequer, said sources. They added that all the major E&P companies have left the country including BP, Premier, OMV, BHP, Exxon and recently the under-process Italians – ENI ostensibly owing to excessive litigation and large number of court cases, delayed extension to expired leases etc. “There are currently about 62 cases pending with different courts against various E&P companies who had been operating in the country,” said sources, adding that the courts in their initial judgement had passed against the MoE and granted stay orders in favour of the companies in most of the cases. Sharing details of the court case, the sources said that 13 cases are pending with the civil and high courts since the past 6-7 years and in all of which stay has been granted in favour of the company and against the government (MoE). Similarly, 10 cases of recovery suits are pending with civil court of Islamabad since the past 6 years and in all these cases arguments are pending while no recovery has been made by the MoE. Two cases against Standard Chartered Bank are pending with the civil court since the past five years while two cases are pending from last seven years with Sindh High Court, Karachi in relation to the matter of indexed rent (against recovery of past licence/ lease rent with indexation) and so far the honourable court has granted stay order in favour of the companies and against the MoE.
Provincial govt should determine property valuation: Real estate sector shAhzAd PArAchA Pakistan’s Real Estate sector has asked the government to transfer the decision of determination of Property Valuation from federal to provincial governments. Pakistan’s Real Estate sector in its budget proposals for the next fiscal year asked the federal finance minister to exclude Section 68(4) of Income Tax Ordinance 2001 immediately besides Property Valuation should only be done by Provincial Govt who are already practicing it and capable of doing it as they already have Field Force Revenue Department. Similarly, the provincial government is charging Stamp Duty according to their DC Rates and It is suggested that the Federal government should also charge Gain Tax/Advance Tax according to their DC Rates. Meanwhile, Property Valuation should only be done every year and once in a financial year. The real estate also in its recommendations stated that presently Filer is paying 1% and Non-Filer is paying 2% advance income tax on the purchase of the property. It is suggested that this tax should be reduced to 25%(Point Two Five Percent) for ‘Filer’ and for non-filer it should remain 2% because the advance tax can claim in a tax return by ‘Filer’, it will be helpful to increase the economic activity in the country. Capital Gain tax-(236-C) For immovable property: Presently Sellers (Filer) are paying 1% gain tax at the time of transferring the property and 2% by the ‘Non-Filers’ it is suggested that for ‘Filer’ it should be reduced to .25% (point Two Five Percent) and for non-filer, it should remain 2% (Two Percent). Capital Gain tax- For immovable property: The maximum period for determining gain tax may be fixed at 3 years instead of 4 years, with a 5% (Five Percent) flat rate. Reduction in the maximum period for determining Gain tax to 3 years with 5% (Five Percent) will enhance the Sale/Purchase activity and boost the economy.
The notification further said that “any actions taken, proceedings initiated, pending or concluded, recommendations or decisions made, orders passed or notifications issued under the repealed rules are hereby recalled and shall have no legal effect whatsoever”. It added that “no interferences shall be drawn against civil servants affected or suffered under the repealed rules solely for the reason that proceedings of directory retirement under the repealed rules were initiated or finalised”.
QUETTA News Desk
LAHORE: On way back home, students feeling joyful about announcement of summer vacations. photo by zubaiR Mehfooz
NA speaker has no authority to verify lawmakers resignations, says Fawad nEws dEsk PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that the National Assembly speaker does not have the authority to verify resignations of lawmakers. Addressing a press conference alongside Hammad Azhar in Islamabad on Tuesday, Fawad said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is not issuing a notification to de-notify the PTI MNAs, who he said resigned on the floor of the lower house of parliament. “Don’t push us against the wall. We are the largest political party of this country,” he added. A day earlier, National Assembly Speaker Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf had summoned 131 lawmakers of the former ruling party, who resigned from their assembly seats, to verify if their resignations are “genuine and voluntary”. The information minister said the incumbent assembly does not have any legitimacy and termed the lower house of parliament “occupied”. “We don’t have any intention to return to the assembly.” “President of lota [turncoat] association has been appointed as Leader of Opposition and all appointments are being made with his consultation. We don’t accept this,” Fawad said referring to the PTI dissident lawmaker Raja Riaz.
FCA of April: NEPRA working on Rs3.99 per unit hike AhmAd AhmAdAnI National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has so far worked out an increase of Rs3.99 per unit in the power price on account of fuel charges adjustment (FCA) for the month of April 2022. As per details, the NEPRA has scrutinised Rs3.99 per unit hike in the power tariff under the head FCA of April, 2022 which will cause an additional burden of approximately Rs51 billion if it is passed on to the power consumers of power distribution companies (DISCOs). However, this increase in the power tariff will not be applicable to the consumers of k-Electric and lifeline consumers. On Tuesday, NEPRA held a hearing over the application of the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA) under the NEPRA chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi where NEPRA’s members Rafique Ahmed Shaikh and
Maqsood Anwar were in attendance. Earlier, CPPA on behalf of all DISCOs except the KElectric, had earlier requested NEPRA to jack up power tariff by Rs4.5 per unit and stated that total 13.55 billion units of electricity were generated in April with different fuels at production cost of Rs10.66 per kWh while the reference cost for April 2022 was set at Rs6.60 per unit. According to the CPPA, electricity generated with hydel source was 18.55 percent, coal 16.74 percent, furnace oil 12.07 percent, gas 9.85 percent, Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) 19.42 percent, nuclear 17.37 percent, wind 3.59 percent, baggasse 0.82 percent and solar 0.67 percent in the said month of April 2022. It is pertinent to mention that NEPRA will issue its final decision and notification regarding FCA of April for the consumers of DISCOs except the K-Electric after detailed scrutiny of the necessary data.
Indus Motor marks 1m vehicles production since 1993 GhUlAm AbbAs Indus Motor Company (IMC) has achieved a landmark of producing one million vehicles since it began mass production back in 1993. As per a statement issued by the company, while celebrating the achievement, the one millionth unit, a Toyota Corolla Grande, was lined off at the company’s plant at Karachi the other day amidst much fanfare. The achievement, as per the company, was celebrated by the company’s 4000 employees and
representatives from Toyota including Yoshiki Konishi, Executive Advisor & President-elect, Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing (TDEM). IMC has come a long way from producing just over 7000 units annually to over close to 80,000 units a year and four models on Monday. According to IMC, the major auto company has so far produced 761,700 Corolla, 45,400 Yaris, 111,900 Hilux and Fortuner under the Toyota badge whilst 81,000 Cuore with the Daihatsu badge.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddos Bizenjo said on Tuesday that work on Quetta development package, which was halted in the previous government, has been resumed. “Significant funds have been released to Quetta Metropolitan Corporation and WASA for cleanliness of the city and resolution of the water problem respectively.” Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddos Bizenjo was talking with Paktunkhwa Mili Awami Party (PKMAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai who called on him on Tuesday. PKMAP central leader Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai was also present in the meeting. Both the Balochistan CM and the PKMAP chief discussed the political situation and development issues of the province during the meeting held at CM Secretariat here. The Balochistan CM while discussing a range of issues with the PKMAP chairman said that work is underway on a comprehensive development program launched in parts of the province. “Work on the Quetta development package, which was halted in the previous government, has been resumed,” CM added. CM Bizenjo said that he personally visited the outskirts of Quetta yesterday and took stock of the problems faced by the area people. “Development of Quetta city and suburbs will be given priority in the next budget,” he maintained.
FBR initiates security operations center against cyber attacks IslAmAbAd staff RepoRt
Building further on its ongoing drive for a digital FBR, Chairman FBR Asim Ahmad inaugurated the Security Operations Center (SOC) this morning at FBR Headquarters, Islamabad. SOC is a state-of-the-art center designed for prevention, detection, and incident response against cybersecurity attacks on the FBR IT network. This most modern digital intervention has been made operational round-the-clock. It is powered by the world’s leading automated solutions and tools for cybersecurity incident monitoring, inspection for malware and ransomware attacks, data backup/recovery solutions, software vulnerabilities scanning, IT infrastructure penetration testing, and performance monitoring. It is pertinent to mention that these multiple security controls have already been implemented at FBR with sophisticated firewalls, intrusion detection systems, security orchestration and response capability, email threats security, database security, web browser security and end-user security awareness. FBR Member IT Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Tunio along with Secretary IT Sardar Umar, briefed the Chairman about its key features and functions.
PML-Q stalwart wants PTI to delay Islamabad long march lAhOrE staff RepoRt
Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has reportedly suggested to PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi a delay in the long march towards Islamabad. The suggestion from PML-Q to PTI came during a meeting between PTI Vice Chairman Shah
Mehmood Qureshi and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi held here in Lahore the other day. Qureshi’s son Zain Qureshi and former federal minister Moonis Elahi were also present on the occasion. Both the leaders discussed the current political situation in the country and matters of mutual interest, including the PTI’s movement against the government. According to a private TV channel, quoting sources, Pervaiz Elahi advised Qureshi to delay the long march by a month. “PTI should avoid holding
an immediate long march towards,” Elahi was quoted as saying. Pervaiz Elahi while speaking during the meeting said that Imran Khan is fighting for a real independence and he would stand with him in this fight. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that their struggle would continue unless fresh elections in the country are announced. “Imran Khan only wants a fresh election,” he said and added that they would continue their fight against a corruption and looting spree in the country.
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Wednesday, 1 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
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CM FoR EARly CoMPlEtion As MAstER PlAn FoR nEw PEshAwAR City APPRovEd
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M Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan on Tuesday chaired a meeting of Board of Directors (BoDs) Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) in which approval was given to a master plan of a flagship housing project, New Peshawar City, in the provincial capital. The housing scheme will consist of
106,000 Kanal of land which would include 43 thousand Kanal of land for residential area i.e. 41 percent of the total area, seven percent for public buildings, five percent for commercial and parking lots, 16 percent for parks and play grounds, 28 percent of for roads and two percent for graveyard. Initially residential area will consist of 16,312 plots of three Marla, 17,201 of five Marla, 3,402 of seven
Marla, 9,526 of ten Marlas, 13,415 of one Kanal, 1,494 of two Kanals and 706 plots of four Kanals. The meeting was informed that the New Peshawar City Project would consist of civil secretariat, Education City, Healthcare city and Media Enclave. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that this flagship project was indispensable to cope with the accommodation issues of the
increasing population in Peshawar, warning that any delay in the project would not be tolerated. He directed the concerned officials to finalize the engineering layout plan of the project in the shortest possible time, so that it could be executed timely. He also directed to accelerate the process of land acquisition process on land sharing formula and ensure timely completion of all the stages.
women inmates being sexually harassed in darul Aman nEws dEsk Women inmates in Darul Aman at Sukkur are reportedly being harassed by an in-charge of the shelter home, where they were supposed to find peace and facilities. Correspondent of a private TV channel visited Darul Aman and talked with the women inmates – who came here to feel secure from domestic and societal violence. The administration has not appointed female deputy director in Sukkur’s Darul Aman for past three years. The women inmates – who came here for safe havens – burst into tears while talking to the correspondent. “We are being sexually harassed by the in-charge, and the administration is not providing any facility to women suffering from illness or other problems,” the women inmates said. Expressing their concerns, the inmates burst into tears and urged the government to take strict against the official. After hearing these complaints, it can be said that Darul Aman has failed to provide peace and shelter to the women inmates.
ECP gets till June 2 to decide on notification of reserved PA seats lAhOrE staff RepoRt
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide on the issuance of notification of the appointment of five lawmakers on reserved seats in the Punjab Assembly which fell vacant after the disqualification of dissident Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers. On May 23, the commission de-notified 25 lawmakers who had defected and voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Hamza Shehbaz in the election for the office of Punjab chief minister on April 16. Subsequently, the party moved the high court against the commission accusing it of delay in the issuance of notification. Its petition, filed on Saturday through Barrister Azhar Siddique, said five lawmakers on reserved seats were among those de-seated by the agency and the ECP is bound by the Constitution to notify their replacements. The petition said the party has already requested the ECP to notify its members in a written letter but so far no progress has been made. “The ECP is violating the Constitution and the court should intervene and direct it to notify new members on the reserved seats,” Siddique said. At the outset of the hearing, Amir Saeed Rawn, counsel for PTI, told the court the electoral body was deliberately delaying the matter. Saeed Gul Khan, regional election commissioner in Punjab, appeared before the court. Zeeshan Ashraf, a legal assistant at the agency, represented the ECP before the court. “Why are you not issuing the notification [of appointments]?” Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti asked the counsels for ECP. “The matter is in progress. We have received petitions from both the PTI and Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N). [The latter] is pleading against the issuance of the notification. June 2 has been fixed for hearing of the matter,” Ashraf told the court. “The ECP has been made a respondent in those petitions. Notices have been served on both the parties,” he added. Subsequently, the court instructed the ECP to pass a verdict by June 2 “even if one of the parties does not appear” and adjourned the hearing. De-SeatinG oF DeFeCtorS: The denotification of the MPs came shortly after PTI approached the top electoral body to issue a notification of the latter’s decision to de-seat dissident legislators on charges of crossing the floor under Article 63-A of the Constitution. Article 63-A provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party, but the government aims to find out whether that also applies before they cast their votes. It reads that an MP can be disqualified on grounds of defection if they “vote or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to the election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill (budget) or a Constitution (amendment) bill”. With these 25 lawmakers no longer members of the assembly, Shehbaz, who won for the chief minister with the help of the dissident legislators, has lost his majority in the Punjab Assembly, raising questions about the status of his government. Shehbaz got 197 votes in the chief minister’s election but is now left with the support of 172 members in the house. A candidate requires the support of at least 186 lawmakers in the 371-member House to be elected as the chief minister.
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kP will deploy security to protect next Pti march from Punjab police: chief minister IslAmAbAd MoNitoRiNg RepoRt
LAHORE: Long queues of people awaiting to buy edibles outside Utility Store in Ghari Shahu area. staff photo
Yasin Malik shifted to isolated cell in Delhi’s Tihar jail nEws dEsk The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik, who has been awarded life sentence by an Indian kangaroo court in a sham trial, has been shifted an isolated cell in New Delhi’s Tihar jail. His mother and sister have been denied access to him in jail. On the other hand, the Indian court has summoned Dr Rubia Sayeed, the daughter of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and sister of Mehbooba Mufti, as a witness in Muhammad Yasin Malik’s case on July 15. Interestingly, the court has summoned the JKLF chief in a so-called kidnap case despite the fact that Dr
Rubia Sayeed had herself acknowledged that the-then JKLF chief commander Ashfaq Majeed Wani and other party activists had treated her like their sister. Her sister Mehbooba Mufti, too, has openly supported Muhammad Yasin Malik against life sentence to him by the Indian NIA court. Now, Muhammad Yasin Malik has been shifted to an isolated cell in Tihar jail, where his activities are monitored through close cricket cameras. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front in a statement issued in Srinagar denounced the shifting of the party chief to the small isolated cell saying that New Delhi wants to make Muhammad Yasin Malik a psychological patient before pushing him to the jaws of death.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will deploy its security forces to protect from police brutality participants of the coming protest march of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said. “When [party chairman] Imran Khan again gives a call [for the march on Islamabad], I am telling you I will use Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s force,” he warned at a lawyer’s convention in Peshawar on Monday. But Mahmood did not elaborate on what he meant by “force”. During the party’s previous march on the capital on May 25, the police in Punjab fired teargas, baton-charged and detained supporters of the former prime minister to stop them from reaching Islamabad to demand fresh elections, witnesses said. Clashes between Khan’s supporters and activists and police were reported in multiple cities, including Lahore. The treatment meted out to former Punjab health minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid invited particularly strong uproar and criticism. Footage showed police stopping Rashid’s vehicle in Lahore. An exchange of words could also be seen after police attempted to yank out the key of the vehicle she was travelling in. A video aired by broadcasters showed police landing blows on her vehicle as it tried to pass through a cordon at Bati Chowk neighbourhood in old Lahore. A non-uniformed individual with his face covered could also be seen in the footage, hitting the vehicle forcefully.
foodpanda appoints new Managing Director nEws dEsk After the exit of CEO Nauman Sikandar Mirza foodpanda has appointed Muntaqa Peracha as Managing Director (MD) for foodpanda Pakistan, with effect from 1 June 2022. The departure of Nauman Sikandar Mirza in February this year had come as a surprise to many. After all, if there is one tech company/startup in Pakistan that has absolutely and always dominated its space, it is foodpanda. Helming this gargantuan effort throughout had been Nauman Sikander Mirza, who in the past seven years had stood as both witness and architect to foodpanda’s acquisition of EatOye, the entry of DeliveryHero into the Pakistani market, the massive growth that foodpanda saw after the onset of the pandemic, and the expansion into groceries that came with PandaMart. Now as MD, Muntaqa will oversee foodpanda’s overall operations in the country, growth and expansion, as well as the launch of new verticals. Muntaqa takes the helm after serving two and a half years as Commercial Director in foodpanda Pakistan, helping make the brand a household name across the country. During his tenure, Muntaqa oversaw
the core food delivery business with a focus on building foodpanda as the preferred platform for partnering vendors, consumers and riders. He played a critical part in growing foodpanda to be the leading food and grocery delivery platform in the country, establishing key relationships across the industry, empowering teams locally within the business and driving strategic investments in capacity building. Muntaqa also expanded the foodpanda HomeChefs programme to more than ten thousand registered home-based businesses today, and launched new verticals such as cloud kitchens and pandago, and foodpanda’s Logistics-as-aService vertical that provides express, on-demand deliveries. Building on more than 18 years of experience leading teams in high-growth tech companies in Pakistan and beyond, Muntaqa brings on board his expertise in the areas of emerging markets, strategy, growth, commercial innovation and business/profitability turnarounds. “Muntaqa has been an integral part of foodpanda’s growth journey for these past few years, and I’m confident that with his leadership, foodpanda will continue to scale across Pakistan and reach new
milestones in the years ahead,” said Jakob Angele, CEO, foodpanda Asia. “I’m honoured to take up the mantle as MD of foodpanda Pakistan,” said Muntaqa Peracha. “I thank the foodpanda leadership team for their trust, and look forward to leading the team to grow our footprint in Pakistan, and better serve our community of riders, merchants and customers across the country.” FooDpanDa’S Growth: On the performance side, foodpanda has seen amazing growth under Nauman. From the numbers obtained by Profit, foodpanda delivered roughly 23,000 orders per day on average in 2019, 120,000 in 2020 and 162,000 for 2021. Numbers for 2020 and 2021 are inclusive of food and grocery orders under pandamart. This growth, however, has come at the expense of a massive cash burn of approximately 15-20 million Euros for 2019, 25-30 million Euros in 2020 and 25-30 million Euros in 2021. Sources tell us that foodpanda is under pressure to achieve profitability but that could be a difficult undertaking in the Pakistani market. Pakistan’s market conditions are tough that is why Cheetay, a competitor to foodpanda, has also shut down the food delivery business and operates as an aggregator for restaurants
only now. The market is treacherous: restaurants already abhor foodpanda’s commission structure which means revenue would be limited; restaurants are revolting by creating their own websites, offering better discounts than foodpanda and offering free deliveries against foodpanda’s delivery fees, limiting revenue for foodpanda. While customer acquisition costs and marketing costs are very high. From a company source, Profit has learned that foodpanda’s marketing budget alone for one month is roughly Rs600 million, which translates into Rs7.2 billion or roughly 36 million euros. High costs are the reason foodpanda had an estimated cash burn of 15-20 million euros in 2019, 25-30 million euros in 2020 and about the same in 2021. On the other hand, Delivery Hero has been eyeing positive earnings for 2022 which means all markets are under pressure to increase their earnings and foodpanda Pakistan is no exception. In fact foodpanda made an attempt to increase commissions in September 2020 and faced resistance from restaurants. It could be that the higher management was not satisfied with Nauman’s performance on controlling cash burn and increasing profitability within stipulated time.
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PM unveIlS MASSIve relIeF ProgrAM For tHe Poor ISLAMABAD
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N consideration of the economic hardship, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced massive relief program for the poor segments of the society. Under the plan, the price of atta has been slashed from Rs950/20 kg to Rs800/20kg while the market price is above Rs1250/kg and price of sugar has also been reduced from Rs85/kg to
First Hajj flight to depart from Islamabad on Sunday night ISLAMABAD TLTP
Hajj operations are progressing as per plan and the first Hajj flight would depart from Islamabad to Madina on the night falling between June 5 and 6. Minister for Religious Affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor announced this at a press conference on Tuesday. He announced the expenses of the government’s Hajj scheme for the year 2022, saying the government has approved a subsidy of Rs150,000 for each pilgrim. “The Hajj expenses for the northern region are up to Rs851,000 while the expenses for the southern region are up to Rs860,000.” The minister said that the mandatory expenses are 52%, airfare 21% and other expenses 27%. “The Hajj package is announced after the approval from the cabinet. We have inherited the expensive package from the previous PTI government. If it had not been overthrown, the expenses would have gone up to Rs1.1 million,” said Mufti Shakoor. The minister said that Hajj has been with a limited quota after two years, adding that Pakistan’s quota has been reduced from 180,000 to 81,210 because of Covid-19.
Punjab ombudsman reviews performance of advisors, consultants
LAHORE sTAff rePorT
The office of the Punjab ombudsman received 11,636 complaints from across the province, including 7,647 general and 109 involving children, in the five months of 2022 and it has been working expeditiously to resolve public problems pertaining to provincial government departments. This was announced in a series of meetings held under the chair of Ombudsman retired Maj. Azam Suleman Khan at his office to review the performance of advisors and consultants of 36 districts in the province. The performance of the district paraphernalia of the ombudsman office was reviewed in detail regarding timely disposal of public complaints, protection of the rights of the children and the solution of problems of expatriate Pakistanis. Khan directed to resolve public complaints within 45 days for timely relief to the citizens, adding the complaints of Pakistan nationals living abroad relating to provincial government departments should also be timely resolved while maintaining a close liaison with the Overseas Pakistanis Commission, Punjab. The ombudsman office has deputed a focal person for overseas Pakistanis along with setting up the office of the chief provincial commissioner for children to protect the rights of the children and to save them from abuse, he mentioned. Similarly, the ombudsman remarked that departmental helpline 1050 was working 24/7 to guide and facilitate the complainants. Alongside, the ombudsman office has also launched the Ombudsman Punjab Management Information System (OPMIS), a well-designed interactive and knowledge-enhanced enterprise resource planning mobile application for the general public to register complaints and track the status of their complaints, he added. He also directed that steps should be taken for raising public awareness about the presence of this vital platform as this office was enabling the protection of public rights at the grassroots. Along with the retrieval of state lands, the market value of recovered lands should also be mentioned in reports submitted to the head office, he further said. The meeting was told that regional office buildings were being constructed in Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Mianwali, Jhang, and Attock while more office buildings would be constructed in the next financial year in other districts to strengthen the district paraphernalia.
Rs70/kg. The government is also subsidising ghee by Rs100/kg while rice and pulses are also selling at a discount of 20.30%/kg from the market. According to the PMO, this is a historic monthly subsidy being extended by Government of Pakistan which is almost 50% more than what was being provided by the previous government. USC says no shortage of flour, ghee, sugar at outlets
Meanwhile, the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) of Pakistan has clarified that there is no shortage of flour, ghee and sugar at its outlets across the country. A USC spokesperson in a statement issued on Tuesday said that the news being circulated about the shortage of essential items at USC was not based on facts. In fact, the spokesperson said there is no shortage of anything at any of the utility stores across the country.
“All the food items are available in abundance,” the spokesperson said, adding that flour, ghee and sugar are being supplied on a daily basis to fulfill public demands. He said that around 300 to 400 flour bags are being supplied to each supermarket and 200 bags to each mini-market store. He said that the management ensures that new supplies arrive at USC outlets before the existing stocks finish.
Balochistan handicrafts need government’s attention NEwS DESk The handicrafts of Balochistan, which had huge potential to provide employment opportunities to the locals, needed government attention to get market approach. The local handicrafts have been made in a huge quantity across the province, which were popular across the country could be revealed a best source
of income of the local women, an official of Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries. He said the government should play its due role in promoting handicrafts being made in the neglected rural and semi-urban areas of the province by arranging exhibitions, trade fairs and craft bazaars both at home and abroad to create a market for them. He said the government should also
work for skill enhancement and capacity building of handicrafts makers, besides evolving a value addition mechanism for them. He also suggested that the authorities should establish handicrafts stalls to generate revenue and create employment opportunities as it would acquaint the people of different regions with diverse culture and traditions of Balochistan.
Nepal keen to enhance cooperation in tourism, mountain adventure: Envoy NEwS DESk Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan,Tapas Adhikari on Tuesday said that there are vast opportunities between Pakistan and Nepal in various fields of tourism including mountain adventure which should be tapped on priority. Pakistan and Nepal have the highest mountain peaks in the world, including Mount Everest and K2, where mountaineers, who come every year and get international fame by demonstrating their skills in this sport, he said. Embassy of Nepal in Islamabad organized a programme here on Tuesday to commemorate the first ascent to the Mt. Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953. Tapas Adhikari, Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan, welcomed the guests to the programme and congratulated Abdul Joshi on his recent ascent to the Mt. Everest on May 16, 2022. On the occasion, the Ambassador said that there are vast opportunities between Pakistan and Nepal in this field, which would require further cooper-
Besides developing road infrastructure and providing basic necessities of life in those areas, human development should be given top priority by the government for better production of handicrafts, he added. “The government should offer domestic skills evaluation and opportunities to locals and assist the local community of the respective areas in trade and handicraft sectors,” he said.
Pakistan-American defends Israel visit amid criticism ISLAMABAD The AssociATed Press
ation between the two countries in the future. Ambassador said that Pakistan and Nepal are the countries connected to the Himalayan region, where there are many opportunities for tourism and other adventures. He said that 2 million tourists visit Nepal every year, where the government is committed to provide all kinds of facilities to them. Ambassador said that direct air flight was essential for economic, trade and other cooperation between the two countries.
He said that both the countries have beautiful views of nature and tourist destinations, so a direct air link is essential for the promotion of tourism in both the countries. He said that transportation and logistics was an essential sector in both the countries for the movement and promotion of international mountaineering adventurers on both sides. In response to a question, he said that many issues of transit trade in Nepal and Pakistan still need to be resolved for the promotion of bilateral trade.
Pakistan, Turkey support each other on issues of national interest: Sharif ISLAMABAD AnAdoLu Agency
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to transform his country into a self-reliant and politically stable one while assuring to work towards boosting bilateral trade with Turkey. Ahead of his three-day official trip to Ankara, Sharif told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview that while Islamabad wishes to deepen and widen engagement with the US, it also focuses on infrastructure building under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. In the interview, Sharif said Pakistan and Turkey had always stood by each other for the last 75 years. “These historical relations are grounded firmly in common religious, cultural and linguistic links and transcend political changes on either side.” Both countries had similar views on regional and international issues and collaborated closely on bilateral, regional and multilateral forums, he said. He also thanked Turkey’s leadership for its principled support on the Kashmir issue. The prime minister said that while cultural and people-to-people relations between the two countries were on an upward trajectory, Pakistan was now focusing on increasing economic cooperation. “The current level of bilateral trade is still not a true reflection of the excellent state of our relationship. This is also an area where immense opportunities exist for both countries. During my visit here, I am meeting leading Turkish business companies to encourage them to utilise the immense opportunities existing in Pakistan in various fields, including energy, infrastructure, e-commerce, municipal agro-based industry and IT sectors, etc.”
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In response to a question about trade with India, Prime Minister Sharif said Pakistan and India had a “lot to gain from mutually beneficial trade”. However, Pakistan had taken the decision to downgrade relations with India after Aug 5, 2019, when it revoked occupied Kashmir’s special autonomy, he recalled. “We are cognisant of the economic dividends that can be accrued from a healthy trade activity with India. However, in the wake of the continued brutalisation of the Kashmiri people, attempts to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory, and continued denial by India of the Kashmiris’ rights, it is hard to imagine that progress can be made on the trade front.” He further said that India would have to take the onus for normalisation of relations by revisiting its decision of Aug 2019 and creating a conducive environment for dialogue. When the premier was questioned about Pakistan’s place in the United States’ policy on the Asia-Pacific region, he said the two countries had a “longstanding and broad-based relationship”. Pakistan wanted to deepen and widen its engagement with the US, he said, pointing out that the country was the biggest export market and a major source of investment and revenue. There is a lot of potential to expand the trade, commercial and investment aspects of this relationship even further, he added. The prime minister also urged US companies to invest in Pakistan, especially in the information technology sector. Prime Minister Sharif stressed that the PML-N-led coalition government did not believe in “any kind of polarisation”. The incumbent government was formed of “almost all” political forces from the provinces, except the PTI, he added.
A Pakistan-American woman who came under fire in the home nation for leading a delegation to Israel defended the trip Monday, saying she traveled to Jerusalem with a small group of Muslims and non-Muslims to “promote interfaith harmony”. Anila Ali, a Pakistan-born US citizen living in Washington, responded to growing criticism from Pakistan, some of whom questioned who was actually behind the visit. She said the goal of the visit was to seek truth and to reconcile Muslims and Jews. “(The president) of Israel received us warmly, and the people of Israel opened up their hearts and homes to us and they knew that we were Muslims and they knew that we were Pakistanis,” she said, adding that Israelis knew that members of her delegation included Sikhs and Christians but they were still welcomed. Pakistan is among the countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel because of the lingering issue of Palestinian statehood and Islamabad says no delegation from Pakistan visited Israel. Ali said she led a 15-member delegation comprised of Pakistan expatriates to Israel earlier this month. She told The Associated Press that neither Pakistan nor the US was behind the trip. Pakistan Television took to Twitter on Monday to say it fired news anchor Ahmed Qureshi who visited Israel in a “personal capacity.” Qureshi was part of the delegation that visited Israel with Ali, it said. The visit was confirmed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who said he received the Pakistan expatriates. He spoke about the visit at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Thursday, saying it “showed me the great change” taking place in the aftermath of the Abraham Accords. The Abraham Accords refers to a series of diplomatic pacts brokered by the Trump administration in 2020 that normalised relations between Israel and four Arab countries — the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Israel already had peace deals with Jordan and Egypt, with which it fought several wars. “This was an amazing experience because we haven’t had a group of Pakistani leaders in Israel ever in such scope and that all stemmed from the Abraham Accords, meaning Jew and Muslim can dwell together in the region,” he said. Ali told the AP there was no truth to remarks by former prime minister leader Imran Khan in a speech at a rally Sunday in which he said a delegation had gone to Israel. Khan also alleged without providing evidence the current government in Islamabad “is going to recognise Israel.” “We have no intentions of speaking for the Pakistani government whether to normalise relations with Israel or not,” Ali said. “The matter is between the Israeli government and Pakistan.” Ali said the visit was co-sponsored by Sharaka, an Arab-Israeli organisation founded by young leaders from Israel and the Gulf region. For Israel, while the delegation was small and did not involve government officials, it marked somewhat of a milestone in its relations with Pakistan coming after other Muslim states have changed course and agreed to normalise ties with Israel.
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Wednesday, 1 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
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MUqAM Urges sC, PHC to tAKe notICe of CM KP’s IrresPonsIble stAteMent A aPP
DVISeR to the Prime Minister for Political and Public Affairs, engr Amir Muqam here Tuesday urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Peshawar High Court to take serious notice of the irresponsible statement made by the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding use of the province’s forces against the Federal Government. Addressing a press-conference here at Swat Press Club, Amir Muqam said that it was a serious statement by the CM KP and the apex court should take suo moto notice of it. “The forces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not the personal employees of Mahmood Khan rather they are the servants to the state
of Pakistan.”He said the main duty of KP’s forces was implementation of law rather than protection of an individual’s personal interests and wishes. Muqam said the entire nation had seen the misuse of KP official resources including its helicopter and storming of a province against the centre during PTI’s conspiracy march on May 25. He claimed that despite use of KP resources, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan’s resources, the march was completely flopped as was evident from a few hundreds’ protestors against tall claims of bringing two million people, forcing Imran to quickly wind it up. He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was responsible for the killing of PTI worker of Mardan during long march. “Imran Khan seems impressed by Modi
Government’s foreign policy as he praises it in every public meeting”, he said adding that it created feelings of anger among people of Pakistan as they considered Modi was the butcher of Muslims of Gujrat and murderer of Kashmiris. He said Imran was a king of U turns and not interested in early election. “I question why Imran is not dissolving KP assembly and verifying his MNAs resignations if he wanted early election,” Muqam said. He said PTI Chairman had broken all election promises whether it was construction of five million houses or 10 million jobs to youth. He said Imran was ousted from power after allied parties left him for his unfulfilled promises and not through foreign conspiracy. Muqam said it seemed as if Imran had
lost senses after losing power and was now making failed attempts to drag national institutions into politics in a bid to get power back. He added that he would never be able to come into power again as his double standard politics stood exposed before the nation. He said former selected prime minister had neither liked neutral umpires nor independent judiciary. He further said that judgments that came in his favour were good and those against him were being criticized loudly. Muqam said where was Imran when people were brutally killed, buildings were blown up and banks were looted during militancy in Swat and that over three million people were displaced from Malakand division. He accused Imran for going into hiding in Peshawar after flopped long march.
Pakistan dispatches second batch of humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Muqam said people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rejected his conspiracy march as they knew that Imran government was responsible for the recent price-hike, increase in dollar against rupee and foreign debts. He said Imran Khan government had destroyed economy and intentionally kept prices of petroleum down after knowing that his rule was becoming history. earlier, Amir Muqam went to the residence of former member national assembly Shahzada Miangul Adnan Aurangzeb and offered Fateha for his eternal peace. Muqam also expressed condolences to the bereaved royal family on behalf of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, PMLN Supremo Nawaz Sharif and senior vice President Maryam Nawaz.
PIA to charge private Haj pilgrims in dollars
Islamabad aNaDolu ageNcy
Islamabad
Pakistan on Tuesday sent a second batch of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, an official said. A C-130 aircraft took off for Warsaw, Poland carrying 7.5 tonnes of relief supplies including electro-medical equipment, tents, blankets, food items, and other items of human needs, said a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) official. The third consignment of humanitarian assistance is expected to be sent on Thursday. In March, Islamabad had sent via Poland its first humanitarian aid which included medicines, electro-medical equipment, blankets, food and other items. “Pakistan has always acted promptly alongside the international community in responding to international calls for assistance during conflicts and calamities as a responsible and peace-loving nation,” state-owned Radio Pakistan said. At least 4,074 civilians have been killed and 4,826 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched a “special military operation” in its neighbouring nation on February 24, according to UN estimates. The actual toll is believed to be much higher. Over 6.7 million people have fled to other countries, while more than 7.7 million have been internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.
Staff RepoRt
Murad launches ambulance service in Karachi KaRaCHI Staff RepoRt
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah launched on Tuesday a long-awaited dedicated ambulance service, Rescue 1122, in Karachi. The launching ceremony was held at the sports complex of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). Shah was the chief guest at the ceremony. Addressing the ceremony, he said that initially the service was launched in Karachi with 50 ambulances, adding that the emergency service would be expanded to other Sindh cities in the coming days.“Rescue 1122 will be launched in all the districts of the province and for this 230 ambulances would be procured this year in collaboration with the World Bank,” said Shah. He further shared the government was planning to merge all emergency services including police, fire brigade, and other services. “Ambulance, firefighting, police and other emergency services will also be included in the Rescue 1122 service,” he added. Shah further shared that the Rescue 1122 Centre would be set up in all the districts
POL price hike: Transporters raise fare on local routes in twin cities Islamabad NewS DeSk
Public transport owners in the federal capital have increased fares on local routes on their own following a whopping Rs30 in per litre hike in the prices of the petroleum products. According to details, the transporters in the wake increase in the prices of petroleum products have jacked up fares on local routes, adding the burden of the masses already grappling with ever-rising inflation. The commuters complained that they are being charged by the
transporters on a whim and if anybody objects, they get he/she off the vehicle, forcing the commuters to hire much expensive taxi or rickshaw to reach their destination. The commuters regretted that women and elderly persons are no exception for these uneducated and ill-mannered conductors and cleaners of the public transport. Another tactic the transport mafia practices after Asr time, the public transport vehicles on different routes don’t complete route due to which the commuters have to pay the fare twice. “This public transport mafia is
For the first time in its history, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is expected to charge airfare to people performing the Haj pilgrimage privately in American dollars. The national flag carrier unveiled the move Tuesday and is likely to come into force on June 6. The fare for the pilgrims from the southern and northern regions are likely to remain in the bracket of $810 to $1,100 and $860 to $1,150 respectively, according to the airline. The decision was taken one and a half years ago but its implementation was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Separately, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has delayed the announcement of flight operations for the coming pilgrimage as it is yet to make a final decision. A meeting for finalising the Haj policy chaired by the secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs remained inconclusive. The flight operations have been restricted to five cities instead of eight and will begin from June 5 or 6. The airlines are experiencing final constraints in devising the flight plans that had earlier been decided to commence from May 31.
unbridled and seems to be unanswerable to anybody mainly due to bribe they pay to the departments supposed to check them”, the commuters alleged, adding that the drivers of public transport vehicles are the beneficiary of all (situations) and they know the art of “how to mint money the public.” The residents of twin cities have demanded the authorities concerned take strict action against the transporters engaged in such illegal tactics, adding the government should take measures to address miseries of the commuters.
Khudayar Mohla to head IHCBA’s media committee Islamabad Staff RepoRt
To promote professionalism and enhance communication on legal matters, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has appointed Right to Information (RTI) lawyer, Khudayar Mohla, as the chairman of its media committee. The four-member committee now comprises Chairman Mohla, Vice-Chairman Muhammad Abdul Rafeh, and High Court Advocates Syed Shafqaat Ahmad and Zohaib Hassan Gondal. Before starting his legal practice, Mohla worked with various national, regional, and global media houses, and is the founding editor of The Law Today
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Pakistan (TLTP). He specialises in RTI, media laws, consumer rights, and cybersecurity. He is also a visiting faculty member at the law departments of Quaide-Azam University and International Islamic University Islamabad. In a statement issued soon after his appointment, Mohla said that the legal and media fraternities play a crucial role in today’s world, adding that under his chairmanship, the committee would facilitate the correspondents to enable them to carry out their professional duties. For the capacity-building of budding court lawyers and to promote the dissemination of information, he said, seminars would be arranged on the jurisdictional functioning of the courts.
The chairman said that the committee would promote increasing lawyer-journalist linkages for the protection of human rights and promotion of media freedom. Acknowledging the central role of the media committee being the dissemination of IHCBA’s news, he said that they would also welcome feedback from editors for improving their performance. IHCBA President Muhammad Shoaib Shaheen said that the media committee would support journalists in improving coverage of human rights issues and will contribute to the society through dissemination of information in a professional manner. He underscored the importance of professionalism within the ranks of lawyers and journalists for national stability.
06-07 Comments - 1st June 2022_Layout 1 5/31/2022 11:35 PM Page 1
Wednesday, 1 June, 2022
06 COMMENT
We are sick about guns
A dangerous narrative PTI is playing with fire
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HERE is little that distinguishes PtI chief Imran Khan from the run-of-the-mill politicians other than his holier-than-thou posture. Like them he makes all sorts of false promises to come to power, like them he fails to fulfil these and then comes up with new pies in the sky. He rubbishes other politicians, calls them names, treats them as dirt, but when their help is needed to achieve power or to retain it he eats his words without any qualm of conscience, embraces them and offers them ministries. It is sheer opportunism on the part of Mr Khan to give the name of jihad to a struggle being waged solely for regaining political power. He is playing with the youths’ religious sentiments with the aim of pushing them into a do-or-die struggle to bring him to power. During PtI’s recent political gatherings, it has been common to air patriotic songs of the 1965 War calling upon troops to fight jihad, sacrifice their lives and be remembered as martyrs. the indoctrination led many PtI protestors to carry weapons with them during the so-called Azadi March as revealed by Mr Khan in his interview with tV journalist Moeed Pirzada. What makes the matter even more serious is that the PtI leadership knew this was happening and still did not stress the need on the part of the protestors to remain peaceful even in the face of possible provocation. the leadership could have done this if it had the commitment to maintain social order. trained in peaceful resistance, Bacha Khan’s Red shirts did not indulge in violence even when scores of them were mowed down by the British Army’s machineguns in the Qissa Khwani Bazar firing on 23 April 1930. Mr Khan on the other hand wants to lead the youth in a jihad against his own people. Equally serious is KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan’s statement to use his province’s “force” when Imran Khan calls another protest march. Who will this force fight? Weaponizing religion in pursuit of political goals has led youth to suicide attacks. Few had taken noice of PtI leaders shahryar Afridi and Ghulam sarwar Khan when they spoke approvingly of suicide bombings. the jihad can only be announced by the state. In case a single party takes the path, it can harm the country’s integrity.
washington watch Dr James J Zogby
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t’s difficult to find the words that adequately describe our feelings on first learning of the massacre of 19 children and two teachers in texas last week. there was shock, fear, even nausea, and then disgust at the realization that this nightmare we’ve experienced too many times before was playing out again. As expected, the next day’s papers were filled with graphs and charts showing how many mass shootings we have had in America (an average of one a day); how many school massacres we’ve had in the past few decades (dozens); how many gun homicides (50 a day); and how many guns are owned by civilians (more than 400,000,000). Bottom line: We own more guns and have a higher per capita murder rate and mass casualty events annually— by far— than any other country on earth. No matter how many times we are told this and how many outrages we endure, we know in our hearts that nothing will be done. And so, we are resigned to live with fear, knowing the nightmare will return. Let’s face it: We are a sick country. Our debate on gun violence can best be described as deranged and pathetic. Republicans and some Democrats fearful of getting in the crosshairs of the “gun lobby” refuse to take any action. they refuse to allow even limited controls on guns, arguing that the unfettered right to own weapons is sacred. the solution to gun violence, they argue, is more guns. Having seen legislation to ban assault weapons or place limits on gun purchases routinely defeated, Democrats have either given up trying or been reduced to offering weak proposals. the result: each
Politicians, please Who is talking to the TTP, and why?
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peace deal is being negotiated, we are informed. Details are filtering in from the cold, as it were, and they are sparse. such is the opacity with which the state is operating on this front in the Afghan capital with the proscribed ttP. the stumbling blocks: the ttP wants a reversal of the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the imposition of what it calls sharia law. the former, they were told, isn’t on the table; the 25th amendment saw to this. the latter isn’t clear, but some captured ttP operatives are reportedly going to be released as a confidence building measure. the Pakistani side in these Afghan-taliban-facilitated negotiations is also asking for something unacceptable to the other side: the complete dismemberment of the ttP as an armed militant group. there is much to unpack here. First of all, as per all appearances it is the military establishment that is carrying out these negotiations. If history has ever been an indicator, that has never worked out well. Without political ownership, nay, political stewardship, such negotiations can never work. Let us consider why the reversal of the Fata merger is impossible. Because it required a constitutional amendment? But would it have been okay if the ttP wanted something that could have been done away with through simple legislation? How is even that something that unelected institutions can offer to someone? As far as the perceived flexibility of the Pakistani side on the whole sharia thing is concerned, a prudent and principled apex judiciary can and should strike any such arrangement down. Why should the residents of a particular part of the country be subjected to another set of laws? Yes, the provinces do make their own laws but only after a deliberative process in a parliament of representatives. How can such an offer be made? Lastly, even the ttP brought to the negotiations a document that said that autonomy to the tribal areas was promised by the Quaid himself. that is a common mistake many in Pakistan make, as well as the foreign press, when they used to refer to Fata as “Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal areas.” that is a farce. Pakistan’s provinces proper were far more autonomous than that federally run gulag, still subject to the horrid FCR, with ghastly tools like the principle of collective responsibility. It is a travesty that Fata remained Fata for as long as it did. We should make sure it is integrated even more into the rest of Pakistan rather than for the merger to be one only in name.
burhan ahmeD LoDhi
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UssIA is one of the major powers in international politics and since February 2022, has been at war with Ukraine, while the energy, food and economic security of south Asia and other underdeveloped countries is being threatened. Russia is a major oil and gas producer and UsA being an arms rival of Russia is a great superpower and any nation’s steps against any of these two states can result in destabilizing their own economy. therefore, keeping that in view, Pakistan and other underdeveloped countries had tried a number of ways to stay neutral (34 countries in the UN general assembly didn’t vote against any state) and enhance bilateral relations with both countries and maintain their balance of power in international politics. since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, 34 countries including Pakistan, India, sri Lanka, had maintained a neutral approach to the war crisis rather than supporting any state. that is an ever wise step from the Pakistan government in pursuing its national interest. Pakistan being a periphery country has no national deposits and it can face a devastating economic effect if it tries to go against any superstate. Last few decades’ trade reports show how Pakistan’s total GDP is greatly based on bilateral trade with the UsA, Russia and Ukraine. In the last 24 years, Pakistan’s exports to Russia have increased at an annualized rate of 13.6 percent from $13.1 million (1996) to $279 million (2020). In the same year, Pakistani imports from Russia increased at 10.2 percent from $67.6 million (1996) to 699 million (2020) Pakistani exports to Ukraine have increased at an annualized rate of 15.5 percent from $18 million (1996) to $573 million (2020). similarly, Pakistan imports from Ukraine have increased at an annualized
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We will have more angry debate. We may pass some weak and ineffective legislation. And then we’ll move on to another issue that will distract us until the next massacre occurs. And another one will occur, because until we have a prolonged and serious national discussion about our sick love affair with guns and purge ourselves of this pathology, we will only be skirting around the edges of an issue that is killing us.
Pakistan doesn’t really have much choice
Arif Nizami (Late)
M. A. Niazi
Gun Crazy Bart’s fixation with the weapon is pathological and it leads ultimately to his demise. When I see the look on the faces of gun enthusiasts lining up to make what they fear may be their last purchase before “Democrats take our guns away,” I think of Bart. When I watch them sensually cradling their assault weapons or “zoned out” at the shooting range, I think of Bart, knowing that nothing good can come of it. We know all this. And yet there continues to be a pathological obsession not only with owning weapons, but also with blocking any reasonable controls on their ownership. the modus operandi of this lobby is simple and direct. they allow no discussion, no compromise, no concessions, and no wavering or weakness. And they mask their deadly advocacy with the Constitution, arguing that what is at stake is the very survival of America’s freedoms. In the process, they further inflame the passions of their adherents. In the end, we have a “gun crazy” culture, armed to the teeth, with some believing that they are the true patriots defending liberty against tyranny. When we add to this mix, all of the resentments and pressures that gave birth to the tea Party and trumpism (including a not-so-subtle appeal to race), we are left with a dangerous and volatile brew. We will have more angry debate. We may pass some weak and ineffective legislation. And then we’ll move on to another issue that will distract us until the next massacre occurs. And another one will occur, because until we have a prolonged and serious national discussion about our sick love affair with guns and purge ourselves of this pathology, we will only be skirting around the edges of an issue that is killing us. The writer is President of the Arab American Institute
The Russia-Ukraine crisis and Pakistan’s neutrality approach
Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami
Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
new tragedy gives birth to short-lived horror, a bit of finger-pointing, a half-hearted attempt to pass some limited reforms, and then failure. the reality is deeper than policies or legislation. It’s not just that our guns are too sophisticated or that we have too many of them. the root problem is our sick “gun culture.” My generation grew up playing “cowboys and Indians” or “cops and robbers.” If we didn’t have cap pistols or toy rifles, we simply improvised with a pointed finger, a thumb trigger, and “pow, pow, you’re dead.” My grandchildren do not play these games. Instead, they act out more fanciful tales of fantasy futuristic heroes, all possessing more potent weapons. But they will also make do, when needed, with sticks or fingers morphing them into weapons possessed of all sorts of destructive powers. And the video games they play and movies we watch are largely based on killing— so much so that it has become normalized. From cradle to grave we are fed a steady diet of guns and violence. From cartoons, Westerns, or cop shows to video games and Quentin tarantino’s “bullet and blood fests,” guns and shooting and killing are ingrained into our “deep culture.” Like “Mom and apple pie,” guns have become part of who we are as a nation. there is a scene in the film noir cult classic Gun Crazy where Bart, the film’s main character, as a young boy is staring longingly into a store window. the object of his desire is a sixshooter. Unable to resist its call, he shatters the glass and attempts to steal the weapon, only to be arrested in the act. the next scene has Bart standing before a judge trying to explain his obsession with guns. He tells the court, “I feel good when I’m shooting them. I feel awful good inside, like I’m somebody.”
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rate of 14.8 percent from $2.98 million (1996) to $82.1 million (2020) In 2019, before the global pandemic, Pakistan and UsA combined imports and exports were worth $6.6 billion, $2.6 billion exports, $3.9 billion imports and $1.9 billion trade deficit. Altogether, Pakistan has raised its GDP from $82.02 billion in 2000 to $263.7 billion in 2020. the increase in GDP is clear evidence of Pakistan’s performance on developing bilateral relationships with great powers in international politics. Now, the RussiaUkraine crisis is a tough test of Pakistan’s diplomatic skills to pursue the ongoing relations. so far Pakistan has maintained a neutrality approach, neither in the favour of Russia and neither in the favour of Ukraine. Pakistan is an underdeveloped country and as such has little or no influence in international politics among great powers. the reason for Pakistan being neutral is the same as other 33 countries. If Pakistan goes in support of Ukraine then Russia is on the door to impose sanctions on Pakistan. Currently, Russia is supporting Pakistan with $2 billion in the Pakistan stream Gas Pipeline Project from Karachi to Kasur. In February 2022, Imran Khan and Vladimir Putin made a deal that Pakistan will import $2 million wheat this year. these all benefits from Russia can be made to vanish in a blink of an eye. Afterward, Russia can cut off Pakistan from its oil and gas exports which can result in huge inflation. In case, if Pakistan goes in the support of Russia
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
rather than the UsA, a great superpower and arms rival of Russia, it is on the door to imposed sanctions. Currently, Pakistan is in $130 Billion debts to mulitilateral agencies, apart from fsacing sanctions from FAtF, any more economic pressure can result in historic inflation. As evidence, when the European Union was pressurizing Pakistan to clear their stance on a single side on the Russia Ukraine issue, then Prime Minister Imran Khan commented “What are we? Are we your slaves? Do we do what you say?” resulting in a $55 Million sanction on the state Bank of Pakistan. therefore, Pakistan which has just come-back from the covid-19 inflation and economic crises, is not in a position to put itself in another hurdle. Hence, being neutral like 33 other countries in the United Nations security Council is the best stance Pakistan diplomacy can come up with. Keeping all that in view, Pakistani foreign policy should be based on its national interest while developing bilateral relations with all states. Currently, Russia is looking for a new global market for exporting oil and gas after being cut off from Europe and the UsA. Pakistan can take it as a means to lower its energy crisis and inflation lasting for the two years. then India had Russian support since the end of the Cold War. Pakistan in its foreign policy objectives can utilize this time to gain Russia support for future endeavours. that can be done by bilateral deals just as done by former PM Imran Khan.
Therefore, Pakistan which has just come-back from the covid-19 inflation and economic crises, is not in a position to put itself in another hurdle. Hence, being neutral like 33 other countries in the United Nations Security Council is the best stance Pakistan diplomacy can come up with.
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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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The writer can be at burhanahmedlodhi1@gmail.com
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
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06-07 Comments - 1st June 2022_Layout 1 5/31/2022 11:35 PM Page 2
Wednesday, 1 June, 2022
COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively
IESCO’s mismanagement and incompetence
How democracies backslide into authoritarianism Stopping demagogues requires education
muhammaD waJahat suLtan
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ODERNItY and Enlightenment are fundamental inventions of human beings in the last millennium. the capitalist economy, liberal democratic political system, and technological advancements are the basic features of affluent modern human beings. Democracy is the system to sustain the identity, recognition, and equal approachability of human beings in modern societies. Erich From in his book Escape from Freedom asserted that Freedom is the dialectical process in which individuals decoupled their emotions with freedom when this freedom becomes the cause of anxiousness. In the neoliberal economic order of the post-Cold War era the economic meltdown, environmental catastrophe, and crumbling identities of nation-states amid global integration caused the cultural necrophobia in recent decades from Western to Eastern regions of the world. Neo-Freudian psychologists formulated that incapable individuals escaped from the burdens of freedom and ceased to strive for democracies; choosing a self-pathway and becoming part of the sadomasochistic power structure of the authoritarian leaders. Why do human beings reject freedom and turn into the arms of dictatorships, populistregime and authoritarian rulers? that potential question echoes in the mind and consciousness of every sane entity. the majority of people are not aware of embracing positive freedoms like legal rights because of narrower academic exposures being designed by the division of labour. In neoliberal literature, the specialized knowledge and unawareness of parallel perspectives are core to excelling in potentially high academic excellence. People become easily manipulated by dictators in nature. Psychologically speaking, human beings are more compatible and concerned about their local identities and collective interests as a nation, as religious identities, and as sacred groups. In the neoliberal order and prevalent liberal democracies of Francis Fukuyama, technologies and economic forces are globally integrated nations into “one world” while the identities of people in nation-states pull them back to their local and cultural representations. this confronts the instinct to be a part of the global community or to be part of traditional culture and attracts authoritarian rulers to manipulate people into thinking that their collective interests are threatened by foreign conspiracies and for-
eign invaders. this illusion easily persuades them to be part of populist narratives and rhetoric. For Instance; Weimar Germany after WWI was a democratic Republic, but Hitler in 1933 in the form of Nazism popularized that German is unstable and threatened by the foreign occupation of Britain and France, this the popular narrative appealed to the local identities of the people and they democratically elected a leader who paved the way for the Holocaust and WWII. In the 21st century appeals to local identities and nationalist sentiments are popular mantras for populist leaders to feed anti-global sentiments. the potential threat to collective and local identities of sacred groups, religious factions, and locals empowers the potential dictator to thrive in this climate. For example, turkey’s Recep tayyip Erdoğan midst the 2016 coup attempt, regardless of the constitutional protection of Kemalism pe the foundation of secularism, popularized the revival of the lost glory of local turkish and their enriched cultural identities, appealed to the emotions and sentiments of the native population and they empowered a potential dictator to be in power. the Internet is an ominous threat to democracies unless it is used without any check on the reachability of Authoritarian rulers like Putin and Donald trump. there are more than five billion active users of the internet in the world. the majority of people on the internet use it to endorse their existing worldviews and biases, and exchange information and evidence in the echo chamber with like-minded people. Politics in the modern arena becomes the politics of show business in which appeals are to sentiments rather than facts and logic, and that is the core ideology of rulers. Alternative facts matter more than the real facts. the other perspective is the moral alienation phenomenon. Fear of morality alone persuades people to be conformist automata . When people perceive that the majority is biassed they ultimately annex with biases because greater aloneness cuts them from the tiers of social security. the elite dissatisfaction in the society is also a cause of turning democracies into dictatorships. the classic example of Franklin Roosevelt after the New Deal is visible: the mutilation of the capitalist corporate mindset by FDR dissatisfied the elites of American Democracy and America was on the verge of turning into a dictatorship because this faction of elites went to the Naval Chief for aid to topple down the government of FDR. A good gesture that the Forces chief denied toppling the democratic setup.
Likewise in Chile during the era of Allende’s presidency, the elite was disappointed and with the help of General Augusto Pinochet, they ejected Allende from power and allowed Pinochet to rule in power. Later he appeared as a morally brutal ruler in Chile. Democracies are in recession for the last 20 years due to the rising alienation of voters into the political process. the voters in the average political process don’t reflect their democratic interests and political choices. this phenomenon makes them apathetic and they wilfully escape from freedom and let democracies backslide into authoritarian support. According to steven Levitsky, a renowned political scientist and author of How Democracies Die, asserted that democracies die at the polls and in the electoral process in modern contemporary societies. Demagogues come into power by strongman political representation and vowing to be vigorous against those who are sapping the nation’s strength so they come with rhetoric to rescue the lost dignity and glory of nations, like stalin and Hitler. strongmen through Political Engineering vowed to be against minorities and anti-majoritarian forces personally and professionally. With the rise of Donald trump in the UsA, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, tayyip Erdogan in turkey, and Narendra Modi in India, it is clear that illiberalism in democracies is paving its way day by day. the appeal to emotion approach will slide our global norms into the dark ages of the 16th century. Coming to the way forward of protecting the struggle of millions to prevail in the democratic culture from the French Revolution to the Cold War; we need to be committed to our democratic culture and rational choices before the loss of millions to fight against the potential monarchs and dictators. We need to redesign and redirect our preferences by reconsidering our preferences in educational policies and the health sector. Good education is the only way forward to abdicate all ills. the Neoliberal order should introduce the “social man” dichotomy rather than the “economic man” of utilitarianism in educational policy to equip individuals with social lineages rather than just focusing on the economic and short-term appeals. the change in education will lead to change in political perspectives which will provoke the instincts and consciousness for more democracy and peace.
The Neoliberal order should introduce the “social man” dichotomy rather than the “economic man” of utilitarianism in educational policy to equip individuals with social lineages rather than just focusing on the economic and short-term appeals. The change in education will lead to change in political perspectives which will provoke the instincts and consciousness for more democracy and peace
The writer is a transportation engineer with postgraduations in English literature and political science.
tHE plan to build a separate feeder for the city to address the growing problems of power tripping and load in the city of Daultala failed due to the incompetence and mismanagement of IEsCO officials. On paper, the project was completed a year ago, but in reality, more than 20 percent of the work remains to be done. Ignored by IEsCO construction and IEsCO operations, this huge project has gone unnoticed by consumers instead of meeting its targets. It should be noted that this project has cost a whopping Rs. 27.5 million. Instead of building a city feeder, the city has been connected to three different feeders, adding to the power problems. Disregarding the rules and regulations of the project, IsCO officials have connected only the middle population of the city to the city feeder. While the northern population of the city is connected to the Ahdi feeder and the southern population to the Dera Muslim feeder. Both the feeders are spread over a wide area, they have a lot of load and line faults due to which power outages have increased. the Chief Executive Officer of IEsCO should immediately take notice of this mismanagement and incompetence and rectify the situation. QASIM ALI QASIM RAWALPINDI
Intensifying quagmire CURRENtLY, Pakistan finds itself in a political and economic quagmire, which is intensifying because of the conflicts of interests of those at the helm. this blind pursuit of power is increasing political instability and damaging the economy. Mediocre politicians holding constitutional offices are using different tactics to prolong this impasse. In a democracy, there is no concept of a ruling family because individuals and political parties are voted into and out of power. this is what democracy is all about, where sovereignty rests with the will of the people. there is no place for cults in a democracy or an Islamic society. It is the collective interest and welfare of the majority that must precede the insatiable greed for power. Otherwise, we may soon approach the same fate as sri Lanka and our political leaders will receive the same backlash as the Rajapaksa family. In 2017, when PtI came to power, the total external debt was $86 billion, which swelled to $93 billion in 2018. By 2021, it escalated to $116 billion, which demonstrates an increase of $36 billion in under 4 years. However, the PtI alone cannot be blamed for this, all the past regimes are equally responsible for the present socio-economic turmoil. Despite a severe economic crisis, no attempts have been made to reduce the import of luxury items. Instead of importing luxury sUVs, there should be a total ban on the import of all foreign cars, mobile phones, and luxury items for at least a year. Unfortunately, it seems that the government has failed to gauge the seriousness of the matter and is oblivious to the ensuing crisis. MALIK TARIQ LAHORE
Load-shedding PRIME MINIstER shehbaz sharif had promised to end load shedding in the country by May 1. Unfortunately, citizens were given no respite even during the Eid holidays as many areas suffered from 10 to 12 hours of load-shedding. Officials claim that the reason for the shortage of electricity has to do with the unavailability of required fuel for power generation and the non-maintenance of some power plants. But what are the true facts? During 2013 to 2018, without necessity, a large number of thermal power stations were built, taking the installed capacity to 35,735MW when the maximum demand was 23,000MW. this capacity could not be utilised because the needed transmission infrastructure was not built. What people don’t realise is that this is a very serious shortcoming that is constantly being undermined by the authorities. When we, WAPDA engineers, were building the country’s power system back in 1958, we built and completed the transmission lines and grid stations before commissioning the Warsak and Multan power stations. the same procedure was carried out for the Mangla and the tarbela power stations. the other major problem in the power sector is circular debt. Approximately 17,276MW is being produced by independent power producers. they have to be paid the capacity charges even if their power is not utilised. Under the PPP government’s 1984 Power Policy, these independent producers have been given extraordinarily generous terms. Billions of rupees are constantly being lost because of this. the only solution to the load-shedding conundrum is to construct transmission infrastructure without further delay. this will also enable expanding the power sector to neglected and underdeveloped areas. IMTIAZ ALI QAZILBASH ISLAMABAD
E-governance RECENtLY, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) decided to live-stream judicial proceedings and constituted an e-committee to propose rules for such proceedings. this is a monumental step because it will improve the public’s accessibility to the court and allow the people to scrutinise the proceedings, which can increase transparency and impartiality. Given that IHC has already tested the procedure, the federal government should also consider introducing information technology in the different government bodies. since most people now have access to digital devices and WiFi services, e-governance will provide ordinary citizens with easy access to government policies and political procedures, which will empower citizens and make them feel included. Also, the traditional paperwork system is time-consuming, which can be avoided with e-governance as a seamless It infrastructure will be set up. Importantly, e-governance can reduce costs because the government can collect data and seek people’s opinions through digital modes of interaction. this will save the money spent on the different resources and avoid maintenance costs. therefore, the government should closely follow the progress of IHC’s use of It equipment and formulate a strategy to transition towards e-governance. SYEDA HADIA BAKHTAWAR NANAKANA SAHIB
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08 WORLD VIEW
PreSident Biden’S triP to ASiA dividing the woRld into RivAl blocS, the cold wAR wAy naTion, uS MIcHAEl T KlARE
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RESidEnT Joe Biden’s recent trip to asia and Secretary of State antony Blinken’s May 26 speech on China were both meant to communicate the same message: although determined to help the Ukrainians resist Russian aggression in Europe, the administration remains equally committed to curbing China’s rise in asia. “Even as President Putin’s war continues,” Blinken declared, “we will remain focused on the most serious long-term challenge to the international order—and that’s posed by the People’s Republic of China.” determined to demonstrate toughness and leadership in the struggle to subdue Beijing, as it is in the struggle to subdue Moscow, the administration is working to encircle China with an unbreakable chain of military bases and US–armed allies—a strategy that is bound to encounter opposition from some regional actors and could result in a major, even a nuclear, war. Curbing China’s rise was cited as the Biden administration’s top foreign policy goal from its first days in office. Washington’s ultimate goal, an interim White House “Strategic Guidance” of March 2021 avowed, was “to prevail in strategic competition with China.” This meant, it noted, building up US military forces in asia and “bolstering and defending our unparalleled network of allies and partners,” including Taiwan. These priorities largely governed US foreign policy throughout 2021. Then came the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From the very moment that Russian columns began their assault on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, President Biden and his staff began working to secure European support for harsh economic sanctions on Moscow and to speed the delivery of arms and ammunition to the Ukrainian military. But even when engaged in those efforts, Biden made it clear that his support for Ukraine was not aimed solely at enhancing European security but was part of a global effort, intended to protect american values and interests against a perceived challenge from a nexus of hostile, antidemocratic regimes. THE HAMMER DROPS: “We [have] emerged anew in the great battle for free-
dom: a battle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, between a rules-based order and one governed by brute force,” he declared in Warsaw, Poland, on March 26. This would not be a short-term battle, limited to the conflict in Ukraine. “We must commit now to be in this fight for the long haul,” he affirmed. “We must remain unified today and tomorrow and the day after and for the years and decades to come.” For senior officials in Washington, there can be no doubt that Biden’s vision of a world divided along ideological lines—with democracies on one side and autocracies on the other—places China alongside Russia, iran, and other states said to be enemies of the “rules-based order.” But some in Washington have alleged that the White House has been so preoccupied with Ukraine and Europe that it has been neglecting its pledge to make containment of China its top priority. To counter those claims, and advance its program for isolating China, President Biden spent five days in asia at the end of May, stopping in Seoul and Tokyo. Biden’s trip garnered its greatest media attention for a supposed “gaffe” he made during a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on May 23. When asked by a reporter, “are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, if it comes to that?” he answered, “Yes.… That’s the commitment we made.” Biden’s simple answer, “Yes,” triggered headlines around the world, because no US president has ever issued such a guaranty before and, in fact, there is no US “commitment” to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion—only a vague statement, incorporated into the Taiwan Relations act of 1979, that Washington will view any attempt by China to seize Taiwan by military means as a matter “of grave concern to the United States.” Barely before Biden had finished uttering these words, senior officials in Washington were walking back his statement in Tokyo, saying there was “no change” in US policy—only a pledge to help the Taiwanese defend themselves by supplying them with advanced arms and military equipment. But this is not the first time Biden has suggested that the United States is prepared to intervene on Taiwan’s behalf. When asked by anderson Cooper of Cnn last October whether the US would defend Taiwan if attacked by China, Biden said, “Yes, we have a commitment to do that.” Moreover, reading through the lines of other official statements, it appears that Washington’s stance on Taiwan has, in fact,
shifted, from a “one China” policy, which views the island as being inextricably linked to the mainland, to one that perceives it as a vital link in the US-led military network being installed around China. “[Let me explain] why Taiwan’s security is so important to the United States,” said Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for indo-China security affairs, in testimony last december before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Taiwan is located at a critical node within the first island chain [incorporating Japan and the Philippines], anchoring a network of US allies and partners that is critical to the region’s security and critical to the defense of vital US interests in the indo-Pacific.” Herein lie the key concepts driving US policy toward China and asia: the establishment of a “network” of US-armed allies encircling China in a giant arc from Japan and South Korea in the north to indonesia and australia to the south, and with Taiwan serving as a “critical node” in the middle. it is largely in pursuit of this master plan that Biden spent those five days in asia. On the first leg of his journey, Biden met with President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, a conservative just elected to that position. in contrast to his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, Yoon favors a harsh stance toward north Korea and support for US efforts to encircle China, making Biden’s task far easier. Biden also encountered a friendly ear in Tokyo, where he met with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, another conservative recently arrived in office. Both officials signaled support for Biden’s plans to establish “a rules-based order in the indo-Pacific,” as Yoon put it during a May 21 press conference with Biden. The highpoint of the trip, however, was a summit meeting of the “Quad”—a quasimilitary alliance of australia, india, Japan, and the United States aimed at curbing China’s rise. Joining Kishida and Biden in Tokyo on May 24 for the summit were Prime Minister narendra Modi of india and the newly minted prime minister of australia, anthony albanese. it was here that Biden spelled out his long-term goal of a naTO-like alliance system for asia, in opposition to China. “That’s what this is about: democracies versus autocracies,” he said in public comments following the summit. Just as in Europe, he explained, democracy, the rule of law, and territorial integrity are endangered in asia—there by Russia, here by China. in response, “the United States must and will be strong, steady, and an enduring partner in the indo-Pacific. We are in the indo-Pacific…we are an indo-Pacific power.” Secretary Blinken expanded on these
themes in his Georgetown University address of May 26. “We do not seek [conflict with China],” he asserted. “We will seek to avoid it. But we will defend our interests against any threat.” He then went on to describe the measures the administration was taking to bolster US military capabilities in the western Pacific—measures than can only be viewed as highly threatening by Beijing and so inspire comparable Chinese countermoves, producing a recurring risk of military engagement and escalation. Blinken also spoke of the administration’s ambitions for the Quad and its intent to lure other indo-Pacific nations into a close military and economic embrace with Washington. This does not mean that the nations of asia had to “choose” between China and the West, he went on to say— while clearly suggesting otherwise. “it’s about giving them a choice, so that, for example, the only option isn’t an opaque investment that leaves countries in debt, stokes corruption, harms the environment, fails to create local jobs or growth, and compromises countries’ exercise of their sovereignty”—all obvious references to China. as an alternative to China’s tainted development model, Biden and Blinken offered the indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a vague grab bag of aspirational initiatives. Some 13 countries joined the framework when its formation was announced by Biden in Tokyo on May 23. But it is unclear that all of those countries, including indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, have any intention of ceasing their trade with Beijing or, for that matter, joining in a military alliance aimed at encircling and stifling China. and Prime Minister albanese of australia, in his remarks following the Quad summit, stated, “We will act in recognition that climate change is the main economic and security challenge for the island countries of the Pacific”—hardly an endorsement of the Biden-Blinken line on containing China. at some point—probably not too distant from now—Russia and Ukraine will commence serious negotiations and the fighting will come to an end. at that time, the Biden administration is likely to revert to the status quo ante, with its all-handson-deck drive to contain China. This could prove to be a very dangerous time—even more dangerous than the current situation in Europe—especially if Washington heightens tensions over Taiwan. Wise heads and extreme caution will be required under these circumstances to ensure that we do not find ourselves in a deeply divided, conflict-prone world. Michael T. Klare, The Nation’s defense correspondent, is professor emeritus of peace and world-security studies at Hampshire College and senior visiting fellow at the Arms Control Association in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he is the author of All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective on Climate Change.
Another round of uS cAjoling Steady Russian support makes switching of sides difficult Tribune
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ndia has been hosting recurring waves of diplomats and government officials descending from Washington with the singular purpose of removing Russia from South Block’s bouquet of painstakingly built diplomatic ties. The latest to arrive is the US Treasury’s Elizabeth Rosenberg who has built a career around ensuring that recalcitrant countries from the US point of view, such as Russia, north Korea, Syria etc., suffer the maximum pain of sanctions. The US has been dispatching these officials to regurgitate their persuasive pitches when india as a sovereign nation has made its stand crystal clear during two Biden-Modi summits – one virtual in april and the other in-person in Tokyo – and at the two plus two of Foreign and defence Ministers held in Washington last month. india is not the only major nation to be confronted by relentless american cajoling. indonesia, South africa, Turkey, Brazil and even israel are reluctant to put all their eggs in the american basket. The miasma of distrust towards US consistency has heightened after its cut-and-run tactics in afghanistan. Having gone along with american choices in Kabul for two decades, their precipitous withdrawal left india between a rock and a hard place. india’s expectations of gaining access to critical technology through Quad have remained elusive. Even more galling, the US, the UK and australia quietly carved out aUKUS, an exclusive club for the joint development of advanced submarine capability, to counter China. On the other hand, india has much promising business with Russia. PM Modi is still persuading his western counterparts to liberalise the movement of skilled indian professionals. if the war had not intervened, the first batch of indians to work in Far Eastern Russia would have left last month. indian industries ranging from diamonds to coking coal are finding new footholds in this region. in addition, not counting the strategic comfort that comes from the Russian readiness to watch india’s back, whether it is hard-to-get defence systems or support at international fora such as the UnSC. india’s ties with the West are worth their weight in gold but Russia is an anchor india would like to persist with.
how global food crises work
ProjecT SyndicaTe HANS-WERNER SINN
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HE war in Ukraine has led to an explosion in global food prices. Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine accounted for 10% of global exports of wheat, 13% of barley, more than 50% of sunflower oil, 5% of rapeseed oil, and 15% of corn. But these deliveries have now been disrupted on a massive scale, because Russia is blockading Ukrainian ports and bombing its grain storage facilities. in april, the global FaO food price index was already 30% higher year on year, and 62% higher than in 2020 on average. and threats to this year’s harvest mean that additional price spikes are looming. Higher food prices affect consumers all over the world. But poor countries are especially vulnerable. Because they already must spend the lion’s share of their income on food, they simply cannot compete with other countries when prices rise. increased poverty, hunger and starvation,
AS if the immediAte food ShoRtAgeS cReAted by RuSSiA’S wAR in ukRAine weRe not bAd enough, the diSRuption to thiS yeAR’S hARveSt meAnS thAt the pRoblem will become even moRe Acute in the fAll And winteR. Judging by SimilAR epiSodeS in the Recent pASt, wideSpReAd SociAl unReSt iS SuRe to follow and widespread protests will become inevitable. The 2007 “tortilla crisis” offers a preview of what awaits us. Owing to state subsidies to encourage production of bioethanol fuel in the United States and other countries, the supply of corn available for use as food and animal feed had been gradually decreasing. as a result, corn prices doubled between the winters of 2005-06 and 2006-07, and tortillas became 35% more expensive. in January 2007, hunger protests erupted in Mexico City, because people could no longer afford to buy tortillas. Following this surge in corn prices, farmers started reallocating land that had previously been used to grow wheat, which in turn led to a spike in wheat prices in 2008. and when consumers responded to these price increases by switching to rice, the price of the latter also increased. Making matters worse, countries such as argentina, india, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Russia, and Vietnam responded to the food-price crisis by imposing export bans to protect their people from price increases. But these policies merely worsened the global scarcity,
causing prices to rise even faster. By 2008, prices for wheat, corn, and rice had tripled from their 2006 levels. Today, this pattern is already being repeated: india has begun banning wheat exports, and other countries will soon follow. as food prices continue to increase, more countries will experience social unrest. in the tortilla crisis, the protests that started in Mexico spread to many other developing and emerging economies over the following year. Hunger protests, many of them violent, occurred in 37 countries. These knock-on effects continued to materialize for several years. For example, the 2010-11 arab Spring could be seen as a belated consequence of the tortilla crisis. after temporarily falling in 2009, food prices had climbed even higher than before. When a Tunisian greengrocer set himself on fire to protest corruption, he launched a movement that quickly spread across the region. The mechanisms that led to the tortilla crisis are still intact. To this day, land that once was used to grow crops
for food is used to produce biofuels. Faced with a choice between using harvests to feed people and to fuel cars, policymakers and farmers often decided in favor of the cars. it has been estimated that 4% of the world’s agricultural land is used for growing biofuels and 40% of US corn production is used to make ethanol. and now that crude oil prices are rising, this share is likely to grow even larger, because crude oil and biofuels have been in a direct, one-sided substitution relationship ever since fossil fuels stopped being the cheaper alternative. in addition to the immediate war-related price increases (from substantial Ukrainian supply shortages), other food-price effects of the conflict are now accumulating. This fall and winter, the impact of the missing harvests will become apparent on world markets, and the crisis will enter a new critical phase – with renewed hunger protests and heightened risks to global peace and stability. in fact, the number of lives threatened by these impending humanitarian catastrophes could dwarf anything we have seen so far in Ukraine. The international community therefore must push for a ceasefire and peace negotiations. There is too much at stake for either party to continue to set its sights on an outright victory in the war. Hans-Werner Sinn, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Munich, is a former president of the Ifo Institute for Economic Research and serves on the German economy ministry’s Advisory Council. He is the author, most recently, of The Euro Trap: On Bursting Bubbles, Budgets, and Beliefs (Oxford University Press, 2014).
09 Business 1 June 2022_Layout 1 5/31/2022 10:42 PM Page 1
Wednesday, 1 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
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GanG-rape accused arrested ‘by sweat of their brow’: pr iGp LAHORE
i The Bank of Khyber MD/ CEO Muhammad Ali Gulfaraz and Telenor Pakistan CEO Irfan Wahab Khan sign MOU for integration of Mobile Top Up, Bundles subscription and postpaid billing.
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staff rePort
NSPECTOR General of Police, Pakistan Railways, Faisal Shahkar Tuesday said that the accused of tragic train incident have been arrested by railways police and their DNA samples have been taken to go further into investigation. Addressing a press conference
here, the IGP said the accused, namely, Zahid, Zohaib and Aqib, had turned their cell phones off right after they heard that first information report is being registered against them. “The accused promptly diffused in far-flung areas of punjab province in order to remain at large but, railways police endeavoured for their early arrest and nabbed them successfully within hours. The accused
made them inaccessible for police to catch them and hid them beyond the black stump in districts of Punjab,” he added. The IG railways also extended his gratitude to Minister, Secretary and CEO railways for their indispensable assistance in catching the culprits. “Railways administration will also be advised to install security cameras in all trains so that these types of incidents may be averted in
future,” he added. “PRP also facing acute shortage of the staff that problem will be addressed in the near future by the stake holders,” added the IGP railways. Further, DIG South Aga Muhammad Yousaf flanked by IG revealed that security and administration of the train, Bahauddin Zikriya, is under the private enterprise and among the arrested are two ticket examiners and third is a train manager.
Ex-BPSC chief, eight others acquitted of corruption charges QUETTA News Desk
Qatar delegation visits naVttc ISLAMABAD Press release
A high level delegation of Qatar visited the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) headquarters. Mr. Sajid Baloch, Executive Director, NAVTTC, extended a warm welcome to the delegation of the brotherly country. The delegation were given a detailed briefing that under the leadership of Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, NAVTTC has made significant achievements and has upgraded the quality of Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) and Technical skills training in Pakistan. NAVTTC is providing free of cost, income generating skills trainings with the objectives of employment for youth and quality skilled workforce for industry, focusing on Hi Tech trades. The skills reforms program being implemented by the government is socially inclusive and it offers diversified training services to the youth in the modern technology based sectors, and is focused on employment generation locally and abroad. NAVTTC is partnering with reputed international partners to enhance the quality and prestige of Pakistani TVET institutions. Takamol Saudi Arabia and NAVTTC Pakistan are executing a joint skills testing and certification programme called “Skills Verification Program” (SVP), for providing a competent skilled work force to them. The delegation lauded the accreditation initiatives of NAVTTC and expressed interest in accreditation of skills and training institutes. To organize TVET system of the country on modern lines, the international recognized, Competency based training (CBT) system is being used, and NAVTTC Pakistan is now able to deliver training in accordance with the internationally demanded and recognized requirements.
An Accountability Court in Quetta on Tuesday acquitted former chairman Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC), Ashraf Magsi and eight others in a corruption reference. Accountability Court Quetta Judge Munawar Ahmed Shahwani announced the verdict. The National Accountability Bureau Balochistan had the filed reference against former BPSC chairman Ashraf Magsi and others, charging that the accused in connivance with commission’s other officers misused authority and gave undue favor for personal gain to the blue-eyed candidates in the ap-
IBA Karachi and USAID agree to academic cooperation under HESSA
KARACHI Press release
sirajuddin aziz launches new book KARACHI Press release
The book launch ceremony of “Corporate Pakistan The Insights to Leadership & Governance' written by Former CEO – Group Financial Institutions/Habib Bank AG Zurich Mr. Sirajuddin Aziz was held on Monday at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi. The book is a compendium of management articles published between 2018 - 2020. The event was attended by acclaimed professionals and leaders from the corporate sector, art, culture, journalism and academia. Dr. Huma Baqai - Associate Professor of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, Mr. Agha Masood - Senior Journalist, Writer and Political Analyst, Mr. Zafar A. Khan (S.I.) Former CEO of Engro Chemicals Pakistan and Adjunct Professor IBA, Karachi, Dr. Ishrat Hussain - Former Governor State Bank of Pakistan, Former Dean IBA Karachi and Former Special Advisor to the Prime Minister. Speaking at the event, Sirajuddin Aziz commented, 'I am immensely grateful for the appreciation that I have received from the audience and readers. It is an honor for me to share my experiences and learnings with all of you.' Dr. Ishrat Hussain said, 'Corporate Pakistan is a treasure for learnings about the corporate sector in Pakistan - a subject on which there is a dearth of impactful reading material. Every article in the book imparts excellent advice to those aspiring to navigate onwards in the corporate world.'
pointment process of the grade 17 and higher posts. The case remained under trial for several years during which court heard NAB prosecutors and accused in detail. However, after recording evidence and final argument from both sides, the AC Judge referring no solid proof against the former BPSC Chairman and eight others, pronounced to acquit the accused of the corruption charges. Others acquitted in the reference include Director examinations Balochistan Public Service Commission Abdul Waheed, Sajjad, Shafiq, Misbah, Fatima, Azra Magsi, Abda Magsi and Asad Magsi. NAB sources, however, said that the verdict of the Accountability Court will be challenged in the high court
The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, and University of Utah (UU) as a partner of USAID, signed an agreement to facilitate the implementation of capacity-building activities under the Higher Education System Strengthening Activity (HESSA) project. The signing ceremony was held at the IBA Main Campus. Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA, and Dr. Aslam Chaudhry, Research Professor, Dept. of Economics and Chief of Party, USAID/Pakistan HESSA Project, University of Utah, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions. The IBA team included, Dr. Saima Husain, Assistant Professor and Director QEC; Dr. Shakeel Khoja, Dean, School of Mathematics and Computer Science; Dr. Asma Hyder, Dean, School of Economics and Social Sciences; Dr. Abdullah Zafar Sheikh, Professor, School of Business Studies; and other faculty members. The UU was represented by Mr. Naveed Ali, Admin and Finance Manager, USAID/HESSA. Dr. Saima Husain apprised the audience about
the HESSA project, explaining that the UU has been awarded a grant by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement the HESSA Project in Pakistan. The HESSA Project will provide technical assistance to several Pakistani universities in delivering high-quality, market-driven education and research. Furthermore, IBA, Karachi has been selected as one of the HESSA partner universities in its Tier 1 category. This project will primarily focus on facilitating public-sector universities. Under this collaboration, HESSA intends to provide capacity-building support to the IBA in areas including, leadership development including women leadership, strategic planning, resource mobilization, institutional governance, faculty development, curriculum reform and modernization, research management, and student support. Welcoming Dr. Chaudhry, Dr. Zaidi said that out of around 245 public-sector universities in Pakistan, the IBA was one of the five institutions to be selected from the top tier universities. Under the program, around thirty IBA faculty members will be mentored in areas including, leadership, academic and research management.
Queen Máxima of the netherlands mentions VrG during lecture at wef davos Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA) delivered a talk at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos Meeting on May 24, 2022 about digital inclusion. “The EDISON Alliance can make a real difference. Its goal of improving 1 billion lives through digital solutions in health, finance, and education by 2025 is the call to action we need. Already, the public commitments from government and industry are very encouraging. So are the tools and products being created to make these commitments a reality”, she said. Queen Maxima further said, “One example is interoperable payment systems that work for the poor. Systems that support high numbers of small-value transactions are unlikely to be developed without government encouragement and support. But when they are, it is worth the investment. Pro-poor payment systems, such as those set up in Pakistan, exemplify this. They can increase competition between providers, drive down costs, allow infrastructure to be shared between competing firms, and open the financial system to potentially millions of new customers”. Without mentioning VRG by name Queen Maxima is clearly taking about VRG because we are the only company in Pakistan fully operational duly licensed both by SBP and PTA. AMA is meant to include the deprived not having bank accounts (80% of the adult population) in less than 2 minutes in any of the 16 digital banks. Because of VRG’s Asaan Mobile Account (AMA) initiative for financial inclusion (under license from SBP and PTA), Pakistan is being considered in the second batch of LIGHTHOUSE countries of WEF’s prestigious EDISON ALLIANCE because of VRG. This is a great example of a Public Private Partnership mentored under the aegis of SBP and PTA and is a great honour for Pakistan.
Pakistan Navy organizes annual safety review & safety seminar KARACHI Press release
Pakistan Navy Annual Safety Review 2021 was held at Karachi. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The Safety Review is organized annually with an aim to create safety awareness and inculcate safety culture amongst personnel which provides a road map to further enhance safe working environment in Pakistan Navy.
While addressing the ceremony, the Admiral reiterated that Pakistan Navy observes robust safety culture in order to ensure safety of its assets. The Naval
Chief expressed his satisfaction over adherence to safety norms in Pakistan Navy and professional competence of its personnel. Chief of the Naval Staff
appreciated the efforts of all Field Commands for maintaining high standards of work and personal safety. In the end of the ceremony, Chief of the Naval Staff gave away safety trophies and awards to the winners of Pakistan Navy Annual Safety Review. PN Annual Safety Review was sequel to Safety Seminar which was held on 30 May 22. During this seminar safety related papers to enhance safety culture in PN were presented. Both these events were attended by a large number of Officers, sailors and navy civilians from Field Commands.
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srael signed a free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first with an Arab country, building on their US-brokered normalisation of diplomatic relations in 2020. Israel’s ambassador to the oil-rich UAE, Amir Hayek, tweeted “mabruk” — congratulations in Arabic — with a photo of Emirati and Israeli officials holding documents at a signing ceremony in Dubai. The Emirati envoy to Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, hailed as an “unprecedented achievement” the deal that, according to the Israeli side, scraps customs duties on 96 percent of all products traded. “Businesses in both countries will benefit from faster access to markets and lower tariffs as our nations work together to increase trade, create jobs, promote new skills and deepen cooperation,” Khaja tweeted. The 2020 deal was part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords that also saw Israel establish diplomatic ties with Bahrain and
Morocco. Two-way trade between Israel and the UAE last year totalled some $900 million dollars, according to Israeli figures. UAE-Israel Business Council president Dorian Barak predicted that trade would soon multiply between the regional powerhouse economies. “UAE-Israel trade will exceed $2 billion
Trudeau announces Canada handgun ‘freeze’ CALGARY AFP
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday a proposed freeze on handgun ownership in Canada that would effectively ban their importation and sale, following recent mass shootings in the United States. The bill must still be passed by Parliament, with the ruling Liberals holding only a minority of seats. “We’re introducing legislation to implement a national freeze on handgun ownership,” Trudeau told a news conference, joined by dozens of families and friends of victims of gun violence. “What this means is that it will no longer be possible to buy, sell, transfer or import handguns anywhere in Canada,” he said. “In other words, we’re capping the market for handguns.” Days after Canada’s worst mass shooting left 23 dead in rural Nova Scotia in April 2020, the government banned 1,500 types of military-grade or assaultstyle firearms. But Trudeau acknowledged Monday that gun violence continues to rise. The government statistical agency reported last week that firearms-related violent crimes account for less than three percent of all violent crimes in Canada. But since 2009 the per capita rate of guns being pointed at someone has nearly tripled, while the rate at which a gun was fired with an intent to kill or wound is up five-fold. Almost two-thirds of gun crimes in urban areas involved handguns. Police often point to smuggling from the United States — which is reeling from recent shootings at a school in Texas and at a supermarket in New York state — as the main source of handguns. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino estimated there are about one million handguns in this country — up significantly from a decade ago.
in 2022, rising to around $5 billion in five years, bolstered by collaboration in renewables, consumer goods, tourism and the life sciences sectors,” he said in a statement. “Dubai is fast becoming a hub for Israeli companies that look to South Asia, the Middle East and the Far East as markets for their goods and services.” Nearly 1,000 Israeli companies will be
working in and through the UAE by year’s end, he said. The UAE was the first Gulf country to normalise ties with Israel and only the third Arab nation to do so after Egypt and Jordan. Talks for a free trade agreement began in November and concluded after four rounds of negotiations. The latest was held in March in Egypt between Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed AlNahyan, UAE’s long-time de facto ruler who became president this month after the death of his half-brother Sheikh Khalifa. Israel had in March hosted a meeting of the top diplomats from the United States, UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Sudan in 2020 also agreed to normalise ties with Israel, but the strife-torn northeast African country has yet to finalise a deal. Israel has already struck free trade agreements with other countries and blocs, including the United States, European Union, Canada and Mexico. In February, Israel signed a trade deal with Rabat to designate special industrial zones in Morocco.
The Abraham Accords broke with longstanding pan-Arab policy to isolate Israel until it withdraws from the occupied territories and accepts Palestinian statehood. Palestinians condemned the agreements struck under then US president Donald Trump, and the conflict continues to inflame tensions, including between Israel and the UAE. Tuesday’s signing came two days after thousands of flag-waving Israelis marched through Jerusalem’s Old City during a nationalist procession marking Israel’s 1967 capture of east Jerusalem. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in 1980, a move never recognised by the international community. The UAE on Monday “strongly condemned” what it called Israel’s “storming” of Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque compound, one of Islam’s holiest sites. The UAE “reiterated its firm position on the need to provide full protection for Al Aqsa Mosque and halt serious and provocative violations taking place there”, reported the official WAM news agency.
Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile 18 times over 2015 deal limit: IAEA VIENNA AFP
The UN nuclear watchdog said it estimated Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium had grown to more than 18 times the limit laid down in Tehran’s 2015 deal with world powers. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in its latest report on Iran’s nuclear programme that it “estimated that, as of May 15, 2022, Iran’s total enriched stockpile was 3,809.3 kilograms.” The limit in the 2015 deal was set at 300 kg (660 pounds) of a specific compound, the equivalent of 202.8 kg of uranium. The report also says that Iran is continuing its enrichment of uranium to levels higher than the 3.67 percent limit in the deal. The stockpile of uranium enriched up to 20 percent is now estimated to be 238.4 kg,
up 56.3 kg since the last report in March, while the amount enriched to 60 percent stands at 43.1 kg, an increase of 9.9 kg. Enrichment levels of around 90 percent are required for use in a nuclear weapon. Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful. A diplomatic source said the amount of uranium enriched to 60 percent now exceeded the IAEA’s threshold of a “significant quantity”, defined by the agency as an approximate amount above which “the possibility of manufacturing a nuclear explosive cannot be excluded”. However, the same source pointed out that some uranium would be lost during the process of further enrichment, meaning that in reality “you would need more than 55 kilograms” for that purpose. In a separate report also issued on Mon-
day, the IAEA reiterated that it still had questions which were “not clarified” regarding previous undeclared nuclear material at three sites named as Marivan, Varamin and Turquzabad. This is despite a long-running series of attempts by the IAEA to get Iranian officials to explain the presence of this material. The report said Iran has offered the explanation of an “act of sabotage by a third party to contaminate” the sites, but added no proof had been provided to corroborate this. The diplomatic source said that an act of sabotage was “not easy to believe” given “the distribution of the material” that had led to the IAEA’s questions. The latest reports come as talks to revive the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers remain deadlocked after stalling in March.
Israel should consider ‘terror’ tag for Jewish extremists: minister JERUSALEM AFP
Israel should consider placing on its terrorism list two right-wing extremist groups accused of violence towards Palestinians and who called for the death of Arabs, Defence Minister Benny Gantz said Monday. “I believe it is time to examine defining groups like La Familia and Lehava as terror groups, and I know the issue is being presented to security forces,” Gantz said during a faction meeting of his Blue and White party. Thousands of flag-waving Israelis on Sunday marched through Jerusalem’s Old City during a nationalist procession marking Israel’s 1967 capture of east Jerusalem. Some marchers chanted “death to Arabs”, as a number of Palestinians hurled projectiles from the rooftops. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered police to show “zero tolerance” towards Jewish extremists who planned to “incite” tensions, singling out La Familia. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described
Lehava and La Familia as a “disgrace” who weren’t “worthy of holding the Israeli flag”. La Familia is a group of fans of the Beitar Jerusalem football club, notorious for their anti-Arab racism and violence. Lehava is an extremist right-wing group that fights against fraternisation between Jews and non-Jews which could lead to intermarriage. It is affiliated with the teachings of the late Rabbi Meir Kahana, whose Kach group is outlawed in Israel. Not the first time: To designate an organisation as a terrorist group, one of Israel’s security organisations — the Shin Bet internal security agency, police, army or Mossad — must issue a request to the defence ministry and receive the consent of the attorney general. Following the defence minister’s approval, the group will receive a three-month temporary designation, during which it can appeal the decision to the ministry as well as a special judiciary panel. If no appeal overturns the decision, the group will then be formally declared a terrorist organisation.
Israeli officials have from time to time previously raised the issue of designating La Familia and Lehava as terrorist groups, but have never gone through with the process. La Familia brushed aside the latest wave of condemnation and attention as an attempt to garner political support. “Time and again political groups or members of Knesset try to ride on the organisation’s back to try get votes and take down the group with incidents that never happened,” they wrote on their official Facebook page. “La Familia is a football organisation only, and as regular civilians, we have the right to march in Jerusalem,” they said. Lehava head Benzi Gopstein lashed out against Gantz who hosted Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at his home late last year, “but doesn’t do a thing against the Arabs who incite day after day on the Temple Mount,” the holiest site in Judaism which is also Islam’s third-holiest site, Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem. “We’ve been through” hardships, Gopstein said on his Telegram channel, and “we’ll get through Gantz too.”
Wang Yi urges U.S. to take actions to avoid a deterioration in bilateral ties BEIJING Agencies
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday urged the United States to abandon the Cold War mentality and properly manage differences as China-U.S. relations couldn’t be deteriorated any more. Wang made the remarks during an online symposium organized by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs on the 99th birthday of former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger. Wang stressed that building an interconnected, diversified and inclusive world is a shared responsibility of both China and the United States. “If the United States only defines its rela-
tions with China in terms of major-country competition and sets its policy goal with ‘win or lose’ mentality, it will only push the bilateral relations into confrontation and conflict and the world into division and turmoil,” he said. China’s overriding task is to concentrate on its own development and satisfy its people’s aspirations for a better life, he said. In an era of upheaval and change, mankind needs a new diplomatic philosophy of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, he said, calling on the U.S. to take actions to inject positive energy into ChinaU.S. relations. At the symposium, attendees reviewed Kissinger’s efforts toward developing China-U.S. ties and discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral relationship.
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HE chief selector national women’s team has retained the same team – that recorded their maiden T20 series clean sweep against Sri Lanka – for their upcoming commitments in the United Kingdom during which they will compete in a tri-series in Ireland and Commonwealth Games in England. The squad was finalised after deliberations amongst Asmavia Iqbal, the national women team’s chief selector, head coach David Hemp and captain Bismah Maroof. Eighteen players have been announced for the two series, which include three reserve players: Ghulam Fatima, Sadaf Shamas and
Umme Hani. Pakistan will take on T20 world champions Australia and hosts Ireland in Belfast from 16 to 24 July and play Barbados, India and Australia in Commonwealth Games on 29, 31 July and 3 August. Ahead of their departure to the UK on 12 July, the team will undergo an extensive training session in Islamabad at House of Northern from 1 to 11 July. Chief Selector Asmavia Iqbal: “Following a successful series against Sri Lanka, we have decided to retain the same winning combination. Not only our senior cricketers in the side displayed great cricketing acumen also our youngsters were outstanding and have raised their hands whenever the team needed them to.
“We are delighted with the start Tuba Hassan has had to her international career and feel her leg-spin will be a potent weapon for us in the days ahead. Ayesha Naseem produced a match winning innings in the second match of the T20Is against Sri Lanka and proved her big-hitting ability. The tri-series in Ireland and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games will test the abilities of our players and I have all the belief in them that they will live up to the expectations and show consistent results. Head of Women Cricket, Tania Mallick: “I want to congratulate our team for putting up a solid and dominating display in Karachi against Sri Lanka and I am sure these girls will continue their form
in the ICC Women’s Championship fixtures. Our team has all the potential to do well in the United Kingdom and I wish them the very best for the tri-series and Commonwealth Games. “I want to thank the Commonwealth Games for accepting our request to accommodate our captain Bismah Maroof’s family at the games village which will allow her to focus on the task at hand without any worries about her young infant daughter.” Squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan.
Advocates cast doubt on Qatar’s carbon neutral World Cup efforts Pakistani mountaineer Asad Ali summits North America’s Mount Denali News Desk Aiming to climb the seven highest mountains across seven continents of the world, Pakistani mountaineer Asad Ali Memon last week successfully summitted North America’s Mount Denali at 6,190m. Ali’s team confirmed that the 23-year-old mountaineer from Larkana summitted Denali on the morning of May 28 — Saturday — and has successfully returned to the basecamp. Denali was his fourth of seventh summits target. He also waved Pakistan’s flag atop Denali. Ali started his mountaineering career by climbing Mingling Sar in Shimshal in 2017. He started his 7 continent-7 summits mission by climbing 5,642m-high Mt Elbrus in the European region in 2019. Next year, he went summitted 6,862m-high Aconcagua in the South American region. Last year, Ali successfully summitted 5,895m Mt Kilimanjaro — the highest peak in the African region. He next eyes Jaya Peak, also known as Mount Carstensz or Carstensz Pyramids in Australia/Oceania region. The 4,884m high peak is located in the New Guinea Island region. Pakistan’s prominent climber Mirza Ali Bag has also done 7 summits on 7 different continents.
Picturesque Multan stadium prepares to host Pak-WI series APP The picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium is undergoing multifaceted preparations to host Pakistan, West Indies One Day International (ODI) series from June 8, ending the international cricket drought south Punjab’s biggest metropolis had been facing for the last fourteen years. The series was shifted from Rawalpindi to Multan due to unavoidable circumstances and Multanites are waiting for the encounter eagerly, anticipating the best demonstration of skills from both teams. “The stadium is ready to host the matches in all respect”, said a senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) media official Shakeel Khan. Manager Multan Cricket Stadium Mudassir Tarar told APP that arrangements at the stadium were in the final stages of completion to host the international matches. The sources shared that three pitches were being prepared and additional grass was being cut from the stadium ground and added that the renovation of the stadium was in its final stages. Meanwhile, Pakistan cricket team would join its four-day training camp in Lahore from June 1 and would reach Multan on June 5, while the West Indies team would reach Islamabad on June 6 from where a special flight would bring them to Multan. Three day and night matches would be played on June 8, 10 and 12, and would commence at 4 p.m. to enable players and spectators to enjoy the game amid low temperatures in Multan, a city known for its hot weather conditions, Shakeel Khan said. The 23,000-capacity stadium had witnessed Pakistan play against international teams in 12 matches including five (5) tests and seven (7) ODIs, out of which Pakistan emerged as the winner in three tests and five ODIs. The international rivals Pakistan faced at Multan Cricket Stadium include Bangladesh, India, West Indies, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
DOHA ReuteRs
Climate advocates have cast doubt on Qatar’s efforts to host soccer’s first carbon-neutral FIFA World Cup by offsetting or eliminating emissions that contribute to global warming, according to a report released Tuesday. Organisers in the Gulf Arab state are omitting some greenhouse gas emissions from their calculations and will rely on flimsy carbon offsets to reach carbon neutrality, said the report, compiled by Carbon Market Watch, an advocacy group.
In a statement, Qatar’s tournament organisers dismissed the conclusions as speculative, saying emissions will be calculated using “best-in practice” methods after the tournament ends to ensure they are based on actual activities. Qatar, the world’s largest producer of natural gas, pledged to host a carbon neutral tournament when it bid for the event more than 11 years ago. “Can they claim it’s a carbonneutral event at this point? Too early,” said Fengqi You, an energy systems engineer at Cornell University. That will depend on factors
like how many people will attend, You said. Carbon Market Watch criticised Qatar’s method of spreading the emissions from building stadiums over the lifetime of the facility, rather than counting it all toward the World Cup. But that is a common practice, You said. The academic said it would be impossible for the event to reach carbon neutrality without buying offsets. Once the event is over and all emissions are accounted for, offsetting it all is a question of how much money Qatar is willing to spend buying offsets, generally backed by carbon negative activities like planting trees, he said. The decision to offset its emissions should be “recognized rather than criticized,” a spokesperson for the tournament organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said in a statement. Qatar’s organisers have highlighted the tournament’s carbon limiting efforts, such as introducing solar-powered stadium air conditioning, building a reusable stadium from shipping containers and the fact that fans won’t need to fly from one match to the next in tiny Qatar. But Carbon Market Watch’s report cast doubt on several initiatives, like a large-scale grass farm that Qatar, which has negligible water resources, has built in the desert to produce stadiumready turf.
liverpool chairman demands apology for french minister’s comments LONDON ReuteRs
Liverpool Chairman Tom Werner has demanded an apology from the French sports minister after she said fans with fake tickets and the club’s handling of their supporters were responsible for the trouble that marred Saturday’s Champions League final. The match at the Stade de France, which Real Madrid won 1-0, was delayed by more than half an hour after police tried to hold off people trying to force their way into the ground. Some fans, including children, were tear-gassed by French riot police. On Monday, sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said that the initial problems were caused by Liverpool fans without valid tickets and accused the club of letting their supporters “out in the wild”. French interior minister Gerald Darmanin added that there had been a “massive (ticket) fraud on an industrial scale”. Werner hit back late on Monday in a letter to OudeaCastera, describing her comments as “irresponsible, unprofessional, and wholly disrespectful” to the fans affected. “The UEFA Champions League final should be one of the finest spectacles in world sport, and instead it devolved into one of the worst security collapses in recent memory,” Werner was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo newspaper. “On behalf of all the fans who experienced this nightmare I demand an apology from you, and assurance that the French authorities and UEFA allow an independent and transparent investigation to proceed.” UEFA has commissioned an independent inquiry into the incident while Oudea-Castera said they would produce a report within 10 days. In an interview to the Liverpool website, CEO Billy Hogan said they were also reviewing legal options available to them on behalf of their supporters.
Djokovic, Nadal clash for 59th time in French Open blockbuster AgeNcies Novak Djokovic renews his 16-year rivalry with Rafael Nadal at the French Open on Tuesday with a semi-final spot at stake and where victory for the world number one could end the 13-time champion’s Roland Garros career. Nadal, who turns 36 on Friday, puts his record of 109 wins and just three losses in Paris since his title-winning debut in 2005 on the line against the defending champion. The Spaniard was taken to five sets for only the third time at the tournament by 21-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round. In the immediate aftermath of that victory, Nadal admitted that not only was this year’s French Open at stake but pos-
sibly his entire playing future. “I know my situation, and I accept it,” said Nadal, who arrived in Paris unsure if he would be able to take part after suffering a recurrence of a chronic foot injury which has plagued him for most of his career. “I am just enjoying the fact that I am here for one more year. And being honest, every match that I play here, I don’t know if it’s going to be my last at Roland Garros.” Overall, Djokovic leads Nadal 30-28 since their first career meeting at the 2006 French Open. Nadal has a 19-8 edge on clay and has won seven of the pair’s nine meetings in Paris. Djokovic, however, came out on top in the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2021 on his way to a second title.
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RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday landed in Ankara for a three-day visit — his first since assuming the office last month. A high-level delegation — including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Investment Board Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain, PM’s special assistants Tariq Fatemi and Fahad Hussain — is accompanying the prime minister, while Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will join the delegation later on. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi, senior government officials, and diplomatic personnel gave the premier a warm welcome. Apart from this, a contingent of the Turkish Army presented a salute to the prime minister. During his visit, the prime minister will have a tete-a-tete with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan which would be followed by delegation-level talks. Besides discussing the Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations, the two leaders would also exchange views on regional and interna-
tional issues. They will also address a joint press statement after their meetings. As both countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations, both leaders will jointly unveil a logo — marking the commencement of the celebrations. On his Twitter handle, the prime min-
ister posted his views prior to his departure to Turkey. He said that time has arrived for Pakistan and Turkey to further leverage on their excellent bonds to upgrade the bilateral ties as era of regional connectivity and shared development called for fresh approach. “Departing for visit to Turkey. Time has come for Pakistan & Turkey to leverage their excellent bonds to upgrade bilateral ties. Era of regional connectivity, shared development & common destiny calls for a fresh approach. Look forward to discussing this with my brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” the prime minister said in a tweet. The foreign office spokesperson in a separate press release said that the historic and long-standing relations between Pakistan and Turkey were firmly anchored in common faith, shared history, and a glorious tradition of mutual support to each other on issues of core interest. The relationship between Pakistan and Turkey is underpinned by structured institutional mechanisms. The High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) is the primary platform at the leadership-level,
imran khan rules out possibility of reconsidering resignations from nA
Rana Sanaullah to be indicted in drugs case on June 25 LAhORE sTAFF RePORT
A Special Court for Control of Narcotic Substances Lahore on Tuesday summoned Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah for June 25 to be indicted in a drugs case against him. In a written order related to the last hearing but issued on Tuesday, the court said that Sanaullah’s lawyer “is stating that the charges may be framed on the next date of hearing because the accused is the federal interior minister and he has to go to Islamabad immediately”.
The state prosecutors, it continued, were reluctant at first but eventually agreed to the court’s order as well. “In these circumstances the inhand case is adjourned to June 25,” the order added. It is to be noted that the minister was arrested in July 2019 under the previous government by the Anti Narcotics Force that claimed to have recovered 15kg of heroin from his vehicle. Meanwhile, the court also sought a reply from the ANF regarding the minister’s application to unfreeze his bank and property accounts. During the last
hearing, Sanaullah’s counsel had argued that the ANF had accused his client of being in the drugs business for the last 10 years but his frozen assets and bank accounts were being maintained earlier than that. He said Sanaullah had been facing severe financial problems as he was unable to withdraw his salary from the bank and had thus filed a petition requesting to unfreeze his accounts. Charges against Sanaullah: Sanaullah was arrested on July 1, 2019 by the ANF Lahore team while travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore near
PEShAWAR news Desk
Ravi Toll Plaza on the motorway. He was accused of carrying 15kg of heroin in his vehicle. Five others, including his driver and security guards were also arrested. An FIR was lodged under Section 9(C) of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997, which carries death penalty or life imprisonment or a jail term that may extend to 14 years, along with a fine up to Rs1 million. He was twice denied bail by the trial court but the Lahore High Court released him on Dec 24, 2019.
Petroleum prices remain unchanged iSLAmABAd MiAn AbRAR
The prices of petroleum products were kept unchanged on Tuesday on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to a press release from the Finance Division. It said the measure was taken with the “view to provide maximum relief to the consumers” despite the loss in revenue due to globally rising petroleum prices. The press release said the prices with effects from June 1 (tomorrow) would continue to be those notified on May 27. Last week, the federal government decided to raise the prices of petroleum products by Rs30 per litre. After the hike, the price of petrol was set at Rs179.86, diesel at Rs174.15, kerosene oil at Rs155.56 and light diesel at Rs148.31.
The finance minister made the announcement at a press conference in Islamabad and explained that the decision was taken in order to ensure the revival of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. Ismail said the government had no other option but to raise the prices, adding that “we are still bearing a loss of Rs56 per litre on diesel” even under the new pricing. He was of the view that the government was aware of the political repercussions of the decision, saying “we will face criticism but the state and its interests are important to us and it is necessary for us to save it.” He said the country could have gone in the “wrong direction” if the steps were not taken. He said the decision was a tough one for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying “we cannot let the state sink for the sake of politics.”
Pakistan reiterates objections to new delhi’s hydroelectric projects NEW DELHI: Pakistan reiterated its objections over New Delhi’s hydroelectric projects on the western rivers and urged India to take measures in line with the true spirit of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). During the twoday meeting of the Pakistan-India Permanent Indus Commission that concluded in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss issues pertaining to sharing of water resources under the Indus Water Treaty, Pakistan asked India to follow the treaty guidelines. This was the 118th meeting held annually under the relevant provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960. Pakistani delegation was led by Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters, Syed Muhammad Mehar Ali Shah, while the Indian delegation was headed by the Indian Commissioner for Indus Waters AK Pal. Pakistan highlighted its objections on India’s hydroelectric projects on the western rivers including Pakal Dul.The Indian side assured to arrange tours and inspections after the coming flood season. The Indian side also assured that Pakistan’s outstanding objections would be discussed in the next meeting as the Indian side is still in the process of examining the details. Agencies
which has been instrumental in further cementing bilateral relations. So far, six sessions of the HLSCC have taken place. The 7th session is slated to take place this year. “The Turkish leadership and the government have steadfastly supported the just cause of Kashmir. Turkey is an important and active member of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir. The two countries have convergent views on a range of issues including peaceful and stable Afghanistan, Palestine, and countering Islamophobia,” it was added. “Besides being part of regular highlevel exchanges between the two countries, the Prime Minister’s visit to Turkey is important in the context of deepening and broadening bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, regional connectivity, health, education, culture and people-to-people relations. It will help in further strengthening the leadership dialogue and existing multi-dimensional strategic relationship between the two countries and will impart fresh impetus to the efforts to take this unique partnership to new heights,” the spokesperson said.
Amid reports that Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi has asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to reconsider its decision of resigning en masse from the National Assembly, PTI chairman and former premier Imran Khan ruled out the possibility of withdrawing their resignations from the National Assembly. In a meeting with court reporters and digital journalists in Peshawar, Imran said the PTI would not return to parliament and he termed the speaker’s summons to PTI lawmakers to verify their resignation letters a “big trap”. Imran said his party would approach the Supreme Court for its right to protest. “Our strategy for the next long march would be dependent on the SC’s decision on the petition which would be filled tomorrow by our legal team,” he added. Imran also rejected the alleged audio clip of property tycoon Malik Riaz wherein he was conveying Imran’s message to PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari for a deal ahead of the no-confidence motion against him.
OGRA reduces LPG price by Rs13 per kg for June AhmAd AhmAdAni The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has approved a reduction in the price of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) by Rs13 per kg for the month of June 2022 and issued a notification to this effect. Good news for the inflation-hit masses is that OGRA has approved a Rs 13 per kg cut in the price of LPG which will be effective from June 1, 2022 across the country. According to the OGRA notification, the price of a domestic LPG cylinder is reduced by Rs155 and now it will be available at Rs2,581.35 while a commercial cylinder will be available at Rs9,931.65 with the start of June across the country. Chairman LPG Distributors Association, Irfan Khokhar, said that LPG is 45 percent cheaper than petrol and diesel while the price of LPG can be reduced further by 60 percent to 65 percent only if the government pays due attention towards the LPG sector. It is pertinent to mention that LPG is an alternate fuel mainly used for cooking, heating and lightening purposes in the remote and hilly areas of the country where pipeline supply of natural gas is not available.
Pakistan can't progress until Imran is in politics: Maryam mURREE news Desk
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has said that Pakistan cannot progress until PTI Chairman Imran Khan is in politics. Talking at a party ceremony, she said that Pakistan cannot prosper until people like Imran Khan are active in the country’s politics. The PML-N leader said that Imran Khan claims to plant one billion trees but the PTI workers burned trees and green belts during their long march. She said that the PTI workers
asked the government to unblock roads so that their revolution would come, adding that revolutions don’t need open roads, they make their own way. The PTI leader sabotaged our relationship with friendly countries with his foolish policies, she added. Maryam said that the PTI government destroyed the PakTurk projects initiated in the PML-N era. She said that “Imran Khan is a gang leader […] his political campaign is more dangerous than terrorism.” The PML-N leader said
Khan has admitted in a recent interview that his party workers were armed, whereas, in her rallies, “not a single person carries weapons”. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s people have understood the politics of Khan, which is why they were not part of his long march and his facial expressions were enough to show that the long march failed,” she added. She went on to say that ahead of the long march, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) had found weapons at the residence of a PTI leader.
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“If a person is openly accepting that they are involved in terrorist activities, then should we let them off the hook?” Maryam said since Khan was removed from the prime minister’s office, he has set fires across the country. “These are only the goals of a terrorist.” She asked national institutions if a “terrorist like him [Imran]” would continue to remain scot-free, one who is admitting to his ‘act of terrorism’. She said her party would launch a new Radd-ul-Fasaad operation against him [Imran].